You’re watching Queen The Greatest,
and in this episode we celebrate
one of the most iconic sounds to emerge
from Queen’s illustrious Live career.
It is the instantly recognisable….
From the very early days of Queen,
Freddie understood the importance his
role, as the band’s frontman,
had in winning over an audience.
[Freddie Mercury] “Actually, that’s the
part of my role, I have to win them over,
otherwise it’s not a successful gig.
It’s my job to make sure that I
win them over and make them feel
that they’ve had a good time.”
[Freddie Mercury] “I’m very frivolous,
and I like to enjoy myself,
and what better way to do it than
on stage in front of 300,000 people.
And, you know, I just cook on stage,
that’s just my nature.
That’s not what I’m like in real life,
my character’s built up of
all kinds of ingredients
and this is one element of me.
[Freddie Mercury] “On stage, that’s my job
and I don’t like to go on stage,
sitting on a stool and do a show,
I like to, you know.
I’m very volatile, in that way, and I like
to actually put a song across
in the way it is.
It’s all part of showbiz and theatre,
that’s another side of me.”
Just as important as how he performed the
songs, Freddie knew his interaction with
the crowd helped create a moment
that felt special to each audience.
[Freddie Mercury] “Do you like my claws?
They’re real diamonds.
It’s a present from the devil himself.
You don’t believe me?
They don’t believe me!”
Throughout the 70’s and into
the early 80’s, as the venues and crowds
got bigger and bigger, Freddie became
a master at making everyone feel a part of
the show, as witnessed here
at the Milton Keynes Bowl in 1982.
And then in 1985, at that monumental
Live Aid performance, came one of the
most memorable moments in music history….
Featured throughout the 1986 Magic Tour,
Freddie’s Ay-Oh’s became a seminal
part of the Queen show –
and remains so to this very day.
In February 2020, when Queen and
Adam Lambert re-created the Live Aid set
to support the Firefighters of Australia,
it was Freddie’s on screen cameo that
created one of the show’s
most magical moments.
A poignant reminder of how Freddie
really was the ultimate showman.
[Freddie Mercury] “Thank you,
you beautiful people.
Good night, God bless you.”