Listen to Anyone that was a great time for music it was broadcast and stages from multiple country's. Do Led Zepplin. Anything from zep is awesome I've been INTEARS because you've done all the greats from my time that have died yet ozzy with another guitar God RANDY RHOADS you should view. BTW I'm 55 and grew up in the greatest time. This shows us well.
Nobody.. literally pointless if you're looking for better than this.. in any concert, at any point in time. Maybe a Michael Jackson entrance at the superbowl in 1993 but apart from that.. pointless
I'm now 60 years old, and my hands still hurt from all the clapping during this performance! Yes, I was there in 1985 in that massive crowd. The whole Live Aid program was incredible, these guys got us all wound up! I can't say anything else but PERFECT!
He not only had Wembly Stadium singing along but 1.5 billion people on live television throughout the world singing along with him and the group Queen. For 20 minutes Great Britain was ruled by a different Queen.
I was not there, but I had many friends over at my apartment that day in Oceanside California where we watched the entire live broadcast of the Live Aid concert as it happened. It was unbelievable, and amazing. I feel so fortunate to have lived during this time period. If only we had been able to see how good our world was at the time.
At the time of Live Aid I was serving in the British Royal Marine Commandos in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. We listened to it on the radio. We were surrounded by the full horror of the Famine, but when Queen came on the radio those poor soles who were there even reacted in a very positive way. I remember that a lot of us Royal Marine Commandos were crying watching some of the children dancing along, I'm teary eyed just remembering. I looked around at men I had fought alongside, who were tough, hardened Royal Marine Commandos who had fought a life and death war against Argentinian's in 82. By the end of Queen's set we were dancing with the children. It went along way to help build their trust in us. The famine is only one of many terrible memories I have from 35 years of active service, and over 3 years hospitalisation. But when I remember the smiles on the children's faces, and their laughter at the terrible way we danced always reminds me that humanity will always find it's way through even the worst of times. I only watched it for the first time last year, my son put it on the TV. A lot of memories came back and a lot of tears. My amazing Wife took me to see Queen at Wembley, U.K., in 1986 two weeks after I got back from Ethiopia as a surprise, we also went to the last Queen concert they ever did. I saw Queen live 8 times in all (my wife only 6 ha ha), they were incredible live. And yes, I am an old fart.
@@MrBigPicture835 Think about what you're saying. Why would anyone need to ask him what instruments he played, when everyone already knew he played the piano and occasional guitar?
anyone that watched this on the TV that day live all over the world will tell you that it changed the world for them. It was such a warm moment for mankind. We were all together , a generation with the best music ever. You need to check out all the people that participated to this concert. Each act was only allowed 20 minutes . This was in London and then after that the concert carried on in the. USA.
There were about 72,000 people at Wembley Stadium that day. It was one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time; an estimated audience of 1.9 billion, in 150 nations, watched the live broadcast, nearly 40 percent of the world population.
I was there….and when Freddie started singing all the hairs on my body stood up….I can still feel his voice going through me to this day…rest in peace beautiful showman 🇬🇧🎤❤️🩹
Voted "The Best Live Performance Ever" in 2005 by the music industry. They rehearsed for three weeks with clocks to get this set absolutely spot-on. Nobody will ever outdo Queen at Live Aid.
@@ThePlaySpace-CurtainCall There's a few "Queen at live aid" documentaries on YT. Their sound engineer also swapped out the sound limiters so Queen were louder than everyone else. That's why there's visual distortion of the filming throughout their set (and not others) The cameras were shaking too much.
@@idlehands1238 Knew about James 'Trip' Khalaf swapping the limiters, but didn't know the part about the sound vibration distorting the camera work... cheers 👍
@@barrymitchell6444 I think that was mentioned in one of the YT docs on Live Aid....or maybe one of the Queen docs that covered that period too. The lines across the screen are obvious once you notice them but you'd probably think "well it was 1985" that caused it rather than Queen shaking the stadium.
Hi I was at this concert, absolutely amazing, I feel really honoured to be part of it, it has to go down as the best live performance ever, a day I will never forget, thank you for a great reaction, it means a lot to me
The Guitar Player, Sir Brian May, is not only one of the best Guitarists in the History of Music, he is also a certified Genius and a Doctor of Astrophysics, and has worked with Nasa.
...and one of the nicest guys on the planet. Follow him on IG. He TRULY interacts on IG, replies, and does it all himself. He shares so much & is very generous - it's super fun.
@@Danielik25 You're right - he's a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) and a Doctor of Astrophysics though, which isn't bad going... :-)
yeah, he misses quite a few notes actually. Most easily noticeable perhaps on the first "there goes my baby" on Crazy Little Thing Called Love, where "baby" isnt even close to hitting the right note, and there are other instances as well. I mean it's of course heavily outweighed by the fantastic performance overall, in terms of showmanship, but this is by no means a technically perfect performance.
@@GroovingPictIt is true that he had laryngitis, but contrary to popular belief, most of the songs performed here are generally considered the best versions of it. Bohemian Rhapsody is the best medley version, with the first verse Bb4 studio phrasing nailed to utter perfection, and the second verse straight Bb4s, though a lil bit strained, is still REALLY powerful, and was probably the first time he he did that phrasing since 1981 in the Game Tour. Radio Gaga is regarded as the best despite being cut down because of how fresh sounding the A4s and Bb4s Freddie hit in the verses and pre-choruses. We Will Rock You is also pretty great for what it is, although the A4 on “Gonna be a big MAN someday” is overshot to a Bb4. Still sounds great though. For comparison, Freddie usually only goes for a G4 on that. Hammer To Fall is also considered as the best version of the song because of Freddie effortlessly hitting A4s and particularly the note “For your TRUTH is all the same” same as the studio version, and not only is Freddie the factor making it the best, Brian puts in one of his best guitar work of the 80s in the performance. Crazy Little Thing Called Love is underwhelming, to be sure, but still a great performance. And regarding about the note you mentioned, thats simply a stylistic choice by Freddie. And We Are The Champions is simply one of Freddie’s best and most impressive vocal performances ever. He hits the Bb4 sustain “But I’ve come THROUUUUGH” and hits the C5 on “FIGH-ting, till the end” something he only did SEVEN times from 1977 to 1986 (Hammersmith 1979, Monterrey 1981, 1st Puebla and 2nd Puebla 1981, Live Aid, and Stockholm 1986), and one of the most shocking of all, he nails the Bb4 chorus on “WE are THE CHAM-pions” something he only did a HANDFUL of times over 1977-1986. Not only did he hit in the first chorus, BUT ALSO THE SECOND AND THIRD CHORUS! For comparison, listen to ANY live performance of We Are The Champions, and Freddie would go as low as the 3RD OCTAVE (Bb3) in that line, because of how demanding that note is. Freddie was a beast, laryngitis didn’t stop him. If this still doesn’t debunk Freddie singing weakly in Live Aid, I don’t know what will.
In my opinion, the has never been, and will never be another musician like Freddie. The impressive vocals, the unbelievable music writing talent, the incredible way he could command an entire audience. It's sad that he's gone, however he left behind an untouchable legacy. Rest in peace Freddie. You will always be missed
Well, we do have Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses, who is said to have such incredible vocal range that I'd put him right next to Freddie. He is still alive to this day surprisingly, but unfortunately he kinda lost his old voice from like 30 years ago. Also if you want to find more recent and young singers that have impressive vocal as well, check out Ado. It's a Japanese singer and she's only around 20ish years old right now, but her vocal is just INHUMAN. Check out her song "Ussewa" or "New genesis" and you'll know why!
Indeed the worlds icon and legend are tossed about and do fit but they’re understatements no one before or since ever has or ever will command the stage like the GOAT our time with him was short but he will never be forgotten RIP Freddie
David Bowie was waiting in the wings to go on next (yeh - it was THAT sort of gig!), and as Queen walked off he just said "You bastards!". In fairness, Bowie smashed it as well - one of the few artists who could follow Queen and not disappoint. When they bought the tickets, the crowd didn't even know that Queen was appearing because they were only persuaded at the last minute to attend. We watched it all on TV. It was an epic day of incredible music!
That second song "Radio Ga-Ga" is where today's Lady Ga-Ga got her name. Apparently, she loved Queen... This was the best of performances, Queen at the top of their game.
The most charismatic vocalist in music history just doing his thing. This was the legacy Queen left behind. Their impact in the music scene was huge. The younger generation still enjoyed their songs. This was the moment when UK was ruled by another Queen.
The world was ruled by them for that 20 minutes.... still get goosebumps watching it..... only other performance that within about 2000 miles of it is the Who at the concert for New York... still falls short of this!
One think you should know is Freddie's doc told him not to perform because he had an infection that was effecting his voice but Freddie was not going to let his fans down and ended up giving one of the best performances in history.
There will never be another showman like Freddie Mercury. He had so much belief in himself and a persona that was larger than the arenas that he sang in. He will be remembered forever ❤❤
You know how many times I hear - “That’s a Queen song”??? Every single album is awesome. Their best songs aren’t even their biggest hits. They are beyond incredible! RIP Freddie!
I was 19 and going to college in Arkansas, and had gone to the house of some friends to watch the whole day. Live Aid was a huge event and literally everyone I knew was glued to their televisions. Keep in mind that most televisions were mono, not stereo, so to be able to hear it over an FM stereo station (and mostly in sync) seemed pretty amazing. Everyone was waiting for Queen, and no one exactly knew how it was going to turn out. Queen had lost a lot of their popularity in the states, but this concert absolutely changed that. No one expected them to be that good. By the time they finished Radio Ga Ga, I remember our jaws were on the floor.
Here's two facts that make this performance all the more amazing. Nobody knew Queen was going to perform at this concert when they bought their tickets, Queen wasn't on the band list yet. These people were not all dedicated Queen fans. Also, Freddie's voice was having issues and his doctor told him not to perform.
Exactly! This performance was transcendent. Any other day, U2 would have been the talk of the show because they were incredible and arguably the next best performance. But Queen just stole the show.
You just watched one of the most incredible live performances that ever was or will be. Queen owned the universe that day. I saw it broadcast live and it was a life changing event. Truly….😊🎸🎤🥁
Estimates say between 1.5 & 1.9 billion people watched this globally, at that time that was one third of the people on Earth, we'll never see anything like that again. Freddie was a God.
It makes my heart sing to see your reaction to this. There’s a reason this is the greatest live performance in music history. I’ve come across a lot of reaction videos to queen lately and it makes me so happy that a whole new generation is discovering Freddie’s magic and the magic of queen. The best front man ever. An absolute legend
I’m 42 and was 4 when this concert went down. In my older years, if I could time travel back to see concerts live, this would have been one of them for sure. Others would be the original Woodstock (Hendrix, Jefferson airplane and lsd?! Free love and no hiv? Sign me up.) Last one i can think of would be the nirvana unplugged concert. Or more ministry shows. Or tool. Or dream theater. Oooooooh!! Or front line assembly.
Knowing that he was badly sick that day and they almost cancelled makes this performance even more remarkable. It looks so effortless❤ I saw a video reaction from a singer (I think it was opera) she did an analysis of some songs and pointed where he "struggled" but trust me with Freddie's talent it didn't show at all. Many groups and singers nowadays should take example of him and his dedication and love to his fans ❤ we love you Freddie
There's one spot (around 26:32) where you can hear that he drops to a lower note instead of sustaining a higher note. The note fits right in, so it's not a big issue, I just happened to hear it.
@@ralphm6901 excuse me but I don't see the point of your comment. First of all because lowering the notes was something he did very frequently during the live performances. Secondly never said it was an issue. On the contrary I was pointing a detail that showed how talented he was facing such a huge problem that even doctors didn't want him to sing that day.
Just goes to show how good Freddie was at playing his favourite instrument, the audience. It's still one of if not the best live performances ever performed and he did it while sick.
This 20 minute segment is a masterclass in not just controlling an audience, but getting them involved, and giving back to them every bit of energy they give the performer. Freddie is clearly just as excited and happy to be with this crowd, as they are to see him perform.
im 53 Years into this strange Road now, and that were my Prime Teens. Saw Them Live 3 Times back Then. When Floor Jansen is asked ,when She could choose with anyone out of History to perform, always theres only one Answer. Freddy. As he was gone, my Mother(born1933) said: Well, He loved all 3. Women, Men and Music. Only the Last didnt Hurt Him somehow. Baffles me still Today.
I was 15, watching it live on TV with 1.9 billion other people. Still remember every minute of it. Pretty sure it's still the largest live broadcast in history.
Queen absolutely stole the show that day but the unsung hero was IMO Phil Collins. Not only did he play drums for Led Zeppelin's set he did a set of his own. Then to top it off he boarded the Concorde flew to NYC hopped in a helicopter to Philadelphia and did a set that night
In the days and the months following the concert, way more people were talking about Phil's two continent performance, and the poor showing by Led Zeppelin, than were talking about Queen. It wasn't until years later that this Queen performance starting getting a lot of recognition and the legend grew. This does not take away from how amazing of a performance this was.
Live Aid was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, UK, attended by about 72,000 people and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, US, attended by 89,484 people. It was one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time; an estimated audience of 1.9 billion, in 150 nations, watched the live broadcast, nearly 40 percent of the world population.
Amazingly, I heard Queen Elizabeth II's recent funeral was watched by 60% of the world's population. She did rule over the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for 70 years though, so well-deserved.
Yes and both shows had tremendous bands. The Philly side was closed by Scottish rockers Simple Minds who debuted Alive and Kicking there to the world. Other amazing 80s bands of all kinds like Sade and U2 played. The "boogie woogie" line is from another song citing a policeman in court calling his rock song "Boojie-Woojie music". But this Queen set is universally lauded as one of, if not THE, best performance ever. The great David Bowie had to follow it!!!
@@crhu319 Simple Minds literally started when Queen had finished on the screens in Philadelphia. Queen at Live Aid was voted 'The Best Live Performance Ever' by the industry in 2005.
@@crhu319 I don't understand how you say Simple Minds closed the show when they were on at 2.05pm? Plus they didn't play Alive and Kicking. USA For Africa ended the Philadelphia show around 11pm.
I knew they were going to steal the show. Freddie knew too. He threw down the gauntlet to the other acts in a band interview just days before, mainly aimed at U2 I think.
There are not many singers/performers that can command that much control/love/admiration over a crowd THAT big. He had them eating out of the palm of his hand. He was a master. The entire band commands so much respect from people.
Coming from New Zealand I'm not lucky enough to say I was there but I did watch Live Aid live on TV as a teenager. Every artist that performed was a champion but I will admit Queens performance was the highlight.
I also watched Live Aid on TV in Wellington, New Zealand. We had been out to a nightclub until around 5am (yes, after hours! LOL) We got home, half buzzed about 6 am and Queen came on around 6.30am ish. It was sheer luck I managed to watch Queen's whole performance. Greatest show I've ever seen and I've seen dozens of the world's top groups live. I just didn't go the bed that night and watched the rest of the concert.
There’s another story that one of the bands that had to follow Queen saw them coming offstage after their set and shouted, “you bastards!” I would NOT want to follow that.
The air still reverberates to this set from Queen.. I was 13 and remember watching it on tv. My dad and a friend were there, acting as stewards.. This is pre-internet, pre-smart phones, pre-social media…pre-covid. Great days. There was only one Freddie. RIP.
Brian May, lead guitarist, had started a degree in astrophysics when Queen took off forcing him to put his studies on hold. Once Queen was no more, Brian finished his degree. Dr. Brian May wrote his thesis on the Motions of Interplanetary Dust, achieving his PhD from Imperial College, London, in 2007.
Gotta remember this performance was timed to the exact second of the play time they are allocated. The amount or rehearsals with every songs timing the interaction with the crowd and to finish ony 22 seconds over was awesome.
If you watch the lower right corner of the stage, you can see the timer go off (yellow light to red light) at almost the exact time they hit their last note.
@@randyfergus8781 I was about to type that!!! I don't believe the power would really have been cut off if bands went over the allocated time though. It wouldn't have looked good on TV.
The guitarist, Brian May, is one of the best musicians alive. Strangely enough, he is also has a PhD in astrophysics. The drummer, Roger Taylor, has a degree in Biology (after dropping out of dentistry school), the bassist, John Deacon, has a degree in electronics, and Freddy had a degree in graphic art & design. They were an educated group!
I watched this "LIVE" on MTV. This was a dual concert (USA / England) benefit for the mass starvation in Africa. Way before the Internet... It was such a big event back then.
They completely SMASHED this show! Ruled the day. Understand, due to Queen's eclectic style, EVERYONE was in on it: The pop-heads, the cool-heads, the metal-heads, the rockers ... EVERYONE could identify with Queen! And their performance is PERFECT! Freddie holds that mic in one hand and the audience in the other. Like a BOSS! When everybody sings along to his tune, it is the entire audience! Imagine being there and feeling that energy of UNITY?!
I saw Queen at Lakeland Civic Center (FL,US) in 1978... I still have my ticket stub! General admission was $6.50 in those incredible days! I did have to work for the ticket, though, since minimum wage was $2.65/hr 😊 Loved your review! So I liked, subscribed, set notifications, and give you this comment and compliment.
You should check out the crowd singing bohemian rhapsody at the Greenday concert as they wait for the band to come on. Epic crowd spontaneously singing together.
Remembering that Freddy knew at this Moment that hes gonna die, acceping his fate and he still does what he was born for, to sing and Entertain. And he does that till his very last moments. Hes one of the iconic Singers in history and shame on me that i only heard his music when i was a teenager and have to grown up to over 40 to realize what a Genius he was!! R.I.P Freddy, i miss u really hard!!!
I was not there, but I did see it live on TV that day, which is not that surprising as an estimated 1.9 billion people in 150 countries watched it (a mind boggling 40% of the world's population). I was 7 years old and had never seen anything like Live Aid before (or since). It was already such an amazing event when Queen came on stage. It was at the exact moment that my mother called us to the table to eat dinner, but we ended up watching this absolutely magnificent concert (and ate a cold dinner afterwards). I still remember how I felt watching it as a 7 year old every time I see it.
Once you 'Get' Queen ..They become part of your soul and mental wallpaper. Queen have been the soundtrack for my life since 1975, I being privileged to see them in concert several times…sending me on a trajectory I could never have imagined. Without Queen's influence, I most likely would never have demanded excellence of myself.....and my life has been all the better for it. Watching young people of this ‘now’ generation react to Queen gives me great joy.., young listeners like you showing your interest and appreciation will keep the legacy of this inimitable colossus of a band alive for generations to come. Dear Freddie showed us inside his heart...and we will love him forever for it.
Freddy was asked what instrument he played? he answered "Why, The Audience, Darling, The Audience." this little interaction with the crowd proved it. *Brian May* Queen's Lead Guitarist is an Astrophysicist who works for NASA and has a probe wandering around the planet Mars, which makes him a *Rocket Scientist ROCK GOD!*
I shared the same school desk with him in 1963 in Zanzibar for a year. I always knew that he was takling big as if he had seen his own future and considered himself a cut above the rest, but aways respected all he came across. On the otherhand he would not put up with any bullies. He was a good boxer who enjoyed a good fight. I mention it because he protected me from a class bully. There are a handful of good people you come across in your life, and he happens to be one.
Live Aid is always a pleasure to watch. I smiled from your cute reaction, but cried a little by the fact that Freddie is no longer with us now, one of the greatest vocalists/artists/frontmen we have ever had. Thanks for the reaction, Bisscute 😊
Lady Gaga chose her name from the song Radio Gaga… the song was basically a tribute to radio in and age where everyone was turning to watching videos for their music instead of listening on the radio. It was basically a thank you to radio.
Songs performed: 1. Bohemian Rhapsody (shortened) 2. Radio Ga Ga (shortened) ["Ay-Oh!" - Freddie's improvisation] 3. Hammer to Fall 4. Crazy Little Thing Called Love [song with Freddie on guitar] 5. We Will Rock You (shortened) 6. We Are the Champions Later on the same show, Freddie & Brian performed a song "Is This the World We Created...?", but here is the list of the songs they performed at the 1st shot
Why this is considered one of the GREATEST performances of "Rock History": 1985, Live Aid, a multi-City event across the Globe was supposed to be a "charity event" where the viewers at home were to call in and donate money to help with the drought/starvation in Africa. At this point, many of the bands were complaining about being rushed onto stage without proper mic-checks to ensure quality of sound, OR being rushed OFF stage due to time-restrictions for the next artist in another city. There were issues of the "life-feed" sometimes dropping out for a few minutes here and there, AND the issue of backstage amenities for the bands being sub-par in regard to the number of people coming and going, changing rooms, equipment rooms, and areas to relax before or after a performance on stage. Meanwhile, the donations were NOT coming in fast enough to do anything but basically cover the "basic costs of putting on the event". Queen, on the other hand, were in a tight spot for doing a few South Africa shows during "The Apartheid Era", being on tour for so long, rumors of a possible band breakup happening, AND in fairness, an issue of the band starting to lose their popularity. Not to mention that when they were to get onto stage, the previous bands had been getting "warm" but not "heartfelt" responses from the crowds in other cities as it was mostly just standing around watching TV-screens of people standing around singing/playing and nothing really "exciting to watch". So, most people felt that Queen would show up, do a song or two, and move on to the next band in line. And to top it all off, while Queen was "popular" in the UK, that popularity had been slipping the last few years, while being "known and liked" in the USA they weren't what you would have classified as "top tier bands" on the USA charts. HOWEVER, what nobody had known at the time, except for the band, was they had a PLAN. First, they had rehearsed their act weeks BEFORE the concert. Working in which pieces of songs to play together. They also had one of their touring crew go in and RESET THE SOUND SYSTEM to the band's requirements. AND they also had made sure that their equipment was properly tuned and UNTOUCHED behind the stage. So, when they got onto the stage, they were ready for a FULL CONCERT, not just a few minutes of a "charity event". When Freddy took the stage, seeing the crowd WANTING something a bit "more" to enjoy from the band, he worked in the "interaction parts" pretty much on the spot. The response was OVERWHELMING! Not just at the concert, but with the donations as well. After Queen left the stage, and Bob Geldof (organizer) said on the BBC segment talking to guests backstage to "Send us the money" (which got garbled in transmission to sound like "Send us the f***ing money") the donations SKYROCKETED TO AN ESTIMATED 300 POUNDS (UK standard) PER SECOND! Roughly, $150 MILLION was donated, although issues of how that money were spent happened later. Queen was credited for rejuvenating the crowds in multiple cities for following artists, it set a standard for following acts to "step their game up on stage", AND was the driving force for the record sells of the concert. It also jump-started Queen's popularity on the charts in BOTH the UK and USA. It firmly planted Queen as a "top-billing act" for years. AND it also created a massive interest in Freddy's ability to interact with an audience, despite doing it for years. Something that is still resonating 35 years later as you can pretty much put a Queen song on the radio or the jukebox and MOST people will either know the BAND, or the song itself.
I remember watching one documentary about this performance and at least one band openly called for Queen to not play at Live Aid because they had performed in South Africa.
Live Aid 1985 was organized by Bob Geldof to raise money for charity to help famine in Africa... 2 stages were set up - London (Wembley Stadium, seen here) and Philadelphia, Pennsylavania, USA. UK Rockers Status Quo opened the 2 -day show at Wembley... Led Zeppelin reunited for an impromptu set... so did Black Sabbath (the original)... as well as the big artists of that time - Madonna, Phil Collins, Judas Priest, and so many others, which was broadcast live on TV. Queen signed on at the last minute and were given a spot at Wembley. Now, Queen had gone through some turmoil before 1985... Freddie Mercury had a bad breakup w/ his bf/ personal manager... and his solo aspirations were not coming to fruition. Queen had been inactive since 1982, and finally decided to record a new album 'The Works' in 1984... it became a huge hit worldwide, but in the USA, they were completely ignored... it was the first time they couldn't tour America. However, the band was triumphant on that tour, playing South America... as well as Europe. When Live Aid came around in the summer of '85, Queen were seasoned and ready when they took the stage for a short set. According to guitarist Brian May, the band were quickly ushered to the stage, and blazed thru the songs before leaving the stage for the next act. May thought the gig went well... A few days later, the reviews came in for Live Aid and Queen was the headline! They were the ones who had the best set out of all the acts over 2 days... May watched this footage and was amazed how Freddie Mercury dominated the stage and captured the audience & the moment for Queen. As a result, Queen got a huge career boost from Live Aid... In 1986, when Queen released their next album 'A kind of magic', it was a huge hit everywhere (except the US again) and they had a sold-out stadium tour booked across Europe that year... Queen sold out 2 nights at Wembley stadium (where they headlined the venue for Live Aid this time) on that tour - it was captured and released as a concert video (and live album) "Live at Wembley '86". Queen's last show was a massive festival at Knebworth, England. It would be their final show and tour. Freddie Mercury was reportedly suffering from health issues, and in 1987, he got the diagnosis that he had tested positive for AIDS. Queen decided to record new music but were unable to tour or play live... they released 2 studio albums 'The Miracle' (1989) and 'Innuendo' (1991) before Freddie Mercury's death in late '91. In the spring of 1992, Queen sold out Wembley stadium again, as they played their final show 'The Freddie Mercury tribute concert' for AIDS awareness... Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Def Leppard were on the bill... When Queen played live, they had various guest vocalists sing Freddie Mercury's vocal parts, including Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), George Michael, Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses), Elton John, Seal, James Hetfield (Metallica), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard)...
In my opinion Freddie Mercury was unquestionably the most charismatic front man EVER! I remember this sunny Saturday in 1985 so well. I watched the whole concert on tv....probably 8 or 9 hours! My wife was heavily pregnant and there was a distinct possibility of her waters breaking at any moment........ fortunately We managed to see the whole show, of which the Queen set was the major highlight..... Freddie had that huge crowd in the palm of his hand!............ By the way, a few days later my wife presented me with a beautiful daughter who was and is the light of my life!
I've been fortunate enough to see Queen and Freddie 2 times in my life time ... any song you do by them is going to be great ... as far as from this concert I would also suggest U2 ... love seeing your smile as you listen, I had the same experience yrs ago ... Pink Floyd is another good 70's-80's group, Journey, The Who, but those are just my opinions from a now aging 70's rocker
Great moments in the history of.music..Elvis ..Beatles..Rolling Stones..Tom Petty..Micheal Jackson..Prince..the Boss Bruce Springsteen..Madonna..but for a half hour at live aid..Freddie and Queen performance became the greatest moment in history..and still is the greatest...it was half hour of magical musical genius Rip Freddie but the world will remember you until the end of time
I was 9yrs old at the time watching it on tv and Queens performance has stuck in my mind ever since, A track called innuendo is my favourite queen song released about 8 months before Freddie sadly passed away.
I smiled throughout the whole reaction vid seeing the joy on the face of another generation to find Freddie. I remember watching Live Aid all day back in ''85, sharing the pure experience of something so iconic. It will live forever. I look forward to watching more of your exuberance, joy and fabulous smile now. Glad to have stumbled upon your channel. Thank you for making me smile.
Hi sweetie. This was of course the Live aid concert which was organized to raise money for the starving people of Ethiopia. Apart from the 70,000 they packed into Wembley stadium here in the UK, this was being beamed live to 150 countries with 1.9 billion viewers. Then after that it continued in Philadelphia at the JFK stadium. So there were 2 gigs with loads of great bands running consecutively. An amazing experience for the whole world. And they raised 127 million dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia.
And 1 performer ( Phil Collins) performed at Wembley then had a helicopter to Heathrow where he boarded Concorde that flew over Wembley before heading to Philadelphia so he could paerfom at that venue as well. There was also a smaller concert held on the same day for the charity in Australia
You gotta remember that Queen were a quintessentially English band and this performance was on parochial home turf in the absolute prime of thier careers. It was a perfect storm and there was 95,000 on stage for that hour
Still an amazing performance after 37 years, considered to be 1 of their best. This concert featured all of the superstars of the day. Phil Collins flew on the Concorde to the east after his performance only 4 hours later at the US version. The 1st song Bohemian Rhapsody was a unique 1 in it's day as it was considered a 7 minute single would just never be a success. It was a huge hit in 1974. This concert was held in Wembley Stadium in London in front of 90000. It was a benefit concert for AIDS which had only been discovered a few years earlier. Freddie Mercury was made for entertainment and his lifestyle eventually saw his demise ironically from the virus that this concert was in aid of. Only 6 years later in 1991.He had an amazingly incredible powerful voice. Then he had the additional talent in playing piano and guitar as well. So nice to see someone your age appreciate this music of yesteryear. So fresh in generations later and yet it was nearly 4 decades ago. How time flies....This was a great melody of many of their hits. Keep up the great reactions Bisscute..infectious fun
Hi Bisscute! How are you? I am new to your channel. It came up as a suggestion on the CZcams home page. It was so nice to see young ones like yourself see, enjoy, and react to one of the biggest events in music history. Also, of the most legendary musical performances of all time! I saw this performance live when I was around your age. Today, music is dead. Keep listening to the music of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.
I was 14 yesterday old when this concert was held. I knew then that this wasa show that could never be repeated and Queen definitely stole the show with their performance.
Guys I am overwhelmed by your support and comments
Listen to Anyone that was a great time for music it was broadcast and stages from multiple country's. Do Led Zepplin. Anything from zep is awesome I've been INTEARS because you've done all the greats from my time that have died yet ozzy with another guitar God RANDY RHOADS you should view. BTW I'm 55 and grew up in the greatest time. This shows us well.
Watch bohemian Rhapsody the movie about Queen and that day
I can tell your accent is fake...but I dig it, it works. Be sure to check out U2's Live Aid performance.
Only Queen👑
Nobody.. literally pointless if you're looking for better than this.. in any concert, at any point in time. Maybe a Michael Jackson entrance at the superbowl in 1993 but apart from that.. pointless
I'm now 60 years old, and my hands still hurt from all the clapping during this performance! Yes, I was there in 1985 in that massive crowd. The whole Live Aid program was incredible, these guys got us all wound up! I can't say anything else but PERFECT!
@@SimSim-zf9if, you sound like a bitter little man
@@SimSim-zf9if But I really was. Save your sarcasm for your own family, not others.
So envious of anyone there I was only 8 and too young to go but remember being on holiday and watching on a small caravan TV 😂
@@SimSim-zf9if What would be the point of lying about that anyway?
@@SimSim-zf9if I meant what would be the point of Jimmy lying i thought that was obvious
One of the greatest performances of all time. Queen ruled the world that day
i've never heard it put that way before. i love that
The whole band were Champions. I used to get joked on for listening to Queen. Powerful and truth
Concerts before social media. Audience was more engaged
100% true
@@boblester8641 yeah.. can you imagine socializm media back then.
He not only had Wembly Stadium singing along but 1.5 billion people on live television throughout the world singing along with him and the group Queen. For 20 minutes Great Britain was ruled by a different Queen.
Simply amazing ❤
totally
I was not there, but I had many friends over at my apartment that day in Oceanside California where we watched the entire live broadcast of the Live Aid concert as it happened. It was unbelievable, and amazing. I feel so fortunate to have lived during this time period. If only we had been able to see how good our world was at the time.
@@BisscuteReactscame back to watch this again what a song to end with
R.I.P Freddie
At the time of Live Aid I was serving in the British Royal Marine Commandos in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. We listened to it on the radio. We were surrounded by the full horror of the Famine, but when Queen came on the radio those poor soles who were there even reacted in a very positive way. I remember that a lot of us Royal Marine Commandos were crying watching some of the children dancing along, I'm teary eyed just remembering. I looked around at men I had fought alongside, who were tough, hardened Royal Marine Commandos who had fought a life and death war against Argentinian's in 82. By the end of Queen's set we were dancing with the children. It went along way to help build their trust in us. The famine is only one of many terrible memories I have from 35 years of active service, and over 3 years hospitalisation. But when I remember the smiles on the children's faces, and their laughter at the terrible way we danced always reminds me that humanity will always find it's way through even the worst of times. I only watched it for the first time last year, my son put it on the TV. A lot of memories came back and a lot of tears.
My amazing Wife took me to see Queen at Wembley, U.K., in 1986 two weeks after I got back from Ethiopia as a surprise, we also went to the last Queen concert they ever did. I saw Queen live 8 times in all (my wife only 6 ha ha), they were incredible live. And yes, I am an old fart.
Incredible story mate.
A reporter once asked Freddie Mercury which instruments he played, Freddie answered honestly "the audience". You can see it very clearly on this clip.
"Of course, I'm just a musical prostitute my dear"
Myth.
Freddie may have joked about the audience being his favourite instrument. But he was never asked by any reporter which instruments he played.
@@barrymitchell6444 I saw the interview on CZcams.
@@MrBigPicture835 Think about what you're saying. Why would anyone need to ask him what instruments he played, when everyone already knew he played the piano and occasional guitar?
anyone that watched this on the TV that day live all over the world will tell you that it changed the world for them. It was such a warm moment for mankind. We were all together , a generation with the best music ever. You need to check out all the people that participated to this concert. Each act was only allowed 20 minutes . This was in London and then after that the concert carried on in the. USA.
I so wish I could go back in time, just to tell Freddie ho much today's young folk STILL love him.
Right? ❤️
@@BisscuteReacts Can you imagine how he would react? Maybe show him a video of a crowd singing to an empty stage?
There were about 72,000 people at Wembley Stadium that day.
It was one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time; an estimated audience of 1.9 billion, in 150 nations, watched the live broadcast, nearly 40 percent of the world population.
I was there….and when Freddie started singing all the hairs on my body stood up….I can still feel his voice going through me to this day…rest in peace beautiful showman 🇬🇧🎤❤️🩹
I am so jelly that you was there. I was alive then but never had the $ to see Freddie LIVE.
OMG, I'm so jealous...
Bollocks were you there
Voted "The Best Live Performance Ever" in 2005 by the music industry. They rehearsed for three weeks with clocks to get this set absolutely spot-on. Nobody will ever outdo Queen at Live Aid.
I actually didn't know that about their rehearsals. Cool. Thanks.
@@ThePlaySpace-CurtainCall There's a few "Queen at live aid" documentaries on YT. Their sound engineer also swapped out the sound limiters so Queen were louder than everyone else. That's why there's visual distortion of the filming throughout their set (and not others) The cameras were shaking too much.
@@idlehands1238 Knew about James 'Trip' Khalaf swapping the limiters, but didn't know the part about the sound vibration distorting the camera work... cheers 👍
@@barrymitchell6444 I think that was mentioned in one of the YT docs on Live Aid....or maybe one of the Queen docs that covered that period too. The lines across the screen are obvious once you notice them but you'd probably think "well it was 1985" that caused it rather than Queen shaking the stadium.
@@idlehands1238 Saw it on TV on the day. Did wonder about the lines, but assumed interference from all the cables running there that day.
There will never ever be another Freddie Mercury. Pure genius
Hi I was at this concert, absolutely amazing, I feel really honoured to be part of it, it has to go down as the best live performance ever, a day I will never forget, thank you for a great reaction, it means a lot to me
The Guitar Player, Sir Brian May, is not only one of the best Guitarists in the History of Music, he is also a certified Genius and a Doctor of Astrophysics, and has worked with Nasa.
...and one of the nicest guys on the planet. Follow him on IG. He TRULY interacts on IG, replies, and does it all himself. He shares so much & is very generous - it's super fun.
He was the Chancellor of LIverpool University when i worked there
Brian May isn ´t Sir
@@Danielik25 You're right - he's a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) and a Doctor of Astrophysics though, which isn't bad going... :-)
And by all accounts designed and had his own guitar made to his spec making it unique at that time.
And to think that Freddie was particularly sick that day and his voice wasn't 100%... absolutely mind blowing
Это не правда, он не был болен здесь, в фильме приукрасили этот момент
He WAS sick. He had a throat infection and his doctor advised him not to sing. Thank God he ignored that advise.
yeah, he misses quite a few notes actually. Most easily noticeable perhaps on the first "there goes my baby" on Crazy Little Thing Called Love, where "baby" isnt even close to hitting the right note, and there are other instances as well. I mean it's of course heavily outweighed by the fantastic performance overall, in terms of showmanship, but this is by no means a technically perfect performance.
@@GroovingPictIt is true that he had laryngitis, but contrary to popular belief, most of the songs performed here are generally considered the best versions of it.
Bohemian Rhapsody is the best medley version, with the first verse Bb4 studio phrasing nailed to utter perfection, and the second verse straight Bb4s, though a lil bit strained, is still REALLY powerful, and was probably the first time he he did that phrasing since 1981 in the Game Tour.
Radio Gaga is regarded as the best despite being cut down because of how fresh sounding the A4s and Bb4s Freddie hit in the verses and pre-choruses.
We Will Rock You is also pretty great for what it is, although the A4 on “Gonna be a big MAN someday” is overshot to a Bb4. Still sounds great though. For comparison, Freddie usually only goes for a G4 on that.
Hammer To Fall is also considered as the best version of the song because of Freddie effortlessly hitting A4s and particularly the note “For your TRUTH is all the same” same as the studio version, and not only is Freddie the factor making it the best, Brian puts in one of his best guitar work of the 80s in the performance.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love is underwhelming, to be sure, but still a great performance. And regarding about the note you mentioned, thats simply a stylistic choice by Freddie.
And We Are The Champions is simply one of Freddie’s best and most impressive vocal performances ever. He hits the Bb4 sustain “But I’ve come THROUUUUGH” and hits the C5 on “FIGH-ting, till the end” something he only did SEVEN times from 1977 to 1986 (Hammersmith 1979, Monterrey 1981, 1st Puebla and 2nd Puebla 1981, Live Aid, and Stockholm 1986), and one of the most shocking of all, he nails the Bb4 chorus on “WE are THE CHAM-pions” something he only did a HANDFUL of times over 1977-1986. Not only did he hit in the first chorus, BUT ALSO THE SECOND AND THIRD CHORUS! For comparison, listen to ANY live performance of We Are The Champions, and Freddie would go as low as the 3RD OCTAVE (Bb3) in that line, because of how demanding that note is. Freddie was a beast, laryngitis didn’t stop him.
If this still doesn’t debunk Freddie singing weakly in Live Aid, I don’t know what will.
In my opinion, the has never been, and will never be another musician like Freddie. The impressive vocals, the unbelievable music writing talent, the incredible way he could command an entire audience. It's sad that he's gone, however he left behind an untouchable legacy. Rest in peace Freddie. You will always be missed
I think we're forgetting Michael Jackson. Look up some of his concerts. Every bit as good. Same with Elvis. But they were definitely in rare air.
the Movie Bohemian Rhapsody Rated M 2018 about Freddy and how Queen came about, is still one of my favorite Movies, as is Rocketman about elton john
Well, we do have Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses, who is said to have such incredible vocal range that I'd put him right next to Freddie. He is still alive to this day surprisingly, but unfortunately he kinda lost his old voice from like 30 years ago.
Also if you want to find more recent and young singers that have impressive vocal as well, check out Ado. It's a Japanese singer and she's only around 20ish years old right now, but her vocal is just INHUMAN. Check out her song "Ussewa" or "New genesis" and you'll know why!
Indeed the worlds icon and legend are tossed about and do fit but they’re understatements no one before or since ever has or ever will command the stage like the GOAT our time with him was short but he will never be forgotten
RIP Freddie
Best Queen performance EVER!
David Bowie was waiting in the wings to go on next (yeh - it was THAT sort of gig!), and as Queen walked off he just said "You bastards!". In fairness, Bowie smashed it as well - one of the few artists who could follow Queen and not disappoint. When they bought the tickets, the crowd didn't even know that Queen was appearing because they were only persuaded at the last minute to attend. We watched it all on TV. It was an epic day of incredible music!
Wow..
I wish they would have stayed out with Bowie for Under Pressure but still, best show ever and like her I’m jealous and mad I was born in the wrong era
That second song "Radio Ga-Ga" is where today's Lady Ga-Ga got her name. Apparently, she loved Queen... This was the best of performances, Queen at the top of their game.
The most charismatic vocalist in music history just doing his thing. This was the legacy Queen left behind. Their impact in the music scene was huge. The younger generation still enjoyed their songs. This was the moment when UK was ruled by another Queen.
The world was ruled by them for that 20 minutes.... still get goosebumps watching it..... only other performance that within about 2000 miles of it is the Who at the concert for New York... still falls short of this!
Possibly the greatest live vocal performance ever
Looks amazing ❤️
It was the greatest and forever will be.
One think you should know is Freddie's doc told him not to perform because he had an infection that was effecting his voice but Freddie was not going to let his fans down and ended up giving one of the best performances in history.
DR tells Freddie he cannot perform... Freddie says "I'm Freddie Fucking Mercury, Dahling" and OWNS IT
Freddie did a Radio One interview shortly before Live Aid, and DJ Simon Bates said he had "a furry tongue." But Freddie was always a trooper.
The best 20 minutes in music history.
The shot at 10:10 might be one of the best camera shots in TV/Rock Music history
There will never be another showman like Freddie Mercury. He had so much belief in himself and a persona that was larger than the arenas that he sang in.
He will be remembered forever ❤❤
He's one of a kind ❤
You know how many times I hear - “That’s a Queen song”??? Every single album is awesome. Their best songs aren’t even their biggest hits. They are beyond incredible! RIP Freddie!
So true: Sheer Heart Attack, Dragon Attack, Don't Try Suicide, and Stone Cold Crazy are some of my favorites.
Fun It is another one of theirs
This is objectively without any doubt the best live performance any artist or band ever played
Watching Freddie playing his best instrument. The crowd.
I was 19 and going to college in Arkansas, and had gone to the house of some friends to watch the whole day. Live Aid was a huge event and literally everyone I knew was glued to their televisions. Keep in mind that most televisions were mono, not stereo, so to be able to hear it over an FM stereo station (and mostly in sync) seemed pretty amazing. Everyone was waiting for Queen, and no one exactly knew how it was going to turn out. Queen had lost a lot of their popularity in the states, but this concert absolutely changed that. No one expected them to be that good. By the time they finished Radio Ga Ga, I remember our jaws were on the floor.
Amazing ❤
That's such of a great story, I love this concert too...
I was 17 mate and had a ticket, broke my leg playing football (soccer) for my college, watched sitting on the floor in my folks' house....
@@derekbuttery4776 Ouch. I missed my first Dylan concert because I got drunk with some friends two nights before and blew out my knee.
reckless youth mate, can't beat it 🤣🤣@@phogue1
Here's two facts that make this performance all the more amazing. Nobody knew Queen was going to perform at this concert when they bought their tickets, Queen wasn't on the band list yet. These people were not all dedicated Queen fans. Also, Freddie's voice was having issues and his doctor told him not to perform.
Aye apparently his throat was feckin bleeding
There were many excellent performances that day, but Queen, and especially Freddie, crushed it.
Willie Nelson wasn't too bad that day.
Exactly! This performance was transcendent. Any other day, U2 would have been the talk of the show because they were incredible and arguably the next best performance. But Queen just stole the show.
You just watched one of the most incredible live performances that ever was or will be. Queen owned the universe that day. I saw it broadcast live and it was a life changing event. Truly….😊🎸🎤🥁
Same, dude. I was sitting in my living room, just glued to the screen. I can only envy those who were THERE.
Estimates say between 1.5 & 1.9 billion people watched this globally, at that time that was one third of the people on Earth, we'll never see anything like that again. Freddie was a God.
she knows, she is piggy bagging on other and "never seen it before" - lack og any words, yup, not first time. then pause - all the exposition...
It makes my heart sing to see your reaction to this. There’s a reason this is the greatest live performance in music history. I’ve come across a lot of reaction videos to queen lately and it makes me so happy that a whole new generation is discovering Freddie’s magic and the magic of queen. The best front man ever. An absolute legend
He was amazing ❤️
I agree im 60 saw QUEEN 3 times the BEST rock band ever bar none !!!
I’m 42 and was 4 when this concert went down. In my older years, if I could time travel back to see concerts live, this would have been one of them for sure. Others would be the original Woodstock (Hendrix, Jefferson airplane and lsd?! Free love and no hiv? Sign me up.) Last one i can think of would be the nirvana unplugged concert.
Or more ministry shows. Or tool. Or dream theater.
Oooooooh!! Or front line assembly.
Knowing that he was badly sick that day and they almost cancelled makes this performance even more remarkable. It looks so effortless❤ I saw a video reaction from a singer (I think it was opera) she did an analysis of some songs and pointed where he "struggled" but trust me with Freddie's talent it didn't show at all. Many groups and singers nowadays should take example of him and his dedication and love to his fans ❤ we love you Freddie
There's one spot (around 26:32) where you can hear that he drops to a lower note instead of sustaining a higher note. The note fits right in, so it's not a big issue, I just happened to hear it.
@@ralphm6901 excuse me but I don't see the point of your comment. First of all because lowering the notes was something he did very frequently during the live performances. Secondly never said it was an issue. On the contrary I was pointing a detail that showed how talented he was facing such a huge problem that even doctors didn't want him to sing that day.
He wasn’t suffering from sickness in this performance he started suffering aroun 87
He did I m not talking about AIDS check your info before commenting thank you
Just goes to show how good Freddie was at playing his favourite instrument, the audience. It's still one of if not the best live performances ever performed and he did it while sick.
This 20 minute segment is a masterclass in not just controlling an audience, but getting them involved, and giving back to them every bit of energy they give the performer. Freddie is clearly just as excited and happy to be with this crowd, as they are to see him perform.
Even more amazing because he was recovering from laryngitis!
😂❤d 27:07 27:07 27:09 27:10
im 53 Years into this strange Road now, and that were my Prime Teens. Saw Them Live 3 Times back Then.
When Floor Jansen is asked ,when She could choose with anyone out of History to perform, always theres only one Answer. Freddy.
As he was gone, my Mother(born1933) said: Well, He loved all 3. Women, Men and Music. Only the Last didnt Hurt Him somehow. Baffles me still Today.
I was 15, watching it live on TV with 1.9 billion other people. Still remember every minute of it. Pretty sure it's still the largest live broadcast in history.
I was 12 and we had a family gathering that day, we all ended up around the tv watching the rest of the 12 hour event, it was amazing.
the queen(elizabeth II) had more
Famous comedy duo Smith & Jones opening there
Queen absolutely stole the show that day but the unsung hero was IMO Phil Collins. Not only did he play drums for Led Zeppelin's set he did a set of his own. Then to top it off he boarded the Concorde flew to NYC hopped in a helicopter to Philadelphia and did a set that night
dont forget he also hit a wrong tune on the piano 😉... just joking, I love Phil ☺
In the days and the months following the concert, way more people were talking about Phil's two continent performance, and the poor showing by Led Zeppelin, than were talking about Queen. It wasn't until years later that this Queen performance starting getting a lot of recognition and the legend grew. This does not take away from how amazing of a performance this was.
Live Aid was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, UK, attended by about 72,000 people and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, US, attended by 89,484 people. It was one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time; an estimated audience of 1.9 billion, in 150 nations, watched the live broadcast, nearly 40 percent of the world population.
Amazingly, I heard Queen Elizabeth II's recent funeral was watched by 60% of the world's population. She did rule over the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for 70 years though, so well-deserved.
Yes and both shows had tremendous bands. The Philly side was closed by Scottish rockers Simple Minds who debuted Alive and Kicking there to the world. Other amazing 80s bands of all kinds like Sade and U2 played. The "boogie woogie" line is from another song citing a policeman in court calling his rock song "Boojie-Woojie music".
But this Queen set is universally lauded as one of, if not THE, best performance ever. The great David Bowie had to follow it!!!
@@crhu319 Simple Minds literally started when Queen had finished on the screens in Philadelphia. Queen at Live Aid was voted 'The Best Live Performance Ever' by the industry in 2005.
@@crhu319 I don't understand how you say Simple Minds closed the show when they were on at 2.05pm? Plus they didn't play Alive and Kicking. USA For Africa ended the Philadelphia show around 11pm.
Queen was not just a band,they were probably the most educated band in history.
I would agree with you 💯% there my friend. Freddie was also a resident of Penny Lane in Liverpool, made famous by The Beatles.
Brian May accounts for 75% of that!
@Caius of Glantri John Deacon has a Masters in Electrical engineering as well
That set is considered by many as the greatest performance ever by a band. Freddie is the KING
I couldn't take my eyes off you watching this, girl and that's saying a lot considering Freddie was performing. Great reaction!!
Hahhaha thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️
It's because you can tell that she is genuinely enjoying every single second of it and just has an absolute plast 😁
I was there, about 10 rows from the front. Best performance I’ve ever seen! I had no idea what I was about to witness when they came on stage.
I knew they were going to steal the show. Freddie knew too. He threw down the gauntlet to the other acts in a band interview just days before, mainly aimed at U2 I think.
You were blessed...
There are not many singers/performers that can command that much control/love/admiration over a crowd THAT big. He had them eating out of the palm of his hand. He was a master. The entire band commands so much respect from people.
Quite possibly the greatest live performance of all time. No one could command and control an audience like Freddie Mercury!
“A concert is not a live rendition of our album. It’s a theatrical event” - Freddie Mercury
yeah baby!!!! I saw 4 of them.
Wow and Freddy made that statement?! He sure lived by his words and gave his performances his all and everyone is much happier from his efforts!
"I dont care what you do with my music, just dont make it boring" - also Freddie Mercury
Nice to see younger generations appreciate the talent of Freddie, Brian, John & Roger.
Freddie Mercury is definitely a talent, what a shame he left us so early.
The best ever live performance ever and wasn't even a queen concert freddie was a showman ✨️ RIP love it love the reaction ❤️
Coming from New Zealand I'm not lucky enough to say I was there but I did watch Live Aid live on TV as a teenager. Every artist that performed was a champion but I will admit Queens performance was the highlight.
While you were watching it on TV as a teenager in New Zealand, I was watching it on TV as a teenager in Canada.
There are times I don't mind getting old - I was 22 years old and I WAS there. It was an even more amazing day than you could possibly imagine.
I also watched Live Aid on TV in Wellington, New Zealand. We had been out to a nightclub until around 5am (yes, after hours! LOL) We got home, half buzzed about 6 am and Queen came on around 6.30am ish. It was sheer luck I managed to watch Queen's whole performance. Greatest show I've ever seen and I've seen dozens of the world's top groups live. I just didn't go the bed that night and watched the rest of the concert.
There’s another story that one of the bands that had to follow Queen saw them coming offstage after their set and shouted, “you bastards!” I would NOT want to follow that.
Glad you were able to watch it live along with 40% of the world
I was there, it was absolutely fabulous, the experience was unforgettable! 😎😎😎
Jeloussssss
They really stole the show didn't they
Brian May the guitarist, built that electric guitar himself with scraps of wood and other items a long time ago, …Most amazing group, Legends!!! ❤
The air still reverberates to this set from Queen.. I was 13 and remember watching it on tv. My dad and a friend were there, acting as stewards..
This is pre-internet, pre-smart phones, pre-social media…pre-covid. Great days. There was only one Freddie. RIP.
Brian May, lead guitarist, had started a degree in astrophysics when Queen took off forcing him to put his studies on hold. Once Queen was no more, Brian finished his degree. Dr. Brian May wrote his thesis on the Motions of Interplanetary Dust, achieving his PhD from Imperial College, London, in 2007.
Queen will always have a special place in my heart for doing the "Highlander" soundtrack.
absolutely amazing soundtrack
Small facts: 72.000 in the Stadion, 1.9 Billion people at 130 country's worldwide... And Freddy made his masterpiece!
Gotta remember this performance was timed to the exact second of the play time they are allocated. The amount or rehearsals with every songs timing the interaction with the crowd and to finish ony 22 seconds over was awesome.
If you watch the lower right corner of the stage, you can see the timer go off (yellow light to red light) at almost the exact time they hit their last note.
@@randyfergus8781 I was about to type that!!! I don't believe the power would really have been cut off if bands went over the allocated time though. It wouldn't have looked good on TV.
I read it was 10 seconds. Either way, brilliant.
czcams.com/video/dx1zvc8Pa0Y/video.html
The guitarist, Brian May, is one of the best musicians alive. Strangely enough, he is also has a PhD in astrophysics. The drummer, Roger Taylor, has a degree in Biology (after dropping out of dentistry school), the bassist, John Deacon, has a degree in electronics, and Freddy had a degree in graphic art & design. They were an educated group!
I watched this "LIVE" on MTV. This was a dual concert (USA / England) benefit for the mass starvation in Africa. Way before the Internet... It was such a big event back then.
They completely SMASHED this show! Ruled the day. Understand, due to Queen's eclectic style, EVERYONE was in on it: The pop-heads, the cool-heads, the metal-heads, the rockers ... EVERYONE could identify with Queen! And their performance is PERFECT! Freddie holds that mic in one hand and the audience in the other. Like a BOSS! When everybody sings along to his tune, it is the entire audience! Imagine being there and feeling that energy of UNITY?!
The greatest frontman of all time! Love the way he dances on stage and controls the crowd like they're his puppets!
that's a cynical way to view it
I saw Queen at Lakeland Civic Center (FL,US) in 1978... I still have my ticket stub! General admission was $6.50 in those incredible days! I did have to work for the ticket, though, since minimum wage was $2.65/hr 😊
Loved your review! So I liked, subscribed, set notifications, and give you this comment and compliment.
You should check out the crowd singing bohemian rhapsody at the Greenday concert as they wait for the band to come on. Epic crowd spontaneously singing together.
...and every other performer after them
was like "shit, how do we follow that"?
@@paulmaxey6377 I heard that one!! 🤣
😁👍
The one song that you stated that you did not know is called "Radio Ga Ga". Fun fact: Lady Gaga's name is derived from this song.
Remembering that Freddy knew at this Moment that hes gonna die, acceping his fate and he still does what he was born for, to sing and Entertain. And he does that till his very last moments. Hes one of the iconic Singers in history and shame on me that i only heard his music when i was a teenager and have to grown up to over 40 to realize what a Genius he was!! R.I.P Freddy, i miss u really hard!!!
Queen also went on to sing is this the world we created at the end of the concert .
I was not there, but I did see it live on TV that day, which is not that surprising as an estimated 1.9 billion people in 150 countries watched it (a mind boggling 40% of the world's population). I was 7 years old and had never seen anything like Live Aid before (or since). It was already such an amazing event when Queen came on stage. It was at the exact moment that my mother called us to the table to eat dinner, but we ended up watching this absolutely magnificent concert (and ate a cold dinner afterwards). I still remember how I felt watching it as a 7 year old every time I see it.
Once you 'Get' Queen ..They become part of your soul and mental wallpaper. Queen have been the soundtrack for my life since 1975, I being privileged to see them in concert several times…sending me on a trajectory I could never have imagined. Without Queen's influence, I most likely would never have demanded excellence of myself.....and my life has been all the better for it. Watching young people of this ‘now’ generation react to Queen gives me great joy.., young listeners like you showing your interest and appreciation will keep the legacy of this inimitable colossus of a band alive for generations to come. Dear Freddie showed us inside his heart...and we will love him forever for it.
Freddy was asked what instrument he played? he answered "Why, The Audience, Darling, The Audience." this little interaction with the crowd proved it. *Brian May* Queen's Lead Guitarist is an Astrophysicist who works for NASA and has a probe wandering around the planet Mars, which makes him a *Rocket Scientist ROCK GOD!*
I shared the same school desk with him in 1963 in Zanzibar for a year. I always knew that he was takling big as if he had seen his own future and considered himself a cut above the rest, but aways respected all he came across. On the otherhand he would not put up with any bullies. He was a good boxer who enjoyed a good fight. I mention it because he protected me from a class bully. There are a handful of good people you come across in your life, and he happens to be one.
I was at Wembley that day. Its something i will never forget.
I was 9 years old and saw it live on TV. There were 77,000 people in the stadium and it was broadcast live in more than 130 countries.
76,000 fans in Wembly 150,000 in JFK stadium in America and millions all over the world watched this performance including me at 17 years of age
im now 69 years old 2023 and i still love queen..the best rock band live ever!
Live Aid is always a pleasure to watch. I smiled from your cute reaction, but cried a little by the fact that Freddie is no longer with us now, one of the greatest vocalists/artists/frontmen we have ever had. Thanks for the reaction, Bisscute 😊
Ayo “I smiled from your cute reaction”
Lady Gaga chose her name from the song Radio Gaga… the song was basically a tribute to radio in and age where everyone was turning to watching videos for their music instead of listening on the radio. It was basically a thank you to radio.
Songs performed:
1. Bohemian Rhapsody (shortened)
2. Radio Ga Ga (shortened)
["Ay-Oh!" - Freddie's improvisation]
3. Hammer to Fall
4. Crazy Little Thing Called Love [song with Freddie on guitar]
5. We Will Rock You (shortened)
6. We Are the Champions
Later on the same show, Freddie & Brian performed a song "Is This the World We Created...?", but here is the list of the songs they performed at the 1st shot
I was there in 85 I was 22 it was truly amazing. I have seen them 5 times and no show was the same he was and is a true showman
Why this is considered one of the GREATEST performances of "Rock History":
1985, Live Aid, a multi-City event across the Globe was supposed to be a "charity event" where the viewers at home were to call in and donate money to help with the drought/starvation in Africa. At this point, many of the bands were complaining about being rushed onto stage without proper mic-checks to ensure quality of sound, OR being rushed OFF stage due to time-restrictions for the next artist in another city. There were issues of the "life-feed" sometimes dropping out for a few minutes here and there, AND the issue of backstage amenities for the bands being sub-par in regard to the number of people coming and going, changing rooms, equipment rooms, and areas to relax before or after a performance on stage. Meanwhile, the donations were NOT coming in fast enough to do anything but basically cover the "basic costs of putting on the event".
Queen, on the other hand, were in a tight spot for doing a few South Africa shows during "The Apartheid Era", being on tour for so long, rumors of a possible band breakup happening, AND in fairness, an issue of the band starting to lose their popularity. Not to mention that when they were to get onto stage, the previous bands had been getting "warm" but not "heartfelt" responses from the crowds in other cities as it was mostly just standing around watching TV-screens of people standing around singing/playing and nothing really "exciting to watch". So, most people felt that Queen would show up, do a song or two, and move on to the next band in line. And to top it all off, while Queen was "popular" in the UK, that popularity had been slipping the last few years, while being "known and liked" in the USA they weren't what you would have classified as "top tier bands" on the USA charts.
HOWEVER, what nobody had known at the time, except for the band, was they had a PLAN. First, they had rehearsed their act weeks BEFORE the concert. Working in which pieces of songs to play together. They also had one of their touring crew go in and RESET THE SOUND SYSTEM to the band's requirements. AND they also had made sure that their equipment was properly tuned and UNTOUCHED behind the stage. So, when they got onto the stage, they were ready for a FULL CONCERT, not just a few minutes of a "charity event". When Freddy took the stage, seeing the crowd WANTING something a bit "more" to enjoy from the band, he worked in the "interaction parts" pretty much on the spot. The response was OVERWHELMING! Not just at the concert, but with the donations as well. After Queen left the stage, and Bob Geldof (organizer) said on the BBC segment talking to guests backstage to "Send us the money" (which got garbled in transmission to sound like "Send us the f***ing money") the donations SKYROCKETED TO AN ESTIMATED 300 POUNDS (UK standard) PER SECOND!
Roughly, $150 MILLION was donated, although issues of how that money were spent happened later. Queen was credited for rejuvenating the crowds in multiple cities for following artists, it set a standard for following acts to "step their game up on stage", AND was the driving force for the record sells of the concert. It also jump-started Queen's popularity on the charts in BOTH the UK and USA. It firmly planted Queen as a "top-billing act" for years. AND it also created a massive interest in Freddy's ability to interact with an audience, despite doing it for years. Something that is still resonating 35 years later as you can pretty much put a Queen song on the radio or the jukebox and MOST people will either know the BAND, or the song itself.
I remember watching one documentary about this performance and at least one band openly called for Queen to not play at Live Aid because they had performed in South Africa.
Live Aid 1985 was organized by Bob Geldof to raise money for charity to help famine in Africa... 2 stages were set up - London (Wembley Stadium, seen here) and Philadelphia, Pennsylavania, USA. UK Rockers Status Quo opened the 2 -day show at Wembley... Led Zeppelin reunited for an impromptu set... so did Black Sabbath (the original)... as well as the big artists of that time - Madonna, Phil Collins, Judas Priest, and so many others, which was broadcast live on TV. Queen signed on at the last minute and were given a spot at Wembley.
Now, Queen had gone through some turmoil before 1985... Freddie Mercury had a bad breakup w/ his bf/ personal manager... and his solo aspirations were not coming to fruition. Queen had been inactive since 1982, and finally decided to record a new album 'The Works' in 1984... it became a huge hit worldwide, but in the USA, they were completely ignored... it was the first time they couldn't tour America. However, the band was triumphant on that tour, playing South America... as well as Europe.
When Live Aid came around in the summer of '85, Queen were seasoned and ready when they took the stage for a short set. According to guitarist Brian May, the band were quickly ushered to the stage, and blazed thru the songs before leaving the stage for the next act. May thought the gig went well... A few days later, the reviews came in for Live Aid and Queen was the headline! They were the ones who had the best set out of all the acts over 2 days... May watched this footage and was amazed how Freddie Mercury dominated the stage and captured the audience & the moment for Queen.
As a result, Queen got a huge career boost from Live Aid... In 1986, when Queen released their next album 'A kind of magic', it was a huge hit everywhere (except the US again) and they had a sold-out stadium tour booked across Europe that year... Queen sold out 2 nights at Wembley stadium (where they headlined the venue for Live Aid this time) on that tour - it was captured and released as a concert video (and live album) "Live at Wembley '86".
Queen's last show was a massive festival at Knebworth, England. It would be their final show and tour.
Freddie Mercury was reportedly suffering from health issues, and in 1987, he got the diagnosis that he had tested positive for AIDS. Queen decided to record new music but were unable to tour or play live... they released 2 studio albums 'The Miracle' (1989) and 'Innuendo' (1991) before Freddie Mercury's death in late '91.
In the spring of 1992, Queen sold out Wembley stadium again, as they played their final show 'The Freddie Mercury tribute concert' for AIDS awareness... Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Def Leppard were on the bill... When Queen played live, they had various guest vocalists sing Freddie Mercury's vocal parts, including Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), George Michael, Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses), Elton John, Seal, James Hetfield (Metallica), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard)...
Possibly the most Rock'n Roll performance of any band ever...
That relaxed guitar playing fellow is an astrophysicist.
In my opinion Freddie Mercury was unquestionably the most charismatic front man EVER! I remember this sunny Saturday in 1985 so well. I watched the whole concert on tv....probably 8 or 9 hours! My wife was heavily pregnant and there was a distinct possibility of her waters breaking at any moment........ fortunately We managed to see the whole show, of which the Queen set was the major highlight..... Freddie had that huge crowd in the palm of his hand!............ By the way, a few days later my wife presented me with a beautiful daughter who was and is the light of my life!
1985 was one of the best years in music history.
When they came off-stage. Elton John says you know Freddie has just stole the show or words to that effect. ❤ R.I.P. Freddie x
I've been fortunate enough to see Queen and Freddie 2 times in my life time ... any song you do by them is going to be great ... as far as from this concert I would also suggest U2 ... love seeing your smile as you listen, I had the same experience yrs ago ... Pink Floyd is another good 70's-80's group, Journey, The Who, but those are just my opinions from a now aging 70's rocker
Thank you, I reacted to those bands. Feel free to check it out ❤️
Great moments in the history of.music..Elvis ..Beatles..Rolling Stones..Tom Petty..Micheal Jackson..Prince..the Boss Bruce Springsteen..Madonna..but for a half hour at live aid..Freddie and Queen performance became the greatest moment in history..and still is the greatest...it was half hour of magical musical genius Rip Freddie but the world will remember you until the end of time
I was 9yrs old at the time watching it on tv and Queens performance has stuck in my mind ever since, A track called innuendo is my favourite queen song released about 8 months before Freddie sadly passed away.
It was released in January 91 and he died in November of that year.
I smiled throughout the whole reaction vid seeing the joy on the face of another generation to find Freddie. I remember watching Live Aid all day back in ''85, sharing the pure experience of something so iconic. It will live forever. I look forward to watching more of your exuberance, joy and fabulous smile now. Glad to have stumbled upon your channel. Thank you for making me smile.
The best half an hour Live-Video of all time. Queen Live-Aid at Wembley!
Hi sweetie. This was of course the Live aid concert which was organized to raise money for the starving people of Ethiopia. Apart from the 70,000 they packed into Wembley stadium here in the UK, this was being beamed live to 150 countries with 1.9 billion viewers. Then after that it continued in Philadelphia at the JFK stadium. So there were 2 gigs with loads of great bands running consecutively. An amazing experience for the whole world. And they raised 127 million dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia.
And 1 performer ( Phil Collins) performed at Wembley then had a helicopter to Heathrow where he boarded Concorde that flew over Wembley before heading to Philadelphia so he could paerfom at that venue as well. There was also a smaller concert held on the same day for the charity in Australia
You gotta remember that Queen were a quintessentially English band and this performance was on parochial home turf in the absolute prime of thier careers. It was a perfect storm and there was 95,000 on stage for that hour
Freddie loved people. he was born to entertain, even at it's cost to him and all around him
They made a movie about Queen called Bohemian Rhapsody. They even act out this concert its amazing.
Yeah they did ❤
Still an amazing performance after 37 years, considered to be 1 of their best. This concert featured all of the superstars of the day. Phil Collins flew on the Concorde to the east after his performance only 4 hours later at the US version.
The 1st song Bohemian Rhapsody was a unique 1 in it's day as it was considered a 7 minute single would just never be a success. It was a huge hit in 1974.
This concert was held in Wembley Stadium in London in front of 90000. It was a benefit concert for AIDS which had only been discovered a few years earlier.
Freddie Mercury was made for entertainment and his lifestyle eventually saw his demise ironically from the virus that this concert was in aid of. Only 6 years later in 1991.He had an amazingly incredible powerful voice. Then he had the additional talent in playing piano and guitar as well.
So nice to see someone your age appreciate this music of yesteryear. So fresh in generations later and yet it was nearly 4 decades ago. How time flies....This was a great melody of many of their hits.
Keep up the great reactions Bisscute..infectious fun
Gets ya facts right mate, this was all put together by sir Bob geldof of the boomtowns rats to raise money for the starving in AFRICA.
@@steveheckle8847 My mistake. Long time ago. Knew it was a significant cause.
This concert was to raise money for the major famine in Ethiopia in 1985,i had nothing to do with AIDS. HtH🖖💞
@@ajhorniman8285 Agreed. As stated before. Mixed up in Live Aid name
@@jimr4354 sorry, I can't see the 1st post in the replies, so I didn't realise someone had already pointed that out. 🖖💞
Hi Bisscute! How are you? I am new to your channel. It came up as a suggestion on the CZcams home page. It was so nice to see young ones like yourself see, enjoy, and react to one of the biggest events in music history. Also, of the most legendary musical performances of all time! I saw this performance live when I was around your age. Today, music is dead. Keep listening to the music of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Can you imagine the feeling of so many people singing your own music back to you?
I was 14 yesterday old when this concert was held. I knew then that this wasa show that could never be repeated and Queen definitely stole the show with their performance.
Watched both concerts, the UK and the US live on tv ! Unforgettable