Queen + Adam Lambert had to call off their summer tour plans due to the pandemic, but they’ve decided to make it up to fans by releasing their first live album and concert film, Queen + Adam Live Around the World. It was taped at concerts throughout various tours of the past six years and will come out October 2nd on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and vinyl.
“We hadn’t really watched those clips before; we were always too busy touring” drummer Roger Taylor says. “We weren’t aware of how good the band sounded. So we thought, well, maybe there’s a live album of highlights of concerts that we’ve done over the last eight years with Adam Lambert to be made.”
“As we all grapple with the challenge of creating live shows in a world dominated by a formidable viral enemy,” guitarist Brian May adds, “it seemed the perfect time for us to create a collection of hand-picked live highlights from our Queen shows over the last seven years with our brother Adam Lambert.”
The album is heavy on hits like “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Under Pressure and “Now I’m Here,” although there are lesser-known songs like “Tear It Up” and “I Was Born to Love You.” It ends with the band’s February 16th, 2020 set at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, where they recreated their legendary Live Aid medley as part of the Fire Fight benefit concert.
“It was a historic event for a great cause — with perhaps the highest adrenaline level since the original Live Aid in 1985,” May said in a statement. “It makes me particularly happy that we can now share this unique moment with the whole world.”
Queen + Adam Lambert plan on resuming their Rhapsody tour in May 2021 with a long series of European shows, but they truly don’t know if mass gatherings will be feasible at that point. “We’ve all got our fingers crossed for a vaccine,” Taylor told Rolling Stone in July. “If there’s no vaccine, I’m not sure it’s going to happen… I will be comfortable [doing the shows] if I feel the risk for people in the audience is non-existent or very low. I wouldn’t be surprised if people are wearing masks in a year. We’ll see. Like everyone else, I don’t know.”
Queen + Adam Live Around the World Tracklist
“Tear It Up” (May) The O2, London, UK, 02/07/2018
“Now I’m Here” Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan, 2014|
“Another One Bites The Dust” Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan, 2014
“Fat Bottomed Girls” ft. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders American Airlines Center, Dallas, USA, 2019
“Don’t Stop Me Now” Rock In Rio, Lisbon, Portugal, 2016
“I Want to Break Free” Rock In Rio, Lisbon, Portugal, 2016
“Somebody to Love” Isle of Wight Festival, UK, 2016
“Love Kills” (the Ballad) iHeart Radio Theater, Los Angeles, USA, 2014
“I Was Born to Love You” Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan, 2014
“Under Pressure” Global Citizen Festival, New York, USA, 2019
“Who Wants to Live Forever” Isle of Wight Festival, UK, 2016
“The Show Must Go On” The O2, London, UK, 04/07/2018
“Love Of My Life” The O2, London, UK, 02/07/2018
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Firefight Australia, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, 2020
“Radio Ga Ga” Firefight Australia, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, 2020
“Ay-Ohs” Firefight Australia, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, 2020
“Hammer to Fall” Firefight Australia, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, 2020
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” Firefight Australia, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, 2020
“We Will Rock You” Firefight Australia, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, 2020
“We Are the Champions” Firefight Australia, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, 2020
