Brian May Was "Too Big" For AC/DC - Noise11.com
Angus Young of AC/DC. photo by Ros O'Gorman, Noise11, photo

Angus Young of AC/DC. photo by Ros O'Gorman

Brian May Was “Too Big” For AC/DC

by Music-News.com on March 24, 2012

in News

Queen guitarist Brian May says he was too big for AC/DC, literally. May would have looked like a giant alongside the tiny Young brothers.

Angus Young of AC/DC. photo by Ros O'Gorman

Angus Young of AC/DC. photo by Ros O'Gorman

Brian May would have loved to be in AC/DC but thinks he was the wrong ‘size and shape’ for the band.

The Queen guitarist admires the Australian rockers and joked he might have joined them if his own group hadn’t existed. The 64-year-old musician would have relished the challenge of being in a band he describes as ‘opposite’ to Queen, originally helmed by the late Freddie Mercury.

‘I’d have probably liked to be in AC/DC. But I’m the wrong sort of size and shape unfortunately,’ he told UK newspaper The Independent.

‘Because it’s different from Queen. Queen were very eclectic ‘ that’s the word isn’t it? ‘ and we just trampled over every boundary that there was but AC/DC are in a sense the opposite ‘ they know their style and it’s incredibly pure and I have a great respect for that. And every single note they play is AC/DC completely.’

Brian has worked alongside an eclectic mix of musicians from Eddie Van Halen to boy band 5ive. He has been criticised for some of his collaborations but likes to pursue ventures that push him as an artist no matter what people think.

“If I feel excited by it I don’t really care what anybody else thinks,’ he said.

‘And in fact I kind of enjoy that feeling of discomfort. I recently played on a Dappy [UK singer] record and I told a few people and they go, ‘What the hell are you doing that for!? That’s not music! How could you possibly consider it?’ And again, I said, ‘No, listen again, you’ll find the guy’s actually a great lyrical power and he’s a great singer and the record is brilliantly produced, so what exactly is your problem?’ And everybody came back when they heard it and said, ‘B***dy hell, that is great and it’s a great combination.’ And it’s a daring idea for both of us and I love it ‘ I love breaking the boundaries.”

by Music-News.com

Related Posts

AC/DC by Mary Boukouvalas
AC/DC Close Australian Tour In Brisbane As Power Up World Tour Rolls On

AC/DC have brought their Australian stadium tour to a thunderous conclusion in Brisbane, wrapping nine shows across the country with a final night at Suncorp Stadium on 18 December. For a band that began in Sydney pubs five decades ago, the homecoming leg of the Power Up World Tour reaffirmed AC/DC's unmatched scale, endurance and cultural pull, while underlining why the group remains one of Australia's most significant musical exports.

December 19, 2025
Dave Evans Reveals Lost Early AC/DC Recordings and Unreleased Songs
Dave Evans Reveals Lost Early AC/DC Recordings and Unreleased Songs

AC/DC's earliest recordings with founding vocalist Dave Evans have remained one of Australian rock's great unknowns for more than half a century. While fans have long debated the extent of Evans' contribution before Bon Scott's arrival in late 1974, very little has ever been formally confirmed-until now.

December 1, 2025
Metallica performing live at Marvel Stadium Melbourne during their 2025 Australian tour.
Metallica Close Australian Tour In Sydney With AC/DC And Rose Tattoo Tribute A Final Salute To Sydney Rock Royalty

Metallica ended their 2025 Australian tour in Sydney with a surprise that honoured two of the city's most influential rock acts, and the crowd at Accor Stadium erupted as the nods to AC/DC and Rose Tattoo rang out across the venue.

November 16, 2025
AC/DC perform live at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the Power Up Tour, 2025.
AC/DC Deliver Big at Melbourne’s Power Up Tour with First ‘Jailbreak’ in 34 Years

AC/DC delivered big time at their first Australian show in Melbourne for the Power Up tour — and fans got a very special surprise. The band performed ‘Jailbreak’ for the first time in 34 years.

November 13, 2025
AC/DC Australian Tour Production Crew Interview Backstage
AC/DC Production Crew Reveal Massive Power Up Tour Build — Noise11 Q&A

AC/DC's Power Up tour isn't only a celebration of Australia's greatest rock export, it is a masterclass in world-class touring logistics. In this backstage Noise11 interview, Paul Cashmere speaks with AC/DC Production Director Dale Skjerseth, Production Manager Will Keating, and Australian promoter Christo Van Egmond to reveal how a tour of this scale actually happens.

November 12, 2025
Amyl and the Sniffers photo by John Angus Stewart
Amyl And The Sniffers To Detonate Fed Square With Surprise Free Show

Melbourne will be hit with a blast of homegrown rock fury this Friday 14 November when Amyl And The Sniffers return to the city for a surprise free concert at Fed Square.

November 12, 2025
Phil Rudd, acdc, ros ogorman music portrait, noise11 Phil Rudd music news noise11.com
Phil Rudd Resurfaces Live With New Video From Full Metal Orchestra Performance In New Zealand

New video has surfaced of AC/DC's elusive drummer Phil Rudd returning to the stage in New Zealand, performing with the Full Metal Orchestra in July in a rare public appearance. Rudd, who has largely stayed out of live performance in recent years, joined the ensemble for powerhouse renditions of Back In Black and Thunderstruck, backed by the might of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

November 8, 2025