KRISTEN THE YELLOW LAB'S DOSE OF REALITY: AMERICAN IDOL, X FACTOR, AND SUNDRY!: THE 6/30/12 QUEEN CONCERT IN KIEV, THE UKRAINE, FEATURING ADAM LAMBERT

AKA: QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT MAKES THIS ROCKIN' WORLD GO ROUND!

Kristen the Yellow Lab and I are indulging in pre-concert libations! Mine is a rum and Coke, while hers is a cocktail of pond water and algae with a toilet bowl chaser. After all, what better way to kick off the six-concert tour of the iconic rock band Queen with Adam Lambert as the frontman? We will rock you, indeed!

The first concert takes place in the Ukraine capital city, Kiev. It is a fund-raising event for Elton John's charity which has joined with Elena Pinchuk's ANTIAIDS Foundation. It is also part of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. (Yay Spain?)

Kristen and I can feel the excitement building amongst the 250,000 people in attendance. We have to wonder how Adam feels before performing in front of this massive crowd, singing the songs of the incomparable Freddie Mercury while being judged by Queen's faithful. Kristen offers him some kindly advise before he takes the stage:

Here is the Youtube Version of the entire concert. The Vimeo version below this keeps freezing up. However, the Youtube vids have a short shelf life, so watch while you can!

Enjoy the concert in its entirety as uploaded from the professional stream by Lambosessed.

Queenbert-Kiev from Lambosessed on Vimeo.

No time to watch the whole 2 hour concert? Then click "read more" to read our review and check out individual videos of Don't Stop Me Now, I Want To Break Free, Fat Bottomed Girls, Somebody To Love, We Are The Champions and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Our review:

Kristen and I feel that Adam definitely rose to the task of fronting the legendary band. His nerves were evident in the opening number, as his adrenaline must have been pumping on overdrive. However, by Keep Yourself Alive, he got his sea legs and owned the stage, having the audience in the palm of his hand from Who Wants To Live Forever through the rest of the show. We can't say enough about Roger Taylor and Brian May. Brian proves he is still one of the best guitarists in rock to this day, and Roger is a beast on drums. Brian's version of Love of My Life is beautiful and sincere, while Roger's duet with Adam on Under Pressure was when the concert went from amazing to absolutely brilliant. Everything about the concert, from the order of the set list, to the lighting, to the execution of the performances was precise and spotless. It was obviously well-planned and rehearsed to give the audience the very best show possible. This is the kind of discipline and attention to detail of which newer bands should take note. Adam's vocals were, as always, spot-on as he made the singing of the difficult songs appear effortless. He also handled the fast-paced and complex lyrics with confidence.

All fans of Queen, die-hard or not, will agree that no one can, nor should they try to, replace Freddie Mercury. But, the fact remains that Queen, the band, was never just a back-up group for Freddie. They were, all of them, Queen. The music and musicianship of the surviving members should live on in concerts such as this. Adam Lambert did not attempt to replace or imitate Freddie, but, rather, to pay tribute to the great vocalist and the great songs of Queen. He did an excellent job. Here's hoping the tour grows beyond it's original 6 dates, and fans in The States have the privilege of seeing this excellent combination of young, fresh voice meets seasoned rock stars.

Now, if you don't wish to watch the whole concert, here are a few songs from the show:

Don't Stop Me Now