MAN(CHESTER) ON FIRE: Roger Taylor’s A Night At The Opera (House), Manchester, 25th September 2026
Roger Taylor, 2026 UK Tour flyer
The crowds await Roger Taylor and band, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
With a new album (Violence Insane In A Beautiful World) infiltrating the networks recently, Queen stalwart Roger Taylor brought his band to Manchester as part of a whistle-stop UK tour.
Unbelievably it’s been five years since his last tour, and a triumphant conclusion in London, complete with Brian May’s surprise appearance (my review can be found here).
The Manchester appearance was also marked by a presentation by the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) to Roger Taylor, awarding him a Fellowship of the RNCM in recognition of his significant contribution to popular music and almost six decades of songwriting.
Violence Insane In A Beautiful World
Roger Taylor’s seventh studio album, released on the 18th September 2026, is another strong and vibrant offering from the songwriter, drummer and vocalist, incredibly now 77 years old.
Branching out and utilising the Ndlovu Youth Choir (who performed a jaw-dropping isiZulu version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” that captured Taylor’s attention last year) on standout tracks, “A Beautiful World”, “Come On Summer (It’s Party Time) and “A Great Big Beautiful World”, it illustrates an artist not content with standing still or trading on past glories. Indeed, it also contains a significant number of other songs that were primed to be featured in the live setting of the new tour.
Ready Freddie
Support act, Freddie Lennox, armed with a wonderful voice, guitar and harmonica, confidently warmed up the eager crowd up with a slick acoustic set.
To allow me to delve into more detail on this up-and-coming artist, I’ve separately showcased Freddie’s set and reviewed both the gig and his new debut album here.
By Royal Appointment
As the final puddle-hopping sounds of Sigur Ros track “Hoppipolla” wafted around the Opera House, the band took to the stage, with an appropriately respectful pause before Roger Taylor triumphantly emerged. Clad in trademark shades, green velvet jacket and green piped trousers, you are left in no doubt that royalty of the rock form has now entered the building.
And he means business.
Roger Taylor and band, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
Cue the onslaught, “Strange Frontier” from the 1984 album of the same name, opening up the set, the bulk of the audience already on their feet.
From the outset, Taylor looks in mighty fine shape, his vocal rasp set to stun, he paces around the set, mimicking drum rolls to Tyler Warren and overall clearly enjoying things.
Roger Taylor, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
A flurry of songs followed.
The spiky “Nations Of Haircuts” cuts through the venue with scissor-sharp precision, Mendoza’s guitar lines slicing through the Opera House as Taylor’s “You’re So Fuckin’ Cool” chorus strikes the audience right between the eyes.
Roger Taylor and band, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
Given our current turbulent and volatile environment, “Gangsters Are Running This World” brought some early political sentiment, the 2021 song’s slower beat and message still ringing dangerously true.
“Surrender”, with its domestic abuse theme, saw Tina ‘Keys’ Hizon share centre stage with Taylor, her soaring vocal adding considerable gravitas to the powerful song.
New song “I See You Now”, is romantically dedicated to Taylor’s wife, Sarina and the smile that sparks it all off.
Revving things up with crowd favourite, “I’m In Love With My Car”, sees Taylor cop a feel for his automobile on the 1975 “A Night At The Opera” car homage. There’s still plenty of miles left on the clock!
“Absolutely Anything” lifted from 2021’s Outsider album (and from the 2015 film of the same name) follows, its tender theme gently seeping its way around the late-Edwardian built opera house.
With dual mics to permit the deep distorted vocals inhabiting new song “Violence Insane”, the jagged shards of guitar structuring the bleak, difficult day portrayed.
Staying with the new, “Don’t Photograph Food” follows, a trademark Taylor-esque song imbued with guitar flurries and syncopated rhythms.
“These Are The Days Of Our Lives”, one of the sparkling gems of Queen’s catalogue, receives an emotional rendition, an enraptured crowd soaking in the poignancy of Taylor’s song, forever associated with Freddie Mercury.
Roger Taylor and band, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Images: Damien Wilkinson)
With Taylor leaving the stage to his trusty band, powerhouse drummer Tyler Warren led the band into a hyperactive “Rock It (Prime Jive)”, his on-the-money vocals going head-to-head with the onslaught of the groove laid down by his drumming and the tight rhythm section of Neil Fairclough, Spike Edney, Tina Keys and Christian Mendoza.
Stripping things right back for “Jealous Guy”, the returned Taylor approaches the keyboards where Tina Keys is playing out the opening notes. Almost like a downtown bar, with a singer pouring out his heart, the cover of Lennon’s song is given new depth—the song’s structure aptly suited to Taylor’s raspy, road-worn delivery.
Dedicating the next duo of songs to “two of the world’s most rotten people”, “Dear Mr Murdoch” and “Chump”, underlines a lot of the hatred and toxicity permeating our world currently.
Returning to her centre stage berth, Tina Keys rejoins Taylor as they perform “Under Pressure”, a duet that never fails to light up the set.
Kicking off any remaining shackles sees Taylor attack his 1984 classic “Man On Fire” as the rock dial shifts a few notches northwards. This is soon rammed upwards even more with a caustic take on Led Zep’s “Rock and Roll”, that also sees Mendoza’s fluid guitar work ignite as things really heat up.
With a bit of playful improv and a rising T-shirt trick from Neil Fairclough, “A Kind Of Magic” is conjured up to bring the main set to a close—'just like that'—in sheer style.
Roger Taylor and band, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
The encore saw two new songs, “A Beautiful World” and “Come On Summer (It’s Party Time)” stamp their mark on the set. The latter featured Neil Fairclough’s vibrant bass line which drives the song as both Tyler Warren and Taylor, also behind the drum kit now, beat out its African vibe.
With a beam of light focused on him, Taylor ends the two uplifting new songs with an equally illuminating and astute observation, “It’s a beautiful world, don’t fuck it up”.
Neil Fairclough and Roger Taylor, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Izzie Wilkinson)
And then what else but “Radio Ga Ga” to end the set. One of those songs that despite hearing it hundreds of times over the years, is impossible to resist—complete with crowd synchronised clapping to the chorus—it seamlessly unites two thousand people with the redemptive power of the music.
Indeed, the packed crowd played its part throughout—with most standing and embracing the whole performance, it created a super-charged atmosphere and perhaps squeezed even more out of the stellar on-stage performers, who seemed to revel in the adulation.
The Days Of Our Lives
As things reached their conclusion, Roger Taylor looked visibly emotional—his wide smile unable to hide just what this all still means to him after all these years.
Vintage and Freshly Minted
Roger Taylor continues to roll back the years in a live setting. Seemingly energised from having such a strong band onstage with him, the gig, which featured songs, some of which are over 50 years old, mixed with freshly minted offerings, saw them sit well side-by-side, and ensured a sterling mix of music across the whole performance.
Roger Taylor and band, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
And the band! With a line up encompassing a large quota of the Queen touring entourage and other tier-one musicians, they delivered a stellar, memorable and, most importantly, uplifting spectacle.
A highly recommended evening.
Roger Taylor and Christian Mendoza, Manchester Opera House, 25th September 2026 (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
The Band:
Neil Fairclough: Bass, Vocals
Spike Edney: Keyboards, Vocals
Tina ‘Keys’ Hizon: Keyboards, Violin, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Roger Taylor: Vocals, Drums and Percussion
Tyler Warren: Vocals, Drums and Percussion
Christian Mendoza: Guitars, Vocals
Taking A Bow: Neil Fairclough, Spike Edney, Tina Hizon, Roger Taylor, Tyler Warren, Christian Mendoza (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
Seat: Stalls, F9 seat, but standing throughout!
Setlist:
1. Strange Frontier
2. A Nation of Haircuts
3. Gangsters Are Running This World
4. Surrender
5. I See You Now
6. I’m In Love With My Car
7. Absolutely Anything
8. Violence Insane
9. Don’t Photograph Food
10. These Are The Days Of Our Lives
11. Rock It (Prime Jive)
12. Jealous Guy
13. Dear Mr Murdoch
14. Chump
15. Under Pressure
16. Man On Fire
17. Rock and Roll
18. A Kind Of Magic
Encore:
19. A Beautiful World
20. Come on Summer (It’s Party Time)
21. Radio Ga Ga
