🔥🎻Four years on… and it still gives The Riff Report full-body goosebumps, mun.
Some performances don’t age. They don’t fade. They just sit there in the archives, waiting to grab you by the collar and whisper, “You ready to feel something?”
This is one of those moments.
Back in the Before Times, when packed halls were normal and sweat wasn’t a health hazard, Shane Greenhall of Those Damned Crows stepped into the Queen canon and absolutely owned it. Not karaoke. Not cosplay. A full-blooded, spine-tingling reinterpretation that treats Freddie Mercury’s legacy with respect, power, and zero fear.
🎥 Watch the performance here:
👉 Queen Symphonic – Who Wants To Live Forever / Hammer To Fall (feat. Shane Greenhall)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ZEnWIDTcE
🎼 The Performance Details
This stunning rendition of “Who Wants To Live Forever” and “Hammer To Fall” was performed by Shane Greenhall (Those Damned Crows) at Queen Symphonic, held at the London Palladium on 19th November 2021.
Greenhall was joined on stage by an absolute powerhouse of vocal talent, with support from Emma Hatton, Jenna Lee-James, Peter Eldridge, Jon Boydon, Andy G Jones, and Adam Martin, all backed by the mighty Planet Rock Orchestra, who brought the full cinematic weight to every note.
🎤 “Who Wants To Live Forever”
This isn’t just sung. It’s felt. Greenhall doesn’t try to out-Freddie Freddie. Instead, he leans into the emotion. The vulnerability. The quiet devastation baked into the song. By the time the orchestra swells, it stops being a cover and becomes a moment. Lush strings, aching pauses, and a vocal delivery that hits you square in the chest.
Then, just when you think you’re safe…
⚡ “Hammer To Fall”
Bang. Mood whiplash.
The switch flips. The rock frontman comes charging out. Grit replaces fragility, urgency replaces stillness, and the symphonic backing turns into a full-scale sonic battering ram. Strings surge like waves, drums march like impending doom, and Shane sounds like he was born for this collision of rock and orchestra.
What makes this performance hit even harder now is hindsight. Four years on, it lands differently. We’ve all lived more. Lost more. Missed gigs. Missed crowds. Missed that shared feeling of being swallowed whole by live music in a room full of strangers who all know every word.
And here it is, bottled.
This wasn’t just a Queen tribute. It was a reminder of why these songs still matter, why voices like Greenhall’s matter, and why mixing rock grit with orchestral grandeur can still stop time dead.
The Riff Report verdict:
🎶 Timeless songs
🎤 A fearless vocal
🎻 A symphonic sledgehammer straight to the soul
If you haven’t revisited this one in a while, do yourself a favour. Turn it up. Let the chills roll in.
Still hits. Still hurts. Still glorious.
Only in rock ’n’ roll, mun. 🤘🔥
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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