# Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour

The Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour (also known as Return of the Champions Tour) was the first world concert tour by Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, joined by singer Paul Rodgers under the moniker of Queen + Paul Rodgers. The tour was Queen's first since The Magic Tour in 1986, and the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury in November 1991. The band's drummer Roger Taylor commented; "We never thought we would tour again, Paul (Rodgers) came along by chance and we seemed to have a chemistry. Paul is just such a great singer. He's not trying to be Freddie." Bassist John Deacon also did not take part due to his retirement in 1997.

## History

The origins of the collaboration came when Brian May played at the Fender Strat Pack concert in 2004. Now for the first time, he joined Paul Rodgers for a rendition of Free's classic, "All Right Now". After this Brian spoke of a chemistry between the two of them. Following this, Brian invited Paul to play with Queen at their induction to the UK Music Hall of Fame. Again citing a new excitement with Rodgers, the three announced they would tour in 2005. The tour originally was meant only to include Europe and the 46664 concerts of that year. However at the end of the European tour, some dates in the USA and Japan were added. In 2006, a full scale US tour was undertaken.

## The show

The stage design for the tour was created by Mark Fisher and was minimal, lacking a large backing screen that would later be featured on the Rock The Cosmos Tour, and elaborate stage theatrics. Four very large, custom-built moving spotlights sat behind the stage, each containing a 3000-watt xenon bulb and operated by a crewperson. A large 'B Stage' was constructed out from the main stage, into the audience which would frequently be used for acoustic performances by all the members of the band. The show began with the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" being played over the PA system, and a dance-theme remix of the Queen song It's A Beautiful Day. Toward the end of "Lose Yourself", the guitar would join in from behind a large curtain which covered the band from view, before Rodgers would appear singing a shortened version of the song "Reachin' Out". Thought by many fans to be a new song, it was a charity song that both Brian and Paul had played together on in the 1990s. Brian would appear after, playing the introductory riff to "Tie Your Mother Down", before the curtain fell and the band would perform the full song.
The first segment of the concert consisted largely of Queen hits and some of Rodgers' songs. To introduce "Fat Bottomed Girls", Brian would play the introductory riff from the earlier Queen song "White Man". Rodgers often played a muted steel string guitar on "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". An acoustic section would follow, Taylor leaving the kit at times to sing "Say It's Not True" on the B-Stage, while Brian would play acoustic Queen songs such as "Love of My Life" and "39". At the Hyde Park concert, John Lennon's song "Imagine" was added to the setlist, being played after "Love of My Life", in response to the recent bombings in London. A unique version of "Hammer To Fall" would be played, which featured a slower and mellower first verse sung by May and Rodgers. The second half of the song would be played as a full band, depending on the condition of his voice, Rodgers would also sing this section, or leave it to Taylor. Taylor would often play an intricate cover of Sandy Nelson drum instrumental "Let There Be Drums", followed by a performance of "I'm in Love with My Car", with Taylor taking lead vocals and the drum parts.
A guitar solo by May would follow, with a band instrumental of "Last Horizon" playing, in which a large mirror ball was used. During the second half of the concert, Taylor would leave the kit to sing "These Are The Days Of Our Lives", with a screen playing nostalgic footage, including shots of the band on their early tours in Japan. "Radio GaGa" would follow, with Taylor singing the first and second verses, with drum samples from the studio version controlled by Edney. Rodgers would take the rest of the song, with Taylor playing live drums for the rest of the song. During "Bohemian Rhapsody", Freddie's vocal and piano part, along with video footage from Queen's 1986 show at Wembley Stadium would be used, while the rest of the band would play live music. After the operatic section, Rodgers would sing the heavy part, while the closing lines of the song would be an interchanging duet between Rodgers and Mercury. The song would end with Mercury taking a bow to the crowd, and the band would leave the stage. For the encore, a largely rigid line up of "The Show Must Go On", "All Right Now", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" would be played, before the band would leave the stage, Taylor throwing his drumsticks into the audience.

## Tour dates

| Date | City | Country | Venue | Support act(s) | Attendance | Box office |
| Europe |||||||
| March 28, 2005 | London | England | Brixton Academy | — | 4,921 / 4,921 | — |
| March 30, 2005 | Paris | France | Zénith Paris | — | 4,068 / 6,450 | — |
| April 1, 2005 | Madrid | Spain | Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad | — | 11,753 / 15,500 | — |
| April 2, 2005 | Barcelona | Spain | Palau Sant Jordi | — | 13,032 / 18,000 | — |
| April 4, 2005 | Rome | Italy | PalaLottomatica | — | 7,922 / 10,325 | — |
| April 5, 2005 | Milan | Italy | Mediolanum Forum | — | 8,457 / 10,580 | — |
| April 7, 2005 | Florence | Italy | Nelson Mandela Forum | — | 4,075 / 6,950 | — |
| April 8, 2005 | Pesaro | Italy | BPA Palas | — | 8,561 / 13,000 | — |
| April 10, 2005 | Basel | Switzerland | St. Jakobshalle | — | 4,998 / 8,340 | — |
| April 13, 2005 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle | — | 9,211 / 15,212 | — |
| April 14, 2005 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle | — | 12,671 / 14,250 | — |
| April 16, 2005 | Prague | Czech Republic | O$_2$ Arena | — | 12,863 / 18,000 | — |
| April 17, 2005 | Leipzig | Germany | Leipzig Arena | — | 9,366 / 10,250 | — |
| April 19, 2005 | Frankfurt | Germany | Festhalle Frankfurt | — | 8,892 / 13,500 | — |
| April 20, 2005 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis | — | 17,776 / 23,359 | — |
| April 23, 2005 | Budapest | Hungary | Budapest Sportaréna | — | 6,917 / 12,500 | — |
| April 25, 2005 | Dortmund | Germany | Westfalenhallen | — | 12,343 / 14,635 | — |
| April 26, 2005 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy | — | — | — |
| April 28, 2005 | Hamburg | Germany | Color Line Arena | — | — | — |
| April 30, 2005 | Stockholm | Sweden | Globe Arena | — | — | — |
| May 3, 2005 | Newcastle | England | Metro Radio Arena | — | — | — |
| May 4, 2005 | Manchester | England | Manchester Evening News Arena | — | — | — |
| May 6, 2005 | Birmingham | England | National Exhibition Centre | — | — | — |
| May 7, 2005 | Cardiff | Wales | Cardiff International Arena | — | — | — |
| May 9, 2005 | Sheffield | England | Hallam FM Arena | — | — | — |
| May 11, 2005 | London | England | Wembley Pavilion | — | — | — |
| May 13, 2005 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | Odyssey Arena | — | — | — |
| May 14, 2005 | Dublin | Ireland | Point Theatre | — | — | — |
| July 2, 2005 | Lisbon | Portugal | Estádio do Restelo | Hands on Approach Fingertips | — | — |
| July 6, 2005 | Cologne | Germany | RheinEnergieStadion | — | — | — |
| July 10, 2005 | Arnhem | Netherlands | GelreDome | Krezip | — | — |
| July 15, 2005 | London | England | Hyde Park | Razorlight Peter Kay | — | — |
| Central/North America |||||||
| October 8, 2005 | Oranjestad | Aruba | Aruba Entertainment Center | — | — | — |
| October 16, 2005 | East Rutherford | United States | Meadowlands Arena | — | — | — |
| October 22, 2005 | Los Angeles | United States | Hollywood Bowl | — | 16,305 / 16,305 | $1,127,840 |
| Asia |||||||
| October 26, 2005 | Saitama | Japan | Saitama Super Arena | — | — | — |
| October 27, 2005 | Saitama | Japan | Saitama Super Arena | — | — | — |
| October 29, 2005 | Yokohama | Japan | Yokohama Arena | — | — | — |
| October 30, 2005 | Yokohama | Japan | Yokohama Arena | — | — | — |
| November 1, 2005 | Nagoya | Japan | Nagoya Dome | — | — | — |
| November 3, 2005 | Fukuoka | Japan | Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome | — | — | — |
| North America |||||||
| March 3, 2006 | Miami | United States | AmericanAirlines Arena | — | 5,897 / 6,000 | $573,453 |
| March 4, 2006 | Jacksonville | United States | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena | — | 3,769 / 5,000 | $321,135 |
| March 7, 2006 | Duluth | United States | The Arena at Gwinnett Center | — | 5,909 / 9,258 | $437,087 |
| March 8, 2006 | Washington, D.C. | United States | Verizon Center | — | 9,475 / 12,571 | $844,090 |
| March 10, 2006 | Worcester | United States | DCU Center | — | — | — |
| March 12, 2006 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | — | 7,697 / 11,000 | $609,915 |
| March 14, 2006 | Philadelphia | United States | Wachovia Spectrum | — | — | — |
| March 16, 2006 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre | — | 11,279 / 11,279 | $1,066,519 |
| March 17, 2006 | Buffalo | United States | HSBC Arena | — | — | — |
| March 20, 2006 | Pittsburgh | United States | Mellon Arena | — | — | — |
| March 21, 2006 | Cleveland | United States | Quicken Loans Arena | — | 6,218 / 9,096 | $421,942 |
| March 23, 2006 | Rosemont | United States | Allstate Arena | — | 7,441 / 9,500 | $756,870 |
| March 24, 2006 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills | — | 10,296 / 10,296 | $707,235 |
| March 26, 2006 | Saint Paul | United States | Xcel Energy Center | — | — | — |
| March 27, 2006 | Milwaukee | United States | Bradley Center | — | 6,282 / 9,000 | $484,394 |
| March 31, 2006 | Glendale | United States | Glendale Arena | — | — | — |
| April 1, 2006 | San Diego | United States | Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl | — | 6,030 / 7,586 | $508,060 |
| April 3, 2006 | Anaheim | United States | Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim | — | 9,085 / 14,373 | $666,735 |
| April 5, 2006 | San Jose | United States | HP Pavilion | — | — | — |
| April 7, 2006 | Las Vegas | United States | MGM Grand Garden Arena | — | 6,359 / 7,800 | $626,355 |
| April 10, 2006 | Seattle | United States | KeyArena | — | 4,592 / 12,500 | $463,195 |
| April 11, 2006 | Portland | United States | Rose Garden | — | 4,234 / 12,600 | $395,380 |
| April 13, 2006 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum | — | — | — |
| TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | 278,694 / 379,936 (73%) | $10,010,205 |

### Cancellations

| June 11, 2005 | Tromsø | Fyllingen Stadium | Cancelled. |