Rock

SEVEN-PIECE band Bulsara And His Queenies are described as a Queen tribute act with a difference.

The Yorkshire-based band has twice headlined the Official Freddie Mercury Birthday Party, a fundraising event for the charity set up by Brian May and Roger Taylor in Freddie’s memory. The band was also one of three acts invited to be involved with Queen’s official promotion of hit film Bohemian Rhapsody.

Bulsara and his Queenies, comprised of Huddersfield University music graduates and a former physics teacher, capture the essence of Queen and the legendary music.

The band performs music from Queen’s studio sets rather than their live performances. Frontman Gareth Taylor said: “Rather than trying to look like Queen, we wanted people to be able to hear Queen when we played - that’s what gets the hairs on the back of the neck rising. Sometimes it takes a new audience a couple of songs to get used to our approach, but the reaction we get is absolutely brilliant. Queen were master craftsmen and we are all musicians who love the craft of the music, so to be able to perform these amazing songs is an honour.”

The passion and attention to detail captured by the talented young talented musicians came to the attention of Queen’s own production team. After winning a karaoke competition at Freddie Mercury’s birthday fundraiser in 2016, the ‘Queenies’ were invited to headline the 2018 party and were so popular they have been invited back this September.

“We rehearsed non- stop for six months and at the party we played the whole Sheer Heart Attack album as a two-hour set in front of diehard Queen fans,” says Gareth. “It was incredible, and to be asked back is the best endorsement for our hard work we could ever have.”

* Bulsara and His Queenies are at Chapel, Leeds on March 22 and Square Chapel, Halifax, on June 15. Visit seetickets.com/tour/bulsara-and-his-queenies