In an interview with Australia’s Today television show, Queen’s Brian May and Adam Lambert addressed critics who think Queen’s original frontman Freddie Mercury is irreplaceable.

“Some critics might say, it’s not the same and he’s not Freddie. Those are very true things. It isn’t the same. I’m not Freddie, and I’m aware of that, ” Lambert, who is currently on tour with Queen, told Today.

“But I think these two amazing musicians still want to get on stage and entertain people. I think they have the right. And these songs need to be brought to life on stage by the originators,” he continued, referring to Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Queen + Adam Lambert are currently on their Australian tour after a highly successful North American tour earlier this summer.

WATCH: Video from Queen + Adam Lambert’s Las Vegas Show

May added to Lambert’s comments, saying, “In our minds, that was kind of the litmus test the whole time. Would Freddie like this? And we don’t have any doubt whatsoever that Freddie would love it. He would be a little jealous, I think.”

But while critics have raised the question of whether Queen should continue to perform, most fans of the band are just happy to be able to see Queen on stage once again.

Later this year, Queen will release a new album with previously unreleased Freddie Mercury tracks as well as a live album from the archives, Live at the Rainbow ’74.

Listen to “Keep Yourself Alive” from Live at the Rainbow ’74 here.