Lambert: I'm no Mercury replacement

Adam Lambert has been performing with Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor

Adam Lambert has said that he isn't trying to emulate the late Freddie Mercury when he performs with Queen.

The American Idol runner-up has fronted the rock band alongside Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor on numerous occasions, including a New Year's Eve concert in London, and the trio will embark on the European leg of their tour in the UK in coming days.

"There's never going to be another, and I'm not replacing him," the 32-year-old singer told Classic Rock magazine about stepping into Freddie's shoes.

"That's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to keep the memory alive, and remind people how amazing he was, without imitating him. I'm trying to share with the audience how much he inspired me."

The trio grace the front cover of the magazine's new issue.

Brian said: "Adam is the first person we've encountered who can do all the Queen catalogue without blinking. He is a gift from god," while Roger, who described Adam's vocals as "one in a billion", added: "He's incredibly musical, and we certainly take anything he says quite seriously."

Guitarist Brian also revealed that Freddie's presence will be felt at their forthcoming gigs.

"We've been on tour in the States with Adam, and Freddie's already there because of the writing, and the original performances that we model the show on," he said.

"But he's there also in a much more tangible way, because we use video footage. It's nice to feel he's part of it, without being swamped by nostalgia. I think we tread that line quite tastefully and carefully."

Queen + Adam Lambert's New Year's Eve concert on BBC One was watched by over 10 million viewers, and Adam became the most searched term on Google for days afterwards.