Killer Queen will rock you in

You can hear the many hit songs of British rock band Queen live Thursday in Portland when tribute act Killer Queen performs at Merrill Auditorium.

Killer Queen is an England-based, international touring band, fronted by singer Patrick Myers, with guitarist Simon Small, drummer John Howells and bassist Brad Waissman.

The band formed in 1993, two years after the death of Queen’s singer, Freddie Mercury.

At the time, Myers was a student at London University. He and his friends played Queen songs around a laundry room piano on campus.

More than 30 years later, Killer Queen continues to draw big crowds, and Myers said during an interview that his love for Queen’s music has never wavered.

“There’s so much rich moving music with Queen. It’s lovely to make audiences happy everywhere and seeing them having a good time. But also it’s great fun being in the company of the songs,” said Myers.

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The first time Myers ever performed in front of an audience was as a teenager, during a school assembly in Leicester. He played Queen songs on guitar but, at the time, was too nervous to sing. Since he’s gotten the nerve to belt them out, he’s never tired of it.

“That’s like asking a conductor if he gets bored of conducting a Beethoven symphony,” he said. “These songs are great, they’re witty, they’re cleverly arranged, they’re moving, they’re fun and they’re a whole range of emotions.”

Among Myers’ most beloved Queen songs is “It’s Late,” from the 1977 album “News of the World,” which he loves for the lyrics, Mercury’s vocals, the bright guitar, and the drum sound. “The arrangement is so good on that song.”

He’s also a huge fan of “Mother Love,” from the 1995 album “Made in Heaven,” released four years after Mercury’s death. Myers said it’s the last song that Mercury recorded. “He didn’t have the energy to go into the studio and record anything after that, and Brian (May) had to finish the song vocally for him.”

Myers’ favorite song to perform live is “These Are The Days Of Our Lives,” from the 1981 album “Innuendo.”