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Pictures © Werner Haider
29-OCT-04 A busy day for Brian May and Roger Taylor filled with a Pressconference and Solo-Interviews in Cologne. During my Interview Roger mentions the possibility of a Queen-Tour with Paul Rodgers in 2005 for the very first time!
01-NOV-04 The Austrian Queen Fan Club Vienna featues an excerpt of said Interview on it's homepage.
02-NOV-04 The highly acclaimed Austrian Newspaper KURIER prints my Interviews with Roger & Brian bearing the headline: Wir müssen die Geschichte fortsetzen (We have to add (another Chapter) to the Story)
03-NOV-04 In todays SOapbox Brian slams all tour-rumous as "not true"
REPORT IN AUSTRIAN PAPER
None of this is true! Bri In today's "Kurier" (a well-known and widely read Austrian newspaper) Roger and Brian announced they're collaborating on new music under the name of Queen to be released in 2005 (cf. "Kurier" of Nov. 3rd, 2004, p. 29), and added that they also planned to tour with the new as well as old material, employing Paul Rodgers from The Free as their guest singer replacing (or standing in for, rather) Freddie.04-NOV-04 So i had to write Brian a mail - glad there is that LETTERS-feature on his homepage! Hello Brian Being both the Journalist responsible for that Austrian Interview and a long time Queen-Fan I was quite shocked about your "None of this is true !" comment in yesterday's Soapbox as the interview quotes Roger with the plans for a Queen-album and the possibility of a tour. I know that your opinion on journalist in general is very low - and most times I would glady agree with you, but this time I feel a bit uncomfortable as I was always trying to report the facts and not the fiction. Especially with a cause as delicate as this, even if a possible recording or touring future for the Band Queen it's not as important as the question who runs the White House for the next 4 years... In my now 15 years of music-journalism I took it to my main priority to never missquote an artist as I feel an interview is not a given thing but mainly a matter of trust. So, if you like, I can supply you with said recording of Rogers Statement regarding a new Queen-Album and the possiblity of an upcoming Tour. Not to regain any reputation but mainly because I got the feeling that the correspondent got the re-translation quite wrong (too much of wishful thinking, maybe?) because the original article DID NOT feature anything about "planning to tour with new as well old material" or "employing Paul Rodgers from The Free as their guest singer replacing Freddie" - it just said that there "is the possibility of a tour." and "Brian and I would sing some and we are talking with Paul Rodgers." I hope that this sets the record straight and yes I would love to hear new material and I would also love to see you and Roger perform together again more often as I really did enjoy the Moscow WWRY-Aftershow-Gig. Kind regards, your fellow supporter Thomas
**Sun 07 Nov 04** Todays Soapbox features Brians Reply
REPORT IN AUSTRIAN PAPER
For the world and Vienna! Yes, Mr. Zeidler ... I'm afraid I think the translation put us at cross-purposes!!! I didn't realize it was you ... the pictures you gave me are truly spendid!! Well, now, I'm sorry if my comments put you on a sticky wicket !! I'll try to be precise.... the bits which prompted me into denial were exactly those translation things you mention ... touring with old and new material, I knew was not something Roger could have been specific about ... we both would like to tour, but there are still no firm plans .... we talk all the time .... And ... well, we may indeed work with Paul Rodgers, and it may be soon! But again, "replacing Freddie" ?? well, no! So we are not at odds at all ! and thanks for you support - much appreciated .. Cheers Bri and - it's a kind of magic? - Brian's Soapbox Message from Nov-03-04 now is also changed now into: None of this is strictly true - something lost in translation ???11-NOV-04 Queen perform We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions at the UK Hall Of Fall in London - with PAUL RODGERS. They also do some kind of encore: All Right Now - again together with Paul Rodgers
19-NOV-04 The Internet Radiostation Rockradio features my Interview with Roger Taylor.
20-NOV-04 Again on his Soapbox Brian praises Paul Rodgers:
10-DEC-04 During an Interview with ZDF Roger Taylor talks about THE TOUR - again:
I must just tell you actually, we're enjoying playing, Brian and I, so much at the moment that we've decided we're gonna do a Queen tour. So we're touring in Deutchland, in Germany and in Europe next Spring. So first time in many yearsŠ a Queen tour, so it's brand new news and we're very excited to be doing it, yeah. We're not nervous. We're excited. We're too old to be nervous. It's more exciting than nerve wracking and we have a fantastic who's gonna be singing with us - used to be in a band called Bad Company and his name is Paul Rodgers. He has many, many hits with Free and Bad Company and he's, he was one of Freddie's favourite singers, so, and one of our favourite singers. So it's.. we did one TV show in England with him and it worked very well, so we're very excited to be doing a tour.I think we really, you know, we didn't intend to go on tour but just the right person came along and so it was pure luck reallyŠ chance, yeah.
11-DEC-04 During the Germanys most popular TV-Show "Wetten, Dass?" Queen not only rock through a recordbreaking 5 Song-Set but Brian also tells an audience of 15 Million People "Queen Tour in Spring" Later that evening - there is another update on Brian's Soapbox:
12-DEC-04 Grand Premiere of We Will Rock You in Cologne. There is the traditional After-Show-Party, with the traditional After-Show Gig by Roger & Brian. But unlike London or Moscow the Press and the Fans are not allowed to take any pictures during the 45-Minute-Set. "Due to the upcoming Tour with Paul Rodgers, they don't want any other Live-Pictures to be done" is the comment given by the German WRRY-Promoters. After the Show I had the chance to talk to Brian again - and I also gave him some more pictures i did during the Wetten, Dass? Show in Nuernberg the day before. Hence did I know then what will happen next.
14-DEC-04 Brian features some of my Pictures on his homepage - but there was still more too come ...
20-DEC-04 Could not believe what i saw on Brians Soapbox this morning ...
ALL OF US AND A CRANE - WETTEN, DASS..?
It was a few days ago now, and in a different continent .... but ...
21-DEC-04 And so I DID! And I also used this opportunity to ask Brian a question about the tour ... Do you follow all the discussions in all the Queen Forums about whether this amazing tour is realy Queen and whether you should use the name Queen and so on? I think people should stop this and should rather be looking forward to a great tour! If somebody doesn't like the idea - then don't go to the show. Cause nobody's forcing them!
21-DEC-04 (featured on Brians Soapbox on DEC 26th)
Ah ! A little magic? I have to add this ... I did a Photoshop montage of 3 of your shots to create a unobstructed virtual view (getting rid of the crane)... what do you think ??
21-DEC-04 I did do some Pix of Vera - so I sent them to Brian!
25-DEC-04
Wow ! excellent pics ! - the one of Alex is especially good - I didn't notice him doing this !
cheers and thanks again
bri
26-DEC-04 Again Brian features some pictures of mine on his Soapbox.
27-DEC-04 The first Tickets for the Queen+ Paul Rodgers Tour go on sale