Queen has been entertaining fans for over five decades with their iconic songs and spectacular live performances. But how have they managed to keep their shows fresh and exciting in a changing world? In the latest episode of their YouTube series, ‘The Greatest,’ which celebrates their 50th anniversary, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor reveal some of the secrets behind their live shows.
One of the biggest changes they have noticed is the presence of mobile phones in the audience. May says that while the reaction of the fans is very similar to what it used to be, the mobile phones create a different atmosphere. "In the old days people didn't have that stuff and they would just be there, their whole selves interacting in mind and body and eyes and ears. It’s not like that now. Everybody has this urge to kind of immortalize stuff. So, when you look out, you see almost as many mobile phones as people, which is weird," he says.
He adds that this also affects the element of surprise, as nothing is secret anymore. "We used to go from town to town and audiences would have no idea what we were going to do. So, everything was new and exciting. Nowadays people will have filmed it and it’ll be on YouTube, Instagram, and people will know what you did last night," he says.
Another thing that has changed is the technology they use on stage. Taylor says that modern lights generate almost no heat, unlike before when the stage was like a furnace. "Our lighting rig would come down and my stool would smoke. It was just so hot onstage, it was indescribable. Of course, that's gone now. And then, you've got these wonderful screens, which are getting better every year. It's possible to do amazing things with them," he says.
However, there is one technological advancement that they avoid -- automatic lighting cues. May says that they prefer to have someone manually controlling the lights and the video in sync with them, rather than working on presets. "We don't work to a click, they have to be working the little bits of video to keep them in time with us, which is great. It makes everything locked in -- it makes it a truly live show," he says.
The episode also features clips from some of their most memorable live shows, such as Live Aid, Wembley Stadium, and Rock in Rio. Fans can watch the full episode on Queen's official YouTube channel. The next episode, which will be out on Friday, will focus on their collaboration with Adam Lambert, who has been touring with them since 2011.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]