Freddie was once asked, "What instrument do you play?" He replied, "The audience, darling!" That tells you his personality. He was not shy. He was born to perform.
Respectfully begging your pardon but actually, in person Freddie was hideously shy. It was only on stage performing that the extroverted part of his personality took over.
Info guys, loved the set and y'alls personalities. Check the list of major performers. Elton John said in front of all performers behind the stage "thanks for stealing the whole show", Just a little facts. It doesn't sound like you know Freddie & Queen very much, while the songs are playing. The guy on the left should NOT sing at all. Freddie had more octaves in his voice than any other performers (Steve Perry almost the same thing). Freddie loved Mary and left her (and charities) everything including Freddies' ashes. No one but Mary knows where his ashes are. They were best friends and almost got married. She wore his ring till she married another guy. Problem is that Mary knew that he was gay and told him so as Freddie was fighting. They put his monument statue in Madagascar, because of graffiti in UK & USA. He was born in Bellerose. Now you must play Queen with Adam Lambert. He is NOT a member of Queen out of respect for Freddie. That is why it is Queen + Adam Lambert now. Adam has too much respect for Freddie. He has the projection that Freddie had. We still needed them to tour and saw Adam on American Idol as he played Queen. Very surprising, he came in second place, but he won in his s I ort line. If anyone doesn't kjow, Freddie died of AIDs in 1991. I'll stop now.
I was lucky enough to be in the crowd that day as a young 23 year old I still remember it every day. For 22 minutes in 1985 great Britain was ruled by another queen.
Question for you. If Freddie had finished the set by shouting "We march on the Capital!" How far down the road would you have been before the spell broke, do you think?
Keep in mind, this is NOT solely a Queen concert. These people paid to see a great many bands and that was the reception and reaction Queen got from the crowd. They absolutely stole the show. Freddie knew the stakes (as did the rest of the group) with literal billions of people watching onsite and remotely around the world, so they put in the rehearsal time to be perfect. They say on that day for 20 minutes, England had a different Queen.
The point is that Queen came from a big tour, they had experience with big concerts and were "excited" to use those minutes for promotion and what better promotion than the greatest hits in contrast to the competition, which came with new songs that no one knows
Over thirty years since Freddie passed, yet people are still watching and talking about him. He would be very happy, the consummate front man, often imitated but never equalled. People rightly talk about this performance, but for those not there on the day, you need to understand, ALL the tickets had been sold before Queen were confirmed to play. This was not a Queen audience, so this amazing reaction was to people who had heard of them and some of their hits, but the vast majority were not actual Queen fans, until that day.
@@Leogoth68in reality Freddy didn't know he was HIV positive until 1987, the biopic added it earlier as Live Aid was the finale. I'd say performing and filming for Those Were The Days was more impressive than this as you can visually see the condition he was in yet sounded incredible
@@hookedonreactions7649 I think I've seen the same one. Is it the one breaking down how they used Freddy's crowdwork to distract the crowd from Brian, John and Roger tuning instruments and doing mini soundchecks in between songs - which is how they managed to put together a 'greatest hits' in such a small timeframe?
I'm sadly showing my age but I was lucky enough to be there. Queen honestly stole the show. I'll truly never forget their performance. They were electric
@@hollylooyeahexactly, the youth of today should be so jealous of us older people. We got to hear true talented performers growing up, not this horrible autotuned mess they call music these days.
The 2 people sitting at the top of the scaffolding on the left hand side of the stage, which you pointed out at the end of "Radio Gaga". Was my father and his best friend. My father supplied the remote camera that is above the drummer
Roger Taylor is an unsung hero of that performance. You can hear him supporting Freddie’s voice. Freddie owned the crowd and the world during that performance.
He is not supporting Freddie's voice, he does the usual back-up vocals. Freddie killed it on we Are The Champions singing the C5 as well in chest voice. Of course Roger is a great singer in his own right.
There were 72,000 in attendance , 1.9 Billion people watching from around the world. Freddie went on against doctors orders with a throat infection. Live Aid made 140 million dollars for famine in Africa .
Yes! They’d worked together so long, roger knew when to come in clutch. A live version of Somebody to love really showcases them all beautifully, especially roger. 🩵🩷♥️💜
Live Aid was the largest musical fund raiser of the 80s( if not ever,).There were 72000 people at Wembley Stadium for that show, but simultaneously there were nearly 90000 people in Philadelphia for a live show there, and both were being live cast on television around the world. Which, in the 80s, was no small feat. My friends and watched that performance live on television. The entire event raised something like $142 million dollars. Which was huge back then. Lol, I wish I was there like a previous poster. I was lucky enough to see Queen live in concert before Freddy passed. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you watch the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. It will give a decent bit of insite into the band and Freddy's life.
Freddie had his mic in one hand and the whole world in the other. The best 20 minutes of live music you'll ever see from the greatest band there ever was
The two policemen at the beginning are a legendary British comedy due, Smith and Jones (Griff Rhys-Jones and Mel Smith). Mel Smith, the plumper of the two, moved into writing and directing and was director of the Mister Bean movies. He also played the albino in "The Princess Bride".
They first found real fame in "Not the Nine O'clock News", alongside Rowan Atkinson ( Mr Bean, Blackadder etc.) and Pamela Stephenson who would later marry Billy Connolly.
I watched this live on TV and was blown away. I was watching mainly for Led Zep, Bowie and The Who, then Queen came out an did this set. What came before and after was diminished because they were so superior. If anyone wants to know how special Freddie was, you show them THIS! Undeniable!
Right? The amount of powerhouse headliners that gave their time for this concert, on two freaking continents, and Queen rolled in and blew the roof of the mother. Cemented their mark in history for sure.
@@markgarber3465more than two. There were performances that day in Japan, Australia, and even the Antarctic. It was the day music brought the whole world together. 👍2😏
@@redplanet9162 yeah. I actually watched the Zeppelin set on tv that day, and it was not great. I think the band has tried to block as many recordings as possible because they felt that they sucked. At least that’s my understanding
When a singer manages to get the audience to respond to their questions/actions etc it's called a call and response. It's a kind of hypnosis. The audience is now in the palm of your hands. This man was the King of that.
Yup. Religious ministers do that too. Minister: Peace be with you. Congregation: And also with you. M: Lift up your hands. C: We lift them to the Lord. M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give him thanks and praise. M: It is indeed right, it is our duty and our joy in all places and at all times, we honour etc. etc. I haven't said that for 20 years (I'm more of a private spirituality type) but I still remember it. I typed that without googling. That's part of why some ministers really really hate rock music, and you can see why! If they either see, have felt, or have been taught about, this type of call/response energy, they see it as competition for God and therefore it is idolatry. The energy of being in a church filled with people praying and inviting the Holy Spirit, and being at a rock gig full of people feeling the energy of the music and giving that energy back to the band, can be really quite similar. That's also why you'll sometimes hear testimonies from people saying they were a wicked, terrible sinner and among other things, they went to rock concerts. Having renounced their evil ways and repented, they say they were saved and when they did that, and confessed everything, they found the same energy in the church that they once found at rock concerts. That, they say, was when they fully realised that rock concerts were evil and a distraction from God. They're not wrong in what they have been feeling, they just might be wrong in the conclusion they take away from it.
Queen owned the crowd and the concert. Bono, David Bowie and Elton John said that that WAS THE BEST performance Queen ever did! EPIC Concert with so many awesome musicians.
When Freddie said “This song is dedicated to all the beautiful people”, you were arguing over whether or not you were beautiful, you talked over and missed the part where Freddie says “And that means all of you”. But your excitement for this amazing set makes it understandable. 😀
Bloke on the left is bloody annoying, attention seeking much! Firstly trying to make it a racist event by saying no black people there and then commenting a few times on what Freddie is wearing, what has that got to do with this brilliant performance, jealous much!
He’s SO RIGHT! That’s the feeling I get every time I watch this. Such a testament to his crowd control and innate charisma, that kind of power can be used for good or evil . luckily for all of us, Freddie was the best 💓🥹 Queen gave us their all. Roger Taylor and Brian May deserve their flowers too 💐
He not only ruled the country but ruled the world for a long time and still is one if not the best singer of all time. Just look at the 2012 olympics. He was a hologram and still hypnotized the crowd.
The Master.Period. Freddie commanded every stage he stepped on, and His fans willingly followed him anywhere. He has been ranked as the greatest male vocalist in musical history. Rest In Love beautiful Freddie 🙏❤️👑🥁🎤🎹🎸 Queen Forever
Smokey: "Radio Ga Ga!" Hollywood: "You know this song!?" Smokey: "I do now!" Hollywood: "...I guess I do too" Quite possibly the best example of the Queen effect! Nearly everyone that bought their tickets for Live Aid did NOT buy for Queen because they were a late addition. And yet, they had the entire stadium at their feet for every song! Not everyone was a Queen fan when arriving at Live Aid, but everyone left the stadium a Queen fan that day!
He would have just loved seeing you guys adore him and his talent the way you do! YOU GET IT!😊 He lives on through the generations! He truly was THE BEST!❤❤❤❤
Queen were a late sign up for the concert so while there would be queen fans in the audience this isn't a queen audience and that just shows how good he was
The other groups in Live Aid were furious! The other groups were Phoning-it-in. Freddie was Sick, he said it was like gargling glass shards. (paraphrasing) Queen rehearsed their set obsessively. They had timers all over their practice stage to nail their timing. You hear when they fist start up, they dial in their settings with a few notes/strums and start in hot.
I loved every minute of your reaction! Queen has been part of the soundtrack of my life. My 7yr grandson gave the big cd set for xmas this granny's car rocks on the school run.
The greatest 20 minutes in concert of all time! There were about 75,000 people in the crowd that day. The 2 billion people watching refers to the fact that the Live Aid concert was televised around the world. Freddie Mercury and Queen literally stole the show and blew the non existent roof of Wembley stadium off that day! The other groups waiting back stage for their chance to preform were stunned and knew they weren't going to be able to top that! What is truly mind blowing is that Freddie had a bad cold and his doctor advised him NOT to sing for fear it would damage his vocal cords, but he sang anyway and was phenomenal!!! Please check out their follow up concert at Wembley Stadium the following year! 2 hours of mind blowing music by the greatest band of all time! My personal favorite Queen concert of all time!
@hondaphan4172 I was just going to mention this! I was among the lucky 100K people who was at Live Aid that day, at JFK Stadium. Got there very early in the morning. Left late at night. Got to experience the whole show, including the simulcast of Queen onto a very large screen on our stage. Our own crowd reaction was exactly as the British concert goers. It was electric and unforgettable!
@@hondaphan4172 To be fair, the old Wembley stadium, where this concert was, was also pulled down in 2002 (10 years after the JFK Stadium). The new Wembley stadium was built on the old site and has a bigger capacity, a much bigger footprint and a surrounding entertainment 'village' (bars, theatres, hotels, restaurants, pubs, etc). The stadium also has retractable roof structures as well as the famous arch and was completed in 2007.
It were 3 stadiums around the world: Australia, UK, US. The whole show for lasted approx. 24 hours. The largest event ever. Will always remember these concerts. And not to forget Phil Collins playing two concerts UK and US.
Freddie is PURE MAGIC. There will never NEVER be another one like him. The whole world darkened the day he left this earth. We still miss you, Freddie. Whole new generations are appreciating the magic and joy and light you brought to the whole world. Rest in peace. 🌹♥️🌹
One thing to take note during the performance of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is that guitarist Brian May played three different guitars during the song. He starts playing an acoustic guitar, then for the first guitar solo he plays a black Telecaster guitar, and for the ending he’s playing his familiar guitar; known as “The Red Special”.
I watched this live from just outside Philadelphia, where the other half of the live audience was just waiting for its turn to rock! Every time I watch this performance, I'm 17 again. ❤
I was a wee lad of 8 when this took place the summer of '85, and my parents being lovers of all kinds of music meant the Live Aid broadcast was a must watch in our house. Funny thing is I remember watching it and not thinking a whole lot about it, that is until I was listening to my parents and their friends react to Queen's performance, and realizing that I'd actually witnessed history as it happened. I distinctly remember my interest in history and events, increasing greatly from that point onward, as well as how much I actually paid attention to the goings on in world around me, that I carry to this day. The crazy thing to think about is the shear amount of impactful historical moments that I was witness to as a kid in the mid 80's. Off the top of my head starting in early 1985 "We Are The World" song debuts, Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the USSR, Live aid concerts, the "New Coke" fiasco, Nintendo NES hit's the American Market, and a record breaking cold winter close out '85, but not to worry '86 started with us watching the Challenger Shuttle explosion live on TV in our 3rd grade classroom, being able to see Halley's comet, and topping of that 12 month span was the Chernobyl Explosion. That's pretty much the super basic highlights, of one singular year from the spring of '85 to the spring of '86, that I experienced at 8-9 years old, that's just a small number, of global events that year, so think of all the smaller goings on also in that time frame, it's absolutely bonkers. Seriously it's no wonder most of Genx couldn't give a shit if you paid them, meet the new boss, same as the old boss, we've been there, done that, try harder next time.
It was a day-long concert, raising funds for African famine relief - and there were 80,000 in the stadium. Many of the top bands of the day took part. Queen's set was one of the greatest live sets of all time. Freddie held the crowd in the palm of his hand and introduced the band to a new audience. There's never been another performer like him - he could play the crowd like a guitar. According to legend, David Bowie, who was the next act, spoke to Freddie as Queen came off stage and simply said "How the f*** am I supposed to follow that?" A friend of mine, the late great Matthew Seligman, was Bowie's bassist that day...
yeah, and this was gig was the 1st time the guys in Queen actually saw each other for a long time, because they were almost disbanded at that point, as Freddie had some issues. But yeah, this show was Queen on a bad day. :D
just to add. 1.5 billion people watched Live Aid in 1985 including the 72,000 people at Wembley Stadium in London and 89,000 people at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia ( it was performed simultaneously at the 2 venues some acts in Philly and some in London as the total time of the concert was about 16 hours). It was broadcast to hundereds of countries. I watched it live on TV in Canada
Then in '86, a year after this, they returned to London, selling out Wembley Stadium for 2 Nights, and a 3rd concert out at Knebworth Park in front of 120,000 (260,000 across the 3 nights) for the Magic Tour. The full performance at Wembley is here on UA-cam and you should absolutely check it out in your own time, or in pieces here as it's a full 2 hour set. Absolutely Legendary show that ets overshadowed by Live Aid (and rightly so).
It's the quickest 25 minute you could ever spend. I watch it every time my day is going slowly, and the time just flies, sometimes I even watch it back to back.
This was more than just a concert. This was the music event of the century and I don’t believe anything has come close to this huge since. I have the full event with every performance on DVD. My friend and I watched it live in the clubhouse while camping at Bass Lake in Ca, we were only 14. Incredible experience.
As David bowie passed Queen coming off stage…. He looked at them and said “ You Bastards”….. and rightly so 😂. Epic performance. Epic Reaction. The reasons Queen stood out were ,… ( even though they were already Great.),..they were added last minute. And their manager went over to the soundboard when nobody was around and changed the master volume level. There was a piece of tape that said “ Don’t go above this line,… and he put the tape and the master volume knob up three levels. Thank you guys!!!🤘🤘🤘✌️
Glad you loved it. a few facts Freddie was sick and was told not to sing, he went on to give the performance of a lifetime. Notice that during Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Brian changes guitars three times. The band was asked so late to take part in the fundraiser that they weren’t even on the ticket. That crowd was NOT a Queen crowd, but as you see every crowd is a Queen crowd. Queen had just gotten back from a huge tour and didn’t know about the concert, that is why they weren’t asked on time . Queen took this very seriously and rehearsed for a week to get the time down with the songs they chose. Every Act had 22 minutes and the mikes go dead. Most acts came out and did whatever, but Queen being the Pro’s they are took it seriously and gave a performance of a lifetime. FYI Freddie’s sip was tea and honey for his throat
Queen had total command of 75,000 people at Wembly. It was so awesome to watch that whole concert in real time. My son was born just a week before. Fabulous show!
I enjoyed your reaction almost as much as the performance. 💕I, like most my age who grew up listening to & loving Queen, have a special place in my heart for Freddie. His was the only “celebrity” death that caused me to cry. Your appreciation & *enjoyment* of him makes my heart happy. Thanks for the reaction. ✌️
Brian May talking about Freddy is probably one of the most heartwarming things to hear, he fights tears every time that is how special this man was to not only the band, but everyone. He was born to do this, I only wish I could have been alive to see this band in concert, he was, not only a trendsetter, but a real one in every aspect of the word. #ICON #LEGEND
I was privileged to see them in Melbourne Australia not long before this in 1985. The most amazing show of my life, and I’ve seen lots of bands. What a freaking unbelievable showman he was, worked the entire crowd. My ears rand for days and we floated and buzzed out of that concert! It was epic!!
Brian May, the extremely talented guitarist...and vocals was tight with Freddie. If memory serves me correct, the band had been on break or hiatus? Potential break up... but they ALL pitched in on this epic day. QUEEN was, is, and will ALWAYS be the ultimate band. Set up, tear down, and take 20 minutes to perform. If you look at their performance, they pushed it right to the edge.
Re. the packed ATTENDANCE (Wembley held about 78,000, I think)… Like Smokey said, this was a day-long festival featuring lots of artists. BUT… exactly a year after this, Queen DID have their own event in this same Wembley Stadium venue. AND… for Queen’s 1986 show, tickets SOLD OUT SO FAST, they added a second show on a consecutive night. So, that’s approx. 78,000 x 2 = 156,000. THEN… that second show SOLD OUT SO FAST, they added a third show at another London venue the next month, at Knebworth Park. (Which held at least 125,000 - possibly more, cuz it was an open venue/not easy to “control gate crashers”.) SOOO… 156,000 + approx. 125,000 = AT LEAST 281,000 at Queen’s 1986 London performances.🖖
Yep... in 1986 I saw Queen at Newcastle football stadium (St. James Park) - Had a mate in London who tried for tickets to the first Wembley show (2 days after the Newcastle show) but it was sold out. He did manage to get tickets to the 2nd Wembley show... Phoned me the night he got tickets "I got an extra ticket, do you want it?" "Hell YES!" - So I got to see them twice in 3 days in 1986 - The Wednesday and Saturday of the same week.
FYI Six months prior to Live Aid, Queen performed in front of over 250,000 people at the first ever Rock In Rio, Brazil so a crowd of 72,000 at Wembley Stadium for Live Aid wasn't an issue. Their set was perfect as they hired a rehearsal studio for a week so Freddie could perfect everything plus the fact they were louder as their sound engineer increased their sound levels higher than they were allowed to go. This is the greatest performance in rock history. Freddie is the GOAT frontman, nobody like it before him and nobody like him since. Queen stole the show that day and rightly so & Freddie showed the world that he's still got it and then some. After they finished David Bowie who was next to perform said backstage "How the **** do I follow that?" He couldn't or the rest of the acts that followed LOL
Freddie wrote 10 of the 17 songs on Queen's Greatest Hits album: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy", "We Are the Champions", "Bicycle Race", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", and "Play the Game".
It’s Live Aid 1985 at the old Wembley Stadium. It was a concert fundraising for Aid to Ethiopia that was televised globally. The Policemen are actually Smith & Jones 2 British Comedians.
Saw them in concert. Phenomenal! He gave me a rose. It's pressed between the pages of my Bible. He sang opera in Spain with their opera star. I miss him😞
You're wrong Elvis and the Beatles, you should see their concerts girls cum as soon as they saw them, Elvis didn't even have to sing he moves his hand and the first two rows of the audience faint
Queen stole the show. Freddie is a total package! The greatest front man of all time. No auto tune, only pure talent. And the audience are not all Queen Fans but yet he still control the crowd. The doctor advise him not to do it due to throat infection but he still gave such an amazing show. A true Legend. Gone but never forgotten. A great soul. Thank you for your great reaction🙂
Reportedly Freddie arrived in his dressing room fresh off the stage and his first words were "Thank God that's over"! Queen prepared carefully for this gig, rehearsing for 3 afternoons earlier in the week. Most of the other performers didn't bother. Great reaction!
You mentioned that you didn't think there was one Black person in the audience. Here's something for you: Freddie was born to parents from India! Although many often mistake him as white, he wasn't white. A man born in Zanzabar was the greatest singer in modern history!
That's a man's STRUT! With such confidence, charisma, and fierce showmanship, he could walk, strut, twirl, jump, and shake, and always have the audience right in his palm.
@Trash Talkers , After Queen left the stage David Bowie was next on . Live Aid lasted 16 hours between 2 venues Wembley & Philadelphia and was watched in over 100 countries live . It lasted 16 hours mainly because the US were 5 hours behind the UK . The Wembley Concert started with Status Quo , The Style Council , The Boomtown Rats , Adam Ant , Ultravox , Spandau Ballet , Elvis Costello , Nik Kershaw , Sade , Sting , Phil Collins , Howard Jones , Bryan Ferry , U2 , Dire Straits , Queen , David Bowie , The who , Elton John , Paul McCartney .
Freddie was just so at home on stage. He could channel that music like spinning the universe on his little finger. That said, I think it was really smart of them to put Crazy Little Thing Called Love in the middle. When you're THAT hepped up - you have to force yourself to calm it down or you won't get through 20 straight minutes with the quality of performance you want. Saddling him with that heavy guitar FORCES him to stay more still for the duration of the song, giving him a second wind. They rehearsed the shit outta this. Every band got a STRICT 20 min set with a clock at one side of the stage counting down. If your set wasn't done- your sound was cut. They wanted no egos, no one going over time . I was 15 when this concert happened. At the time I was in NY State at my grandparents farm listing to it on a shitty transistor radio in field and Queen reached right through the radio - even without a tv on. Incredible piece of music history.
One of the best live performances ever captured. 20 something minutes of perfection. It cannot be overstated how amazing this was/is. Watched this live on tv, both me and my dad (Queen and ELO were the only bands we agreed on) were mesmerized.
Elton John was on after Bowie and the Who. It is said Elton ran up to Queen after their set and said, only half jokingly, "you bastards, you stole the show!"
I saw an older Roger Taylor interviewed, he said despite the Live Aid charity, all the acts and stars were also thinking of their careers and being seen worldwide. There was a competitive (professional) spirit about the whole event.....but Queen blew them all away
The mic stand is something that is Freddie's thing. No one else better ever try it or they would get booed off the stage. That is Freddie's signature move along with his yellow jacket and he has a couple of stances that are his too. He never drank anything with bubbles in it before or during a concert because he said it would be very rude to his listeners if he were to burp while singing. He drank tea with lemon and honey to keep soothing his throat to keep it in its best preforming condition while belting out one song after another the way he did.
35:57 -- I'm so glad you brought up the cameraman... Because you saw what kind of performer he was... He didn't ignore the cameras.. He PLAYED not only TO them..... But WITH them...
This was just in the set list as part of that benefit concert…everyone who was anyone played this concert. This queen set was in London…then at the same time they had part of the concert play in Philadelphia so we seen tons of bands/singers do there thing to raise money for Africa. I actually own the dvd box set of the entire concert and everyone did amazing but queen blew everyone out of the water!!!
And Phil Collins played early in the London set, gto in a helicopter to Heathrow Airport, jumped on Concorde, then landed at JFK, another chopper to the stadium and played the US end as well
The ultimate showman, with the ultimate voice, with the ultimate band. Only a few guitarists have a unique sound. Brian May is one of them. Roger on the drums and major backing singer - a class act John Deacon - exceptional bassist, kept the band ticking. Freddie - well there will only ever be ONE FREDDIE MERCURY. RIP
Thank you for your reaction to this guys. Every time I watch this I get goosebumps, because I was lucky enough to be there. I was 6 rows back from the stage , in front of the girl on the guys shoulders. It is so weird seeing my 32 year old self, rockin out with the rest of the crowd. I can honestly say ,this is the best live performance I've ever had the privilege to witness. Keep up the great work guys.
So I was 15 when this Epic event happened we were stoked for weeks. My Dad and I watched this set together. Freddie had Wembley stadium and the world 1.8 billion people in the palm of his hand. I was already a Queen fan but after this day my Dad was too. This set raised more money than anyone and all the worlds best performers were there. Queen and Freddie stole the show that day and cemented their legacy❤
29:49 --- Gents, I know this is a difficult subject, but I'd like you fellas to react to "The Show Must Go On." --- From the era when Freddie was sick.... He was a mans man and the ultimate performer right to the end of his life..... He gave EVERYTHING he had to his fans and audience until he couldn't get out of bed anymore.. ..It's a difficult watch knowing how sick he was and how close to the end of his life.... But its worth it.. A true representation of how great he was..
The cups on the piano were Apple juice, Freddie had a sore throat, the song "Crazy little thing called love was Freddie's tribute to Elvis. The most remarkable thing about his presence was that you always felt like he was singing directly to you and you only. He pulled you in and you were never the same after experiencing his personality as he mesmerized you. I'm 81 years old and damn grateful to have lived in the same time as Freddie! The most perfect performer ever- and now immortal!
8 місяців тому+19
This was an EPIC experience in my youth as I sat by the TV all day and night for the entire Live Aid gala. Queen was the highlight and no band wanted to enter the stage after that perfomance.
That night Phil Collins performed there at Wimbley Stadium. Then he boarded a Concord jet and flew to Philadelphia Pa and Performed that same night. Live Aid took place at Wimbley and Philly. It was amazing and i watched the entire broadcast as it happened.
The greatest set ever by anyone. I can remember getting goosebumps when thos happened. Said to my girlfriend " they just blew everyone away " and remember this was not a Queen crowd but it became a Queen crowd real quick.
You are right, the band that was scheduled to follow them (David Bowie) immediatly said he wanted to be pushed back because he didn't want to have to follow up that performance!
Apparently David Bowie, who was the next act on from Queen, supposedly called Freddy Mercury a bastard or something similar as he was going on, because he had to follow on from that performance.
LiveAid at Wembley Stadium United Kingdom a benefit concert to raise awareness and funds for a terrible famine in Ethiopia Africa, LiveAid twinned with a concert in Philadelphia 🇺🇸 USA,LiveAid UK 🇬🇧 72,000, crowd and Philadelphia 89,000 crowd, all the most prominent artists in the world performing at both concerts,LiveAid the first of a kind televised to 1 1/2 billion people worldwide, each artist had around 20 minutes to perform, Queen came on stage and with there legendary flamboyant performance stole the show from any other artist on the day, they were by far the best performers, Freddie Mercury had the crowd in the palm of his hand,I actually attended LiveAid in 1985,such fond memories of a phenomenal concert,Queens greatest hits album is still today the best selling album of all time in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, all the band members have written N0 1 hits, great reaction thanks 🙏
From documentaries and what people who were close to Freddie have spoken about. He was a very shy introverted person once you got him out off of the stage. But he turned it on somehow in order to do performances. Doing large stadium shows is something Queen had actually had quite a bit of practice with. They had done world wide touring in places like South America and filled those stadiums. A lot of bands had not had that sort of practice with audiences this large. I think Wembley had like 70k people in attendance. Most arenas, where basketball/hockey are played at were considered large audiences which would hold half of that.
Freddie had the energy of 2 tons of Fireworks that night. One of his best performances vocally, and one of his best, if not the best. Long Live Freddie, Roger, Brian and John. Queen are fantastic. It was such a joy seeing your reaction. I had as much fun as you two did seeing it in full. “The bigger, the better, in everything.” - Freddie Mercury.
All this magic and you can't even tell that Freddie was almost sick enough to have to cancel their appearance. He could barely talk let alone sing but he rested his voice and drank what singers do to help their vocal cords, just to be able for those 20 minutes. I remember watching parts of the concert when i was 9 years old so i didn't fully grasp the magnitude of it at the time. I do remember watching this with my older sister and my mom while my dad left cause he was strictly a country guy. Thankfully my momma was a 60s hippy and introduced me to all kinds of great music!
Some trivia, Live Aid had the most donated money throughout the whole festival, during Queens performance. They also had the sound turned up higher than it was supposed to be, so they could rock out with the their..... Out! 🎉
Being 8 years old watching this was the best time of my life. It's was mindblowing and outstanding I was singing or humming basically out the songs at my home and my neighborhood the next day
Freddie was once asked, "What instrument do you play?" He replied, "The audience, darling!"
That tells you his personality. He was not shy. He was born to perform.
Respectfully begging your pardon but actually, in person Freddie was hideously shy. It was only on stage performing that the extroverted part of his personality took over.
@andreamoffitt2257
I've seen that interview and he did in fact say that
@andreamoffitt2257
He was shy when off stage but an extrovert on stage and very apparent when he performed
@@ajruther67 yes he did I was disagreeing with the part where you say he was not shy.
Info guys, loved the set and y'alls personalities. Check the list of major performers. Elton John said in front of all performers behind the stage "thanks for stealing the whole show", Just a little facts. It doesn't sound like you know Freddie & Queen very much, while the songs are playing. The guy on the left should NOT sing at all. Freddie had more octaves in his voice than any other performers (Steve Perry almost the same thing).
Freddie loved Mary and left her (and charities) everything including Freddies' ashes. No one but Mary knows where his ashes are. They were best friends and almost got married. She wore his ring till she married another guy. Problem is that Mary knew that he was gay and told him so as Freddie was fighting. They put his monument statue in Madagascar, because of graffiti in UK & USA. He was born in Bellerose. Now you must play Queen with Adam Lambert. He is NOT a member of Queen out of respect for Freddie. That is why it is Queen + Adam Lambert now. Adam has too much respect for Freddie. He has the projection that Freddie had. We still needed them to tour and saw Adam on American Idol as he played Queen. Very surprising, he came in second place, but he won in his s I ort line. If anyone doesn't kjow, Freddie died of AIDs in 1991. I'll stop now.
I was lucky enough to be in the crowd that day as a young 23 year old I still remember it every day.
For 22 minutes in 1985 great Britain was ruled by another queen.
What an incredibly amazing part of history!!! You were there!!!!! OMG
I was there also one hell of a fantastic day
Wow
What an amazing experience to have. WOW 😮
Question for you. If Freddie had finished the set by shouting "We march on the Capital!" How far down the road would you have been before the spell broke, do you think?
Keep in mind, this is NOT solely a Queen concert. These people paid to see a great many bands and that was the reception and reaction Queen got from the crowd. They absolutely stole the show. Freddie knew the stakes (as did the rest of the group) with literal billions of people watching onsite and remotely around the world, so they put in the rehearsal time to be perfect. They say on that day for 20 minutes, England had a different Queen.
The tickets were even sold out before Queen was added to the list. So no one in the audience bought their ticket to actually see Queen.!
Keep in mind Queen we not on the bill. They were a late addition.
Keep in mind the following year they sold out that same venue on their own!
But still knew all the Queen songs xx 💚
The point is that Queen came from a big tour, they had experience with big concerts and were "excited" to use those minutes for promotion
and what better promotion than the greatest hits
in contrast to the competition, which came with new songs that no one knows
Over thirty years since Freddie passed, yet people are still watching and talking about him. He would be very happy, the consummate front man, often imitated but never equalled. People rightly talk about this performance, but for those not there on the day, you need to understand, ALL the tickets had been sold before Queen were confirmed to play.
This was not a Queen audience, so this amazing reaction was to people who had heard of them and some of their hits, but the vast majority were not actual Queen fans, until that day.
LIVE, NO AUTO TUNE, SORE THROAT, NO DISTRACTIONS OF CELL PHONES!! JUST PURE MAGIC & MEMORIES 🥰♥️🔥
And just reunited with his band after finding out he is dying.
@@Leogoth68in reality Freddy didn't know he was HIV positive until 1987, the biopic added it earlier as Live Aid was the finale.
I'd say performing and filming for Those Were The Days was more impressive than this as you can visually see the condition he was in yet sounded incredible
@@akacocox2365 The song is "These are the days of our lives"
There’s videos on UA-cam talking about why and how they were so good.
@@hookedonreactions7649 I think I've seen the same one. Is it the one breaking down how they used Freddy's crowdwork to distract the crowd from Brian, John and Roger tuning instruments and doing mini soundchecks in between songs - which is how they managed to put together a 'greatest hits' in such a small timeframe?
I'm sadly showing my age but I was lucky enough to be there. Queen honestly stole the show. I'll truly never forget their performance. They were electric
22 minutes that changed the world. Enough said! Never will be another one like Freddie and Queen.
oh wow how lucky damn🥲🥹
Don't say "sadly". We are privileged to grow old. We've gotten to see and experience so many things! ❤ We should be revered, not shamed.
@@hollylooyeahexactly, the youth of today should be so jealous of us older people. We got to hear true talented performers growing up, not this horrible autotuned mess they call music these days.
SAME!
The 2 people sitting at the top of the scaffolding on the left hand side of the stage, which you pointed out at the end of "Radio Gaga". Was my father and his best friend. My father supplied the remote camera that is above the drummer
That must be an awesome experience for him! 👍
@@samhor33 It is just one of the many amazing things he has done. I'm so proud to be his son
He must have had some great stories to tell you, not just of Queen but the entire day! Awesome!!
Wauuuu q hermoso momento para tu padre y poder haber stado ahi🙄Q LOCURA DEBE HABER SIDO ESO. 😍
WOW!!! Experience of a LIFETIME!
Queen! The most wonderful band ever. No one will never be as good. RIP Freddie you were the best!
Roger Taylor is an unsung hero of that performance. You can hear him supporting Freddie’s voice. Freddie owned the crowd and the world during that performance.
No one could even see Roger😮.
They also had Spike Edney singing background vocals and playing keyboard. He still does today.
He is not supporting Freddie's voice, he does the usual back-up vocals. Freddie killed it on we Are The Champions singing the C5 as well in chest voice. Of course Roger is a great singer in his own right.
There were 72,000 in attendance , 1.9 Billion people watching from around the world. Freddie went on against doctors orders with a throat infection. Live Aid made 140 million dollars for famine in Africa .
Yes! They’d worked together so long, roger knew when to come in clutch. A live version of Somebody to love really showcases them all beautifully, especially roger. 🩵🩷♥️💜
Live Aid was the largest musical fund raiser of the 80s( if not ever,).There were 72000 people at Wembley Stadium for that show, but simultaneously there were nearly 90000 people in Philadelphia for a live show there, and both were being live cast on television around the world. Which, in the 80s, was no small feat. My friends and watched that performance live on television. The entire event raised something like $142 million dollars. Which was huge back then. Lol, I wish I was there like a previous poster. I was lucky enough to see Queen live in concert before Freddy passed. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you watch the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. It will give a decent bit of insite into the band and Freddy's life.
Freddie had his mic in one hand and the whole world in the other. The best 20 minutes of live music you'll ever see from the greatest band there ever was
I read a comment on another video "For 20 minutes in 1985, England had a new queen"
Couldn't have said it better myself!!!❤❤❤
agreed
No ear monitors, no auto tune, no click track, 4 band members just playing/singing and doing their thing incredibly great! Thank You!
To be technically accurate, radio gaga Was performed to click/ sequenced keys. But detracts absolutely not at all
What's the problem with ear monitors? They have monitors, they have to. Just at the time they have at front, it's just a matter of taste.
They had a guy, Spike Edney, who filled in backing keyboards. You can hear a piano when Freddy's running around....that's Spike, unseen
The two policemen at the beginning are a legendary British comedy due, Smith and Jones (Griff Rhys-Jones and Mel Smith). Mel Smith, the plumper of the two, moved into writing and directing and was director of the Mister Bean movies. He also played the albino in "The Princess Bride".
R.I.P Mel Smith loved him in that Christmas song
Did not know that - thanks! :)
They first found real fame in "Not the Nine O'clock News", alongside Rowan Atkinson ( Mr Bean, Blackadder etc.) and Pamela Stephenson who would later marry Billy Connolly.
Look for Smith and Jones sketch on nazi generals . Classic.
Freddie was once asked if he played any instruments and he replied sweety I play the crowd! Such a legend and such a character
I watched this live on TV and was blown away. I was watching mainly for Led Zep, Bowie and The Who, then Queen came out an did this set. What came before and after was diminished because they were so superior. If anyone wants to know how special Freddie was, you show them THIS! Undeniable!
So did I and I still believe that Queen was the best!
Right? The amount of powerhouse headliners that gave their time for this concert, on two freaking continents, and Queen rolled in and blew the roof of the mother. Cemented their mark in history for sure.
Wait what? Led Zep at live aid? I'm 55 and didn't know. I Just Googled it.
@@markgarber3465more than two. There were performances that day in Japan, Australia, and even the Antarctic. It was the day music brought the whole world together. 👍2😏
@@redplanet9162 yeah. I actually watched the Zeppelin set on tv that day, and it was not great. I think the band has tried to block as many recordings as possible because they felt that they sucked. At least that’s my understanding
For 22 minutes that day, England was ruled by a different Queen. Greatest performance ever
When a singer manages to get the audience to respond to their questions/actions etc it's called a call and response. It's a kind of hypnosis. The audience is now in the palm of your hands. This man was the King of that.
It's a kind of magic...❤
Freddy was he best front man any band has ever had, a pure master of audience control
Yup. Religious ministers do that too.
Minister: Peace be with you. Congregation: And also with you. M: Lift up your hands. C: We lift them to the Lord. M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give him thanks and praise. M: It is indeed right, it is our duty and our joy in all places and at all times, we honour etc. etc. I haven't said that for 20 years (I'm more of a private spirituality type) but I still remember it. I typed that without googling.
That's part of why some ministers really really hate rock music, and you can see why! If they either see, have felt, or have been taught about, this type of call/response energy, they see it as competition for God and therefore it is idolatry.
The energy of being in a church filled with people praying and inviting the Holy Spirit, and being at a rock gig full of people feeling the energy of the music and giving that energy back to the band, can be really quite similar.
That's also why you'll sometimes hear testimonies from people saying they were a wicked, terrible sinner and among other things, they went to rock concerts. Having renounced their evil ways and repented, they say they were saved and when they did that, and confessed everything, they found the same energy in the church that they once found at rock concerts.
That, they say, was when they fully realised that rock concerts were evil and a distraction from God. They're not wrong in what they have been feeling, they just might be wrong in the conclusion they take away from it.
Not really anything new - Cab Calloway did it regularly, but in modern times, yup - you don't argue with Freddie!
Queen owned the crowd and the concert. Bono, David Bowie and Elton John said that that WAS THE BEST performance Queen ever did!
EPIC Concert with so many awesome musicians.
When Freddie said “This song is dedicated to all the beautiful people”, you were arguing over whether or not you were beautiful, you talked over and missed the part where Freddie says “And that means all of you”. But your excitement for this amazing set makes it understandable. 😀
They spent 50% of the performance with their eyes closed, definitely not the best way to take in Queen live aid 😂
And the other 50% talking ignorant bollox and say "OK" every other second.
Bloke on the left is bloody annoying, attention seeking much! Firstly trying to make it a racist event by saying no black people there and then commenting a few times on what Freddie is wearing, what has that got to do with this brilliant performance, jealous much!
Im 57, when i found UA-cam the very first thing i ever looked for was Queen at Live Aid. I couldn't believe it was available ❤
'This dude could have ruled a country if he wanted to'.
Because for those 20 minutes he ruled the world.
@@nightthornkvala94132 Yeah, plus the couple of hours at Wembley '86 - so that's 2h20m 🙂
Don’t forget when he went to South America and played in front of 300,000 people
He’s SO RIGHT! That’s the feeling I get every time I watch this. Such a testament to his crowd control and innate charisma, that kind of power can be used for good or evil . luckily for all of us, Freddie was the best 💓🥹 Queen gave us their all. Roger Taylor and Brian May deserve their flowers too 💐
He not only ruled the country but ruled the world for a long time and still is one if not the best singer of all time. Just look at the 2012 olympics. He was a hologram and still hypnotized the crowd.
The Master.Period. Freddie commanded every stage he stepped on, and His fans willingly followed him anywhere. He has been ranked as the greatest male vocalist in musical history. Rest In Love beautiful Freddie 🙏❤️👑🥁🎤🎹🎸 Queen Forever
THE ULTIMATE showman. He was born to own the stage. Loved and so very missed ❤
Hard to believe Brian May the guitarist did all this with Queen and still became an astrophysicist. All were very talented, but Freddy was born for it
Smokey: "Radio Ga Ga!"
Hollywood: "You know this song!?"
Smokey: "I do now!"
Hollywood: "...I guess I do too"
Quite possibly the best example of the Queen effect! Nearly everyone that bought their tickets for Live Aid did NOT buy for Queen because they were a late addition. And yet, they had the entire stadium at their feet for every song! Not everyone was a Queen fan when arriving at Live Aid, but everyone left the stadium a Queen fan that day!
Lady Ga-Ga's name comes from Radio Ga-Ga
@@josephbabcock4236aaah, I was gonna say that! 😂😂
Couldn’t have said it better 💚
I came to mention this as well. Lol
He would have just loved seeing you guys adore him and his talent the way you do! YOU GET IT!😊 He lives on through the generations! He truly was THE BEST!❤❤❤❤
Queen were a late sign up for the concert so while there would be queen fans in the audience this isn't a queen audience and that just shows how good he was
The other groups in Live Aid were furious!
The other groups were Phoning-it-in.
Freddie was Sick, he said it was like gargling glass shards. (paraphrasing)
Queen rehearsed their set obsessively. They had timers all over their practice stage to nail their timing.
You hear when they fist start up, they dial in their settings with a few notes/strums and start in hot.
This is regarded as the greatest rock set in history. That’s why it’s been viewed so many times.
I loved every minute of your reaction! Queen has been part of the soundtrack of my life. My 7yr grandson gave the big cd set for xmas this granny's car rocks on the school run.
The greatest 20 minutes in concert of all time! There were about 75,000 people in the crowd that day. The 2 billion people watching refers to the fact that the Live Aid concert was televised around the world. Freddie Mercury and Queen literally stole the show and blew the non existent roof of Wembley stadium off that day! The other groups waiting back stage for their chance to preform were stunned and knew they weren't going to be able to top that! What is truly mind blowing is that Freddie had a bad cold and his doctor advised him NOT to sing for fear it would damage his vocal cords, but he sang anyway and was phenomenal!!! Please check out their follow up concert at Wembley Stadium the following year! 2 hours of mind blowing music by the greatest band of all time! My personal favorite Queen concert of all time!
Don't forget about the roughly 100K packed into Philly's JFK Stadium which is long gone at this point.
@hondaphan4172 I was just going to mention this! I was among the lucky 100K people who was at Live Aid that day, at JFK Stadium. Got there very early in the morning. Left late at night. Got to experience the whole show, including the simulcast of Queen onto a very large screen on our stage. Our own crowd reaction was exactly as the British concert goers. It was electric and unforgettable!
@@hondaphan4172 To be fair, the old Wembley stadium, where this concert was, was also pulled down in 2002 (10 years after the JFK Stadium).
The new Wembley stadium was built on the old site and has a bigger capacity, a much bigger footprint and a surrounding entertainment 'village' (bars, theatres, hotels, restaurants, pubs, etc). The stadium also has retractable roof structures as well as the famous arch and was completed in 2007.
It were 3 stadiums around the world: Australia, UK, US. The whole show for lasted approx. 24 hours.
The largest event ever. Will always remember these concerts. And not to forget Phil Collins playing two concerts UK and US.
Freddie is PURE MAGIC. There will never NEVER be another one like him. The whole world darkened the day he left this earth.
We still miss you, Freddie. Whole new generations are appreciating the magic and joy and light you brought to the whole world. Rest in peace.
🌹♥️🌹
Not just a legend, he made the world a better place for his short time on this planet. Love the reaction guys.
One thing to take note during the performance of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is that guitarist Brian May played three different guitars during the song. He starts playing an acoustic guitar, then for the first guitar solo he plays a black Telecaster guitar, and for the ending he’s playing his familiar guitar; known as “The Red Special”.
Not a Stratocaster it's a Telecaster
@@kevinkennedy6774 My bad. Prepare for an edit.
Just "Red Special". He licensed it and sells copies.
@@LeChaunce My bad. Prepare for an edit.
@@christopherferrarelli2262 Perfectly understandable. ☺️
Live Aid... the day Queen ruled the world for 20 mins....
They still ruled the world!
I watched this live from just outside Philadelphia, where the other half of the live audience was just waiting for its turn to rock! Every time I watch this performance, I'm 17 again. ❤
No matter how many times I watch this I get chills! What a performer. The best frontman of all time!
I was a wee lad of 8 when this took place the summer of '85, and my parents being lovers of all kinds of music meant the Live Aid broadcast was a must watch in our house.
Funny thing is I remember watching it and not thinking a whole lot about it, that is until I was listening to my parents and their friends react to Queen's performance, and realizing that I'd actually witnessed history as it happened.
I distinctly remember my interest in history and events, increasing greatly from that point onward, as well as how much I actually paid attention to the goings on in world around me, that I carry to this day.
The crazy thing to think about is the shear amount of impactful historical moments that I was witness to as a kid in the mid 80's.
Off the top of my head starting in early 1985 "We Are The World" song debuts, Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the USSR, Live aid concerts, the "New Coke" fiasco, Nintendo NES hit's the American Market, and a record breaking cold winter close out '85, but not to worry '86 started with us watching the Challenger Shuttle explosion live on TV in our 3rd grade classroom, being able to see Halley's comet, and topping of that 12 month span was the Chernobyl Explosion.
That's pretty much the super basic highlights, of one singular year from the spring of '85 to the spring of '86, that I experienced at 8-9 years old, that's just a small number, of global events that year, so think of all the smaller goings on also in that time frame, it's absolutely bonkers. Seriously it's no wonder most of Genx couldn't give a shit if you paid them, meet the new boss, same as the old boss, we've been there, done that, try harder next time.
Same, I was 7, but I was a massive queen fan so this was electric to me.
It was a day-long concert, raising funds for African famine relief - and there were 80,000 in the stadium. Many of the top bands of the day took part. Queen's set was one of the greatest live sets of all time. Freddie held the crowd in the palm of his hand and introduced the band to a new audience. There's never been another performer like him - he could play the crowd like a guitar. According to legend, David Bowie, who was the next act, spoke to Freddie as Queen came off stage and simply said "How the f*** am I supposed to follow that?" A friend of mine, the late great Matthew Seligman, was Bowie's bassist that day...
yeah, and this was gig was the 1st time the guys in Queen actually saw each other for a long time, because they were almost disbanded at that point, as Freddie had some issues. But yeah, this show was Queen on a bad day. :D
just to add. 1.5 billion people watched Live Aid in 1985 including the 72,000 people at Wembley Stadium in London and 89,000 people at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia ( it was performed simultaneously at the 2 venues some acts in Philly and some in London as the total time of the concert was about 16 hours). It was broadcast to hundereds of countries.
I watched it live on TV in Canada
@@37sarcastic I watched it live in New Zealand :)
@@jamesdignanmusic2765 What a great day it was! Incredible sets and songs and Queen out did everyone else. F@qing amazing.
The guy with his arms folded in hammer to fall was Freddy’s partner…
Then in '86, a year after this, they returned to London, selling out Wembley Stadium for 2 Nights, and a 3rd concert out at Knebworth Park in front of 120,000 (260,000 across the 3 nights) for the Magic Tour. The full performance at Wembley is here on UA-cam and you should absolutely check it out in your own time, or in pieces here as it's a full 2 hour set. Absolutely Legendary show that ets overshadowed by Live Aid (and rightly so).
I have watched this over a thousand times, including when it was live on TV. Never gets old. Freddie Mercury, the One and Only.
who cares what you got to say
Same
It's the quickest 25 minute you could ever spend. I watch it every time my day is going slowly, and the time just flies, sometimes I even watch it back to back.
This was more than just a concert. This was the music event of the century and I don’t believe anything has come close to this huge since. I have the full event with every performance on DVD. My friend and I watched it live in the clubhouse while camping at Bass Lake in Ca, we were only 14. Incredible experience.
As David bowie passed Queen coming off stage…. He looked at them and said “ You Bastards”….. and rightly so 😂. Epic performance. Epic Reaction. The reasons Queen stood out were ,… ( even though they were already Great.),..they were added last minute. And their manager went over to the soundboard when nobody was around and changed the master volume level. There was a piece of tape that said “ Don’t go above this line,… and he put the tape and the master volume knob up three levels. Thank you guys!!!🤘🤘🤘✌️
Didn't Bowie say, " How am I supposed to top that??" 😂
Kinda the right story, the sound guys were Queens sound people and they took off the restrictors during Queen. When done they went back on.
Elton John told Freddie they stole the show, which they certainly did
Glad you loved it. a few facts Freddie was sick and was told not to sing, he went on to give the performance of a lifetime. Notice that during Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Brian changes guitars three times. The band was asked so late to take part in the fundraiser that they weren’t even on the ticket. That crowd was NOT a Queen crowd, but as you see every crowd is a Queen crowd. Queen had just gotten back from a huge tour and didn’t know about the concert, that is why they weren’t asked on time . Queen took this very seriously and rehearsed for a week to get the time down with the songs they chose. Every Act had 22 minutes and the mikes go dead. Most acts came out and did whatever, but Queen being the Pro’s they are took it seriously and gave a performance of a lifetime.
FYI Freddie’s sip was tea and honey for his throat
I watched this whole Live Aid thing back in 85 (13th of July, it was on my birthday). My best birthday..it was magic!
Queen had total command of 75,000 people at Wembly. It was so awesome to watch that whole concert in real time. My son was born just a week before. Fabulous show!
I'll never forget a reporter asking Freddie Mercury what his favorite instrument to play was and he said, "The audience, darling, the audience!" 😎🖤✌
I enjoyed your reaction almost as much as the performance. 💕I, like most my age who grew up listening to & loving Queen, have a special place in my heart for Freddie. His was the only “celebrity” death that caused me to cry. Your appreciation & *enjoyment* of him makes my heart happy. Thanks for the reaction. ✌️
Brian May talking about Freddy is probably one of the most heartwarming things to hear, he fights tears every time that is how special this man was to not only the band, but everyone. He was born to do this, I only wish I could have been alive to see this band in concert, he was, not only a trendsetter, but a real one in every aspect of the word. #ICON #LEGEND
Yess for sure legend in every sense of the word ❤❤
I was privileged to see them in Melbourne Australia not long before this in 1985. The most amazing show of my life, and I’ve seen lots of bands. What a freaking unbelievable showman he was, worked the entire crowd. My ears rand for days and we floated and buzzed out of that concert! It was epic!!
Brian May, the extremely talented guitarist...and vocals was tight with Freddie.
If memory serves me correct, the band had been on break or hiatus? Potential break up... but they ALL pitched in on this epic day. QUEEN was, is, and will ALWAYS be the ultimate band.
Set up, tear down, and take 20 minutes to perform. If you look at their performance, they pushed it right to the edge.
Re. the packed ATTENDANCE (Wembley held about 78,000, I think)…
Like Smokey said, this was a day-long festival featuring lots of artists.
BUT… exactly a year after this, Queen DID have their own event in this same Wembley Stadium venue.
AND… for Queen’s 1986 show, tickets SOLD OUT SO FAST, they added a second show on a consecutive night.
So, that’s approx. 78,000 x 2 = 156,000.
THEN… that second show SOLD OUT SO FAST, they added a third show at another London venue the next month, at Knebworth Park. (Which held at least 125,000 - possibly more, cuz it was an open venue/not easy to “control gate crashers”.)
SOOO… 156,000 + approx. 125,000 = AT LEAST 281,000 at Queen’s 1986 London performances.🖖
Yep... in 1986 I saw Queen at Newcastle football stadium (St. James Park) - Had a mate in London who tried for tickets to the first Wembley show (2 days after the Newcastle show) but it was sold out. He did manage to get tickets to the 2nd Wembley show...
Phoned me the night he got tickets "I got an extra ticket, do you want it?"
"Hell YES!" - So I got to see them twice in 3 days in 1986 - The Wednesday and Saturday of the same week.
Almost 40 years old and still one of the greatest performances of all time
I saw this live I was 34. What a performance!
Brings a tear to my eye every single time I watch it. This performance never gets old. RIP Freddie
Queen brings so many people together because we all appreciate greatness!
Undoubtedly, the most iconic live set of all time. RIP Freddie 😢
And yet, not even Queen´s best concert.
FYI Six months prior to Live Aid, Queen performed in front of over 250,000 people at the first ever Rock In Rio, Brazil so a crowd of 72,000 at Wembley Stadium for Live Aid wasn't an issue. Their set was perfect as they hired a rehearsal studio for a week so Freddie could perfect everything plus the fact they were louder as their sound engineer increased their sound levels higher than they were allowed to go. This is the greatest performance in rock history. Freddie is the GOAT frontman, nobody like it before him and nobody like him since. Queen stole the show that day and rightly so & Freddie showed the world that he's still got it and then some. After they finished David Bowie who was next to perform said backstage "How the **** do I follow that?" He couldn't or the rest of the acts that followed LOL
Freddie wrote 10 of the 17 songs on Queen's Greatest Hits album: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy", "We Are the Champions", "Bicycle Race", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", and "Play the Game".
It’s Live Aid 1985 at the old Wembley Stadium. It was a concert fundraising for Aid to Ethiopia that was televised globally. The Policemen are actually Smith & Jones 2 British Comedians.
Saw them in concert. Phenomenal! He gave me a rose. It's pressed between the pages of my Bible. He sang opera in Spain with their opera star. I miss him😞
No one before or since has ever owned the stage the way Freddie did best frontman ever GOAT
You're wrong
Elvis and the Beatles, you should see their concerts
girls cum as soon as they saw them,
Elvis didn't even have to sing
he moves his hand and the first two rows of the audience faint
Queen stole the show. Freddie is a total package! The greatest front man of all time. No auto tune, only pure talent. And the audience are not all Queen Fans but yet he still control the crowd. The doctor advise him not to do it due to throat infection but he still gave such an amazing show. A true Legend. Gone but never forgotten. A great soul. Thank you for your great reaction🙂
20 minutes, that changed rock and roll forever.
No matter how many times I watch this, I have goosebumps the whole performance.
legendary Performance 🔥🔥Ty so much for doing this. The donation phones , where going . off like crazy , during and wayyy , after their performance .
Reportedly Freddie arrived in his dressing room fresh off the stage and his first words were "Thank God that's over"! Queen prepared carefully for this gig, rehearsing for 3 afternoons earlier in the week. Most of the other performers didn't bother. Great reaction!
surely that was only because of his sore throat?
No earpiece, doesn't miss a beat or word or tune, he's just so amazing. *pepsi
I was 13 when this happened and I remember watching the whole concert from start to finish.. what a great Saturday that was ❤❤❤
You mentioned that you didn't think there was one Black person in the audience. Here's something for you: Freddie was born to parents from India! Although many often mistake him as white, he wasn't white. A man born in Zanzabar was the greatest singer in modern history!
The West Indian immigrants, who were well-established by the time of this concert had a strong regga culture of their own.
Freddie Mercury is a legend. He suffered from awful anxiety believe it or not but he just went up and did his thing. Absolute legend of a man ❤
That's a man's STRUT! With such confidence, charisma, and fierce showmanship, he could walk, strut, twirl, jump, and shake, and always have the audience right in his palm.
@Trash Talkers , After Queen left the stage David Bowie was next on . Live Aid lasted 16 hours between 2 venues Wembley & Philadelphia and was watched in over 100 countries live . It lasted 16 hours mainly because the US were 5 hours behind the UK . The Wembley Concert started with Status Quo , The Style Council , The Boomtown Rats , Adam Ant , Ultravox , Spandau Ballet , Elvis Costello , Nik Kershaw , Sade , Sting , Phil Collins , Howard Jones , Bryan Ferry , U2 , Dire Straits , Queen , David Bowie , The who , Elton John , Paul McCartney .
Freddie was just so at home on stage. He could channel that music like spinning the universe on his little finger. That said, I think it was really smart of them to put Crazy Little Thing Called Love in the middle. When you're THAT hepped up - you have to force yourself to calm it down or you won't get through 20 straight minutes with the quality of performance you want. Saddling him with that heavy guitar FORCES him to stay more still for the duration of the song, giving him a second wind. They rehearsed the shit outta this. Every band got a STRICT 20 min set with a clock at one side of the stage counting down. If your set wasn't done- your sound was cut. They wanted no egos, no one going over time . I was 15 when this concert happened. At the time I was in NY State at my grandparents farm listing to it on a shitty transistor radio in field and Queen reached right through the radio - even without a tv on. Incredible piece of music history.
One of the best live performances ever captured. 20 something minutes of perfection. It cannot be overstated how amazing this was/is. Watched this live on tv, both me and my dad (Queen and ELO were the only bands we agreed on) were mesmerized.
Elton John was on after Bowie and the Who. It is said Elton ran up to Queen after their set and said, only half jokingly, "you bastards, you stole the show!"
I saw an older Roger Taylor interviewed, he said despite the Live Aid charity, all the acts and stars were also thinking of their careers and being seen worldwide. There was a competitive (professional) spirit about the whole event.....but Queen blew them all away
The mic stand is something that is Freddie's thing. No one else better ever try it or they would get booed off the stage. That is Freddie's signature move along with his yellow jacket and he has a couple of stances that are his too. He never drank anything with bubbles in it before or during a concert because he said it would be very rude to his listeners if he were to burp while singing. He drank tea with lemon and honey to keep soothing his throat to keep it in its best preforming condition while belting out one song after another the way he did.
35:57 -- I'm so glad you brought up the cameraman... Because you saw what kind of performer he was... He didn't ignore the cameras.. He PLAYED not only TO them..... But WITH them...
This was just in the set list as part of that benefit concert…everyone who was anyone played this concert. This queen set was in London…then at the same time they had part of the concert play in Philadelphia so we seen tons of bands/singers do there thing to raise money for Africa. I actually own the dvd box set of the entire concert and everyone did amazing but queen blew everyone out of the water!!!
Gay.
And Phil Collins played early in the London set, gto in a helicopter to Heathrow Airport, jumped on Concorde, then landed at JFK, another chopper to the stadium and played the US end as well
@@boxerboy602 A lovely compliment.
@@boxerboy602troll! So what!
The ultimate showman, with the ultimate voice, with the ultimate band.
Only a few guitarists have a unique sound. Brian May is one of them.
Roger on the drums and major backing singer - a class act
John Deacon - exceptional bassist, kept the band ticking.
Freddie - well there will only ever be ONE FREDDIE MERCURY. RIP
Thank you for your reaction to this guys. Every time I watch this I get goosebumps, because I was lucky enough to be there. I was 6 rows back from the stage , in front of the girl on the guys shoulders. It is so weird seeing my 32 year old self, rockin out with the rest of the crowd. I can honestly say ,this is the best live performance I've ever had the privilege to witness. Keep up the great work guys.
I watched this Live on TV from Cleveland in 1985. ❤❤❤❤
I watched it live from Denmark🇩🇰 in 1985!
So I was 15 when this Epic event happened we were stoked for weeks. My Dad and I watched this set together. Freddie had Wembley stadium and the world 1.8 billion people in the palm of his hand. I was already a Queen fan but after this day my Dad was too. This set raised more money than anyone and all the worlds best performers were there. Queen and Freddie stole the show that day and cemented their legacy❤
29:49 --- Gents, I know this is a difficult subject, but I'd like you fellas to react to "The Show Must Go On." --- From the era when Freddie was sick.... He was a mans man and the ultimate performer right to the end of his life..... He gave EVERYTHING he had to his fans and audience until he couldn't get out of bed anymore.. ..It's a difficult watch knowing how sick he was and how close to the end of his life.... But its worth it.. A true representation of how great he was..
One thing I’m sooo disappointed in, is that I will never get to see Queen, Prince or Bowie live 🥲
I saw all of them. Sorry! if it helps, they were all magnificent.
The cups on the piano were Apple juice, Freddie had a sore throat, the song "Crazy little thing called love was Freddie's tribute to Elvis. The most remarkable thing about his presence was that you always felt like he was singing directly to you and you only. He pulled you in and you were never the same after experiencing his personality as he mesmerized you. I'm 81 years old and damn grateful to have lived in the same time as Freddie! The most perfect performer ever- and now immortal!
This was an EPIC experience in my youth as I sat by the TV all day and night for the entire Live Aid gala. Queen was the highlight and no band wanted to enter the stage after that perfomance.
That night Phil Collins performed there at Wimbley Stadium. Then he boarded a Concord jet and flew to Philadelphia Pa and Performed that same night. Live Aid took place at Wimbley and Philly. It was amazing and i watched the entire broadcast as it happened.
Queen live performance of Somebody to love in Montreal is a masterpiece.
Thank you.😀
The greatest set ever by anyone. I can remember getting goosebumps when thos happened. Said to my girlfriend " they just blew everyone away " and remember this was not a Queen crowd but it became a Queen crowd real quick.
You are right, the band that was scheduled to follow them (David Bowie) immediatly said he wanted to be pushed back because he didn't want to have to follow up that performance!
Freddie is a God. I was 17 when this happened, I'm 56 now, still watch this set 3× a month. It was magic. ❤❤❤
Apparently David Bowie, who was the next act on from Queen, supposedly called Freddy Mercury a bastard or something similar as he was going on, because he had to follow on from that performance.
True but it was Elton John on afterwards.
@@tannoys2008 No it was Queen, Bowie, The Who, and then Elton John wasn't on until 8:50 PM.
Let's be honest, only Bowie could follow Queen. ❤
@@rebellibrarianTrue, but different vibe. Bowie is a chiller vibe, so he'd be the break between Queen and The Who. 😅
Bowie said "How the FUCK am I supposed to follow that?"
LiveAid at Wembley Stadium United Kingdom a benefit concert to raise awareness and funds for a terrible famine in Ethiopia Africa, LiveAid twinned with a concert in Philadelphia 🇺🇸 USA,LiveAid UK 🇬🇧 72,000, crowd and Philadelphia 89,000 crowd, all the most prominent artists in the world performing at both concerts,LiveAid the first of a kind televised to 1 1/2 billion people worldwide, each artist had around 20 minutes to perform, Queen came on stage and with there legendary flamboyant performance stole the show from any other artist on the day, they were by far the best performers, Freddie Mercury had the crowd in the palm of his hand,I actually attended LiveAid in 1985,such fond memories of a phenomenal concert,Queens greatest hits album is still today the best selling album of all time in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, all the band members have written N0 1 hits, great reaction thanks 🙏
From documentaries and what people who were close to Freddie have spoken about. He was a very shy introverted person once you got him out off of the stage. But he turned it on somehow in order to do performances. Doing large stadium shows is something Queen had actually had quite a bit of practice with. They had done world wide touring in places like South America and filled those stadiums. A lot of bands had not had that sort of practice with audiences this large. I think Wembley had like 70k people in attendance. Most arenas, where basketball/hockey are played at were considered large audiences which would hold half of that.
Freddie had the energy of 2 tons of Fireworks that night. One of his best performances vocally, and one of his best, if not the best. Long Live Freddie, Roger, Brian and John. Queen are fantastic. It was such a joy seeing your reaction. I had as much fun as you two did seeing it in full.
“The bigger, the better, in everything.” - Freddie Mercury.
All this magic and you can't even tell that Freddie was almost sick enough to have to cancel their appearance. He could barely talk let alone sing but he rested his voice and drank what singers do to help their vocal cords, just to be able for those 20 minutes. I remember watching parts of the concert when i was 9 years old so i didn't fully grasp the magnitude of it at the time. I do remember watching this with my older sister and my mom while my dad left cause he was strictly a country guy. Thankfully my momma was a 60s hippy and introduced me to all kinds of great music!
Some trivia, Live Aid had the most donated money throughout the whole festival, during Queens performance. They also had the sound turned up higher than it was supposed to be, so they could rock out with the their..... Out! 🎉
They said they were EXTREMELY humbled the first site of the audience & HONORED to be a part🥰
Being 8 years old watching this was the best time of my life. It's was mindblowing and outstanding
I was singing or humming basically out the songs at my home and my neighborhood the next day
Loved watching your reaction. One of the best. You can see you truly appreciate the magic of Queen. The best 20 minutes in music history.
Fun fact, Lady Gaga got her name from that queen song Radio Gaga.