"Probably the most precious intimate capture ever of Mr. Mercury at his full awesome power": Brian May salutes the majesty of Freddie Mercury as Queen Rock Montreal gets 2024 IMAX screenings

(Image credit: EMI)

Queen Rock Montreal, the concert film documenting the band's performances over two sold-out evenings at the city's 18,000-capacity Forum on November 24 and 25, 1981, is to be screened in IMAX cinemas for one weekend next year. Capturing the band touring their eighth studio album, 1980's The Game, and directed by Saul Swimmer, the film is described as "a window into Queen in their most unalloyed form, giving audiences a larger-than-life, front-row immersive experience."

“I don’t think we quite realised it at the time, but this film has preserved one of the highest peaks in Queen’s touring life, on stage in the old glory days," says guitarist Brian May. "The director was very much focussed on Freddie, and this now stands as probably the most precious intimate capture ever of Mr. Mercury at his full awesome power.”

Drummer Roger Taylor, meanwhile, offers a more succinct message, saying simply, “Enjoy. We were young!”

Queen Rock Montreal will be released in over 450 IMAX locations globally for four days beginning January 18. Participating territories include the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico, to name a few. For a list of theatres and to purchase tickets go here.

If you can't wait until January to watch Brian May at his majestic best, you can currently find him playing with drummer prodigy Nandi Bushell in a scene filmed for the popular BBC children's TV show Andy And The Band, which tells the story of intergalactic band Andy and the Odd Socks. The pair appear in the first episode of the new series of the music-driven comedy show.

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.