12.12.13 Adam to perform @ LA Family Equality Council Awards

Shoshanna's tweet makes me think that we will finally know what is going on in January. I hope it is soon.

shoshanna stone ‏@shoshannastone 2h
we are listening to 'now i believe in more than i can see' courtesy of Ryan.

Ereshkigal ‏@2dianic 1h
@shoshannastone I just listened to that in my car on my way into work. So beautiful! That should be a hit song! If not Adam, then someone!

shoshanna stone
‏@shoshannastone
@2dianic erm, it's on his album....

Clearly Adam's calendar for 2014 is quite well defined, and just cannot be announced for various reasons. Probably, Q+AL requiring final decision making and definition of a few key strategic next steps, A3 work and label is not announcable, because of contractual constraints, Glee work and any commitments towards idol probably are defined, but just not known to us. And there may be something else going on, altogether, maybe TV, maybe acting related. In any case, Shosh and Adam have a clear interest to let the Glee stint stand as just that, and not get fans more invested in any long term ideas, there.

I assume that Q+AL have blocked out parts of the calendar for Adam, so they each can work their other busy schedules around that and so that a promoter can get working on putting forward a concrete proposal. And I also got the impression from Adam's interview with Lindsey, that other things come first and A3 later, because he made it sound quite non-committal as to what will happen with A3 and how far along his songwriting process is. He sounded, as if he only had a few demos and nothing else and given the length of time he has been working on it, I doubt that answer. To me this was more a spin, trying to say, it will still take a while with A3. And to me that means, Glee, a performance on idol or an award show, and all kinds of Queen stuff comes first.

That also fits with those two recent tweets by Brian. They seem to be busy planning and also to be thinking carefully, how they want to position that tour or other work that quite obviously is in the works. The latest tweet (what it means to BE Queen) was imo very much written towards the existing fanbase of Queen, including the vocal branch that seems to express disdain on various online venues, about an collaborations that Queen is undertaking, under the label Queen.

The going opinion, on Queen fan clubs had always been that Q+AL was only a one-off. Then the one-off became a mini-tour, and after that they went back to ignoring the existence of that collaboration. Then came iHeart, and with that, any attempt to calling it a 'one-off' just did not sound quite so convincing anymore. Yet, the opposition was strong and most agreed there, that this colab should not be called Queen. Brian's two tweets certainly poured salt into wounds there, and he knows it.

But yet, Queen does need to think about how they want to present and preserve, past legacy, give their future plans a leg up from a marketing standpoint, but not interfere with the past.
In my mind, they should create a band name called 'Queen Two', two for the two remaining band members as well as for obviously a new phase. This would allow any promotional benefits to be maintained, it would be clear what songs would be performed, but it would also allow the door to open for new ideas, and a new beginning too. The irony, that in English 'Queen Two' and 'Queen Too' sound alike, is of course not lost on anyone, but yet, the naysayers among the traditional Queen fans, will have a choice, to either ignore 'Queen Two' or to embrace it. The casual fans, sure will do the latter, I think, this debate is mostly relevant for the hardcore circles.

And now, I'll do some reading of tea leaves. My best guess is that what I now will call Queen Two is going to tour the Americas, not only the US. They may do it in multiple phases, but I think the interest from S. America is strong for both Queen as well as Adam and I think the promoters there want it.
And having a few more tour stops does help spread the overall tour investment around.

I don't see any new Queen Two music on the table for 2014. They first have to gel and see whether this new group has a footing on the overall music scene and how it all works out. That will then define what happens in 2015. But before that, somewhere in the second half of 2014, we will get a contract and an album. Why would Adam sign a contract now, that he presently does not yet need? He was able to get the present work and the Queen work without a label, so why share any profits or muddy the water.

If Adam plans on signing with a new label just for a distribution/promotion deal, then this does not matter much, but if he signs to a major label as a established recording artist, then he will be under pressure to go for one of these newer 360 deals, rather than just a recorded music related deal. In that case, all his other work matters, and signing later rather than sooner is totally in his interest.

So, bottom-line, I would be neither surprised nor dismayed, if we do NOT get a label announcement in January. But just like Q3 said, I do think, we will get some new merchandise. And I believe we will get all kinds of announcements, that presently just cannot be made.