TOUR DATES

  15.09.2008 Moscow
  16.09.2008 Moscow
  21.09.2008 Berlin
  23.09.2008 Antwerpen
  24.09.2008 Paris
  26.09.2008 Rome
  28.09.2008 Milan
  29.09.2008 Zurich
  01.10.2008 Munich
  02.10.2008 Mannheim
  04.10.2008 Hannover
  05.10.2008 Hamburg
  07.10.2008 Rotterdam
  10.10.2008 Nottingham
  11.10.2008 Glasgow
  13.10.2008 London
  14.10.2008 Cardiff
  16.10.2008 Birmingham
  18.10.2008 Liverpool
  19.10.2008 Sheffield
  22.10.2008 Barcelona
  24.10.2008 Murcia
  25.10.2008 Madrid
  28.10.2008 Budapest
  29.10.2008 Belgrade
  31.10.2008 Prague
  01.11.2008 Vienna
  04.11.2008 Newcastle
  05.11.2008 Manchester
  07.11.2008 London
  14.11.2008 Dubai
  30.11.2008 Rio De Janeiro
 

Dame Shirley Bassey, Simple Minds and Razorlight will also perform at the event in London on 27 June (08).
Organisers confirmed the headlliners for the Hyde Park event on Tuesday (06May08) and have promised further stars on the bill, with "several major artists keeping silent about their involvement in order to take both Mr. Mandela and the audience by surprise".
Other stars due to make an appearance at the birthday celebrations include Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Forest Whitaker, chatshow queen Oprah Winfrey, and former U.S. president Bill Clinton.
Eminem, U2, Amy Winehouse and the Spice Girls have also been linked to the concert.
 

The 60-year-old musician insisted the character of "Britney" in the show be renamed. Gang members in the play - based on the music of Queen - are named after 20th century icons, with the character formerly known as Spears now taking the moniker of Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. And May admits he made the decision to remove Spears references from the show because he felt sorry for the star. He says, "We have taken out references to her in deference to the fact she is going through such a hard time. The references have always been intended as good-natured fun and even a kind of tribute to her. But we didn't want there to be any risk of the show adding to her pain. "We are very sensitive to the feelings of our fellow artists. We never feel comfortable with anything other than a non-destructive, affectionate gag." Spears was placed on psychiatric evaluation at a Los Angeles hospital last month (Jan08) - the latest episode in the star's well-publicised meltdown. May adds, "We send our love to Britney. We would like to see her back up there, in private and in public - pure spun gold."
 

On October 29, 2007, Eagle Rock Entertainment simultaneously release two incredible DVDs capturing the incomparable Queen in their pomp as the world’s biggest band at a sold out show in 1981 at Montreal’s 18,000-seater Forum. The single 95-minute DVD is "Queen Rock Montreal", and there is a special edition double DVD “Queen Rock Montreal + Live Aid”, clocking in at 138 minutes of footage [Cat Nos EV 30227-9 and EV 30228-9 respectively]. The live CD/LP from the concert is released on the same date on EMI with HD-DVD and Blu-ray versions to follow in November through Eagle.

Following their record-breaking South American tour, the Montreal shows on November 24 and 25, 1981 were to be the only concerts by Queen ever shot on film – indeed they were the first group to shoot an entire show in full cinema format 35mm. These releases offer the best ever sound and picture quality on a Queen concert release. Always a great live band, with two years non-stop touring behind them and Freddie Mercury in front of them, Queen excelled themselves with the cameras rolling. The footage has been digitally restored from the original film and the sound has been newly mixed and mastered for DTS Surround Sound and PCM Stereo from the original multi-track tapes.

“Hello Montreal...long time no see. You wanna get crazy?” asks Freddie as the band tear into their alternative ‘fast’ version of We Will Rock You, and from there on Queen show their hard rock roots, slowing down only for Love of My Life and the more mid-tempo Under Pressure, notably being performed live for the first time in this concert.

The real joy to be had in watching Freddie, Brian, Roger and John performing here is that, unlike any other Queen concert film available, this delivers raw Queen. This is before the Hot Space album, before keyboards would find a place in the band’s touring line up; this is simply four musicians in total cohesion.

Originally titled, “We Will Rock You”, this film was first launched at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1983 - as only Queen could. It was then released in North America (September 1984), becoming the first commercially available film of Queen in concert. For this special edition, the picture has been digitally restored from the original 35mm negative.

The double disc release offers the incredible bonus of a slew of Live Aid features and performances. Regularly polled as the greatest live performance of all time, Queen’s mighty Live Aid show at 6:44pm on July 13, 1985, is here in full. In addition to the set that reinforced Queen’s position as unrivalled rock entertainers, Freddie and Brian’s performance later in the evening of the poignant “Is This The World We Created” is included. Also featured are 11 minutes of never before seen Live Aid rehearsal footage, plus a rehearsal interview with the band. In addition, there’s the curiosity value of a 1982 news feature from US TV series PM Magazine. Brian May and Roger Taylor bring the story up to date with a brand new audio commentary on the Montreal concert.

Both these releases offer extraordinary footage of one if the greatest acts of all time, recorded at the height of the powers. Truly, Rock royalty.

TRACKLISTING
1) Intro
2) We Will Rock You (fast)
3) Let Me Entertain You
4) Play The Game
5) Somebody To Love
6) Killer Queen
7) I’m In Love With My Car
8) Get Down Make Love
9) Save Me
10) Now I’m Here
11) Dragon Attack
12) Now I’m Here (reprise)
13) Love Of My Life
14) Under Pressure
15) Keep Yourself Alive
16) Drum & Timpani Solo
17) Guitar Solo
18) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
19) Jailhouse Rock
20) Bohemian Rhapsody
21) Tie Your Mother Down
22) Another One Bites The Dust
23) Sheer Heart Attack
24) We Will Rock You
25) We Are The Champions
26) God Save The Queen

TRACKLISTING (Double Disc Live Aid footage)
Live Aid:
1) Bohemian Rhapsody
2) Radio Gaga
3) Hammer To Fall
4) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
5) We Will Rock You
6) We Are The Champions
7) Is This The World We Created