A dream team: Adam Lambert and Brian May
Photo: Getty Images, Andrew Chin. All rights reserved.
Becoming the new singer in an established band is a tricky business. One is always measured by memories. Without wanting to, you are competing against legendary studio recordings and big stage moments. Fans are wondering, will this new person up there destroy everything I’ve ever loved about my favorite band?
There were reservations like this in many formations with prominent personnel changes. But with such a defining figure as Queen singer and figurehead Freddie Mercury, a replacement was simply unthinkable for a long time.
Adam Lambert dared to do it anyway. After a few warm-up concerts, it was the huge AIDS benefit gala in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev in 2012, in front of 350,000 fans. It’s been ten years now. Reason enough that the Queen’s own video podcast “The Greatest” (episode 46) is dedicated to this anniversary. None other than Elton John took over the first part of the show back then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwIVKs1IPYA
No wonder former “American Idol” star Lambert felt a sinking feeling in his stomach: “God, I hope that was a good idea,” he blurted out as he watched entertainment super-pro Elton John from the sidelines . “That must have been the scariest moment for Adam,” Brian recalls of the dramatic change. But after the first songs he flipped the switch. “He didn’t look like it was awful for him anymore. More like he does something like this every day.”
On stage, the much-vaunted chemistry was right. And that, although the old queens were only a few times on stage with the “substitute voice”. “In the back of my mind, a thought merry-go-round was spinning. On the one hand totally excited to sing these songs and absolutely not knowing how they will be received.”
For Brian May, it was a typical “throw someone in the deep end” action. The start of a tour in front of a huge crowd. Keyboarder Spike Edney took over the job of stage nanny at the time. “Spike was on the keys and I kept glancing at me and gesturing, ‘Do you want me to come in now? How long is the guitar solo? Is it my turn now?’” Lambert said.
“Today I can say it was fun and exciting. It was what I love most about it. An adrenaline rush. The thrill that something can potentially go badly wrong. I like the danger in that.”