Brian May: I was wrong shape for AC/DC

Brian May would have loved to be in AC/DC but thinks he was the wrong "size and shape" for the band.

The Queen guitarist admires the Australian rockers and joked he might have joined them if his own group hadn't existed. The 64-year-old musician would have relished the challenge of being in a band he describes as "opposite" to Queen, originally helmed by the late Freddie Mercury.

"I'd have probably liked to be in AC/DC. But I'm the wrong sort of size and shape unfortunately," he told UK newspaper The Independent.

"Because it's different from Queen. Queen were very eclectic – that's the word isn't it? – and we just trampled over every boundary that there was but AC/DC are in a sense the opposite – they know their style and it's incredibly pure and I have a great respect for that. And every single note they play is AC/DC completely."

Brian has worked alongside an eclectic mix of musicians from Eddie Van Halen to boy band 5ive. He has been criticised for some of his collaborations but likes to pursue ventures that push him as an artist no matter what people think.

"If I feel excited by it I don't really care what anybody else thinks," he said.

"And in fact I kind of enjoy that feeling of discomfort. I recently played on a Dappy [UK singer] record and I told a few people and they go, 'What the hell are you doing that for!? That's not music! How could you possibly consider it?' And again, I said, 'No, listen again, you'll find the guy's actually a great lyrical power and he's a great singer and the record is brilliantly produced, so what exactly is your problem?' And everybody came back when they heard it and said, 'B***dy hell, that is great and it's a great combination.' And it's a daring idea for both of us and I love it – I love breaking the boundaries."