QUEEN’S days of touring are over, according to guitarist Brian May.
In an interview with The Times the 79-year-old explained that he and drummer Roger Taylor had reached the conclusion some time ago.
“I made a decision 18 months ago that I didn’t want to tour again,” May was quoted as saying.
He recalled the moment that crystallised his thinking. “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.’”
Reflecting on the demands of life on the road May said: “I love to play, I love to trave, but the trade-off is sacrificing your freedom.”
He added: “I have a wife, grandchildren and a lot of astrophysics I want to do, so I’m thinking maybe 50 years is enough.”
Queen + Adam Lambert last performed together when their Rhapsody Tour concluded in Japan on February 14 2024. The band’s most recent appearance under the Queen name came at a tribute concert for the late Taylor Hawkins in 2022.
May indicated that while traditional touring is finished the group still hopes to present its music in new ways.
“We do want to do something fairly revolutionary,” he told The Times. “Not as ABBA did, but along those lines.”
He described a visit that sparked fresh ideas. “Last year I went to the Sphere, 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.”
May also voiced broader concerns about the technology required. “Data centers are a massive evil and have to be fought,” he said.
The guitarist has previously spoken of wanting to spend more time with his wife Anita Dobson and on his scientific interests. Fans will now wait to see whether the proposed immersive project moves forward.
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