Anthems: The Concert – Kerry Ellis and Brian May

Kerry Ellis and Brian May have a history together, 9 years ago Ellis walked in to the auditions for We Will Rock You and blew him away.  She would go on to create one of the leads in the show and run with it for two years. Now May has teamed up with the singer whose theatre credits also include Wicked to produce her new album and the two hit the road together to promote it.
 
Ellis’ talent cannot be denied, a voice so big that the roof is danger of getting ripped right of the venue and Brian May as guitarist and songwriter has more than proved he’s one of the country’s best.  However whilst the show is fun and if you are a fan of either performer definitely worth the money, it does seem a little disjointed at times.

When Ellis sings and sings from the heart (and songs from her debut album) it’s a real treat, but with so many Queen songs thrown in, it runs the risk of becoming a Queen tribute concert at times. Don’t get me wrong, the music of Queen is wonderful and when Ellis sings songs like “Somebody to Love” – it takes a few moments to get your breath back from the sheer power you have just seen on stage.

Kerry is one of the great voices of the West End stage and people should flock to hear that golden voice, but I’m just not sure that 70s and 80s hair-ography rock is really where she should be heading, maybe it’s just for this tour and that’s fine, but I for one am excited to see where she goes from here.

These are just minor quibbles though, as the night is fun and filled with songs you recognize (it would have been nice to hear a few more musical songs given the rock make over).

If you love your concerts with incredible guitar solos, a fantastic band and a voice that stays with you forever then you will have a brilliant night.

– Craig Hepworth