Queen’s performance at Live Aid in 1985 is often considered one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest live performances, but it turns out they could have missed out on the gig had Brian May not talked frontman Freddie Mercury into it.
In a new interview with the U.K.’s Radio Times, May shares that they were hesitant to sign on since at the time they weren’t on tour. He notes, “It seemed like a crazy idea, this talk of having 50 bands on the same bill.”
He says while Roger Taylor was on board, he, Mercury and John Deacon weren’t so sure, but May quickly changed his mind after tickets went on sale.
“I said to Freddie: ‘If we wake up on the day after this Live Aid show and we haven’t been there, we’re going to be pretty sad,” May says. “He said: ‘Oh, f*** it, we’ll do it.'”
But the band didn’t take the stage without first getting advice from Live Aid founder Bob Geldof.
According to May and Taylor, Geldof told them, “Don’t get clever. Just play the hits – you have 17 minutes.”
Queen wound up wowing fans with a set filled with hits, as well as an infamous “Ay-Oh” call and response with the audience. Taylor says he knew they did a good job during “Radio Ga Ga,” noting, “It did seem that the whole stadium was in unison.”
He adds, “But then I looked up during ‘We Are the Champions,’ and the crowd looked like a whole field of wheat swaying.”
Queen is set to mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid on July 13: they’ll show their set on their YouTube channel for 24 hours starting at 6:41 p.m. BST, the same time Queen took the stage at Wembley Stadium.
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