The crowd at London’s Roundhouse thought they were seeing a Roger Taylor solo show. Then Brian May walked out, and for a few minutes on September 28, Queen was Queen again. Two of rock’s most recognizable musicians, May at 79 and Taylor at 77, stood side by side on a Camden stage and the room came apart at the seams.
It was a surprise, and surprises are exactly what this band has always done best.
Brian May And Roger Taylor Reunite Onstage And Create New Queen Memories
Taylor was headlining his own solo tour, handling lead vocals, when his old bandmate joined him for the final stretch, according to Gold Radio. The two closed out together on “We Will Rock You” and “Radio Ga Ga,” with longtime Queen keyboardist Spike Edney filling out the sound.
May wasn’t the only special guest that evening. South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir joined Taylor for several songs, including “A Beautiful World” and “Come On Summer (It’s Party Time),” after performing its own version of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The choir remained onstage when May appeared for the final two numbers, giving “We Will Rock You” and “Radio Ga Ga” a fresh sound. Taylor even joked about his old bandmate’s unexpected arrival, asking the audience, “Who the f*** is this then?” The sold-out crowd had no trouble recognizing him.
The Songs That Never Stop Working
More than 50 years on, the stomp-stomp-clap of “We Will Rock You” still turns a theater into one voice. May has been thinking hard about how to keep the band’s legacy alive, as he shared when he discussed wanting fans to experience Queen at their peak again.
Taylor’s London show was part of a six-date UK tour supporting his seventh solo album, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World, released September 18. The record explores subjects ranging from political unrest to environmental concerns, while also celebrating the joy of making music. Taylor performed selections from the new album alongside Queen favorites such as “I’m in Love With My Car,” “These Are the Days of Our Lives,” and “A Kind of Magic.” At 77, the drummer was still finding ways to bring his music to audiences beyond the band that made him famous.
Queen’s live future remains uncertain, but May and Taylor continue finding ways to preserve the band’s history. A newly restored concert film, Queen Budapest, is scheduled for release on October 30, featuring footage from the group’s historic 1986 performance in Hungary with Freddie Mercury. The concert was part of Queen’s final tour with their original frontman, making it a particularly meaningful piece of the band’s history. Forty years later, fans have both the restored footage and moments like the Roundhouse reunion to remind them of Queen’s extraordinary live legacy.
Freddie would have loved the noise they made.
