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Queen In 3-D

Stereo Photographs by Brian May

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Press Coverage

Brian May releases never-before-seen pictures of life alongside Freddie Mercury

September 24, 2018

Queen guitarist Brian May will publish incredible unseen 3-D photographs, taken while on the film set of Bohemian Rhapsody, a year after the original book.

 

BUY THE BOOK

DAILY MAIL
When Queen ruled the world: Guitar ace Brian May releases never-before-seen pictures of life alongside Freddie Mercury in planet’s biggest rock band
24 September 2018 by Bhvishya Patel

– New edition of Queen in 3-D on sale on October 23 will reveal set photos from new film Bohemian Rhapsody

– Fans will be able to visit the band backstage from Brian May’s very own stereo camera and see life on the road

– Last year Brian May published the first edition of the book with previously unseen and rare 3-D photographs

EXTRACT:

Queen guitarist Brian May has released fascinating pictures of life on the road with one of the world’s biggest rock bands.

The top musician regularly documented Queen’s rise to fame with his faithful stereo camera and is now sharing more of the results with the rest of the world.

The band’s four members guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor are shown laughing and joking in the candid snaps.

May has also been busy with his camera on the set of the new biopic of the band Bohemian Rhapsody which charts the band’s career up to their crowning moment at Live Aid in 1985.

The results of his camera work will be available to see in the second edition of his book Queen in 3-D hitting book shelves next month.

The musician said: ‘Happily the first edition of Queen in 3-D flew off the shelves, so reprinting has given us a chance to include some extra brand new behind-the-scenes 3-D pictures taken on my Fujifilm 3-D camera during the shooting of Bohemian Rhapsody the movie.

‘They show the four brilliant boys who played the four of us (Queen) in the film in action, plus Lucy Boynton, and some interactions with the old boys themselves!’

Mary Austin, john Deacon and Freddie Mercury

Mary Austin, John Deacon and Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury

For more unseen photos  DAILY MAIL

The second edition of the book, published by The London Stereoscopic Company, will feature incredible personal stereo views of the band and provide an exclusive Brian May patent Lite OWL 3-D viewer.

Queen in 3-D: Updated Edition goes out on the day of the Bohemian Rhapsody film release, October 23 and is available to pre-order now:  BUY THE BOOK

Filed Under: Press

Queen in 3-D Exhibition by Brian May

April 19, 2018

LOMOGRAPHY Gallery Store Soho is thrilled to announce a new exhibition of stereoscopic prints taken from Brian May’s personal archives using the various stereo cameras from Brian’s extensive collection. These photographs document Queen from the 70’s right up to the present day and were recently brought together in the Queen in 3-D book. You’ll get the opportunity to view some exclusive snapshots through the specially made OWL glasses, designed by the man himself.

Hard Life - John Deacon and Roger Taylor - stereo © BrianMay

Hard Life – John Deacon and Roger Taylor – stereo © BrianMay

Queen in 3D Exhibition by Brian May
When: 3rd May – 13th June
Where: Lomography Gallery Store Soho

Lomography are very excited to announce the new exhibition of stereoscopic photos taken by Brian May whilst touring with Queen. From an early age Brian would travel with a stereo (3-D) camera in hand, so on Queen tours and during recordings he was able to capture rare behind-the-scenes moments of one of the world’s greatest rock bands. Decades later these were shared for the first time in Brian’s photographic autobiography, Queen in 3-D, published by his publishing house, The London Stereoscopic Company. Some of the photographs had not even been fully processed until the book was in the making. Initially thought by Brian to be a quick job, this project turned into a labour of love for May and his team which spanned three years. Each time May thought all the photos had been discovered, more 3-D photos were found in forgotten hiding places, revealing more of the band’s story.

Brian May taking a photo with his Pentax © Brian May

Brian May taking a photo with his Pentax © Brian May

This exhibition shows a selection of these stereoscopic images edited by Lomography and Brian and are exhibited at the Lomography Gallery Store Soho for the first time. The Launch Party will be on May 3rd from 6pm. Please be aware that places for this are limited, if you would like to attend please RVSP to store.london.soho@lomography.comand and we will try and fit you in. There will be complimentary drinks available from Monkey Shoulder and the chance to see the images come to life by viewing them through the magical stereoscope that Brian designed and named an OWL, which will be available to use at the gallery.

Note: Brian May will not be attending this event.

Queen in 3-D book package - spread

Queen in 3-D book package

You can see our original interview with Brian May HERE.

Find out more about the Queen in 3D book and take a look at his londonstereo page on Twitter.

Lomography Gallery Store Soho
3 Newburgh Street, London W1F 7RE
Tel. 02074341466
sohostore@lomography.com
Shop Hours
Monday to Saturday: 11am – 7pm
Sunday: 12 – 5pm
Follow us, friend us, check-in and join us on our LomoHome, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

 

Filed Under: News, Press

Welt am Sonntag interview with Brian May [Germany]

January 8, 2018

High praise for Queen in 3-D  in leading German newspaper, Welt am Sonntag – article attached .

 

WELT AM SONNTAG
DAS GESPRÄCH  – [THE CONVERSATION] 07.01.18 January 2018 Page 57
VON MARTIN SCHOLZ

„Es ist gut, dass wir nach dem Krieg offen für Deutschland waren“

[“It’s good that we open after the war were for Germany”]

Er ist Fotograf, Doktor der Astrophysik und einer der großen Gitarristen der Rock-Geschichte. Ein Gespräch mit Brian May von Queen über seine vielen Ichs, Panikschübe und einen Wutausbruch

[He is a photographer, doctor of astrophysics and one the great guitarist the rock story. On Conversation with Brian May from Queen over his many ego, panic episodes and a tantrum]

Brian May
Gitarren-Virtuose und Fotograf

Welt am Sonntagg

 

 

Brian Harold May wurde am 19. Juli 1947 in Hampton bei London geboren. 1963 half ihm sein Vater, ein Elektroingenieur, aus Motorradteilen und dem Material eines Eichenbetts eine eigene Gitarre zu bauen – die inzwischen legendäre „Red Special“. May machte seinen Studienabschluss in angewandter Physik und Mathematik. Seine bereits begonnene Dissertation brach er 1974 allerdings ab, nachdem seine 1970 gegründete Band Queen weltweiten Erfolg hatte. 1991 starb Sänger Freddie Mercury an den Folgen seiner Aids-Erkrankung. May machte darauf hin erst solo weiter. 2004 reanimierte er Queen mit Schlagzeuger Paul Rogers; seit 2009 ist Sänger Adam Lambert dabei. 2007 schloss May am Imperial College doch noch seine Dissertation in Astrophysik ab. Er ist Co-Autor zahlreicher populärwissenschaftlicher Bücher, darüber hinaus Tierschutz-Aktivist und Experte für 3-D-Fotografie. May hat einen Sohn und zwei Töchter aus seiner ersten Ehe, seit 2000 ist er in zweiter Ehe mit der Schauspielerin Anita Dobson verheiratet. Vor Kurzem sind sein Bildband „Queen in 3-D“ (Edel) sowie eine opulente Box zu dem 40 Jahre alten Queen-Album „News

===

Brian May hat seit mehr als 40 Jahren die exakt gleiche Frisur – mit dem einzigen Unterschied, dass seine immer noch schulterlange Lockenmähne inzwischen schlohweiß ist. Der inzwischen 70 Jahre alte Gitarren-Virtuose von Queen hält seine Band auch 26 Jahre nach dem Aids-Tod von Sänger Freddie Mercury am Leben: als Nachlassverwalter und live auf der Bühne mit dem neuen Sänger Adam Lambert. Anlässlich des 40. Geburtstags ihres vielleicht besten Albums „News Of The World“ ist jetzt eine Werkausgabe mit DVD, LP und drei CDs erschienen, auf denen Hymnen wie „We Are The Champions“ und „We will rock you“ in anderen Versionen zu hören sind. Mit Lambert, den die beiden Gründungsmitglieder May und Schlagzeuger Roger Taylor in der US-Casting-Show „American Idol“ entdeckten, ist Queen seit Jahren auf Tournee. Dennoch findet May daneben Zeit für andere Dinge: Vor ein paar Jahren hat er seine Dissertation in Astrophysik abgeschlossen, und seit mehr als 40 Jahren ist er Experte für 3-D-Fotografie. Im unlängst erschienenen Buch „Queen in 3-D“ hat er erstmals zwei seiner Leidenschaften zusammengebracht: Musik und Fotografie. Auf 250 Seiten präsentiert er Hunderte Bilder, die  Queen im Alltag jenseits der Posen zeigen.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Mr May, können wir über Ihre Vorliebe für Auftritte an ungewöhnlichen Orten reden?

BRIAN MAY: Klar. An welche Auftritte haben Sie denn gedacht?

Fangen wir mit dem waghalsigsten an: 2002 standen Sie mit Ihrer Gitarre auf dem Dach des Buckingham Palace und eröffneten mit „God Save The Queen“ das Konzert zum goldenen Thronjubiläum von Königin Elizabeth II. Wie kommt man denn auf so eine Idee?

Man hatte mich angerufen und zunächst gefragt, ob ich, auf der Gitarre „God save the Queen“ spielend, durch die Herrschaftsräume des Buckingham Palace gehen wollen würde. Das konnte ich mir überhaupt nicht vorstellen und schlug spontan vor: „Warum kann ich nicht auf dem Dach spielen?“ Doch kaum hatte ich den Hörer aufgelegt, durchzuckte es mich: „Oh Gott, was ist da nur in mich gefahren?! Sie werden es mir nie erlauben, auf dem Dach des Palastes zu spielen.“ Fünf Minuten später rief mich Michael Kamen, der musikalische Leiter des Konzertes, zurück: „Der Palast findet deine Idee gut. So machen wir es.“ Mir drehte sich der Magen um.

Warum?

Weil mir erst in dem Moment klar wurde, wie bloßgestellt ich da oben und wie schwierig es sein würde, diesen Auftritt gut hinzubekommen – vor etwa einer Milliarde Fernseh-Zuschauer. In den nächsten Wochen der Vorbereitung erlebte ich erstmals richtige Angst, dass ich es vermasseln würde. Es wurde immer komplizierter: Ich wollte unsere Nationalhymne improvisieren. Das war für die Verantwortlichen der absolute Horror. Sie wollten, dass ich alles vorher aufnahm. Das kam für mich nicht infrage. Ich wollte nicht, dass man sich an mich als jenen Typen erinnert, der mit Gitarre auf dem Dach der Königin zu „God save the Queen“ nur gemimt hätte. Wir haben es dann erst mal mit Orchester geprobt und 14 Mal aufgenommen – keine einzige Aufnahme hatte funktioniert. Jetzt wurde ich richtig unruhig: Wenn es schon im Studio nicht klappte, wie sollte es dann auf dem windumtosten Dach funktionieren? Ich wurde panisch, fragte meine Frau: „Was soll ich nur machen?“ „Üben, üben“, sagte sie. Ich habe dann wie verrückt eprobt, bis der Song Teil meines Körpers war. Aber die Angst war immer noch da.

So schlimm? Sie haben doch jahrzehntelang vor Zigtausenden von Zuschauern gespielt.

Ich weiß noch genau, wie ich am Tag des Auftritts am Tower vorbeifuhr – mein Magen rumorte, ich fühlte mich wie gelähmt.

Wie überwanden Sie Ihre Panikschübe?

Ich sah meiner Angst ins Gesicht. Das hatte ich bei meinen früheren Klinik-Aufenthalten gelernt, als ich mich wegen Depressionen behandeln  ließ. Zum Beispiel, dass ich mir im Angesicht von scheinbar unüberwindbaren Hürden erst einmal selbst eingestehen muss, dass ich  machtlos bin. Danach fühlte ich mich gestärkt, von dem Moment an konnte ich mich auf jene Aufgaben konzentrieren, auf die ich selbst Einfluss hatte. Hat an dem Tag ganz gut geklappt. Als ich den Song beendet hatte, sagte ich nur: „Thank you God, dass ich diesen Auftritt nicht ruiniert habe.“

Ein anderer außergewöhnlicher Auftrittsort war für Sie die Frankfurter Festhalle. In Ihrem Buch loben Sie die außergewöhnliche Architektur der Halle, sind sich aber auch durchaus deren düsterer Geschichte bewusst: Sie erwähnen die Hassreden, die Adolf Hitler dort hielt – und weisen darauf hin, dass Sie einige Ihrer 3-D-Fotos von genau jenem Platz aus gemacht hatten, wo Hitler einst vor die Massen trat.

Ja, als ich eines der Fotos machte, stand ich auf Hitlers Balkon in der Festhalle. Es war jedes Mal auch ein merkwürdiges Gefühl, in dieser Halle zu spielen. Ich habe das in meinem Buch so beschrieben, dass in der Festhalle zweifellos etwas sehr Machtvolles lauert.

Hat Ihnen das Angst gemacht?

Nein, es war nie so, dass wir im Bewusstsein um die Geschichte dieser Halle Angst gehabt hätten. Wir haben uns dort eher als Teil von etwas Neuem gefühlt: Vier Engländer, die gerade dort eine besonders enge Beziehung zu ihren deutschen Fans aufbauten. Wir hatten viele Diskussionen darüber mit unserem damaligen deutschen Veranstalter Fritz Rau. Nicht nur über die Festhalle,  auch über die dunklen Kapitel der deutschen Geschichte und seine eigenen Erfahrungen in jenen Jahren – und auch über die Lehren, die er persönlich daraus zog.

Wie fühlten Sie sich in diesen Mauern?

Ich empfand in der Festhalle immer ein grenzenloses Gefühl der Euphorie. Mein Vater hätte dieses Gefühl nur schwer nachvollziehen können. Ähnlich erging es ihm, als wir in Japan nicht nur Erfolg hatten, sondern von dem Land regelrecht begeistert waren. Er konnte nur schwer nachvollziehen, dass unsere Band eine Liebesbeziehung mit jenem Land hatte, das Großbritanniens Kriegsgegner gewesen war. Aber: Die Zeiten ändern sich, und es ist gut, dass wir nach dem Krieg offen für Deutschland und viele andere Länder waren.

Inzwischen erleben wir eine andere Zeitenwende: Vor ein paar Wochen haben Sie den Brexit in einem Gastkommentar für den „Daily Mirror“ ungewöhnlich scharf kritisiert. Ihre Premierministerin Theresa May bezeichneten Sie als Witzfigur, warfen ihr unersättlichen Machthunger und Skrupellosigkeit vor. Verzweifeln Sie gerade an Ihrem Land, dass Sie Ihrer Wut derart freien Lauf lassen?

Ich habe mich in dem Kommentar nicht zurückgehalten, das stimmt. Der Brexit ist das Dümmste, was Großbritannien in meiner Lebenszeit je gemacht hat. Es ist ein Desaster, weil die Verluste, die dadurch entstehen, für uns gewaltig sein werden.

Als Sie im Herbst auf der Frankfurter Buchmesse zu Gast waren, verkündeten Sie trotzig in Anlehnung an Kennedy: „Ich bin ein Frankfurter“. Sehen Sie sich als Botschafter für ein anderes Großbritannien?

(lacht) Das zu sagen, war mir genauso wichtig, wie herauszustellen, dass Brian May nicht mit Theresa May verwandt ist. Es war von Anfang an falsch, die Briten aufzufordern, über den Brexit abzustimmen – von dessen Tragweite die meisten keine Ahnung hatten. Das geht alles auf David Camerons verrückte Eitelkeit zurück und seine aberwitzige Annahme, das Referendum würde ihn stärken. Genau das Gegenteil war der Fall – er wurde vom Hof gejagt. Und Theresa May hatte es zuletzt genauso gemacht, als sie Neuwahlen ausrief in der Hoffnung, dadurch ihre Position stärken zu können. Dass sie ursprünglich für den Verbleib in der EU gestimmt hatte und jetzt genau das Gegenteil davon umsetzt, ist eine weitere absurde Fußnote. Sie ist, wie Cameron vor ihr, getrieben von Eitelkeit und Machthunger.

Das regt Sie ganz schön auf.

Mich regt auf, dass es ein paar wenige Politiker geschafft haben, uns in diesen Graben zu stoßen. Ich hoffe sehnlichst, dass wir es schaffen, uns da wieder rauszuarbeiten. Für mich und viele andere Briten ist das eine absolute Tragödie, weil die Geschichte in die falsche Richtung geht. Ich habe be mich immer als Europäer gesehen, mir war es wichtig, Gemeinsamkeiten herauszudeuten und zusammenzuarbeiten. Der Brexit zerstört die Arbeit einer ganzen Generation, die Europa zusammengebracht hat. Und Musik hatte für Queen – nicht nur in diesem Kontext – immer eine erstaunliche, heilsame Kraft. Weil wir mit Songs wie „We will rock you“ oder „We are the champions“ die Menschen zusammengebracht haben. Überall auf der Welt. Das sind für mich wertvolle Momente, Erlebnisse, von denen ich glauben möchte, dass sie es unwahrscheinlicher machen, dass es zu Kriegen kommt.

In Ihrem Bildband sind Sie mit Ihrer Mutter vor Ihrem Jaguar zu sehen – vor dem Rosenbeet Ihrer Mutter. In den Credits weisen Sie darauf hin, dass es Ihr Vater war, der das Bild mit der 3-D-Kamera aufgenommen hat.

Ja, der Rockstar kommt nach Hause zu Mammi, der stolze Dad fotografiert. (lacht)

Ihr Vater war Elektroingenieur. Er hat Sie zwar musikalisch gefördert, Ihnen beim Bau Ihrer Gitarre geholfen, war aber strikt dagegen, dass Sie Musiker werden. Er wünschte sich, dass Sie eine akademische Laufbahn einschlagen. Zeigt dieses Bild auch, dass er seine Meinung später geändert hat?

Das Bild bedeutet mir sehr viel, weil mein Vater wirklich sehr, sehr dagegen war, dass ich Musiker wurde. Ich hatte ja bereits ein abgeschlossenes Physik-Studium; mein Dad war fest überzeugt, dass ich einen anständigen Akademiker-Job bekommen würde. Und er war absolut beschämt, als ich ihm sagte, ich wolle Rockstar werden. Erst später, nachdem ich meine Mutter und ihn zu einem unserer ausverkauften Konzerte in den New Yorker Madison Square Garden eingeladen hatte, wurde ihm klar, was wir erreicht hatten. Er nickt nur anerkennend: „Okay, Brian.“

Dabei hatten Sie Ihre Doktorarbeit über die „Radialgeschwindigkeit von interplanetarem Staub“ ja zunächst angefangen – 1974 dann aber abgebrochen, als Sie mit Queen ein Welt-Star wurden. 23 Jahre später haben Sie sie dann doch noch abgeschlossen, sind jetzt Dr. May der Astrophysik. Fragen Sie sich manchmal, wer Sie sind und wie viele?

(lacht) Das Leben steckt voller Anforderungen. Ich bereue nichts. Ich hatte unglaubliches Glück: Ich konnte den Weg eines Rockstars einschlagen und viel später noch einmal zu meiner anderen Leidenschaft, der Astronomie, zurückkehren, sogar meinen Doktor machen. Dieser Titel hat mir noch einmal viele Türen geöffnet. Ich schreibe populärwissenschaftliche Bücher, treffe mich mit Nasa-Experten, die Missionen zum Pluto und zu Asteroiden ausbaldowern. Ich liebe es, die Träume dieser Menschen teilen zu können.

Gibt es eine Aufnahme aus Ihrem Fundus, auf die Sie besonders stolz sind?

Ja, ich habe ein Foto von Freddie gemacht, wie er gerade sein Make-up auflegt. Er war sich in dem Moment nicht bewusst, dass ich ihn fotografierte. Dieses Foto drückt für mich aus, wie Freddie wirklich war.

Wie denn?

Es gab diesen einen Teil von ihm, der überlebensgroß und explosiv war, ein Showman. Backstage und im Privatleben war er dagegen sehr ruhig und scheu. Freddie war für mich wie ein Bruder. Deshalb trifft mich sein Verlust immer noch so schwer. Freddie können wir nicht mehr erleben, und auch unseren Bassisten John Deacon sehe ich nicht mehr, seit er sich vor Jahren ganz aus der Musik zurückgezogen hat und nicht mehr mit uns auftritt. Das erfüllt mich mit großer Traurigkeit, denn inzwischen sind von der Originalbesetzung nur noch Roger und ich übrig, die weitermachen.

Dank Ihrer diversen Interessen haben Sie ja eigentlich immer genug zu tun – was treibt Sie an, dennoch mit Queen weiter um die Welt zu reisen?

Es ist nach wie vor ein erfüllendes Gefühl, auf der Bühne zu stehen, etwas Spektakuläres zu bieten und eine Menge Lärm zu machen. Adam Lambert ist für mich wie ein Geschenk Gottes. Es war nicht so, dass wir nach einem neuen Sänger gesucht hätten, wir wurden einfach durch die Castingshow auf ihn aufmerksam. Mit ihm konnten wir wieder auf Tournee gehen – Gott sei Dank. Wir haben viel Spaß zusammen. Adam ist nicht Freddie, und er versucht auch gar nicht, so wie Freddie zu sein. Adam ist einfach er selbst. Aber Freddie ist immer noch bei uns auf den Tourneen. Wenn ich „Love Of My Life“ sing und dazu nur die Akustik-Gitarre spiele, wird ein Live-Mitschnitt von Freddie auf der Leinwand gezeigt, am Ende ist er es, der die letzte Strophe singt. Für mich ist das immer ein kostbarer Moment, denn Freddie gehört in unsere Show. Er war immer ein Teil von uns, wird es immer sein.

Filed Under: Press

“Queen Comes Alive in 3-D”- Billboard

December 20, 2017

BILLBOARD
2 December 2017 by Lyndsey Havens

FLASHBACK
QUEEN COMES ALIVE IN 3-D

At the height of Its power Queen was always being documented – often by guitaristBrian May, with his stereo camera snapping photos on and off stage. In August. the 70-year old released the band biography Queen in 3-D through his London Stereoscopic Company. a collection of 300 never-before-seen career-spanning photos that come to life through special viewing glasses. Now, as Queen celebrates the 40th anniversary of 1977’s News of the World (which housed hits like We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions”, May breaks down favourite photos from that time, which he says “seems like yesterday.”

1. May. pictured onstoge during Queen’s 1978 U.S. Jazz Tour, started lending his Stereo Realist camera for 3-D slides to professional photographers during Queen’s shows.“A 3-D picture feels like you can walk into it and touch the people in it,” says May. “If we enable [fans) to experience these In 3-D they too willI be able to feel that they’re back in those moments with us.”

2. When a photo for the cover of the book, May says this image of Freddie Mercury leapt out at him.”This is such an iconic picture of [hIm]. It sums up so much of when he’s in his prime – you can see every vein in his arm and every bead of sweat. You can see tho power of the man. To me. that summed up the book. People ask, ‘Why don’t you put the four of you on the front?’ From the very earliest times we were conscIous that Freddie was our icon. He was that symbol of what we are.”

3. “We were always into our toys,” says May of what they called “pizza oven” onstage lights. “What people have forgotten is you couldn’t change the colours in those days. So if you had red over here and green on the other side, that’s it. You only got on and off. We were conscious of that, and when we design our new shows, there’s a strong retro element.”

4. Roger Taylor’s bass drum had the robot from the News of the World album cover art emblazoned on It and was used only on the U.S. leg of the band’s world tour. “Roger takes credit for [the album artwork) because he found a 1950s copy of AstoundIng ScIence Fiction and Fact, and on the cover was this picture of the robot. holding a soldier in his hand. We loved the look and feel of it “

Billboard "Queen comes alive in 3-D"

Filed Under: Press

Queen in 3-D – The Most Beautiful Books of the Year – Entertainment Weekly

December 15, 2017

Queen in 3-D was featured in the December 15th issue of Entertainment Weekly in the Book section, “The Most Beautiful Books of the Year”.

“In this interactive book, Queen’s May takes fans through the band’s wild journey.  Photographs appear in 3-D using a plastic stereoscope  view of May’s own invention.”

ET: The Most Beautiful Books of the Year

EW: Queen in 3-D (extract)

ET: The Most Beautiful Books of the Yea

 

Filed Under: Press

Books: Christmas Gifts [The Irish News]

December 7, 2017

THE IRISH NEWS
Books: Christmas gifts, from Jamie Oliver’s fast food to a new Corrie novel

If your idea of Christmas heaven is a new book to get lost in, here are some stocking-filler suggestions to suit all tastes … …

—

MUSIC
3. Queen in 3-D by Brian May (The London Stereoscopic Company, £50)

This visually-amazing 3-D-llustrated book casts light on the band from the perspective of May, its founder and lead guitarist. It features never-before-seen pictures of the band from his own personal archive, many of which were taken on stereoscopic cameras during the height of the band’s fame. May also shows different sides of Freddie Mercury in this intimate view of the band. He narrates the stories behind each photograph, drawing fans deeper into the image, time and space.

Filed Under: Press

Amazing unseen photos of Freddie Mercury, Queen and Adam Lambert revealed

November 29, 2017

Plus, an exclusive, moving extract from Brian May’s new photographic autobiography about ‘gift from God’ Adam

3 photos - Queen, Adam, Freddie

 GAY STAR NEWS
Queen, Adam Lambert and Freddie Mercury
| Photos: Courtesy of Brian May/Queen in 3-D
28 November 2017 by Jamie Tabberer

He tragically passed away in 1991 at the tender age of 45.  But Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s memory lives on in the band’s continued legacy – as well as in new, unseen photos from guitarist Brian May.

Brian's favourite shot

In his new book ‘Queen in 3-D’, the first to be written by a band member, Brian reveals hundreds of images of Queen’s late, great voice, as well as Adam and the surviving band members – some, such as the below shot, and the fourth from bottom shot, for the very first time.  May also tells the story of exactly how Adam Lambert came to join the band in the book, as the band’s latest tour hits the UK.

Freddie at Radio City

In one chapter, ‘Enter Madam Lambert’, May recalls how ‘gift from God’ Adam changed the course of Queen forever. Read the extract below.

‘I suddenly started getting messages saying: “There is this incredible guy on ‘American Idol’ who has sung one of your songs in the competition, and looks like he may win the whole season.” So I immediately checked out YouTube to find out what was going on; and, sure enough, there was this amazing young chap singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Adam Lambert.

Brian and Adam - stereo

‘And it was evident that he was something completely out of the ordinary. And into my inbox came a deluge of people saying, “You must get together with this guy; he is the natural successor to Freddie; he is the guy you should be touring with.”

‘Then we got a call, Roger and I, inviting us to come and play in LA on American Idol, with the two finalists, one of whom was Adam. So we went over and did our live dramatic heroic entrance with these two boys, and it really was a fun experience.

Bri and Adam - stereo

‘The idea of us working with Adam was seeded in our brains’

‘They were both good singers and both had a good presence on stage, and it was easy to interact with them. But it was really blindingly obvious that there was a chemistry already between us and Adam.

‘It just happened completely naturally and made us all smile. The public reaction was massive, and so I think from that moment the idea of us working with Adam was seeded in our brains.

‘It was not to happen for quite a while, though, because Adam, in common with most of the contestants on these programmes, was signed up following the competition, which, incidentally he didn’t win.

‘But of course that made no difference. Adam was already perceived as a star by his fans and the media and that’s without Queen having anything to do with it. In the fullness of time we found ourselves booked to do an awards show in Belfast, and Adam was booked to do the same show.

John and Freddie - stereo

‘We all thought it would be a blast to appear together, just to see what happened. So we did a couple of days of rehearsal and then, totally live (as we always are), on British TV we played “The Show Must Go On”, “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions”.

‘The response was stupendous. It was pretty much unanimously “this works”. So immediately we started thinking, “let’s try some gigs, just to see what happens.”

‘I always think that Freddie, with a wicked smile, would say something like “I hate you, Madam Lambert”’

‘The thing snowballed very quickly, and we started a long and very fruitful association with Adam in which he has become one of us, part of our family. He’s never attempted to be Freddie, and I think that’s what endears him to the fans, apart from the fact that he is an extraordinary singer with an extraordinary presence.

Queen with small plane

‘I always think that Freddie, with a wicked smile, would say something like “I hate you, Madam Lambert,” because even Freddie would have been gobsmacked at his range and his ability to reinterpret these songs which the four of us originally created together.

‘There are people out there who think it’s something quite unforgivable that we should be touring at all. They think we should pack up our gear and go into an old people’s home.

Queen in 3-D cover

‘But it’s been very obvious that not just the old folks, but at least two new generations around the world have absolutely latched on to Queen music, and love it, and have woven it into their lives; and they love seeing us play it live with this “boy”!’

All photos in the book were taken on Brian’s stereo (3-D) cameras, many by the rockstar himself.

The book comes with a 3-D viewer designed by Brian (he named it an Owl) that will bring the images to life.

Queen in 3-D is out now. Published by the London Stereoscopic Company.

Filed Under: Press

Queen legend Brian May in town to launch major new book on band’s history

November 28, 2017

LIVERPOOL ECHO
28 November 2017 by Naomi Taylor

“I went through quite a trip doing it. So in a way I’m sort of sharing the last 50 years of Queen”

Queen guitarist Brian May was in town for the launch of a major new book on the band – ahead of their much-anticipated gig at the ECHO Arena.

The rock legend visited Liverpool’s Waterstones store as the book, Queen in 3D, hits shelves. The stereoscopic book captures the history of Queen through May’s personal archives, using the various stereo cameras he has carried throughout his life.

He told the ECHO: “I went through quite a trip doing it. So in a way I’m sort of sharing the last 50 years of Queen. It’s different from your normal book, with this you get a sort of time machine.”

 

Brian at Waterstones Liverpool

Queen legend Brian May with his new book at Waterstone’s book store in Liverpool One.
Jason Roberts (Image: Liverpool Echo)

Initially, May said he thought it would be a quick project but the creation of the book turned into a long-term commitment for the lead guitarist as the uncovered photos continued to pop up, prompting further memories and filling gaps in the narrative. He said: “I suppose the project took about two years but in a sense I was writing it forever.

Brian May at Waterstones Liverpool

Queen legend Brian May with his new book at Waterstone’s book store in Liverpool One.
Jason Roberts (Image: Liverpool Echo)

“I was shocked how much came out of me because my memory isn’t actually that great these days but as soon as I saw the pictures in the book and I see them in 3D these things come flooding back. The 3D pictures are extraordinarily evocative for me. With the 3D images it’s a lot more intense because you feel like you’re there.

Brian May at Waterstones Liverpool

Queen legend Brian May with his new book at Waterstone’s book store in Liverpool One.
Jason Roberts (Image: Liverpool Echo)

This evening, Queen and singer Adam Lambert will take to the Arena stage with a specially designed state of the art production that will acknowledge this year’s 40th anniversary of Queen’s biggest selling studio album, News of the World, in 1977. Queen in 3-D, Brian May, published by The London Stereoscopic Company, is £50 from www.queenin3-d.com

Filed Under: Press

Brian May: How Adam Lambert joined Queen

November 28, 2017

Classic Rock Magazine has extracted from Brian May’s “Queen in 3-D” book, as follows:

Brian and Adam on stage - stereo

CLASSIC ROCK
27 November 2017 by Brian May

Brian May’s book ‘Queen in 3-D’ tells the band’s story, from first album to the arrival of ‘Madam Lambert’. Here, May reveals how the American Idol star became part of the Queen family

BRIAN MAY

“After we’d finished touring with Paul Rodgers, once again Roger and I felt we were done, and probably that would be the end of Queen touring. We didn’t go out looking for a singer who sounded like Freddie and we didn’t embark on one of these TV searches for stars. We just quietly got on with our business. But fate was to intervene. A gift from God?!

By 2009 we were well into the age of dominance of social media – but also of ‘Idol’ type TV talent shows. I suddenly started getting messages saying: “There is this incredible guy on American Idol who has sung one of your songs in the competition, and looks like he may win the whole season.”

So I immediately checked out YouTube to find out what was going on; and, sure enough, there was this amazing young chap singing Bohemian Rhapsody – Adam Lambert. And it was evident that he was something completely out of the ordinary. And into my inbox came a deluge of people saying, “You must get together with this guy; he is the natural successor to Freddie; he is the guy you should be touring with.”

Then we got a call, Roger and I, inviting us to come and play in LA on American Idol, with the two finalists, one of whom was Adam. So we went over and did our live dramatic heroic entrance with these two boys, and it really was a fun experience. They were both good singers and both had a good presence on stage, and it was easy to interact with them. But it was really blindingly obvious that there was a chemistry already between us and Adam. It just happened completely naturally and made us all smile. The public reaction was massive, and so I think from that moment the idea of us working with Adam was seeded in our brains.

It was not to happen for quite a while, though, because Adam, in common with most of the contestants on these programmes, was signed up following the competition, which, incidentally he didn’t win. But of course that made no difference. Adam was already perceived as a star by his fans and the media and that’s without Queen having anything to do with it.

In the fullness of time we found ourselves booked to do an awards show in Belfast, and Adam was booked to do the same show. We all thought it would be a blast to appear together, just to see what happened. So we did a couple of days of rehearsal and then, totally live (as we always are), on British TV we played The Show Must Go On, We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. The response was stupendous. It was pretty much unanimously “this works”. So immediately we started thinking, “let’s try some gigs, just to see what happens.”

The thing snowballed very quickly, and we started a long and very fruitful association with Adam in which he has become one of us, part of our family. He’s never attempted to be Freddie, and I think that’s what endears him to the fans, apart from the fact that he is an extraordinary singer with an extraordinary presence.

Roger and I have seen literally thousands of singers in our lifetimes including some great ones auditioning for our We Will Rock You show (which, did I mention, ran for 12 solid years in The Dominion Theatre on the Tottenham Court Road in London?) but we’ve never seen or heard anything like Adam. I always think that Freddie, with a wicked smile, would say something like “I hate you, Madam Lambert,” because even Freddie would have been gobsmacked at his range and his ability to reinterpret these songs which the four of us originally created together.

There are people out there who think it’s something quite unforgivable that we should be touring at all. They think we should pack up our gear and go into an old people’s home.

But it’s been very obvious that not just the old folks, but at least two new generations around the world have absolutely latched on to Queen music, and love it, and have woven it into their lives; and they love seeing us play it live with this ‘boy’.

He is a little older now, but still a boy compared with us old rockers. But the age difference doesn’t matter. We have the same work ethic, the same enjoyment of the material, and in these arenas and larger places that we’ve played all I see are happy faces, people who feel, like us, that it’s a privilege to share these kinds of moments, long after Freddie has gone. And – my God – it’s fun!

This is excerpted from Queen in 3-D by Brian May, published by the London Stereoscopic Company. It’s on sale now priced £50.

Slipbound and featuring 300 3D photos, including previously unseen pictures of Queen, the book also comes with the Owl Viewer, a device designed by Brian May for viewing stereoscopic images. Selected images from the book can be seen below.

Queen + Adam Lambert are currently on your in the UK. Tickets are on sale now.

Brian's favourite shot

Young Brian with camera

John and Freddie - stereo

Brian May taking a photo with his Pentax

John and Roger - Hard Life stereo

Brian and Adam stage shot - stereo

Queen with small plane

Filed Under: Press

Brian May, Queen’s three-dimensional rock star

November 24, 2017

Launching “Queen in 3-D” to the Press in Ireland, The Irish Times carries an interview with Brian May.

THE IRISH TIMES
As they play the 3Arena, Queen’s lead guitarist talks about his passion for 3-D photography and his book of band images
24 November 2017 by Ronan McGreevy

Brian May Odyssey Arena, Belfast

Brian May of Queen at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast in 2011. Photograph: Ian Gavan/Getty Images

 

Book coverThe cover image of Freddie in his prime was taken by my friend Neil Preston with my camera. You can se.e every vein and every bead of sweat. I just love that. It’s so real

Some people will find it unusual that Queen in 3-D is the first book penned by an original member of Queen.

BRIAN MAY:
Yes, it is true. I’m very proud of it. I never thought it would grow to what it has become. I love just holding it and playing with it and seeing the reaction that people have when they look at the pictures in 3D. It’s very rewarding.

The book is semi-autobiographical as the photographs seem to evoke memories of the past.
I wasn’t sure my memory was very good. If you ask me what I did in 1981, I probably can’t tell you. When I look at these stereo pictures, it evokes such strong feelings and emotions and memories. Every time I looked at a picture it brought out a story. That’s the genesis of the book.

Is there any photograph in the book in particular that brought back powerful memories?

Yes, particularly the one of Freddie doing his make-up. I had no idea that it was in my possession. It was on a roll of film which I had exposed and had processed.

In those days you had to send things away to be processed, but I had never mounted the film and put it in the cardboard mouse to view it in 3D.

My colleague and archivist had found it in a box which had been squirreled away in a drawer. I was shocked to see it. It is one of my favourite photographs of Freddie Mercury and one of the most unguarded. It was really a lost treasure.

I also love where Freddie is taking a picture of me while I’m taking a picture of him. I like the ones where we would check into an arena and I would give the camera to somebody local and explain how it works.

Sometimes I wouldn’t get very much, but, occasionally, in the hands of somebody who grasped the concept, I would get something great.

After a while I finally tweaked that it was best to get it to a professional. The cover image of Freddie in his prime was taken by my friend Neil Preston with my camera. You can see every vein and every bead of sweat. I just love that. It’s so real.

The book in its entirety would suggest that Queen was a great adventure. Was it a wonderful time for you and the band members?

It still is. We are playing shows that are bigger than we ever played and the reaction has been astounding. I feel fortunate we have this incredible adventure in our lives.

You write in the book about the difference between life in the studio and life on the road. There were a lot of tensions in the studio but not on the road. How difficult were some of those days in the studio for you?

Some of those days got pretty black. The studio was always a hard time. We were chiselling out a new direction. In each one of our minds that direction was different. It was hard. Every note was fought over in many cases. I can’t say it was all bad in the studio, but there were days.

On the road, generally, there was a feeling of joy. No matter what happened on the road, you did have to entertain people. No matter what ideas you had about yourself and your message, the idea is to go out and entertain people and help them forget about their sorrows for a couple of hours. It is a noble quest. I still enjoy it immensely.

A lot of people assume 3D is a new invention, but it has been around since the dawn of photography. How common was your interest in 3D photography in the 1970s and 1980s?

It still isn’t common actually. We’ve all seen Avatar now and How to Train Your Dragon so we know what 3D is, but I still find myself having to explain what stereo photography is which surprises me because it is such a beautiful, wonderful, evocative thing.

Ever since I was a kid and I first saw a 3D hippopotamus, I couldn’t understand why people don’t it all the time because it is thrilling to see things in 3D. I still get off on it. I still get absolutely thrilled looking around me and seeing things in 3D. If you look at my Instagram account, you’ll see lots of 3D pictures from yesterday and today. It is still alive and in me.

You designed the owl viewer which comes with the book. Can I assume your background in science (he has a PhD in astrophysics) and the fact that you make your own guitars helped in that regard?

Yes. I’ve always been somebody who would like to make things and invent things. I didn’t invent stereo photography, but I did design that particular viewer because there wasn’t a modern equivalent of the stereoscopic viewers that were around in Victorian times. It is exactly based on those principles. It is still the best form of 3D you can get and it doesn’t give you any eyestrain or headaches. It also insulates you in your private world which I love. It is one of those things that transports you.

You’re coming to Dublin on Saturday night. What can the fans expect?

This is the most ambitious show that we have ever tried. There are about nine months’ thought and action gone into it. We were a little laissez-faire in the past, but this time we have planned everything and there are some great ideas based around revisiting the album News of the World after 40 years ago so the robot we call Frank is making an appearance, but I won’t tell you any more than that, but there is a lot of fun in this show.

It is almost a filmic production, but the base of it is us playing our music. The music is, as ever, live and dangerous. It doesn’t have any backing tracks. You get the mistakes as well. You get everything unfolding in front of your eyes.

Queen in 3-D published by the London Stereoscopic Company is available priced €60. Queen and Adam Lambert play the 3Arena on Saturday night

READ HERE

Filed Under: Press

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