Story & Photographs by Diane Fleischman
This time of the year there’s a special fever going around. Not a fever associated with the change of the season, or the flu, it’s Queen fever. The symptoms; a strong longing for the music of the legendary rock band, Queen, the desire to stomp one’s feet and clap hands together while singing along to their greatest hits. The prognosis for full recovery is very good.
First, we recommend you save the date of November 2nd, the release of the long awaited biopic, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Through approximately five years of actors and director’s disputes and conflicts, the film is on the cusp of release, starring Rami Malek. Marc Martel, who started with Queen Extravaganza in 2012, performed portions of the vocals used in the film.
Next, we recommend that you see Queen Extravaganza in concert. It’s a must see for all Queen fans, and they are currently on the road promoting their Queen’s Greatest Hits tour. Fortunately for all those feverish Queen fans, Queen Extravaganza performed Wednesday night at The Sands Event Center and gave the audience a dose of rock and roll medicine.
Queen Extravaganza, or QuEx, for short, are also known as the official Queen Tribute band, as the band members were hand picked by the original Queen members, Brian May and Roger Taylor. Lead singer, Marc Martel had schedule conflicts and couldn’t join this tour, but Brazilian singer, Arilio Netto, has filled the shoes nicely. Netto admitted he’s a lifelong Queen fan, and no stranger to the music scene. One of his biggest thrills was his role in ‘We Will Rock You Brazil’ as the lead male character, Galileo.
The concert kicked off with “One Vision”, Netto brought high energy as he covered the stage. “Don’t Stop Me Now” followed, then a medley of “Killer Queen” and then reached way back for “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy”.
It’s hard for any Queen fan not to compare the performance of QuEx to the original Queen, but in “Save Me” there were moments the similarities were hauntingly close. Netto started the song seated at the edge of the stage and it’s here, that you can hear his musical theatre influences. Drummer, Tyler Warren, carried the lead vocals on “A Kind of Magic”, and picked up the second verse in “I Want It All”.
The band took a short break and returned with “Hammer To Fall”. Lead guitarist, Brian Gresh, was flawless as he mirrored Queen guitarist, Brian May. Other songs that followed were “Seven Seas of Rhye”, “Under Pressure”, “I Want To Break Free”, and another little medley of “Invisible Man” which highlighted white spotlights that glared down on drummer, Warren, for a solo. Then came “Breakthru”, “Another One Bites the Dust”, as Netto and Warren shared lead vocals.
Warren dedicated “These Are The Days Of Our Lives” to Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury, and other favorites followed: “Somebody To Love” with a sing a long in the chorus, and the ultimate unification song, “Radio GaGa”. The audience cheered for “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and rose to their feet for “We Will Rock You”, and the close of the show, “We Are The Champions.”
The band Queen was together for approximately twenty years, their lead singer, Freddie Mercury passed away over twenty five years ago, and the band and their music is just as popular today. It has been reported that a Queen song can be heard on the radio within every 24 hours. It’s an amazing legacy in rock and roll history.
For Netto, he performs these classic hits with great love and passion, it’s clear for everyone to see. His high energy matches the energy level that Mercury possessed, and the band has recaptured the sounds of Queen to perfection. Queen Extravaganza is just what the doctor ordered.
