BATH CHRONICLE
27 January 2014 by Emma Dance
A rock guitarist and West End singer have teamed up for a brand new show, and will be entertaining audiences in Bath. Queen guitarist Brian May and singer Kerry Ellis will be performing versions of Queen classics alongside a number of their personal favourite songs for their Candlelight Concerts tour. Audiences in Bath will be able to catch the duo at the Theatre Royal on February 23 for a show that promises to tell a story.
Guitarist May is well known for performing with Queen, and frequently wrote songs for the band. He said the show will be very intimate and that anything could happen:
“The Candlelight Concerts take us back to the old style tours, they are very intimate and tell a story. I am a guitarist, and I just love to make a noise, and in this tour I really do. I am also very passionate about music and singing, and working with Kerry is brilliant as she is a singer in a million. The best thing about this tour is that really anything can happen.”
The partnership between May and Ellis began when Ellis created the role of Meat in Queen’s show We Will Rock You. She then went on to star as the Green Witch in the musical Wicked, before releasing her debut album Anthems in 2010, produced by May.
Ellis said she enjoys working with May, and is looking forward to the tour. She said:
“I am so excited to be taking to the road with the candlelight concerts. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy performing these songs with Brian and what fun we have with the audiences in these intimate settings. The best thing about the tour is the audience interaction, and the audience really love to get involved, which is great. The concert has an intimate feel, and it is lovely to see people singing and dancing away.”
In a show with so many amazing songs it would be hard to pick a favourite. However Ellis and May both have a soft spot for their version of Dust in the Wind by the American rock band Kansas.
May said: “It is very hard to pick a favourite, as there are so many and we love all the songs we do. However I do really enjoy performing Dust in the Wind, and it goes down very well.”
The seven day tour begins at Stevenage on February 18, before heading for Bath on February 23.
May said he spends a lot of time in Bath and is looking forward to returning. He was named as the new patron of the Herschel Museum of Astronomy last month, stepping into the role left vacant by Sir Patrick Moore.
May said: “I seem to spend a big part of my life in Bath, which is wonderful as it is a beautiful city. I am very honoured to be the new patron of the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, as astrophysics is one of my passions.”
Tickets for the show are £39/£40, and can be purchased from the box office on 01225 448844 or from