Watch Queen + Adam Lambert Perform an Emotional ‘Is This The World We Created…?’ in New York

Andy Greene
·3 min read
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Queen + Adam Lambert In Concert - Credit: Scott Legato/Getty Images
Queen + Adam Lambert In Concert - Credit: Scott Legato/Getty Images

When Queen + + Adam Lambert launched the 2023 leg of their Rhapsody tour last week, they dipped deep into the Queen catalog and resurrected the 1984 deep cut “Is This the World We Created…?” for the first time since Lambert stepped into the role as frontman. The song was written in response to African poverty and was famously played at Live Aid in 1985, but it took on a new meaning at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Thursday night in the aftermath of the massacre in Israel.

The song was played acoustically by Brian May and Lambert on the B-stage, and it brought the arena to a hushed silence. “Oh-oh, is this the world we created?” Lambert sang. “We made it on our own/Is this the world we devastated, right to the bone?/If there’s a God in the sky, looking down/What can he think of what we’ve done/To the world that He created?” They didn’t mention the ongoing situation in Israel, but it wasn’t necessary. Here’s a fan-shot video of the moment.

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Earlier in the night, May spoke about the loss of his longtime driver and close friend, Phil Webb. He died of a heart attack earlier this week. “This is a kind of difficult night for me,” May said. “It’s a very sad night because I lost one of my dearest friends ever. For me, I’m playing for him tonight. It’s Phil Webb, and I’m playing the show for him tonight.” It was followed by a mournful rendition of “Love Of My Life,” with Freddie Mercury singing the final verse via archival video.

The rest of the set was devoted to Queen classics like “Killer Queen,” “Somebody to Love,” “Under Pressure,” “I Want to Break Free,” and “Another One Bites The Dust.” For the die-hards in the audience, they broke out “’39” from A Night at the Opera, and the title track to 1984’s A Kind of Magic. The main set wrapped up with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and they returned for “We Will Rock You,” “Radio Ga Ga” (which also opened the show in truncated form), and the grand finale of “We Are the Champions.”

As always, Lambert took a minute in the middle of the show to acknowledge his incredible fortune and the man who came before him. “Can you guys believe I’ve gotten to tour with these guys for over ten years now?” he said. “Isn’t that crazy? I think this is our third time playing the Garden. I just wanted to say very quickly that every time I take the stage with these extraordinary musicians, I realize how lucky I am, and how honored I am to be singing this music. And just know that very time I take the stage, just like all of you and all of these gentlemen, we all have Freddie Mercury in our hearts. Let’s keep the party going and celebrate Freddie Mercury!”

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