Why have I never watched Queen's Live Aid performance? 

Mate, it's Freddie Mercury and Brain May, not Freddie May

Microphone in one hand, 70,000 fans in the other

When asked what instrument he played, Freddie responded with "The audience, darling". The 20 minutes Queen were on stage, Freddie didn't just own the stage, he didn't just own the crowd... for those 20 minutes, Freddie Mercury owned the fucking WORLD.

Remember, this was not a Queen audience. People were there to see any number of other bands that day. One of the reasons that Queen were on the afternoon is that they were not the top of the bill. In fact, at that time, their star was definitely waning and it was seen as something of a sop to the rock dinosaurs of the 70s to have them on. Apart from Freddie Mercury being one of the greatest showmen to ever grace a rock stage, the band themselves were phenomenal musicians and incredibly tight. Apart from the 4 members they had one other musician playing additional keyboards and guitar and produced THAT wall of sound. What they also got right was to edit some songs (Rhapsody and Radio Ga Ga) so that they could cram in their most anthemic crowd pleasers into the short 25 minute set. They knew and understood that it wasn't their gig and played accordingly. Utterly brilliant. The streets of the UK were empty that day. If you weren't in the stadium, you were at home watching it on tv. A magical experience.

6:07 Made me laugh when you said he had complete control of the audience. I just thought, 'You ain't seen nothing yet!'

No autotune, no fancy dancers, no ultimate lighshow, no smartphones in the air, just music and brilliant musicians. I miss this so much!

I was born in 1955, I've just turned 68. I saw this live and consider myself lucky enough to have lived through the best music era, ever.

AND, when he did this, he was already in the grip of suffering from AIDS. The GREATEST voice in modern rock history, PERIOD!

I'm a 68 year old English lady and I so enjoyed watching that with you. It was lovely to relive those chill tingling moments and to see how you felt the same way. 💞

Don't forget that this wasn't a Queen fan crowd but a general audience for Live Aid. That's how awesome Freddie was.

I think someone wrote once: "And for 20 minutes, the UK was ruled by a different queen." Or at least something along those lines. Freddie just had that much charisma.

Freddy was not only a god-tier-entertainer, singer, composer and songwriter, he felt the music so deeply that it showed off every time he entered a stage. I remember crying my eyes out at the message of his death. With all that autotunes and filters nowadays I appreciate that music from these days and not only from nostalgia. Also love their soundtrack to the Highlander-Film. Thanks for sharing.

What the commentators remarked on at the time was the fact that the entire crowd knew the lyrics and were singing along. Elevating Queen to megastars. Brian May lives near me and I passed him. He smiled at me and I am sight impaired and didn’t recognise him,. It was my friend who told me. Thx for the smile Brian.

To give people some idea just how good Queen was that day, the legendary David Bowie who was on after Queen was heard to exclaim "how the fuck am I meant to follow that?" Best live performance EVER

They were on stage for 20 minutes only. It will go down in history as the greatest live performance ever. Was privileged to watch this live

I can watch this over and over and over and still get the same chills, Queen were amazing!!!

I watched the whole thing when it was live in 1985. I will always remember It was a concert that had 70 artists but really it just became a huge Queen concert. He was the best. We really lost something special when we lost Freddie.

I was there in that crowd on the pitch at Wembley Stadium that day. It was true that the whole arena just lit up when Queen came on stage. Probably the best performance of Freddie's career. I've never forgotten it. They were indeed the Champions that day.

As a 16 year old, myself and 2 friends travelled from Glasgow Central Station to King's Cross. We paid £25 a ticket and wow was it wirth it. We were massive Adam Ant fans and thats why we went. Of course we knew Queen and their songs but after the performance of Freddie and the boys our love was then given to Queen. Nearly 40 years after that day, its still crystal clear in my memory. I'll never forget that day as long as I live. ❤❤❤ R.I.P Freddie ❤❤❤

Freddie owned the stage every time he stepped on it! Elvis and Freddie! The two best front men in rock! Rest in peace.

Bro every time i watch this performance i have the same reaction. I get pumped, excited and emotions of sadness because we will won't ever get to witness his greatness again! I'm very grateful to have witnessed this perfect show. WOW! It's just awesome!! Thx for reacting..

Nearly 40 years later you say "Live Aid" and everyone remembers Queen and can't name one other band that played. THAT is how great this performance was. I would rate this the BEST live performance in rock history. RIP Freddy. You were a GOD.

Freddie was the greatest frontman in rock music history. Nobody else is close.

The most iconic moments are right there ❤Todays artist can't reach this aura of the old legends like queen,Elvis,MJ,WH. And all legends.

This band are not only amazing but were so protective of eachother, a true brotherly love and respect not only for eachother but also for their close friends and family.

Isn't it great to have a crowd like that and NO cellphone? 😊

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, could play an audience like Freddie ... even though he has been gone all these years I still miss him terribly ... a master showman with the voice of an angel ... bless you Freddie Mercury. xxx

I was there and experienced that performance with thousands of people. It was electrifying and beautiful and perfect. Freddie was the ultimate showman, the best vocalist of his time and a voice that no one can ever match. It still brings tears to my eyes. I remember I laughed and cried and danced. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live.

I ❤ how intelligent your reactions are. I really enjoyed this, thanx. I was 23 when this concert happened, it was an incredible day.

Freddy didn't just own the stage that day, he Owned the World!😢

no fire , no smoke no big lights ,no auto tune back tracks ,pure music. the greatest pure 20 minutes ever and Freddy wasnt feeling well that day with his voice

Getting to watch people see this for the first time is one of the best things I've ever gotten to witness. ❤❤❤ Welcome to the family man. ❤ One of my favorite things to do at concerts is film the crowd just to look around and see everybody in that moment...BE IN that moment.. everybody's differences are put aside for the most part, and we're all together.There's no colors there's no genders it's just one love of music. We have deer Creek here well it's called Klipsch music Center but I call it deer Creek for big concerts here in Noblesville Indiana, I always say it's my personal Disneyland.

I was there! I was 15 at the time and it was a glorious Sunny day. It was fantastic time at the 'old' Wembley stadium. I shall remember it forever. Now at 54 prob the best concert(s) I have ever been to.

I would like to give you my perspective of that performance. My sister and I were at Live Aid, I am in my 50's now and she is in her 60's. It is quite difficult for us to have any conversation without referencing Live Aid. Our tickets cost $32.00 all in, for 10 hours of the greatest musicians that ever lived. My sister was obsessed with Bowie, and I was looking forward to seeing Elton John (I loved his stuff in the 70's and early 80's) We both liked Queen without being outright fans of them. I think the other 80,000 in the stadium left the stadium, just like us, knowing Queen had just given us the greatest performance of any band in the history of music. Each band only got 20 minutes to perform, the stage rotated and was split in to 3 sections, the departing band emptied their gear while the next band were on stage, and those after them were completing their set up. There are so many individual moments in the day, that only the crowd who were in the stadium would know. It was a life changing experience.

I was 10 - we watched it as a family on satellite in the basement in northern Canada. It was one of the greatest things I had ever seen ❤ been obsessed with that energy ever since!

Only band, that always make me cry… miss you FM.. grew up with you.. best live Singer ever ❤

The greatest performance in live music history. They had the entire world in the palm of their hands for 25 minutes. No one will ever be like Freddie.

Singing against medical advice due to a throat problem but wouldn't let down the fans and a great and noble cause...... A TRUE SUPERSTAR

Probably one of the greatest concerts ever!! Freddie was a total genius the only performer that could hold an audience in the palm of his hand. And the best thing is,there isn't a phone in sight

This is what a concert looks like when everyone's phones are at home screwed to the kitchen wall.

I’m 70 years old and watched it live, and I’m still affected emotionally even now whenever I hear Queen. It was a cathartic experience that I will take with me to my grave and the next life if there is one!

I am 70 years old girl LOL.. And still gets goose bumps litening to QUEEN.. The Rhapsody and Champions always bring me to tears. What an icon !!!!!!! We miss you Freddie!

I’m 62, watched it at the time on tv . We just knew we were watching something special even then . And it was indeed live ! Captivating!

BRIAN May guitar... Freddie Mercury vocals/piano, Roger Taylor on drums and last but not at all least, John Deacon on bass, one of the most under-rated bass players of all time. I can't believe you haven't seen this but at the same time, I envy you. To see it the first time again would be amazing. (I saw them in 1981 before this ) No-one tops them. No-one will ever top them, Freddie is the greatest front man in history. We went away like we'd seen the second coming. It was a religious experience. I went home and started learning piano. LOL. Freddie Elton and Billy Joel got my life where it is now. I owe it all to them. I'm glad you enjoyed this, that's one more of us, one less of them. :) All the best, hello from Australia.

I was there in 1985 - in fact I was in the middle of the first 4 or 5 rows during this performance. I can still find 18 year old me in the crowd during Radio Ga Ga. I’m 56 now but this still sends shivers up my spine. There we stood, tall and proud, in the shadow of the mushroom cloud.

He was struggling with his voice that day and still absolutely crushed it.

i was there, almost 17. never seen anything like it. by far the best 25 minutes of concert in my life. BY MILES

Awesome vid! Also, first one I'm seeing on your channel, so promising stuff. Love how you are properly enjoying it and paying attention to the awesomeness. Anyway, to answer a couple of your remarks: - "interesting microphone" => I guess you mean how Freddie uses what looks like half a microphone stand? You're not wrong. He started off using only the microphone or the full microphone stand, but at one concert they played, the stand broke in half.. And Freddie liked it that way, so he continued to use a microphone with half a stand attached to it. - "didn't know Freddie played the guitar" => A lot of people forget he's not only an amazing singer and entertainer, but also a great song-writer and musician. Mostly piano (& keyboard, synthesizer, ...) and a little guitar though, but it's still great to realise he was so much more than a great singer. - This performance was at 6:41pm, but at 9.48pm, there was actually a small second part, with only one song, 'Is this the World we Created', performed accoustically by just Freddie Mercury and Brian May, so you didn't see all of Queen's performance at LiveAid. Anyway, that's why you got the '9:48pm' mention. There was a little more to their performance. - Little funfact: They could not perform 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in its entirety as it was demanded that only live performances would happen at LiveAid. So that's why you got a shortened version of BoRhap, since other parts of the song require more instruments and vocals. But yeah, at least all performances at LiveAid, including this one, were 100% live. Both vocals and instruments. - Fun fact to leave you with: Queen is the only band in world history of which EACH member has written at least 1 number one hit and of which EACH member has been individually inducted into the songwriters hall of fame. This performance at LiveAid did not include any of bass player John Deacons songs (such as 'Under Pressure', 'I want to Break Free' or 'Another One Bites the Dust'), but did include songs written by the others: 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' and 'We Are the Champions' written by vocalist Freddie Mercury, 'Hammer to Fall' and 'We Will Rock You' written by guitarist Dr. Brian May (yeah, he's a scientist) and 'Radio Gaga' written by drummer Roger Taylor. Anyway, big Queen fan here. Glad to have seen you enjoyed this performance as much as you should. :)

AT 19, I watched ALL of Live Aid with my Dad, a Country music fan to the core. During this performance, he became a Queen fan. We both knew we'd seen the performance of a lifetime. AT 57, Queen at Live Aid still gives me chills. So so so happy young people still feel the magic all these years later! ❤

I read somewhere QUEEN never had just hits…..they had ANTHEMS…… unique wonderful band of musicians at their best ❤️

I like watching u watch these clips. U dont interrupt as much as others and i find u honest and refreshing with no airs about yrself. Thkx

It's so good to see your reaction to greatness! I saw Queen in Brisbane, Australia in 1976 when I was 20 and hardly knew any of their songs except for "Killer Queen" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" the latter of which had just been released. The best part for me then was when they played a lot of old rock and roll numbers. Freddie's voice was amazing and Brian May's guitar is astounding. I also saw Paul McCartney and Wings the next year. It almost makes it worthwhile being 67. They were all something special and I treasure the memories!

I was so fortunate to be there as a VIP guest being a session drummer for bands of that era. Queen stole the show and they weren't even invited to perform. It was a last minute deal and they only had three days to practice. To date this is the best ever live performance that will NEVER be beaten...RIP Freddy Mercury

Queen took this concert seriously. Many bands came on and phoned it in but Queen had this performance down to the letter. The other artists waiting to go on were struck by how good Queen was at Live Aid and Freddie especially. Donations went up while Queen was playing as well.

They WERE on the list of the artist's to perform. But Freddie had laryngitis at the time of the concert and was told not to sing by his doctor. Naturally being Fred...he forced his voice. You cN hear it at the end. Bless him.

Brian's guitar is a garage construction that Brian & his father built in the garage at home, using whatever bits they could find, including his mother's knitting needles. And it is an amazing instrument, Brian is still using it today! "Crazy little thing called Love" is Freddie's tribute to Elvis. From one King to another!

Listening to Queen is one thing, watching them perform is on whole other level. There will never be anyone like Freddie Mercury.

My kids and I watched this in London. The crowd was HUGE, but it was a kind of listless and not really engaged til Freddie came on. He electrified that huge crowd and it was like an magical charge went through them. It was the most amazing thing I have seen. He’s personally responsible for making Live Aid the unimaginable success it became.

I remember watching live aid on TV, not knowing at the time Freddie Mercury had AIDS. His performance was spot on, he had control of the audience and, they loved him. I also remember the day he passed away, I cried for his family, his band and, all of us who will never get to see him live again. The man was pure genius!!

I fall in love with Freddie every time i watch him perform! ❤

His guitar sounds so unique because he built it himself and the bassist John Deacon designed his amp. They literally can't be exactly duplicated.

I was there the year of 85 ,I'm 63 now and still watch this once a week for inspiration in life and to play guitar. Freddie was and still is the opera singer of contemporary pop . God bless Freddie and all the band .

When a gay guy and amazing human lead the world, with the most amazing colabs in his band! I watched this live at 4am in Canada july 1985. Was blown out of the water with joy! It was for AIDS and LIVEAID was FUCKING AMAZING. 55 now and one of my fave memories!!! Love Freddie! Sir Brian Harold May CBE. May has a doctorate in Astrophysics from Imperial College London earning it in 2007. He was also Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013. He has worked with NASA on the New Horizons Pluto mission. He Shreds!!!!!

2 weeks before this I saw them at Wembley. Sooo brilliant. It rained (it is England ☺️) and we danced and got soaked and laughed. What a brilliant band. No one like Freddie. God bless him. Love from London. Jan 🧡

I was there. Not on the field, but it was rocking in the stands too. What the video doesn't really show is how loudly we were all singing along. Queen were so iconic at the time, everybody knew the words. That bit where he gets the crowd reacting was so loud it almost blew my eardrums out. Hell of a day!

I love that Brian used the same guitars as on the original recordings instead of just using the "Old Lady" for the entire set. Unlike a lot of other acts on Live Aid, they didn't just turn up and play, they rehearsed the crap out of this and made it all as authentic as possible. Also, bear in mind that's not a bunch of Queen fans at a Queen show, that's 72,000 basically random people and the band just owned every one of them. A truly incredible moment in music history.

You gave one of the best reactions to Queen at the Live Aid Concert. You were so real and raw emotionally. Ty

The donations were not coming in and Bob Geldof was getting worried! And then...... Queen And the phones went nuts with people donating left right and centre! It was amazing to see at the time and it was all we spoke about for years. Honoured to have been alive to witness that!

A lot of people forget that Freddie & Brian actually came back on and closed live aid with a performance of “is this the world we created?” And it’s beautiful. I recommend a reaction to that too.

Brian May is literally a genius and a very humble man, Freddie lost himself for a short time but bounced back phenomenally one of the greatest rock bands.

We all watched him at the time. Queen were amazing. Please watch these were the best times of our lifes. You will not be disappointed xxxx legend

I was at Live Aid in Philadelphia that day. They paused the U.S. concert so we could see the simulcast of Queen as it happened. What Freddie couldn’t know at the time was that he commanded 2 audiences simultaneously. We were just as caught up in the performance as the London audience was. It was incredible.

Freddie was asked one time what's your favorite instrument to play. He answered, "the audience, Darling"!❤❤

You got that right. Always in command of the audience. There will never be another Freddie Mercury.😊

That's how legends do it! Brian couldn't afford a Gibson, SO HE MADE HIS OWN GUITAR, THEN BECAME A LEGEND PLAYING IT! Freddie's voice was always sublime, and Brian complemented it so well!

When you said ‘master musicians’ that sums it up. It was real music, with real musicians. And what staggering showmanship from the band too.

Brian May isn't just an amazing guitarist, he has a doctorate in astrophysics, and if he lives long enough he might just win the Nobel Prize.

Live Aid really was a unique moment in time. The streets were empty as everyone was either at one of the events or watching it on a screen. With so many people on the planet sharing in the experience there really was a brief moment where there was a sense of unity and purpose. People were donating money as fast as they could, and we really believed we could make a difference. (We did, but of course it’s never enough) There were so many incredible performances that day but when Queen came on and performed it was like a bolt of lightning flashing through the middle of the show.

I remember watching this on tv ,it was broadcast live all over the world,and Freddie stole the show, I had been waiting for weeks for it to air ,it was such a huge deal at the time all the best of the British music and musicians of that generation on one stage it was the best,💙🇦🇺

Queen resonated with me as a child born in the 70’s knowing nothing about being gay or AIDS but later discovering my beloved brother was gay. My parents born of the 50’s loved them & blasted their music everywhere where went. It was such an amazing time musically as it was raw yet he challenged all boundaries as he was an immigrant, poor yet so so incredibly talented. What an interesting man of course flawed as we all are personally. To hold a crowd at Wembley stadium like he did was so memorable & to this day I cannot see anyone ever remotely replicating what Queen did. RIP ❤

Dude, this was the ULTIMATE performance of Queen. 75,000 people swarmed Wembley Stadium, with nearly 2 BILLION watching at home, and Freddie commanded them ALL. He was a true rock GOD, and is one person all of us performers need to look up to.

I watched it life in 1985 and though I was not a Queen fan and waiting for U2, I couldn't stop watching this performance. Everyone who watched this knew at that moment that there wasn't ever going to be a greater performance than this. It filled my heart with pride and love for Queen!❤

One of the best performers ever, I watched this live back in the day. Was at work & everyone stopped to watch. I was a Formula 1 Team, and everyone stopped to watch! Yes F1 stopped to watch this! Awesome. Rest in peace Freddie ... Queen was totally awesome, brings tears to my eyes now. Best wishes to Brian May, wish I could meet him

I was 7, and in Philadelphia. My cousins and younger aunts and uncles were there. I was parked on my grandmother’s couch with my other cousins. When Queen came on, I only knew them for Another One Bites the Dust. I asked my mom who was the beautiful man with the mustache. And the rest is history. I’m almost 46 now and Queen is still my favorite.

Queen were considered ‘has beens’ ‘past it’ - ‘from another era’ (note how early they went on stage).. Minds were literally blown.. Live Aid changed EVERYTHING.

The wonder of Queen was that they never stopped experimenting musically, and each member of the band wrote music and contributed to the success. They pushed the envelope, crossed genres and guaranteed even people who don’t follow music know a Queen song. Sublime.

Okay so now we know he was experiencing the complications of the disease. His voice is obviously not as strong. He is using every vocal trick in the book to pull the singing off. And he made this into the best performance of his life. I was glued to my TV screen during this performance. Just amazing!

Man. Have watched this 3 times. You made this so much fun. Was so great seeing you light up.

Hi, im from Denmark. And i watched it live. It was saturday and i was at work. i COULD NOT WAIT TO go home. My friends were waiting for me to come. And we have some beers .Maybe more than some. But i made it there. And after some time, the party was going on. When they played Dire Straits with Sting,,,we were ready. And then..Freddie came on. We knew it was epic. And they started with the best and we were all in heaven. I have seen this concert a thousand times, and NO OTHER comes close. And it still gives me the chill. Im happy that you , feel the same joy. THX

This performance is considered by many to be the best live performance ever. Not just Queen but, of all time by anyone. I just saw someone post that Freddie said the audience was his best instrument. That is so true. Freddie had them eating out of his hand where ever he performed. People loved him. I once saw someone write in a column, a rock writer, that Freddie has remained one of the most beloved singers - even if he tarnished his image with AIDs and being found to be gay. I shook my head in confusion. What was wrong with this writer? Everyone knew Freddie was gay or bi for years - in the 70s - and did not care. No one cared about that. It was his life and you are who you are. It was not like he was a criminal. He was simply bi. So what. That never 'tarnished' him. Everyone loved Freddie for his wit, talent and charisma. And people could care less whether he was gay, bi or straight. He was simply Freddie and we loved him.

Sebs... Man. I can't tell you how great it was to watch you, watching the iconic performance. Your video just popped up by coincidence and I watched it out of curiosity. F**king love your face and reactions dude!!! I must have seen this performance 100s of times and can also remember it live, on the tv in the uk all those years ago. The UK truly rocked in the 80s!!!

I was 23 when I watched this on TV. I'm 61 now and still rock with QUEEN. I noticed how emotional you were on the last song. Its ok just keep watching the video, its all we have of Freddie, enjoy...I'm gonna watch itagain ❤

Freddie was singing with a terrible throat infection. His doc didn’t want him to go on stage that day.

Queen was epic in filling a stadium for their own concerts. LIVE Aid was a stand alone for the fund easing purpose and the huge rock bands that participated. This was the 80's. Nothing today touches it.

I was one of the billions of people across the world watching it live on TV. I am a Queen fan from their very first album.

You have to remember that most of us who were there are now in our 60's and 70's plus and it only seems like yesterday, fantastic memories of a fantastic all day concert. Thank you

When I saw Queen the following year, the MASSIVE 125,000 crowd were going crazy from the start. However, when they played "Crazy Little Thing" it went totally next level. It's also Freddie's tribute to Elvis.

Oh man watching Freddie makes me cry , theres nobody like him now , so totally brilliantly unique , I loved him

From a new subscriber today. Already commentator on a country selection, but I'm so glad you featured QUEEN. The best band in the world. I got hooked at 13 with Bohemian Rhapsody and know EVERYTHING about Queen, and Freddie Mercury. Indeed, they had split up already when Live Aid happened and they decided at the last minutes or day to participate. They didn't remain together afterwards although Freddy had a solo career. One in particular you should listen to is BARCELONA.

I’m new to your program but really like your open minded approach. As I note I watched this live and it nearly brings me to tears every time I see it. Brian May by the way builds his own guitars with his father and uses a six-pense coin as a pick. Keep up the great show, I’ll be on board .