SAPPORO - Queen+Adam Lambert held their Hokkaido performance at the Sapporo Dome on Saturday night, with GLAY appearing as special guests.
Queen+Adam Lambert and GLAY pose for a commemorative photo.
It has been a full 42 years since Queen last performed in Sapporo, back when the late Freddie Mercury was a member during the "Hot Space Tour" in 1982. Before Saturday's show, Roger Taylor (Drums) and Adam Lambert (Vocals) visited the snow sculpture of Queen on display at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Odori Park, heightening the anticipation for the live performance. Roger commented, "I'm currently in Sapporo, in the north of Japan. I'm very happy to be here," while Adam added, "Whoever made this is a beautiful artist. I'm deeply impressed. Hats off to them." Additionally, TAKURO (Guitar) of GLAY also visited the snow sculpture and uploaded a photo in front of it to the band's official Instagram, hinting at the excitement for the upcoming joint concert.
The live concert started at 17:30, and as GLAY appeared, the audience rose to their feet. The stage, marking the beginning of a memorable year celebrating their 30th debut anniversary, kicked off with "Glorious." As TERU (Vocals) had declared, "We want to heat up the venue and pass the baton, so we'll challenge with a parade of GLAY's representative songs," the live progressed with a setlist of big hits such as "SOUL LOVE," "Winter, again," and "SURVIVAL," each intro causing the audience to erupt with excitement. Following TERU's words, "Thank you very much, Mr. Brian May and Mr. Roger Taylor. This one's for you," they performed "HOWEVER," enveloping the dome in a warm atmosphere. Towards the end, after delivering the killer tunes "Her 'Modern...'" and "Temptation," GLAY left the stage. Though their time was a mere 45 minutes, they received a huge round of applause for their respectful performance to Queen.
With the heat still lingering from GLAY's performance, Queen+Adam Lambert took the stage at 19:15. They unleashed classic songs such as "RADIO GA GA," "Hammer To Fall," "I Was Born To Love You," and the collaboration with David Bowie known as "Under Pressure." In the middle of the performance, Brian May (Guitar) introduced "Te wo Toriatte," a song he wrote in his youth for the audience, which included Japanese lyrics. During this song, images reminiscent of Japanese shrines and temples were projected, and a powerful sing-along by the fans resonated throughout the dome. Queen+Adam Lambert continued with hits including "Don't Stop Me Now," performed at the "74th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen," and the globally beloved "Bohemian Rhapsody." For the encore, they generously performed Queen's anthems "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions," concluding the two-hour live performance.
Backstage, the four members of GLAY met Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Adam Lambert for the first time. When Brian May commented, "It was a very clear sound, and a fantastic stage," during the commemorative photo session, TAKURO expressed his surprise, "You watched our stage?" Brian responded affirmatively with "Of course!" leaving the GLAY members stunned.
