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APRIL 2008 |
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**Wed 30 Apr 08** University of Florida, Sat 3 May 2008, Graduation Ceremony (Commencement) - Brian's mentor of many years, Professor Francisto Sanchez, is to receive an Honorary Doctorate. --- INSIDE UF GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Stars are standard fare in astronomy departments, but this one is sure to win special attention. Brian May, lead guitarist for the rock group Queen, is flying from London to Gainesville to help UF’s astronomers pay tribute to a renowned Spanish astronomer who will receive an honorary doctorate during Saturday’s commencement events. May worked closely with Professor Francisco Sanchez, director of the Instituto Astrofisica de Canarias and a leading architect of observatories on Spain’s Canary Islands, on research related to May’s dissertation in astronomy in the early 1970s. The guitar player abandoned the dissertation as Queen’s success skyrocketed, spending the ensuing years touring with the group and writing songs including “We Will Rock You,” “I Want It All” and “The Show Must Go On.” Last year, however, after a 30-year hiatus, May returned to his studies, completing his dissertation and earning his doctorate from London’s Imperial College. Besides continuing with Queen — this fall, the band releases its first studio album in 13 years and embarks on “The Cosmos Rocks” tour — May is chancellor at Liverpool John Moores University. “It’s pretty unusual to have a member of rock ‘n’ roll royalty moonlight as a fully credentialed astronomer,” said Stan Dermott, chairman of the astronomy department. “But Brian May is an unusual guy, and he is coming to Gainesville to help us honor a truly extraordinary figure in our profession.” Sanchez is widely respected among astronomers for spearheading the development of major world observatories on the high mountains of Spain’s Canary Islands beginning in the late 1960s, a period when Spain was a bit player on the world astronomy scene. Today, some 25 countries have observing facilities on the islands of Tenerife and La Palma. The Canaries also are home to the European Northern Observatory, considered one of the best astronomy facilities in the world. “When Professor Sanchez started off,” said Dermott, “there were only three or four astronomers in Spain. Now there are three (hundred) to 400.” In an e-mail interview, Sanchez said that in those early years, when the first observatories were being established on the Canary Islands, Imperial College was one of the first colleges to bring astronomical instruments to the site. May, a graduate student at the time, arrived to work at Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife. The focus of his work was the Zodiacal Cloud, a cloud of dust in our solar system, also Sanchez’s area of expertise. “In his free time, Brian used to play his guitar, but he tried to hide from me ‘not to give the impression he was wasting his time,’ as he later confessed to me,” Sanchez said. “But some of Queen’s best songs were composed at the observatory.” Not only did May return to, complete and defend his dissertation last year, he also co-authored a children’s book on astronomy, “Bang: The Complete History of the Universe.” Sanchez said the guitarist is a unique ambassador for astronomy. “Since he is a world-famous musician, he can reach the public in a way that no other astronomer can,” he said. UF is a partner with the Sanchez’s Instituto Astrofisica de Canarias in the latest big addition to the Canary Islands observatories: The Gran Telescopio Canarias, or GTC, a 31.4-foot telescope that will be largest in its class when ready for observations at year’s end. The $190 million telescope, under construction for eight years, will have the power to spot both extremely faint objects, such as dim planets orbiting bright starts, and very distant ones, such as galaxies located billions of light years away. UF not only owns a 5 percent share in the telescope, it also leads several collaborations designing state-of-the-art cameras and other instruments for the telescope. That’s because Dermott is known for his work on the Zodiacal Cloud. When May found out that Dermott also was present at a GTC ceremony last year, he said he wanted to get together. “We went out to dinner and got on every well, that’s how it was,” Dermott said. Sanchez will receive the honorary degree at UF’s advanced degree ceremony, set to start at 9 a.m. in the O’Connell Center. At 1:30 p.m., the astronomy department will host a special presentation, open to the public, in Sanchez’s honor at the Pugh Hall Auditorium. Slated as speakers are Dermott, Sanchez and May. © brianmay.com |
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House Music will be exhibiting at London Guitar Show 2008. Come along and see the guys at Stand D17. See also www.brianmayguitars.com © brianmay.com |
**Tue 29 Apr 08** It seems Book Soup has been inundated with enquiries about Brian's Booksigning next week, which is why this has had to become a ticketed event. Book Soup say: "Yes. Due to the response we've received, the May event has just gone ticketed. This is solely to organize the line to accommodate customers. It doesn't restrict anyone from attending. Buy a book, get a ticket." If you pre-order on line, be sure to check the box to say you will pick up in store, and you will be given a ticket when you collect your book. Happy queuing.... he's worth it! © brianmay.com |
**Mon 28 Apr 08** Several readers have asked if Brian will be doing book signings elsewhere in the USA, particularly New York. Management confirm that Brian is only visiting LA on this trip, as time does not allow otherwise, so no other signings are possible. © brianmay.com |
| **Thu 24 Apr 08** VH1 CLASSIC RADIO Queen guitarist Brian May will take part in a signing session in California next month, but it won’t be records and pictures he’ll be putting his John Hancock on; the rocker will be autographing copies of his latest book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe. Fresh off receiving his Ph.D. in astrophysics, May co-wrote the tome with legendary astronomer Patrick Moore and astrophysicist Chris Lintott. The book covers the history of the universe from the Big Bang to Heat Death and touches on evolution and how the world will end. It includes photographs, timelines and a glossary, and Brian will be signing copies of it on May 6th at Book Soup in L-A. © brianmay.com |
**Wed 23 Apr 08** Notice from Matt Wickham from the South-east, Near London, a member of 3 Red Special Forums, who is planning in July / August this year to have a Brian May Guitar meet up. This happened once before, in 2005. Event will be in Buckinghamshire Near Aylesbury. (South-east) The event will include: If you would like to be updated visit my website www.rs-onevision.site.vu, join my mailing list or you can personally email me any suggestions or ideas. If you would like a stall to show your BM guitar + equipment, or you would like a stall to sell items, E-mail me. Thanks for looking Cheers © brianmay.com |
**Wed 23 Apr 08**
BOOK SIGNING: We now have confirmation that Dr May will be doing a book signing at Book Soup as above. We are told that Book Soup is a beautiful independent bookstore - in fact one of the last large independent bookstores, with over 60,000 titles in stock, and has served the Los Angeles community for over 31 years. Owner, Glenn, has somehow withstood the years of competition by the large chain bookstore. Please note: --- PRESS RELEASE: Who knows what Brian May was thinking when he wrote "We Will Rock You" for Queen? As a lifelong astrophysics aficionado, he may have been thinking about the origins of the universe. He's certainly been thinking about it lately. May, a freshly minted astrophysics Ph.D., joins forces with legendary astronomer Patrick Moore and astrophysicist Chris Lintott in Bang! to consider the history of the universe from the Big Bang to Heat Death. Space, time, and matter were birthed 13.7 billion years ago and will continue on longer than we are able to comprehend. Infinitesimally small at first, the Universe is immense and ever expanding. Bang! explains how it all started, takes you on a tour of what is known about the evolution of the Universe, and posits how the end of time will come about. This fascinating book includes photographs, short biographies of key figures, an at-a-glance timeline, a glossary of terms, and suggested resources for further exploration. Based on the work of history’s most brilliant scientific minds, this amazing story features clear, straightforward discussions of the most perplexing and compelling aspects of existence—from the formation of stars, planets, and other galactic bodies to black holes, quasars, anti-matter, and dark matter to the emergence of life and the possibility that it could exist elsewhere. Bang! It will, it will rock you. Brian May is the founding guitarist of the rock band Queen, a longtime astrophysics enthusiast, and now Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. He recently was awarded a Ph.D. in the field by the University of London. Patrick Moore has been studying astronomy since long before mankind made it into space and was knighted for his service to the science. He is the host of The Sky at Night, the author of more than 70 astronomy books, and the co-founder and former president of the Society for Popular Astronomy. Chris Lintott is an astrophysicist who specializes in star formation. Bang! The Complete History of the Universe © brianmay.com |
**Wed 23 Apr 08** Brian May Guitars have just published a list of the production model specifications for the new Brian May Super guitar. Check it out HERE. You can also read about this impressive new guitar HERE. The Super is a meticulously crafted (and numbered) version of the orignal Red Special, hand crafted in Japan, and comes with certificate of authentification and signed by Brian May personally. For more details: © brianmay.com |
| **Tue 22 Apr 08** Forthcoming radio interview not to be missed..... Brian May Interview with Cynthia Fox and Jim Ladd Brian will be interviewed live in the studio in LA next month, during Jim Ladd’s Free Form Radio Show (8:00pm - midnight). Aside from the interview, Queen music will be played during the show and Brian might possibly take listeners' calls. You can listen live on their website: 95.5 KLOS-FM "The Classic Rock Station" More details as we have them... © brianmay.com |
**Mon 21 Apr 08**
PLEASE SEE BRIAN'S COMMENTS IN SOAPBOX ROLLING STONE The Smoking Section got a surprise call from Queen guitarist Brian May, who phoned with cool news about his exciting new project: In September, Queen (with singer Paul Rodgers) will release their first new album in thirteen years, tentatively titled The Cosmos Rocks. Queen’s new chapter began in 2005, when May and drummer Roger Taylor teamed up with Rodgers (Bad Company and Free) for a joyously received global tour. “It was clear that if we were to go out again, we needed some new stuff,” says May. “It needed to be an ongoing, living, evolving, organic unit. This album has done that.” So, coinciding with Cosmos’ release, Queen and Rodgers will hit the road again. (Euro dates sold out in minutes — look out for U.S. dates next spring.) “It’s wonderful to know that people want to hear us out there,” says May. “It’s been a real voyage of discovery.” He adds that Freddie Mercury’s spirit lives on: “I often think of Freddie smiling — I think he’s enjoying it.” © brianmay.com |
**Mon 21 Apr 08**
© brianmay.com |
**Thu 17 Apr 08**
YOU KNOW you're living in a parallel universe when you read a newspaper headline that says, "Brian May marks first day as new Chancellor" and your first thought is, "Well, he can only be better than that Darling twit, and that control freak Brown"... Then you realise that it's referring to the appointment of Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. And your second thought is, "Well, I bet he would still be better than that Darling twit and that control freak Brown." Then you realise Dr May is following in the footsteps, as LJMU Chancellor, of one Cherie Blair QC and your third thought is, "Wot? A Chancellor taking over from a Blair? Nah, it would never happen in real life..." © brianmay.com |
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PART 1: Dream, Plan, Achieve: --- Brian May cuts an imposing figure. Dressed from head to foot in black, the man that is a legend amongst guitarists and Rock fans the world over, still somehow manages to remain humble, dignified and, it has to be said, modest about his many achievements. Now, adding to his plethora of music awards, theatre credits, song writing acclaim and his Doctorate in Astrophysics more than thirty years on from when he started working for it, Dr Brian May has been inaugurated as Liverpool John Moores University’s new Chancellor, having received an honorary fellowship in 2007 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the arts, but more significantly for encouraging the public’s understanding of science following the 2006 publication of his renowned book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe. 'In all it’s taken around forty years to gain my PhD and I can’t tell you what it’s like to finally achieve something I’d always set my heart on,’ Brian said. ‘When I began my studies, Queen were only just beginning. However, as we got more and more successful, the time to study properly diminished and so I decided to put everything on hold to concentrate on my music career. Now that I’m finally to receive the certificate from Imperial College London in May of this year, it really is such a thrill. Being Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores on the other hand – and though no less an honour – is more of a job. I hope to be an effective figurehead and to help in any way I can and the overall aim is to bring even more notice to this wonderful seat of learning.' Throughout studying for his Doctorate, Brian came into close contact with Liverpool John Moores and its staff, via the excellent facilities that have earned the University a reputation of being second to none in the fields of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 'Although my role as Chancellor is not limited to Astronomy alone but is, rather, across the board, on a personal level I am going to be revisiting the themes of my thesis and we’re currently developing a new spectrometer which will probably be based in La Palma, Tenerife. That for me, as far as Astronomy goes, is the long-term aim but, as always, I tend to be rather busy and the long arm of Queen keeps dragging me away. I have to say though that Chris Collins and his team have made a great contribution to Science and, as a result, we are now a great deal closer to discovering if there are other planets out there that are similar to Earth.' Also in 2006, Brian joined forces with veteran Astronomer, Sir Patrick Moore, and fellow Sky At Night presenter, Chris Lintott, to write Bang! The Complete History Of The Universe (Carlton Books) and received much critical and academic acclaim. Consisting of hundreds of spectacular photographs, some of which were taken by Brian May himself, and a text that steadfastly refuses to be The Universe For Dummies it might so easily have become, Bang nonetheless remains beautifully accessible to the novice and contributing to it was clearly a challenge. The Chancellor enjoyed undertaking. ‘It was a great experience although I started off with very little self-confidence, to be honest, because when Patrick asked me I told him I didn’t think I was qualified to do the job justice. However, he wasn’t to be denied and the three of us eventually thrashed out every single word. It was Patrick who almost single-handedly wrote the first template in next to no time, which is the way he is about everything, and I’m so delighted he can be here at the inauguration ceremony. He’s such a fantastic man and a constant source of inspiration to me.’ With Sir Patrick having penned numerous science fiction novels, is this a field into which the guitarist might wander given that he has already penned songs with Sci-fi themes such as the Queen classic, '39, and also his solo venture, Star Fleet Project, back in 1983? 'That’s an interesting thought, actually, and one of the few things I haven’t done. I am writing a book on a celebrated series of stereo cards at the moment, which is taking up my limited amount of free time, and, also, my thesis is going to be published, which is very nice. I used to love Science Fiction when I was a kid and have read Patrick’s books. Roger Taylor is also a big fan of Sci-fi of course, so who knows? Maybe. Some of the things people like Arthur C Clarke were writing about years ago have actually come about, so it might be nice to let my imagination wander a little in that direction.' PART 2Brian’s thesis is a study of Interplanetary Dust that not only scatters solar light, called “Zodiacal Light”, but also produces the thermal emissions that are the most prominent features of night-sky light. What was it that that made him choose this area of study for his work above all others? ‘Things happen in strange ways, sometimes. The department at Imperial was already involved in studying the area and had already tried to find a Doppler shift in absorption rays but hadn’t been successful, so it seemed like a very interesting challenge to take up. It was also something that connected with my childhood because I used to collect everything as a kid, including cigarette cards, and there was one series of these called Glory Of The Heavens, with one of the cards showing a representation of Zodiacal Light I’d always found fascinating. So, when the research was explained to me, something must have resonated at the back of my mind from way back then. It’s also a pretty dark corner of astronomy because Interplanetary Dust is so hard to measure and finding an untrodden path to follow is always good, I think. It’s becoming something of a trendy area of study now, actually, because we have found dust clouds around other stars, but there is still plenty more to discover as always with these things.’ Brian was forced to give up his initial studies as Queen became the massive success they are, though this did not mean the guitarist ever turned his back on his passion entirely. Despite finding it difficult to find adequate time to indulge in his passion for the stars as much as he would have liked, May was still able to keep up to date with developments. ‘I couldn’t possibly have kept up with studying as I was, but I did keep in touch with what was happening in the field through reading as much as possible and, also, through my friends who continued their work over the years. I actually began finishing my thesis on the last legs of the Queen and Paul Rodgers tour of 2006, which worked incredibly well. I went back to my hotel room after being involved in this massive high from being on stage night after night and found I could just immerse myself in my work.’ The next Queen + Paul Rodgers tour kicks off in Moscow during September and will, for the first time since 1979’s Crazy Tour, see Brian and surviving Queen cohort, Roger Taylor, playing Queen hits in Liverpool along the way. ‘Planning a tour all depends on what is available at the right time and you always get a couple of itineraries coming your way until something is finalised. I didn’t realise it had been that long since we’d played here but I do remember playing both The Empire and The Stadium in years past very well indeed. This time around though it will be in the new Arena, which I can’t wait to see. Queen and Liverpool go back a very long way, when we used to spend half our lives on the road and sleeping on people’s floors. We played The Cavern too, of course, and have one of the bricks stencilled with the band’s name outside of the new building, which is great, but that was pretty late into our career and we’d got to the point, almost, when we thought we were never going to get asked. It was a real thrill when we were though and I’m really looking forward to playing here again. It’s pretty frightening gearing up for a tour. It's an all-consuming thing once you press the button that set the wheels in motion and the beast that is Queen comes alive. But we all get the same buzz once the adrenaline starts to flow. Once the halls become available, the set design falls into place and then the rehearsals are upon you. It’s like a gathering storm of stuff that has to be done, which seemed such a long way away to when we first thought about going on the road again, last October in this case. We have to finish the new album, so there’s still plenty to do between now and when the first gigs happen, but I’m sure we’ll manage it all somehow. We always seem to. Who knows this might be the last tour, so you’d better come,’ he laughed. Brian also revealed that there are plans afoot to stage a sequel to the smash hit musical, We Will Rock You. ‘The success of Rock You has been very satisfying for me personally. Every time I go into the Dominion Theatre the place is full, which is just amazing, and the fact that people come back time and again, even more so. The success of the show lies in the fact that there is always something new to see with each Company we have and our new Galileo, Ricardo Alfonso, has a voice to die for. He’s astonishing.’ The musical opened in West End on May 14th, 2002, with Tony Vincent, Hannah Jane Fox, Sharon D Clarke and Kerry Ellis in the principal roles and became an instant audience favourite, despite varied responses from critics. The story takes place in a tongue-in-cheek dystopian future where originality and individualism are shunned and a lone “Dreamer” appears, fulfiling a prophecy that will enable the return of Rock ‘n’ Roll. ‘We also like to try to keep things as fresh as possible by updating the script as the need arises. Just about two million people have seen the show now, so we must be doing something right, and we’re hoping that the sequel will be the first to run concurrently with its original in the West End. Ben [Elton] has already written the script, which is fantastic, and the whole thing is just one more brand new and very exciting challenge,’ Brian smiled. With regards to the funding scientific research is afforded in the UK, however, Dr Brian May CBE, Hon DSc, ARCS and FRAS is less upbeat ‘I think it’s a real shame that research is so under funded, although I hope the situation will change as the people at the top change. Everyone is going through a somewhat horrific time at the moment with regards to science in this country, I’m afraid, and it’s wrecking our position in the international community, which is a rather sorry state of affairs it has to be said. Hopefully, like I say, this will change sooner rather than later, although it may not be soon enough for some.’ www.brianmay.com Article and picture featured here with kind permission of the author, freelance journalist, Chris High.
© brianmay.com |
**Wed 16 Apr 08** VH1 CLASSIC RADIO Brian May is not only a guitarist and an astrophysics scholar, the musician is also a Chancellor. The 60-year-old Queen man was just formally installed as the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, a largely honorary post. When he accepted the position, May told the crowd of 500 that British science needed more support, noting “It is in a rather sorry state of affairs.” According to QueenOnline.com, May went on to discuss Queen’s upcoming album and tour, saying, “The long arm of Queen has pulled me back in at the moment. It is a beast. We’ve pressed the button to go on tour this autumn so already the preparations are very consuming. We are finishing an album. We’ve chosen our set, we’ve chosen our environment on tour.” That trek kicks off on September 15th in Moscow. May also confirmed rumors that there will be a sequel to We Will Rock You, the hit musical inspired by the band. While no dates are set for that, May noted, “It is a real challenge.” © brianmay.com |
Brian May will be in the USA early next month, to coincide with the American release of his co-authored book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe. You can catch him on 95.5 KLOS-FM RADIO - see 
Each year, the U-S Air Guitar Tour gets bigger and bigger and now is your chance to become part of the search for America’s next great air guitarist. The 2008 tour will hit more cities than ever, making 21 stops during which judges will witness hundreds of air shredders. The trek kicks off on June 3rd in New York and goes through July. During that time, it will stop in most major cities across the country before culminating with the August 8th U-S Air Guitar National Finals in Sand Francisco. The winner of that event will then go on to compete in the Air Guitar World Championships held in late August in Finland. To learn more about the competition or to see when you can break out your air axe, head to 
