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FIRST
TV COVERAGE OF REHEARSALS
Bray
Studios
The
first TV footage of the Queen Tour preparations, reahearals
footage from Bray Studios, was seen on BBC1 Breakfast News
this morning.
Transcript:
BBC1
BREAKFAST NEWS
WEDNESDAY 16 MARCH 2005
6.52AM
PRESENTER
DERMOT MURNAGHAN: Now it's 6.52 and 13 years after the death
of their flamboyant singer, Freddie Mercury and nearly 20
years since they last performed on stage, the band Queen
are about to tour again.
PRESENTER
NATASHA KAPLINSKY: Their songs have continued to make millions
in the musical We Will Rock You, but the musicians say they
now want to play live again and have turned to the former
lead singer of the group Free, Paul Rodgers. Our arts correspondent,
David Silitto now reports:
<Footage
of Freddie at Live Aid. "All we hear is Radio Ga Ga…">
DAVID SILITTO (voiceover): 1985 saw Freddie Mercury's famous
performance at Live Aid, but by the end of 1986 it was all
over. Queen would never tour again and in 1991 Freddie Mercury
died. Many thought it was the end for the band.
<Live Aid footage concludes with Freddie "Someone
still loves you.">
<Switches
to Bray Studios and lone shot of Brian playing guitar on
rehearsal stage…. With Pete Malandrone, guitar technician,
walking on to attend to guitar.>
DS:
But now, 20 years on from Live Aid, Queen are back, preparing
to play live, with a new singer…
<Shot
of Paul Rodgers stretching>
…
Paul Rodgers. He used to perform with the groups, Free and
Bad Company
<Shot
of Brian, Roger and Paul sitting on drum riser>
BRIAN
MAY: We don't need the money and we don't need to be any
more famous, or whatever, but I guess particularly for Roger
and it's been very frustrating these last years, you know,
not having a singer to do our, to ply our trade with. You
know, it's like we know how to make pots but we don't have
the right clay. You know, suddenly this man walks in and
we suddenly realise we can interact with him and he can
be that other piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
<Switches
to footage of Dominion Theatre We Will Rock You - "This
thing called love …"
DS:
But it's not as if the world has forgotten the songs. This
is the musical, We Will Rock You, a string of Queen's hits
performed by actors in a show about resurrecting 'rock'
music - a show many critics disliked.
DS:
(outside Dominion theatre) But the bad reviews didn't stop
the fans. After two and a half years and more than a thousand
performances, one and three-quarter million people have
paid to see We Will Rock You.
<Bray
Studios, Roger Taylor and Paul Rodgers survey the stage.>
DS
(voiceover): But the big question is how a gritty blues
singer will fit in with a band, forever identified with
flamboyant, Freddie Mercury.
<Paul
Rodgers, seated in front of drum kit>
PR:
I've been asked, you know, what's it like to replace Freddie
and this kind of thing and all of that. I have a great deal
of respect for Freddie Mercury. I mean, I think he was a
great performer, a great singer, a great songwriter and
what I will do is, is just be myself.
<Shot
from front of rehearsal set>
DS:
And while the band claims it doesn't need the money, it's
come back looks rather lucrative. Most of the shows have
already sold out.
David
Silitto, BBC news.
>Back
to studio>
DM:
And I bet they're selling like hot cakes.
ENDS
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