Why Queen are boring live (in 2017)

I could understand them dropping SYW and It's Late if Adam had trouble singing them or if the band just felt it wasn't working either within the set list as a whole or they just weren't "feeling it" but that clearly is not the case based upon hearing the songs on YouTube. They worked spectacularly well in fact. So the question is why drop two songs from the tour that 1) was supposed to be part of celebrating the anniversary of the album they featured on and 2) were both released as singles? Why also did they decide to keep GDML? A song never released as a single anywhere in the world. Makes very little sense.

Crowd reaction seemed just fine for the songs. Online reaction from fans was very positive. So what prompted the change.

To me it seems obvious. Brian and Roger are too scared of their own deep body of work and cannot escape their safe zone of just playing hits and MOST recognizable songs. Hell they don't even play a wider selection of their other hits, just the same stuff that gets overplayed everywhere.

Brian and Roger have grown stale in their later years. They take no chances despite Brian's oft repeated claims of being "dangerous" live. It's a highwire act 2 feet from the ground with the biggest and softest cushion to protect them. Queen are, without question, predictable and boring. They offer nothing new live. Insisting on keeping Lambert's latest single in the set is at best baffling. The one time they did before with one of Adam's songs, Ghost Town, went down a storm with even Rolling Stone magazine singing it's praises and yet it was only played in South America and immediately forgotten when the tour left that continent.

For European fans hoping for the band to reinsert SYW and It's Late......do not hold your breath. You will get exactly the same stuff.

NOTW has plenty to offer in the live setting. SYW and It's Late are proven commodities. GDML seems to be right in Adam's wheelhouse especially in terms of sexuality. The fast version of WWRY seems like THE MOST OBVIOUS start to the show rather than the traditional slow version (which they play again in full at the end) and the oddly fitted in HTF. Sheer Heart Attack used to be a real mainstay in the set when Freddie was alive. SOTS could be worked in before or after the ridiculous and self masturbatory guitar solo. Etc etc.

Queen, unlike virtually any other band of their ilk, stick with the misguided idea that people (certainly not fans) cannot handle anything not on a greatest hits album. The Stones, Springsteen, and so on play virtually everything from their catalog. Deep album cuts, b sides, covers, you name it. Queen are either scared of, embarrassed of, or not confident enough in their own tried and true catalog.

Queen gave up on trying to please their own fanbase and clearly think little of the mindset of the mainstream audience.

"You'll get Bohemian Rhapsody for the millionth time and like it, suckers."

Really good post and I agree with pretty much everything you said. I know the production of this tour is immense but surely it can be switched around to incorporate new songs occasionally.

Don't get me wrong I'm really looking forward to seeing the show but please let's see some changes for the UK/European shows. They have to give the European fans some credit, 75% of those attending these shows will know the back catalogue and are not there for 'The Hits'. They HAVE to reinstate SYW and It's Late especially as the NOTW 40th Anniversary will be out to promote.

Love the Frank opening but it really needs to go into WWRY fast version so HTF can be moved or even dropped completely! WWRY fast leading into Headlong would work! But please guys take a few risks, throw in the odd curve ball, believe me we, the fans would greet it with open arms. Roger is singing better than ever so please give him more songs to sing giving Adam a rest to sing epics like TSMGO and WWTLF and IWBTLY. Yes it's Europe but it doesn't mean AKOM and IWTBF need to come back into the set (Bet they do though!)

Some food for thought below

We Will Rock You - Fast
Hammer To Fall - Replace with Headlong
Stone Cold Crazy - Replace with Sheer Heart Attack
Another One Bites The Dust
Fat Bottomed Girls
Killer Queen - Replace with I Was Born To Love You
Don’t Stop Me Now
Bicycle Race - Replace with Breakthru
I’m In Love With My Car - add Tenement Funster and Fight From The Inside
Get Down/Make Love - Replace with The Show Must Go On
I Want It All
Love Of My Life - Replace with Too Much Love Will Kill You and No selfie stick!
Somebody To Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Drum Battle - Replace with Ride The Wild Wind
Under Pressure
It’s Late
Take My Breath Away/Who Wants To Live Forever
Guitar Solo - Shorten leading into Tie Your Mother Down
Freddie Call & Response
Radio Gaga
Bohemian Rhapsody
Encore:
Spread Your Wings
We Will Rock You
We Are The Champions
God Save The Queen - PA My Melancholy Blues

Queen just have this carved in stone mentality. Some songs they will never NOT play.

Does LOML have to be performed? IWBTLY only gets played in Japan? Nonsense.

The Miracle, Made in Heaven (The latter being one of their biggest selling albums ever) get no love at all. Not long ago Brian spoke very highly of The Miracle (The song) and Adam would crush that one while giving the fans a great sing a long moment. TMLWKY was a big hit in Europe for both Brian AND Queen. Why not include that? YDFM would seemingly be something Adam would love to sing.

Point is Queen aren't getting any younger and there are STILL songs NEVER performed live by Queen. How many more opportunities do you realistically think they will have?

I tend to agree although I feel some of the OP's statement is a little harsh. I think The Rolling Stones are just as bad for playing it safe. Springsteen, agreed.

I think there's a deeper issue at work here though. Brian talks a lot lately about not wanting to do complex stuff on stage - about the importance of 'connecting' and how fiddly musical parts can "get in the way" of that - as do unusual song choices, I would surmise.

I think this whole "connecting" vibe has replaced the live force that Queen were. Having seen them twice now I do feel there's a sense of "here we are at this gig and it's a big event and here's the songs you love played by the two guys from the band". Which is fine. But I feel like something's gone and I felt slightly empty after both times I saw them. Like the show had been paraded in front of me and then it was gone. Yes it 'connected' in that I kept thinking "look, there's Brian May playing Bo Rhap" or whatever. But it never got into my soul and it never stayed with me.

Maybe they were always like this live -? A lot of reviewers used to lambast Queen for the 'show' of it all. And obviously there's something vital missing now without Freddie. But I remember Brian's solo shows (which I saw live) had that edge of surprise and adventure that I assumed Queen had. It's not there now though.

Anyway I think there's more to it than just song choices (although yes a lot of the set has been played to death). It's to do with the philosophy and purpose of the whole thing. And it's by no means unique to Queen as a legacy act, and yes it's great to still see them live and so on. But I agree something is missing. Maybe I'm just done with arena rock. Or maybe they'll spruce it up for Europe and I'll eat my words. Hope so.

Queen were never like that live, certainly not the 10 times i managed to catch them playing, it was fast,frantic and full of energy. Strings would break, notes were missed and also technical issues to deal with but never once did any of this bother myself or the audience .You really got taken and hit between the eyes both as a spectacle and also with the sheer brilliance of all four musicians...at least that was my opinion of the shows i was lucky enough to see.
I am sure there are various reasons for the set list and it would be really nice for the band to comment on their reasons for choosing certain songs and also dropping certain songs, that way perhaps all the rage will die down.
I think whilst quick to pass political and animal comment maybe not so quick to pass comment on his day job ?
I also enjoyed the Queen and PR shows up to the Cosmos Rocks tour which i sadly came away thinking was them all going through the motions...this changed the times i have since seem them with Adam and they once again seem re-energised with the latest outing having the best production by far since the old days.
That said having built the tour up to such a degree with the NOTW tie in the set list does not truly reflect what many were expecting and perhaps an explanation may be given which no doubt would be appreciated by the fans.
I do not expect their playing/voices to be anywhere near the same level it was when they were younger but i generally feel they are now getting slightly detached from their original fan base.
Even though this will be the first tour i have missed seeing a show i really hope for those attending European dates the set list is mixed up a little to compliment the fantastic production values, or at least an explanation as to why in their eyes these songs did not work.

I was told for the NA tour that there was only nine days of rehearsals. With the new stage set up, etc, I wonder if that was enough time to put it all together. I honestly think more time was needed.
It will be interesting to see how the overseas tour will be any different. I just hope there is more effort put into the songs. Frank, the lights, the bike cannot make up for getting my hopes u and then dashed for wanting and hoping to hear some songs. I never thought I'd see a day or a concert without DOOL being a part of any Q+ concert.
They have time in the break for things to gel. I hope they can do it.

Queen were never like that live, certainly not the 10 times i managed to catch them playing, it was fast,frantic and full of energy. Strings would break, notes were missed and also technical issues to deal with but never once did any of this bother myself or the audience .You really got taken and hit between the eyes both as a spectacle and also with the sheer brilliance of all four musicians...at least that was my opinion of the shows i was lucky enough to see.
I am sure there are various reasons for the set list and it would be really nice for the band to comment on their reasons for choosing certain songs and also dropping certain songs, that way perhaps all the rage will die down.
I think whilst quick to pass political and animal comment maybe not so quick to pass comment on his day job ?
I also enjoyed the Queen and PR shows up to the Cosmos Rocks tour which i sadly came away thinking was them all going through the motions...this changed the times i have since seem them with Adam and they once again seem re-energised with the latest outing having the best production by far since the old days.
That said having built the tour up to such a degree with the NOTW tie in the set list does not truly reflect what many were expecting and perhaps an explanation may be given which no doubt would be appreciated by the fans.
I do not expect their playing/voices to be anywhere near the same level it was when they were younger but i generally feel they are now getting slightly detached from their original fan base.
Even though this will be the first tour i have missed seeing a show i really hope for those attending European dates the set list is mixed up a little to compliment the fantastic production values, or at least an explanation as to why in their eyes these songs did not work.

10 times . Which years may I ask?
Dropping certain songs? Reason AL gave during a Twitter party when asked he said 'because we felt like it'. The fans deserved a better explanation than that, especially after the hype.

From... 1980 x2 1982 x1 1984 x 5 1986 x 2 sadly missed out on a ticket to the 79 show by a few spaces ( those were the days when you could queue for your ticket at the box office or send in postal orders )
Plus loads of solo shows.

[JLP]

The Magic Tour was basically a greatest hits your. And the same can be said for every Queen+ tour since.

Oh and the 'because we felt like it' whilst this may have been said would not have been the reason behind dropping the songs. There would have been a more valid reason, my argument is perhaps some communication from the band explaining why would end this speculation. I understand they are not at liberty to say anything but this is where i feel they have become detached. Years ago they were always a band who genuinely seemed to care for their fans.
No doubt we will have Brian post comments on various political issues and animal welfare concerns which is fine and more than his entitlement to do so, possibly just add a few words about the tour and the reasons such decisions were made. Some genuine interaction other than bloody 3d photos and selfie stick videos...just saying

Years ago they were always a band who genuinely seemed to care for their fans.

Were they? Not one visit to their website in 16 years of its existence.

Yes 86 could be classed as a hits laden tour and rightly so at the time given the size of the venues they were playing and audience they were reaching out to, but...we still had Lap of the gods,Seven seas of Rhye, Now i am here, the rock and roll medley and also songs that were from the most recent album and being played live for the first time so a nice mix and a good set list for both long standing fans and newer more casual fans alike.
I remember being pleased with the set list at the time...

I am more looking at the period between 78-92 probably not so much after the Freddie tribute.
No specific reason comes to mind but all my friends fans and non fans at the time all seemed to have the same feeling they were a good band to be following at the time.

Years ago they were always a band who genuinely seemed to care for their fans.

Were they? Not one visit to their website in 16 years of its existence.

Brian speaks to his fans quite often (occassionally even about Queen) and I know he'll even reply to an email if it captures his attention so would say he's reasonably fan friendly if we are just talking about his online interactions.

You hit the 'nail on the head' Brian replies to something that captures his attention, normally this will be non Queen related and will not be towards anything critical, constructive or otherwise. With good reason most of the time, as he gets older he want less to do with this type discussion. I often wonder how much he actually gets to see or how much is vetted before reaching him in respect of e-mails. Possibly he will see the comments on twitter regarding the set list.
Once again i do not see the problem in him commenting on his soapbox...look guy's i know there has been a lot of comments regarding the set list and we really wanted to try and play SYW and IL but the band felt after a few attempts it was not working for these reasons ( insert list ) not what we were hoping for but we may still try to rectify it for Europe.
I used to send e-mails on various Queen related topics and ask for some clarity but never received a response, i was polite and cordial.
You will find bands that are trying to make a living interact very well with their current fans as they are depending on them for a pay cheque ( Marillion, Fish,Magnum,Tyketto, Thunder ect ect ) Queen do not need this type of interaction which is a real shame in my opinion.
I have been fortunate to meet both Brian and Roger a number of times and always found then both to be very pleasant ( i was not asking them to sign countless albums or take a million selfies by the way )
Ask any band especially a band with as many hits as Queen and the set list is always a sticky subject and a happy medium has to be achieved ( not sure that has been done this time round ) perhaps as they get older they take the easier option...can we blame them ?
In my opinion i think this will be the last tour of this size we will see, 26 dates may have been a stretch too far. Even the Stones only do 14 dates at a time now.
Once this run round the world is over i would be surprised if we saw them in this capacity again.