Freddie Mercury in the Show Me State

“The show must go on
I’ll face it with a grin
I’m never giving in
On with the show”
— Queen, The Show Must Go On

Randy Stott,
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

The British rock band Queen wrote The Show Must Go On during a troubling time for the group. Although it wasn’t yet public knowledge, the band’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury, was already dying of AIDS. The song was recorded in 1990 and released as part of the album Innuendo in 1991, shortly before Freddie’s death later that year. He never got to perform the song live, but the recorded version embodied his passion for performance right up until his dying days.

This is not a happy song. Although it is about overcoming adversity, there’s no joyful victory or happy ending here. The song’s somber tone and minor keys acknowledge that life can be full of anguish, tragedy and pain. But the chorus reminds us we have to keep on living anyway. In order to have meaning in our lives, we have to continue doing the things we love.

It’s also a song that captures my mood — and probably many of yours as well — about the state of the world today. In 2021, it’s not HIV and AIDS causing all the trouble, but rather COVID. Many have gotten sick. Many have died. In some places, COVID is worse today than it ever was. Just as it was with Freddie Mercury, the song of our lives today could easily be set to a background of B Minor chords.

And yet, the show must go on.

As many of you know, the Motion + Power Technology Expo takes place September 13–16 in St. Louis. It’s going to be a different kind of trade show than most people have ever experienced. Attendance will likely be the lowest in anyone’s memory. We’ll all be wearing masks and doing our best to both network and social distance at the same time.

Not going to the show is a perfectly rational decision, so I won’t blame any of you for staying home. But at the same time, if you feel safe enough to do so, I encourage you to come, because many of the world’s leading manufacturers of mechanical power transmission components will be there, as well as many other suppliers of machine tools, materials and services representing the complete power transmission supply chain.

And most importantly, despite everything that’s going on in the world, business is still happening. And if your company is facing supply chain issues and you’d like to interview new suppliers of gears or gear drives, there’s really no better place in the world to get it done than at MPT Expo. You can learn more about some of these key exhibitors by reading our booth previews, beginning on page 20.

I’ll be there, learning as much as I can about what these great companies have to offer. Our team will do our best to bring back as much information as we can about the latest technology to help you with whatever engineering challenges you face. But we’d really love to see you if you’re able.

We’ll be in the AGMA Booth, #2813.