On July 13, 1985, the world’s biggest musical acts came together for Live Aid, a benefit concert held simultaneously in London, England, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
The event, organized by Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, was set up to raise funds for victims of the famine in Ethiopia. On the day of the concert, around 72,000 fans descended on Wembley Stadium in London, while over 100,000 fans arrived at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. Around two million people watched on television, and all were treated to a spectacle that featured performances from U2, Elton John, David Bowie, The Who, and more.
Among those who performed, however, there was one group that stood out: Queen.
The British rock group, led by Freddie Mercury, took to the stage and performed a few of their greatest hits: “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Hammer To Fall,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are The Champions.”
Decades later, footage from this now-iconic performance continues to make the rounds on social media, with many calling it one of the best live musical performances of all time. Some claim that this twenty-minute performance by Queen changed music history forever.
Bob Geldof, one of the show’s organizers, agreed that the band stole the show, saying that the group was the best band of the day – they played the best and had the best sound. It was the perfect stage for Freddie and the rest of the band.
In 2018, actor Rami Malek played Freddie Mercury in the hit biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. To prepare for the Live Aid scene, Rami says he watched Queen’s performance over 1,500 times. He also hired a dialect coach, a movement coach, and took singing and piano lessons.
In an interview with news.com.au, Rami mentioned that he and his team closely studied Freddie’s movements and gestures. In the end, however, things didn’t always match up and some aspects were a bit off. Regardless, Rami said that he felt “really alive” and was in the moment, and he didn’t want to lose the authenticity by focussing too much on perfection.
After watching the film, it’s fair to say that he did a phenomenal job.