**Tue 22 Apr 08**
SMOKING SECTION ?

[See news item HERE - Brian's 'comments' to Rolling Stone]

Smoking Section ? I have no idea what that is, but ... No, it's not true. I simply responded (a little cautiously, in view of their past record with us) to a request from Rolling Stone for an phone interview. There was no problem with the interview, but this piece of distortion does not augur well for the piece they are supposed to be doing.

Bri

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**Thu 17 Apr 08**
SOAP STAR RETURNS !!!

Well, folks, I'm afraid the Old Soapbox has been running a bit low on soap for the last few weeks. I think so much of my energy has been going into communication through the Web in recent years that I had forgotten how life is when I'm completely taxed to the limit. and there is literally not an instant available to write diary material - life just has to be lived. Wanna know my stuff ? It's a weird mixture, a mixture of the very mundane and the extraordinary.

Briefly, I got ill, quite bad - flu and bronchial stuff which is still making its presence felt, and with it came a kind of depression - not easy to steer through. Then we broke off from studio work to rehearse for the Al Murray show, and then do the show itself, which we all enjoyed a lot ... a real challenge, playing a brand new song under the glaring lights of TV. Then I continued some work, stealing odd days, producing music for the lovely Kerry Ellis (our original MEAT in London WWRY) , and, with the help of my friend, the utterly brilliant Steve Sidwell, we had a wonderful day with a 60 piece orchestra over at the Angel. We just need to find time to mix the material now ... the orchestra was the icing on the cake ... there is about 3 years work waiting to be given the final polish, and then Kerry will have a CD out there, in time for her spell on Broadway starting in June - in WICKED, of course. I'll keep you posted.

All through this time I am writing up my T.R. Williams "Scenes in our Village" book ... it's a lot like the thesis, really .. takes endless dedication and dogged persistence. But, again, here, I HAVE to do it, or else 40 years of research into TRW will die with me when I go ! It's actually thrilling, collecting all the material, but there is no quick way - I work my way through, one card at a time, a double page spread per night, if I can, which usually takes about 2 or three hours.

Then I became Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University !!! ... I know many of you saw the reports and pictures of me in a splendid robe and hat ... (again!) THANKS for all your congratulatory messages ! You are so kind out there ... I will try to do some replying, but I am really struggling for time .... however I DO appreciate it very much.

Why am I short of time ? Well, all this, and being a DAD and a husband (fitfully!) ... but most of all, because of the wild beast that is Queen. Or Queen and Paul Rodgers. It is ALL-Consuming ... just as it always was .... all those years ... it will take every last drop of energy, and still ask for more. ... but we cannot say no. We are already deep in the planning for the tour and...

... Right now we are in the studio ... as Queen and Paul Rodgers, nominally, but in fact, as Rog, Bri and Paul with a very small but brilliant team of sound production chaps, Justin Shirley-Smith, Josh MacRae, and Kris Fredriksson. We also have Pete, my inimitable Guitar tech, and Seb, who orders us food and stuff, because we totally have our heads down most of the time and would otherwise probably forget to eat and drink altogether. It's a very small world, but we have everything we need, to create. It's constantly stimulating and demanding. Usually I don't like to report stuff here that goes on, because it IS essentially a private process, and has to be, and I don't want to spoil any surprises. But I can tell you there has not been a single day when I went home (usually about 1 am) without feeling we achieved something significantly new. It's VERY colourful. Very raw in places, and also has a freshness, a humour, a lightness in the heaviness, that comes of the feelings we have ... which are really that somehow we are a new band ... born of many histories and much water under many bridges, but right at the height of discovering its potential. I'll try to write more soon, but I just wanted to let you folks know I am alive, and if you don't hear much, it's because it's all going into the Music.

Take care

Chancellor Bri

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**Fri 04 Apr 08**
Q+PR DEBUTS NEW SONG ! AND MORE !

Paul Rodgers and Brian May on Tuesday

A little taster of what is to come on Al Murray's Happy hour tonight !!

We had fun !!! Enjoy !

Cheers

Bri

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