Queen Extravaganza Competition Moves on to Fan-Voting Semi-Finals Stage

Queen drummer Roger Taylor is taking his search for the best Queen wannabees (Queen-bees?) to the next level. The semi-final round of the Queen Extravaganza competition begins on Nov. 9, with fan voting ultimately deciding who moves on to the finals in December.

So far, entries from various hopefuls have earned over 6.4 million YouTube views, leaving Taylor feeling optimistic about who will carry on his band’s legacy in 2012. “What an amazing storehouse of talent we have unlocked,” he said in a press release. “The standard is mind blowingly high, it’s really a thrill getting to discover some of them, keep them coming!”

In round two, each vocalist and musician will have to perform a track specific to their instrument. The next Freddy Mercury will have to sing ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love,’ Taylor’s doppelganger will keep pace with ‘One Vision,’ the next John Deacon (bassist) will take on ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ and May’s replacement will audition with ‘Keep Yourself Alive’ or ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ depending on if he or she is auditioning as a guitarist or keyboard player.

The official Queen Extravaganza website reveals contestants have a small window during which to upload their entry. Each will have just five days, Nov. 9-13, to submit, and afterward it will be up to fans to decide who moves on. Voters can vote once per category before Nov. 28. Afterwards, top vote getters will move to the finals in Los Angeles in early December.

The Queen Extravaganza Tour will launch in 2012, featuring three vocalists and a five-piece band. No dates or cities have been announced for that tour.