QUEEN Somebody To Love LIVE 1979 HAMMERSMITH ODEON | REACTION

[@TheBlackcredo]

Roger Taylor is an incredible musician, singer and live performer. A lot of people underestimate him.

[@anthonypirera7598]

And a great song writer

[@milosbogdanovic3229]

I love when they do Somebody to love. Freddie and Roger sound like an entire choir in that chorus. Just amazing !

[@GinMae]

Yes.. but Brian is in there, too.. and in this case, I think even John (who usually doesn't sing unless pressed... lol)

[@BriRog68]

The incomparable Roger Taylor was/is a beast on drums and vocals. The whole band is phenomenal. Just four world class musicians that destiny brought together to bring us joy♥️👑🎤🎹🥁🎸

[@pampresley4479]

The band did a terrific job on this song. However, just two years after this show they preform Live in Montreal 1981 and they absolutely blow it out of the water. Thank you for your reactions!

[@irenedownie6559]

Well said, Justin! What a great reaction. For Live Aid each act had 20 minutes to perform and Queen overran by only 2 seconds! Roger is that metronome. ❤

[@bettybaby63]

So much energy. The stage can’t contain it. That roadie is Peter “Ratty” Hince. Was also John’s roadie too. Those handoffs were flawless. “Can you just focus on the drums please.” lol

[@sophiebernard1983]

I had the same feeling about Roger but the more I see them live the more I appreciate him and realized how much he was a support for Freddie's voice… and a good drummer of course !

[@debramoore7513]

Love this performance!! I’ve said this before but watching Freddie at Hammersmith is like watching a young lion test his magnificent roar! 🦁 So amazing .. all the band members!! Thank you for your reaction!!

[@Dillon12]

Roger Taylor were a known guy even before Queen and Smile. He had was in a band and did backing vocals, the lead vocalist quit and he became the lead singer. And they made a lot of gigs, there's even a recorded one. They even recorded some songs in studio. The name of the band is The Reactions.

[@reggiestan]

Yes, he was known as the singing drummer of Truro which is where he grew up in Cornwall.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

Awesomes reaction, you are 100% correct a band is collective effort. Making the music sound better should always be the first priority. It is great to hear about your personal experiences! Roger is one of the best singing drummers. It is just strange how Queen made made Freddie's voice so low in the mix and Roger's voice so loud (without microphones Freddie did have a louder voice then Roger). The mixing is a bit off here. But I do understand why Roger's microphone is likely very loud, it is because you want to make sure that he is heard even if he isn't singing exactly into the microphone. Before joined Queen, Roger was offered the position of being the drummer for Genesis.

[@JustinPanariello]

wow didn't know that about Genesis.. cool

[@hkynuts11]

Somebody to Love at Milton Keynes is a blues version of this beautiful song.

[@yvrkid7070]

John and Roger were referred to as the Sonic Volcano. No matter what the album was like, when you went to a Queen concert you got a LOUD rock concert. Even the dance songs on Hot Space became rock songs in concert. Example: Milton Keynes 1982 Action This Day(video) or a great version in Tokyo 1982(no video).The roadie is Peter (Ratty) Hince. He wrote a book called Queen Unseen. It's excellent. I highly recommend it.

[@DonnaleaSpencer]

my favorite of the Queen books! Peter's 2nd book'ss good too, but more photos than anecdotes.

[@DonnaleaSpencer]

Rogie! Great backup. Anytime Freddie needs him, Roger's right there, sounding awesome! Yes, Freddie's roadie (tech) Peter "Ratty" Hince is also John's roadie! Both at the same time. The mic appears & disappears like clockwork. Peter also wrote my favorite book on Queen - life on tour from a roadie's perspective. He doesn't dish dirt, but he let's you know there was a lot of mischief going on. A fine read. It's super funny.

[@ono1dij]

I think Somebody To Love is the best song Queen played live of all, is a very difficult song to play, but they do it incredibly amazing, nothing more than the four of them, Tthis is where we see that Queen were amazing both in the studio and live, without tricks and without anything hidden... I love that you are enjoying this concert as much as we are, I also hope, as I mentioned in other videos, that I hope you take your time and prepare well, to be able to continue reacting to the albums that follow, I already know the general opinion about the tremendous shock that Hot Space can cause, and the large number of songs that are so well known from this stage, but it's a shame that you miss out on the many wonders that there are still to discover in these 5 albums that end Queen's career (I'm not counting Made in Heaven)... Maybe the miracle will happen!!! While I continue enjoying this live show that is amazing... Greetings from Argentina!!!

[@danarchuleta1154]

There's a 2014 concert vid of Queen, and watching Roger Taylor at 65 y/o play complex drum patterns and sing stratospheric notes with energy and precision is a sight to behold. His son Rufus Tiger Taylor is a great drummer (The Darkness) and is the god son of the late Taylor Hawkins.

[@dianecourtney2724]

Love you Justin 😂 Most people play Montreal which is great but Hammersmith is supreme … more raw 😂 TY. Fabulous reaction 💛

[@sherryheim5504]

This may be the first time I have seen this performance of this song and it totally rocks! Freddie said that he needed to know where his bass player was all the time to hold it all together so he really relied heavily on John. Brian also has high praises for John who he said could always get into the pocket and that he had played with a lot of bass players in his career but John was by far one of the best. I certainly hope that both of these men had expressed these feelings directly to John while he was with the band. And yes! Roger is one of those great drummers who can keep it going on the drums and still sing. Thank you for an excellent reaction to all that was going on in this song.

[@wordsleydave]

Oh Christ ..I'm getting a wee bit emotional doing this reaction ..... Thanks Justin.

[@Robert-wn2cw]

Awesome performance of Somebody to Love. One of the best I've seen. Freddie's vocals are so good. And enjoyed your response to it,. Cheers

[@susanp.7954]

Queen was a very tight band❤Roger helped Freddie,especially when his voice wasn’t up to par❤They didn’t call Roger and John the ‘Sonic Volcano’ for nothing ❤

[@toddmathers5075]

Glad you are enjoying this. As a live performing musician, I'd be interested in your observation on the cues they give to each other on stage. These guys were exceptionally tight during live performances, well-rehearsed, and de-briefed on the previous performance during that next show's soundcheck. Still, there was improvisation during some songs, almost always driven by Freddie. So they used cues to communicate with each other when this was happening. The most obvious one is when the song will end, and that's Freddie turning around to face Roger, as he does in this song. I find all of this fascinating, as I do how they avoid getting their chords tangled with Freddie moving around so much...some of his are planned (like when he goes to the front of the stage or to the drum riser), but he's also making some of it up as goes along. As someone said in an earlier reaction, John generally hangs back on the drum riser just to keep himself and his chord out of the way.

[@briancrozier9017]

Andy Sturmer was the lead singer and Drummer for Jellyfish. Live he played standing up. Was incredible to watch. Super talented.

[@gwyhad]

I don't remeber well but I recall that B.May said something like if you don't have a good drummer (or/and maybe a good bass player, I don't remember) your band will sound like a garage band.

[@betseyclark2832]

Every time I watch a Queen concert, I wish I was there. We are lucky so many of them have been recorded. Roger fills in more later in their career when Freddie needs help with the high notes. It's really amazing that the energy of this band is sustained for the entire concert.

[@santiagoalvareztabares3598]

Another good entertainment piece by Queen and our friend Justin

[@brianbannon6200]

This is great. Might seem like a little thing, I thought it was so cool he got back to the piano to fill the sound while the lead started on the guitar. Great backing vocals.

[@donnelson6694]

I appreciate Queen even more as a live band. Take away the multitracking and overdubs and they still sound amazing.

[@GinMae]

Thanks, Justin - another great live version.. (1981 Montreal is a bit more "polished" - but this is raw & awesome!).. appreciate your reaction!

[@alainemancini3366]

Magic❤

[@marvalstith2749]

They're so very wonderful! Roger had a 'music scholarship' for college...from his church it seems. . . was a faithful choir participant. In fact read Roger say he stuck with college because he/they needed the money just changed his major to Biology (not Dentistry). Then lo and behold he had a Degree in Biology! And Freddie a great encourager of each and every one of Queen....even the crew. You should see Freddie on piano backing Roger on drums singing "I'm In Love with My Car! Fun, fun.

[@RockinMamaT]

My favorite live song❤

[@EnoVarma]

This feels like Queen deep inside their comfort zone. I like it very much. Karen Carpenter is the greatest singing drummer of all time.

[@deboraclark5791]

Love this song live especially at Montreal or at Milton. Roger is awesome. great reaction

[@PaddyDixieTheMinerva82]

This is Queen on a different stratosphere when they are live. If the only thing they ever did was live I'd be a very happy man. Then again, if they did not have the studio recordings then perhaps it would not have the same impact without that reference? Not the biggest fan of Roger's solo stuff or songwriting, though I always love his voice. But as a drummer and vocalist he does his bit which makes this band complete

[@marningritaguy]

I think many of the high notes that Roger sang were thought by many to be Freddie.

[@TheCentralScrutinizerAgain]

fantastic!

[@bettybaby63]

I hope you do the medley together. Death on 2 legs/killer queen/im in love with my car 👍

[@RockinMamaT]

You need to react to the full live aid set❤

[@TheBlackcredo]

Couldn't agree more.

[@Jompani42]

He's done that 🙂

[@robshaw2639]

time to revisit The Warning on the drummer also sings topic 😅

[@JustinPanariello]

ROB!!!

[@JustinPanariello]

Where have you been?? Email me!

[@leodurkin8539]

Never sings anything exactly the same the song will be the same but he never liked to repeat the same songs exactly the same.!! Still missed nearly 34 yrs later. Major loss to music 🎶

[@garysteinert8040]

Levon Helm The Band Gil Moore, Triumph Jen Ledger Skillet, not lead but either is Roger Taylor.

[@delorangeade]

Queen live doesn't always work for me, there are other live bands I prefer, but this is their best song and they absolutely nail it.

[@neilloughran4437]

interesting comment about the importance of the drummer.... sometimes it's all it takes... great drummer just locks everyone in... I've also played with great technical drummers where I'm lost and I can't even feel a "one" properly... reminds me of Weather Report and Chester Thompson not feeling Jaco yet Narada did... I guess it keeps things interesting...

[@kuntumlaleanqueezer]

🥁🎶❤️

[@RockinMamaT]

I think the only two drummers that sing lead are Phil Collins and Don Henly from the Eagles. I cant think of anyone else❤

[@TheBlackcredo]

There's a lot of them out there. Taylor Hawkins from The Foo Fighters sang lead a lot. I suggest you do some googling. There are some amazing singing drummers that I think you'll love.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

@@TheBlackcredo Taylor Hawkins was a great drummer, he actually inspired by Roger Taylor a lot. But Roger is a much better singer then Taylor Hawkins was.

[@danarchuleta1154]

Deen Castronovo singing Steve Perry vocals with Journey.

[@RockinMamaT]

I'm talking lead singers 😜

[@aaronhunt4009]

Levon Helm,from The Band

[@robshaw2639]

hey justin im still alive but getting back to normal is still a few weeks off - ill binge your channel then to catch up…

[@anne-mariesindruprix4792]

I prefer the version from Montreal 1981

[@robshaw2639]

testing testing

[@JustinPanariello]

here yee

[@diverdown631]

The version from Queen rocks Montreal 1981 is a better performance and better sound and video quality.

[@Plasticmilxy]

The best version ever is Edinburgh 82 (poor quality)

[@irenedownie6559]

I agree with you! It’s a mind blowing performance from all four, and Roger’s drumming and vocals are awesome!

[@user-er3ri6sc3j]

Milton Keynes 1982 version is possibly better.

[@vaidasvezelis8497]

not original play