**Fri 20 Sep 13**
AC30s
Direct link

All set for Brian

© brianmay.com

**Fri 20 Sep 13**
STRIP SCRIBBLES
Direct link

LAS VEGAS SUN
19 September 2013

Queen frontman and lead guitarist Brian May wrapped his second day of rehearsals with Adam Lambert for iHeartRadio and watched Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at Bellagio on Wednesday night.

The two-day iHeartRadio Music Festival is so laden with pop superstars, it’s being staged at MGM Grand Garden Arena and the popup Village opposite Luxor. Expect Justin, Queen, Adam, Miley, Katy Perry, Sir Elton John, Robin Thicke, Sir Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars and Ne-Yo as performers and Britney Spears, Kate Hudson, Khloe Kardashian and sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner as presenters at the Ryan Seacrest-hosted shindig. We’ll have the full 48-hour rundown.

© brianmay.com

Look out for Roger's feature in the November 2013 issue of MOJO magazine! RT talks about his new solo album 'Fun On Earth', The Queen Extravaganza, We Will Rock You and, of course, Queen. It really is a great interview with some very interesting nuggets to digest!

MOJO Issue 240 / November 2013
On sale from Tuesday, September 24, the latest issue of MOJO magazine goes large on Paul McCartney: his new album, New and the irksome fog of myth that surrounds the Beatles. The free CD, Songs In The Key Of Paul, presents power pop in the benign shadow of Macca; Flamin’ Groovies, Robyn Hitchcock, Cotton Mather, Yo La Tengo, Redd Kross and Squeeze pitch in. Also in the issue: Roger Taylor on Queen, Freddie, and Sacha Baron Cohen; Lou Reed; Earl Sweatshirt; and the new Arcade Fire album.

www.facebook.com/rogertaylor

© brianmay.com

**Fri 20 Sep 13**
LISTEN NOW: NEW ROGER TRACK 'SUNNY DAY' PLAYED ON RADIO 2!
Direct link

This morning, Roger's 'Sunny Day', taken from his forthcoming new album 'Fun On Earth', was played for the first time ever, exclusively on the Chris Evans Breakfast show!

If you missed it be sure to check it out now on the BBC iPlayer on the link below! Starts from 1hour 07mins.

'Sunny Day' on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03b2vrf

A 'Sunny Day' indeed! What a way to start the weekend.

© brianmay.com

**Fri 20 Sep 13**
BRITNEY 'INVESTED IN RIVAL COMPANY'
Direct link

MUSIC-NEWS.COM

The $8m Britney Spears earned from Pepsi 'We Will Rock You" Queen ad deal - she invested in rival Coca-Cola !

Britney Spears, Beyonce & Pink - We Will Rock You (Pepsi Commercial) HD
- http://youtu.be/5m05ZDYBUG8

Britney Spears reportedly invested her Pepsi earnings into Coca-Cola.

The American singer became the spokesperson for Pepsi in 2001 and joined fellow pop stars Pink, Beyoncé Knowles and Enrique Iglesias singing Queen's We Will Rock You in a TV advertisement. This deal is believed to have earned her a staggering $8 million.

TMZ claims to have documents which confirm Britney sold 574 shares for the rival fizzy-drink company in 2012, making a profit of $3,238.55. She also kept a total of 208 shares for herself.

While success came in from Coca-Cola there were no traces of Pepsi in her portfolio.

It wasn't all earning though as she lost $640.13 on McDonald's and $1,277.38 on Mexican grill restaurant Chipotle, which she regularly visits for a tasty snack.

In total the blonde singer netted $97,883 in stock earnings last year alone and has just less than $13 million of her conservatorship money in the market.

A conservatorship is a legal agreement in the US in which a guardian is appointed by a judge to look after someone's financial affairs due to either physical or mental limitations.

Britney's father Jamie Spears has been in charge of her finances since her breakdown in 2008. It was recently reported he wants a $16,000 allowance each month from his daughter's two-year residency in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood.

After five years it is thought the legal agreement will stay in place until further notice. Jamie has also reportedly asked for more money from Britney's estate to cover the $1,200 per month costs of his rented office.

The pop star's attorneys are also seeking more money, demanding compensation for their work and requesting their fees are raised from 50 per cent to 80 due to Britney's "excellent financial status".

© brianmay.com

CONFIRMED !!

BILLBOARD
By Marc Schneider | September 19, 2013 12:17 PM EDT

UPDATED: Billboard has learned that Ruess's' entire band, Fun., will be performing with Queen.

Queen will team up with another powerhouse singer at the iHeartRadio Music Festival this weekend. Nate Ruess of Fun. is set to take the stage with the legendary British rock group at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, a source confirms to Billboard.

Ruess and the band -- led by Brian May and Roger Taylor, along with guest frontman Adam Lambert -- were spotted rehearsing "Somebody to Love" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" on Tuesday (Sept. 17), however it's unclear how many songs they'll perform together.

FUN. COVERS QUEEN'S 'RADIO GAGA' IN 2010 - http://youtu.be/3BD_H8qZPXM

Queen and Lambert are on the bill for Friday night, as is Ruess' Fun., whose hits include "We Are Young," "Some Nights" and "Carry On."

Friday night will also see performances from Katy Perry, Elton John, Keith Urban, J. Cole, Muse, Tiesto, Chris Brown and Benny Benassi. Saturday artists include Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, Drake, Miley Cyrus, Tim McGraw and Bruno Mars, among others.

The two-day festival will be held this Friday and Saturday at the MGM Grand Arena, with a first-time Fan Village set to run during the daytime at a 15-acre parking lot adjacent to the arena. Dubbed the iHeartRadio Music Festival Village, the space will feature performances from Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, AWOLNATION, Pete Tong, Twenty One Pilots and Jason Derulo.

fun. performs during the Inaugural Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington, D.C.- Mario Tama/Getty Images

© brianmay.com

**Fri 20 Sep 13**
ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY
Direct link

In 1980 - Queen played the Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
In 1984 - Queen played Groenoordhallen, Leiden, Holland.
In 1998 - Brian May played Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium.
In 2003 - Brian May made a guest appearance at WWRY musical Dominion Theatre, London, UK.

© brianmay.com

**Thu 19 Sep 13**
QUEEN + AL - ON STAGE TIME / HIGHIGHTS SHOW
Direct link

We hope to have the full schedule of the iHeart Radio Music Festival concert to put out before time

- but we do know the on stage slot for Queen + Adam performance !!

Friday 20 September 2013

11:58PM – 12:33AM: Queen + Adam Lambert Performance (PST)

---

BROADCAST DETAILS - updated as follows:

Queen + Adam Lambert - iHeart Radio Festival,
Friday 20th September. Viewing and Listening options!

* Watch live at www.iheartradio.com/vegas or on the Live Events Viewer on the PlayStation 3, 9.20 at 7pm PT/10pm ET
* Listen live on more than 150 iHeartRadio stations around the US. Details: http://festival.iheart.com/tunein.php
* Social tags for the night - #iHeartRadio, @iHeartRadio

UPDATED: There will also be the highlights show on Sept 30 & Oct 1 on the CW Network in the U.S.

More info at http://festival.iheart.com/

© brianmay.com

**Thu 19 Sep 13**
MAY NOT BE TOO LATE TO SCORE iHEART TICKETS
Direct link

Try this site - which has some tips how you could still be lucky pursuing giveaways - given a bit of effort. Also some cool apps to use in Vegas.

Visit http://www.sheknows.com - who say encouragingly:

"Bummed you didn't snag a couple of tickets to this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival before they sold out? Well perk up, because all hope is not lost just yet. Read our tips for scoring seats at the stellar music showcase."

© brianmay.com

**Thu 19 Sep 13**
THE MAKING OF - iHEART RADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL
Direct link

Check out Picture Gallery

- preparing the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the iHeart Radio Music Festival Las Vegas 2013l, taking place this coming Friday and Saturday.

CLICK HERE
to see PHOTO GALLERY of the build and transformation for this spectacular event.

More info about the event at
http://festival.iheart.com/

The Empty MGM Grand Garden Arena:

© brianmay.com

**Thu 19 Sep 13**
ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY
Direct link

ROGER TAYLOR-FOREIGN SAND with Yoshiki - http://youtu.be/IqGx7MaJDeM

In 1969 - Ibex played The College Of Technology, St Helens, UK.
In 1980 - Queen played Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois, USA.
In 1994 - Roger Taylor released Foreign Sand / You Had To Be There single(UK)
In 2008 - Queen + Paul Rodgers played the Arena, Riga, Latvia.

© brianmay.com

**Wed 18 Sep 13**
USING '

IAN RHAPSODY' TO EXPLAIN THE UNIVERSE
Direct link

A Capella Science - Bohemian Gravity! - http://youtu.be/2rjbtsX7twc

See also article:

GLOBAL NEWS
17 Sept 2013 by Nicole Mortillaro

TORONTO – Understanding string theory – the idea that our universe is composed of incredibly small, vibrating strings – can be an astronomical task. But maybe not if you learn it to the tune of legendary rock band Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” (Read more)

Also...

musically speaking) cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" EVAR. Easily the greatest physics-themed cover of the classic we've ever heard. Seriously. The thing's a masterpiece.

To be fair, "Bohemian Gravity" may well be the only physics-themed version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" ever made, but that doesn't change the fact that it is very, very well done. The creation of McGill University Masters candidate Timothy Blaise (who posted this link to his recently submitted thesis, along with the video), the track does way more than touch on some of the more confounding elements of string theory; from a compositional standpoint, it also manages to be an outstanding cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody," full stop. Also, there's an Einstein sock puppet. Now who the hell can't get behind that?

Check out the lyrics below. For more of Blais's musical work, hit up his YouTube Channel.

Is string theory right?
Is it just fantasy?
Caught in the landscape,
Out of touch with reality
Compactified
On S5 or T*S3

Space is a pure void
Why should it be stringy?
Because it's quantum not classical
Nonrenormalizable
Any way you quantize
You'll encounter infinity
You see

Quanta
Must interact
Via paths we understand
Using Feynman diagrams
Often, they will just rebound
But now and then they go another way
A quantum
Loooooop
Infinities will make you cry
Unless you can renormalize your model
Of baryons, fermions
And all other states of matter

Curved space:
The graviton
Can be thought of as a field
But these infinities are real
In a many-body
Loop diagram
Our results diverge no matter what we do...
A Quantum Soup (any way you quantize)
Kiss your fields goodbye
Guess Einstein's theory wasn't complete at all!

I see extended 1-D objects with no mass
What's their use? What's their use? Can they give us quark plasma?
What to minimize?
What functional describes this
String?
Nambu-Goto! (Nambu-Goto)
Nambu-Goto! (Nambu-Goto)
How to quantize I don't know
Polyakov!
I'm just a worldsheet, please minimize me
He's just a worldsheet from a string theory
Reperametrized by a Weyl symmetry!

Fermi, Bose, open, closed, orientable?
Vibrations
Modes! They become particles (particles!)
Vibrations
They become particles (particles!)
Vibrations
They become particles (particles!)
Become particles (particles!)
Become particles (many many many many particle...)
Modes modes modes modes modes modes modes!
Oh mamma mia mamma mia,
Such a sea of particles!
A tachyon, with a dilaton and gravity-vity-VITY

(rock out!)

Now we need ten dimensions and I'll tell you why
(anomaly cancellation!)
So to get down to 4D we compactify!
Oh, Kahler!
(Kahler manifold)
Manifolds must be Kahler!
(Complex Reimannian symplectic form)
If we wanna preserve
Any of our super-symmetry

(Superstrings of type I, IIa and IIb)
(Heterotic O and Heterotic E)
(All are one through S and T duality)
(Thank you Ed Witten for that superstring revolution and your new M-theory!)

(Maldecena!)
(Super-Yang-Mills!)
(Type IIB String!)
Dual! Dual!
(In the AdS/CFT)
(Holography!)

Molecules and atoms
Light and energy
Time and space and matter
All from one united
Theory

Any way you quantize...

Lyrics and arrangement by Tim Blais and A Capella Science
Original music by Queen
h/t Universe Today!

Question: What do you get when you mix a cappella, sock puppets, string theory and Queen? Answer: The geekiest (and astonishingly good,

© brianmay.com

**Wed 18 Sep 13**
ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY
Direct link

In 1976 - Queen played Hyde Park, London, UK.
In 1984 - Queen played Palais Omnisports de Bercy, Paris, France.
In 1993 - Roger Taylor & John Deacon made a guest appearance at Cowdray Park Festival, Midhurst, West Sussex, UK.
In 1998 - The Brian May Band played Macumba, Madrid, Spain.
In 2005 - Queen + Paul Rodgers released 'Return Of The Champions'double CD album

© brianmay.com

**Tue 17 Sep 13**
QUEEN 'CROWN JEWELS' BOX SETS TO WIN
Direct link

Ultimate Classic Rock are offering 5 wonderful Queen 'Crown Jewels' Boxed Sets to win - ENTER HERE

‘Crown Jewels’ includes Queen’s first eight studio albums, from ‘Queen’ through ‘The Game’ — complete with original artwork — packaged together in a blue velvet case. In addition, there’s a 92-page book with photos and lyrics, liner notes by Matt Pinfield and a reprint of the rare “Bicycle Race” poster.

© brianmay.com

**Tue 17 Sep 13**
SETTLING IN - IN VEGAS
Direct link

SEE ALSO BRIAN'S SOAPBOX
for Brian's reaction, being back in Vegas

Brian May, Roger Taylor and Adam Lambert have arrived in Las Vegas and enjoyed the first day's rehearsal together, ahead of their much-anticipated performance at the iHeart Radio Festival at the Grand MGM this coming Friday - 20 September. Adam once more lends his stupendous vocals to Queen, stepping into the considerable shoes of the late, great Freddie Mercury

Adam tweeted:
"First day of rehearsal w @QueenWillRock for our iHeart Radio set on Friday. What a treat to once again share the stage w Rock Royalty."

Follow Adam @ https://twitter.com/adamlambert

A few days previously Brian had invited the fans to suggest songs they would like to hear Adam perform with them, and received a huge response, many being lesser known, non-Greatest Hits. We shall have to wait and see how far and if they will go into that territory.

Tune into www.iheartradio.com/vegas - we are clarifying whether the concert will be available to view/or hear outside of the USA.

© brianmay.com

FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2013

Across The Board Books™ proudly announces…

OUT TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PRINT!

THE QUEEN CHRONOLOGY: The Recording & Release History Of The Band

Available for order now, visit:
http://www.queenvault.com/chronology/print.html
http://madthedj.wordpress.com/the-queen-chronology/

Price: $24.99 (USD)
Print Length: 190 pages
Format: 8.5” x 11” Paperback
Publisher: Across The Board Books™
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-9919840-4-6

Toronto, Canada – September 17th, 2013 – Originally an ebook only, demand was so high for the book to be released in a physical format that Across The Board Books™ knew it had to make it happen!

Readers of the ebook have this to say:

“WOW! This breathtaking book is where you can begin and end anything you want to know about studio & live Queen.” –Samcooke69

“If you’re a Queen Fan, you’ll want this to be able to dive into Queen’s history.” –J.B. Gonzalez

The Queen Chronology is a comprehensive account of the studio recording and release history of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor, who joined forces in 1971 as the classic line-up of the rock band Queen.

8 years of extensive research have gone into the creation of the Chronology, which covers the very beginnings of band members’ careers, their earliest songwriting efforts and recording sessions, through the recording and releasing of Queen’s 15 original studio albums with their classic line-up, to the present-day solo careers of Brian May and Roger Taylor. All of this information is presented date by date in chronological order, with detailed descriptions of each song version, including those both released and known to be unreleased. Every Queen and solo album, single, non-album track, edit, remix and extended version is examined, as are known demos or outtakes, pre-Queen recordings and guest appearances. It’s all here in one place: The Queen Chronology!

The Print Edition features updated content, with new entries, Vault Descriptions and new cover art from the original painting. These updates will appear in the next Kindle Edition as of September 17th, as well!

Patrick Lemieux is a Canadian artist and writer. His articles for Queen’s Official Website (www.queenonline.com) include The Lost History Of A Queen Track, A Chronicle Of Magic, The Journey Back To The Light, A Mystery In The Wreckage and co-authored with Adam Unger The Elektra Edits. He also painted the cover art for The Queen Chronology.

Adam Unger is the owner and webmaster of QueenVault.com and has contributed articles to Queen’s Official Website, including B-Sides and The Elektra Edits (co-authored with Patrick Lemieux).

For more information and media inquiries about The Queen Chronology, contact:
Across The Board Books™, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
Phone: 416-203-6378,
acrosstheboardbooks@outlook.com and Queen Vault: www.queenvault.com

© brianmay.com

**Tue 17 Sep 13**
ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY
Direct link

In 1978 - Bicycle Race video is filmed Wimbledon Stadium, London, UK.
In 1980 - Queen played The Checkerdome, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
In 1998 - The Brian May Band played Zeleste, Barcelona, Spain.
In 2009 - :Brian May made a guest appearance at WWRY musical, The Hippodrome, Bristol, UK

© brianmay.com

**Mon 16 Sep 13**
QUEEN - iHEART RADIO SHOW TUNE-IN DETAILS
Direct link

Here are some tune-in details for the Vegas show on 20 September - to catch Queen and Adam Lambert's peformance...

THIS CONTENT MAY POSSIBLY NOT BE AVAIABLE OUTSIDE USA.

- NEW INFO - SORRY FOLKS Audio & Video feed for iHeart Radio Festival -
Queen and Adam Lambert - available to USA Australia & NZ only

NO UK FEED

You can watch live on www.iheartradio.com/vegas or on the Live Events Viewer on the PlayStation 3, 9.20 - from 7pm PT/10pm ET.

- we hope to have the show running order nearer the time

Watch Live Broadcast - 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival on Yahoo! Music.
Friday, September 20 - 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. PT

KATY PERRY | QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT | FUN | ELTON JOHN | KEITH URBAN
J. COLE | MUSE | TIESTO | CHRIS BROWN | BENNY BENASSI
Special guest appearance by ROBIN THICKE and featuring
Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star THE SUMMER SET

---

Saturday, September 2120 - 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE | PAUL McCARTNEY | DRAKE | TIM McGRAW | BRUNO MARS
| MAROON 5 |PHOENIX KE$HA | MIGUEL | ZEDD | THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS

RADIO:
Listen live on more than 150 iHeartRadio stations around the US - details at http://festival.iheart.com/tunein.php
SOCIAL:
Social tags for the night - #iHeartRadio, @iHeartRadio

© brianmay.com

**Mon 16 Sep 13**
ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY
Direct link

In 1980 - Queen played the Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa, USA.
In 1984 - Queen played the Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany.
In 2008 - Queen+PR played Olympic Sports Complex, Moscow, Russia.
In 2012 - Brian May and Kerry Ellis made guest appearance The Sunflower Superjam 2012 at The Royal Albert Hall, London, UK.
- DVD RELEASED TODAY.... see below

© brianmay.com

**Sun 15 Sep 13**
THE SHOW MUST GO ON - ROGER TAYLOR INTERVIEW
Direct link

PART I - transcript brianmay.com

With a new solo album, new Queen activity and more on the way, after 40 years of rock royalty Roger Taylor give one of his most wide-ranging and revealing interview ever.

As befits a member of one of the most successful rock groups of all time, a man with a fortune estimated at £120 million, the home of Roger Taylor is grandiose.  A white mansion, part of which dates back to the 13th century, situated in a picturesque village near Guildford in Surrey, the house is set amid acres of landscaped gardens, with views across miles of gently sloping fields and woodland.

Having lived here for 10 years, Taylor has added some personal touches to the place.  At the front entrance, beneath a rather ostentatious portico, are two black statues of gorillas, in the garden, mounted on a metal frame is a huge gong – a relic of past Queen tours.

Most pragmatically, in one wing of the house there’s a recording studio.  And it is here that Taylor entertains Classic Rock on a hot summer afternoon.  Sat beside his drum kit, dressed casually and sipping chilled French white wine, Taylor – Queen drummer and a lot more – has plenty to talk about.

He has a new solo album released in September, alongside a collection of his previous solo work.  In October, there’s a tour by The Queen Extravaganza – billed as an ‘official tribute show’.  And later in the year there will be a live performance in Las Vegas for US TV by Queen with singer and former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert.

Forty years after the release of Queen's first album, and 21 years since the death of the band’s legendary frontman Freddie Mercury, Taylor will discuss the past, present and future of Queen, the highs and lows of their extraordinary career, his relationship with Mercury; his long friendship with Queen guitarist Brian May; the ‘lost’ Queen songs that he and May are currently working on; and why, at the age of 64, he is still driven to make new music.  “I’m a musician,” he says.  “It’s what I do.”

CR: Let’s cut straight to the chase, Roger – what is the status of Queen right now?
ROGER TAYLOR: I’m still in that band, but there’s only two of us left, Brian and myself.  And only one of us can walk [laughs].  We still run the brand – that’s what it is these days.

---

ON ADAM LAMBERT

So if Queen is a brand, operated by you and Brian, where does Adam Lambert fit in?
ROGER TAYLOR: I wouldn’t say he’s always going to be part of Queen.  We’re doing the live TV show in Vegas with Adam and a couple other guests, in a 10,000-seater, but that’s all we’ve got planned.  There are no rules, really.  WE do things very much on the spur.

But you plan to continue performing as Queen, with or without Adam Lambert?
Yeah, but it’s only an occasional thing now.  Last year, with Adam, we did three really big shows in Europe and three at Hammersmith Apollo, which was a lot of fun.  Brian and I realised a long time ago, this is what we do, this is what we are.  I’m afraid, readers, it goes on forever.

Are you happy with Adam as Queen’s singer?
He works very well with us.  He’s an incredible singer.  He’s got a really magnetic stage presence.  He’s very sexy.  And, of course, our more theatrical songs suit him perfectly.  He’s a diva – a male deva.  And that’s what he should think about being.

Before you began working with Adam, you toured and recorded an album as Queen + Paul Rodgers.
Paul is a singer that Freddie admired.  He led two of rock’s greatest bands, Free and Bad Company.  In that sense he is the antithesis of Adam Lambert.

We actually loved playing the Free and Bad Company stuff with Paul.  But, strangely enough, although Paul was wonderful, with that amazing blues-soul voice, Adam is more suited to some of our bigger songs than Paul was.

Some Queen fans think you’re selling the band short by having a guy from American Idol as your singer.  Do you understand that?
ROGER TAYLOR: Whatever you do, people have to take it or leave it.  That’s always the case.

ON QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA:

The same applies to The Queen Extravaganza, this new ‘official tribute show’.  What does that mean, exactly?
Good question.  It means that we, or rather I, had a hand in making it.  There’s an awful lot of Queen tribute bands around, some good, some bad.  So I thought, why don’t we try to make a really good one, with brilliant musicianship?  I put the band together in America, using the internet to audition.  And the signer I found.  Marc Martel, is an absolute dead ringer for Freddie’s voice.

What’s Marc Martel’s background?
He’s in his 30s, form Nashville, originally from Montreal.  He’s been in Christian bands.  He’s an extraordinary singer.  We also found these amazing musicians.  We had a nine-piece group at the beginning and it was too unwieldy.  Too much like a showband, with three singers.  Now it’s a six-piece.

Three singers has the whiff of musical theatre.
And that’s the last thing I’d ever want.  I can’t stand all that over-singing. What these guys do is play our music brilliantly.  They can perform the whole of Bohemian rhapsody, because they can all sing.

How good is the drummer, Tyler Warren?
Brilliant.  And he an sing higher than I can.  WE all know that the drummer is the mot important member of the band.

And I some cases the better looking?
Yeah, that as well [laughs].

Seriously are Classic Rock readers going to like this tribute show?
I’m a rock and roller.  I’m not a balladeer.  And I think rock fans will love this band.  They rally get me going.  Everybody who sees them will be impressed.  I can pretty much guarantee it.

---

PART II - THE SHOW MUST GO ON - ROGER TAYLOR INTERVIEW
transcript brianmay.com

ON NEW RELEASES:

CR: There were rumours in 2011 of a new Queen album, based on 'lost' demos of Freddie's.
ROGER TAYLOR: Not true. We wouldn't want to put out an album of demos anyway.

Are there any remaining Queen songs, recorded with Freddie, which might be released in the future?
Yes, there's a couple of tracks. Brian and I are going to work on them. One of them we all worked on, the other one was mainly a Brian song.

Were both songs written near the end of your time with Freddie?
Actually, no, they're quite old. I'm not bigging them up or anything, but yes, there are a couple of things that we're going to finish, and I dare say they will come out.

Are there any plans for another Queen album?
Universal want us to put together an album of the slower songs that people don't know so well, so I'm compiling that this week with Brian.

You also have a new solo album out soon.
It's been written over a five-year period, so it's very eclectic. Some gentle stuff, some rockier stuff, and some fairly political stuff.

Where did the political stuff come from?
I wrote a song called The Unblinking Eye, about disillusionment, the mess the country was in, shops on the high street closing and our politicians being such a despicable bunch.

Are you the kind of man who rants at the telly when the news is on?
I've grown out of that. The TV can't hear you.

What's the title of your new album?
My first solo effort [in 1981] was called Fun In Space. I was reading a lot of science fiction at the time. So I've called this one Fun On Earth. I've come down to earth a bit, but there's still a bit of fun in there - some smiley tracks.

Is it influenced by any modern music?
The best band I've seen in a long time is Sigur Ros. I love that atmospheric, semi-ambient thing they have. They're magnificent melodically. And their show is magnificent too. I saw them at the Academy in Brixton.

Do you still get out to gigs?
Very rarely. But I went to see that, even though I had flu at the time. Well, a nasty cold.

Also released September is a collection of all the music you've made outside of Queen - including solo albums and your 80s side project band The Cross.
Yes. It's called The Lot. I said: "Let's have the lot in there." so I though let's call it that.

Is it all good stuff or is there some rubbish in here too?
Like anything, there are some things you regret. But my last solo album, Electric Fire [1988], still sounds great.

SONGWRITING

What's the first song you wrote for Queen?
Hard to say. I like Radio Ga Ga. It was a nice fusion of synthesisers and ... what can I call it ... epic pop.

What's the worst?
There's a few. I hate Delilah [on Innuendo]. That's just not me.

Was Modern Times Rock 'N' Roll, on the first Queen album, the first song you wrote for the band?
Yeah. Although before that we'd all written Stone Cold Crazy together. I think that was our first proper song.

As a drummer, you’ve cited John Bonham as your biggest influence.
For me there were there main influences: Bonzo, Keith Moon, and Mitch Mitchell, who I think was so underrated.  I heard Ginger Baker saying some incredibly cruel things about Mitch Mitchell and I thought, what a ***t. Ginger Baker didn’t  have any of subtlety or dexterity of Mitch Mitchell, whom he slagged the hell out of.  That really got up my nose.

Who are your biggest influences as a songwriter?
Oh, Ginger Baker, definitely [laughs].  Seriously, it would be Dylan, Lennon… and Springsteen is fabulous.

Which song would you say has your best lyrics?
Heaven For Everyone [recorded first by The Cross and later by Queen] had some good stuff about love and dignity, the usual anti-war thing. These Are The Days Of Our Lives was quite nice in a reminiscing, rather old-fashioned kind of way.

And that song took on a greater meaning after Freddie’s death.
It took on a resonance, yeah.  I was sort of referencing us at the time I wrote it.  We knew Freddie wasn’t well.

FREDDIE:

Did you ever see a better frontman than Freddie?
You’ll never see anyone connect as well with an audience as Freddie could.

But for all his showmanship on stage, wasn’t he somewhat insecure in private?
Oh yeah.  He was quite insecure about all sorts of things.  Strangely, he was also shy in some ways.  But he could switch it on and off.  He was great when he was with his close circle, but of there were people he didn’t know very well he could feel quite awkward.

Was there any part of Freddie’s personality that used to get on your tits?
Almost nothing.  But he used to clear his throat in a quite nauseatingly loud way.  But we got on famously.

In the 2011 documentary Queen: Days Of Our Lives, when you talk about the last year of Freddie’s life and the hounding he received from the tabloid press, you sound furious, even after all the years.
I still feel it today.  It was The Sun.  It was like an assassination in order to flog a few newspapers.  How vindictive and horrible.  I thought that was a bit much.  I felt very protective of Fred then.  And just recently when the News Of The World went down I danced a f***ing jig.

Did you ever court the tabloid press?
No really.  I never believed that tabloids sold records.  Or actually furthered your career.  And I think you’re better off trying to keep out of them.  I don’t think they help you.  If anything they make you look like a tit.  And there’s too much ammunition there.  The less they know the better.  Freddie got a lot of crap printed about him.  Brian had a lot, and I had a little bit but not much.

Did you believe there was a homophobic subtext to some of the media coverage of Freddie’s death?
Absolutely.  “This is what you get…”  It was just prurient, wasn’t it?

Do you ever dream that Freddie is still around?
Yeah.  Brian would tell you the same – that Freddie sort of lives with us.  We spent so many years together, living in each other’s pockets.  And we’d socialise quite a lot together.  So he’s someone who’s not going to go away.  But I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life living under the shadow of Freddie Mercury.  He was my best mate and he’s gone, bless him, and we miss him, but you’ve got to get on with life.

---

PART II - THE SHOW MUST GO ON - ROGER TAYLOR INTERVIEW
transcript brianmay.com

QUEEN CAREER

The first Queen album is now 40 years old.  What are your memories of making it?
It was all very exciting.  Time in the studio seemed so expensive – 30 quid an hour, a huge amount of money back then.  We would go in at four in the morning.  It was hard work.  And we never really got the sound that I wanted on the first album.  We didn’t have quite enough control, which we got on the second album.

In those early days, what were your hopes and dreams for Queen?
We wanted to get lots of work.  We wanted to be recognised.  We wanted to be rich and famous.

And how did that work out for you?
It worked out all right.  But it’s always a more gradual process than people imagine.

Looking back over Queen’s career, what are you the most proud of?
The way that the music has seeped into the general consciousness, the fact that we are still occasionally played on the radio, and a lot of the music is still popular.  Kids know our music now and I find that fantastic.

Any regrets?
Many regrets.  Most are small ones.  But I think we made a bad decision to go to South Africa [to play in Sun City in 1984, during the era of apartheid].  I think we were badly advised.  Although we went there with the best intentions, I think it was the wrong decision.

But the following year Queen did the right thing and played at Live Aid.  And stole the show with a performance that people still talk about today.
Live Aid as great day.  I remember Bob Geldof describing it as a global jukebox.  And we got that right, we’ll cram in as many songs as we can.  If you’re appearing on a global stage, you know that most people watching on television won’t be your fans, so we thought the most sensible thing was to play the ones they know.  Or rather, play the ones that they might know.  So that’s what we did.

BRIAN MAY

How would you describe your relationship with Brian May?
We’re best mates, really.  It’s amazing what Brian fits into his life He’s a genuine polymath.  He’s an astrophysics PhD, one of the world’s foremost experts on stereography.  He does all sorts of things. A bit bonkers, some of it.

CONTINUING AS QUEEN

You and Brian have continued as Queen without Freddie and without the band’s other founding member, bassist John Deacon, who retired from the music business in the 90s.  Can you understand why Robert Plant chose not to tour again with Led Zeppelin?
Yeah.  Roberts a very pure-spirited man.  Also, Zeppelin is very demanding on a singer – all those vocal gymnastics.  Perhaps he thinks in some way he might not deliver at the level he was delivering at.  And also there’s the huge respect for Bonzo, who was the mother*****r of all rock drummers.  So yeah, I can see why he won’t do it.  And Robert has a very respected career of his own.

But if Freddie had lived and had declined to tour again with Queen, that would have been hard for you to accept.
I guess it would.  But Freddie always felt his real comfort zone was when we were all together… bickering away [laughs].

Did that bickering come from having four songwriters in Queen?
Very much so.  There were definitely four schools of writing going on.  John and I found our strengths later than the other two.  Right from the start, Freddie just went on in leaps and bounds.  He just sort of invented himself.  But, at the end of the day, we understood each other.  And it worked very well.

In the glory days of Queen you had a reputation as a playboy.  Were you?
No.  I think that’s overplayed.  We had a good time – we had a really good time – but we didn’t shout about it.

Have you slowed down over the years?
Of course.  Everybody slows down.  Or dies.  And I don’t intend dying yet.

WHAT’S NEXT?

What’s next for Roger Taylor?  A solo tour for your new album?
I’m thinking about getting together some mates in a really hot band and getting out on the road.  And if I did, I’d have my son Rufus Tiger Taylor playing drums.  He plays with Queen when we tour.  He plays percussion most of the time, and when I do anything out front he plays drums.  He’s Brian’s favourite drummer, I think.

Did you teach him too well?
Actually, he’s more from the Taylor Hawkins school than mine.

Have you ever thought about stopping playing drums?
I can’t imagine it.  It would be horrible to think I’d never play the drums or sing again.  It’s like a painter, really – most painters keep painting.

But it’s a bit easier to paint than to play drums.
Very true.  But my style gets more economical and relaxed, without me realising it.  It’s not quite as wild as it was.  But I still love to play.  I’ve done a couple of shows with Jeff Beck recently, which is a delight.  Jeff is just the most wonderful guitar player.

So you’re not thinking of retiring?
Why would I want to stop?  It’s not like I have to get up at seven o’clock in the morning to go and play the drums.  It’s something I can pick up and put down when I choose.

All those years ago you wanted to be rich and famous.  And your dreams came true.  Is there a downside to all of this?
Not really.  I slide around fairly unrecognised, which suits me down to the ground.  Some people enjoy making an entrance and being noticed.  That’s not really me.

It’s been a good life, hasn’t it?
It has.  I’m very lucky.

Taylor’s new solo album and a collection of his previous solo work are released in September.  The Queen Extravaganza shows are in October and November.

---

TAYLOR MADE

Five of Roger’s best songs, recorded with or without Queen.

TENEMENT FUNSTER
Queen
Taylor pitches into the creative free-for-all that was Queen’s Sheer Heart Attack with this ode to girls, guitars and teenage rebellion.  Not just one of the best songs on the album, but also one of Queen’s best

I’M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR
Queen
An earthy riposte in the highfalutin operatics of A Night At The Opera, this petrolhead’s anthem manages to rhyme ‘forget her’ with ‘carburettor’ and still sound cool. It appeared on the Bohemian Rhapsody single, making it one of the most successful B-sides in history

DROWSE
Queen
Gloriously laid-back semi-ballad fro 1976’s A Day At The Races, in which an elderly Taylor looks back on ‘the brighter sun and easier lays’ of his youth through a fug of Panama Red smoke.  Rose-tinted nostalgia at its best.

MY COUNTRY
Roger Taylor
Taylor went all new wave on his solo debit, 1981’s Fun In Space, but he could still pull out anthemic rock’n’roll when he needed to, as this edited version of album highlight My Country I and II proves.

LIAR
The Cross
Taylor’s rock-orientated side project the Cross were consistently mauled by the press, but they still hit the occasional home run.  Not east this slow-burning track from the band’s second album, Mad, Bad And Dangerous To Know, which shows off Taylor’s grave-throated voice at it’s most… well, gravelly.

CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE
September 2013 by Paul Elliot

© brianmay.com

**Sun 15 Sep 13**
LOVE OF MY LIFE AT ROCK IN RIO 2013 - IVETE SANGALO
Direct link

Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo sings "Love of my Life" at Rock in Rio 2013...

Thanks to Roberto Mercury

© brianmay.com

**Sun 15 Sep 13**
JENNIFER ESPINOZA (QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA) Q&A
Direct link

Very interesting insight from the adorable and super talented Queen Extravaganza vocalist, Jennifer Espinosa....

Queen Breakthru - Jennifer Espinoza Q&A - http://youtu.be/vvveZZL-OY0

Jennifer Espinoza of Queen Extravaganza chats with fans at Queen Breakthru, the official North American Queen convention - about here experiences getting selected for the band and subsequent adventures.
(Toronto, July 13, 2013)

© brianmay.com

**Sun 15 Sep 13**
ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY
Direct link

© brianmay.com

**Sat 14 Sep 13**
QUEEN AND ADAM LAMBERT
Direct link

For those not going to the iHeartRadio Festival - and those that are - here's a taste... Expect the collaboration to have matured. While the Glamberts are willing Adam to rip his pants - Brian's been busy canvassing what songs the fans would like to hear Queen + AL do.

See SOAPBOX for Brian's analysis of the popular choices 'SUGGESTIONS FOR SONGS WITH ADAM'.

Q + AL with other guests perform iHeartRadio Music Festival MGM Grand Arena Las Vegas on 20 September.

Meanwhile enjoy ....

Queen and Adam Lambert, Hammersmith, Full Concert 24/07/2012 - http://youtu.be/ejoecEszxqo

As a reminder - songs covered in their 2012 set:

© brianmay.com

**Sat 14 Sep 13**
GUITARIST BRIAN MAY HINTS NEW QUEEN ALBUM IN THE WORKS
Direct link

VH1 CLASSIC ROCK RADIO REPORT
12 September 2013

Queen Guitarist Brian May hinted to fans at this year’s "Freddie For A Day" event that the band should not just be working on bits and pieces, but they should just be focusing towards a new album instead. Although nothing is confirmed, May showed his enthusiasm as a number of Freddie Mercury's unused vocal takes have been uncovered along with material from Michael Jackson.

TRANSCRIPT OF BRIAN'S REMARKS HERE

© brianmay.com

In 1968 - The Reaction played The Public Rooms, Bodmin, UK.
In 1969 - Smile played PJ's Club, Truro, UK.
In 1977 - Roger Taylor appeared on TV in the Marc Bolan Show (UK).
In 1980 - Queen played The Civic Centre, St Paul, Minnesota, USA.
In 1982 - Queen played The Forum, Inglewood, California, USA.
In 1984 - Queen placed the Sportspalace, Milan, Italy.
In 2000 - Brian May made a guest appearance with Gilby Clarke, Eric Singer and others at The Cat Club, Los Angeles, California, USA.

© brianmay.com

**Fri 13 Sep 13**
QUEEN LIGHT SHOW IN VEGAS
Direct link

Heading to Vegas? - check out this amazing Queen light show that measures a quarter of a mile!! Many videos of this on youtube - here is just one.... Enjoy!

© brianmay.com

**Fri 13 Sep 13**
ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY
Direct link

Queen Ogre Battle Live At The Golders Green Hippodrome 1973 Vocals Restoration
- http://youtu.be/Te-Wuru8lq0

In 1969 - Smile played PJ's Club, Truro, UK.
In 1973 - Queen played Golders Green Hippodrome, London, UK.
In 1980 - Queen played The Civic, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
In 2011 - Brian May made a guest appearance at WWRY Musical Dominion Theatre, London, UK.

© brianmay.com

**Wed 11 Sep 13**
PRESS RELEASE: SCHOOLS WILL ROCK YOU COMES TO NORTH AMERICA!
Direct link

Schools Will Rock You: Students Across US Stage Queen Rock Theatrical, 'We Will Rock You'

'We Will Rock You' -- the rock theatrical from Queen and Ben Elton -- will help schools across the US and Canada stage amateur productions of the award-winning, record-breaking show, whose first North American tour kicks off at Baltimore's historic Hippodrome Theatre on October 15. ‘Schools Will Rock You’ will allow students to put on their own version of the musical -- which features 24 of Queen’s biggest hits -- with guidance and tools from the creators of 'We Will Rock You.'

Now in its 12th year in London, 'We Will Rock You' has sold more than 15 million tickets worldwide. ‘Schools Will Rock You’ has been similarly successful, as thousands of schools in the UK have staged the production since 2006. The introduction of the program in the US marks the first time schools will be able to put on the theatrical in advance of the professional production’s appearance in their respective cities (UK schools have had to wait up to several years).

In North America, ‘Schools Will Rock You’ will provide schools with the tour script, score and production support (plus the opportunity to buy full backing tracks), giving students the chance to perform Queen anthems like "Another One Bites The Dust," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and, of course, "We Will Rock You," while learning all aspects of mounting a stage production along the way. The school productions are limited to non-professionals up to the age of 18.

‘Schools Will Rock You’ has the full support of Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor - “We are thrilled you are looking at 'We Will Rock You' as a school production," says May. "It was a blast to put the show together in the first place and we have been running for 11 years in London. We hope you will have a blast doing it for your school.”

‘We Will Rock You’ is the ninth longest-running show in London’s West End and was crowned the UK's favorite show at the 2011 Olivier Awards, the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards. The production’s North American launch currently includes stops in 26 cities, with more dates to be announced soon.

Rocking your friends, families and classmates in the name of education has never been such fun. For more information go to www.schoolswillrockyou.com

© brianmay.com

**Wed 11 Sep 13**
QUEEN EXPLAIN 'BO RHAP' AND THEIR COMING WWRY MUSICAL
Direct link

SPEAKEASY
11 September 2013 by Eric R Danton

Queen’s 1975 single “Bohemian Rhapsody” took three weeks to record in four different studios, was at the time reportedly the most expensive song every recorded and reached the top 10 on pop charts in 11 countries, despite clocking in at just shy of 6 minutes — epic, in every sense.

“It’s one of the strangest hit singles of all time,” Ben Elton, lyricist and director of the Queen musical “We Will Rock You,” says in a “webisode” premiering today on Speakeasy, previewing the coming U.S. tour of the stage production.

Elton and Queen musicians Brian May and Roger Taylor, who serve as musical supervisors for the show, talk about the making of the song, and how the new musical production accomplishes something even Queen never did: a full live performance of the song, which was too complex for the band to manage onstage.

“It’s all real,” Taylor says. “It’s one of the key moments of the evening.”

“We Will Rock You,” which features 24 Queen songs, has run for 12 years in London’s West End. The show makes its U.S. tour debut Oct. 15 in Baltimore, which is the start of a 25-city run that carries through August 2014. See the full itinerary here.

© brianmay.com

**Wed 11 Sep 13**
FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE CONCERT HITS TOP 3!
Direct link

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert has gone straight into the UK DVD/Blu-ray Chart at No.3!

Proceeds from the sale of the release go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust.

“The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: The Definitive Edition” is available on DVD and Blu-ray. Click images to go to Amazon.

© brianmay.com

In 1982 - Queen played Irvine Meadows, Irvine, California, USA.
In 1983 - Brian May made a guest appearance with Def Leppard at In 1984 - Queen played Westallenhalle, Dortmund, Germany.
In 2010 - Brian May made a guest appearance for Proms In The Park, Hyde Park, London, UK.
In 2013 - Brian May attended anti-badger cull rally in Bristol.

© brianmay.com