ROCK legend Brian May needs no introduction and having seen West End star Kerry Ellis blow the socks off the audience in Wicked, I knew this was going to be a very special show.

Intimate and acoustic aren’t words you would normally associate with May, who is more often found performing in front of thousands at stadiums, but this gig was both and there was something really beautiful about hearing May’s skill on the guitar shine through.

Ellis’ voice was spectacular and several of the songs – particularly I (Who Have Nothing) and No One But You, which Ellis first performed for May when she auditioned for the part of Meatloaf in the musical We Will Rock You – gave me goosebumps.

Both outstanding performers in their own right, May and Ellis complemented each other perfectly and seemed to really enjoy performing together.

At one point May left Ellis alone on stage so she could keep the Wicked fans happy with a moving rendition of I’m Not That Girl.

I was a little disappointed she didn’t do Defying Gravity, as it’s such a great song and really shows off how powerful her voice is, but there were so many other fantastic songs it was easy to forget my momentary disappointment.

Of course, the crowd really came alive when they performed some classic Queen hits. They had everyone singing along to Somebody To Love and ended the set on a high with everyone stomping and clapping to We Will Rock You and then swaying and singing to We Are The Champions.

After rapturous applause they came back and performed Born Free, the Don Black classic, which Ellis and May have recorded as a single.

The performance was accompanied by a video with a poignant message about the decline of wild lions in Africa, as the tour is to raise money for the Born Free Foundation.

This show was a rare opportunity to see two astounding performers together and was an experience I will never forget.

Corey Ross