Queen's Brian May: "50 Years Is Enough," Touring Days Are Over
Queen's Brian May: "50 Years Is Enough," Touring Days Are Over
After five decades, legendary Queen guitarist Brian May says the band is done with touring. Discover his personal reasons and hints at a "revolutionary" immersive experience!
Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May has announced that the band's extensive touring days are officially over. After 50 years on the road, the 76-year-old musician revealed in a recent interview with The Times that he made the decision 18 months ago, realizing he no longer wanted to commit to long stretches away from home.
May's revelation stems from a deeply personal experience. While Queen was touring the US, a close family friend passed away. He wanted to return home for a few days but quickly learned the impossibility of such a break mid-tour.
This moment solidified his decision.
I love to play, I love to travel, but the trade-off is sacrificing your freedom,
May explained. "I have a wife, grandchildren and a lot of astrophysics I want to do, so I'm thinking maybe 50 years is enough."
This marks a firmer stance than May had taken previously, having earlier this year only ruled out US shows while keeping other possibilities open. Queen + Adam Lambert's "Rhapsody Tour" concluded its run with a final show in Tokyo in February 2024, which now appears to be their last full-scale tour.
However, this doesn't mean Queen will disappear from the stage entirely. May and drummer Roger Taylor are still keen on creating something "fairly revolutionary." May floated the idea of an immersive Queen experience, inspired in part by the groundbreaking Sphere venue in Las Vegas. He even sketched out an entire production after visiting the innovative space.
Despite his enthusiasm for a new type of show, May expressed serious misgivings about the artificial intelligence technology that would likely be involved. "We do want to do something fairly revolutionary," he stated.
"Not as ABBA did [with digital avatars], but along those lines." He added,
I think an immersive experience is still on the cards and it could conquer time and space, but currently you can't make it without AI and I have serious misgivings about that.
This concern highlights a cautious approach to integrating emerging technologies into their iconic legacy.
