takes me back

For as long as I can remember I’ve been a Queen fan.

Not the latest iteration with the undoubtedly very talented and capable Adam Lambert, but for me the original line-up of John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor was the one and only Queen.

John Deacon made the right decision to retire after the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.  Perhaps he felt the same way as me.  Who knows.

Anyway, I can still remember being given a cassette recording of “A Night At The Opera” by a lovely, beautiful girl in school back in the fourth form in 1978, and my love for the band (and her!) just exploded from there. I had to collect all their recordings, books, posters, you name it.  I even joined the fan club.  I saw them live on six occasions and blame my near deafness in my right ear on the first of those shows in Birmingham in 1979.  I’d never experienced anything quite so loud and bombastic.

And the following year absconding from home aged 16 with my girlfriend to Birmingham again.  But that's a whole story for another day.

So, as you can imagine, I had to go and see Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic of their career leading up to and culminating with Live Aid.

Sure, there were bits that were chronologically out of place that die-hard fans would spot easily.  Freddie’s rather extreme lifestyle while not being glossed over, certainly wasn’t a “warts and all” reconstruction.  But the music is still just fantastic to this day.  And hearing it in a cinema - whilst not as loud as seeing the band live itself - was still a massively enjoyable experience.

I don’t mind admitting I shed a tear at the end, as I recalled sitting in my living room with the same girl who gave me the tape in 1978 watching Live Aid, as the performance was recreated for the film’s finale.

I’ve written before that I think it’s straight up the most powerful live performance by a rock band ever.  I don’t think it will ever be surpassed.

cheers lads