George's Queen Journal

Very fortunate that one of my relatives buys the first Queen hit single on it's release, and bombards me with the most pleasant sounds of all time. How fortunate still, that this individual also buys the 'QUEEN 2' Album, which I am exposed to constantly. This becomes my favourite piece of work of all time, and has remained so to this day. The brilliant players: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, & Roger Taylor, make up this foursome of fantastic musicians, songwriters, and performers. The arrangements and artwork and costumes are unparelled. The lyrics and vocal harmonies are astounding. At last, something just so right. Cracking, dramatic operatic rock, with so many moving ideas and emotions. And Freddie the frontman, all hair, black fingernails, and chain mail glove. Gothic art expressionism at its fullest.

What splendid news that the front cover of Melody Maker announces 'QUEEN FREE IN THE PARK'. A free concert in London's Hyde Park was on the horizon. How can you better that? And so, come 18 September, thats exactly where I was. Followed a trail of brutal Hells Angels marching through the crowd and straight to the front, and I landed the best position of all, with a wonderful view of all proceedings, on the Fred side of the stage. Then, I experienced my favourite concert of all time, something that can never be beat. And still, to this day, it's definately one of the most amazing spectacles i've ever seen. Luckily, I was the owner of a cheap & nasty camera, and I managed to sneak some shots of my heroes, who posed only for me! This is a shot I took during the Brian May Solo of Brighton Rock. At the time, Night of the Opera was still the most recent Album, and they had just had the longest running number one single ever. Queen were totally at the top, and the gig was almost a replay of their great Xmas TV special, with Fred announcing it a 'Picnic by the Serpentine'.

It was a glorious and warm saturday evening, and this was the closest I was ever to view the great Mercury in full flight. With the lights, flashbombs, smoke, and brilliant brilliant songs, this was a wonderful moment, one of those occasions that you dont want to end. Afterwards, I stayed a little while to survey the structure, and take it all in. Then I hit the unofficial merchandise around Marble Arch Tube, where I decided on this very unofficial Mirror Badge, which was all the rage at the time. As you can see, this 30 year old relic has suffered through age, just like myself. It's never been the sort of thing that I could wear, but its always looked nice on the wall.

Saw Queen again, on the 'NEWS OF THE WORLD' tour, at the once Empire Pool (now called Wembley Arena). This was the first signs ever that the band were to drop the gothic glamour look of the early seventies, which I was dissapointed with, and it took a long time for me to get used to thier transformation. But here, even with my not so good seat position, was still a great performance with great songs, certainly more musicianship than dramatics. From my seating, I could see Freddie's bright sparkle sequin shorts light up the arena gloom. Oh bloody hell, gone was my rock god hero. Never mind, it was still the greatest show on earth. I present to you my 25 year old ticket stub, on loan from the British Museum.

Many years had past since the Queen glory days, although they had always produced great quality music, it was never Queen2. But now it began to click, exactly what the more modern Queen was all about. The songs and magnificent musicianship was still there, but it was just a different visual approach. Certainly, I had got used to Freddie and his moustache by now, and it was a new era. Unfortunately, my path now crossed with the sad Queen Fan Club (QFC), a tragic outfit that approaches Queen fandom with an embarassing, infantile perspective. Nevertheless, it was a new and interesting Album, and time to pay my respects. The WORKS TOUR hit Wembley, and I made a late decision to go. On arrival, a double blow, as it was sold out, and the dumb QFC were everywhere! Oh no. Later, I thought i'd listen at the door, which suddenly opened. A security chap took pity, and ushered me in, took me right to the front balcony! All he wanted was the price of a pint. Well, that was quite a bargain. And so, another great Queen gig, seeing those GaGa salutes from the crowd, and the phenomenal Metropolis cogs of the stage design. We were all singing afterwards all the way to Wembley Park Tube. And not a QFC member in sight! Phew!

The LIVE AID concert is the media's idea of Queen's career high point. And maybe it was, to a degree. But even as I watched it on TV, I didnt even then realise how fantastic a performance it was. I took time to grow on me, maybe because I found the days events so overwhelming. After all, I did watch all 16 hours of it. On playback, however, the Queen spot of 20 mins just seemed so magnificent, and reaffirmed my love for them, even in this Eighties guise. For me, it's one of the most watchable pieces of TV ever. Perfect and powerful. I'm so glad they did it and showed everyone who's best. Later in the night, Fred and Brian came on, as pictured, and did a emotional rendition of 'Is this world we created', which was the deepest part of the event, and said it all, as if it was written for the event. Freddie also came on at the end of the Wembley show, when all the stars did 'Feed the World', and he looked so happy and excited. It would have been classic if he'd sang a solo line, but he only jumped in on one occasion, pulling himself over the mic hoggers.

It's hard to describe the love for someone you never knew, just because they touched you with beautiful songs. But this love truly exists. And I thought this was just another year, and another Queen Album, as I bought INNUENDO on it's day of release. I suppose I thought the band would always be there, as they were, with every new amazing output, just every few years. And I was never a reader of tabloids, except once, when someone showed me this dreadful pic of Freddie outside his home. But its not until the papers proclaim that THE KING OF ROCK IS DEAD that I had any realisation. And that was it. 24^th November. And what a crushing night that was, when gentle songs of love now just remind one of death and loss. And they showed the horrific rushes of the Days Of Our Lives video, so you could see how ill Freddie really was. I'd never been distressed over the loss of an icon. Until now. And thus, weeks and weeks of emptiness followed...

Easter '92, and the FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE gig is happening at Wembley Stadium, but it looks unappealing. Why? Just because its hijacked by people who want it to be more than just a send-off and tribute. Probably so they can sell it easier to the TV coms. For some silly reason, the night before the gig, I was standing on the empty stage at Wembley, contemplating if I should go. Yes, I just walked through the back door and onto the stage. I saw the posters, and I didnt want this event to be a showcase for annoying patonising nagging, I just wanted it to be a tearful rememberance of our Fred. So I thought i'd leave it. The next day, and for even sillier reasons, I was at work one second, and the next, I was at Wembley Stadium, with a lovely backstage pass. Looks splendid, dont it? And that really made the concert into an event of great comfort, where everthing is free. And yes, the day was a finger wagging nagging of safer lifesyles, but the time devoted to Freddie was great, and the musicianship of the Queen survivors splendid. It was hard to grieve there, but Plant's Zep depth in the middle of Innuendo was that special moment for me. I didnt see the boys backstage, but that time they addressed the audience was definately the time when we and the band were all as one, especially as thus the Deacon spake!

Release of MADE IN HEAVEN, an album that I always personally refer to as the Death Album, because thats what I think about when I play it. Also about Loss and Pain, I suppose. It seems to be constucted purposely to cause great upset to people like myself, who experience both agony and happiness at hearing it. Thats because it's so beautiful, and its subject material? I wouldnt have it any other way. It hurts to play it, but I play it a lot. It's like reliving Fred's death every time I do. A great master work of edits and old tracks and samples, they manage to salvage a very listenable album, and I try not to hear the joins.

Pilgramage to the GARDEN LODGE, Freddie's place of passing. I always wanted to do this, and the time was right, that on 24^th November, I would hit Earls Court and spare some time at the home where Fred lived. It was a horrible cold dark night, and about 30 people gathered at the wall that surrounded the great old house. This wall decorated in graffiti, a la Abbey Road, by travellers from all over, wishing to mark this place of worship. Most of the pavement was covered too, and the neighbours houses, which displayed notices urging people not to do so. Candles were burning, marking this death day, amongst photos and messages and little temporary shrines against the wall. Gave a little time to think of the maestro taken from us 6 years before, my head swimming with Mercurical songs. I looked around, and noticed what I thought was dopey members of the QFC. Oh no! Sacrilege! I was outta there, and fast! But i'm glad I went there on that day of days. Yes... it was a worthwhile experience!

I'm finishing this page off on 24^th Nov 2003. Now 12 years gone since that writer of wonders has left us. And it is still heartbreaking. I think about the man every year on the 24^th, it's a time put aside to remember the awful loss of such a great artist. The rest of the boys are still around, in some fashion, and so far have decided not to carry on regardless as a three piece with replacement singer, although, like the Beatles, they continue to work hard to keep the Queen name aloat. There's been a few appearances, and a few awful collaborations, mainly just Roger & Brian. Also, quite a few TV documentaries, and the occasional event. Worst in this catalogue of terrors is the Queen based musical play, 'We Will Rock You', a QFC type act of stupidity, that has STOOPED SO LOW as to use words from Bo Rhap as character names. I hope I am never ever ever tempted to see it. And I hope Fred looks down in dissaproval, wherever he is.

Fast forward to now, that is 2005, and the two blokes left in this arena, May and Taylor, decide to get some other bloke in and go on tour under the name of Queen. How laughable it all is. And yet it does seem to work on some level, unlike the diabolical 'We Will Rock You' musical, the very thought of which makes me cringe, and Freddie turn in his plot. And so it came to pass, that these old pensionable persons took their act to Hyde Park for the masses, BACK TO HYDE PARK AFTER 30 YEARS and virtually in the same spot, although a little to the left. I, at short notice, went there to savour some of the proceedings from a great distance, like outside the gig, where about 300 of us gathered for a second great free picnic by the serpentine. And the view, as noted in my quivering photo, wasnt that bad, and it sounded great, at a great price. Well, my friends, it had to be free like the last one here ! No way was I to pay a fortune for this. It was worth the trip to see Taylor be in love with his Car, and the Free/Bad.Co tracks probably came over the best. All in all, a nice evening, and I left by the same exit as I did in the seventies, which was devoid of any mirror badge sellers. Where are they now ?