Brian May on Queen’s 50th anniversary plans: ‘We want to celebrate being alive and live’
"Roger and I are going: 'Do we really want to celebrate that old!?'"
Pictured: Adam Lambert and Brian May (Wiki)
Brian May has said of Queen‘s 50th anniversary plans: “We want to celebrate being alive and live.”
May, original frontman Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor formed Queen in 1970.
However, the full line-up was only completed with the arrival of John Deacon the following year.
Original Queen line-up John Deacon, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and Brian May (Picture: YouTube)
Speaking to the Express about the milestone, May, 73, said: “It’s funny because we’ve been looking at all this and Roger [the only still-active members of the band’s original line-up] and I are going, ‘Do we really want to celebrate being that old?’”
The star added that he and Taylor have been looking at special logos for the date, but “actually I don’t think we want to do that, we just want to get out and play.”
“We want to celebrate being alive and being live,” he explained. “That would be the greatest thing to celebrate.
“I don’t really care how long it’s been to be honest. I’m just grateful that we’re here.”
The band have enjoyed renewed sucess by collaborating with American Idol alum Adam Lambert. Queen this month scored their first UK number one album in 25 years with Live Around the World.
“It’s incredible to me that half a million people are hanging on to their ticket”
Speaking of next year’s re-planned gigs, including a 10-night residency at the O2 Arena, May – who suffered a heart attack this year – said: “Probably another six months of rehab to get [me] right back up to full strength.
“And then what is going on out there next May? I don’t think anybody knows for sure.”
He added: “It’s incredible to me that half a million people are hanging on to their tickets hoping that this will happen, same as we are.”
LGBTQ iicon Freddie died in 1991 of AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia at the age of 45.
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