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OLD QUEEN TAYLOR CAN LIVE WITHOUT THE BIG TIME
BUT HE'S STILL DRIVEN BY A CRAZY LITTLE
THING CALLED LOVE OF MUSIC by David Dunn
It has been a long time since Roger Taylor learned the ukulele and sung
in the school choir.
Just recently the former Queen drummer broke a record for securing the largest audience for an
on-line concert when he played a show on the Internet. His latest single, Surrender!, deals with the emotive subject of domestic
violence and has been adopted by one police force in its campaign against the growing problem.
"I have had a certain
amount of contact with it. I think a lot of people have. Its prevalent. It was in my youth," says Roger.
"Its a lot
like incest and that sort of thing; its not talked about but its there at all levels. Surrender! Is telling a little story
with an ambivalent conclusion. I'm not preaching, just shedding a little light on something."
The song features on
his current and fourth solo album, Electric Fire. It seems there are little signs of retirement in the Taylor household.
"If
you're a musician music's what you do and I hate being inactive," he says. "I enjoy the creative process of the writing. I
wait for an idea to come along - sometimes I don't get any, then I have a burst."
The latest burst, however, brings
him back to The Leadmill this Sunday, part of a 16-date tour. That, and the 595,000 hit Internet concert apart, Roger insists
he isn't concerned about being one of rocks big players again.
"The music we are making is the best I have ever done
on my own and I've got a really good band," he explains. "But I don't see this as a new campaign. I've done that bit and it
was fantastic. Im too busy enjoying life."
And that includes being his own boss. "The one thing about Queen is it
was very democratic. There were very strong egos, much hurling of abuse.
"You won some, you lost come. It was a very
stimulating band. It made for a strong team. I don't think everything we did was great, but we did enough. It was obviously
great, playing places like Brazil, 800,000 people in a week, but I would not want to go back."
Like fellow Queen veteran
Brian May, Roger admits he still misses their late great front man Freddie Mercury.
He adds: "The harsh reality of
the loss is over, but he will always be there. You cannot have someone that close for so long and then not. You have them
as kind of mental wallpaper."
All three of the remaining Queen lads keep in touch, so could there ever be a reunion
tour?" It is difficult to think of a way, but I would not rule it out. Life is strange."
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