QUEEN fans are in for a treat as their official tribute band comes to Glasgow this week.
Queen Extravaganza will be at the SEC Armadillo on Friday as part of their jam-packed 2024 tour.
The band has been touring for more than a decade and is made up of a rolling cast of gifted musicians who have been hand-picked by Roger Taylor and Brian May.
Drummer George Farrar will return after first touring with the band last year.
The tour was a long time coming for George whose original tour with the band was cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I went to university in Manchester and the bass player that plays with Queen and Adam Lambert came to do a masterclass at the union," George explains.
"He watched my band play and then three years later he called me up and said ‘I’ve got a gig you might be interested in, they need a drummer that can sing as well’."
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He continued: "I didn’t hear anything for about three months and then suddenly got asked to do an audition, then joined the band.
"I had to learn everything and then Covid happened so it all got cancelled."
This year, he says he is feeling “a lot more at ease” as the band set out on tour.
After growing up listening to Queen with his family, George says it’s amazing to now be part of the band performing their music for fans.
He said: "The two bands I grew up with were Queen and Foo Fighters.
"Queen are my biggest influence and then to be in the band that’s put together by Roger and Brian is really cool.
"It still blows my mind a bit because I spent my whole childhood watching Queen. It’s really awesome."
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He continued: "My first memory of their music is when I went on holiday and there was this awful street performer trying to play Bohemian Rhapsody on the steel pan.
"It was absolutely dreadful, but I really liked the melody of the song.
"I asked my mum what song it was and she put it on repeat and then I gradually started listening to them.
"Then for about five years straight every Saturday with my Grandma I’d sit and watch Queen live at Wembley."
Renowned for touring all over Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and Brazil, fans have described the experience of seeing Queen Extravaganza live as "the closest they can possibly get to the original".
George says he believes Queen have very supportive and “really nice” fans.
He said: "It always surprises me how many people travel so far.
"When we played in Ireland there was a woman from Japan that came over.
"You have the older generation of fans and then you have kids coming and they’re all just really nice people.
"I remember in Glasgow they were quite a rowdy crowd in a good way."
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The 90-minute show features more than 20 Queen classics such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust and We Will Rock You.
While Geoge’s favourite song to listen to is Love of My Life there’s a different track that stands out to him as a favourite to play live.
"All their songs are so diverse," he says.
"My favourite one to play live would probably be A Kind of Magic.
"It’s a really poppy song I don’t associate with Queen."
Queen Extravaganza will be at the SEC Armadillo on Friday, March 1.
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