Fans packed KC Semilasso and made a ton of noise on Friday evening for some of the best tribute bands the Czech Republic has to offer. Photo credit: Obrjen
Brno, Apr 10 (BD) – Hundreds of eager classic rock fans converged on KC Semilasso last Friday evening for Večer Legend 15, the first of two mega-concerts to be held this year.
Fans were treated to performances by Czech tribute bands Distant Bells, Myst, Queenie and Desire, who guided concertgoers on a trip back in time with uncannily accurate covers of supergroups Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen and U2 respectively. (Read more on the tribute bands here.)
There was a buzz in the air as fans waited for the shows to begin, and the anticipation during set breaks was palpable, as concertgoers sang the praises of the groups they had just heard and chatted expectantly about the songs they hoped to hear in the sets to come.
Distant Bells’ set included a stunning visual component. Photo credit: Obrjen
Distant Bells kicked it off shortly after 6pm with an ambient set which, as their name might suggest, was quite heavy on Pink Floyd’s later material. But they gave fans what they wanted during the encore, during which they performed a stirring version of Run Like Hell with a catchy interlude of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky in the middle of the song.
Myst kicked off their set with Black Dog and didn’t look back. Photo credit: Obrjen
The crowd energized, next was Myst who, contrary to expectations, went full-on hard rock, their softest song being Babe I’m Gonna Leave You. The band included a John Paul Jones look-alike (in a JPJ-look-alike floral button-up shirt!), a technically astounding lead guitarist on both a Les Paul and a double neck guitar (for Stairway, of course), and a violinist to get the sound just right for Kashmir. And while the lead singer’s hairstyle differed markedly from Robert Plant’s, his vocal range left nothing to be desired.
Queenie energised a crowd that was signing along to the lyrics of the late Freddie Mercury. Photo credit: Obrjen
Next up was Queenie, and whether this was the Brno crowd’s favourite of the four bands or they had had just the right amount to drink, we will never know for sure, but the cheers, shouts, screams and whistles were deafening. Their set included such hits as I Want to Break Free and Another One Bites the Dust and, after a short break during which the fans showed that they would applaud until sunup if they had to, Queenie returned to the stage with a triumphant rendition of We Are the Champions.
Desire completed the night with a varied set, plus an encore for good measure. Photo credit: Obrjen
As late as it was at that point, fans decided to forgo the last trams of the night in favour of watching the night’s final act, Desire, whose costume was not the only aspect of their performance that was a spot-on replication of U2. Led by Edge-like guitar riffs and Bono-like vocals, Desire satisfied U2 fans with a selection of U2 covers from the eighties right through to the present day.
It was an unforgettable evening for those who attended, and for those of you who did not, Večer Legend 16 is only six months away. The October 12 edition will feature tribute bands to Black Sabbath (à la Ronnie James Dio!), Whitesnake, Iron Maiden and Metallica.
Tickets and more information on Večer Legend 16 can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
Get the news first! Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Top stories of the day in your mailbox every morning.
