Chris Hoadley
Writer, Copy Editor
Sunrise Theatre News
Things got trickier during the concert’s second half, as later Beatles songs weren’t performed on tour and thus were not restricted to guitars and drums. The Fab Four’s solution was to place two keyboards placed at either side of the stage. Aside from piano notes, the group used them to synthesize instruments like the horns in “Yellow Submarine” and the chaotic crescendos of “A Day in the Life.” As with the vocals, the band stuck with script and didn’t try to add extra arrangements that would take away the sense of The Beatles performing live.
Instead, the band used a giant screen to enhance the experience. “Help!” burst on screen during the chorus of the song of the same name, and groovy images flowed during “Strawberry Fields Forever”. Archived footage like a fan who painted a picture of Paul McCarthy aired in between breaks.
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Mullen hits all the Mercury mannerisms. He comes out in the classic white pants and a jacket he removes as the concert goes on. He wields a microphone with half the stand still attached, holding it upside down while singing and miming the guitarists during instrumentals. He roams the stage, using every square foot to his advantage.
Big deal. Anyone can imitate a performer’s mannerisms, and Mercury is a once-in-a-lifetime performer. So what makes Mullen more than “The Great Pretender”?
After a few songs Mullen does the bit in Live Aid and other concerts where Mercury shows his vocal range while the audience tries to mimic it. Mullen goes low and high, coming close to the tonal range that made Mercury famous. Eventually he reaches for his highest pitch and hits it perfectly. For half a minute.
