Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Posted: 20 Nov 2009
Paul Rodgers, Hammersmith Apollo
When Middlesbrough-born Paul Rodgers played a one-off gig in London earlier this month, I wasn’t alone in wondering if it would be the last time I’d see him on stage.
After splitting amicably from Queen after five years fronting the band it seemed possible that he might just pack it all in after more than four decades in the music business.
But the former Free and Bad Company singer, after a string of encores, promised he’d be back. And he is. Having re-formed Bad Company, he’s doing a short tour next April, including a date at the Metro Arena in Newcastle.
If the tour is anything like this one-off concert, fans are in for a treat.
Amongst rousing renditions of Free favourites including All Right Now, Fire and Water and Wishing Well and Bad Company’s Can’t Get Enough (Of Your Love) he also threw in a Rod Stewart number or two and a Jimi Hendrix medley. Cracking stuff.
He was clearly a man enjoying himself and, as the concert wore on, it seemed less and less likely that he’d want to leave the stage for good. He’s just too good and his fan base too big to say goodbye while still at the peak of his vocal powers.
This concert was being filmed for a new DVD, so there’s some consolation if you don’t manage to catch him live. But you really, really should.
Anne Graham
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