Since splitting with Paul Rodgers in 2009, Queen has been without a full-time vocalist, which has been a bit of a bummer for fans hoping for a quick follow-up to 2008-s The Cosmos Rocks.  But it’s also opened the band up to all sorts of intriguing performance possibilities.

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Fans were treated to one such combo at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards on Sunday, where Queen were honored with the Global Icon Award, as reported by our friends at UltimateClassicRock.com.

Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor used the occasion to reunite with ‘American Idol’ alum Adam Lambert, who performed with them on that show in 2009; this time around, the trio delivered live renditions of ‘The Show Must Go On,’ ‘We Will Rock You,’ and ‘We Are the Champions.’

After the ceremony, May, Taylor, and Lambert were interviewed by the BBC. You can watch the interview below:

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When asked why he thought Queen‘s music had endured and remains popular still today, May offered this thoughtful response: “That’s always a hard question to answer, but we speak how we feel, and we speak, in a way, for common people. We always have — we’ve always been kind of a people’s band, and I think that endures. We aren’t locked into any time frame. We just kind of speak the way people feel — their dreams, their hopes, their aspirations. The songs are honest. If there is an answer, I think that’s it.”

Lambert, whose vocal style is frequently compared to deceased Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, paid tribute to the iconic singer’s talent, saying, “It was such an honor to be asked to sing with Queen… the music they created together broke the mold for what rock music was. Freddie’s spirit lives on.”

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