Live Aid: Freddie Mercury warms up the crowd in 1985
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This week’s episode of Queen The Greatest Live, which you can watch below, looks back at the rehearsal Freddie Mercury and the band had, preparing for their iconic Live Aid set in 1985. Amazingly they were one of the only bands to put serious time in beforehand. Fans might also be surprised to know that Brian May had initially left the stage after their unforgettable 17 minute set thinking it was one of the band’s weaker performances.
Speaking with Total Guitar, Brian said: “We didn’t go there to [steal the show]. We went there to do our bit… I didn’t think when we came off that it was our best performance or anything like that.”
Above all, the Queen guitarist credits Freddie’s confidence during the Live Aid set for why their band was seen to have “stolen the show.” He also admitted that it really was a step into the unknown for them given they weren’t on the bill went the concert was first announced.
Brian continued: “The adrenaline that was flowing in Freddie was pretty magnificent. Freddie, when you watch him now, he looks so full of confidence. And he is … He knows that he can get the audience on his side, in spite of the fact that nobody had bought tickets to see us. We weren’t on the bill when people bought all those tickets. So that was a step into the unknown. But I don’t think Freddie ever had any doubts.”
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hc7ajsOZb6o
Roger Taylor remembered of Freddie’s Live Aid performance: “From the word go, he came out of the traps like a champion. I remember looking up and seeing the whole place going completely bonkers in unison and thinking ‘Oh, this is going well’.”
Queen’s set on July 13, 1985, which was recreated in their biopic, was: Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, Ay-Oh/Hammer to Fall, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions.
Next week’s episode of Queen The Greatest Live is called Rehearsals – Part 3: Rehearsing magic.
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