Brian May delighted fans this past Saturday by turning up unannounced at the Red Special Guitar Meet-Up in Reading, U.K., to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the famous guitar he built with his father, Harold, as a teenager.
The event, held annually in Reading, U.K., is — as you would imagine — a haven for all Red Special enthusiasts. However, this is the first time Brian May has stopped by in person.
"I just wish my dad could see this — it's amazing, it's incredible," May told the crowd after entering to a standing ovation.
The event marks the Queen guitarist's first public appearance since he suffered a minor stroke back in early September of this year, telling the audience, "I've been a bit unwell, as you might know, so I haven't been getting out much."
Brushing any health concerns aside, May looked very much himself as he reportedly stayed at the event for more than three hours, sharing stories of the guitar's history, interacting with fans, and even plugging in to play a few notes.
"It's all come full circle now. The band did quite well, but you guys are here today because of her — the Red Special," May said. In his talk, May revealed how the guitar that he's lovingly referred to as "The Fireplace" and "The Old Lady" helped generate media attention during Queen's early days. "We had a publicist named Tony Brainsby, and he told me, 'The only way I can get you interviews is if you talk about the guitar you built.' So, that's what I did — the guitar became famous before I did!"
May said, "You know, this guitar is precious to me," before jokingly adding that the iconic instrument will "last just about as long as I do as a functional unit."
Clearly emotional at times as he discussed the instrument's significance, May reflected on the "hundreds of hours" he and his father spent in the spare room of their house, creating the guitar that would go on to appear on dozens of hit records.
"I always think of my dad when I play this guitar," May said. "He understood electronics, and he taught me everything about how signals worked. We both made mistakes — sometimes the chisel would slip — but it was all done by hand. We didn't have any electric tools, so it was all chisels, spokeshaves [a hand tool for shaping and smoothing wood] and sandpaper. It was a true labor of love. We even stained it red to cover up the imperfections. That's how you know it's the real deal — something the replicas can't quite replicate."
Ultimately giving in to repeated requests to play something for those in attendance, May said, "Now, I'm a bit rusty, and I don't know how much I can play, but I'll give it a go," before plugging the original Red Special into Luke Timmins' celebrated Brian May–inspired Vox AC30 replica stage rig.
Playing some riffs and spacious chords, May even jammed a few bars of "We Will Rock You" with young attendee Josh Cottrill on drums.
May would later reveal in a blog post on his website that this had been the first time in two months that he'd played the guitar. He also thanked those in attendance for the "huge boost of confidence," adding that he wasn't too sure about going due to him being "really low on energy — but so glad I did."
You can also watch a longer clip of May's appearance at the Red Special Guitar Meet-Up in the video below.
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