‘It’s a tricky challenge’ - Adam Lambert on bringing his own personality to Queen appearances

by Something Else!

For Adam Lambert, appearing with Queen — a band established well before he was born — requires a balancing act between honoring their legend and continuing to reach out to the American Idol finalist’s own fan base.

“It’s a tricky challenge, because when I was offered to do these concerts with Queen, I was intimidated and honored at the same time,” Lambert says. “How do I approach it in a way that’s respectful to the Queen fans, that’s respectful to the band, but also that has my own self respect — and respect for my fans?”

Lambert has made a series of appearances with Queen since 2009, beginning when Roger Taylor and Brian May guested on the Idol finale. He then filled in for the late Freddie Mercury at the MTV Europe VMAs in 2011, in July 2012 performances in Ukraine, Russia and Poland and then at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.

“It was a nice balancing act of saying: ‘OK, let’s do it in the vein, or in the spirit of, Freddie,” Lambert says. “What was his intention behind this? What was he trying to provoke out of the audience? And, keeping that in mind, doing it my way, as well. It was a tricky thing, but I had Brian and Roger on stage with me, guiding me through it. If I had been on my own, it probably would have been a little scarier.”

May, Lambert and Taylor will make their stateside debut in September, appearing as Queen at the iHeart Radio festival to held at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.