By Gary Carra
There’s been a growing trend in tribute circles over the past decade. While the songs remain the same for bands like Zep-licators Get The Led Out (coming to Holyoke’s Mountain Park Aug. 5) and Billy Joel recreators Big Shot, the need to physically look like the act one emulates has gone the way of Blockbuster store. Let’s face it, bad wigs, moustaches and tacky costumes are the quickest way to turn a solid, sonic reproduction straight into “novelty act” town. The trick for those going for the full, audio/visual experience is – you can’t half ass it. And as One Night of Queen frontman Gary Mullen slapped his posterior and declared “This one’s for all you ladies with the bullocks to admit you have a big one of these” to signal a spot on cover of “Fat Bottom Girls,” it’s clear he was all in.
Prancing, strutting and preening his way through Queen classics “Another One Bites The Dust,” “We Will Rock You,” “Bicycle” and more, Mullen oozed Mercury with every note and action. “Look up her my beauties,” he teasingly scolded some cell-phone toting fans who were not giving the star the undivided attention he deserved. “The show is right here.”
By the end of the more than two hour performance (admittedly including an intermission), it appeared as if the sweat-soaked, ceaselessly moving Mullen had finally exhausted his seemingly boundless energy supply; his chest panting under the British flag draped around him for the anthemic encore of “We Are The Champions.” With a defiant wink, however, he swiftly dropped to the floor and banged out a pristine set of push ups just to keep the party going til the curtain dropped.
The 2015-2016 Symphony Hall season finishes on the funnybone, with improv aficionados Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood May 1 and comedian Bobby Collins May 14. For more info or to purchase tix, visit symphonyhall.com
In other news, Foxwoods’ latest ‘Battle Of The Band’ series boasts a booty of $10,550, private parties, gift certificates and more for the victor. Interested parties should email a demo file or link to BattleOfTheBands@Foxwoods.com no later than April 30 and include a band photo, bio, contact email and phone number. There is no entry fee required.
Catch the Nightcrawler on Wednesday mornings with Leslie at 6:20 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. on Lazer 99.3 f.m. Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email garycarra@aol.com.
