Queen Live Aid: The band reveal what REALLY happened – It's NOTHING like Bohemian Rhapsody

There is no denying Queen were magnificent at Live Aid on July 13, 1985. There is no denying Bohemian Rhapsody is a hugely crowd-pleasing and fitting celebration of the band’s legacy and Freddie Mercury’s unique genius. But the film shows Freddie estranged from the band, living in Berlin and totally unaware Live Aid even existed. It shows him begging the band to let him come back. Yet, this incredible video of the band reveals they all knew about the idea for Live Aid from February that year and Freddie even talks about their regret they hadn’t been able to be part of the Band Aid single the previous December. They had also been touring consistently together over the last twelve months. What REALLY happened?

It’s true Freddie did release his first solo album, Made in Heaven, in 1985, which had doubtless been the source of major tensions in the band. But he had not been working on it in isolation. The recording of the album took place across two years, fitted in around his commitments to Queen. The band had been touring since August 1984 in support of their album the Works. It extended into 1985 with dates across Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

In the video interview, Brian May reveals how the Live Aid offer really came up: “At the BPI Awards we went to collect an award and (Bob) Geldof was a few tables away and he said, ‘How about doing this thing? We’re going to have this and this and this,’ And we said, ‘Oh yeah, sure,’ thinking it was an almost impossible thing to get together. But we said, ‘Yeah, we’d be interested.’ 

“Then a bit later he rang up and said, ‘Look Brian, I have to have a commitment.’” 

Freddie sitting next to Brian nods and grunts in agreement with the recollection, before Brian adds: “So we talked about it a bit more and it seems like we were all very keen to do it.”

The BPI or Brit Awards were held on February 11, 1985. Queen was actually beaten to Best British Group by Wham that year and to Best Album by Sade’s Diamond Life. 

Either way, the band had been touring since August 1984 in support of their album the Works. The first leg on the tour wrapped up in South Africa on October 20, after nine hugely controversial shows at Sun City. The band had been condemned at home and worldwide for playing in the country, which was widely boycotted over its policy of apartheid.

After a few months’ break, Queen headlined Rock in Rio on January 11 and 18, 1985, in front of a combined audience of over 700,000 people and broadcast to up to 200million viewers around the world.

From April the band resumed their tour with dates across Japan, Australia and New Zealand, wrapping up on May 15.

That’s still two months before Live Aid, but it seems hard to believe the band would have had time to suddenly become completely estranged and then reunite, as was shown in the movie. Of course, May and Taylor have acknowledged publicly there were divisions and tensions in the band at the time.

It is also not clear exactly when Geldof called May, so relationships in the band may well have been particularly strained again after The Works Tour ended.

Freddie also says in the interview: “We would have liked to take part in the Band Aid single but I think we were in separate parts of the globe.” The single Do They Know It’s Christmas? was recorded on November 25, 1984, and released on December 3.

Again, this does not sound like a man who had been in such a dark place in Berlin he was totally unaware of Geldof’s six-month mission to help the famine in Ethiopia.

When Bohemian Rhapsody was released, May and Taylor answered criticisms of the rearranged timelines and simplified situations by explaining it was necessary for a coherent on-screen storyline. 

It should also be remembered the interview was a form of PR for the event (and the band) and unlikely to reveal any painful truths that may have been lurking beneath the surface.

WATCH THE QUEEN LIVE AID INTERVIEW HERE