“He was a photographer. He loved his Polaroids. He used to take masses of Polaroids of all his friends, portraits, and then give them all away. It was just one of Freddie’s things. Very generous nature, Freddie. He loved photography.”

• Brian May

January 26, 1977 – Montreal, QC, Canada, Montreal Forum
‘A Day At The Races Tour’
Photo snapped by © Brian May

Freddie Mercury backstage with his Polaroid camera

27 January 1976, Queen kick off their US leg of ‘A Night At The Opera’ Tour @ The Palace Theater, Waterbury, Connecticut

The band spent a week in New York rehearsing for their current tour. This show includes the first performance of ‘Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon.’

In a 1977 UK newspaper interview, Brian May recalled how this was the first tour where the venues were selling out everywhere. He then spoke about the differences between British and American audiences: “Here the fans are more reserved until they have reached a point where they can explode. In the States they are ready to explode at the beginning. They will give you anything you want – once you gain their favour.”

“In the dressing room at the start of the ‘Hot Space’ tour, I joked with Freddie: “You know, it’s going to get a little confusing with two ‘Freddies’ on the tour… I think you are going to have to change your name”. He laughed and we really hit it off after that. After a while he started messing around and making me wear his leather jackets because he didn’t think I had a good enough stage outfit…

Freddie was the whole package and there’s nobody like him. He was an incredible musician with unsurpassed vocals. Freddie’s whole concepts and influences were extremely wide and yet he was unique. He was a great piano player and I appreciated firsthand just how well he functioned while playing complicated tunes with first grade vocals on top.”