By Margaret Sheard ….
The long awaited concert of Killer Queen at the Girne Amphitheatre arrived on Saturday 14th September.
What a fantastic night it was. Thanks to Laurence Floyd and Delia Rushbrooke who worked so hard to get this brilliant tribute group here, which has been an ongoing project for them for some 12 months or more. 
I could not believe that on that night, of all nights, it decided to rain, however, it did not come to much, but there was thunder and lightning flashing through the sky for some time, maybe a welcome to Killer Queen! Luckily there was no more rain for the rest of the evening.
We arrived fairly early, mainly to ensure a parking place, knowing that the amphitheatre was going to be packed out, and it certainly was, when Laurence welcomed the audience he said that there were around 2,200 people there. He also said there were a number of hitches with the travel arrangements for Killer Queen but thankfully they made it to Kyrenia and he was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Arriving early we were treated to a practice session by Killer Queen so that was a bonus.
The evening started with a wonderful performance by Dominic Holmes. He certainly got the audience in the mood with many great songs and as a solo performer he should be proud of how well he was received by such a huge crowd, but then he is a well liked and very popular entertainer in North Cyprus.
Then the moment everyone was waiting for arrived, Killer Queen. Right from the start there was audience participation with waving of hands, display of lights etc. They had the audience spellbound from the moment they came on stage. Patrick Myers was superb, and he also bears a remarkable resemblance to Freddie Mercury, you could almost think it was him. There was almost 2 hours of great songs, including Don’t Stop Me Now, Another One Bites the Dust, We Will Rock You, I Want To Break Free, Radio Ga Ga, I Want It All, and of course Bohemian Rhapsody, plus many more. I think most people could have stayed all night listening to Killer Queen.
During the performance Laurence made another announcement saying that the event had raised 100,000TL, and he introduced Raziye Kocaismail, the President of Tulips (Help Those with Cancer Association) who thanked everyone for this wonderful event in aid of the charity. Also on stage were the Blister Sisters who will be Walking 4 Tulips in October and covering 200 kilometres starting in Girne, then to Famagusta, Lefkosa and back to Girne. This is a major challenge for these 4 ladies, who have been training for this walk through the heat of the summer. Barbara Willbye was also introduced. She is on the road to recovery with her battle against cancer and she is about to carry out a tandem paraglide from St. Hilarion in aid of Tulips, despite her desperate fear of heights. Laurence asked for support for these brave ladies by donations or sponsorship. Thanks were given to the main sponsors CreditWest Bank and Telsim and the support given by Lords Palace, Near East Hospital and Girne Belediye.
Well Laurence, how do you top that? Maybe a return visit by Killer Queen?
Killer Queen are a very sought after tribute band, they have been touring many European cities and are about to embark on their third tour of the USA. I hope they may find time to visit Kyrenia again in the future.
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Harrison-Croft
