Brian May interview with Brian Harrigan + Lancaster 1974 review - from 'Melody Maker', 16 Nov. 1974
Apr 14, 2023 7:50:55 GMT
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Post by fabiogminero on Apr 14, 2023 7:50:55 GMT
Hi everyone.
Below is a nice article published in the British music magazine Melody Maker of November 16th, 1974: entitled May time, it is an interview with Brian May held by journalist Brian Harrigan. In addition to talking about Brian's musical tastes and the Queen UK tour ongoing at the time, Harrigan also provides a brief review of the show the band played at Lancaster University on November 9th, 1974 and the songs played on stage that night (also citing the support group Hustler).
The interview was in fact held in a hotel in Preston the day after the Lancaster concert: Queen performed at Preston's Guildhall on November 10th, 1974.
Below the scan of the article and the transcript (for easier reading). Enjoy the reading!
May Time
Brian May, guitarist and Astronomer Royal of Queen - No 1 in the singles chart - talks to Brian Harrigan
THESE days when Queen hit the stage, audiences tend to go just slightly potty. All eyes are glued on Freddie Mercury as he struts and prances across every available square inch of podium powering out the lyrics and doing slightly dubious things with his half a microphone stand.
But, after a while, your eyes tend to wander across to stage left to take a squint at the tall guy clad in black and white, playing guitar and looking rather thoughtful. His eyes never seem to leave the floor unless he's taking turn the microphone.
Then, when he's finished with his vocal dues, he steps back and his thoughtful stance.
This pensive gentleman, just in case you didn's know, is erstwhile astronomer Brian May.
Saturday Queen played Lancaster University and the next day, in hotel on the outskirts of Preston, I spoke to Brian about the gig, himself and the band.
First on the agenda was the pensive pose. "It's not mally a planned thing" he said. "We're not really choreographed. It's just that Freddie is the natural extrovert and I suppose I'm foil to that, in a way".
Conscious
"And when I'm on stage I'm not really conscious of where I'm standing in particular."
It had been an interesting gig that Saturday with the audience enjoying themselves but not really going overboard, and asked Brian jos how it had felt to play the date.
"It was a hard-working gig but it really felt like a challenge". I felt, perhaps, a little upset that they were not rocking away like they usually do, but it was worth playing to win them over.
Below is a nice article published in the British music magazine Melody Maker of November 16th, 1974: entitled May time, it is an interview with Brian May held by journalist Brian Harrigan. In addition to talking about Brian's musical tastes and the Queen UK tour ongoing at the time, Harrigan also provides a brief review of the show the band played at Lancaster University on November 9th, 1974 and the songs played on stage that night (also citing the support group Hustler).
The interview was in fact held in a hotel in Preston the day after the Lancaster concert: Queen performed at Preston's Guildhall on November 10th, 1974.
Below the scan of the article and the transcript (for easier reading). Enjoy the reading!
May Time
Brian May, guitarist and Astronomer Royal of Queen - No 1 in the singles chart - talks to Brian Harrigan
THESE days when Queen hit the stage, audiences tend to go just slightly potty. All eyes are glued on Freddie Mercury as he struts and prances across every available square inch of podium powering out the lyrics and doing slightly dubious things with his half a microphone stand.
But, after a while, your eyes tend to wander across to stage left to take a squint at the tall guy clad in black and white, playing guitar and looking rather thoughtful. His eyes never seem to leave the floor unless he's taking turn the microphone.
Then, when he's finished with his vocal dues, he steps back and his thoughtful stance.
This pensive gentleman, just in case you didn's know, is erstwhile astronomer Brian May.
Saturday Queen played Lancaster University and the next day, in hotel on the outskirts of Preston, I spoke to Brian about the gig, himself and the band.
First on the agenda was the pensive pose. "It's not mally a planned thing" he said. "We're not really choreographed. It's just that Freddie is the natural extrovert and I suppose I'm foil to that, in a way".
Conscious
"And when I'm on stage I'm not really conscious of where I'm standing in particular."
It had been an interesting gig that Saturday with the audience enjoying themselves but not really going overboard, and asked Brian jos how it had felt to play the date.
"It was a hard-working gig but it really felt like a challenge". I felt, perhaps, a little upset that they were not rocking away like they usually do, but it was worth playing to win them over.
"We were more intent than usual last night. There's a different feeling about a student audience. I feel some went there last night thinking 'Are they a pop band or do they play real music.'
"Of course if everyone's completely with you right from the start you relax a bit more and put more emphasis on the show."
Brian went on to say that he found there was always more than one element in any given audience: "There are people who have heard the single only and there are the die hard fans who know exactly what we are about - and without them I think we might die the death.
"And then there are the heavy freaks who like the heaviness of Queen but who feel that the commercial side of the band is something of a sell out.
"We don't especially set out to play heavy music or light music - it's just our kind of music."
According to Brian, Queen's music is designed to be heard on more than one level. He pointed to the single saying that "Killer Queen" was structured, but they had designed it not to be too deeply structured at any given point.
Of course, Brian was the man who had been struck down by liver complaint while Queen were in the States playing support to Mott the Hoople. "It was a big blow", he said, faintly pained at the memory of it "because we had been in America for only about a month and everything seemed to be going so well.
"But in January we'll be going back to the States. Most of the time we wil be headlining - with certain exceptions such as Los Angeles where we have never played before.
Films
"In fact we'll be doing the complete world tour - it's non-stop from now on. We'll be doing tour of Europe, then some films of the single and a couple of tracks from the albums and following that, it's off to America in January and February".
At that moment Queen's road wandered up with statuette in his hand. He gave it to Brian who explained that had been given by the management of the Apollo in Glasgow for selling right out at the theatre on this tour.
May seemed delighted. "Yes, things like that really please me," he said.
So Queen are riding high at the moment, selling every seat on the current tour and now topping the charts. Are things maybe getting a little out of control?
"I think it's silly to try to go faster than you can go. On reflection, I may be out of control but it doesn't feel it."
At the moment I have this impression that a lot of people just don't know what to make of Queen. And those who haven't seen them live are at advantage because the stage show and touring in general are an integral part of Queen's way of life.
So to trying to establish just what sort of person Brian is, I asked him about his own musical tastes, and he came up with a part-expected, part-surprising answer.
"I like Mott the Hoople very much. They're great rock and roll band. I used to like Free and to me it was a tragedy when they broke up.
"But now there's Bad Company, who are good band."
Jimi Hendrix came high on the list of Mr May's musical likes as did Joni Mitchell and Sparks.
And, at the mention of Sparks, Brian drew parallel between them and Queen. "Sparks are single-minded band who are progressing along one track while I think Queen also progressing but in different way think lot of different things musically."
The last point was illustrated with a spreading of the May hands - maybe indicating lateral thinking as opposed to Sparks' near progression.
On stage he rarely displays any facial emotion and, in fact, from a stage antics point of view, be couldn't be further removed from the activities of, say, a Hendrix.
About the most flamboyant thing he does is walk about a little and maybe bend his knees just a fraction.
All the time he gazes at the stage or his guitar - a complete counterpart to Freddie Mercury.
Off stage he looks a lot more cheerful, although he's about the last person in the world I would expect to give vent to a belly laugh. He seems thoughtful and careful - maybe is something to do with his scientific background, in which he is still extremely interested.
The main hall In Lancaster University where the concert took place
Saturday was filled with maybe 1,500 people eager to get a look at Queen.
They gave a fairly good response to support band Hustler who laid down an excellent energy-packed set which, eventually, had the sob on its feet clapping in time with the music.
They played for about 45 minutes and went down fairly well although there seemed to be something lacking in the crowd. It was almost as though they had picked up to a peak of enjoyment and then just stayed there.
Peak
And so it was for Queen. Of course the peak was higher because this was the main band.
But it was the intensity of the enjoyment which was the puzzling thing. From the moment the spotlights picked out Freddie Mercury in his all white outfit the cheers started, but there after the crowd resealsed at the same plate of appreciation.
Queen played well - no, they played exceptionally well and they worked hard for the
and cheers they received.
Freddie Mercury has probably never moved around so well and never handled audience so cleverly. "What would you like now?" he asked. "LIAR" came the response. "Well we're not going to do that right now. We shall do something else instead". He certainly knows how to tease em.
The music was marvellous. "White Queen", "Flick of the Wrist," Killer Queen", "Keep Yourself Alive", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Son and Daughter" and "Liar" all tumbled out with that fascinating Queen mixture of punch and structure.
The harmonies, with all four joining in, were impeccable and Brian May's guitar-playing was exceptional.
Black
He particularly impressed during his solo which he takes while Mercury leaves the stage to return several minutes later in a black ensemble which has to be seen to be believed.
Roger Taylor and John Deacon, on drums and hass respectively, provide extraordinarily firm foundation for the band. They're really solid and not avverse showmanship themselves, every now and again.
Deacon, in particular, is a bit more up-front, than he has been in the past although he never introdes in the point and counterpoint performances of May and Mercury.
Mercury announced "In The Lap of the Gods" as the last number and when was over, Queen split - although everyone was simply waiting to cop that outrageous "Big Spender" encore.
And as sure day follow night, the encore demands were followed by an encore - and a good one.
For my part I think the next the Queen decide to play Lancaster they're going to find themselves on the receiving end of one of the greatest responses they've ever had.
"Of course if everyone's completely with you right from the start you relax a bit more and put more emphasis on the show."
Brian went on to say that he found there was always more than one element in any given audience: "There are people who have heard the single only and there are the die hard fans who know exactly what we are about - and without them I think we might die the death.
"And then there are the heavy freaks who like the heaviness of Queen but who feel that the commercial side of the band is something of a sell out.
"We don't especially set out to play heavy music or light music - it's just our kind of music."
According to Brian, Queen's music is designed to be heard on more than one level. He pointed to the single saying that "Killer Queen" was structured, but they had designed it not to be too deeply structured at any given point.
Of course, Brian was the man who had been struck down by liver complaint while Queen were in the States playing support to Mott the Hoople. "It was a big blow", he said, faintly pained at the memory of it "because we had been in America for only about a month and everything seemed to be going so well.
"But in January we'll be going back to the States. Most of the time we wil be headlining - with certain exceptions such as Los Angeles where we have never played before.
Films
"In fact we'll be doing the complete world tour - it's non-stop from now on. We'll be doing tour of Europe, then some films of the single and a couple of tracks from the albums and following that, it's off to America in January and February".
At that moment Queen's road wandered up with statuette in his hand. He gave it to Brian who explained that had been given by the management of the Apollo in Glasgow for selling right out at the theatre on this tour.
May seemed delighted. "Yes, things like that really please me," he said.
So Queen are riding high at the moment, selling every seat on the current tour and now topping the charts. Are things maybe getting a little out of control?
"I think it's silly to try to go faster than you can go. On reflection, I may be out of control but it doesn't feel it."
At the moment I have this impression that a lot of people just don't know what to make of Queen. And those who haven't seen them live are at advantage because the stage show and touring in general are an integral part of Queen's way of life.
So to trying to establish just what sort of person Brian is, I asked him about his own musical tastes, and he came up with a part-expected, part-surprising answer.
"I like Mott the Hoople very much. They're great rock and roll band. I used to like Free and to me it was a tragedy when they broke up.
"But now there's Bad Company, who are good band."
Jimi Hendrix came high on the list of Mr May's musical likes as did Joni Mitchell and Sparks.
And, at the mention of Sparks, Brian drew parallel between them and Queen. "Sparks are single-minded band who are progressing along one track while I think Queen also progressing but in different way think lot of different things musically."
The last point was illustrated with a spreading of the May hands - maybe indicating lateral thinking as opposed to Sparks' near progression.
On stage he rarely displays any facial emotion and, in fact, from a stage antics point of view, be couldn't be further removed from the activities of, say, a Hendrix.
About the most flamboyant thing he does is walk about a little and maybe bend his knees just a fraction.
All the time he gazes at the stage or his guitar - a complete counterpart to Freddie Mercury.
Off stage he looks a lot more cheerful, although he's about the last person in the world I would expect to give vent to a belly laugh. He seems thoughtful and careful - maybe is something to do with his scientific background, in which he is still extremely interested.
The main hall In Lancaster University where the concert took place
Saturday was filled with maybe 1,500 people eager to get a look at Queen.
They gave a fairly good response to support band Hustler who laid down an excellent energy-packed set which, eventually, had the sob on its feet clapping in time with the music.
They played for about 45 minutes and went down fairly well although there seemed to be something lacking in the crowd. It was almost as though they had picked up to a peak of enjoyment and then just stayed there.
Peak
And so it was for Queen. Of course the peak was higher because this was the main band.
But it was the intensity of the enjoyment which was the puzzling thing. From the moment the spotlights picked out Freddie Mercury in his all white outfit the cheers started, but there after the crowd resealsed at the same plate of appreciation.
Queen played well - no, they played exceptionally well and they worked hard for the
and cheers they received.Freddie Mercury has probably never moved around so well and never handled audience so cleverly. "What would you like now?" he asked. "LIAR" came the response. "Well we're not going to do that right now. We shall do something else instead". He certainly knows how to tease em.
The music was marvellous. "White Queen", "Flick of the Wrist," Killer Queen", "Keep Yourself Alive", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Son and Daughter" and "Liar" all tumbled out with that fascinating Queen mixture of punch and structure.
The harmonies, with all four joining in, were impeccable and Brian May's guitar-playing was exceptional.
Black
He particularly impressed during his solo which he takes while Mercury leaves the stage to return several minutes later in a black ensemble which has to be seen to be believed.
Roger Taylor and John Deacon, on drums and hass respectively, provide extraordinarily firm foundation for the band. They're really solid and not avverse showmanship themselves, every now and again.
Deacon, in particular, is a bit more up-front, than he has been in the past although he never introdes in the point and counterpoint performances of May and Mercury.
Mercury announced "In The Lap of the Gods" as the last number and when was over, Queen split - although everyone was simply waiting to cop that outrageous "Big Spender" encore.
And as sure day follow night, the encore demands were followed by an encore - and a good one.
For my part I think the next the Queen decide to play Lancaster they're going to find themselves on the receiving end of one of the greatest responses they've ever had.