Magic - A Kind of Queen

STEVE DOWNES Pavilion Theatre, Cromer

STEVE DOWNES

A kind of Queen, certainly. But what kind of Queen was anybody's guess, as the six ageing rockers in the tribute band took to the stage at Cromer's Pier Pavilion Theatre.

With a Rick Parfitt look-alike on the keyboard and a man looking suspiciously like Peter Stringfellow on the drums, Magic made an amusing ensemble.

Thankfully, they made it clear from the start that they weren't trying to look like the legendary band (and with a grey-haired five-foot-nothing lead guitarist, any attempt to mimic 6ft, poodle-permed Brian May would have been hilarious).

Instead, Magic made it their mission to emulate the vocal harmonies, unique guitar sound and addictive melodies of the band fronted by Freddie Mercury. To their credit, they succeeded - and the audience soon shook off its tentativeness to sing and clap along with gusto.

The sheer speed with which the hits kept coming was a reminder of how prolific Queen were - and how varied in style. The show ended all too soon with the anthems Radio Ga Ga and We Are the Champions.

On the eve of what would have been Freddie Mercury's 60th birthday, it was a fitting tribute - and a reminder of just how good Queen were.