We’ve seen countless Queen tribute acts over the years. And whilst some give a pretty good performance, Queen Extravaganza, Queen’s official tribute band, is definitely hitting all the best notes.
The lead singer, Marc Martel, is a Canadian Christian rock musician born in 1976 whose voice is often likened to the late Freddie Mercury. He has wowed audiences from around the world, with Céline Dion being one of his biggest fans.
In this marvellous rendition of ‘Somebody to Love’, Celine’s emotional response to Marc’s incredible voice speaks volumes in itself. She, along with the rest of the audience, has nothing but praise for the powerful performance. And fans were quick to comment on this show-stopping display, stating “Freddie Mercury would be absolutely proud of him”. The video has racked up over 30k likes on Youtube so far, with followers commending Marc’s execution of this iconic song.
The tribute band, which first began touring in May 2012, were handpicked by Queen’s original drummer, Roger Taylor. He, along with lead guitarist, Brian May, wanted to bring fans together, both old and new, to celebrate Queen’s music. But unlike some tribute bands, the members of Queen Extravaganza don’t jump on stage in costume, pretending to be Queen. They are, in fact, wonderfully talented musicians in their own right – something Taylor is incredibly proud of.
The band has appeared on several TV shows, starting out with their debut performance on American Idol in 2012, which with special appearances from Queen members Taylor and May, has been watched by over 22 million people. Since then, they’ve had numerous sell-out shows at places such as Grand Théâtre de Québec in Québec City, Plaza Live in Orlando and the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
In 2017, Marc decided to leave Queen Extravaganza to launch his own Ultimate Queen Celebration, touring Australia, New Zealand and North America. And with tickets on sale for his shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Christchurch later in the year, this Freddie Mercury soundalike is undoubtedly on a mission to deliver the greatest rock performance to Queen fans around the globe.