Queen’s Brian May admits band refused Bob Geldof’s direction at Live Aid

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At the outset, Freddie Mercury hesitated about participating in Live Aid. This wasn’t due to his disapproval of the initiative aimed at providing aid for malnourished children in Africa. Rather, the concern was that Queen hadn’t performed together in quite some time, and taking the stage before a massive audience might not yield an optimal experience.

Instead, it wasn’t just a small group who attended, but a staggering 100,000 people. If a performer felt even the slightest bit jittery about stepping onto the stage, they had to find a way to channel that apprehension into raw energy. Queen had an advantage in this regard, thanks to Mercury.

In a chat with Radio Times, guitarist Brian May explained the series of events that led to Queen agreeing to perform, as well as the happenings during the show. He also mentioned that event organizer Bob Geldof instructed performers not to exceed 17 minutes, but Queen unfortunately surpassed that limit.

Brian May breaks down why Queen went long at Live Aid

It wasn’t about Queen deciding to end their performance after 17 minutes; rather, it was because the crowd wouldn’t allow them to stop. The audience showed immense enthusiasm towards everything the band did, from joining in with hand claps on “Radio Ga Ga” to synchronizing movements during the final song, “We Are the Champions.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say, the Queen performance extended due to Freddie Mercury’s spontaneous call and response with the crowd on “ay-oh.” This wasn’t a new trick from him, no doubt about that, but it was undeniably one of his most unforgettable moments.

May mentioned, “It seemed possible. However, we weren’t certain if he would approve. Yet, his courage was remarkable.

Instead, Queen performed for an extended 21 minutes rather than the initial 17, but it’s unlikely there was any debate about them exceeding their allocated time given the enchanting quality of their music. It held significance, contributing towards charitable causes, largely thanks to Mercury’s captivating persona and stage presence.

In an intriguing twist, as May shared with Radio Times, one unusual detail emerged about what the Queen band members did following our visit to the royal box at Wembley Stadium, prior to our performance later in the day. While May and his young brood embarked on a brief excursion to a fair, drummer Roger Taylor chose to stroll around Kensington and soak up the atmosphere of Live Aid being broadcast into everyone’s homes. Unfortunately, there are no records of Freddie Mercury’s whereabouts during that time.

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2025-07-01 19:00