“I Was Paralyzed by Fear”: Brian May Recalls the Night He Froze Beside Eric Clapton at The Prince’s Trust Concert

Even legends can have moments of doubt. For Brian May, the towering guitarist of Queen, that moment came under the royal spotlights of London’s Royal Albert Hall — with none other than Eric Clapton standing right beside him.

May recently opened up about the night he was “paralyzed by fear” during a star-studded Prince’s Trust Rock Gala, when he forgot the only part he and Clapton had rehearsed.

🎸 The Event: A Jam Fit for Royalty

The unforgettable moment unfolded during the late 1980s — most likely at the 1988 Prince’s Trust Rock Gala, one of the era’s most celebrated charity concerts. These events, held in support of King Charles III’s (then Prince Charles’s) charitable foundation, were famed for assembling dream lineups of the world’s greatest rock stars.

That night’s finale was the Beatles classic “With A Little Help From My Friends,” led by Joe Cocker, the song’s most famous interpreter. The stage was packed with an almost surreal list of talent:

• Eric Clapton – guitar
• Phil Collins – drums and vocals
• Brian May – guitar
• Plus a rotating roster of rock’s elite, including members of Genesis, Dire Straits, and The Who.

For May, the event was already a thrill. But as he later confessed, it also became one of the most intimidating moments of his career.

😨 “I Was Paralyzed by Fear”

In interviews years later, May admitted that the experience of sharing a stage with Clapton — the man he’d idolized since his teens — left him completely overcome by nerves.

“I was paralyzed by fear,” May confessed. “I was standing right next to Eric, and I just froze.”

The two guitarists had briefly discussed their plan for the finale: Clapton would play a few licks, then May would respond with a single, rehearsed lick to bring the song to its rousing conclusion.

But when the cue came — seven minutes into the sprawling jam — May’s mind went completely blank.

🎶 The Blackout and the Recovery

As the music built to its peak, Clapton turned toward May, expecting the planned response. But May’s fingers refused to cooperate. The only thing they had actually rehearsed — the one lick — vanished from his memory.

“I just froze,” May recalled. “The thing we’d agreed on completely disappeared from my head. So I just started doing my usual thing — bends, vibrato, whatever came naturally.”

To the audience, nothing seemed amiss. May improvised seamlessly, leaning into his signature Queen-style phrasing to finish the piece. The crowd roared, oblivious to the internal chaos that had just unfolded on stage.

Behind the scenes, though, May admitted the moment haunted him — not because of the mistake, but because it happened in front of the very man who inspired him to pick up the guitar.

🕊️ A Human Moment from a Guitar God

The irony, of course, is that May’s “disaster” is remembered today as part of a brilliant live performance — one that raised funds for youth and education through The Prince’s Trust, and showcased the unity of rock’s greatest icons.

For fans, the confession only deepens their appreciation for May’s humility and humanity. Despite being one of rock’s most distinctive guitarists, he was still a student at heart, standing in awe of his hero.

Years later, May would describe the incident not as a failure, but as a reminder that vulnerability is universal — even on the grandest stages.

“You never really stop being that kid in the audience, watching your heroes,” he said.

And that night at the Royal Albert Hall, Brian May’s moment of fear quietly turned into one of authenticity — proof that even under the royal lights, rock’s greatest players are still human after all.