Queen guitarist Brian May has confirmed that the British rock band will not tour again, revealing his decision in an interview with The Times newspaper.
The 79-year-old musician explained that he reached the decision 18 months ago after re-evaluating his life and touring schedule, concluding that five decades on the road was enough.
May said the turning point came during a concert tour in the United States when he suffered the loss of a close family friend. When he requested permission from the tour manager to return home urgently for a few days, she informed him that leaving the tour was practically impossible.
Reasons for retiring from the road
Reflecting on his decision, May said that while he loves playing music and travelling, the commitment requires sacrificing personal freedom. He noted that he has a wife, grandchildren, and ongoing work in astrophysics that he wants to pursue, leading him to decide that 50 years of touring was sufficient.
May co-founded Queen in London in 1970 alongside lead singer Freddie Mercury, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon, growing into one of the most successful stadium rock acts in music history. In addition to his musical career, May holds a doctorate in astrophysics from Imperial College London, having completed his research after returning to academia following Queen's international success.
Future arena concepts and digital shows
Although May remains firm in his decision to retire from live touring, he stressed that he is still open to new ideas for bringing Queen's music to large arena audiences. He noted that the band wants to create something quite revolutionary, explaining that while it would not be identical to the digital avatar show created by Swedish pop group ABBA, it would follow a similar concept.
The Swedish pop group ABBA launched ABBA Voyage in London in 2022, utilizing digital avatars to perform the group's classic hits alongside a live backing band in a custom-built venue.
May revealed that his inspiration began flowing after visiting the Sphere in Las Vegas last year, where he designed an entire Queen concert concept. He stated that he believes an immersive experience remains under consideration and could conquer time and space for audiences.
The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a high-tech entertainment venue featuring a wrap-around internal LED screen and advanced spatial audio technology designed for immersive concert experiences.
Reservations over artificial intelligence
Despite his interest in immersive arena shows, May cautioned that such a project currently cannot be produced without artificial intelligence. He expressed serious reservations about relying on the technology, concluding that data centers are a massive evil and must be fought.
Data centers supporting artificial intelligence models require vast amounts of electricity and cooling infrastructure, leading to growing environmental concerns worldwide regarding their energy consumption and carbon footprint.
