SURE, IT'S TOSSED OFF... BUT IT'S A CREATIVE TOSS

Brian May is not a man to turn the other cheek when someone dares to criticise his works, mighty as they are. We heard he had a chap killed for saying that his Ford jingle "Everything we do is driven by you" didn't quite match up to "Zoom-zoom-zoom", but that might have just been hearsay. Anyway, he's not pleased that Elton John has slagged off We Will Rock You. Elton (and everyone in the world, ever) dismissed the not-quite-musical as being uncreative. Brian May hit back, fuming:

"Elton is a silly boy really for commenting on a piece of work he's never seen. I know damn well We Will Rock You is one of the best entertainments ever - simply because literally millions of people say so, who have seen it and go back again and again, from all countries of the world.

"It will soon have broken the record for any show in the Dominion. These things are not achieved without a certain creativity."

May has also taken a snipe at Elton's upcoming musical Billy Elliott saying, "Billy Elliott, the Musical?. I wish 'em luck, but the film didn't do it for me. Does it rock?.

"I guess if Billy Elliott the Musical is still playing to ecstatic packed houses after three years in the West End, we'll take it seriously."

By Brian May's reckoning, then, the greatest play of all time must be the Mousetrap, seeing as its run for decades and decades. We really can't quite see why the fact bunches of tourists shuffle in day after day in their pacamacs to see some people singing the greatest hits of Queen proves creativity - indeed, we'd suggest that it demonstrates the exact opposite, since theatres seldom sell out when they're being at their most risk-taking. And does this mean the Rod Stewart musical wasn't creative, as it closed quickly? Theatreland is a confusing place.

music musicals west end brian may elton john queen