3 & 4 February 1984 – Queen headlined the Sanremo Music Festival. It was the band’s very first performance in Italy 
They were out promoting their album ‘The Works’ and mimed ‘Radio Ga Ga’
In an Italian newspaper article Freddie Mercury said “The Police and Barry Manilow both pulled out of San Remo when they heard we were top of the bill and they would have to support us. But Boy George turned up. He later remarks that Boy George possesses a great talent. He thinks he’s very brave – referring to his camp image – and sees definite similarities between George and himself during Queen’s early days.
They wanted to sing and play live, but the organization of the Festival forced them to do a mimed exhibition, like all the other artists and like every other tv show at that time (except for the US tv programme Saturday Night Live). Freddie, in protest, performed for almost the entire duration of the song keeping the microphone away from his mouth.
Freddie Mercury during the press conference
Gallery link
PUBLIC APPEARANCES > press conference Italy 1984
