2022 live music: Queen go on tour with Adam Lambert

It’s really hard to find anyone on Earth who hasn’t heard of Queen, the British band led by the charismatic Freddie Mercury – without a doubt one of the greatest singers of all time and a very talented pianist. With hits like I Want to Break Free, We Will Rock You and Under Pressure (composed by the brilliant David Bowie), amongst many others, this band made its way from its beginnings back in 1968 in London to the whole world in a matter of years.

Creating an impressive repertoire of songs, from their humble beginnings the group became one of the best-known bands internationally, and also one of the bestselling, with an estimate that grosses around 200 million discs. But especially in the UK, their Greatest Hits album from 1981 is still their most popular record, with about six million discs sold.

Queen are also, without a doubt, one of the most record-breaking bands in rock history, putting them at the altar with colleagues such as The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and many of the greatest that ever played. The image of Freddie Mercury and Brian May has inspired many movies, as well as a tonne of merchandise, from guitars to figurines.

In the past three years alone, according to Queen Productions Limited, the band has generated around £135 million in royalties. This is comprised of all the income from their recorded music, which includes 15 discs, and all the merchandising, as well as depictions in movies – notably in the recent biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, which stars actor Rami Malek, bearing a striking resemblance to Mercury in a stunning portrayal, and features cameo appearances by Queen’s current singer, Adam Lamber.

All of Queen’s songs will most likely be copyright-free 50 years after their composer’s death (the length varies by country), which means they could be available royalty-free by 2041. Of course, there are some famous exceptions to this, and some hit songs from some impressive bands are free. (There are some sites that explain what copyright-free music is and which bands and material can be used in projects free of charge.)

A new face, a great tour

Since the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991, the band has suffered some ups and downs that led to the retirement of some of the original members, like John Deacon. Other members, such as Brian May and Roger Taylor, have remained to this day, with Paul Rodgers serving as the group’s new singer from 2005 to 2009.

Adam Lambert took the microphone from then on to continue the legacy of Freddie to the present day. After the launch of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody in 2018, the band announced the continuation of its ongoing tour of the same name. It was scheduled to hit in 2020, but amid the Covid-19 Pandemic it was suspended and delayed again in 2021.

The challenges on Lambert’s account were many, especially stepping into the shoes of such a great performer and singer as Mercury. But over the years, he has proven very competent and is singing at his best level in years, even projecting his life around Queen and the Adam Lambert era for years to come.

Now that it’s confirmed, millions are buying their tickets for the 2021, which will have its grand opening in the SSE Arena in Belfast on 27^th May. It will then move to the AO Arena in Manchester on the 30^th and 31^st of May, after which it moves to Glasgow (on 2^nd and 3^rd June). Finally, the band will play at the 02 in London from the 5^th till the 9^th June, and then again from the 14^th to the 21^st, with a brief stop in the Birmingham Arena on the 11^th and 12^th.

After the last days in London, the band will move to Germany to play at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. This city, and maybe the whole country, has a special connection with Queen, since it was the destination of one of their first tours back in 1975, as well as a return in 2005 to Cologne.

The band will then take a brief break in Zurich, Switzerland, before returning to Germany to play in the Olympiahalle a day later. They’ll then play a duet of concerts in Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome, followed by dates in Madrid, Spain, along with Italy, France, Belgium, and Denmark, amongst many others.

The confirmation that the tour will take place is not only welcome news for Queen fans, but for music in general, as the pandemic has shaken so many current tour plans and livelihoods.

The editorial unit