AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE!! FIRST TIME REACTING Queen Live Aid

[@TheOrlandoTrustfull]

No auto-tune, no people holding up cell phones, just a stadium filled with people enjoying an epic moment.

[@jonbates2984]

Instead of watching and taking in the performance, videoing something that they’ll probably never look at again after the first few days.

[@gillianfoster1670]

Yep I was one of them

[@imweakfordeaky]

It kinda helps that there WERE no “cell phones” , at least not available to the general populace. There were car phones for rich folks, and huge brick-sized satellite phones for journalists and other who traveled off the beaten path as part of a well-paid career.

[@tonibaker3823]

@@gillianfoster1670 me to

[@TheOrlandoTrustfull]

@imweakfordeaky Thanks for that mate. I am aware that time travel isn't possible 😂

[@seanmack8376]

On this day, for 20 or so minutes, on 13th July 1985, the world belonged to Queen. I watched this on TV with my dad. I was 10 years old and it’s still one of my favourite memories. Me and my dad singing every word at the top of our voices. Sadly my dad has passed a few years back but we always talked about this moment.

[@davidstewart9701]

I was in one of the roughest pubs in Manchester when this came on, not a drink was poured, not a word was said , and grown men (some of the hardest men around) were singing along with tears in their eyes! Truly a legendary performance.

[@Avalee325]

That’s so cute 🥺🤭🤧🥰

[@stevenallen1549]

💪 he was one in a million

[@timhannah4]

@@stevenallen1549 "IS"

[@PishProductions1]

This comment gave me chills

[@MetalMike38]

The power of music, the only thing that can truly unite everyone.

[@simoncanterbury]

Six years later Freddie was gone, RIP. And this is why John Deacon, the bass guitarist, called it a day when Freddie passed. He felt Queen wasn't Queen without Freddie. I can fully understand that.

[@deniseadams1703]

Remember this wasn’t a Queen audience. Tickets for Live Aid sold out within the hours early in the year. Queen were touring during the summer and didn’t know if they could be there. Their appearance was only announced a day or so before the event but everyone in that audience knew all the words to their songs. Absolutely wonderful performance.

[@jbird4478]

Every audience is a Queen audience. I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't like Queen. There was a Green Day concert in 2017 where the entire crowd sang Bohemian Rhapsody; 42 years after the song was released.

[@davidward9737]

​@@jbird4478that is a awesome vid. Shows how impactful this band was and still is

[@vallee3140]

@@jbird4478 and they were mostly youngsters, who had not even been born then, yet knew every word.

[@johngraham5996]

they were not touring during the summer, they toured japan and australia during march and april but definately NOT summer 👑✊🏼🇬🇧

[@cjscitcat]

​@jbird4478 to be fair I didn't go to the feint with my brother , I didn't think I'd be too into their set . I obviously was wrong, so begged him to take me to see them again. We saw them in Newcastle and at Knebworth

[@allanunion2709]

The greatest 20 mins of live music ever recorded. We are privalged

[@helendunbar1845]

Sir Dr Brian May ❤🎸 Rock star, astrophysicist, champion and protector of British wildlife...my hero ❤

[@richardscratcher6075]

Playing the unique guitar he and his father made from a piece of wood from the fireplace mantel - and playing it using an old sixpence coin as his plectrum.

[@davidkennedy4429]

AND MINE

[@rogerwolstenholme2710]

@@richardscratcher6075 The vibrator lever was a Knitting Needle ... wow !!!

[@Aoife24601]

Badgers of Britain Unite😂😂😂 if youre from any other country.....Brian is the saviour of all oyr Badgers. Our Badgers arent like American Badgers 😱 our Badgers are the sweet, Wind in the Willows type, they wear smoking jackets, smoke pipes and wear glasses ...they are regularly CULLED!!! ...too long a reason to put here but our multi faceted Doctor/Rockstar has saved them....again if youre interested google😂

[@richardscratcher6075]

@@Aoife24601 Badgers? Badgers!! We don't need no stinking Badgers!

[@roberthudson1959]

I was substituting for an elementary music teacher once, and we ran out of Christmas carols I could sing a capella. I told the kids "I think you might know this" and did the double stomp intro to "We Will Rock You." They all came in on the first clap, knew when to sing, and knew all the words. That is the power of Queen.

[@JenniferRussell-qw2co]

Epic!! ❤👍🙋‍♀️🇬🇧🥳

[@slayerrocks2]

People attended as fans of their own favourite bands and singers. They left as Queen fans.

[@IliaKemp]

Right, I was one of them!

[@mffmYT]

Still unmatched 39 years later, what a live performance, ay-oh!

[@chiaradigiorgio1821]

No one will ever match the great Freddie Mercury ever . ❤️❤️

[@lysith3aPS5]

David Bowie was on next after Queen, resulting in one of the greatest lines ever uttered - "How the f*** am I supposed to follow THAT?!" - Priceless!

[@nzlemming]

@@yootoobnz8109 Me too! Stayed up all weekend.

[@vincentbrannelly8786]

I was there . Bowie was very gracious but he had no choice , headline band was Wham . BIGGEST MISTAKE IN THE HISTORY OF LIVE MUSIC

[@nzlemming]

@@vincentbrannelly8786 Second biggest was that cringe duet with Mick Jagger doing Dancing in the Street. OMG.

[@CagedPaps]

@@vincentbrannelly8786 Was it actually Bowie who said that? On the recording it sounds like someone but not him. For those curious you can still get the full broadcast, annoyingly they cut to the US and Chevy Chase was on but came back just as Bowie was coming on and you hear someone say something like that. The more official videos show Bowie just running on and start singing, so I always thought it was someone else as it was before Bowie was there. Be fun if you know different. Elton of course did also say something like "I guess it's time for the real star now" when he went on.

[@johnharrington501]

I videotaped the whole 18 hours on 6, 3 hour tapes. It includes all the appeals and mistakes.

[@justinspencer4472]

This isn’t just a performance, it’s actually something much deeper, a celebration of raw humanity, of unity, of something much much bigger. It’s such a beautiful thing to watch.

[@TheMishka11]

The days when the crowd lived in the moment without a bloody phone strapped to their face

[@johnalcuk]

The real greatest showman.R.I.P. Freddie.

[@John-i8k9n]

I was at Live Aid and was near the front for Queen. We got the boat from Ireland then drove eighth hours to London. We slept in the car the night before, went to the gig slept in the car then drove eighth hours back to the boat in Wales. It was a crazy trip but I can say that I was there and i still have the t shirt to prove it.

[@hauptstadtgoere]

proud to be part of this. gen x and we have had the best concerts ever on this planet. this time will never come back. ☺

[@Zak_Nike]

never

[@daveloboda1769]

The GOAT, the best frontman of any band ever.

[@sherlyxyuna2779]

I Agree with U

[@RichardHead23]

Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull ..... is also an epic live performer ,,,, and Jacques Brel .....

[@AgnesNeray]

@@RichardHead23 But Freddie IS THE GOAT!!!!

[@Zak_Nike]

sorry no where to comment: ITS ABOUT RADIO😅

[@Zak_Nike]

sorry no comment space: inappropriate didnt exist in 80's

[@terryallen345]

The drummer said in a later interview "I looked up and thought - this is going well" he had a massive grin on his face

[@36thulsterdiv72]

Roger Taylor

[@wayneclayton2584]

All the band did.

[@cs8106c]

An interviewer once asked Freddie. “ you play different instruments, which is your favourite?” Freddie replied ( The audience, darling!”

[@themachineandeye]

And what a virtuoso he was, it's almost like the audience had attended rehersals.

[@mrchickflick4444]

Every time I see a Freddy reaction video this comment pops up and it never gets old because it’s freaking genius

[@KAMMD]

A microphone in one hand, 70K in the other !

[@Zak_Nike]

NEVER HEARD THIS SONG, WHAT?

[@peacemaker6662]

Rodger played the drums, John played the Bass and Brian played the guitar. They all helped Freddie play the crowd, they showed what a live concert is all about.

[@TomClarkSouthLondon]

*Was never a QUEEN Fan, watched this live performance 1985, was totally blown away, now I am a fan forever, along with 2 Billion others* 😮

[@lornapaningbatan711]

wOW! Thank you❤ That was great😊

[@markchitty6505]

That was music history in the making, and will never be repeated again... Queen by far the best band ever and always will be ..

[@michellejones1618]

Amen to that

[@francishughes2016]

Zeppelin were better ! !.

[@Laurie-u8g]

Many bands playing that day but Queen absolutely smashed it. The best live performance ever seen. Freddie was an amazing talent.

[@dshaak1]

Saw this live on tv. Queen saved LiveAid that day and this is by far the BEST 21 minutes of live music ever!!

[@elainetilley985]

Hi, I am writing this on my wife's page. I will never forget this concert , but for not the same reasons as most. Queen's performance was the highlight of this astounding day. But I am watching with tears flowing. As this was taking place I was at the bedside of my beloved grandmother. It was she who brought me up at great financial and emotional cost to herself . It was she who made me the man that I am. For ever grateful is too small a phrase to describe my feelings towards her. And if that wasn't enough, she loved me too. She was on her death bed during this concert. The many years that have passed have not softened the heart ache.

[@marciebulsaraorcutt]

Bless you for sharing what a special woman she was.🙏 There are some people who are angels… Your Grandmother and my Mother were both two of them.🫶 (My mother was 44 when she had me - I obviously wasn’t planned; she already had had five children. While she was expecting me, my Father was diagnosed with terminal cancer… he was predicted to have six months, but lived until I was two years old. I’ve always tried - and failed - to imagine the bravery and strength she had, to raise me alone in her middle age on a widow’s pension.) It sounds like you and I were both very Blessed.

[@Snaakie83]

❤

[@loopyloo788]

So beautiful that you had so much love for your grandmother. She lives on in your heart ❤️

[@paulsuddes1144]

British music in the 70s and 80s was so so good….we were so lucky. I was there…what a day

[@shades2.183]

All the greatest are from UK. One of the all time epic like David Bowie and what he did for the music world wide is unpresidented.

[@phillipdavies9128]

It was a great day. So hot that we were hosed with cold water to cool us down. The event had been going on for 6+ hours before Queen came on. I had seen Queen previously and was more excited about watching Dire Straits. They were good but Queen were incredible. They definitely stole the show. We were all pretty tired when Queen gave us the energy boost we needed. We didn't realize at the time that we were watching history being made. We all knew live aid was going to be special. No one knew there wouldn't be another event like it again. It was a special time and almost 40 years ago. I was 25 the time. Memory fades but this remains.

[@larryholmes69]

Freddie had us in the palm of his hand mate. This was the most amazing musical experience of my life. I was 32 then, and I was standing just to the left of the girl with black top on the guys shoulders. I must have watched this so many times that I've lost count, but it still gives me goosebumps. We were truly privileged to have been there to witness it.

[@robertstrohm2412]

It’s a dichotomy really, at once it is one of the greatest performances of all time and one of the saddest performances of all time since we lost Freddy not too long after this amazing show. There were many good acts before and after Queen but this one stole the show. Thank God we have this to reflect back on as there will never be another Freddy Mercury. And? Thank you for your reaction and thoughtful comments and appreciation for masters of the art of soul reaching music that is Queen. With love. ❤

[@sicr7373]

And don't forget Freddie had laryngitis at the time but insisted on performing....and what a performance it was!

[@jpw6893]

I believe it was a fungal infection, quite serious.

[@Avalee325]

Well, throat infection and all those things are probably the same thing.

[@colinmoore7460]

​@@jpw6893Well he did kill the miks, the sponge material inside would get wet, and become a breeding ground for fungi. Then breathing in the spores at the next performance...

[@jpw6893]

@@colinmoore7460 it was a consequence of HIV as far as is known

[@StephenButlerOne]

You can hear him starting to struggle the last two mins.

[@StewedFishProductions]

I'm 66, living in North London and was THERE, on this day... _(I had applied months before for 4 tickets and had to wait an ETTEERRNNIITTYY to find out if I had got them)._ Although this was for 'LIVE AID' and everyone wanted to see ALL the performers, the stadium was packed with QUEEN fans _(including me and three friends)._ But even those who were NOT the greatest Queen fans knew ALL the words/songs and were well aware of when to clap and the expected expected from the audience... It still remains one of the BEST days of my life.

[@cjscitcat]

I didn't realise that some people needed to apply. My brother waited up all night in a desk chair outside a ticket agent to get our tickets. Wasn't it the most amazing day !

[@DenyakotMoscow14]

You are lucky! Did you know about Queen's participation in the concert? I read that the tickets were sold out before the band agreed to participate

[@StewedFishProductions]

@@DenyakotMoscow14 Not when I applied for the tickets. TBH if I remember rightly (its been so long ago now), few artists had confirmed their participation 100%. More just perhaps or maybe..? BUT, everyone just knew it was going to be good. I'm a big Bowie fan too, and he had definately said he was going to appear, which was my main reason for wanting to attend.

[@John-hn6zy]

John Deacon greatest bass rock player ever…..

[@johnnybeer3770]

Mike , Jess , you just witnessed 20 mins of musical heaven . This was networked live on tv across the world to another 2 billion people , that at the time was a third of the world. Amazing. 🇬🇧

[@StephenButlerOne]

3rd of the world but probably 100% of TVs

[@davidhoward5392]

Watched this at home, I was already a huge fan, this is 20 minutes in the presence of the legend that is Freddie Mercury, Jagger, Daltrey, Plant all magnificent front men but Freddie is the one... you children should spend time in the 60's, 70's it's Boomers gift to you., had just turned 30

[@chrishorsfield4893]

Ahhhh this is the reaction I've been waiting for!! That is 20+ minutes of video footage I will never get tired of watching, seen it hundreds of times already, but everytime you watch it, feels like the first! An absolutely legendary class act, which will never repeated by anyone ever again. Freddie was a unique one off, and I am gutted I never got to see him perform live.

[@deborahallen3318]

It seems like another life ago I was able to see them live in 1975, I was only 16 years old and had no idea I was watching the greatest band of all time! Fun Fact, the tickets were $ 7.50 each and it was in a small War Memorial in Syracuse NY Awesome show.👑🌈💙🕊

[@bencobb1040]

It's phenomenal how great this band was. I saw them twice 8n America in the early 80's. I attended dozens of the concerts of dozens of the finest bands, noone and I mean Noonecould touch Queen. Not even the Stones. The only 2 showmen that came close to Freddie were Mick and Tina Turner But they weren't this good! Freddie is still the GOAT!

[@garyhills2336]

Freddie Mercury died in November 1991, I do not think the nation has ever got over the loss of such talent This performance at Live Aid is legendary and Queens songs were always powerful and dramatic. yet while the band creates the sound, it is Freddie's voice that connects everything and brings the songs to life! If you have not played, Flash Gordon by Queen then do take a listen, the range of Freddie's ability is again on clear display. There have been great singers and performers that have come out of the UK, but nobody has ever matched Freddy Mercury as a legendary performer since. He was cruelly taken far too soon when there was so much more music he wanted to create and perform!.

[@abarratt8869]

In the morning his death was #1 item on Radio 4 news. They actually played an excerpt from We Are the Champions. My clock alarm just so happened to click on at the precise moment it launched into the chorus, and the volume was up loud! I was wrenched from the embrace of Morphia to consciousness, wondering "WTF is going on???". And then it soon became clear what the sad news was.

[@sicr7373]

A God walked amongst us!

[@yanki198]

The Charisma of Freddie is infinite

[@hanwalker7408]

I will never forget watching this performance - what an absolute legend

[@mikefree5096]

That was the crowning glory of the best band of all time. Unmatched by everything that came after. Freddie we miss you undesribably...

[@linmal2242]

Nuh, give me Dire Straits over Queen any day. Yes, Freddie was spectacular and Queen got it together, but Mark Knopfler had it and so did Dire Straits !

[@iangriff459]

another thing that made this performance so special was the fact that this was not a Queen crowd but they still stole the show, everybody loves Queen ;)

[@kendallneason3645]

This is why I’m grateful I was born during the heyday of rock music. Seeing Freddie live and the genius band Queen play so energized and inspired and perfectly was undeniably one of my favorite memories. Freddie Mercury was enthralling! ❤ I, like 1/3 of the world, watched Queen crush it at Live Aid on my tv. A group of American teenagers bouncing all over the living room and singing along and feeling their joy at performing was incredible.

[@helendunbar1845]

Watched it on TV on the day, and never get tired of seeing it 🤘🎸 Every member of the band is perfection ❤

[@pfella1878]

GREATEST SHOWMAN TO WALK THE EARTH.......THE END

[@timjones2441]

Amen brother

[@julienmarquet8612]

BLA BLA bla

[@paulmaxey6377]

Freddie wrote Crazy Little Thing Called Love as a tribute to Elvis in Elvis' style after Elvis died. So another song you know that was a Queen original. Freddie said that he wasn't a good guitar player as he could only play 3 chords, so it was a good challenge to write a song only using those 3 chords. Usually he composed the music playing piano but for this he used guitar.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

In the bath in 20 minutes!

[@keymaker-k7h]

nothing more un- natural looking than Freddie with a guitar..😊

[@RoverWaters]

what he played on guitar is what you see in the performance... 5 seconds. the rest was Brian on the studio recording

[@mozzjones6943]

An outrageously talented vocalist and performer with a unique style, A very good pianist, a great writer and producer (they all were), But a terribly inept guitar player lol. To be fair he didn't pretend to be a guitar player or even tried to. But fair play for writing a whole a song only using his very limited chord knowledge of a guitar in less than half hour, A true music artist.

[@christianalbertoperez3723]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@lindsayrobertson8159]

20 mins when it seemed the World stood still as you watched it wherever you were.

[@jno5]

The second song ‘Radio Gaga’, was written because it was the MTV era and everyone was saying Radio is now dead and this was a song about how great radio was. It’s also where Lady Gaga got her name from, she is a big Queen fan. Also Freddie told his mum he’d blow her a kiss and that’s who he was blowing a kiss to when he was playing the piano at the start. I was 14yrs old it was a boiling hot summers day and watch the whole concert on TV, a lot of the performers were doing it for publicity singing their latest single etc. but when Queen agreed they asked Bob Geldof what to do, he said play your hits…..they rehearse for several days beforehand (unlike anyone else) and they knew how long their set had to be, so no crap talking between songs or making political statements etc, they just performed and timed in perfectly………afterwards other performers said they stole the show (which they did) but all they did was just a great performance, which a lot of other acts didn’t. He always used a mic stand like that, not just this performance. This was the evening bit that was cut:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJradaJtlKyroK8si=dvAskVFymVDMbQIj And the rehearsals:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWewc56cfN-DldUsi=GKsb5UmVtz8eKFQ6

[@Shoomer1988]

Which is a bit ironic really because of the video for Bohemian Rapsody. Although it wasn't the first music video, it probably was the first to truly go mainstream worldwide.

[@imweakfordeaky]

The rehearsal clips are great… John looking mighty fine in a tank top… Brian’s longlonglong legs in short-shorts…lol

[@Dingo-x]

@@Shoomer1988 That video is what got me into Queen I bought the single in 1975 and a girlfriend at the time bought me their album "A Night at the Opera"

[@pobstrel]

And Lady Gaga had a sample from We Will Rock You on Her You And I single which Brian May played guitar on.

[@hannahhester8376]

It's so funny because now MTV is gone, and radio is still around

[@adriennegarvey4518]

Best performance ever and watched it live

[@michellejones1618]

You are so fortunate, I wish I had seen them live before we lost Freddie

[@LoriTalbot-du2qt]

Freddie wanted every person in the crowd to feel like they were a part of the show. That is why Queen were the best stadium band ever!

[@francishughes2016]

Zeppelin were better !.

[@scottclark7309]

Freddie truly love his fans and we as fans truly loved FREDDIE!

[@chiaradigiorgio1821]

Amen ❤❤

[@Jeni10]

The radio played everything Queen! They had hit after hit, after hit, after hit! Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We are the Champions, Don’t Stop Me Now, Another One Bites the Dust, Love of My Life, A Kind of Magic, Flash’s Theme, I Want to Break Free, You’re My Best Friend, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Under Pressure (with David Bowie), Hammer to Fall, Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy, Somebody to Love, Don’t Stop Me Now, Brighton Rock, Bicycle Race, I Was Born to Love You, I want It All, Fat Bottomed Girls, Keep Yourself Alive, Good Company, Is This the World We Created…? It just keeps going, 372 songs as far as I can tell!

[@MrGsmiths]

the drummer sang most of the backing as well as playing the drums and superb feat

[@EileenHall-j9f]

That is how to own an audience. Has to be one of the best live performances ever, then and since. Wonderful.

[@arnodobler1096]

Best TV day of my life! They came back for a wonderful encore, just Brian and Freddie. ♥

[@LinkRocks]

Thing I love about Queen and Freddie in particular is that he's universally loved. It doesn't matter where you're from, what kind of music you like, how old you are, everyone agrees he was one of a kind. He still captivates an audience decades after he died.

[@linmal2242]

Nuh, give me Dire Straits over Queen any day. Yes, Freddie was spectacular and Queen got it together, but Mark Knopfler had it and so did Dire Straits !

[@chiaradigiorgio1821]

@@linmal2242nope sorry NO ONE CAN BEAT FREDDIE MERCURY . HE IS THE GOAT . EACH TO THEIR OWN I GUESS 😊👑👑👑👑

[@jo_jolambrini6775]

Great reaction. Not to make you jealous but I was in that crowd and I was 16 years old and it was the first time I had ever been to a concert. To think back then no auto tune, no computer software, 4 greatest musicians and an audience with no cell phones, it was just pure talent and the whole 72,000 of us were just connected with each other through music. It was a once in a life time experience, especially when Freddie did his "call and respond" to us all. I am now 55 and have been a Queen fan ever since that day in 1985. We didn't know whether Queen were going to appear as they weren't on the official line up so when they came on we all went crazy and it's all we could talk about on the way home. The rest of the day was pretty much flat after they finished. I saw Queen twice the following year in 1986, one at Wembley (again) in July 1986 and then with Freddie's last ever LIVE performance with Queen in August 1986. He's been my hero ever since. For 20 minutes on the 13 July 1985 the UK were ruled by a different Queen! Stay safe from Manchester, UK x x

[@tonymonk1965]

I was there in the growd when I was 20 years old... It was overwhelmingly inspiring... It's hard to explain how incredible it was... 1985.

[@Slartifartblast]

I was 15 when I was watching this live and couldn't believe that there were nearly 2 billion people watching, I'm 54 now and still can't believe it. There will never be a another event like Live Aid and there will never be a another Freddie Mercury, an absolute legend...

[@Ingens_Scherz]

Same here! (but I was a mere 13 ;) So true about Freddie.

[@MichaelB769]

Agreed, and this happened on my 16th birthday; what a present! :)

[@RoverWaters]

2 billion in your dreams

[@MichaelB769]

@@RoverWaters It was between 1.5 and 1.9 billion; look it up.

[@RoverWaters]

@@MichaelB769 an educated person who uses logic would have a doubt on those figures. plus on further research we see that "1.9 billion audience"(not viewers) was the estimation for the world broadcast REACH it means if you add the population of those 110 countries you get ~1.9 billion people. BBC estimated 400mil viewers for Live Aid.

[@thomaskeyzers3295]

I watched the Live Aid (July 13, 1985) show on TV. The show lasted 16 hours. Queen's performance was the best of the day. A year later, Queen came back to London for two shows on July 11th and 12th. The stadium sold out at 72,000 people per day. There were requests for tickets for at least three more shows. To this day, Wembley in 1986 is considered Queen's best Live Performance.

[@Retrospective.]

In my mid 50's now, but i was there that day, as a fresh faced 16 y/o. I was near the front, one of the greatest days of my life. I can still hear Queen ringing in my ears, almost 40 years later.

[@tago69mago671]

Amazing day, amazing memories. What a day that was! The whole family crowded around the tv all day for about 10 hours of great live music! Queen were amazing that day and what a front man, singer, writer Freddie was. Still as popular today as ever. Good music lasts forever!

[@MrRolemaster]

Back then, 2 Billion people on the Planet watched THIS live, so, pretty close to every human on the planet, my friends. You just experienced what many experts and musicians in the world consider the greatest live gig in music history.

[@grabtharshammer]

Just under half the people on the planet, the majority of the other half were starving, hence the concert

[@RoverWaters]

folktale, not true

[@davidmellish3295]

Third of the population at the time. There was around 6 billion people in the world, now there's 8.2 billion

[@1thejet]

It was verry warm that day, and with over 70,000 of us packed in there at Wembley it was a sweat box. But worth it! So many great bands played that day, I have not and will not ever forget this! Watching it here made me feel young again. Great reaction by the way.

[@debramceneaney]

Queen the greatest band in the world ever imo x

[@peckelhaze6934]

The world is not the same without Freddie and Queen. I am 73 and remember Queen very well, my favourite band.

[@fionahall3900]

I think Queen transcends all ages my 11 year old granddaughter is absolutely crazy about Queen. She wants a base guitar for Christmas 😊

[@roberte5057]

I agree.

[@chrisofnottingham]

They were just about the only band that had the foresight to cut down the length of their songs and thus cram in so many big hits into a 20 minute set :-)

[@tinasjostrand2677]

That was genious. The didn't promote their latest songs, like some of the bands did, they played the songs they knew the fans wanted to hear. For Queen, the fans always came first.

[@BanburyPuritan]

The “Backing singers” were the rest of the band members. A really multi talented group

[@sheilapurcell515]

Great reaction. I was 6 months pregnant when this happened amd because we had lost 5 babies before i was taken into hospital at 10 weeks,ny dad spoke to the doctor and they agreed i could go to the concert Live Aid as dad had bought tickets. However my son was born just the day before and he went to intensive care i was placed in an induced coma for 10 days so we missed the concert. Over the years i would tease my son that he had ruined my trip and i missed Queen, anyway went he was 10 he got some birthday money my birthday is 4 weeks after his so he went and bought me the dvd of live aid and presented with a smile on my birthday. He too is now a huge fan. There are many live queen concerts on KZbin this is a band best seen live. Queen have an official channel if you use them to souce future reaction its very rare they ever interfere. The song that made ne a fan was Liar,the performance at the Rainbow concert in 1974 is the best version do please do it. Each member has a solo 8 minutes of bliss. Blessings from England xx

[@pobstrel]

What a great story. Thanks for sharing it with us. x

[@sheilapurcell515]

Thank you

[@Nomads64]

Freddie still alive in our heart !! ❤❤

[@meanmax9663]

I was on active duty in the Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Pendleton California when Live Aid aired. I had an apartment at 423C South Fremont street in Oceanside, and we brought the largest TV we could find to my apartment. Every tenant in the building was active duty Marine Corps, and we all were tuned in to watch Live Aid while eating & drinking and wandering around to each other's apartments. It was an entire building party. Things seemed so simple then, all of us were white, black, Latino, Asian, and every other race/color that you can imagine, but we were all just humans that day. Helping a cause for humanity, just because it was the right thing to do, and we all loved sharing music with our friends. I'm 60 now, but I sure would like to have just one more of those days again, before I run out of time.

[@tomjacobs2014]

Crowd control that was FREDDIE! The 20 greatest live moments of a performance EVER! Was 95 degrees in Philly that day, Fire Dept hosed the crowd to cool us off!

[@sirjonty18]

So as you may know, 2 live aid Concerts took place that day, the other in Philadelphia. But did you know Phil Collins played at both? He played here, then flew by British Airways on Concorde, he was in Philadelphia in 4 hours and played there on the same day. it was crazy.

[@esteban280889]

Wasn't there more or am I thinking of the 2000s remake with like 5

[@yelnikigwawa1845]

Queen’s Wembley set is widely considered the greatest set in rock history. Freddy was a master showman, in front of an audience estimated at nearly TWO BILLION. It just does not get any better than this. The second song, “Radio GaGa”, is Freddy holding those 70,000 people before him in the palm of his hand. The audience’s fists-in-the-air hand claps are literally right out of the music video.

[@aryastark7195]

music performed like this is what it means to be alive 🥹 and no one could strut quite like freddie ♥️

[@leonprofessional600]

The rest of the participants and groups that performed before and after Queen were just the opening act for her concert)

[@PishProductions1]

You guys really were moved. Great reaction. This is considered the greatest live performance of all time. It was a moment in history.

[@josephinemonahan915]

Radio Ga Ga is literally about listening to the radio...by the way Lady Gaga loved Queen...she took her name from this song🤩

[@True_Heretic]

Some folks had to live through World War One and World War Two. My generation got to live through the original Live Aid Concert and Queen's incredible performance. And people say that things never get any better? Out of all the angels that have ever been, not one was a "Frederick". Until Freddie Mercury came along. Whenever I feel weak, or aimless. I'll watch this video and become inspired and healed. And look, Mike and Jess, I know I cheated by being born in time to experience this directly, and I don't condemn you for not existing at that time. But I love your instinctive and unified adoration of this truly special experience. An experience that I think belongs to every human being on the planet, for all of time.

[@coldwhite4240]

Great reactions to a brilliant and timeless performance! For info, Queen's set list was: 2:22 "Bohemian Rhapsody" (of course!) - the oldest of their songs on this list, released in 1975 (Fifty years ago next year!) 5:00 "Radio Gaga" - In a way, I'm surprised neither of you knew this, as this was also one of their biggest hits and (not surprisingly given the title) got loads of radio airplay - at least in the UK - which is why you see the audience immediately get into it and do the overhead double handclap on the chorus, which was an iconic move. The song is a tribute to the radio era (he mentions the famous "Orson Welles' War Of The Worlds invade by Mars" broadcast which so terrified American listeners back in 1938 that they thought it was real) and actually listening to music. The video for the song contains an homage to the 1920s film Metropolis, which was the first science fiction film to introduce a lot of the tropes that became famous in sci-fi, like the emotionless android, the futuristic but oppressive city with slave workers, flying cars and skyroads, and so on) but also features that double handclap. Well worth checking out. 12:25 "Hammer To Fall" - Probably the least well-known of the set they played here, but one of my favourites. The song is about death and particularly the threat of nuclear war during the Cold War (one of the lines is: "We who grew up tall and proud, in the shadow of the mushroom cloud"). A lot of hit songs were written in the 1980s about that, including Nena's "99 Red Balloons", Sting's "Russians", Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes, Prince's "1999", Nik Kershaw's "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", and many others, which shows what a powerful influence it had over popular life and culture back when '70s babies like myself were young! 19:15 "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - this was written by Freddie in 1979 as a tribute to the early rock and roll of Elvis Presley in the USA and Cliff Richard in the UK, hence Freddie's Elvis-like sound partway through! 23:18 "We Will Rock You" 26:05 "We Are The Champions" - Those last two need no introductions due to being so famous now! They were both released together in 1977. Anyone who hasn't already should check out the BBC documentary on the making of Live Aid, "Live Aid - Rockin' All Over The World" here on YT. Behind the scenes, before Queen's set started, Bob Geldof and other organisers were worried because they felt the public were not responding enthusiastically to the concert up to that time with donations, and things were not going as well as hoped, but Geldof said as he was up in the gantry on the way to complain to the BBC that weren't broadcasting enough appeals for money, he heard Queen start and the audience reaction, and he knew that was what was needed to kick it into gear. In addition to Queen's legendary set, there are so many other great stories from that day, like Phil Collins' transatlantic performances, and the sets by U2 and David Bowie, as well as all the work behind the scenes to make the concert - which was really pushing the boundaries of broadcast technology back then - possible. There were 72,000 at Wembley Stadium in London and 89,000 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia that day, and it's estimated that 1.5-2 billion worldwide saw it on TV! And last point: Mike, you're absolutely right that although Freddie is by far the greatest frontman and showman, the professionalism and performances of Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon are all phenomenal too.

[@shirlgirlc6734]

The number of times iv watched this is unbelievable, Queen made this concert most memorable because they used their strongest anthems whereas other groups/singers sang their latest songs. At 9.48pm Freddie and Brian came back on to sing a song written years ago "is this the world we created"

[@jillosler9353]

Me too ❤. Everytime someone reacts to it I watch and am as mesmerised the umpteenth time as I was the first. It's also so rewarding to hear the reactors reaction!!!

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

Sir Brian - note perfect as always....

[@lindsaycrellin4588]

The backing singers are Roger on the drums & Brian lead guitar ❤ all the band members of Queen are multi instrumentalists x

[@godot-whatyouvebeenwaitingfor]

Better, much better, days..

[@annicecooper8105]

22 minutes of musical legend. I remember watching Queen coming on stage to a flagging crowd as this was about six hours in. Queen just absolutely got the memo that this wasn't necessarily their crowd so played the familiar, anthemic songs rather than trying to plug new tracks as others did. Magic. 😊

[@jeffreymayes907]

Was at the concert in Philly, when it came to Queen they cut in with Radio Ga Ga (right before Phil Collins started his set). We clapped along with every in Wembley and everyone around the world. It is the moment that brought the world together.

[@vicdillon6278]

"Radio Ga Ga" was released in 1984. The meaning behind this song explores how people were beginning to lean more on the boob tube for entertainment than the music airwaves. Throughout the song, the narrator doesn't want radio to disappear, because it was his education. It kept him company as a teen. It made everyone laugh and cry.

[@alisonscott1469]

I watched live aid on tv in 1985 at home in Scotland. I still remember it starting with Rocking All Over The World by Status Quo. The 80’s were the greatest time for music. The band i follow turned up in 1985 they are called A-HA and come from Oslo, Norway. They continue to produce the soundtrack to my life from 16 to 55 which is what age i am now. I have been an A-HA fan for 40 years. The biggest hit they had in the USA was Take on Me with the iconic video of the comic book character story come to life. That video has had over a billion views on youtube maybe you could check it out someday?. I remember Freddie Mercury wearing a crown and like velvet robe at the end of the performance but maybe i’m thinking of another performance of Queen. R.I.P. Freddie Mercury

[@maureenalder8905]

I was there Freddie and Queen totally SMASHED it..Couldn't talk next day no voice..Still miss you Freddie 😢 ❤

[@karenj3611]

Just listen to all the amazing sound coming from these four geniuses. Freddie has so much charisma you can’t take your eyes off of him

[@fredericknalaremah939]

Never to be forgotten, never to be repeated and never to be equalled...Freddie and Queen will live on forever in our heads and in our hearts...We that witnessed it are blessed!

[@dramaqueen6G]

Did you notice that the audience began singing along at the first note and didn't stop until the end? And this was not specifically a Queen audience; the lineup was announced before Queen signed on. Yet as soon as Freddie sat down at the piano, they were ALL a Queen audience! Freddie's kiss was to his mom -- he had promised her he would send her a kiss from onstage. Audience participation was very important to the band, so this was not unusual for them. (Interesting FYI: a rock journalist who followed Queen from the very beginning said that Freddie could stand onstage, silently put his arm out and turn his hand over palm-up, and the whole audience would all stand up. That's the kind of magic he had.)

[@michellejones1618]

Still miss him 😢

[@vinnyganzano1930]

He was a puppet master and worked the crowd better than any other artist I've ever seen.

[@vinnyganzano1930]

He was a puppet master and worked the crowd better than any other artist I've ever seen.

[@niytash]

Was this the one with the helicopter arrival and crowd eruption.

[@dramaqueen6G]

No, not Live Aid. The helicopter was at one of their last concerts. Not sure which venue it was at

[@Mikey-DiLo]

Please don’t forget about the other 3 guys on that stage. While Freddie is the best frontman ever it took all 4 of them to make that an epic performance. I was very blessed to have grown up with such great music and able to watch this as it was happening.

[@williamfragaszy6016]

A master performer holding a massive crowd in the palm of his hand!

[@michaelhollingworth1766]

I worked with a guy who went to that concert and he wasn't a Queen fan.......after that concert he was.

[@trevorthomas-rx6jl]

Hands down the greatest live rock performance ever!!!

[@ange1098]

Who wants to live forever is another epic , from the film Highlander.

[@jo_jolambrini6775]

Brian May and Freddie came back out at 9.48pm with Brian playing the acoustic guitar and Freddie singing "Is This The World We Created" worth a listen !!!! The crowd went crazy again !

[@ProgressiveBoomer]

Yes, yes we did!

[@glendakeating405]

I was therr! I am now 74. Best night ever!

[@shadybacon3451]

Freddie is arguably the greatest front man that has ever been. His stage presence was incredible. On top of that, he was an excellent vocalist, songwriter, pianist, and probably many more talents. It annoys me that I never got to and won't get to watch Queen with Freddie, they aren't the same without him. Favourite Queen song for me is Headlong, recommend listening to it, absolute banger.

[@dirtbikerman1000]

I was born in 1980 I remember seeing my dad laid in bed crying the day Freddie died My dad has passed now I have all of his vinyl records at my house Queen being many of them

[@garyculey8936]

QUEEN are the only band in history where all members of the band have wrote a number 1 song for their band.

[@RiverSong5683]

Later that night at 9:48 pm Brian and Freddie came out to do an encore song IS THIS THE WORLD WE CREATED, which they’d written right before Live Aid, but seemed very appropriate for the reason they had LIVE AID, the famine in Africa at the time. Just 6 years before Freddie passed. Seeing him here and in those later years is heartbreaking, though he sang flawlessly until the end. ALL QUEENS performances are life-altering, the 1981 concert in Montreal and the1986 Wembly nights are awesome, 1986 being the last year they toured, called The Magic tour for their album A MIND OF MAGIC. All their catalog of songs are great, of all different kinds of genres, original, unique at the time, awesome. And there will never be another band like Queen again, and definitely never another Freddie Mercury…he was out of this world. Much under-appreciated, both the band and Freddie, as they came up. A huge history. Thanks!!