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29 August, 1984 – Queen performed their second evening at Royal Dublin Society Simmonscourt in Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪
They rocked out to a packed stadium of 12,500 fans!
Audience members sang their own version of ‘God Save The Queen’ at the end of the show.
A fan was reportedly seen putting a large video camera into their backpack after the show.
48 years ago, 22 March, 1974, Queen performed at The Paddocks, Canvey Island, England.
“Queen ll Tour”
Freddie is playing a Wurlitzer, not a piano. Freddie didn’t yet own a piano at this point, and would play whatever the venue provided. No doubt tonight’s versions of ‘White Queen’ and ‘Seven Seas Of Rhye’ were one of a kind.
The photos are © Paul Bird
Queen Live
Gallery links
Freddie was the godfather of my third son, named Freddie after him, but he loved and cared for all my children. One time, in 1984, Freddie asked my first son Julian what he wanted for his birthday and Julian said: “All I want is for you to show up to my party in the costume from the ‘It’s a Hard Life’ video”. And, my God, he did it! Well, he didn’t come to the door in the costume. I heard him changing in my bedroom and muttering “I can do this on stage, I can do it at this party!”
(Reinhold Mack, Queen producer 1980-1986)
22 March 1984 – Queen started filming portions of their extravagant video, “I Want To Break Free”, directed by David Mallet. This John Deacon penned hit was enormous throughout Europe and became an anthem in oppressed areas in the word.
The first day of filming took place at a new studio called Limehouse in London’s newly refurbished Docklands. On short notice, the fan club provided four hundred extras, who wore black boiler suits and miners’ helmets. The shoot took place in a massive warehouse next to the main studios, which was freezing cold inside! The extras played their parts well, surrounding the band and moving down steps en masse on cue.
Not surprisingly, however, the fan club members didn’t complain at all – most were so in awe at being in the presence of their heroes that only a small number actually plucked up the courage to ask for autographs.
The next day (March 23) the band will go into a smaller studio in Battersea to film the main part of the video, the guys in drag! Lol.
“I Want To Break Free” was Queen’s most outrageous video they had ever made, and the most expensive (£100,000) topping the cost of “Radio Ga Ga’.
The filming of this fabulous video would take about three weeks
This video would become one of Queen’s most controversial, especially in America (they just didn’t get it) and it’s also one of their most beloved by fans!
Freddie Mercury is pictured signing autographs for the “Miners” on the set
Gallery link
Freddie backstage at Knebworth with contest winners August 9, 1986.
The magazine ‘Smash Hits’ competition winners – from left to right, Steve Eastwood, Duane, Freddie, Helen Graham and her daughter Sarah.
Smash Hits catches up with Joe Fanelli at a table who explains, “Freddie does it because he loves it. He’ll wake me at four in the morning,” he laughs, “and wants me to fix something for him and John Taylor. Or he’ll turn up suddenly and say, ‘can you stretch dinner for 35?’ He Expects perfection. Of course we have rows, but,” he sighs, “he always wins.”
“I expect to die in the next couple of years from it,” Freddie smiles. “I think it will wear me out before I tire from it.”
The winners are then led to Freddie’s private caravan.
“Hi guys, excuse the horrible shirt,” he apologizes before doling out kisses, handshakes and autographs.
So, What did they think?
“I touched his mustache!”
“He’s small — but perfectly formed!”
“He was soft and cuddly just like I expected!” (awe )
What did he say to us? He said, “I’m glad the tour is over — it’s a drag. I want to go home and get fat!” Lol
What a lucky group of fans .
Smash Hits Magazine – 27 August 1986 issue
Freddie Mercury’s final concert with Queen
