Queen’s Brian May thanks fans for support after Australian video ambush

Brian May (Image credit: Kevin Mazur - Getty)

Brian May has thanked fans for their support after he was ambushed by a TV cameraman in Australia.

The Queen guitarist had just touched down at Brisbane Airport when he stopped his car to meet a group of fans who wanted to welcome him to the country.

However, while posing for pictures with them, a Channel 7 cameraman continued to film May, despite the guitarist asking him to stop. After putting the camera away, the cameraman then took out his phone and kept videoing.

May eventually approached the individual and appeared to take a swipe at the phone.

In an Instagram post, May says: “First of all thanks to so many of you folks who managed to find a way to send me supportive messages while I’ve been quietly trying to work my way through the feelings generated by the incident that happened at Brisbane Airport, just moments after I landed in Australia.

“No. I’m not all right. But I will be. It certainly ruined my day, and if that’s what you wanted, Channel 7, then you got it. There’s a fine line between anger and depression, and I’ve been struggling with all of that since I got ambushed and harassed by a TV news team, fresh off the plane from New Zealand.

“Now, obviously I’m not a novice at this, I’ve interacted with literally thousands of news reporters, photographers and cameramen over the last 50 years. I’m not exactly known for being aggressive, even in the face of provocation, but this guy caught me unawares – one of the rudest and most disrespectful video cameramen I’ve ever encountered.”

May says he spotted the cameraman among the fans but didn’t feel it was appropriate for the filming to continue as the group “deserved to have a few moments not being filmed for public sharing.”

"This guy caught me unawares – one of the rudest and most disrespectful video cameramen I’ve ever encountered"
Brian May

May continues: “So, in the nicest possible way, I turned to the cameraman and asked if he’d stop filming, now he’d got his story, and give us some private moments. He refused. He kept on filming and aggressively turned the camera close-up on my face. That, to me, felt like deliberate invasion of my space, and downright unfriendly. At that moment, everything changed."

May goes on: "Now it takes quite a lot to get me rattled, but I was beginning to boil. Everyone has a tipping point, I think? I carried on talking to the kids, trying to ignore the invasive presence, but he then pulled out his iPhone and began to film us with that. That was the final straw for me."

The guitarist says he approached the cameraman with the intention of "temporarily separating him from his phone, and actually put a hand on it" before his security guard stepped in to dissuaded him.

"And then I realised I had walked straight into a trap," says May. "The guy now had what he wanted. He could cook this up into a story in which I was portrayed as an attacker on an innocent victim of a newsman."

May says he regrets getting angry under what he regards as "severe provocation" with the guitarist adding: "To me the behaviour of the camera guy and the Channel 7 news team is shabby and shameful.

"I’d like an apology from them all, but of course the chances of that are small. I don’t know whether it was all a set-up from the beginning – maybe so – or whether he just deliberately acted like an arse to create a story, but either way I’ve had a struggle not to feel abused and unwelcome.”

May later posted a short video message thanking fans for the “avalanche of support" since the incident.

Queen and Adam Lambert will perform at the Fire Fight Australia benefit concert at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on February 16 and they'll then bring their Rhapsody tour to the UK and Europe later this year.

My Welcome to Brisbane ! First of all THANKS to so many of you folks who managed to find a way to send me supportive messages while I’ve been quietly trying to work my way through the feelings generated by the incident that happened at Brisbane Airport, just moments after I landed in Australia. No – I’m not all right. But I will be. It certainly ruined my day, and if that’s what you wanted, Channel 7, then you got it. There’s a fine line between anger and depression, and I’ve been struggling with all of that since I got ambushed and harrassed by a TV News team, fresh off the plane from New Zealand. Now, obviously I’m not a novice at this … I’ve interacted with literally thousands of news reporters, photographers and cameramen over the last 50 years. I’m not exactly known for being aggressive, even in the face of provocation, but this guy caught me unawares – one of the rudest and most disrespectful video cameramen I’ve ever encountered. As we drove out of the airport, I noticed a small group of young kids with Queen albums, waving a welcome. I find it hard to just drive by in a case like this. Yes, they could have been pesky e-bay hounds just looking to make a quick buck, but these guys looked like very genuine fans. This stuff still matters to me. So we stopped the car and I got out to sign their Queen material, and they kindly gave me gifts of typically Australian goodies. Lovely. Pressed up against the kids was a guy with a huge TV camera. I’d noticed him, obviously, but I had no idea who he was – whether he was part of the party of kids, or a third party. I just let him film for the few moments I was signing the albums. But these kids were clearly very moved by the meeting, and I felt they deserved to have a few moments NOT being filmed for public sharing. So, in the nicest possible way, I turned to the cameraman and asked if he’d stop filming, now he’d got his story, and give us some private moments. He refused. He kept on filming, and aggressively turned the camera close-up on my face. That, to me, felt like deliberate invasion of my space, and downright unfriendly. At that moment, everything changed. (To be cont’d). Bri Brian Harold May
A photo posted by @brianmayforreal on Feb 12, 2020 at 7:47am PST

(Continuing from previous post) I asked the cameraman at least two more times to put the camera down, and so did the kids. One of them said “I’ve waited half my life to meet Brian and I don’t want it to be spoilt by you”. The guy carried on filming, and then I told him firmly to put the camera away, or else this would turn into an ugly incident. Finally, he pointed the camera upwards, and it was fairly obvious it was still turned on, recording sound. Now it takes quite a lot to get me rattled, but I was beginning to boil. Everyone has a tipping point, I think ? I carried on talking to the kids, trying to ignore the invasive presence, but he then pulled out his iPhone and began to film us with that. That was the final straw for me. I headed towards him with the intention of temporarily separating him from his phone, and actually put a hand on it, before my security guy gently dissuaded me. And then I realised I had walked straight into a trap. The guy now had what he wanted. He could cook this up into a story in which I was portrayed as an attacker on an innocent victim of a newsman. He possessed the only footage of the incident, so he or his bosses could edit it any way they wanted, to make me look like I lost my rag for no reason. And that, predictably, is exactly what Channel 7 did. They could have run a story about how we’d come over preparing to do our bit for Fire Fight Australia next week, or about the upcoming massively sold-out show in Brisbane, or even about how we’d had a nice welcome from some fans at the airport. But no … they ran the ‘story’ with a smug introduction about Brian May “attacking” a cameraman, followed by a cunningly edited version of the footage he’d shot, in which I come across as an aggressor. I regret getting angry, but angry I was, under what I regard as severe provocation, and to me the behaviour of the camera guy and the Channel 7 News Team is shabby and shameful. I’d like an apology from them all, but of course the chances of that are small. I don’t know whether it was all a set-up from the beginning – maybe so – or whether he just deliberately acted like an arse to create a story, but either way ... Brian Harold May
A photo posted by @brianmayforreal on Feb 12, 2020 at 7:56am PST

(Continued from previous post) ...but either way, I’ve had a struggle not to feel abused and unwelcome. I’m sensible enough to know the vast majority of folks here are not in any way like this. I spent the afternoon today with my cousins, naturalised Aussies for the last 45 years, and felt massive warmth. And lots of you figured out how shitty I must be feeling and reached out to me … I’m eternally grateful. I’ve always loved Queensland, and that will never change … had some of the best times of my life on the Barrier Reef, and cried buckets seeing the tragedy of the Koalas and Kangaroos in the recent fires. Tonight I still feel bruised, but finally being able to write this is a kind of therapy. I had to make my side of the story known. Being disrespected so publicly takes a little while to get over. But now it’s over. And tomorrow morning I will get up and do my preparations, with intent to give one of the best performances of my life, fuelled by new lessons learned, and a determination to make the best out of all this. And a detrmination to give our wonderful fans in Brisbane the best night of their lives !!! See ya there ! Bri P.S. I’m in touch with Cooper Simmons, the young lad you see in the photo. Both he and his parents have been very supportive, and highly critical of Channel 7’s behaviour. But I haven’t been able to trace the other fans … send me message if your read this, guys. Brian Harold May
A photo posted by @brianmayforreal on Feb 12, 2020 at 8:04am PST

Queen And Adam Lambert 2020 Rhapsody European Tour
May 24: Bologna Unipol Arena, Italy
May 26: Paris AccorHotels Arena, France
May 27: Antwerp Sportspalais, Belgium
May 29: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
May 30: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Jun 02: London O2, UK
Jun 03: London O2, UK
Jun 05: London O2, UK
Jun 06: London O2, UK
Jun 08: London O2, UK
Jun 09: London O2, UK
Jun 11: Manchester Arena, UK
Jun 12: Manchester Arena, UK
Jun 14: Birmingham Arena, UK
Jun 15: Birmingham Arena, UK
Jun 17: London O2, UK
Jun 18: London O2, UK
Jun 20: London O2, UK
Jun 21: London O2, UK
Jun 24: Berlin Mercedes-Benz Arena, Germany
Jun 26: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Jun 28: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Jun 29: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Jul 01: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Jul 02: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Jul 07: Madrid Wiznik Centre, Spain
Jul 08: Madrid Wiznik Centre, Spain

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