By
- David Cifarelli | dcifarelli@masslive.com
Queen guitarist Brian May is “still reeling” from his surprise performance at Coachella despite reports of an unenthusiastic crowd.
Benson Boone brought out May to play the iconic guitar solo on Queen’s 1975 hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” during Boone’s performance on Friday, April 11. May even joined Boone’s band to perform his massive hit, “Beautiful Things.”
However, fans at the music festival reportedly had underwhelming reactions to May’s appearance, as indicated by numerous videos on social media.
Boone even recognized these claims and posted a TikTok with the description, “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.”
Many TikTok users sympathized with Boone’s frustration, leaving comments such as “I’m embarrassed for them, having Brian May there was epic, great performance.”
Lukewarm crowd aside, May said he was “awestruck” to be on the Coachella stage in an Instagram post Saturday.
“I’m still reeling from last night at Coachella. Thanks to all of you folks who made it feel so special --- you know who you are !!!! And this particular way of concluding Bohemian Rhapsody will be hard to beat in the years to come,” May wrote. “And for Benson and his entire team, I have no words. I’m awestruck.”
May, a founding member of Queen, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 alongside bandmates John Deacon, Roger Taylor and the late Freddie Mercury. May and Taylor have continued to perform as Queen since Mercury died in 1991.
May’s performance also came seven months after the guitarist suffered a minor stroke that resulted in the paralysis of his left arm. A few weeks after the stroke, May said he was once again able to play guitar.
“[I’m] just doing what I’m told, which is basically nothing,” the guitarist said in video posted to his website and social media on Sept. 4. “I’m grounded. I’m not allowed to go out — well I’m not allowed to drive, not allowed to get on a plane, not allowed to raise the heart rate too high, not allowed to have planes flying over, which will stress me. But I’m good.”
Coachella concluded its first weekend on Sunday, with headlining performances from Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone. The music festival returns for its second weekend April 18-20.
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