Ok, given that nobody could tell me, where that English screen shot came from, I went ahead and completed the Kronenzeitung translate of that interview transcript. Most of it is about Kerry, only half a paragraph about Adam. But for Queen fans there are two or three other points worth mentioning (incl. some repositioning, imo. I do not read all there is about Queen, but at least that is my impression.)
Re translation: I used Google translate to give me a base translation. If the text was in principle correct and understandable and only the word order was a bit off, I left it alone, to not waste a ton of time. But I fixed strange expressions as best I could. One or two are still strange, because they are strange even in the German original I am working from.
Here we go (for those who are interested):
Brian May: 'I miss Freddy in my life " (fromSunday, 14.7.2013, Kronenzeitung)
Cult guitarist and Queen legend Brian May comes on 15 July for an open-air stage to Klagenfurt on Lake Wörthersee.
We talked to him about Freddie Mercury, his collaboration with Korean rapper Psy and various future plans.
“Krone” Brian, since a few weeks now, you've been with Kerry Ellis on your"Born Free" - traveling tour. How were the first reactions?
Brian May: Simply wonderful. The feedback has been great so far. We have a lot of direct contact with the audience and have we have lots of fun on stage. Anything can happen and that is something of a return to the days when it all began for me. The show has nothing to do with an express train or a bulldozer. We can rearrange things and react spontaneously.
“Krone”: You've already played in 2011 the "Anthems"– tour together with Kerry, but your new one is much more intimate. Why?
May: There are many reasons, but the first and most important is that we like the flexibility.We were in South Africa and have helped "BornFree Foundation" - Founder Virginia McKenna in her work with lions. In the end, that's gone so far that we have given some really dialed back concerts in the middle of the jungle. It felt so good that we wanted to bring back that feeling to Europe too. This was the origin of this tour. There are no monumental parts - you only hear a voice and a guitar and a little keyboard. Kerry has an extraordinary voice. I play guitar very reduced,but that is exactly the way how I learned the instrument. To play guitar is discovering the inner truth of a song for me.
“Krone”: So, this step from the bombastic Queen shows to the quiet "Born Free" – Tour developed naturally?
May: Yes, that was a conscious decision,but I will also make other shows again. I like it big and with lots of noise (laughs). But these shows are full of quiet strength and we have noticed that the audience is very quickly comfortable with the material and interacts with us. We also have moments with electric guitars, where it is louder then (laughs). But in principle, the sound is very simple.
“Krone”: As how should we imagine the stage in this peaceful environment?
May: It's all around very intimate. The accompanying album is called "Acoustic By Candlelight" and we really have a lot of candles. We also have videos that are focusing on the songs and will be shown. The music can stand on its own, but a lot of the songs are about wild animals, the basic theme of the show.
“Krone” My first thought was, that Brian May- with age - is just becoming more quiet.
May: (laughs) Maybe it really is true. On the other hand, I’ve become a warrior. I'm basically a calm person, but since I am committed to animal rights, I have some war every day. I'm fighting against people who treat animals badly, hunt and kill them. In this respect, exactly the opposite of "be quiet" has occurred.
“Krone”: What opportunities do you have as an artist,if you engage yourself for animals?
May: Most of my life I've spent trying to change the world with music. But when you get older you notice that it's not enough. Music is great and a unifying force for people. In my shows I do not preach, because my audience is very sensitive and understands that people should live together with other creatures. But people who do not understand this, you need to meet outside of music. I spend a lot of time in the lower house of the British Parliament to put forward my subject and I am very active in the media. We also have a "Wildlife Rescue Service."Music is only apart of me, not the whole.
“Krone”: Have you ever thought about becoming a politician?
May: I do not think I could do that, because you have to make so many exceptions. The closer I get to the politics, the more I'm disappointed by it. The people there are mainly focused on her career, power and money. I could not do it that way.
“Krone”: Getting back to Kerry. You are a good friend since many years. How did that develop?
May: That was a very fortunate coincidence. She came to an audition at the very beginning of our "We Will Rock You" - Show and blew everyone away with her extraordinary voice. I already had her on my radar, because I'd seen her in "My Fair Lady" and knew immediately that she is something special.This voice was unforgettable. I am a very fortunate person, as I had so many years with Freddie (Mercury - Note). At that time I already had songs and interpretations in my head that have been associated with him. I have really missed that. Kerry has developed into a person who has inspired me directly.
“Krone”: Is it hard for you to perform all the great classic Queen without Freddie?
May: Not directly. Of course I miss him in my life, but if I can interpret songs written by him, it gives me much joy. I know that he would find them good too. That he wants his songs to live on. The songs are not written in stone,they can be interpreted differently, as I do with Kerry. I feel satisfaction when I think that he had such a great life and has left such a wonderful story. I am very proud of what we have achieved together.
“Krone”: How much of the soul of Queen is still in your heart?
May: It's still all there (laughs). That motivation that I had at the beginning of Queen, I still have and I'm still the same person with the same possibilities and dreams. There were of course times when these feelings were interrupted. I had to go through a difficult time, when we lost Freddie. I had at about the same time lost my father and my first marriage. When I look back on it, everything came back together and I'm the same old man.
“Krone”: Did the music tear you from this low, at the time?
May: Music is a wonderful healer. But sometimes you need outside help when you're really on the ground. Although music can be wonderful, but it's even more important to raise a hand and ask for help. This is one of the most important lessons I've learned in my life - you can not always solve your problems yourself.
“Krone”: How do you feel today about the fact that almost no band had so many big hits as Queen?
May: That's a madness.Sometimes I wake up and still think I am dreaming. We had great ambitions and hopes,when we were young and it is incredible that we were able to fulfil so many dreams. I am really very happy.
“Krone”: Do you think that younger bands today can have similar success as you had then?
May: Things have changed dramatically and it has become very difficult for a young bands to earn money. Everyone expects to get the music for free. This is a fundamental problem, but in principle you simply go out and play, develop yourself as an artist. But I do think that the possibilities still exist. You need to only look at Muse or the Foo Foo Fighters to cite an example.
“Krone”: Are you planning new shows or projects with Queen?
May: The only thing on the radar that I can talk about are a few TV shows. One in Las Vegas and one in London. There, we want to play Queen songs with several other artists. We also hope that Adam Lambert is back on board, for we have enjoyed working with him last year a lot. And besides that, we're are talking since ages about the Freddie movie. We had so many problems already, which can also be an advantage, because you become more cautious. And we are very careful, after all we have a huge responsibility to portray Freddie really honestly. The job has to fit, in the end, we have this one chance, only.
“Krone”: Do you write also some new Queen songs?
May: Hard to say. To make a Queen album without Freddie would be strange. I would not be sure whether this would be a real Queen album. I wrote one song for Freddie, but that was about it. We tend to rather work on material that has not yet been published. Every once in a while you come across a piece of the past and try to place it somewhere. We have also found a few songs where Freddie and Michael Jackson sing together. Otherwise, I have written new material,but always with thought of Kerry, because she is my inspiration for new music.
“Krone”: You've already written some songs with her, the newest is called "The Kissing Me Song." In your "Born Free" - Shows you incorporate these songs in between the Queen classics and so many Beatles or Kansas songs. How does that all fit together?
May: Til now, everyone has liked that (laughs). The show is very theatrical and dramatic, and in the end people are surprised, because it suddenly becomes very loud and electric. It's all about the fun.
“Krone”: Will you also record a new studio album with Kerry?
May: Yes, half the album is already done.
“Krone”: What is true about the rumors that you are planning something with the South Korean shooting star / quick starter Psy?
May: We met him and he's working on remixing a song from us. We have also loosely talked about maybe cooperating in the future. We are in no hurry,but we are keeping in touch.
“Krone”: Can you reveal what song it is?
May: I do not know if I can (laughs). It's funny, because I've received so many different reactions to it. Many have said: "What a wonderful idea, what original thought." Others said again, "Oh my God, how could you do such a thing. Are you totally selling out?" But for me, music is just music. If I find something original and new I do not care where it comes from.
“Krone”: I also think that you should always be open to new ideas.
May: Absolutely, in the end that's also the reason why the cooperation with Kerry works so well. She comes from the musical genre and our roots differ considerably, but it's just interesting to explore such different territories.
“Krone” So Brian May has so far no desire to go into musical retirement.
May: Absolutely not!
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ETA: And as usual, the text re-edits itself, even though I reviewed it both with BBCode and in Preview, and so I need to fix all those silly word joins and strange edits. Grrrr...
But at this point, who knows, right?)
