West End singing sensation Kerry Ellis, and legendary Queen Guitarist Brian May brought their new concert tour “Anthems” to Liverpool this week at the city’s Philharmonic Hall.
Supporting their new album of the same name, Anthems showcased the talents of Ellis and May with a 90 minute set which included some of Queens greatest hits, with new lyrics written specifically for Ellis, as well as some of the songs which made her famous in the hit musical Wicked.
The evening started with a support band – Vintage Trouble, who attempted to warm up the crowd for the evening’s events with a mixture of soul and rock. Although very talented, the band didn’t quite connect with the Liverpool audience who were waiting patiently for the main event.
Kerry Ellis has an extremely good stage presence – she, as you would expect of a West End veteran, feels very at home on the stage, and interacts well with the audience. Aside from the outstanding vocals and watching May play guitar with gusto, it is worth coming to along just to see a side of the real Kerry Ellis, as opposed to the characters she has portrayed in London. Many of the songs she performed weren’t just sang, they were acted, which allowed the audience to connect with the lyrics.
There were a few problems with the sound and the equipment. At times, it was difficult to distinguish the words which were being sung as it was too loud, and a problem with the smoke machine meant that Ellis was prematurely covered with mist, which she joked off.
Some of the highlight included many of Queen’s hits – Somebody To Love, Save Me, We are the Champions, We Will Rock You and No-one But You, where Kerry Ellis performed a master-class in singing which yielded an impromptu standing ovation.
The Philharmonic is a strange venue to house a rock gig – especially as the audience are advised to sit during the performance, but by the end of the concert, everyone – young, and old – were on their feet singing along. The unmistakeable highlight of the concert was Defying Gravity.
It seems an off combination, bringing together a West End singer and the guitarist from one of the biggest rock bands the world has ever seen, but it works. During the show, Brian May explained that Ellis audition for a role in We Will Rock You, which he produced, and she blew him away. This led to them collaborating for the Royal Variety Show and producing an album together before embarking on this UK tour.
Fans of Ellis and May alike will undoubtedly enjoy this show. It is only a pity that it wasn’t performed in a standing venue, but as the audience demographic ranges from very young to very old, a compromise had to be made. Ultimately, this is one show you won’t want to miss.
The tour continues around the country, with a stop in Manchester on May 16th.
4 stars
Here is a clip of them performing one of the songs from the tour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Ay953L2v4
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