Geo English @geonews_english
Queen frontman #AdamLambert bares glam authenticity
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bit.ly/2lVbObWWhen he belted the classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" to audition for the hit reality series "American Idol" a decade ago, Adam Lambert couldn't have imagined that one day he would actually front Queen.
But now the American glam rocker has been the lead singer of the legendary British band for some eight years, and on Saturday they will headline the Global Citizen Festival in New York's Central Park aimed at drumming up support for preserving international aid to eradicate extreme poverty.
He said playing the festival fits in with the "unifying" and empowering ethos of Queen.
"I'm all about giving people the sense of confidence and pride and personal power to feel like they don't have to accept bad circumstances; that they have the right to demand more for themselves," he told AFP backstage in Central Park in the space he's sharing with bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor.
"I think a lot of the Queen songs kind of boil down to that -- they leave people feeling stronger and prouder."
Lambert said last year's release of "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- the Oscar-winning film that charts Queen's rise -- "reignited the pop-cultural relevance" of the mould-breaking band for a younger generation.
Fresh off the release of his own project "Velvet: Side A," the mercurial performer said his work with Queen has "stretched me" as an artist who appeals to both older fans of the band as well as a younger crowd who knows him for his solo work.
Following the iconic Freddie Mercury, who fronted the group until his death in 1991, has been a challenge and a gift, Lambert said.
"Obviously I have mad respect for Freddie Mercury -- but there's no replacing him," the 37-year-old said. "I've chosen not to ever imitate; I feel like that would be disrespectful to his memory, to the band, to the fans."
At the same time, Lambert said he draws inspiration from Mercury's "boldness."
"He was not afraid to be big," said the performer is also known for his flamboyant taste, who sported a flashy chain necklace over frayed denim as chunky boots heightened his already imposing stature.
"He was over the top visually and sonically," Lambert continued. "He wasn't afraid -- he wasn't ever trying to fit into something."
- New political bent -
New York's Global Citizen Festival is something of an unofficial exclamation point to the United Nations General Assembly, distributing free tickets to supporters who pledge to take actions such as sending letters to their governments in support of development aid.
Queen's headlining performance this weekend comes more than three decades after the band's rousing show at the transatlantic charity concert Live Aid in 1985, which today is considered one of the greatest live performances ever.
Lambert said he finds himself "naturally much more interested in what's going on with politics right now than I ever have been."
"I hope that there are a lot of other people in that same boat because we're looking at, in my opinion... a really negative time in US politics," he said, voicing hope that the "negativity" will encourage greater involvement in the 2020 US presidential election.