Adam Lambert proud of new album... Rehearsals with Queen!

Credit: Ifpress

Former American Idol runner up Adam Lambert couldn't be happier than his sophomore disc, the funk-and-dance influenced Trespassing, debuted at No. 1 in Canada and the U.S. last week.

"I think it was a real accomplishment that the album was able to chart that high without a big single," said a smiling Lambert, 30, in a Toronto hotel room this week, glammed up in black and white tie-dyed, torn pants and lots of silver jewelry with his jet black hair possessing a skunk-like blond streak on top.

"So it's kind of a grassroots, kind of fan movement. (I was) very surprised. I mean, I knew that the fans were going to want a copy but I didn't know what numbers we were dealing with."

Trespassing, whose second single, Never Close Our Eyes is just out now, dropped to No. 7 in Canada and No. 11 in the U.S. this week and Lambert says he probably won't tour until 2013.

But he also made history as the first openly gay singer to have an album debut at No. 1.

"It feels really great," said Lambert, who's also written a quiet, intimate and melancholy song, Outlaws Of Love, about LGBT discrimination on Trespassing.

But, at some point, Lambert wants his sexuality to no longer be a part of the story.

"It's an interesting journey being identified as 'the openly gay pop guy' because I feel like it's a privilege to be an example of somebody that's not making any apologies for it and to try and give young people the feeling of pride and the idea that they can reach their dreams if they want them," he said. "But the flipside to it is that it does get a bit objectified, mainly by the media. I think this milestone of reaching No. 1 and being the first hopefully it makes the statement: That it really doesn't matter. That we just need to move on."

In fact, Lambert moves on to London next week to begin two-week rehearsals with Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor for six European dates together in July.

Lambert first performed We Are The Champions with Queen in 2009 on the eighth season of American Idol's finale on which he was the runnerup and then that tune and two more songs on the 2011 MTV European Music Awards.

"They're really, really cool guys, total class acts," he said.

Lambert said he's not nervous at the prospect of touring with Queen for the first time but admits "there's going to be some work involved."

"But I'm looking forward to it. I think I've worked so hard and been so focused on my project it'll be nice to step into somebody else's world for a minute again. It'll be a creative sidestep and it's a nice sweet, short, little commitment."

 

ROGER TAYLOR TALKS ABOUT THE FREDDIE MERCURY HOLOGRAM, THE QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA & ADAM LAMBERT

Credit: UCR

Queen drummer Roger Taylor put to rest the rumors that Queen, with Freddie Mercury appearing via hologram, would be appearing at the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, which are taking place in London this summer. In a recent interview, Taylor said the idea was brought up, but ultimately rejected.

“We are involved in the closing [ceremonies],” he told Bo and Jim of KZPS in Dallas. “But no hologram, I’m afraid…We thought about doing it…I certainly wouldn’t want to appear alongside a pretend Freddie. It wouldn’t match up to the real thing.”

Taylor was speaking to the radio station about the Queen Extravaganza tour, which kicked off this weekend in Quebec. The drummer believes it will give fans of the band something special.

“We wanted something that would represent our music in the most brilliant and scintillating way, not just another sort of band just covering our stuff,” he continued. “So, we really wanted to put together the whole package, the whole show, with all the professional people that we know. We have the most unbelieveable range of singers and instrumentalists. And it’s just fantastic.”

Taylor also spoke briefly about the concerts in Europe that he and Brian May are doing as Queen with Adam Lambert, calling it “a sort of experiment.”

Listen to Roger Taylor of Queen:

"There will only be one Freddie Mercury" - Adam Lambert

Credit: Los Angeles Times

Lambert will leave himself open again for public scrutiny in July when he fills in for one of his primary influences, the late Freddie Mercury,during five European concerts with Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen. Lambert first joined the English group's remaining members on "Idol."

"It's a daunting task," he said over lunch last month at a Larchmont Boulevard vegan joint. "But I'm looking forward to it. And I feel total faith from them."

The singer admits that he's "started smelling a little bit of doubt" on the part of Queen fans skeptical about Mercury's being replaced. But he insists that's not the case.

"There will only be one Freddie Mercury. I'm not trying to imitate him. I'm not trying to outdo him. I'm just trying to sing great music that he wrote. It's not that deep." He laughs. "Although, yes, it is that deep, because it's Queen! It means a lot to me personally."

Read more: here


 

Freddie Mercury 'to appear' in Queen show

Credit: BBC

Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed that Freddie Mercury will "appear" on stage during a special performance of West End musical We Will Rock You.

He told the BBC that the production team had been working on ways to give the late singer a presence during its 10th anniversary show for some time.

May stressed the new "effect" was not a hologram, calling it "an optical illusion of sorts".

"People will come out saying, 'did we actually see Freddie?'" he added.

The guitarist hinted the musical might employ a similar technique to the one used to make the late rapper Tupac Shakur perform on stage at the Coachella music festival last month.

"It's a little unfortunate they did that thing with Tupac as we've been trying to make Freddie appear on the stage for quite a while," he said.

"[That technique] is something we've looked at ourselves but I think probably for a show that runs eight shows a week it's not really quite practical."

The special performance, on 14 May, will celebrate 10 years of the hit musical at London's Dominion Theatre.

As well as almost all the original London cast in attendance, Hollywood star Robert De Niro - who is one of the show's producers - will also be making an appearance.

"There is a certain person who's coming that's intimately associated with getting the production on in the first place - our friend Bob from Los Angeles," May confirmed.

"We call him Bob so we don't get too overcome with his stardom."

 

Freddie Mercury Biopic... (Update)

Credit: Variety

The "Hugo" team of producer Graham King and star Sacha Baron Cohen are moving forward on their next project, as "The Queen" helmer Stephen Frears has emerged as an early frontrunner to direct GK Films' untitled pic about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, sources tell Variety.

Insiders close to the project insist that several other filmmakers remain in the mix for the coveted gig, but Brit helmer Frears appears to have the inside track for the job, though negotiations have not yet begun.

The latest draft of the script comes from the writing team of Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson, who together penned "Ali" and "Nixon."

Baron Cohen's deal to play Mercury is expected to close in the coming weeks, which will see the release of the Brit thesp's next film, "The Dictator."

King and Tim Headington are producing the Freddie Mercury pic in partnership with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal's Tribeca Prods. and Queen Films.

Story focuses on Queen's formative years, leading up to the band's heralded appearance at Live Aid in 1985. Mercury died of complications from AIDS in 1991, though the film won't focus on the singer's last days.

Producers have already landed a music-rights package that includes Queen's biggest hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions." It's the first time the surviving members of Queen have licensed songs and music publishing rights for a movie about the band. Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon formed Queen Films to be involved with the production, though it remains unclear whether Baron Cohen will perform the musical numbers himself.