Brian May might be retiring soon.
The guitarist shared a confession post on his Instagram with a lengthy statement. The rocker wrote about his worries and self-doubts in the music industry. He also admitted being unsure about why he continues in this line of work and whether it’s worth the sacrifice of being away from his family:
“This me… in my mind this morning. I’ve put a lot of passion and work into preparing this little adventure… But this is not easy for an old soldier like me. In fact it’s probably one of the most challenging things I’ve taken on for a long time. I felt very dissatisfied with what I came up with at last night’s dress rehearsal – so doing a lot of rethinking today while we all wait for showtime to come around. Why do I spend all these precious days away from home? Pursuing… what? And self-doubt rears its scary head to the point where I wonder who the hell I think I am.”
Though he had doubts about his career around other musicians, May also touched on how grateful he was for being in such an environment:
“These are the kind of thoughts which beset performers, probably especially at my time of life. This is the inner reality. But I’m also conscious I’m incredibly lucky to have an opportunity like this – to work in a completely unfamiliar environment with an extraordinarily talented man with his highly skilled team. Among it all I’m very grateful.”
The Role Of Age In Retirement
In an interview on iHeartRadio last year, May, Adam Lambert, and Roger Taylor talked about their touring experiences. May said that touring is getting tougher for him as they age, and mentioned the challenges of being away from home for long periods. May also emphasized the fun they have performing with Lambert, although he noted the age difference between them. He said:
“I’ll be honest. It gets harder because when you get to our age – well, I’d say my age – I’m gonna discount Adam from this, but you don’t necessarily want to be away for two months from your home, you know, because you can’t get back. There’s no way; you’re stuck in hotel rooms.”
It’s still unclear when exactly May will retire, but it seems he might have some more time for now.