LONDON (Reuters) – From T-shirts to guitars signed by Brian May, Queen memorabilia is up for sale in a new pop-up store in London’s Carnaby Street celebrating five decades of the rock band’s music.
“Queen The Greatest”, which opens on Tuesday, will host themes related to the rockers until its January run.
On sale at the shop, created with Universal Music Group’s Bravado merchandise and brand management company, are Queen hoodies, socks, mugs and puzzles among other items.
“(Queen) started in 1971 and are still touring and active to the day so we wanted to make sure that we didn’t let that moment pass without doing some celebration of it in a physical space,” Keith Taperell, VP retail and sales at Bravado, told Reuters.
The shop is split into different areas, starting with the 1970s and a thrift store-like set up nodding to when lead singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor had a stall at London’s Kensington market.
The 1980s section marks the band’s live events and tours, a record area represents the 1990s, while a stand of DVDs of Queen performances is for the Noughties.
“When we go to 2010 we still wanted to reference the fact that they are a modern band relevant for everyone so we have a tech area,” Taperell said. “There you can buy signed Brian May guitars, Roger Taylor drumsticks.”
Monthly themes will start with music for October which will see weekly limited edition drops, including a greatest hits vinyl.
Proceeds from a special Freddie Mercury T-shirt will go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust, an AIDS charity founded by May, Taylor and band manager Jim Beach in the singer’s memory. Mercury died from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991.
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
