Queen dedicate Isle of Wight Festival set to Orlando shooting victims

Updated

Queen and Adam Lambert have paid tribute to the Orlando shooting victims and Freddie Mercury during an emotional Isle of Wight Festival headline show.

Original members Brian May and Roger Taylor were accompanied by the American Idol star for the two-hour set which brought to an end the first major music festival of the summer.

May, 68, said he wanted to "immortalise the moment" by taking a video selfie of himself with the crowd of tens of thousands before leading the audience in a poignant rendition of Love Of My Life with a video of Mercury finishing the song.

For Bohemian Rhapsody, a video of Mercury, who died in 1991, was also used for him to join with the band. Taylor, 66, led the singing for It's A Kjnd Of Magic.

The band sang Who Wants To Live Forever as a tribute to the victims of the Orlando shooting.

Lambert, 34, said: "This song is dedicated to those who lost their lives in Orlando, Florida, and anyone who has been a victim of senseless violence or hatred."

Lambert wore several outfits including a visor and a studded jacket, a crown, and a black feather-style jacket with high-heeled boots.

He said: "Thank you to the rock-n-roll royalty that I get to share a stage with, Brian May and Roger Taylor. This is one of the biggest honours in my life, there will always be, for all time, one Freddie."

Other hits included Killer Queen, Radio Ga Ga, I Want To Break Free, and Under Pressure, the song Queen jointly created with David Bowie.

The show ended with We Are The Champions with a massive burst of confetti followed by the band joining in the National Anthem and a firework display.

Earlier, Genesis co-founder Mike Rutherford said "never say never" to a reunion of the classic rock band.

The 65-year-old told the Press Association: "There are no plans to reform but never say never, we are all alive, we are all healthy."

Rutherford, originally from Portsmouth, Hampshire, performing as Mike and the Mechanics, played several Genesis tracks including I Can't Dance and Land Of Confusion.

Glasgow band Twin Atlantic entertained the main stage crowd on Sunday afternoon when lead singer Sam McTrusty climbed into the crowd during their song No Sleep, with girls in the audience trying to grab the chance to take a selfie with him.

As well as the established bands, up-and-coming acts such as East London four-piece Paves have been showcased on the Jack Rocks This Feeling stage which last year featured Bang Bang Romeo, who graduated to the Big Top this year.

The festival got fully under way on Friday night with a joint headline slot by Stereophonics followed by Faithless.

The Who played a greatest hit set showing they could wow the crowd like they did when they started 50 years ago.

Since the Isle of Wight Festival relaunched at Seaclose Park, Newport, in 2002, it has featured headline acts from some of the world's biggest stars including David Bowie, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Sir Paul McCartney, Blur and the Foo Fighters.

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