by Georg Purvis
Performances:
December 3, 2006–end of 2007: Theatre Stadthof 11, Zürich, Switzerland
January 24–July 13, 2008: Raimund Theatre, Vienna, Austria
OTHER PERFORMANCES
Since its premiere in May 2002, both Brian and Roger, separately and together, have appeared at numerous after-show parties and on stage performances. The following is a brief list and run-down of songs performed:
AFTER-SHOW PARTY,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
15 May 2002
Repertoire: ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (vocals: Kerry Ellis), ‘Guitar Man’ (vocals: Ben Elton), ‘Hammer To Fall (slow/ fast)’ (vocals: Brian), ‘Tutti Frutti’ (vocals: Gary Booker), ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ (vocals: Gary Booker), ‘Rock And Roll’ (vocals: Roger), ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ (vocals: all), ‘All The Way’ (vocals: all)
Note: Brian provided guitar on all songs, while Roger provided drums on all except ‘Rock And Roll’; Eric Singer played drums alongside Roger throughout the performance.
‘PARKINSON’ (TV APPEARANCE)
18 May 2002
Repertoire: ‘Somebody To Love’ (vocals: Hannah Jane Fox), ‘Hammer To Fall’ (instrumental), ‘We Will Rock You’ (vocals: Tony Vincent), ‘We Are The Champions’ (vocals: Tony Vincent)
AFTER-SHOW PARTY, VENUE UNKNOWN,
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
7 August 2003
Repertoire: ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (vocals: Brian and Amanda Harrison), ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (vocals: unknown), ‘Rock And Roll’ (vocals: Roger) Note: Brian provided guitar on all songs, while Roger provided drums on all except ‘Rock And Roll’; his son, Rufus Tiger, played drums on that song and performed a solo at its conclusion.
AFTER-SHOW PARTY, PARIS HOTEL,
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
8 September 2004
Musicians: Brian May (guitars), Roger Taylor (drums), Steve Vai (guitars), Nuno Bettencourt (guitars), Steve Lukather (guitars), Paul Crook (guitars), Chad Smith (drums), Eric Singer (drums), Simon Phillips (drums) Repertoire: ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (vocals: Jason Wooten and Kacie Sheik), ‘The Show Must Go On’ (vocals: Kacie Sheik), ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ (vocals: Jason Wooten), ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ (vocals: Glen Hughes), ‘Rock And Roll’ (vocals: Roger), ‘Johnny B. Goode’ (vocals: Meatloaf), ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ (vocals: Jason Wooten)
Note: A surprising set list, with both ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ making rare appearances; the last times Brian and Roger had played these songs were in 1979 and 1992, respectively.
AFTER-SHOW PARTY, LYRIC THEATRE,
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
9 October 2004
Repertoire: ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (vocals: Brian and Amanda Harrison), ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ (vocals: Roger), ‘Rock And Roll’ (vocals: Roger), ‘Little Wing’ (vocals: Brian), ‘Johnny B. Goode’ (vocals: Andrew Swann), ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ (vocals: Kate Hoolihan)
Note: Brian’s and Roger’s appearances were during the second part of the after-show party; the first and third parts were performed by the cast of We Will Rock You and featured no involvement from Brian or Roger.
MTV RUSSIA MUSIC AWARDS, MOSCOW
16 October 2004
Repertoire: ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘We Are The Champions’ Note: Brian and Roger, along with the Russian We Will Rock You cast, were special guests of the RMA’s and were introduced by Konstantin Habenskiy.
AFTER-SHOW PARTY,
THE STATE KREMLIN PALACE,
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
17 October 2004
Repertoire: ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (vocals: Brian), ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ (vocals: Roger), ‘The Show Must Go On’ (vocals: Zemfira), ‘Sleeping On The Sidewalk’ (vocals: Brian), ‘We Will Rock You’ (vocals: musical cast), ‘Rock And Roll’ (vocals: Roger), ‘Johnny B. Goode’ (vocals: Evgeniy Drier and Anthon Bizeev), ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ (vocals: musical cast)
Note: Another surprising set list, including the first performance of ‘Sleeping On The Sidewalk’ by Brian since 1998. Jim Beach provided backing vocals on all songs a bit too ‘boisterously’.
‘WETTEN DASS’, NÜRNBERG, GERMANY
(TV APPEARANCE)
12 December 2004
Repertoire: ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘We Will Rock You’
Note: the second performance of ‘We Will Rock You’ was improvised. Also, Brian announced that a tour with Paul Rodgers would be taking place the following year.
AFTER-SHOW PARTY, VENUE UNKNOWN,
COLOGNE, GERMANY
12 December 2004
Repertoire: ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (vocals: Brian and Brigitte Oelke), ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ (vocals: Roger), ‘The Show Must Go On’ (vocals: Alex Melcher), ‘Little Wing’ (vocals: Brian), ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ (vocals: Michaela Kovarikova), ‘Sleeping On The Sidewalk’ (vocals: Brian), ‘Rock And Roll’ (vocals: Roger), ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ (vocals: musical cast)
1000TH SHOW,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
13 January 2005
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Tie Your Mother Down’, ‘The Show Must Go On’
Note: Brian and Roger appeared at the conclusion of the 1000th performance of the musical, with the guitarist sharing lead vocals on ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ with Mazz Murray. The full cast provided vocals on the other two tracks. Brian made his appearance through a trapdoor in the stage, while Roger was initially hidden, with his drum kit placed on one of the platforms at Tottenham Court Road tube station and rising up at the appropriate time.
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
11 May 2006
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘The Show Must Go On’ Note: Brian, Roger, and Ben Elton were all in attendance for this show, with Brian providing guitar on the two songs mentioned above. Roger, suffering from a lung infection, did not play on any songs.
FREDDIE’S SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY PARTY,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
5 September 2006
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Love Of My Life’ (vocals: Brian), ‘Say It’s Not True’ (vocals: Roger), ‘The Show Must Go On’
Note: Bubblegum pop band McFly performed ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ earlier.
PLANNED FINAL PERFORMANCE,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
7 October 2006
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Note: This was the planned final performance at the Dominion Theatre, but the show was extended through 2007. Brian appeared and played guitar during both matinee and evening shows. Roger was in the audience but did not perform.
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY, DOMINION THEATRE,
LONDON
14 May 2007
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘The Show Must Go On’
Note: Both Brian and Roger appeared, playing guitar and drums, respectively.
PREMIERE, CANON THEATRE,
TORONTO, ONTARIO
1 August 2007
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘The Show Must Go On’
Note: The Top 7 finalists from Canadian Idol provided backing vocals on ‘The Show Must Go On’.
CAST CHANGE,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
29 September 2007
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
29 December 2007
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Note: With nothing better to do and finding himself in London’s West End, Brian strolled on stage and performed the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ solo.
PREMIERE, RAIMUND THEATRE,
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
24 January 2008
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
SIXTH ANNIVERSARY,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
21 May 2008
Repertoire: ‘Don’t Sto
p Me Now’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘The Show Must Go On’
Note: Brian appeared for the sixth-anniversary show. In a true Spinal Tap moment, Brian’s entrance during the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ solo was delayed when the trap door he was supposed to emerge from didn’t open – because the crew member couldn’t find the switch in the dark. He was able to make his way to the stage in time for the head-banging part.
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
10 January 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
PREMIERE, PALACE THEATRE,
MANCHESTER
25 March 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
18 May 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘The Show Must Go On’
Note: Ben Elton joined Brian emerging through the trap door during the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ solo.
PREMIERE, EMPIRE THEATRE,
SUNDERLAND
11 June 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Note: Brian was in attendance at the actual premiere the prior night, but opted to perform ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ this night instead.
PREMIERE, HIPPODROME, BIRMINGHAM
2 July 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Note: Poor Brian. Roger’s drum kit, on a platform and sliding its way toward the front, snagged Brian’s leg and caused the guitarist to topple into the kit, dislodging a few drums, a cymbal, and a microphone. The two laughed it off, with Brian, in considerable pain, joking, “It took us ages to rehearse that fall. I’m not sure Roger’s kit will ever be the same again.” Ben Elton was then introduced, who also made light of the fall and Roger’s rock-star image: “That’s what happens when you wear your sunglasses indoors!”
CAST CHANGE,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
12 September 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘The Show Must Go On’
HIPPODROME, BRISTOL
17 September 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Note: Roger’s son Rufus played drums, joining Brian on stage mid-song.
PRESS NIGHT, PLAYHOUSE THEATRE,
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
9 November 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
FIRST ANNIVERSARY, APOLLO THEATRE,
STUTTGART, GERMANY
12 November 2009 Apollo Theater, Stuttgart, Germany Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘The Show Must Go On’ Note: This notable occasion also raised funds for the Ein Herz für Kinder (A Heart For Children) foundation.
PREMIERE, ALLIANZ TEATRO, MILAN, ITALY
4 December 2009
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
O2 DUBLIN, DUBLIN, IRELAND
31 January 2010 O2 Dublin,
Dublin, Ireland
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Note: On this final date of the Irish leg, Brian and Roger both gave speeches, and Brian played on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
10 May 2010
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
PREMIERE, BEATRIX THEATRE,
UTRECHT, HOLLAND
3 September 2010
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
CAST CHANGE,
DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON
4 September 2010 Dominion Theatre, London, UK
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
PREMIERE, THEATRE DES WESTENS,
BERLIN, GERMANY
21 October 2010
Repertoire: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
PART SEVEN
POST-QUEEN
This section covers live performances by John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor as solo artists, both during their tenure with Queen and following the dissolution of Queen. Also included in this section are the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert from April 1992 and the successful Queen + Paul Rodgers venture, which began in December 2004. At the conclusion of this section is a list of guest performances in which various members of Queen took part over the years.
FREDDIE MERCURY
Despite Freddie’s high-profile standing as a rock vocalist, he never considered his solo career to be more important than Queen, and it was because of his commitment to the band that he never undertook a solo tour. However, he did perform a handful of shows on his own: one with the Royal Ballet, one in the musical Time and two with Montserrat Caballé.
ROYAL BALLET PERFORMANCE
7 OCTOBER 1979
Repertoire: ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Before Queen started their Crazy tour in November 1979, the Royal Ballet asked Freddie if he would be interested in dancing a special piece for a charity performance in aid of the City of Westminster Society for Mentally Handicapped Children. Freddie’s love of ballet was no secret; he had long been an admirer of The Royal Ballet and had attended many performances, befriending one of the principal dancers, Wayne Eagling.
Despite never having danced (except for his onstage antics, which were hardly practised steps), Freddie jumped at the opportunity and started rehearsals in late September 1979. (It’s likely that Freddie’s love of ballet inspired some of the choreography in ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, filmed on 22 September.) Working closely with Wayne and another dancer, Derek Dane, the three arranged steps to accompany ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and the as-yet unreleased single ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, which were to be played by the orchestra with Freddie providing live vocals.
On 7 October, two days after ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ was released as a single, Freddie made his live debut as a dancer at the London Coliseum and, though he was initially nervous, he performed with skill and grace. Roger, who showed up for moral support, said of Freddie’s first ballet performance, “I was more nervous than he was. I mean, I wouldn’t do it. That’s just not my scene. I’d like to see anyone else have the courage to do that, and carry it off as well as he did. He had a lot of balls to go on that stage. He loves all that stuff.”
IBIZA 92 FESTIVAL
(WITH MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ)
29 MAY 1987
Repertoire: ‘Barcelona’
When, in 1987, the island of Ibiza staged a massive festival at the Ku Klub to celebrate Spain’s projected staging of the 1992 Olympics, Freddie was asked to be the guest of honour. What better way to celebrate than by performing his newly completed track, the aptly titled ‘Barcelona’? Despite it being months away from release, Freddie and Montserrat mimed to the song in a performance that no doubt assisted the single into the Top Ten upon its release in October.
TIME (THE MUSICAL)
14 APRIL 1988
Repertoire: ‘Born To Rock ‘N’ Roll’, ‘In My Defence’, ‘It’s In Every One Of Us’, ‘Time’
The Time musical album featured vocal contributions from Freddie on both ‘In My Defence’ and the title track, though he had personally vowed not to appear onstage in a musical. Nevertheless, when he was asked to appear at a special charity show for AIDS awareness, he agreed and duly performed a rousing four-song set, with one item – ‘It’s In Every One Of Us’ – a duet with Cliff Richard. He was in fine voice and, while rumours have circulated over the years about a soundboard recording, it was recently confirmed that both Cliff Richard and Dave Clark own the master tapes of the performance, and that Queen Productions hopes to release them on a definitive Freddie compilation.
LA NIT FESTIVAL
(WITH MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ)
8 OCTOBER 1988
Repertoire: ‘Barcelona’, ‘The Golden Boy’, ‘How Can I Go On’
Freddie’s final live performance was anything but. Miming to three of the standout Barcelona tracks with Montserrat Caballé, Freddie’s appearance at the La Nit festival was nevertheless a visual and aural treat. Cel
ebrating the start of the four-year Cultural Olympiad, the beginning of which signalled the arrival of the Olympic torch and flag in Barcelona, the festival was a great opportunity for Freddie to go to extremes; each chorus of ‘Barcelona’ was accompanied by water rockets and, at its conclusion, a massive fireworks display went off. It was also a chance to expose the Spanish audience to his Barcelona album, which was released two days later.
However, Freddie became agitated almost immediately when he realized that the tape was running fractionally slower than intended, though it was hardly noticeable to anyone else. Despite this, Freddie’s final performance in front of an audience (with all proceeds going to the International Red Cross Association) was magical and spectacular; it was subsequently released in 2000 on The Freddie Mercury Video Collection.
* * *
THE CROSS
Formed by Roger in 1987 as a vehicle to perform live, The Cross performed three major tours in the UK and Europe between 1988 and 1991. No one who saw them imagined that The Cross were intended as the next Queen; instead, they were a hard-rocking club band without all the extravagance of a Queen show. Unfortunately, the band weren’t able to hold onto a record contract and, once a potential fourth album was scrapped following Freddie’s death in 1991, Roger disbanded The Cross (apart from a few one-offs following the Blue Rock tour) and instead focused on his solo career.
SHOVE IT UK AND GERMAN TOUR
19 FEBRUARY TO 24 APRIL 1988
Musicians: Roger Taylor (vocals, rhythm guitar, drums, percussion), Spike Edney (keyboards, vocals), Joshua J Macrae (drums, vocals), Clayton Moss (guitars, vocals), Peter Noone (bass guitar, vocals)
Repertoire: ‘Love Lies Bleeding (She Was A Wicked, Wily Waitress)’, ‘Cowboys And Indians’, ‘Love On A Tightrope’, ‘Man On Fire’, ‘Heaven For Everyone’, ‘Feel The Force’, ‘I’m In Love With My Car’, ‘Laugh Or Cry’, ‘Manipulator’, ‘Let’s Get Drunk’, ‘It’s An Illusion’, ‘Contact’, ‘Shove It’, ‘Strange Frontier’, ‘Let’s Get Crazy’, ‘Stand Up For Love’, ‘Rip It Up’
Itinerary:
February 19: University, Leeds
February 20: University, Glasgow
February 21: Polytechnic, Leicester
February 23: Polytechnic, Sheffield
February 24: Rock City, Nottingham
February 26: University, Manchester
