CROWD CONTROL MAXIMUS 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 Here’s the video link • Live Aid 1985: Queen F... I do not own the rights to this video. No copyright infringement intended.
@@kevinmoore2929 David Bowie had to go on after this. He met his old friend and rival Freddie in the wings and had only one thing to say to him - "You fucking bastard!" Of course, it can't have been too serious a grudge there - Freddie's boyfriend Jim had styled both Freddie and Bowie's hair that day, so they were both perfectly coiffed for posterity, and Bowie had tears in his eyes when he performed at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert at this same venue not even a decade later. But when Bowie doesn't want to follow your act, you have won music forever.
I was there with my to be husband,.. right in the middle about ten yards back to the stage. Queen saved the day, ... and the whole event. My future husband asked me to marry him on the spot. We got married in a little later,... I lost my husband in august 2020 due to cancer, mesothelioma,... we shared the most beautiful memories of this event till his last moments. I hope my husband got to meet Freddie,... somewhere,... anywhere.. and tell him “What it means to us.” #loveofmylife
God bless Ona. You had the luxury to experience this real time , live ! With the love of your life! I hope you appreciate those moments in life....WOW...that's stupid...of course you did...thank you for sharing!
He ran into Elton John, who was up after Queen to close out the night after this performance, and Elton said, "You bastard. How is anybody supposed to follow that?"
Elton was meant to have said that ,but queen went on about third ,at 6.40 pm .. I watched all the concert ( about 16 hours of it ) but this performance has been rated one of the best live performances ever!
I thought it was Bowie who was on after Queen... and I figured there was one, possibly only one way to make this performance more epic than it was... If Queen closed out the set with "Under Pressure," and David Bowie walking onto the stage for a live performance of the duet (Which otherwise, I think never actually happened, Brian May did Bowie's parts for live performances of that song).
@@Skyfighter64 Bowie did follow Queen. and Elton John played later on. By most accounts it was Elton who said (in a friendly way) “You bastards, you stole the show!”
Remember, this was his real LIVE voice.. no autotune, no lip syncing, nothing. Just 100% Freddie LIVE. Greatest singer and greatest frontman from the greatest band... EVER.
Some day I will compile my live performances resume. I've been so blessed to have seen so many amazing and legendary performances. Still go to several a year at nearly 60 years old 😁
They didnt steal the show. Bowir and elton john. Are. Awesome in there own own rights. Why are iverone goimg so insane over queen. Yall act like its the first time yall ever heard him
I was at this show. My uncle ran a production company for one of the sponsors and I was 11 rows off the stage center stage. When Freddie Mercury ran out onto that stage, it was like a bolt of lightning ran through the crowd. For the next half hour It became more and more evident that I was witnessing history being made. People, me included, were shouting and screaming and singing as Freddie led us down the most beautiful road we had ever been on. Im very happy to say that I remembered to look around me once in a while and take it all in. I still remember it like I was there. The sounds, the smells, Freddie on that stage. I would give my soul to experience it again for the first time. Its very rare to see history be made and rarer still to know that you are seeing it happen.
You, sir, are a very lucky man. 1985, I was 12, still at my catholic primary school. I would have known of Queen, heard them on the radio, loved them as I was eclectic in my musical tastes even then, but I didn't know much about them, as I didn't about any of the bands/groups/singers I knew of. Later, as I learned more, I didn't care, because the music mattered more to me than the singers/artists/band members. My only real thought about Freddie being gay was something like, "good for him, I guess, that's not my thing." To be there? I cannot truly even begin to imagine how mind blowingly awesome that would have been. Respect.
Have you seen the crowd singing Bohemian Rhapsody before a Green Day Concert at Hyde Park , London, in 2017 ? Proof of the love his fans still have although many of them weren't even alive when he died.
This is such pure interaction! The media we have today inhibits this kind of connection between performers and the audience. If this happened today, there would be an overlay of someone talking and analyzing and injecting their opinion on the whole thing throughout.
I was a kid watching that live, it was amazing, then for some reason I went and fixed a puncture on my bicycle.... Missing most of the greatest spectacle ever...
@@ShadowyFox_86critics bash the movie is for the number of things they just made up even though they didn't need to. The real story of Queen was good enough for a movie without having to change all the details. It was almost as if the people who made the movie did almost no research over what actually happened. For example Queen never actually broke up in the 1980's and Freddie Mercury wasn't even the first member to do a solo album. And he didn't know he had AIDS in 1985 at live aid he wasn't diagnosed until 87. also the entire scene where he meets the band and becomes their singer was b******* he knew them for several years before that and actually wrote some songs for Smile before their singer left and he took his place.
I read an interview with Brian May. He said that the other acts were pretty casual about Live Aid. But Freddie made Queen rehearse for 3 days. It shows. Freddie intended to go supernova. Bless.
Absolutely spot on. Queen had slowly been in decline in the early 80's. This epic appearance relaunched them back into the 'stratosphere'. Everyone realised it at the time, that weekend in mid-July 1985. It was all the talk in the pubs, the day after Live-Aid, and at work the following Monday. Everybody mentioned the Queen segment! I was lucky to see them again the following July, at Wembley. Still one of the best concerts I have ever seen. I had previously seen them as a support act to Mott the Hoople, in the early 70's....the crowd knew they were good even then. They didn't get booed off but asked for more...more...more. That alone was unusual for a support act.
Yeah, people forget that before this performance they were considered to be that rock-opera band that you knew of but weren't in anybody's top-5 list. And rock-opera had been dead for years.
I remember watching Live Aid with my Mom and two older brothers....when Queen came out my brother looked at me and said...your about to witness rock & roll history and he was completely right.
Andrea....what an awesome moment in the history of your life! I can't believe being the music lover that I am that I didn't watch Live Aid, I was 10 years old! WTH? Ugh....I was probably watching a Cubs game. Lol Great memory of sharing the moment with your brother. Thanks for sharing.
Lisa Diane me, too. Same. I was 11, and I remember hearing about Live Aid, but I was into Supertramp and ELO, and I didn’t watch Live Aid?!? I was a weird kid.
The greatest 21 minute concert in history, Freddie holds 70,000 people in the palm of his hand in 30 seconds flat, he hadn't even started singing and the crowd was captivated.
Not one person in a hundred that day bought a ticket primarily to see Queen, and not a single soul left the stadium with any doubts about the greatest live act in the world.
Are you kidding me that was the first time seeing a son I seen the movie and the only time I seen him watch it was on the TV at this concert at yet you're right but damn
The movie wasnt an accurate representation of actual events. Do try and keep that in mind. According to the movie he hadn't performed in a long time, was concerned about his voice, and they didnt know if he could go. In reality they had been touring and were in peak performance shape. Love the movie, but a lot of liberties were taken.
@@havok2022 Several books and interviews mention that Freddy had a "throat condition" and was performing against doctors' advice. So, while he was spectacular, "peak performance shape" might not have been entirely true - about his voice at least.
@@scottsv96 Queen, playing with another front man, isn't "Queen". Freddie was Queen, as much as the rest of the band hates to admit it. All the other band members contributed much to the sound of the band, but Freddie was the voice and soul of the band. I've heard great karaoke singers do Queen, and very good, but nobody can replace Freddie, and that's all modern day Queen is, karaoke on a live stage.
Wow...really??! I didn't know he had tonsillitis during Live Aide!! As a long time sufferer of both tonsillitis and streptococcus...the sheer pain of each swallow and inhale is unbearable 😫 I couldn't imagine a stellar ✨ performance as THAT even on a good day!!!🤯🤯
@@Tleeshan I know, it crazy isn't it, right up to show time, there was a chance he couldn't go on, so he downed a couple of vodkas and went out and kicked everyone's arse.
@@JonathanGarcia-pq5hg Exactly! If this is Freddie with a throat infection, singing against his doctor's orders, everybody, imagine what he could do when he *was* at his best! Or just go watch the live in Montreal, '81 video, and revel in the power of Freddie's voice at his peak. Somebody to Love, baby!
Jonathan Garcia sometimes it’s a challenge like that which drives you harder to push to the limits instead of resting on your laurels though. - I consider it a challenge against the whole human race and I ain’t gonna lose....
Freddie Mercury, will destroy you on your best day while he's having his worst. Might as well just sit down and enjoy the show. The man was born for the stage....
Reminds me of how their final album was recorded. Freddie being something like 40 pounds under the weight he was here and barely able to stand for extended periods was sitting in the room at the studio as the band contemplated if they should have vocalists "guest" to fill in portions for Freddie. "I said, 'Fred, I don't know if this is going to be possible to sing.' And he went, 'I'll fucking do it, darling'-vodka down-and went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal".
That's what you call professional experienced performers. Not one hesitation. Not a second wasted. He took control from the instant he stepped on stage until his last parting gesture. The band worked like a championship team with no ego but all in it together doing their part to give it there all for the audience, for the show. TIGHT No mater how many times I have seen it. It is mind blowing and a masterpiece of music history.
Freddie played keyboards and he also played a 12-string Ovation guitar. The acoustic guitar in Crazy Little Thing Called Love is Freddie. Drummer Roger Taylor also played guitar, keyboard, and sang lead vocal on 10 Queen songs. In this video you can hear Roger singing harmony higher than Freddie in Hammer to Fall.
I was there. 3 or 4 rows from the front and I can still find myself during Radio Gaga..... 54 now and a lifetime ago but a stunning, unbelievable performance and such an amazing memory.
Me too. Always a happy man with a beautiful smile and positive energy. Thanks Jamel for doing what you do and bringing smiles to others. Got to see that 9 months after you posted it, so glad it's still here. Take care, stay safe, peace.
Queen always delivered on stage but it was the fact they had no sound check or no light show that night that made it even more special! they won a lot of people over that had ridiculed them, but they showed everyone how a live band does it, he ran on stage and from the first second you just knew he was up for it! ✊👑🇬🇧
Hexenkönigin von Angmar haha you know you’re a flash in the pan band when you have to use another band to warm your own crowd up. Love That vid but its the only thing I’ve ever watched with the words green day in it.
Freddie mercury was a pure entertainer. He knew what the crowd wanted and he gave it to them every bit of it. All you Gotta do is watch the audience participation and you’ll see the love the people had for him And he gave it back in return. I miss Freddie Mercury immensely.
I remember watching the video for "These Are the Days of Our Lives" and sobbing because we all knew Freddie would be gone soon. He was one of a kind, and there will never be another like him.
and one of the most amazing things was that this was NOT a "Queen" crowd - they were a last-minute addition to the program... tickets were all bought and paid for before they were added... still they "stole the show" according to almost every account... :)
GinMae oh yes!! So many naysayers were saying that QUEEN Would not be able to perform because they had all their backdrops and huge back lighting, etc... Brian Mays said during the interview that what it all boils down to as far is performing at live aid was “ whether or not you knew had to play and perform & They had an advantage actually because they had performed in tons of stadiums in front of 2 to 300,000 people”... Queen stole the show no hands down!! The bands and performers on before them probably have felt humiliated & I would’ve really hated to go on after this band performed because they were so incredible. I don’t look at it as a competition overall but raising money for the starving people in Ethiopia. However, musicians and Rockstars do have their egos.
@@montereyharris1277 ... and I heard that Freddie saw David Bowie backstage - sitting in front of a fan... because it was hot and humid... and he joked "is that the ONLY fan you have?" - cannot be confirmed, but sounds JUST like Freddie :)
Cerise Wilson: I agree. I am not the most philosophical man out there but I think it was better to have had him for the period that we did than never to have had him at all.
Queen completely annihilated everyone else that night. I remember. People were so tired because it was a LONG concert. Then Queen came on, and it was like it was a new concert. Freddie and the boys just brought the audience to their knees. Queen had had a decline in the 80's due to Freddie's insistence of trying to make them into a pop / disco band. But this concert affirmed them again and made them stronger than ever. A Kind of Magic was released a year later, one of their best albums.
Your being a bit harsh there imo Freddie wasn't trying to make them into anything He wanted to make the album more dance orientated before because of the success on some of their singles They completely let him down dragging recording out to nearly a year not giving it a 100% because they decided having some dance funk style songs would make them sound like gay club music Then they made it obvious in every video and interview they weren't happy,they have to take some responsibility for hot space not doing as well Why did Brian think an anti gun song would go down well in the us They pulled it back with the works 84 3 top 10 singles one at 13 album no 2 But pretty much lost america with the brake free video They had just finished a world tour aug 84 to may 85
I like their more soul-flavored stuff in The Game..Dragon Attack, Don't Try Suicide... It's in Hot Space that they went a bit overboard with the disco sound, which I didn't really mind. It's still got two of their best tunes ever, Life Is Real and Cool Cat...well, three, I fu include the earlier released Under Pressure. I just don't think that label DISCO should disqualify or deem any songs to be bad, cheap or a piece of crap. Other genres do have bad, cheap & pieces of crap songs, too.
@@bluebell3720 for a modern western country, america's the most homophobic..and the men there are so stupidly very INSECURE with their manliness..that a humorous music video like I want to break free could scare them... 😂😂😂😂 Other parts of the world just found that one as a funny ha-ha thing..but in the good ol US of A.. it's a THREAT to their men's masculinity...🤦♂️ 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I love it.. 35 years later and Freddie is controlling you just like he controlled that crowd. You simply can't help by follow him. No one can, he is just one the most charismatic front men of all time and this was his crown jewel of a performance.
I am a true Queen freak. I am also 78 and when my time is through, at a small memorial, I want a celebration with Queen playing! I want to go out in style by gosh!
Young people take note. THIS is what REAL singing and playing sounds like. No Autotune ANYWHERE. No backing vocal tracks. No backing instrumental tracks. All live. Until you have an entire movement of artists from your generation who can do this night after night, please refrain from commenting about how great your music is. No shade. Just facts.
I get it. From 15-30, we form the most emotional attachments to music and other influences. It's why so many people have such fond memories of their younger days. But music isn't a competitive thing, it's a cooperative thing. There's no gold medal you win at the end of it. You can like more than one band, or musician. And if you only see corporate-sponsored musicians of today and don't like them, then broaden your horizons. People are no more less talented in any generation--but who gets splashed up in advertisements or played on radio depends on music companies. Ignore them, and seek out your own. I love Freddy, but I also like Brendan Urie, who is my son's favorite singer, who fronts Panic At The Disco. We'll disagree about who is better, but Urie is a huge fan of Freddie, and in the end we can enjoy them both, and more.
@@rikk319 I never said you can't like more than one band. And to further that sentiment, you can like more than one genre of music. I think it's funny that you tell me to broaden my horizons. You assume a lot. I'm a professional musician and have been for the last 30 years. It's my job to stay current and aware of music from different places. Corporate as well as underground. And my ears and experience tells me that there aren't that many great bands out now. Certainly not with the level of talent found in Queen. While it's true that music is not a competition, there is such a thing as having a skill set. Hence the invention of Autotune. I don't respect anyone who uses it. Older musicians and singers created works of art without technology saving and correcting their performances. I'm familiar with Panic At The Disco. I think he's a talented vocalist. I do not however think he's better than Freddie in his prime. I think even he'd agree.
@@lesaburnette6944 they were all friends. But neither Elton John or Bowie were thrilled about having to follow them after they killed it so hard with their set
Robin C yes! Lol it was funny that Elton John told them they were bastards because they had just stole this show. Elton was just kidding because he was really close friends with Freddie Mercury and the band.
when he sings “I thank you all”! I kept rewatching that part over and over. Something is very majestic when I look into his eyes right as he sings that part. That man was amazing.
I am that person who finds a line in a song or maybe a little dance move ...and that is exactly the line I love in this ... the way he puts such emphasis on it .." I thank you all"
ok 1stly donovan is right , queen werent going to do the show , theyd just had band issues and freddy had gotten real sick from aids , last minute freddy said fuk it , lets do this , he was pretty sick that day , but still made history , bit of trivia lol > i live in australia , came here from england in 1970, to be exact , september 1970 , unknown to me at the time , lol i was only 5 , but last year i watched the movie bohemian rhapsody , and i noticed and was stunned at the beginning , freddy worked as a baggage handler at heathrow airport . when they showed him there , they put a date up , = september 1970 :-o . blew me away , just the thought freddy coulda quite possibly packed my bags on the plane , just months or weeks before he started queen . took me 50 years to realise that lmao
@@durv13 he hadn't been officially diagnosed in 1985 but he had a feeling something was wrong with him...He was having trouble with his throat at the time of the concert and his Doc advised him against performing but he felt he was able to...He wasnt sick with AIDS at the time,he never found out that he was HIV positive until April'87 but he never told the band until a few months later...By the time he went to see his Docs to get a Kaposi Sarcoma checked on his shoulder that's when he was told that he had full blown AIDS...
@Donovan Willett and @dave rowlands that is the movie version gentlemen. Here is a quick link for movie vs. actual happenings. I hope you both enjoy it. Be healthy and happy!! www.billboard.com/articles/news/movies/8483573/freddie-mercury-biopic-bohemian-rhapsody-right-wrong-fact-fiction-queen
What I love most about this performance is, he has that moment where he has some fun spinning around with the cameraman, and at the very end when they have finished, he actually goes over and says something to the cameraman. He did that awesome performance and still remembered to go say a little piece to the guy....so cool.
Listen to them singing with him! I’m gonna cry! He was so loved in such a different way than just anyone loved stars. He crossed all boundaries! I forgot he did this...he stopped, let the audience lead, then he came back in singing harmony!
Coolrockndad Lol he did it in the bathtub and he came up with the words and got one of his friends to bring him a drum machine😂😂😂 I can see it now.... Freddie Mercury naked in the bathtub singing crazy Little thing called love on a drum machine😂
hey Jamal, i was part of that crowd way back in 85, im 55 now still got teeshirt, i slept out all night at the Glasgow Apollo for 2 tickets, phil collins played then set of for the philly concert in usa via concord, which flew over crowd at wembley stadium. MAGICAL DAY... STAY SAFE
Unfortunately Phil Collins flew to Philly to play drums with Led Zeppelin. He didn't know the songs (according to Page) and Zeppelin have subsequently tried to ban the footage. It is available on yt if you look for it. Make up your own mind about the quality. I think it's not as bad as Page says, though by no means was it the Zeppelin reunion we were all hoping for. The O2 show was far, far better, but the drummer that night (Jason Bonham) was brought up on those songs - and they had weeks to rehearse.
All of Freddie's theatrical movements during "Radio Gaga" are so perfect that you'd think he had choreographed them instead of them just being his natural stage presence off the top of his head.
Actually, this performance was heavily rehearsed. Freddy wanted to use this chance to put Queen back on top, so rather than phoning it in like most of the acts before Queen did, doing maybe 2 or 3 of their hit songs over the 20 minute stage time, Freddy drilled his bandmates relentlessly in the week building up to this show, making sure they used every second to deliver one of the greatest performances in Rock history. Even the "off the cuff" looking stuff was actually designed to give the band a chance to make the tiny changes between songs.
The 2nd song, Radio Ga-Ga was a much bigger single in the UK than it was here. It is amazing how much confidence and control over a crowd Freddie had. There will never be another vocalist like him. It's also a crime how over looked the drummer Roger Taylor was. He played with such power and speed. Very impressive 👍. This group just oozed cool and talent.
That video for radio ga-ga was played repeatedly on music television in Britain and Ireland so the public were very aware of it. You can see the audience are very familiar with it to sing along. I don't recall if the song reached Number 1 here but I would guess it was played more than almost any other song on the airwaves, even those that sold more.
Dubbed "The 20 minutes that changed Rock" just incredible! I remember watching this as MTV aired it. Queen was the first concert I ever went to in 1983 in Chicago. He held us in the palm of his hand for 2 hours... Thanks for this great reaction video!
Roe E YOU LUCKY DUCK ! I‘ve been a Queen fan since I was 8 when Keep Yourself Alive hit the airwaves. I NEVER got to see Freddie. I had two chances ONCE when they toured America (I was really young and they came to Baltimore, MD). I asked my Dad to take me, by the time we got downtown to get tickets (YES this was BEFORE the internet and you had to actually stand in line for seats) they had sold out. The second time was Live Aid, I had tickets airfare the whole thing, I got REALLY sick and wound up in the hospital having major surgery four days before the concert. My friends had to sell my tickets so I could get the money back. God took pity on me and allowed me to watch Live Aid on tv.
My brother was there with my cousins. I watched on TV. My brother and I saw Queen in 1982. Freddie was the best frontman I've ever seen. The other few that came close were Bruce Springsteen and Scott Weiland (yes, Scott).
I remember watching this as it aired on TV..I couldn't take my eyes off them. And after their set ended everyone who came after them just didn't measure up to them... Freddie was incredible that day even though he was sick. God Bless the late great Freddie Mercury!!!
The "Radio Gaga" section was the most INCREDIBLE moments of time I've EVER witnessed! I watched this live (on tv) when I was 13 and have still never gotten as many goosebumps over something in my life as in that few minutes!
The thing I love about this. Is those tiny voice cracks that happen every now and again. He was suffering from a severe cold or something and was told by his doctor not to perform. So what you saw was Freddie Mercury sick. And it's still considered one of the greatest performances ever
I remember watching this live as it happened and out of everyone that performed, Queen's was the best. No one could command a crowd like Freddie Mercury! He and his music is missed.
No they don't know cos it doesn't snow! We don't need anymore 'Band aids', Farm aids-the money got all screwed up in Africa drug lords took the money and food sent and SOLD it. No Queen's been thru enough and they have Adam Lambert and Freddie would be thrilled. There are no get togethers-it's COVID time. Wake up!
