“Surprise” is the name of the game at Coachella, and this year’s event didn’t disappoint when pop singer Benson Boone tapped Brian May for a thrilling finale to his festival set, which included his take on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The guitarst was making one of his first appearances back on the big stage after he suffered a minor stroke last September. May made his initial showing the following month at a Red Special Guitar Meet-Up in Reading, U.K.
But Coachella was, of course, an entirely different thing. The guitarist teased his appearance at Boone’s performance earlier in the day on his Instagram.
“Who's gonna be there tonight? Who's gonna be streaming it live?” May wrote.
“This guy will shake the world. Trust me ! Bri”
Boone was clearly psyched for the show, appearing onstage — Freddie Mercury–like — in a blue-and-white jumpsuit and cape. His performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” commenced with Boone singing while standing on a grand piano.
But when it came time for the guitar solo, the big reveal was made as Boone flipped off of the piano and May rose from stage high above him, wearing his Red Special electric guitar and proceeded to play.
The song reach its conclusion with May centerstage as the lights onstage flashed around and above him. Afterward, May stuck around to perform on the set’s closing number, Boone's chart-topping hit, “Beautiful Things.”
The guitarist reported back on social media about the event the following day: “I'm still reeling from last night at Coachella. Thanks to all of you folks who made it feel so special… this particular way of concluding 'Bohemian Rhapsody' will be hard to beat in the years to come! I'm awestruck.”
Boone was somewhat less thrilled — with the Coachella crowd that is. Apparently he thought the audience didn’t fully appreciate the significance of May’s appearance or his importance in the world of rock music.
Afterward, he posted a TikTok video of himself miming to “Bohemian Rhapsody” using a banana as a microphone. Superimposed over the image, he wrote, “Me trying to get the crowd at Coachella to understand what an absolute legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and the world.”
@bensonboone Mystical Magical.
♬ Bohemian Rhapsody - Remastered 2011 - Queen
Queen's best-known song, "Bohemian Rhapsody" also features what is perhaps May's best-known solo. As he told Guitar Player in 2021, he heard the entire thing in his head before he played it.
"I basically sang it," he said. "I regard the guitar in that situation as a voice. I could hear this melody and I had no idea where it came from. That melody isn’t anywhere else in the song, but it’s on a familiar chord sequence, so it dovetails in quite nicely.
"And of course the job of the guitar solo is to bring that extra voice in, but then it’s a link into what everybody now calls 'the operatic section.' You know you’re into something very different.
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