Brian May Wants Queen to Play a Sphere Residency

Photo Credit: Brian May at the Royal Albert Hall for BBC (Instagram)

Now approaching his 80s, Queen’s Brian May doesn’t really want to tour, but he thinks a Queen residency at the Sphere sounds just right.

After the success of Las Vegas Sphere residencies by the likes of U2 and the Eagles, lots of bands have expressed wanting to try their hand at playing a residency at the state-of-the-art venue. Perhaps the most notable among them is Queen’s Brian May, who told Rolling Stone he’s “very keen on the Sphere.”

“It’s got my mind working,” he said. “I sat there watching the Eagles, thinking, ‘We should do this. The stuff that we could bring to this would be stupendous.’ So yeah, I would like to do it.”

Part of the reason the idea of a Sphere residency appeals to the guitarist so much is the fact he’s grown weary of touring, and would prefer the fans to come to him instead. “I feel like I’ve given up my freedom too many times,” the 78-year-old explained. “So my feeling at the moment is I don’t want to tour, as such. I still want to play shows. I still want to innovate.”

Currently, Queen consists of May, drummer and fellow co-founder Roger Taylor, and vocalist Adam Lambert. May admitted to Rolling Stone that the band’s remaining founding member, bassist John Deacon—always the most private and quiet member of Queen—hasn’t spoken to the band in decades.

But it’s not a matter of hard feelings, according to May; Deacon stepped away from the limelight in 1991 after the passing of original vocalist and Queen founding member Freddie Mercury, who died from complications related to HIV/AIDS. He also hasn’t given an interview in years.

“He’s still part of the destiny of the band, though. If we’re trying to make business decisions, he’s always consulted, but it happens through the management or through our accountant,” May clarified. “We don’t speak, which is a shame, but we do know that we have his blessing. That’s important.”

It’s been almost 34 years since Freddie Mercury passed away, but his living band members say they still feel his presence in their daily lives.

“Brian and I often think he’s in the room in the corner,” said Roger Taylor. “‘Cause we know exactly what he’d say and what he’d think. Even though it was all those years ago now that we lost him.”