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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To still miss Freddie Mercury

81 replies

GothAnneGeddes · 13/08/2012 02:11

I wish he could have performed at the closing ceremony in person, even the clip of him on the screens gave my goosebumps.

He really was, quite simply the best and I don't think any other singer or performer can ever come close particularly when it came to performing for a big event.

Plus, he could have done this: [http://r3---bru02t13.c.youtube.com/videoplayback?app=youtube_gdata&devkey=AX8iKz393pCCMUL6wqrPOZoO88HsQjpE1a8d1GxQnGDm&el=videos&upn=reBha8dVIiU&uaopt=no-save&source=youtube&itag=18&id=ebd33801c8b2b8b4&ip=0.0.0.0&ipbits=0&expire=1344836854&sparams=id,itag,source,uaopt,upn,ip,ipbits,expire&signature=77D871CF2527646635EEA8D15752D7136AF949DC.C56E028825E3153C1DD691143331DCDE7C406DAC&key=yta1&ms=tsu&mv=m&mt=1344808022&cms_redirect=yes&redirect_counter=2]

OP posts:
Madcaplady · 13/08/2012 19:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ViviPru · 13/08/2012 19:38
Blush

Nice of you to say. When I first made the point during the ceremony, DP met it with a standard grunt...

Pedallleur · 13/08/2012 20:54

Ultimate singer? I don't think so. He could certainly front that band but his solo stuff (and a lot of later Queen material was poor). He was a good frontman but no more so than others from that era, Daltrey,Stewart,Rodgers,Jagger (he certainly knows how to work an audience). Betsone? probably Bowie for the sheer class of his catalogue and his Ziggy/Aladdin persona was a stupendous show.

sadie3 · 13/08/2012 20:56

I would go as far to say that Freddy was the best performer to ever grace this earth.

Subarashii · 13/08/2012 20:59

I was at Wembley in '86, in the VIP seats. I fell asleep...

I was only five at the time, though :o

GothAnneGeddes · 13/08/2012 21:00

Pedalleur - we all know who came off better in the Under Pressure duet.

Bowie is a tremendous artist but in no way does he have the vocal ability of Freddie.

As for Queen's later material, The Show Must Go On was as good as anything they've ever done and that's just a quick example.

OP posts:
kefybaby · 13/08/2012 21:00

Me too, OP. Sad Never had the chance to see him live. I really wish I had...

GothAnneGeddes · 13/08/2012 21:02

P.S Viv, I loved your comment too.

Apparently when he was younger he said "I'm not going to be a star, I'm going to be a legend". Well, he definitely is that.

OP posts:
GothAnneGeddes · 13/08/2012 21:03

P.S Viv, I loved your comment too.

Apparently when he was younger he said "I'm not going to be a star, I'm going to be a legend". Well, he definitely is that.

OP posts:
Pedallleur · 13/08/2012 21:10

Meh! saw him a couple of times in small venues (Mcr Apollo) and in stadiums (hate those stupid shows) and yes he was good but not some God you seem think he was. He was 'Just a man, with a man's courage' - see what I did there? I've seen practically every big name over the years and the best one? Springsteen. A man, a guitar, a kick-ass band and some great songs. Small halls,arenas, stadiums, I've seen him master them all. But Freds dead and his legacy lives on so that's good.

GrannyRat · 13/08/2012 21:15

Breaks my heart every time

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 13/08/2012 21:22

It must have been awful for Freddie and everyone else who had Aids in the early days. A shocking plague. There was a LOT of prejudice, and very little knowledge. It must have been just terrifying. Nowadays, it's not such a death sentence. With treatment, life expectancy is quite good. in first world countries.

Pedallleur · 13/08/2012 21:30

But he chose to live that life. There was an interview with the journalist Paul Gambaccini a while back who talked to Freddie about this in the time when there were rumours of AIDS and Mercury just laughed and said he intended doing what he was doing (basically everything to/with anyone) and damn the consequences. He might have regretted that stance later on but that's for then.

Itsjustafleshwound · 13/08/2012 21:40

Let's remember that he did so the opening ceremony - Barcelona anyone?

LadyBeagleEyes · 13/08/2012 21:50

I'm not agreeing with everything you say there Pedalleur, I loved Freddie.
But I agree about Bruce Springsteen, he's still amazing (wish he'd been eligible for London 12)
And I wish Bowie had appeared live.
And more Floyd.
But it was all a matter of taste really at the Closing Ceremony, it was just a concert and hopefully everybody got a little bit of what they liked.
The Who were amazing though, Roger Daltrey has still got the voice.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 13/08/2012 22:00

Oh well. In that case! Hmm

FrankelSaysRelax · 13/08/2012 22:05

"Barcelona" never fails to send shivers down my spine Grin

AnitaBlake · 13/08/2012 22:12

Its such a shame he died so young but as others have said he'll never grow old. I'm not pleased with what roger and Brian are doing, I'd prefer they styled themselves 'former members of Queen' or similar tbh.

I didn't like Jessie Js version, and We will Rock You wasn't the best choice of song imo, but Freddies bit was fab! :D I was never old enough to appreciate him and Queen properly, they dealt were so much more than the sum of their parts!

LadyInThread · 13/08/2012 22:15

I still miss Freddie and thought the crowd at the closing ceremony would have been quite happy to carry on singing along to his video rather than having Jessie J murder his song.

I saw Queen live at Knebworth on the Magic Tour and they were fantastic.
Freddie certainly knew how to work the crowd. I think I preferred their earlier stuff though.

One singer I regret not seeing live when I had the chance is Kate Bush. Her song fitted so well in last night's ceremony.

toptramp · 13/08/2012 22:16

YANBU op: I love Queen. I loved that bit. Wish Bowie had performed and hated Russel Brand.

muffinino82 · 13/08/2012 23:36

Bollocks to all those who say he would be too old Shock Freddie would still have been fabulous last night even in his mid-60s, he'd have saved the whole damned gig Grin Piss off, Jessie, come back when you're that good. Comes to something when the best thing, apart from Idle, is a deceased man who had the crowd in the palm of his hand. They were still willing to sing with and for him. I must admit it made me well up Sad

I didn't get why they went on about great British music but had the likes of her and...those two blokes who's names I don't remember. The one who performed Dynamite was ok, it was a good time for the crowd but hardly legendary. I was spitting feathers when they teased Bush & Bowie, then delivered some tosh or the other. How great would those two have been as a duet? Wink Did I miss the bit where the Stones were mentioned, because I think they deserved it more than One Direction (I had no idea who they were)

DrCoconut · 13/08/2012 23:37

My step dad was at Live Aid and said everyone there, including Queen, was really good, it was an amazing occasion. They were all younger then of course. DH heard Queen with Freddie but did not see them - he was a teenager and couldn't afford tickets so stood outside the stadium and listened! I neither saw nor heard them unfortunately, I was only 14 when Freddie died.

LadyBeagleEyes · 14/08/2012 00:10

Live Aid and Queen is one of the most iconic moments in British Music.
I asked upthread what age he would have been for the Closing Ceremony and it would have been 66.
Nah, that would have been wrong.

jojosiwa · 03/01/2019 14:15

I still get sad thinking about it. Glad I'm not alone. The movie has awakened many emotions in me and reignited the flame I have for Fred and queen.
Amazing performer, never to be repeated. Ever. Simply spellbinding, I can't describe how amazing I think he was. A true gift.
It's so so sad that he died the way he did. If he had HIV / AIDS now, he could pretty much lead a normal life.
It also makes you think about the challenges faced by the LGBT community. So sad that they have had to struggle and fight for what the rest of us take for granted

Expatworkingmum · 03/01/2019 14:22

I didn’t know much about him until we watched Bohemian Rhapsody. Now i’m A bit obsessed!