Sir Brian May confesses to being an “adrenaline junkie” and “glutton for punishment” after surprising fans this week with a performance that could have gone drastically wrong if not timed perfectly.
The Queen guitarist performed Bohemian Rhapsody after appearing from a trap door during the encore segment of We Will Rock You’s opening night at the London Coliseum.
Sharing what a thrill it was on Instagram by posting a video of the performance, the 75-year-old wrote: “Coming up in a cloud of smoke from a trap-door in the stage of the Coliseum Theatre and delivering a live slice of Bohemian Rhapsody, when the whole packed auditorium has been dreaming of it happening the whole night, or so it seems, has got to be just about the greatest gift any guitar player could have.
“The shot of adrenaline it gives ME is massive – literally knocking the breath out of me- partly because it has to be timed to a fraction of a second, and if anything gets stuck or misplaced I could look very silly – partly because the folks in the audience seem to sense that I’m poised on a treacherous tightrope, making such a huge noise that I’m propelled into a state of huge over-adrenalisation and completely on the edge of combustion !!”
READ MORE: Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor surprise Queen fans at We Will Rock You revival
Sir Brian continued: “That risky stuff is very similar to jumping off a cliff under a ‘parapente’ wing ( I know, because I’ve done it) or going on the biggest roller coaster in the park (we’ve all done it – right?) – but in this case I’m on my own with no safety net. Not quite so terrifying as playing live on the roof of Buckingham Palace to an audience of half a billion – but not far off. I guess I must be an adrenaline junkie after all ! Or maybe just a glutton for punishment ?
“Anyway – it was a big thrill to do it at the opening night – the Gala Performance, where basically I’m the icing on a magnificent cake the WWRY company has been cooking the whole night. They did a breathtakingly sharp show – there’s nothing like it for a million miles around. Bless you guys !!!
“And thanks to all who have rocked with us so far. Every house packed – get your tickets quick !!! For suppling this video of the moment – the best one I’ve seen, thanks to @mariasavemefriend3d – who just happened to be in the front row !!! Bri.”
Posting his admiration for the cast, Sir Brian added in another post: “Hah !!! I’m not feeling very legendary the morning after this ‘apparition’ !
“But I gotta tell you the show – the new version of We Will Rock You which we just opened at the Coliseum in London – WILL be legendary for many years to come. We can only stay in Coliseum for 2 months – so don’t miss this incredible experience !!! Bri.”
Queen musical We Will Rock You starring Ben Elton is playing at London Coliseum for 12 weeks only and can be booked here.
