REVIEW: Here's what I thought of The Best of Queen

Even though they were around before my time, I grew up listening to Queen hits, from Killer Queen to Another One Bites The Dust.

So, when I heard that a Queen tribute band, called The Best of Queen, was going to be performing at Taunton's Brewhouse, I was curious to check it out and see how they compared to the real deal.

What first struck me was how busy it was. When you stepped through the door of the Brewhouse, there were people everywhere you looked, some of which were wearing fake moustaches to mimic Freddie Mercury's distinctive look.

There were even people dressed up in the colourful jackets that Queen band members used to wear.

Taking this as a good sign, my family and I all had high hopes for the show.

Almost every seat was taken. (Image: NQ staff)

After getting a drink, we took our seats near the back of the theatre (very comfortable seats, I might add). From where we sat, we had a good vantage point of the stage.

A drum set made the centrepiece, complete with purple-ish lighting and smoke from a smoke machine. It definitely had the desired effect: everyone was very eager to see the band come on stage and rock out.

And, when they finally did, they did not disappoint! 

Freddie Mercury is, I imagine, quite a difficult person to impersonate, since he had his own distinctive take on things. However, Rob Lea managed to capture not only the star's voice but also his stage mannerisms.

Throughout the show, Rob would nip off stage to change his outfit whilst the guitarist, who I assume was dressed to resemble Brian May, would perform a solo. 

The band performed all of the classics, as well as a couple of the lesser known tracks. I didn't know all of the songs, but the crowd, which was mainly made up of an older generation, sang along.

Rob was very good at encouraging audience engagement, getting us to sing words and phrases back to him, just as Freddie would have done.

Rob Lea. (Image: NQ staff)

A card was put on or under people's seats with a QR code, so that people could scan in any song requests they had. Rob would then go through them and sing as many as he could, which I thought was a very nice touch.

What impressed me most was how the band just knew these songs off by heart and played them with barely any hesitation.

During the slower songs, people were encouraged to get their phones out and turn their torches on.

Rob isn't just a Queen tribute performer, either. Rob, who won Starstruck for his take on Freddie Mercury, explained to the audience that he also writes his own songs, and he even performed one, called Reflection.

He currently has five songs out already, which are available on Spotify, but hopes that their debut album will make it into the official charts.

Rob also said that since he doesn't have a manager or a record label, he appreciates any support he gets.

By the end of the performance, most people were up dancing.

All in all, this was a brilliant show, and I would definitely recommend going to see it if it ever plays near you.