Queen Extravaganza Back In The UK

The tour – masterminded by Queen drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May – features artists Taylor handpicked from almost 1,000 entries through an online talent search.

The late Mark Fisher created the staging and production elements, which include rare footage from Queen’s archives plus newly-created imagery.

The show features more than 20 classic Queen songs including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Under Pressure,” “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” “A Kind of Magic,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Somebody to Love,” “Killer Queen” and more.

The Queen Extravaganza includes vocalist Marc Martel, guitarist Nick Radcliffe, bassist Francois-Olivier Doyon, drummer Tyler Warren and keyboardist/musical director Brandon Ethridge. Taylor explained to the UK’s Dorset Echo the idea was to put together a band that would do justice to the music.

“This is our way of saying, ‘Let’s make one that can do things well and do things properly,’” he said, noting he’s especially pleased with singer Martel. “We were so lucky to find this young man as our lead vocalist. If I close my eyes when I listen to him I can hear Freddy. When I hear him singing Bohemian Rhapsody I get shivers down my spine.”

After playing the UK last fall, the Queen Extravaganza launches its 2014 outing this weekend with a run through Europe.

Here are the September dates:

Sept. 5 – Reading, United Kingdom, The Hexagon  
Sept. 6 – Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, The Assembly          
Sept. 8 – Cardiff, United Kingdom, St. David’s Hall
Sept. 9 – Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom, Assembly Hall Theatre        
Sept. 11 – Bristol, United Kingdom, O2 Academy Bristol  
Sept. 12 – Nottingham, United Kingdom, Rock City          
Sept. 13 – London, United Kingdom, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire 
Sept. 15 – Cambridge, United Kingdom, Cambridge Corn Exchange
Sept. 16 – Leeds, United Kingdom, O2 Academy Leeds     
Sept. 18 – Glasgow, United Kingdom, ABC1          
Sept. 19 – Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, Newcastle City Hall
Sept. 20 – Salisbury, United Kingdom, Salisbury City Hall
Sept. 22 – Cheltenham, United Kingdom, Cheltenham Town Hall  
Sept. 23 – Worthing, United Kingdom, Pavilion Theatre

Tickets are on sale now.

For more information visit QueenExtravaganza.com.