Queen and Paul Rodgers book full North American tour
November 30, 2005
by Jon Zahlaway
liveDaily.com
Weeks after playing a pair of sold-out U.S. showcases, Queen guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers have unveiled plans for a six-week North American tour.
The veteran rockers are set to launch the 23-date run with a March 3 show in Miami, and will touch down at arenas throughout the U.S.; a pair of Canadian dates are also planned, including an April 13 finale in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Tickets for the tour's stops in Washington, DC; the Chicago area; Milwaukee; the Phoenix area; Seattle; and Portland, OR, are scheduled to hit the box office Saturday (12/3), and all of the remaining dates are due to go on sale by Dec. 17, according to a press release. Details are included in the itinerary shown below.
More shows may be added, as a spokesperson said earlier this year that the group was planning to play "about 30 dates" during the outing.
Billed as "Queen + Paul Rodgers," the group will perform a mix of Queen material and songs from Rodgers' former bands, according to a press release. Joining May, Taylor and Rodgers on stage will be bassist Danny Miranda (ex-Blue Oyster Cult), guitarist Jamie Moses (Brian May Band) and keyboardist Spike Edney.
Queen bassist John Deacon is "supportive of his bandmates," but has retired from touring, according to a statement.
Earlier this year, Queen + Paul Rodgers mounted a sold-out, 32-date tour of European arenas. That run included a May 9 stop at England's Sheffield Arena, which recently yielded a two-disc audio set, titled "Return of the Champions," and a companion DVD.
Hollywood Records plans to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Queen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the release of a special anniversary DVD and CD of the album that spawned that hit, "A Night at the Opera." The revamped version of the disc--which was first released in the U.S. on Dec. 7, 1975--will be available "shortly," according to a press release.
Prior to this year's Queen + Paul Rodgers outing, Queen last toured in 1986, before late frontman Freddie Mercury began showing symptoms of AIDS. The singer died of the disease in 1991.
Last year, Rodgers sang with May and Taylor during Queen's induction into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame and at a concert in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar.
"I was always against the idea of putting someone in there trying to impersonate Freddie in any way," May said in a statement. "Then suddenly I'm looking at this guy who doesn't in any sense try to take the place of Freddie. He's nothing like Freddie because he comes from his own place musically and we can reinterpret these songs with someone who understands us--the songs would mean something new."
"There was a natural chemistry between us when we performed together in London," Rogers added. "The idea took hold for us to do something together after that, and the momentum has taken on a life of its own."
The surviving members of Queen have played together at a few events since Mercury's death, including a 1992 tribute to Mercury and at the band's 2001 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Last month, Queen + Paul Rodgers played sold-out shows in New Jersey and Los Angeles.
"It was more than enough to persuade us that it was the right time to return for a lengthier period of dates," May and Taylor said in a statement. "And it is going to be great to be back in some of our favorite cities."
[Note: The following tour itinerary has been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
March 2006
3 - Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
5 - Jacksonville, FL - Veterans Memorial Arena
7 - Duluth, GA - Gwinnett Center
9 - Washington, DC - MCI Center (on sale 12/3)
10 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center
12 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum
16 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
17 - Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena
20 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
21 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
23 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena (on sale 12/3)
24 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
26 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
27 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center (on sale 12/3)
31 - Glendale, AZ - Glendale Arena (on sale 12/3)
April 2006
1 - San Diego, CA - Cox Arena
3 - Anaheim, CA - Arrowhead Pond
5 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
7 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
10 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena (on sale 12/3)
11 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden (on sale 12/3)
13 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Pacific Coliseum
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From the article: Tickets for the tour's stop in the Phoenix area are scheduled to hit the box office Saturday (12/3).
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