An evening with The Voice

The Doors wanted him as their lead singer after Jim Morrison succumbed permanently. Queen knocked on his door after they too lost their celebrated frontman, Freddie Mercury. He had no idea of The Doors’ offer until very recently, to which he said, “it just blew my mind” (remember, this was the early 70s). Queen were much luckier, and it was a decision they’d never regret. The man in question is popularly known as The Voice – Paul Rodgers (Middlesbrough's gift to music).

At 61, his vocal skills haven’t deserted him. His star value hasn’t diminished from the early 70s when he belted out vocals for Free and then later with Bad Company. It was hardly surprising to be part of a near sell-out crowd at London’s Royal Albert Hall on the 27th of April, a date I had marked out in my calendar way back in December.

A year ago, had someone told me I’d get to see my rock idol on stage I would have laughed. Having endured terrible luck with rock concerts in Bangalore for four years (none of the bands that toured were to my liking), I least expected my luck to change very soon. It was worth the wait.

It was quite surreal sitting in an audience of 40-50 + year olds and more. Many looked like Rodgers’ loyalists since their college days. There weren’t too many 20-somethings like me, but it was nice to be outnumbered for a change.

The show opened with Paul’s daughter Jasmine, singing her soulful numbers, guitar in hand. She may continue to live under her dad’s shadow for a while still, but she’s on her way to carving an identity for herself. A talent to watch.

Next up was Down n Outz, a band fronted by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott. The band sings covers from Mott the Hoople, a British band from the 70s. The songs weren’t as electric as Elliott’s stage presence, but nevertheless it was an incredible treat for me to see my second-favourite rocker on stage the same night.

After a 20-minute wait which seemed like an eternity, Rodgers finally stormed the stage with the Free hit Walk in my Shadow, followed by Wishing Well (one of Tony Blair’s favourites). The crowd, chained to their seats all the while, suddenly was on its feet. Save the best for last. The heart-stirring romantic number Be my Friend brought out the best in his vocals. The duet with Mica Paris made it seem like they’d love each other even after they turn into fossils, but the energy was amazing.

Among the Bad Company hits, Feel like Making Love was a big hit among the ladies. Running with the Pack, Rock n Roll Fantasy and Mr Big got the oldies on their feet. The song that involved a great deal of audience participation was Shooting Star, followed by All Right Now, one of the greatest rock anthems of the 70s. At this stage, my voice deserted me.

There was a pleasant surprise when his Bad Company mate Mick Ralphs appeared for a cameo for Can’t Get Enough of Your Love. The song I’d all been waiting for all night was Fire and Water (a Free hit) - an extended version with Jason Bonham (son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham) in his element in the end.

Rodgers rounded things off with The Hunter. He looked fit enough to sing for 3 more hours. Incredibly, the evening had elements from my top 3 bands – Free/Bad Company, Def Leppard and Led Zeppelin. Couldn’t have asked for anything more!

If there was one thing I’d have changed, it would be the venue. Make no mistake, Royal Albert Hall is magnificent with the best acoustics, but it’s not ideal for a rock concert. The average booty-shaking fan is always caught in two minds - whether to stand up and let fly, or respect the person behind you and sit down like an obedient school child. It made Joe Elliott seem like he stumbled into an opera audience.