Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy

Dear James,

Quick question for you. If you were to form a Queen tribute band, would you call said band "Bigot". I've been trying to work out all afternoon why these people thought this would be a good idea. "Bigote" is Spanish for "moustache", but the Freddie-impersonator doesn't have one, so that doesn't make much sense. Bigot asked me to be their Facebook friend. I told them I already had one Queen-tribute Facebook friend, but accepted their invitation all the same. We people have to stick together.

I once met Pablo Padín, the Freddie of Dios Salve La Reina. I told him if he wanted I could give him some classes to improve his pronunciation. He gave me a look which many would interpret as the "Who the fuck are you?" look. But he still gave me his autograph. I read it. It said "Pablo Padín". That really shattered my illusions.



Dear Daniel,

Have a scan down the list of acts featured on this blog. 17! 17! I'm about ready to propose a moratorium on all things Queen.

Dear James,

How very dare you? I haven't posted 17 Queen videos, we've just mentioned them in the general course of things because when you think about it, all music comes back to Queen one way or another. And you've mentioned Eric Clapton four times, which is far worse.

You Are Not Alone

Dear James,

In case you're still crying over missing Dios Salve La Reina when you're over, I've just found out that Liza Minelli will be performing the Sunday after you arrive. Let me know how many tickets you want.

This is a very touching tribute to Michael Jackson. It comforts me to know that Mr. Jackson has such grounded friends in his decade of need. I'm not sure about the dark, sinister figures who come on stage half way through the song. Maybe they represent his demons. You're never alone with them around.

Oh, my mistake. That's a gospel choir.

Here's Liza during happier times, with some other muppets..

White Queen (As it Began)

Dear James,

Has it really taken me three months to post my first Queen video? I just read this old interview with Peter Saville and thought you'd enjoy this snippet:

"The consumer is being manipulated as an addict," reckons Saville. "To me, pop culture's gone from being acid to crack. When people took acid in the 1970s it was likely to be a mind-expanding slightly dangerous thing but they came away from it thinking, 'Well I never saw it like that before.' As opposed to crack, which will drain everything you've got until you're dead. And there's a big difference between introducing someone to acid 25 years ago and dealing them some crack today, and I don't like being part of that system."

Saville is now creative director of the city of Manchester, which is why it looks slightly odd these days. He was also of course the designer of New Order's Blue Monday sleeve. New Order/Joy Division is my favourite band story for a band I don't listen to. (The Frank Zappa biography got packed into a cardboard box along with all my reading matter by Josefina. What am I supposed to do on the toilet now? Just sit there and wait?)

I have an idea for my 33 and a third birthday party (4 October, 2009) where everyone has to come dressed as their favourite album. I could come as Queen II, simple by making a cardboard cut out of May, Taylor and Deacon to wear around my head, while I walk round with my eyes closed and my arms crossed across my shoulders, pretending to be Freddie Mercury. Technology being what it is these days, I'd expect people to have MP3 players attached to their costumes playing a selected track from their albums. Mine wouldn't be White Queen, but it's the only passable track available on youtube, although dios Salve La Reina's March of the Black Queen comes close. Dios Salve La Reina are playing Belgrano in March, but the week after you leave. I'm sorry.