Fascinating interview with Brian May, touching on many subjects…
SUMMARY:
Sacha Baron Cohen – Freddie Mercury
MAIL ON SUNDAY – EVENT MAGAZINE
Brian May on Sacha Baron Cohen’s claims over Freddie Mercury biopic
10 April 2016 by Adrian Deevoy
One by one Queen’s legendary axe man buries them: Sacha Baron Cohen? ‘He’s an a***.’ David Cameron? ‘Shocking, awful.’ And Donald Trump? ‘I’d do anything to stop him.’ And you thought Brian May was a gentle badger fancier! Plug yourself in for an electric interview. Continues …
EXTRACT
BRIAN MAY: “Sacha became an a***. Why would he go away and say that we didn’t want to make a gritty film? Are we the kind of people who have ever ducked from the truth? I don’t think so. We decided he wasn’t right for the role for very good reasons, which will become apparent if you watch what he’s done recently. It’s obvious that it wasn’t going to work, him playing Freddie. It wouldn’t suspend your disbelief. We’re hoping Ben Whishaw will do it. He’s fabulous – a real actor. We’ll have a director – although we still haven’t signed one up – and then hopefully we can step back and just look after the music side of it. We have arrived at a great storyline. But the film’s not going out till it’s right.”
Brian goes on to touch on many subjects including: Freddie and money, 3-D stereo cards, photography, virtual reality, politics, animal rights, the Royals his CBE, meeting the Queen, politicians using Queen songs for campaigns without permission, what likelihood of us being hit by an asteroid, and crinoline dresses – the subject of his latest book with Denis Pellerin “Crinoline – Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster”.
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Brian is also known for his views on politics and animal rights. During the general election campaign, David Cameron is said to have used the Queen hit One Vision to motivate his team.
Referring to this, he said: “I certainly didn’t give permission for that. Don’t put me down as anti-Tory but you can put me down as anti-Cameron. I think we’re in a shocking, awful, awful, awful state, and it’s getting worse.”
Adele recently asked Donald Trump not to use her music in his presidential campaign. Asked if he could stop Trump from using Queen’s anthems… “I would love to stop him. I’d love to stop him any way I can. Give him enough rope and he’ll probably hang himself. Let’s hope.”
[Caption: BRIAN MAY:”‘A crinoline gave women space and attracted attention.”]
EXTRACT: ‘It would also allow the occasional flash of ankle. To see a Victorian woman’s ankles was considered scandalous. The crinoline would swish and give the occasional glimpse. It was very titillating. There was a tragic side of the crinoline too. ‘It killed literally thousands because it’s highly flammable, and the shape inhibited movement away from any danger, so if one went up they all went up.’
He and wife Anita Dobson threw an Easter party for relatives and it wasn’t long before the crinolines were flying. ‘It’s strange how much fun it is. You can see people get lit up by wearing them, swirling and swaying around.’
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