Brian May Opens Up About the Queen Avatar Show He Ultimately Refused to Make

A new era of live entertainment has allowed iconic groups like ABBA to take the stage once again. Thanks to the newest technology, fans can relive the historic years of the band. But it wasn’t just ABBA. KISS also explored the possibilities of an avatar concert. They even announced an upcoming show. If that wasn’t enough, the Osbourne family dabbled in giving Ozzy Osbourne the avatar treatment. While the age of avatars appeared to be taking over live entertainment, Brian May wasn’t convinced just yet when he wondered what a Queen concert would look like. 

The idea was mesmerizing to May. The ability to bring the biggest moments of Queen to life in one concert. It was more than an idea, as the musician was serious about creating the show. He gained more support when watching the Eagles perform at the Sphere. “We looked at it very seriously, particularly after I saw the [Las Vegas] Sphere and what the Eagles did with the Sphere, which I thought was amazing. And I spent a lot of time planning out what I thought could be a Queen show.”

With May ready to add a new chapter to the legacy of Queen, what happened? According to May, “I’ve kind of backed off now because you can’t do it without massive use of A.I., with all the consequences of that.”

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Brian May Doesn’t Want AI To Steal Queen’s Legacy

Like countless other artists, May wasn’t a supporter of AI being used in the entertainment business. The technology has already proven its vast capabilities that could leave creatives without work. Not only that, but many accused AI of not creating but stealing art from others. 

Taking a stance when it came to AI, May believed it was better to support real artists. “I don’t wanna be stealing the work of other people. If you’re stealing your own work, I’m not quite sure where I stand on it, because you would be stealing from the Queen oeuvre, which maybe is OK, because that’s ours. But at the same time, you’re adding to the stresses that A.I. is putting on the world. So, I don’t know. I’m not so keen as I was.”

While not opposed to a Queen avatar show, for now, May thought it was best to wait. “I think it would be great to have a permanent place where people could go and feel like they’re seeing us play live in our peak, maybe all over the world, maybe at all points in time. The doors are open [with A.I.], but I don’t know if we’re gonna walk through.”

Technology might eventually give fans the chance to watch Queen at any age and from any era. But until May felt comfortable with how that technology got them there, there was nothing to do but wait. 

(Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)