A PIANO once owned by iconic British rock legends Queen is being auctioned off in Wiltshire next month.

The piano is expected to fetch between £10,000 and £20,000 as it is believed to feature on Queen’s 1984 album The Works, which included the hit Hammer to Fall.

After Queen used the Kawai EP 308 Baby Grand Electric Piano in both the recording studio and on tour, new wave rockers The Alarm snapped it up in 1985 following a chance meeting between lead singer Mike Peters and Freddie Mercury.

Both bands performed at the 1984 Montreux Pop Festival in Switzerland. While drinking in a hotel bar, a member of Queen's crew approached Peters and said Freddie Mercury wanted to meet him.

Mike Peters said: “Freddie was very humble and told me that he was a massive fan of The Alarm’s album. He asked me lots of questions about its recording. Then he gave me a card with his number and told me to call him if he could help us in any way.”

In 1985, when The Alarm needed a piano, they arranged to buy the Kawai from Queen for around £3,000 and collected it from the home of Roger Taylor.

After touring with The Alarm for three years, Mike Peters took ownership of the piano and stored it in his recording studio, a converted chapel in north Wales.

He added: “The piano certainly has a kind of magic. I’d love it to go to someone who gets the same buzz from it as we did.

“This year is The Alarm’s 40th anniversary. It’s a good opportunity to refresh everything we do. Some of our equipment is out of date and we need to reclaim some space.”

The Alarm supported Queen for two nights at Wembley Stadium on the band’s 1986 The Magic Tour. This was Queen’s final tour with Freddie Mercury and bass player John Deacon. It is estimated that over one million people attended the 26 concerts.

Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham will be holding the auction for the piano, which will include The Alarm's guitar amplifiers and flight cases as well, on December 8. The piano will be available for public viewing between 9am to 5.30pm on December 6 and 7 as well as on the day of the sale itself.

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs said: “This is an incredible piece of rock memorabilia and a fantastic instrument.

"With new technology, today’s electric pianos are a fraction of the size of the Kawai. We’re anticipating interest from collectors all over the world and fans of both Queen and The Alarm.”

The Alarm formed in Rhyll in 1981 and had a series of hits in the 1980s including Sixty-Eight Guns and Spirit of ‘76. Following a break-up in 1991, the band reformed in 2004 and continue to perform.

For more auction information, contact Luke Hobbs or Jamie South 01225 812912 or 07718 988374 or by email at auctions@gardinerhoulgate.co.uk