Legendary performer adds Welsh date to UK tour

Nation Cymru staff

A member of one of the world’s most enduring bands of all time will head to Wales as part of a new tour this autumn – one of a handful of his only UK shows this year.

Legendary queen songwriter, drummer and singer Roger Taylor has today announced a new tour and album for autumn 2026.

Closing the tour at Swansea Building Society Arena on Tuesday September 29, Taylor will visit six venues in celebration of new album Violence Insane in a Beautiful World for his only UK shows this year.

The Violence Insane in a Beautiful World tour will see Roger perform with his extraordinary band featuring keyboardist Spike Edney, supporting drummer Tyler Warren, multi-instrumentalist Tina Keys, Neil Fairclough on bass, and Christian Mendoza on guitar. The tour will also visit Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and the legendary Roundhouse in London, where Roger performed as a guest of Foo Fighters in 2011.

Fans can secure their copy of the new album and gain exclusive access to the tour pre-sale by signing up now at rogertaylor.live

Released on September 18 on Columbia, the album is preceded today by the exuberant single Come on Summer (It’s Party Time), featuring a stunning performance by The Ndlovu Youth Choir from Limpopo, South Africa, who first came to prominence for their incredible Zulu-language translation of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Violence Insane in a Beautiful World is Roger’s seventh album in a solo career stretching back to 1977 and is his first since 2021’s critically and fan-acclaimed top 3 album Outsider.

While not a concept record, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World does have an overarching theme, as Roger explains: “There is a theme, you know, it’s in the title really, what a beautiful world we live in, don’t fuck it up. There seems to be all this insanity at the moment.

“The violence in the world seems to be as bad as it ever was, at any point, and certainly in my lifetime.

“It’s just horrific, a lot of insane violence. And we do seem to be fucking up the world, plastics in the sea, you know, and all these awful wars everywhere and hatred born of different religions.”

However, the tone of the album is hopeful as Roger adds: “It’s a beautiful world, you know. And kindness is very important, I think, it seems to be forgotten quite a lot. So, that is basically the sort of underlying theme.”

Roger wrote, with the exception of an exquisite cover of Jealous Guy, which he describes as “one of the greatest, ballads ever written”, produced, sang and performed all the songs on Violence Insane in a Beautiful World himself, with help from long-time collaborator Joshua J.Macrae, members of his live band and on three extraordinary tracks, The Ndlovu Youth Choir from Limpopo, South Africa.

Speaking about their contributions, Roger says: “I was really happy when I became aware of this amazing South African choir, who sing in Zulu. They’re just wonderful.

“They did the most incredible cover version of Bohemian Rhapsody, and it’s fabulous. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. So, we suddenly had the bright idea of asking them to sing on some of the tracks, which they did, and I think it’s transformed those songs. It gives them a whole new dimension. I’m really thrilled with their work on that.”

While Roger was finishing the artwork for the album, there was a cosmic coincidence: Artemis II, on its mission to the dark side of the Moon, also photographed Earth from a distance. The report from the Queen fans at NASA in Houston about the sleeve is that “everyone liked it and thought it was definitely kismet.”

Of the cover, Roger says: “Well, the cover is really the story of the lead song, which is A Beautiful World, and it’s really an old idea, but in a way, it’s just written from the view of an alien in a spacecraft literally orbiting the world and thinking how beautiful it is.

“On close observation, he sees there’s problems, there’s infection, all the violence and horrors that occur, and then there’s a list of all the great things about the earth. It’s really rather strange because it was done before we got those wonderful pictures from Artemis II.”

He continues: “NASA approves! They’re very nice people. We’ve been there. Obviously. Brian knows them very well. We went whilst we were on tour in Houston. We had a fantastic tour of the whole NASA site. It’s quite something just to be sitting in the control room with all these guys and screens, and they’re actually talking to the space station, controlling it. Yeah, hell of a thing.”

Roger’s solo work never shied away from political statements and tracks on the album, such as CHUMP, speak for themselves. Does he feel optimistic about the state of the world? “To be honest, no, with Nigel Garage (sic) looming, no.

“My wife says she’s leaving the country if he gets in, and I don’t blame her. It’s like Trump, really. You can’t believe how popular he was.

“I’m not sure he’s quite as popular now, people are finally coming to their senses, but I can’t believe how popular Farage, who is intrinsically a horrible man, is, but he’s a populist, demagogue, politician appealing to the lowest sort of ideals.”

As throughout his solo career, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World embraces a multitude of styles and sounds: “I like the idea of eclecticism. I like the idea of different things, you know? I mean, the great example being the Beatles.

“I always thought that their albums were very eclectic, especially the later albums from Revolver onwards. You never knew what the next track was going to be, and it was totally different to the track before it.

“We always tried to do that in Queen. We tried to make a lot of different things and fearlessly tread where no sane man would. Yeah, I think people are really going to like the surreal stuff.”

A new album often leads to talk of a new tour “I mean, do people want to see me live? I would hope some would. I thought I’d put a toe in the water. You know, I don’t want to play clubs. I certainly won’t be playing arenas.” So, what about the band? “Well, it’s the band I’d put together for the Outsider Tour, they are fabulous.”

Does Roger still think of himself as a musician rather than a drummer? “Well, I guess so. Yeah. I mean, I’ve always been singing with Queen, you know? Fred used to push his voice hard, he’d often dip down very expertly, and I’d take the higher line.”

That doesn’t mean he’s lost his love for being behind the drumkit. “Oh, yeah, I love it. I love playing the drums. Well. I’m obviously a bit older now, and I couldn’t thrash them like my son Rufus Tiger. He is one hell of a drummer.”

Secure a copy of the album and sign up to access the tour pre-sale here.

Violence Insane in a Beautiful World World Tour UK dates

21 Sept Newcastle, O2 City Hall
22 Sept Edinburgh, Usher Hall
24 Sept Birmingham, The Alexandra
25 Sept Manchester, Opera House
28 Sept London, Roundhouse
29 Sept Swansea Building Society Arena