March 26, 1977 - Queen on a Walkabout

Queen Los Angeles

INSTINCT can sometimes be a welcome asset. When I first saw Queen a couple of years back, there was no doubt in my mind that they were going to be simply huge. Regrettably, I wasn't the only one who harboured such thoughts. One performance was all it took, and you had to be sold if there was any rock 'n' roll left in your heart whatsoever.

Sure, they relied on a few gimmicks. Their English rock roots were also blatantly obvious. But Queen brought with them a sense of style. There was an aura of superstar glamour about their manner and attitude that gave outsiders an inkling as to their confidence.

When they first appeared locally, they were 'only' headlining the Santa Monica Civic. 'Only' is in quotes, because the Civic is usually reserved for a band of in-termediary status. They were too well-known to play a club date, but not quite popular enough for the 'status' auditoriums or arenas. But Queen presented a colossal programme that left no doubt these guys were out to challenge rock's prime bands with an eclectic, well balanced presentation conceived with wit and spirit.

America was a little slow jumping on the bandwagon. With the exception of the fame they garnered through the hit 'Killer Queen', the band really hadn't

Sounds March 26, 1977