Adam Lambert at Koko

Former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert has a career few will ever come close to replicating. From runner-up in a reality show to fronting Queen, alongside a string of solo hits, his 15-year-career has been a journey to behold.

His aptly named new album, High Drama, delves into the singer’s roots to deliver a collection of reimagined covers. Performing the record in full at his album launch party at London’s Koko, with a few surprises thrown in, Lambert’s evening is a showcase of his incredible vocal skill and the ability to create something new and fresh out of even the best-known of songs.

The delightfully theatrical Getting Older starts the programme, against a backdrop of the album cover and the venue’s iconic interior. Originally a Billie Eilish track, the lyrics are pored over in a way that makes it feel like it was plucked straight from a West End stage. A darker version of Sia’s Chandelier follows a couple of songs later, before the Bonnie Tyler classic Holding Out for a Hero really gets things going. Adoration and glee radiates through the room as fans hold up signs emblazoned with “You’re our hero” and sing along to every word, like group karaoke.

These numbers may have been written by and for other artists, but this one has claimed them as his own. It is clear each track means a lot to him, and thankfully the material is in safe hands. A detour from the album midway through the set gives some of the singer’s older singles a moment to shine. 2009 hit Whataya Want from Me provides a particular highlight of the night and proves just how far he has come.

Having spent the past decade better known as Freddie Mercury’s successor in Queen, naturally Lambert features a few of their legendary tunes in his set. An anecdote (and proof) of ripped trousers sets the perfect segue into Another One Bites the Dust. “Is my ass showing?” the frontman jokes, a long leather coat preserving his modesty for the rest of the evening. Yet perhaps the most exhilarating moment of the night is also the most unexpected: the usually mellow West Coast by Lana Del Rey is turned entirely on its head in an ode to Lambert’s Californian upbringing, almost unrecognisable as a glam rock banger reminiscent of the 80s. A rallying finale of Queen’s hit We Are the Champions then closes the concert in style, providing one last opportunity to show off the talent and charisma that has made the Idol alumnus such a success.

Adam Lambert is an undeniable and intoxicating talent who seemingly turns anything he touches into magic – even some of the biggest songs from the past 40 years. With a recently announced performance at the Royal Albert Hall on the horizon, tonight’s album launch feels like a warm-up for things even greater and more extravagant to come.

Katherine Parry
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Adam Lambert’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Getting Older here: