Queen going live again with their latest singer Adam Lambert
WHEN Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991, most people assumed that the band Queen would abdicate their crown.
But the band just wouldn’t lie down – and it seemed that nobody wanted them to. A collaboration with Paul Rodgers (Free / Bad Company) saw a new album as well as tours.
Paul did an admirable job of filling Freddie’s shoes and the tours were all wellreceived. But in 2009 he went his own way again.
That same year, Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor performed on American Idol. One of the contestants was Adam Lambert, who impressed the duo so much that he went on stage with them at the MTV Europe Awards in 2011.
It was then that Taylor let slip they were considering Lambert as lead vocalist for another Queen tour. This they did and Lambert proved to be such a hit with the fans that they toured again in 2014/15.
There were some summer festivals in 2016 and last June the band embarked upon a world tour that will take them up to next March. When tickets for the UK dates went on sale in April, every show sold out within an hour, and extra shows were added in Birmingham and London.
The teaming of Lambert with May and Taylor seems to be a winning formula. Lambert has a powerful voice and, like Freddie, is a very flamboyant performer.
Joining them will be longstanding keyboard player Spike Edney, bassist Neil Fairclough (John Deacon stills refuses to come out of retirement) and percussionist Tyler Warren.
As well as all the greatest Queen songs, such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, We Will Rock You, Radio Gaga and We Are The Champions, Lambert will perform some solo material.
They are at Arena Birmingham on Thursday, November 30 and Saturday, December 16.