Rock N' Load Magazine - May 24, 2022 (Belfast, UK, SSE Arena)
Adam Lambert is a revelation, a fitting addition to a legendary band with a legendary gap to fill. Lambert’s personality is as big as his voice and he commands the stage with ease. An array of sparkly outfits that must take up a truck alone and shoulder pads Joan Collins would be proud of, while Brian sticks to the black jeans and occasionally throws on a military jacket. But with a persona as big and flamboyant as Adam’s why compete, just let the music do the talking.
Belfast Live - May 27, 2022 (Belfast, UK, SSE Arena)
Freddie Mercury he is not, but Adam Lambert did a fantastic job of filling the rock legend’s shoes when he took over the SSE Arena in Belfast with the remaining members of Queen for their one-off spectacular last night. And they put on a show the people of the city will never forget.
Lambert was a perfect replacement for the flamboyant lead vocalist who once wowed the world with his four-octave range. And he has a set of pipes that were certainly up to the job.
The crowd clearly appreciated his pitch-perfect renditions of Queen hits We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, Don’t Stop Me Now and We Are The Champions.
The American Idol star was just nine when Mercury died, but you could have been forgiven for thinking he was Freddie reborn with his heart-rending rendition of Who Wants to Live Forever?
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Lambert deftly weaved his way through hit after Queen hit, expertly backed by Brian May whose shredding skills showed no sign of waning and Roger Taylor who never missed a beat.
The breath-taking show was one that would have done the icon proud and Lambert's personal appreciation of his talent could be heard in every note he belted out.
In the absence of Freddie, Queen have found themselves a killer king.
Metal Planet Music - May 28, 2022 (Belfast, UK, SSE Arena)
Dressed in a sparkling black suit, top hat and sunglasses, Adam Lambert prowls and glides, leaning into Brian May and looking like he’s having the time of his life.
There’s something utterly infectious about his enjoyment and obvious affection for the music, the sold-out venue lost in the moment as the rest of the world fades away for the night.
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Whilst the irreplaceable Freddie understandably still looms large in their music, May and Taylor couldn’t have picked a finer person to front the band these days than Lambert. With enough charisma and star power to light up whole continents, its his confidence on stage and absolutely incredible voice that impresses the most.
This man was born to perform at stadiums and arenas and whether he’s flirting with longtime keys player Spike Edney, tongue firmly in cheek as he sprawls across the piano, struts around the stage or pours his all into ‘The Show Must Go On’, he shines. Despite this natural ability, there’s never a sense of arrogance here and his respect for Mercury, May and Taylor, along with John Deacon, is absolute, acknowledging that no-one was ever better than them and the privilege he feels being able to perform these songs.
EON Music - May 28, 2022 (Belfast, UK, SSE Arena)
Led by the flamboyant Adam Lambert, who strode on stage in sparkling suit, platform shoes, and ludicrously oversized top hat, the singer simply owned the stage. A born performer and show off, the American front man proved exactly why he’s spent a decade fronting the band, looking equal parts man in charge, and relaxed and at home, as he pranced, thrust, paraded and strutted his way up and down the catwalk into the centre of the arena.
With fan favourite ‘Somebody to Love’ arriving early in the set, it was a chance for no only Lambert to show off his outstanding vocal range, but witness May solo on his infamous Red Special for the first time.
Daily Telegraph - May 31, 2022 (Manchester, UK, AO Arena)
Frontman Adam Lambert proved he's more than just a Freddie Mercury tribute act in an evening of pure bangers at Manchester Arena.
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What you will get from Queen 2022 is a pro-cut set of bangers, slickly delivered. Even after a decade behind the mic, as May says, Lambert still feels new. He realises it, too, playing down his role on Monday night “In tribute of Freddie”, welcoming “Two real legends onstage” as he shone a light on May and drummer Roger Taylor (original bassist John Deacon retired from performing several years ago). But my God, the boy sings as if this is where he was born to be.
Lambert has a hard job, but in Manchester he rose to the challenge with
gusto. With a voice that could melt a bank vault, and the charm to
hold a venue like this in his hand, only one man could do a better job as
frontman.
With a sparkly top hat, Lambert played the ringmaster in (still) the world’s
greatest rock’n’roll circus perfectly. Slithering along a grand piano
for a knowingly OTT Killer Queen, or appearing on a glittering motorbike
during Bicycle Race, there are few so qualified for the job. During Don’t Stop
Me Now, he paused for a laugh: “Come on, I’ve gotta milk it a little bit.”
Well, you would, if you had the chops, right?
Manchester Evening News - May 31, 2022 (Manchester, UK, AO Arena)
In Adam, the band's singer for the past ten years now would you believe, we also have the perfect showman. From the moment he struts out, resplendent in dazzling black sequinned top hat and tails, arching his fabulous glittered eyebrows, he has the audience in the palm of his leather gloved hand.
No, he's not Freddie Mercury and nor does he try to be. The American Idol makes it clear from the off that he is "A fan, just like all of you out there - I'm so lucky that I've been sharing the stage with these guys for ten years now."
He adds: "I know it's a tall order, but I get to come up here and pay tribute to the one and only incomparable rock god Freddie Mercury. So make me a promise that we can sing together and celebrate Freddie and celebrate Queen."
It hits the perfect note - just as Adam does with faultless, merciless perfection across this show. His vocal range is truly astonishing as he tackles with ease the musical melodrama of Queen's anthems - highlights include the spine-tingling Who Wants To Live Forever and of course the epic finale of Bohemian Rhapsody.
He is coquettish as he whips out a red fan to cool himself down atop the grand piano to perform a sizzling Killer Queen, licking the microphone to give extra seductive gusto after rasping: “insatiable an appetite”.
For Bicycle Race he emerges on what else? But a bling-encrusted Harley, with a leather biker suit complete with silver spikes to match. I mean it couldn’t be much more extra.
He takes on the vocal gymnastics required of Queen's back catalogue as if it was easy as singing a nursery rhyme. It’s really quite astonishing - and showed to full dramatic effect as he sings a red spot-lit wail that fills every crevice of the arena, while axeman Brian plucks out his response before launching into I Want It All.
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Adam returns with his rightful golden crown and bejewelled tunic to end the night with the epic singalong of We Are the Champions as if the victor of some glorious musical boxing bout. He knows, like the rest of the 15,000 strong cheer crowd, that they've smashed it here.
The Scotsman - June 2, 2022 (Glasgow, UK, The SSE Hydro)
Pageantry of a different sort was in plentiful supply here, because that’s just how the never knowingly understated Lambert rolls – whether parading around in a ridiculously oversized top hat and spangly suit, crooning Killer Queen from atop a grand piano, or dispatching the camp diptych of Bicycle Race and Fat Bottomed Girls from the saddle of a jewel-encrusted Harley Davidson. While he can’t hold a candle to the late great Freddie Mercury as a frontman – who could? – Lambert brings plenty of his own undoubted vocal prowess and entertaining personality to the role, sufficient to keep the flame alive in Mercury’s memory.
Glasgow Evening Times - June 2, 2022 (Glasgow, UK, The SSE Hydro)
Kicking off the proceedings, vocalist Adam Lambert belted out Now I’m Here before launching into Somebody to Love and Don’t Stop Me Now. Looking confident, he commanded the stage knowing that he was about to impress the crowd with rock royalty to back him up in form of guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.
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While Lambert to some extent offers the new, he has his own arrangement on the vocals. His voice is powerful. A true showman like Freddie and entertaining throughout.
Daily Mail - June 2, 2022 (Manchester, UK, AO Arena)
May teasingly introduced Lambert as ‘the new boy’. The former American Idol runner-up, 40, wasn’t even born when Queen released their early 1980’s hits Under Pressure and Another One Bites The Dust, but he’s been capably filling the boots of Mercury, who died in 1991, for more than a decade now. He’s more an old hand than a young pretender.
To his credit, the Californian didn’t mimic Freddie’s moves. That would have been a mistake. Blessed with astonishing vocal range and rocket-propelled power, he has his own style. Cutting an imposing figure in padded shoulders, an oversized top hat and platform boots, he held a stunning, high-pitched note in a show-stopping finale to Somebody To Love — a supersonic man in his own right.
The Mancunion - June 3, 2022 (Manchester, UK, AO Arena)
The show opened as big and loud as one would expect, made even mightier with projections that created a regal theatre stage, complete with rich red curtains. Dressed in a top hat and sparkling suit, Adam Lambert looked the part. What I love about him is he honours Freddie Mercury without mimicking him. He is just himself – his own fabulous self – and he sings Queen songs as himself, but he does not turn them into Adam Lambert covers. He really is the perfect frontman (if you will) – and given the scores of people who have been flocking to see Queen + Adam Lambert over the past decade, I’m clearly not alone in thinking that
Daily Express - June 8, 2022 (London, UK, O2 Arena)
Having Queen perform with only half the original line-up may seem a brave choice, with accusations of being “a tribute band” having been thrown at them in the past by some snooty critics.
Nevertheless, having found a voice to live up to – and maybe even surpass at times – the incredible vocals of Freddie Mercury in Adam Lambert, Brian and Roger knew they were on to something. A decade on and the trio are still touring together, but does it work? After all, the Queen pair are in their mid-seventies aren’t they?
Attending our first ever Queen and Adam Lambert concert this week, Express.co.uk undeniably can confirm that yes, absolutely – well beyond even the most positive expectations.
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Accompanied by their thundering drums and stupendous electric guitar riffs was, of course, Adam on the vocals, wowing the audience with his unbelievable singing that showed not just complete control at the highest level but also sheer talent that totally lives up to Freddie Mercury and his legacy – as did his multiple elaborate costume changes.
Time And Leisure - June 8, 2022 (London, UK, O2 Arena)
It has been over 30 years since the death of Freddie Mercury but his legacy is in good hands as original members Brian May and Roger Taylor celebrate the magic of Queen and the genius of Freddie Mercury with the help of lead singer Adam Lambert.
The show kicked off with some of the lesser-known Queen songs like “Now I’m Here” and “Tear it Up” before the heavy-hitting crowd-pleasing favourites like “Somebody to Love” and “Killer Queen.”
These songs encapsulated what Adam Lambert brings to the band as he performs the rock anthems with such confidence, flair and stage persona that would make the late-music icon proud.
Music News - June 12, 2022 (Birmingham, UK, Arena Birmingham)
It's a very upbeat opening to the show and Adam Lambert seems to be in the mood to entertain. He has been with the band for the best part of a decade now and if I am honest I wasn't sure what to expect but he gives a brilliant performance and makes each song his own.
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I have been to hundreds of gigs but this may be my favourite of all of them. 2 hours of singing, smiles, tears and the "Radio Ga Ga" clap, with a couple of sweet nods to Freddie but without turning it into a tribute concert to him. Adam showing he is a more than capable singer while Brian and Roger put on a energetic display that would put most younger bands to shame.
Express And Start Birmingham - June 13, 2022 (Birmingham, UK, Arena Birmingham)
Complimenting this is the wonderfully gifted Adam Lambert, who doesn’t pretend to be Freddie Mercury, but carries the same range and has the same on-stage presence to bring these classics to life.
Combine the youthful exuberance of Adam Lambert, a supporting cast of musicians on percussion, piano and bass and the experience of the members of Queen and you have a night of the biggest and best hits of one of the greatest rock bands.
Speaking of Adam Lambert, he put on a tremendous show with a range of costume changes and freely admitted to the audience that he was as much a fan as they were and would have been stood in the front row a decade ago.
B.Z. Die Stimme Berlins - June 27, 2022 (Berlin, Germany, Mercedes-Benz Arena)
Lambert pointed out early in the show that Freddie is actually “irreplaceable.” But it is precisely this burden of making the impossible possible that the American has been carrying on his shoulders for ten years now. And in doing so he has established himself as an entertainer in his own right who knows exactly how to interpret the Queen songs and how to animate the fans. And they, as it also seemed on Friday, see him as anything but a stop-gap solution.
General-Anzeiger Köln - June 27, 2022 (Cologne, Germany, Lanxess Arena)
Lambert then proves with a grandiose "Somebody to Love" that he can match Mercury’s vocal level - and occasionally also his range. However, he is smart enough to show modesty despite all his swagger. He's lucky to be in one of the greatest rock 'n' roll groups of all time and like everyone in the audience, he's just a Freddie Mercury fan. That works, especially since his admiration for Mercury is not expressed in an unimaginative copy of his predecessor, but in the spirit of Mercury with more modern attributes and less sugary pathos he continues the Bohemian Rhapsody as version 2.0.
Süddeutsche München - June 30, 2022 (Munich, Germany, Olympiahalle)
While for many they are the face of a band, singers are interchangeable too. Bands like AC/DC , Deep Purple or Genesis have proven that a long time ago. But Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, was not just the face of Queen . Mercury was also their soul. And he still is. 31 years after his death, he not only appears visually as a video feed during the Queen concert in the sold-out Olympiahalle. In "Love of my Life" you can even hear his voice. And the audience celebrates him as if he were there live. As if he were standing next to his guitarist Brian May, who in turn is now gesturing as if he were communicating with Freddie.
Such memories of the real queen of the band also make it easier for new singer Adam Lambert to take on Freddie's role without giving the impression that he wants to replace him. The former runner-up on the US talent show "American Idol" offers a great Freddie. A powerful-voiced singer as well as a fun, proudly queer entertainer who sometimes sits on a motorcycle while singing about his enthusiasm for cycling in "Bicycle Race".
In fact, Lambert transforms the Queen repertoire into a brilliant musical, which then functions as a gigantic staged rock concert.
Merkur - June 30, 2022 (Munich, Germany, Olympiahalle)
On their "Rhapsody" tour, they bring a bombastic rock opera to Munich with all the hits from "Somebody to love" to "A Kind of Magic", in which May's guitar breathes fire. And an acoustic and visual spectacle. It starts with the stage, light and effects. This continues with Lambert's grandiose interpretation of the songs, for which he has just the right range and voice color not to come off as a Freddie copy. And that ends with Roger Taylor and Brian May, two very much alive legends.
OOR Netherlands - July 2, 2022 (Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ziggo Dome)
Then Adam Lambert takes his moment – and deserved it, because he brings
the vocal part with fire and flexibility. Where Queen once found a solid,
sympathetic pillar in Paul Rodgers, who let the two primal members pull the
trigger, with the flamboyant American they have added value that not
only hits the right notes musically, but also sets the right tone
in terms of entertainment value. "I'm just a fan too," he echoes
Mark Wahlberg in Rock Star, moments after he unleashes the high-pitched slash
in Somebody To Love into the frenzied hall. Even Killer Queen, in its playful,
kitschy charm so inextricably linked to Mercury's personality, never feels
forced or fake in the hands of the current singer. Lambert carries the
show with ease, like a bird of paradise with the wings of a phoenix.
SOUNDZ - July 2, 2022 (Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ziggo Dome)
And then singer Adam Lambert . Queen without Freddie Mercury has always caused heated discussions. First, former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers was allowed to try. He did fine but lacked the vocal agility and showmanship of Freddie. When Queen gently tried this extravagant bird-of-paradise from [Indianapolis] in 2011, there was criticism, a lot of criticism! But gradually Lambert won the hearts of the millions of fans around the world. The way in which he approached Queen's extremely precarious oeuvre was refreshing and innovative. Lambert with a few extra corona kilos on his big body, sings the highest notes with the greatest of ease.
The difficult passage from 'I Want It All'? No problem. The high pitch in 'Somebody To Love'? He does it almost carelessly.
LFL - July 2, 2022 (Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ziggo Dome)
Over the top
Let's reiterate Queen + Adam Lambert's biggest discussion point. Although the best man has been celebrating triumphs with the band for ten years now, Adam Lambert is still a reason for some Queen fans to skip the new shows. To a certain extent I can understand that. No, he's not Freddie Mercury, but thankfully he doesn't pretend to be either. And yes, he is hugely over-the-top. But unlike fifty years ago, it's now much easier to be yourself openly in many ways, so wouldn't Freddie have been that way if he were young now? I certainly wouldn't rule that out. The fact remains: anyone who spends 2.5 hours with Adam Lambert in a concert hall is irrevocably enchanted by the man's charisma...
Nine32 Netherlands - July 3, 2022 (Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ziggo Dome)
It is impressive to see how vocally strong Adam Lambert is. It doesn't matter which genre he sings in, it comes in, it's convincing and it's incredibly pure. And it seems easy for him too. In “ Killer Queen ” he sits quietly on a platform, fluttering a fan, while he sings one sentence after the other into the hall.
Mariskal Rock - July 6, 2022 (Madrid, Spain, Wizink Centre)
After the sing-along moment of “Somebody to Love”, to which the Palacio de los Deportes gave its body and soul, came a completely theatrical interpretation of “Killer Queen” with a runaway Adam Lambert. The guy is a complete vocal show-off. He doesn't miss a note, he doesn't lack a voice, he moves on stage with sexy moves and he does it all with his own signature. Nothing to do with Paul Rodgers: his style fits perfectly with Queen's greatest hits concert.
concertnews.be - July 15, 2022 (Antwerp, Belgium, Sportpaleis Merksem)
Adam Lambert honored Freddie Mercury whom he named as irreplaceable and as a rock god. Meanwhile, Queen's fans have long embraced him. He sings magisterially and effortlessly hits his high notes and comes out wonderfully theatrical. For example, he cuts to replace the color of the theater to green to finally be satisfied with pink, he throws us an air kiss, he comes with thumb and forefinger to the edge of his top hat or we see him in glitter pants with a tailcoat above.
musiczine.net - July 15, 2022 (Antwerp, Belgium, Sportpaleis Merksem)
The Show Must Go On ... without his royal highness Freddie (RIP 1991) ... with another diva as a worthy successor ... Adam Lambert , they are big shoes to fill, but Queen Adam does it with gusto. He is a flamboyant, colorful personality who has earned his spurs in the past decade, he does not replace, that is impossible, but gives his own interpretation and interpretation. Maybe a bit over the top sometimes, but who cares... His openness is appreciated as often as it is criticized, but experience one concert and you will be enchanted by his enthusiasm, charisma, performance and the singing pleasure he radiates, not to mention his voice & especially the vocal range. He strings the endless jukebox of Queen hits together as if they were children's songs and that's what it's about, isn't it, everything else is secondary.
rocknytt.net - July 20, 2022 (Stockholm, Sweden, Avicii Arena) - restricted site
Adam Lambert has been touring with Queen's remaining members Brian May and Roger Taylor for a decade, and in him the perfect frontman for the context has been found in many ways. Since Freddie Mercury's death, the band has always been careful to respectfully market their collaborations with others by always showing signs with Queen + who appears with the band. Lambert is theatrical, flamboyant and powerful with a supernaturally good singing voice. Just like Freddie in other words.
Norway Rock Magazine - July 21, 2022 (Oslo, Norway, Telenor Arena)
Adam Lambert knows as well as we do that he is not Freddie Mercury, nor is he trying to be. But he has enough self-confidence and voice to pull it all off. He spices up the show with his own style and expresses humility and gratitude for the role he has been given. As he himself said during the concert; "I am so lucky to be allowed to stand here tonight, sing these songs with this band, and celebrate and honor the irreplaceable Freddie Mercury." He is good at including the audience, and I also think he impresses even more vocally tonight than the last time they visited Telenor Arena. It shakes the soul when he goes to "Who Wants To Live Forever".
musikknyheter - July 22, 2022 (Oslo, Norway, Telenor Arena)
Today, Queen consists only of Brian May and Roger Taylor with Adam Lambert as a "guest who has been there a little too long", as he himself said. We can only hope he continues, because Lambert has a star factor of 1000! He is not a copy or trying to be like Mercury, but completely his own thing. With a good mix of charisma and humor, there was rarely a moment he did not radiate. Especially on Who Wants To Live Forever, the goosebumps rose in the rainbow-colored light. What a power he has in his voice!