After countless musical projects, including work as producer on current touring partner Kerry Ellis’ 2010 debut – Brian May still has a deep passion for music. That doesn’t mean the Queen guitarist spends a lot of time practicing, however.
“The guitar is still my friend,” May says in this video. “I don’t do much actual practice, but I do pick it up and play around. And, of course, when we’re getting ready to tour, I’ll pick it up just to make sure I get the fingers worked in. It’s very important, because there’s about three square millimeters on the end of each finger which are vital to me. If I go too far, too fast with them, without working myself in, they’ll get sore — and they might even blister. Then, it’s really hard to play. So I conscientiously work the fingers in before the tour.”
Ellis, who originated the Meat role in Queen’s stage production of “We Will Rock You,” went on to star in the musical “Wicked.” She first toured with May in 2011, and then again earlier in the spring.
Earlier this year, the pair released a pop-song goof called “The Kissing Song.” They will return to the road, with proceeds again going to the Born Free foundation in August — with dates planned in France, Italy, and Austria.
“I’m not saying practice is a bad thing,” May adds. “We did a couple of days of rehearsal, just to refresh ourselves. We take it fairly seriously — though we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
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