Queen guitarist Sir Brian May has announced he will never tour again following the heart-breaking death of a close family friend. May, 79, was asked about the band's future as he and drummer Roger Taylor, 77, have been concentrating on their solo ventures in recent years.
This includes Taylor's solo album, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World, and May launching his own brand of gin. In response, the rock star revealed that Queen will not be hitting the road for another tour, following a devastating loss that made him reassess his priorities.
Decision made 18 months ago
Sir Brian last toured with Queen + Adam Lambert on The Rhapsody Tour, which concluded in Japan on 14 February 2024. Discussing the decision, he told The Times in an interview alongside his bandmate: "I made a decision 18 months ago that I didn't want to tour again."
"A close family friend died when we were in the States, so I said to my tour manager, 'I'll just nip home for a few days and come back.' She looked me in the eyes and said, 'You know you can't do that.' I love to play, I love to travel, but the trade-off is sacrificing your freedom."
Brian added: "I have a wife [the actress Anita Dobson], grandchildren and a lot of astrophysics I want to do, so I'm thinking maybe 50 years is enough."
Revolutionary plans on the cards
However Queen's drummer Roger hinted there might be something else brewing for fans eager to relive the band's iconic music and performances, reports the Express. Drawing a parallel to ABBA Voyage, a virtual concert featuring digital avatars of the Swedish pop band, Roger revealed: "We do want to do something fairly revolutionary. Not as Abba did, but along those lines."
But, there's a hitch in the plans, as both Roger and Brian are hesitant about depending on AI to create the experience. Roger added: "Last year I went to the Sphere [the planetarium-like concert hall in Las Vegas], my juices started flowing and I sketched out a whole Queen show.
"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."
AI concerns
May has echoed Roger's worries and has previously voiced his concerns about AI and its environmental impact due to data centres. Speaking to Absolute Radio in September, he said: "I spent a lot of time planning out what I thought could be a Queen show. I've kind of backed off now because you can't do it without massive use of AI, with all the consequences of that."
