The electric performances of former frontman, Freddie Mercury will be showcased on the latest episode of Queen’s The Greatest video series. Regarded as one of rock’s most electric stage performers, Freddie understood just how important it is to win over the crowd.
Mercury fed off the crowd as the band’s audience grew throughout the years, becoming the master performer of entertainment. His electric performances culminated with one of the most iconic moments in music history – Live Aid 1985.
“That’s the part of my role, I have to win them over, otherwise it’s not a successful gig,” Mercury explained. “It’s my job to make sure that I win them over and make them feel that they’ve had a good time. I’m very frivolous, and I like to enjoy myself, and what better way to do it than on stage in front of 300,000 people.
“I just cook on stage, that’s just my nature,” explained Mercury. That’s not what I’m like in real life, my character is built up of all kinds of ingredients and this is one element of me. On stage, that’s my job and I don’t like to go on stage, sitting on a stool and do a show. I’m very volatile, in that way, and I like to actually put a song across in the way it is. It’s all part of showbiz and theatre, that’s another side of me.”
With the huge success that was Queen, venues and crowds for the band got bigger and bigger throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. For Mercury was the god, instructing his adorning crowd to the a cappella musical of his prowess. The electric frontman became a master at making everyone feel a part of the show, phenomenally exemplified at his legendary Live Aid performance.
Featured throughout the 1986 Magic Tour, Freddie’s “Ay-Oh’s” became a seminal part of the Queen show, remaining so to this very day. When Queen and Adam Lambert re-created the Live Aid set to support the Fire Fight Australia benefit in early 2020, it was an on-screen cameo of Mercury which created one of the show’s most magical moments. Watch the latest episode here.
Fans recently paid tribute to Mercury on September 5th, which would have been the frontman’s 75th birthday.
