Queen guitarist Brian May gets emotional after sharing stage with 'hologram' Freddie Mercury
Lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury, on stage in his prime.
A hot topic in recent times for music and entertainment has been the idea of officially-licensed "hologram" shows representing legacy acts.
From festival appearances by projected avatars representing late stars like rapper Tupac Shakur, to full auditorium tours for a virtual Roy Orbison, all the way to Swedish pop sensations Abba providing motion-capture and vocals for their own on-stage swansong, electing to be remembered as something approaching their 1970s pomp, rather than performing older songs as their current selves.
The latest chapter in this discussion has been the recent touring of UK rock legends Queen - their recent 'Rhapsody' tour sees American Idol singer Adam Lambert in his usual spot as a live vocalist, accompanying the band's surviving members through their greatest hits, taking a break for 1975 ballad 'Love of My Life'.
While May performs his guitar acoustically, legacy live vocals and visuals of Mercury taken from their 1986 Wembley Stadium show are worked into an optical illusion on the screen behind the stage, allowing new or younger fans a glimpse at the iconic showman in his element.
At a June 5 gig at London's 02 Arena, the significance of the London connection didn't seem to be lost on May, who appeared visibly emotional while performing, and wiped away a tear after extending a hand to the virtual Mercury.
Mercury's stage presence and legacy is an inextricable part of Queen - especially as the band hasn't written new music since his demise, with 1995's 'Made in Heaven' serving as a farewell album using then-unreleased vocal tracks of Mercury's in new arrangements overseen by surviving members.
May has had mixed emotions on the technology in the past, telling the UK's Classic Rock magazine: "I don't want to be touring with a hologram. It makes you feel like museum pieces, and we're not fossils, we're alive."
