#I'm liking the 1975 TV show quite a bit

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Hitting it off (dp x dc)

I've just started watching the 1975 tv show Wonder Woman, so have a thing:) Diana has just started being Wonder Woman in this.

"I hate this stupid decade and I hate time-travel," Tucker muttered as they snuck around the military warehouse.

"I'll be sure to pass on your dissatisfaction to Vlad," Sam murmured back dryly. "Just, you know, once we stop him from destroying the future as we know it."

"What is his plan, again?" Tucker said as he ducked out of sight of the guards.

"Something about him wanting to found the company that will invent the candies that Danny's mom likes so she'll fall in love with him or some insane shit like that." Sam chanced a look around the corner.

"How is he getting crazier every time, seriously?" Tucker groaned.

"Get ready," Sam said, tapping her friend on the shoulder. "They're about to switch off."

"Why are we doing the sneaking around, when we know a guy who can literally turn invisible?" Tucker muttered.

"Did you want to deal Vlad?"

Tucker's answering grimace was answer enough. They fell silent just in time for two soldiers to come in and talk to the two that were previously there. As they got to talking, Sam and Tucker made a dash for the back of the warehouses, staying low to the ground in an effort not to be seen.

They reached the warehouse successfully without being seen though Tucker was wheezing and leaning heavily on the metal structure they were hiding behind.

"Just... need... a second," Tucker panted out as Sam looked around to make sure they hadn't been spotted.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A voice came from beside them. Sam had to press a hand on Tucker's mouth to muffle his shriek as she turned towards the sound. She was faced with a woman wearing a red, white and blue costume with bracelets on her wrists and a lasso(?) attached to her hip.

"Who are you?" Sam shot back in an attempt to stall.

"My name is Wonder Woman," the woman said. "I am a superhero."

Tucker frowned, now fully recovered from the mini heart attack he'd experienced. "If you're a superhero, why are you sneaking around instead of asking for access, then?"

"I do not like doing paperwork," Wonder Woman answered solemnly.

Sam looked at her blankly, trying to figure out if the woman was joking or not.

"Fair enough," Tucker answered at her side with a nod.

"Now," Wonder Woman started. "Tell me who you are and what is your aim here."

"Well I'm Tucker," the teen started with a hand on his chest before he moved it to indicate his friend. "And this is Sam. We're..."

"We've received a tip that there would be an assassination attempt on Private Essex," Sam took over smoothly. "We were sent to prevent it from happening without causing a commotion."

"I see," Wonder Woman stated earnestly. "That is a worthy goal. I shall do my best to assist you, once I take down the spies."

"Spies?" Tucker asked with an excited gleam in his eyes.

"Yes," the woman said. "Our intelligence says that spies have infiltrated the army. Luckily, we managed to discover that they will be meeting in this warehouse right now to exchange secret documents."

"Why not combine our efforts and help each other with our mission," Tucker offered.

"Very well," Wonder Woman agreed.

Sam nodded before getting the hard-won blueprints of the warehouse out of her bag and flattening it on the ground.

"I have a plan," Sam started, "First, Tucker and I will sneak through the-"

Wonder Woman hadn't even let her finish before she kicked the door off its handles and sent it crashing to the floor with a yell of "Stop right there!"

"Or, we could do that," Sam deadpanned as every head inside the warehouse swivelled towards them. She allowed herself a sigh. "Let's go." Sam grabbed Tucker and hauled them both after Wonder Woman who was carving a path through the soldiers and leaving carnage in her wake. Tucker turned to her and managed to yell in her ear while continuing walking.

"I take it back, Sam! This is great!"

#I'm liking the 1975 TV show quite a bit #There's this one scene where the police is telling Diana she has to fill in paperwork for the robbers she brought in #and she just goes “lol nope” and dips #The lesson here kids is that the real enemy was paperwork all along #I feel like the dynamic here is the meme with one person holding two other person on a leash #In this case it's Sam having to deal with Diana and Tucker #Sam manson #Tucker Foley #diana prince #wonder woman #dc x dp #dp x dc #roxpox #roxpoxwrote

[undying-love]

Interesting interview with the guy who wrote the screenplay for Two Of Us

(I know many of you have already read this, but I still wanteed to share it.)

Q: Do you think it is possible that John and Paul ever spent some real time together (just the two of them) between 1971 and 1980 other than those two occasions?

Mark Stanfield: As far as I know, John and Paul were never actually alone together after the breakup of the Beatles. Paul, of course, often talks about how grateful he is that the two of them re-established some kind of friendship in the months before John died, but that was over the phone. So, unless Paul is keeping a secret, it appears the last time they saw one another was when in 1976 (probably around the time Wings played New York) when John told him to stop coming around without calling first.

Q: What did you do before writing the story? Did you spend a lot of time doing research? If so what books and sources? What TV shows or videos?

Mark Standield: The most valuable books were “Revolution in the Head” by Ian MacDonald; “25 Years in the Life” by Mark Lewisohn; and “Lennon” by Ray Coleman [...] As far as videos, a lot of them I had to obtain on the black market, things like “Let It Be”; the McCartney interview with Charlie Rose from 1991; the Lennon interview with Tom Snyder from 1975; “Wings Over the World”. And then there was the music, which provided the biggest revelations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I always wondered what 'revelations" he was talking about, because he does not elaborate (although we can assume. The songs they wrote for each other are pretty telling). It's frustrating how these interviewers never ask follow up questions. He doesn't say, "What do you mean? What revelations?". He never even brings up the kiss in the movie.

By the way, I'm pretty sure Michael Lindsay-Hogg told Mark quite a few things about John and Paul. After all, he saw them interacting quite a bit. I'm pretty sure he, and many others, knew about the "John's princess" nickname, lol. Everyone who saw them interacting must have sensed something. Hell, Yoko just weeks after being in the studio for the first time, said "If Paul was a woman he would have been a great threat, because there is something definitely very strong between John and Paul''. It must have been so obvious if Yoko noticed this in such a shott time.

Anyways, It's very telling that Mark does not say what these "biggest revelations" were. Im pretty sure that most of the people who were close to the Beatles know that there was something going on, but they are too afraid to speak up. That's why a lot of them have said many vague but still suggestive things.

#mclennon #hmmmm #interesting

[chaos0pikachu]

Hi chaos,

So people on other socials are saying playboyy is camp? I don't quite get that vibe so I'm asking do you? Why?

*cracks neck* okay let's do this; this got wildly long so I'm putting a chunk of it behind a cut b/c unlike some blogs I'm not gonna subject anyone to endless and endless scrolling just b/c I added pictures anyway~~

So people are probably getting this from Den himself:

I talked about camp an itty bitty bit before, specifically I quoted Susan Sontag who was an American academic, novelist and writer mostly known for her essays. You can read more about her here. Specifically I quoted her essay Notes on Camp:

(source)

I really recommend reading the entire essay, it's a bit dated, but Sontag also makes a point that camp changes with the times as well. This essay was written, after all, in 1964, before Hairspray (1988), Batman (1966), Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), or Mommie Dearest (1981) which are considered camp classics now. However there's a lot of good stuff to learn in her essay and she also names a lot of prominent either queer creators - Oscar Wilde, Jean Cocteau - or prominent figures that the queer community sorta like, claimed - Bette Davis, Greta Garbo.

Camp is a concept, it's not a hard and fast rule. Not every film or TV show that gets claimed as camp is intended to be camp - Showgirls and Mommie Dearest are sincere in their intentions, they are not trying to be camp at all, but through sheer accidental glory they stumbled right into the camp valley. Similarly with a film I recently learned about via this amazing essay, Valley of the Dolls which was also sincere in it's depiction of drugs, sex, and show business but just ended up...campy (this is part 2 which is my favorite part but part 1 is great too):

I would also recommend this video by Kennie JD on Showgirls and you get a modern idea of how a non-film critic sees the camp in Showgirls even tho it's not intended as camp (Paul Verhoeven is never going for camp in his films he's often going for satire and yet, alas lol):

Okay so this is getting away from me, the question was "Is Playboyy Camp?"

I would argue, yes but definition but it's more classic definition rather than what people probably associate with "camp" in the modern day. Which is "bad" films, or so-bad-they're-good films, or drag queens - would love to see Zouey in full drag actually - but Rocky Horror isn't a "bad" film, heck Showgirls isn't a "bad" film, neither is But I'm a Cheerleader or Jawbreakers, or many other camp classics. Some are "bad" in that they didn't achieve their intentions - again Mommie Dearest is a great, if unfortunate, example of this actually - but films that intentionally try to be camp tend to fail, like Cat and the Hat starring Jim Carrey. They're to fake, they try to hard.

As Sontag said, camp is both sincere and pure and it is also abstract and highlights aesthetic first and foremost.

Showgirls grabbed people in part b/c it's so so so very over the top; from the acting yes but also the costuming and set design. But I'm a Cheerleader had a way smaller budget, but it's very aesthetics focused:

I've seen people say that Playboyy looks "fake" or "artificial" but so does But I'm a Cheerleader. However artificial is the wrong word, imo, to use here; rather both are camp and surreal. They're going with surrealistic aesthetics to emphasize the emotions of the characters and also, cause gays like color. We love that shit. It stands out. It's fucking fun, it's campy!

I don't think Playboyy is strictly camp but it does take inspiration from camp - it pushes its priorities of the film making to be about the aesthetics rather than emphasizing reality. It's not uninterested in reality - the discussions of sex work in a amoral way (which sidenote I think is a good thing), of sexual desires, the complexities of relationships and boundaries, the acknowledgement of kink etc - but it's uninterested in presenting the world of the show solely through a "realistic" lens visually.

Fantasy is part of the narrative of Playboyy thus that is reflected in the visuals.

BIAC is part satire, which I wouldn't say Playboyy is, since it's not satirizing anything specific - unlike Lovely Writer attempted and didn't accomplish imo doing well from what I watched - it's clear to me that Den is playing a lot with genre. Now how well him and Cheewin the director are accomplishing this, well that's up to individual interpretation.

I can't force people to like Playboyy as much as me - even tho I'm right - b/c I'm not a weirdo and we all like different shit. I do think that Playboyy is using like, actual cinematography however. Like I see that word thrown around a lot and then people provide really like basic examples. Like I'm so sorry but 2Gether's cinematography is basic at best and boring at worst. Two dudes standing in a badly lit room in a mid-shot does not impressive cinematography make - which is fine because a lot of these shows are made on shoestring budgets.

I don't expect Moonlight level cinematography from gmmtv or MeMindY shows. And Playboyy doesn't have that level either it can't it's clearly also made on a small budget.

That said it IS filmed with purpose, and with a specific visual language. Not every shot is great but I do love the sincerity here, it's using color, lighting, and set design with actual thought to enhance the overall aesthetics of the show, enhance the fantasy at play, the camp.

Camp films aren't inherently "bad" films. They make you laugh, scream, and the best ones, actually do say something or spark discussion. Rocky Horror is meaningful to people, But I'm a Cheerleader means something to people, they're both unashamedly queer films that were both kinda bombs - critically and financially - and then slowly gained a cult following b/c they were way ahead of their times.

I get the feeling if camp applies to Playboyy at all it's in that sense, a series that's being pretty harshly maligned and disregarded critically at the moment, but that actually has a ton to say and may end up gaining a following down the line after it's over.

This was like, wildly long and I apologize lol

#playboyy the series #chaos pikachu speaks #chaos pikachu metas #anon asks

[thisbluespirit]

Top 5 ( or 10) period dramas

Thank you! Also so tough! Classic Lit adaptations, general period drama, which period, films, tv series.... /flails about.

OK, so for the purposes of this ask, I'm going for 20th C Brit TV period drama series, so with the caveat that you need to be prepared for the style, pace and other hazards of 1960s-70s TV, I think these five are still unbeatable:

Upstairs Downstairs (ITV 1970s)

Upstairs Downstairs is a brilliant, compelling original drama about one upper class London house and its family and servants, and often a surprisingly hard-hitting examination of the class system, made in an era when they could still make use of living memory to recreate the Edwardian era. (Despite my gif, it is a colour production - a handful of s1 eps were hit by a strike at Thames TV and had to be made in b&w!)

2. The Forsyte Saga (BBC 1967)

The Forsyte Saga is an epic adaptation of Galsworthy's series of novels (covering the story of one middle class family from the late 19thC to the 1920s). It has a truly amazing cast and was a sensation worldwide back in the 60s - and a true passion project for its producer. It's complex, in depth and full of theatrical nuance and was the last hurrah of the Beeb's classic drama in black and white.

These two are probably the biggest Brit TV period dramas of all time. Purely because of the way TV is watched now, you will never get those audiences again - both were popular enough to get remade in the 21st C, but while both of those series are fine, neither can quite match the originals in terms of depth or cultural impact). Definitely not overrated - and the same is true of this next entry:

3. Elizabeth R (BBC 1970)

Glenda Jackson is awesome as Elizabeth I - what more needs to be said? This is another all-time famous BBC production that's stood the test of time.

4. Poldark (BBC 1975-1977)

Even if this weren't purely 20th C shows, I confess I'd have to plump for this adaptation rather than the more recent every time - while s1 makes a few changes to the novels, it consistently 'gets' the books and what Graham is saying in them in a way the 21st C one seems to be deliberately refusing to engage with (despite a very nice cast!) Plus, give me Angharad Rees and Robin Ellis together, Ralph Bates, Judy Geeson in fabulous outfits, Ross's fighter pilot leather jacket (see above re. getting it - even the costume designer got it), actually, everybody's colourful jackets, excellent treatment of class issues involved, Francis generally, and just that bit more fire and bite somehow. (Er. Literally in the case of S1, lol! Watch the 1970s burn down buildings that shouldn't be burnt!)

5. Enemy at the Door (ITV 1978-1980)

A less obvious choice, but this WWII drama set during the Occupation of the Channel Islands is just so well written, with complexity and compassion, exploring all the issues of the situation, with finely drawn regulars on both sides. I've come back to it so many times, and I know that other people who've taken the time to watch it have loved it, too, so it's not just me. It's not an action-drama, like a lot of WWII things - it's a show about people trapped in a situation where action is often limited - but if you like thoughtful and painful exploration of the greyer areas of humanity, it's sadly unfinished, but it's one of the best.

(And, I know, I know, where's I, Claudius? But it gave me nightmares about Brian Blessed dying, so it's not on my personal list!! ;-p)

#asks #top 5 meme #period drama #gif #1960s #1970s #1980s #also sott mutuals: i was going for best imo #and i love sott to distraction and back again #but it is much more uneven than these 5 #(maybe i'll do 6-10 as well. but this is probably more cardboard tv than human-nxture really wanted)

[pedropascalunofficial]

Pedro Pascal's father says: "Everything that happens to him he deserves it enormously"

Lun.com, January 7 2021

IMDb site established the Chilean actor from "The Mandalorian" as "the most popular star in the world"

The doctor José Balmaceda remembers the difficult beginnings of his son and the current situation that he faces today. “Everybody told him they liked the way he acted but that he was too dark or too blonde for the parts," he says.

At the beginning of the year, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), a massive international film and TV portal, raised a Chilean to entertainment heaven. It was the actor Pedro Pascal (45), who was crowned by the media as "the most popular star in the world’, according to searches by users of the site itself (which exceed 100 million visits each month). His was explained basically by the resonance of his latest projects that had him starring, for example, in the series "The Mandalorian’ (where he plays the mandalorian, Disney+), the movie "Wonder Woman 1984" (where he plays a villain) and the tape "We Can Be Heroes" (Netflix, in which he plays a superhero). Such a trio of productions — rang, according to the portal, the best professional moment for the actor

"Everything that is happening to him he deserves enormously", José Balmaceda (72) reacts to the information, an expert fertility doctor, proud father of Pascal. “I remember his tough stages, coming out of college, when he started auditioning to have problems. That had many ups and downs, it was almost a lot. Everyone told him that they liked the way he acted, but that he was too dark or too blonde for the parts. That stage lasted like 10 or 12 years. That is why | think he deserves this success very much, he was very persistent to work on what he likes. He stood firm until he was given his chance and showed his worth as an actor, "he adds.

-How do you perceive that your child is facing so much exposure and success?

-| think he is behaving like a super mature person, he continues to keep his feet on the ground, he is a good friend of his friends, very familiar. | have not seen any gesture that tells me that Pedro is behaving in a different way. The way of life he has is the same, in fact, he has not bought any ostentatious or gigantic house. He continues to live in the same house. He lives in Los Angeles Venice Beach (California), which is a simple neighborhood, without fuss, and | think it will stay that way. | think his family history and upbringing have made him act consistent with that.

Born in Santiago on April 2, 1975, Pedro left Chile at nine months to settle with his parents first in Denmark and then in the United States, where he studied and became an actor. And although he had dozens of appearances in TV series such as "The Good Wife’ (2009-2011), only after his role as Oberyn Martell in "Game of Thrones" (2013), did his name reach remembrance on a planetary level.

Don José takes up the word: “When Disney Plus arrived in Chile (November 17, 2020) I took the opportunity to see The Mandalorian right away. It took me two days to do it. Pedro likes Star Wars and that show is for young people. | see it as a western for young audiences, and in that case Pedro would be Clint Eastwood. He is very good in his role, but if | had to choose | would stick with his performance in Game of Thrones, it was magnificent. "

-With so many projects and things your child has to do, how do you communicate?

-We have a family WhatsApp group called "Abuelo Pepe", where Pedro and the rest of the family communicate. There we discussed things, we send each other photos, we talk from grandchildren to politics.

-And calls?

-Of course. When he was in Croatia and in Budapest filming a movie with Nicolas Cage ("The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent"), we talked many times, because he was locked up for a long time and alone because of the pandemic. Besides, I'm an intruder and | love knowing what he's doing. | ask you to show me the sets a bit, etc ... | am very cinephile and very Tevito, to the point where it has caused me problems with my _ partner, hahaha.

-| imagine that being a movie fan it must be powerful to see your son as a movie star.

-It is a very great honor, although one begins to get used to it. In any case, it is always exciting to see him on the screen, to be able to recognize his performance between his gestures. | find it interesting to watch.

-When does he come to Chile?

-Pedro usually comes to Chile a couple of times during the year, generally the longest is during Christmas. At that time we usually take a family trip, in the last five years we have done it like that. But this year we did not do it because of the pandemic ... | do not know when he can come, but I am going to take care of making him come in February (2021), although I do not think he will be successful.

On January 3, the Twitter user @illicitaffers published a video dedicated entirely to Pedro Pascal, which until the closing of this edition had more than 255 thousand views. In it, reference was made to the actor's relationship with Chile, through interviews, television appearances and some jokes, where the actor is ripped off Chileanisms (the account has since been deactivated). "| saw the video, as always | was a little late and it's funny, without a doubt he has a very close relationship with Chile,’ says Don José Balmaceda, Pedro's father.

According to him, this closeness is due to the trips that the actor took as a boy to the country. He continues: “While the children were in basic education (in the US) we always sent them, every summer, up to here... We had a relationship with Chile," says Don José Balmaceda, Pedro's father.

According to him, this closeness is due to the trips that the actor took as a boy to the country. He continues: “While the children were in basic education (in the US) we always sent them, every summer, up to here... We had a friend pilot who helped us, and they spent two or three months with the Balmaceda family or Pascal". "Besides that (his love for Chile) is a translation of the affection that we had for the country, continues the father, who declares himself somewhat responsible for some very Chilean expressions that the artist uses. "That is the influence of the father, who is quite a scribbler,’ he ends.

#pedro pascal #family #father #ppedit #ppascaledit

[natromanxoff]

Queen live at Colston Hall in Bristol, UK - November 18, 1975

x

The photos could be from either night.

This article from the November 29 issue of Sounds chronicles the second night in Bristol.

Queen triumphant

QUEEN ARE the type of group that make a man want to abandon rock writing. They pose questions and never provide answers. They exist in their own space-time continuum, visible and audible but keeping their secrets to themselves.

On the surface they couldn't be a nicer bunch of people, but they carry English reticence to an epitome. It isn't, as Geoff Barton said two weeks ago, that they're boring, it's just that they're reserved. Or in writer parlance, they don't automatically provide colourful copy. All my instincts as a writer tell me that there is a great story in that band, but after two nights with them I'm hardly any the wiser.

Skin tight

That their insularity has a lot to do with them being one of the most amazing heavy-metal and/or rock bands in Britain - with all the signs that they'll end up monsters on the order of Zep - is fairly obvious, but just how much bearing it has on the matter is hard to say. The enigmas they might pose mightn't even have answers.

Is there any logical reason why they present an image and persona straight out of the Beatles school of interlocking chemistry?

John is reserved, almost nonchalant on stage, as if it's all in a small, personal joke. When asked how he saw himself within the framework of the band he replied, with a small smile, "I'm the bassist".

Roger is his opposite, the cheeky sidekick in a Clint Eastwood movie, and attracting a lot of cheesecake attention in America and Japan.

Freddie is an original - one of the most dynamic singers to tread the boards in quite a few years. His attraction is obvious.

Brian is perhaps the biggest enigma of all. What is this seemingly frail, gaunt astronomer doing on that stage, striding purposefully and blasting diamond-hard rock? They're all equally strong personalities - like the Beatles there's no one major focal point. Ask four fans who their dream Queen is and you'll get four different answers.

Queen have been busy lads these past few months. Having disassociated themselves from their former management and joined with John Reid, the fourth album was seen to. Reid decided that a tight schedule wouldn't cause them undue harm, and figured on two months to record before embarking on this current tour.

Only Queen are driven to better each previous album - which at this stage of the game is obviously producing some excellent results - and 'A Night At The Opera' turned into a saga - culminating in 36-hour mixing sessions in an effort to allow at least a few days for rehearsal. In the end they managed three and a half days at Elstree with four hours off to videotape the promotional film for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

Their first few dates had not been without errors and the quartet were still not feeling totally comfortable their second night in Bristol, fourth night of the tour. You'd never know it, though.

Like all other aspects of the group, the stage is sophisticated. A black scrim provides a backdrop bounded by a proscenium of lights both front and rear. At each side the p.a. rises like a mutant marriage of Mammon and Robby the Robot. Amp power is readily evident but the most extraordinary is Brian May's subtle set up: nine Vox boxes stepping back in rows of three. The only packing crate visible is holding a tray of drinks, and you may rest assured that no roadie will rush, crawl or lurk across the stage while the show is in progress unless it's to rescue Freddie's mike from the clawing crowd.

As the auditorium darkens the sound of an orchestra tuning up is heard over the p.a. The conductor taps his baton on the music stand and a slightly effete voice welcomes the audience to A Night At The Opera. The Gilbert & Sullivan portion of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' follows, a brief glimpse of Freddie is allowed, and then in a blast of flares and white smoke the blitzkrieg begins.

Roger is barely visible behind his kit, just his eyes and tousled locks. John is wearing a white suit and playing the-man-who-must-stand-still-or-it-will-all-blow-away. Brian is slightly medieval in his green and white Zandra Rhodes top, while Freddie is...

Around his ankles his satin white pants flare like wings - fleet footed Hermes. Everything north of the knee is skin tight - tighter than skin tight - with a zip-up front open to AA rating. But further south, definitely in X territory, lurks a bulge not unlike the Sunday Telegraph.

There have been sex objects and sex bombs, superstar potency and the arrogant presentation of this all-important area, but never has a man's weaponry been so flagrantly showcased. Fred could jump up on the drum stand and shake his cute arse, leap about and perform all manner of amazing acrobatics, but there it was, this rope in repose, barely leashed tumescence, the Queen's sceptre. Oh to be that hot costume, writhing across the mighty Fred!

Phallic

Freddie is not pretty in the conventional sense of the word; like Mick Jagger of '64, he is his own convention. Also like the Jagger of the time, his stage persona and action is unlike anything else. Although it borrows - like most of the group's plagiarisms - slightly from Zeppelin, in tandem with Freddie's supreme assurance and belief in himself - he always refers to himself as a star - it explodes into something that is a constant delight to watch.

He reacts to his audience almost like an over-emotional actress - Gloria Swanson, say, or perhaps Holly Woodlawn playing Bette Davis. At the climax of the second night in Bristol he paused at the top of the drum stand, looked back over the crowd and with complete, heartfelt emotion placed his delicate fingers to lips and blew a kiss. Any person who can consume themselves so completely in such a clichéd showbiz contrivance deserves to be called a star.

Freddie's real talent, though, is with his mike stand. No Rod Stewart mike stand callisthenics here, just a shortee stick that doubles as a cock, machine gun, ambiguous phallic symbol, and for a fleeting moment an imaginary guitar. He has a neat trick of standing quite still in particularly frantic moments and holding the stand vertically from his crotch up, draw a fragile finger along its length, ever closer to the taunting eyes that survey his audience.

Their show contains lots of bombs and smoke, lots of lights, lots of noise. They fulfil the function of supremely good heavy metal - i.e. you don't get a second to think about what's going on. When they do let up for a few minutes, it's only so you can focus in on the bright blue electric charge crackling between your ears.

Bulldozer

Dominating the sound is Roger's drumming, a bulldozer echo that bounces like an elastic membrane, meshing with your solar plexus so that your body pulses in synch with the thunder. Tuned into that, everything else is just supremely nice icing.

For three days rehearsal, after eight months off the road Bristol was extremely impressive. In speculative mood I quizzed people on how long they thought it would take to headline Madison Square Garden. I was thought a radical at a year and a half. John Reid smilingly assured me it would take a year.

That Queen should end up with John Reid is an entirely logical proceeding. Everything about Queen demands that the world eventually kowtows at their feet in complete acquiescence - so big that bodyguards have to accompany them at every step. Well, no - they found that an annoyance in Japan, but, you know, huge.

Such status demands a Reid or a Peter Grant, and whatever the causes for their leaving Jack Nelson and Trident, an elegant group like Queen is going to look for a man with class. Reid found the idea of managing a group interesting, and having to deal with four strong personalities a challenge. He only concerns himself with their business and ensuring that the year ahead is mapped out. In January they begin a jaunt through the Orient, Australia and America, by which time it's March and they begin preparations for the next album.

Reid's prediction of a year was proven highly credible the next evening in Cardiff. The band had still not paused from the rush up to the tour and spent most of the day relaxing and sleeping - no doubt a factor in their near recumbent profile. Also, unlike most groups, they were keeping their dissatisfaction with the show to themselves.

They stopped off at Harlech TV on the way to see a cassette of the video for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The general consensus was quite good for four hours, with much laughter during the operetta. Brian finds film of the group educational - the first time he saw himself was a Mike Mansfield opus for 'Keep Yourself Alive' - "It was 'All right fellows, give it everything you've got but don't move off that spot.' It was terrible." You don't like Mansfield, eh? "Oh, I hate him - we all do... I was horrified when I saw it - I couldn't believe we looked that bad. I looked very static - seeing myself has taught me a lot about stage movement. Some of the things I do are planned for effect, but it's mostly just feeling the audience and communicating that back to them."

Arriving at the motel - several miles out of town - Freddie immediately fell asleep, John held court of a sort, joined later by Brian, while Roger went jogging, a daily event when touring. Tuning in to rock via Bill Haley and Tommy Steele, he became a drummer because he was better at it than guitar. All through school he was in bands; he only went to dental school out of "middle class conditioning, and it was a good way to stay in London without having to work". His mother thought it a bit strange when he opted for a career as a rock star, but she doesn't worry too much now.

The concert starts in much the same manner as the previous night, but there are signs that tonight is work, with posing an afterthought. The endings to most of their songs are magnificent and majestic, especially 'Flick Of The Wrist' and the rapid harmonies of 'Bad Boy Leroy Brown'.

Maniacal

The audience, seeing their faces in town for the first time, are vociferous in their appreciation. Guys know all the words to every song, yelling enthusiastically at every effect and solo. The band picks up, Freddie receiving the crowd beneficently, telling them they’re beautiful.

As the show builds it is obvious that things are gelling more. The previous night Brian had seemed totally out of place, not moving too much, taking solos with the weirdest half blank half possessed stare, talking to himself; cocking ear towards guitar. He was the proverbial stranger in a strange land, one step removed from the plane inhabited by you and me.

Tonight he moves fluidly, the gonzo lead guitarist of a gonzo band. His expressions are just as maniacal, but it only makes him look more demonic. His solo in 'Brighton Rock', an exposition in riffing and echo, is a treat because of his physical response to both music and audience, complete with ham acting. Freddie gets into the same game on 'The Prophet's Song', where he conducts an acapella madrigal with himself. It's a pretty commanding moment.

It’s soon after this that Madison Square seems reasonable. About a minute into 'Stone Cold Crazy' it becomes very obvious that Queen have suddenly Plugged In. Found the metal music machine and Connected. Freddie's movements explode in perfect unison with the music, the lights and surroundings go crazy, and the audience goes berserk.

Freddie asks for requests and receives a roar out of which one can vaguely make 'Liar'. Fred walks along the stage, nodding, agreeing he will do this one and that one while the kids roar on. "I'll tell you what - we'll do them all!"

'Doing Alright' opens slow and portentously. Queen's variation of light and shade is one of the major factors in their popularity, but even so the quiet sections frequently find the audience's mind wandering. One kid starts getting a joint together, totally forgetting it when everything blasts off again; guys talk among themselves, only to instantly leap to their feet, fists flying to the beat.

'Doing Alright' changes into a cha-cha beat, Freddie snapping his fingers, the coolest hipster in town, and then instantly drops into faster-than-light drive - the whole row next to me leaps to their feet as a man, rocking back and forth as Brian roars into a blinding solo.

Two songs later, in 'Seven Seas of Rye', the kids break - very fast - and in five seconds half the audience is a seething mass in front of the stage, climbing on each other in pyramids, sudden openings appearing as a splintering seat sends a few bodies to the floor.

The rest of the show is equally intense, especially for a couple of minutes during 'Liar; where Fred and Brian merge into a tight little triangle with Roger while John stands in front of the bass drum, staring out with his small smile.

Freddie has treated his encores - 'Big Spender' and 'Jailhouse Rock' - differently on successive nights, once appearing in a kimono and in Bristol with rather rude tight white shorts, giving the song title new emphasis. In Cardiff, though, he doesn't bother to change at all. Later it transpired that Brian had twisted his ankle during 'Liar'. While he’s attended to, kids out front pick up chair slivers to keep as mementos.

On the bus back to the hotel Brian sits quietly at the back, chatting with two girls. John sits at the front, as always. Freddie stares out of the window, lost in his own world. Roger bounces around, starts a pillow fight with Brian - which stops as soon as Brian scores a direct hit to the face - then discovers an eight track of 'Sheer Heart Attack', punching it through the channels as he conducts the group. The two hours towards which they have channelled the day's energies are spent.

Ambition

That Queen have become a top attraction through a fair degree of plagiarism is amusing. Stealing is nothing new in rock (or any art for that matter) and mostly Queen use the borrowed material better than the originals. That they would be big I don't think anybody really doubted. All four have immense desire to be successful, and that kind of ambition will keep them slogging until they achieve it.

But there are popular heavy metal bands and there are popular h-m bands. From watching Queen's audience it is apparent that Queen speak for them in a way that bands such as the Who and the Stones and the Beatles spoke (and continue to speak) to their audience. Uriah Heep may be great at what they do, but five years after their demise who'll remember them? Creedence Clearwater Revival demonstrate the same thing - who remembers them? And yet five years ago they were the largest band in the world.

Queen will probably always be remembered, because as their tour is beginning to demonstrate, they have the ability to actualise and encompass the outer limits of their sense of self-importance. Queen and their music, presentation, production - everything about them says that they are more important than any other band you've every heard, and who has there been, so far, who has objected? Certainly not the 150,000 people (plus 20,000 a day) who bought 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the first 20 days of its release. Certainly not me.

See you at Madison Square Garden.

[text © J. Ingham 2007; photos © Kate Simon]

~ You can see the photos which was mentioned on the article, from the link on the title. ~

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #queen concerts