Queen's performance at Live Aid
| Location | Wembley, England |
|---|---|
| Venue | Wembley Stadium |
| Date(s) | 13 July 1985 |
| Attendance | c. 72,000 |
| Part of Live Aid | |
Queen had a 21-minute set during Live Aid on 13 July 1985, which began at 6:41pm[a].[1][2] It was voted as the best rock gig of all time.[2][3]
The performance was recreated and is the focal point in the 2018 biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody.[2]
Background
Queen was originally not meant to perform at Live Aid, as Freddie Mercury was worried about their appearance being taken as a "political statement". Bob Geldof managed to convince them otherwise.[3]
Performance
| External video | |
|---|---|
| Queen - Radio Ga Ga (Live Aid 1985) Recording of Queen performing "Radio Ga Ga" at Live Aid. |
The performance began at 6:41pm, opening with an excerpt of "Bohemian Rhapsody".[4] The song transitioned into a up-beat faster tempo version of "Radio Ga Ga", with the crowd clapping in sync with Mercury. Mercury led the crowd in unison refrains,[5] and his sustained note—"Aaaaaay-o"—during the a cappella section came to be known as "The Note Heard Round the World".[6] The band finished their set with "Hammer to Fall", a shortened version of "We Will Rock You" and finally, "We Are the Champions".[7]
"Is This the World We Created...?" was also performed in a second set as one of the final songs of the Wembley concert. This was done with just Freddie Mercury (vocals) and Brian May (acoustic guitar).
Performed songs
| Songs |
|---|
| "Bohemian Rhapsody" |
| "Radio Ga Ga" |
| "Ay-Oh" |
| "Hammer to Fall" |
| "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" |
| "We Will Rock You" |
| "We Are the Champions"[8] |
| "Is This the World We Created...?" |
In popular culture
The gig was recreated in the 2018 biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody as the climax of the film.[9]
In 2019, the performance was recreated on The Simpsons as one of its couch gags.[8][10]
Reception
Queen's performance was voted as the best live rock gig of all time.[1][2] According to the BBC's presenter David Hepworth, their performance produced "the greatest display of community singing the old stadium had seen and cemented Queen's position as the most-loved British group since the Beatles".[11]
Bob Geldof, the organiser of Live Aid, said: "[They] were absolutely the best band of the day. They played the best, had the best sound, used their time to the full. They understood the idea exactly, that it was a global jukebox. They just went and smashed one hit after another."[10]
Notes
- ^ The exact time it started is disputed. Some sources say it started at 6:42pm while most say 6:41pm.
References
- ^ a b "Queen win greatest live gig poll". BBC News. 2005-11-09. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ a b c d "33 years later, Queen's Live Aid performance is still pure magic". CNN. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ a b "30 fun facts for Live Aid's 30th birthday". Digital Spy. 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ "Remembering Queen's beautiful but 'forgotten' Live Aid performance". Smooth Radio. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ Minchin, Ryan, dir. (2005) "The World's Greatest Gigs". Initial Film & Television. Retrieved 12 October 2024 via YouTube.
- ^ Beaumont, Mark (2020-07-11). "Aaaaaay-o! Aaaaaay-o! Why Live Aid was the greatest show of all". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ "When Queen Took 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to Live Aid". The New York Times. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ a b Skinner, Tom (2019-10-05). "D'oh-hemian Rhapsody: 'The Simpsons' recreate Queen's iconic Live Aid show in new episode". NME. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ Moore, Sam (2018-10-25). "'Bohemian Rhapsody' cast explain how they recreated Queen's legendary Live Aid show". NME. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ a b "Queen's Iconic 'Live Aid' Performance To Be Recreated On 'The Simpsons'". Blabbermouth. 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ Hepworth, David (25 May 2011). "God Save The Queen by David Hepworth (Radio Times)". Queen Online. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2024-10-12.