One relic the majority 2020 has left behind for now is live concerts amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many acts have cancelled their busy schedules traveling cross country and throughout the globe to be safe amidst the pandemic, including Queen + Adam Lambert, which teams the American Idol legend with original Queen band mates Brian May and Roger Taylor.
Queen’s 73-year-old co founder Brian May suffered a small heart attack earlier this year while in his garden. May detailed that when his “bizarre garden accident” happened, it caused 40 minutes of pain in his chest and tightness in his arms. While speaking to ET, Adam Lambert talked about how the tour cancellation may have been a blessing in disguise for the band with these words:
I talked to [Brian May] the other day and I think he is doing better, which is awesome. That kind of thing takes a minute to recover from, but I am so glad that he is OK. It is interesting timing. Who knows if we would have been on the road. That would have been very difficult, and I know that he got the medical attention that he needs and is fit as a fiddle.
Thankfully for Brian May, his heart attack was only a small setback for the guitarist health-wise, but if he was on tour right now, it may have been more complicated to deal with. With their tour postponed for the time being, the band did decide to release a live album compiled of live audio and video footage Queen + Adam Lambert have compiled since they formed seven years ago.
The album, titled Live Around the World, is dedicated to the fans who must have been bummed to have to cancel their concert plans with the powerhouse rock act. Adam Lambert described touring like a “battery,” since it requires a ton of energy, but drains at some point. Although it must not be easy to shift gears, the timing couldn’t be better for Brian May to recover from his health scare.
Of course, Queen has amped up their popularity since the release of the 2018 Oscar-winning biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which Brian May and Roger Taylor were heavily involved with during its long and bumpy production. Rami Malek’s performance as the late Freddie Mercury scored the actor a Best Actor win and a lifetime friendship with the band members he apparently still hangs out with.
Adam Lambert’s roots in Queen start with the singer auditioning for American Idol by singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” to the judges. Since 2011, he’s been connected to Queen and found a place in the biopic as an unrecognizable bearded trucker in the film. Bohemian Rhapsody’s success at the box office and with award season has inspired more movies in the works about famous artists. Madonna is directing her own Madonna movie next, who should play her?
Queen + Adam Lambert’s Live Around The World album is available to purchase and stream on Friday, October 2.
