It’s nonsense that Queen were making a comeback or were in a slump. They had huge success with The Works the previous year, did a big world tour and headlined Rock in Rio months before Live Aid.

When I heard that Queen were playing at Live Aid, I knew they would blow everyone else off the stage. It was such a perfect occasion for them…

Wings of Pegasus u tuber did a wonderful analysis of why this performance was perfect. I think you would appreciate it

Thanks Rory, great reaction. If you are thinking of re-watching their Live Aid performance, the like the comment below, I would suggest watching the "Wings of Pegasus" breakdown of the concert. It really opens your eyes to how committed they were to getting everything right. After watching it myself, It gave me a better understanding and new respect of what they achieved on the day, even though I have seen the concert many times. Wing of Pegasus video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mt5hrdmUnbbFYI0.html

“Oh-kay-zzee-yon!” “For all the beautiful people, that’s all of you” Listening to Queen transports you somewhere special, and it feels like they are performing just for you. Almost a spiritual experience.

Freddie was definitely larger than life, but he was not a big man. He stood about 5'8" and kept himself physically fit. It took a lot of strength to perform as he did for two hours straight in concerts. It was his charisma and big voice and command of the stage that makes you believe he was a big man. For a better and more technical discussion of why Queen was so good at Live Aid, watch Fil at Wings of Pegasus: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mt5hrdmUnbbFYI0.html.

It was indeed spectacular. I agree with you about Freddie. Freddie is the hook that grabs you but there is something about the band as a whole when they play together. Individually, they are all great musicians but as a group, they are magic and rise to a level unmatched by any other band...IMHO. Then, the more you watch and listen, the more you notice the skill and nuances and the better they get. They are addicting.

Fil at Wings of Pegasus gives the best analysis of Live Aid I've seen (and I have seen a lot of them). His specialty is analysis of music and band folks, so taking Live Aid, almost minute by minute, was a fantastic education in How to Create the Perfect Performance.

You are correct, Freddie was very private about his sexuality and not an activist. I don't think they used the term LGBTQ back then either. Overall, I don't think this video is a very accurate account but of course who can argue that they were great. If you watch the official live aid documentary, Bob Geldof discusses Queen's performance and how when he saw that entire audience of 70K people all clapping and doing the same movements along with Freddie it was shocking and incredible, and at that moment he began fundraising with way more energy and the money started pouring in. The greatness of Live Aid wasn't how well they played, it was how they managed in such a brief time to connect so intensely with the audience and elicit their active participation. Watch Freddie, he sometimes looks like he's trying to leap off the stage and fly right into the audience. The emotional catharsis of the audience at the end of we are the champions (which btw is about "we" the band and the audience, "my friends," together imho) is incredible to watch, that crowd moves like a live animal undulating. Just my .02.

I've never seen Queen in concert, but from the very first time I heard a Queen song, the instruments, the back harmonies, but Freddie's voice, so unique, so beautiful, so memorizing had me hooked, not since live aid did I see Queen perform and reactors like yourself did I see and acknowledge that Queen was as good as a performance band as a recorded band.....Freddie sucks everyone in, hypnotize you and blows your mind...great reaction Rory....

Queen's most performances in their concerts are the best

Thanks for this reaction! There are some inaccuracies. Queen did not need some comeback, they took 6 months off in 1983 after nonstop working for 10 years. Hot Space 1982 wasn't a success (it is now their 5th best selling album), but the album, The Works 1984 was a massive success. Songs like Radio Gaga and I Want To Break Free were massive hits released in 1984, a year before Live Aid. Queen played at the Rock In Rio festival in January 1985, it was the biggest paying audience for a very long time, the show was broadcasted live all over South America to about 800k people. The normal people usually liked Queen, it was just the press who really hated the band. A lot of people are trying to create this magical story about Live Aid, the truth is very simple. The other artists did not take the event seriously, Queen was the only band that practiced and did a lot of rehearsal before Live Aid. Live Aid was also 5 weeks after The Works tour, their biggest tour they had up to that moment, had ended, so they were in good form. They were also one of the few artist that were used to playing stadiums, Freddie Mercury was always a good performer. Yes, he was sick with laryngitis. He said afterwards that it felt as if his throat was full of glass, but that is what happens if you have to perform, he was sick with the flu at Wembley 1986 as well, and that was two hours of singing. Freddie released a solo album to record music that he could not record with Queen, he didn't do any promotion for the album. He also said he would never tour with his music or perform it live. It was a side project. Most of the Queen members were workaholics, they were always working on something. Queen and Rush were some of the most hard working bands. Queen is the story of hard work paying off. Freddie never revealed his sexuality publicly, he was a very private person. Personally I would say that he did not like the idea of being boxed onto a certain identity.

Yes, Wings of Pegasus has a fantastic analysis of very interesting details on how and why their performance was so good. You might want to react to that. I think you will really enjoy it,especially since we have turned you into a Queen fan!!! Lol.

Freddie had a TERRIBLE throat infection at Live Aid/his Dr. didn’t even want him to perform. When the 20 minute set was over, Freddie said his throat felt like he’d “been gargling with shards of glass” (his words). Fred SECRETLY had an initial HIV test done in 1985, so he must’ve had some kinds of physical problems creeping up. But it was the year after Live Aid - during Queen’s massive tour of stadiums - that he was definitely having chronic pain/fatigue (which he kept secret from everyone). At the end of the last 1986 concert (Knebworth) he knew something was definitely wrong. (You can see from his face onstage later in the concert, he looks like something “is off” or he isn’t feeling well.) He finally got re-tested/officially diagnosed two years after Live Aid in 1987. (I bet - if his arms are “thinner” here - it’s just cuz he’s been TOO BUSY to work out! In the 1986 MV for “Princes Of The Universe”, he looks FANTASTIC/VERY muscular. If you look back to the 70s, Freddie was naturally very slender… To have those bulky arms in the 80s, he must’ve done something w weights; I saw a pic of him once using some kind of dumbbell.)

Always a great reaction from you. I love that you clearly know about music enough to really converse about it. Lots of these channels don't. My memory of this show - I was 15 and staying at my grandparents farm in upstate NY at the time. I mean this concert was SO HUGE - you cannot imagine the anticipation. But that day I was in the middle of a pasture all by myself with a transistor radio and headphones that were really barebones. I remember U2 - and then Queen - and that energy was so insane that I could feel it though my little radio, halfway across the world in the middle of a field - that's how powerful it was.

Freddie didn’t pass away until 6 years after Live Aid , and he didn’t find out he had it until APRIL 87 z. , but wasn’t feeling well in 86

Actually Freddie has always had a slim build, some of his onstage costumes may have made him look larger, but he wasn't what most would consider a "big" person, he was 5'9" and weighed around 160.

Superman should have put Freddie Mercury on his shirt!...

How lucky of me. I just watched your Queen at Live Aid. And then this popped up. Live Aid Queen made me a major fan also. I liked in this one how you referred back to the first reaction. Thank you for the honesty in reactions.

I still love this. Great documentary and your reactions seemed so sincere. Don't change that, for anything, please 🙏

Organized by Bob Geldof, two concerts were held in London (72K) & Philadelphia (90K.). The common goal of the participating artists was to stand in solidarity with Ethiopia!! Geldof said in an interview with Hot Press, “Queen were absolutely the best band of the day”. 😀👑

I think they lasted together bc no matter what, the band was their family.

Glad you like Flash, one of my favourites...look at the Montreal concerts 1982, he is really skinny...just to say that’s where he wore the Superman shirt...not at Wembley🤩

Yes, he had very bad influenza and laryngitis as well as just coming off of a World Tour. I was watching it live 😊

No, Freddie was not ill (with AIDS)at this point, he was diagnosed a couple of years later. He did have a throat infection, however. Also, Freddie wasn't a big guy...he was 5'10" in height (same as Roger and John) and was always thin.

I agree with Kelvin Smith's comment below...The Wings of Pegasus video is great! I think you would really enjoy it.

Didn't Morrissey have a flower sticker out of his back pocket on top of what's the pop very good but as to relate to 🤔 tongue-in-cheek the smiths was marvellous 👍🏻

I believe his doctor told him not to sing due to throat issues. But of course he did anyway! Lol

I could agree with the LGBTQ comment. There wasn't really such a thing then - I mean not in the way there is now, and some artists from my generation don't feel a great need to comment on it- it's their private life just like anyone else. I just came across your videos last week - and am shocked based on your initial reaction to them, and laughed a bit because you seemed to be like "oh god all the old guys who love queen" or something to that effect - but it's cool you dug deeper and found music you love. I got drawn to them again after a few reaction videos but I think I was looking for a channel like yours - someone who would sit down and go through their stuff and talk about it.

Freddie had always been very suspicious about the charity events, but when he knew the organizers well and belived them, he immediately committed to. Did you see the ballet dancer 🤣Freddie at the Royal Opera house charity gala? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gM5nZKafncCpqnk.html

Not nearly among my preferred commentaries of Queen's amazing Live-Aid concert. Too many inaccuracies re Queen prior to that July day in 1985.

Gay Pride was a big equality movement in the 1980s

Actually Freddie was with Winnie Kurchburger until early 1986 from 1983.. yes, Freddie invited Jim along to Live Aid. The ring Freddie wears at Live Aid was Winnie Kurchburgers who he classed as his husband. To be fair, it's no wonder Winnie wouldn't move into Garden Lodge, a reason they split, if Freddie was seeing Jim behind Winnies back. Another barrier was that Winie was German so they had a language barrier and also Winnie worked in his family's restaurant in Germany. Winnie was also at Freddies birthday party in September as was Jim. Jim mentioned in his book he knew it was because Freddie wanted to make Winnie jealous, which resulted in a bust up at the party between Winnie and Freddie. To be fair, Jim shouldn't have gone knowing Freddie was with Winnie, which didn't help matters in Winnie and Freddie's relationship. Freddie truly loved Winnie but played with his heart. Resulting in their relationship ending. And of course, Jim was there to take over afterwards. And remained with Freddie until Freddie died. So their relationship was 5 to 6 years in actuality.

Why don’t these fools narrating actually do some research? So many untruths and inaccuracies. There was no slump, and Freddie wore a vest and jeans (and shorts!) in 1981 in Montreal. Also, Freddie was bisexual, not gay. He had a sexual relationship with Mary Austin for several years - they lived together for six years and were Engaged. He had at least one other confirmed relationship with a woman. But your reaction was great as always!

It was, but very hush hush. Mainly in the US. (LGBTQ)

Freddie Mercury is not big he was fit and it lived he was not sick other than a sore throat

Freddie was very fit. Beautiful he stood 5,9 and weighed 165 lbs. A bit avrg but appeared very big in concert:)

Freddie looked big on stage, but actually he was pretty small, he was a little over 5'8" when he first hit the stage in the 70s he only weighed 119, his top wt. was about 160. Freddie never stated publicly he was Bisexual, he told Mary, but not publicly, people today elected him to gay status, but he never said this publicly, Mick Rock and others said he was Bisexual and was with many women especially in New York while living there, but mostly men. Mick said along with many of Freddie's friends, that Mary was his great love, as Freddie said, he will love her till his last breath. Great reaction.

Good to see reacting to more of queen again! If you want to watch an interesting documentary/ remake about Freddie’s life, this is a great video to watch The Freddie Mercury story kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qdmXlNOBsc67ko0.html

He was HIV positive there, but he wasn’t full blown and he didn’t get his diagnosis till 2 years later, but he was definitely infected at this point.

There are several inaccuracies in this piece. Band Aid came first, then Live Aid... not the other way around. Band Aid did not want Queen because they had gone to South Africa in October 1984 and it was forbidden on several fronts to go to SA because of apartheid. Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" was made in November 1984. It was controversial to have Queen at Live Aid, but they made it in anyway. This "analysis" is one of my least favorites because of their inaccuracies.