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Queen Live
From Queenpedia.com
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| - | For a complete listing of Queen concerts and detailed setlists please visit [http://www.queenconcerts.com Queen Concerts].
| + | __NOTOC__Despite the myriad excellent websites out there which detail – often in excruciating, painstaking detail – we here at Queenpedia felt it was necessary to integrate information about Queen's live performances. While this section is really just a "dumping ground" for information collected from other sites, it's highly recommended that you visit the websites listed below for more comprehensive and in-depth information. |
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| - | __TOC__
| + | '''As always, this section is a perpetual, and likely permanent, work in progress. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.''' |
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| - | ==Queen Live in the 70s== | + | ==Current Tour== |
| | + | *[[Concert Schedule]] |
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| - | '''Text Originally Published in Record Collector Magazine June 1989''' Article written by Simon Duckett. ''Edited by: Joachim Jacobs (July 2007)'' | + | ==[[Gigography]]== |
| - | [[Image:livepic1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Live at the Marquee, 1972]] | + | <font size=3> |
| - | Early in their career, Queen established a reputation for being a dynamite live band. After their initial successes in Britain, their popularity quickly spread across the rest of the world, and in recent years many of their greatest achievements have been linked with their live shows. In this feature, I want to look at how their concerts have changed over the years, taking the story from their first gigs together to the end of the Seventies.
| + | '''[[Gigography 1950 - 1959 | 1950 - 1959]]'''<br> |
| | + | '''[[Gigography 1960 - 1969 | 1960 - 1969]]'''<br> |
| | + | '''[[Gigography 1970 - 1979 | 1970 - 1979]]'''<br> |
| | + | '''[[Gigography 1980 - 1989 | 1980 - 1989]]'''<br> |
| | + | '''[[Gigography 1990 - 1999 | 1990 - 1999]]'''<br> |
| | + | '''[[Gigography 2000 - 2009 | 2000 - 2009]]''' |
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| - | Very little of this progression is visible on official releases. Their U.K. live LPs are currently limited to a double set called "[[Live Killers]]", issued in May 1979, a heavily edited single album, "[[Live Magic]]", released in December 1986, the legendary "[[Live At Wembley '86]]", released in May 1992, and the most recent release "[[Queen On Fire: Live At The Bowl]]", released in October 2004. One additional Queen live track was issued on the Atlantic compilation "Concert For The People Of Kampuchea" - "[[Now I'm Here]]", taped at the Hammersmith Odeon late in 1979.
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| - | One medium in which Queen have led other artists, however, is the concert video. At the time of writing, these items are available, "[[We Will Rock You]]", "[[Live In Japan]]", "[[Rock In Rio]]", "[[Live In Budapest]]", "[[Queen At Wembley]]" and "[[Final Live In Japan]]" on VHS, and "[[Live At Wembley Stadium]]", "[[Queen On Fire: Live At The Bowl]]", "[[We Will Rock You]]" and "[[Final Live In Japan]]" on DVD, and "[[Live In Japan]]" was released on Laserdisc. In addition, there was an excellent triple set of videos issued in December 1987 called "[[The Magic Years]]", the second volume of which collected together live clips from around the world. But like the vinyl releases, these live videos all come from the later part of the band's career. "[[Rare Live]]" was released in 1989 on VHS, containing different concert clips.
| + | ==[[The Queen Performance Index]]== |
| | + | An index to the first and most recent live performance of every song officially released by Queen, as well as non-album B-sides and covers. |
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| - | '''CLIPS'''
| + | ==[[The Solo Performance Index]]== |
| | + | Separated into solo sections, and includes Queen + Paul Rodgers. |
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| - | During their career, Queen have notched up a huge number of radio and TV appearances around the world. Some of these live clips turned up on "[[The Magic Years]]"; others, like the film of the 1974 shows at the Rainbow Theatre, were shown as a support movie at British cinemas in the 1970s, or were screened at the annual Queen conventions since 1986. And the legendary Hammersmith Odeon gig from 1975 was filmed by the BBC, who have shown the programme three times, and also broadcast it on radio.
| + | ==[[Instrumentography]]== |
| | + | Contains information about instruments used live by Queen and its members over the years. |
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| - | In fact, radio programmes offer one way -albeit an expensive one - for fans to pick up legitimate live recordings of the band. These are available as special radio LPs (or CDs, these days) sent around the world for radio stations to play as entire programmes, with space for local advertising in each show. Besides the BBC's 1973 and 1975 concerts, Queen were taped in 1976 at Hyde Park by Capital Radio. In 1977, they were recorded in the States with the band Kansas, and a CD of this show now sells for £80.
| + | ==A note about bootlegs== |
| | + | Queenpedia doesn't officially endorse bootleg recordings. Anything in the '''Recordings''' subsection is merely for a point of reference and was used by the contributors to this section for research purposes only. Please do not contact Queenpedia asking how or where to obtain bootlegs. |
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| - | But once you own all these official recordings, you may be tempted to start collecting unofficial tapes and records of live Queen shows - the quality of which varies from good to downright appalling, so be warned!
| + | ==Resources== |
| | + | The following sites are absolutely essential for anyone who wants to discover more about Queen and their live performances. This Gigography section would be nothing without the dedicated hard work of the people behind the following websites, so please check them out for pertinent information: |
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| - | Back in 1971, when Queen came together in its present form, the band took the unusual step of perfecting their live performances by playing selected free concerts at venues like Imperial College, London. They also taped some demos at De Lane Lea Studios, which they sent out to the record companies in the hope of getting a contract. EMI Records took the bait, and Queen recorded their debut album for the label in 1972.
| + | :* [http://www.queenconcerts.com Queen Concerts]: basically, everything you ever wanted to know about Queen and solo concerts, from pre-Queen concerts all the way up to present day. Additionally, contains information about instruments used, support acts, the road crew, and memorabilia – and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Martin Skàla has dedicated his life to making sure information about Queen's concerts is 100% correct, and there really is no way to top what he has provided... |
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| | + | :* [http://queenlive.ca/ Bob's Queen Live Page]: ...except for Bob Wegner's Queen page, which goes into even ''further'' detail, highlighting existing and available recordings of Queen shows from 1970 to 1986, with a detailed analysis of bootlegs (including stage banter and explanations of set lists) and images from nearly every show. And of course there's the excellent discussion of the ''Live Killers'' sources, which attempts to date exactly which shows each song from that album comes from. |
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| - | '''REWARDS''' | + | :* [http://www.queentour2005.wegotit.at/ Thomas Zeidler's page]: Austrian journalist Thomas Zeidler started up this site back in 2005, just before Queen + Paul Rodgers hit the road, and he's essentially been to nearly every gig since. Contains detailed set lists and breaking news related to Q+PR, plus a [http://queentour2005.wegotit.at/stats.html nifty little stats page] outlining what songs were played on the 2008 tour. |
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| - | But while contemporaries like David Bowie and Roxy Music reaped the rewards of playing original material onstage in front of glamorous stage sets, Queen's career was held back when the release of their album was delayed by EMI. When it finally appeared in July 1973, it seemed as if the band were copying artists who had actually come along after them.
| + | :* [http://www.pcpki.com/queen/live/ Andy's Queen Concertography]: though Andy stopped updating his website back in 1999, the Concertography (which is still online, as is [http://www.pcpki.com/queen/discography/ his discography]) was where it all started. Some of the information is now old and has been corrected by Martin and Bob on their respective sites, but it's still a nice resource to have. |
| - | [[Image:livepic2.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Live circa 1974]]
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| - | Fortunately, Queen found unlikely champions in 'The Old Grey Whistle Test', who played "[[Keep Yourself Alive]]" to the accompaniment of a film clip. This gave them much needed public exposure, and led to the band winning the support slot on Mott The Hoople's U.K. winter tour. Radio One taped one show, which showcased numbers like "Liar", "[[Keep Yourself Alive]]" and "[[Son And Daughter]]" from their debut album, plus songs from their soon-to-be-released second LP, like "[[Father To Son]]" and "[[Ogre Battle]]". In these early days, the band also played cover versions of "[[Jailhouse Rock]]" and "[[I'm A Man]]", and some 1973 tapes include a song called "[[Hangman]]", which has never been released.
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| - | The 1973 tour won the band a small but loyal hardcore of support; and when their second single, "[[Seven Seas Of Rhye]]", was issued a month later in January 1974, it picked up heavy airplay and sales. Queen then set out on their first headlining tour of Britain and Europe, to coincide with the release of their second album, "[[Queen II]]". Many songs from the album were obviously included in the band's live sets, and Brian May's beautiful ballad "[[White Queen (As It Began) | The White Queen]]", the single "[[Seven Seas Of Rhye]]" and "[[Son And Daughter]]" with an early version of May's guitar solo took their place in their repertoire. The band encored with "[[Jailhouse Rock]]" and "[[Be-Bop-A-Lula]]", and sometimes added "[[Modern Times Rock'n'Roll | Modern Times Rock And Roll]]".
| + | :* ''Queen Live: A Concert Documentary'': written by Greg Brooks, who is now Queen's archivist, this book was first published in 1995 and was a Holy Grail to fans and collectors alike, containing detailed information about set lists and a complete bootleg discography. Throughout the years, websites like Martin's and Bob's popped up and, through excellent research by collectors, a lot of the initial mistakes were corrected, though several still slipped through for the second edition, published in 2004. Regardless, it's still a worthy resource should be in every Queen fan's library. Order it [http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Live-Concert-Documentary/dp/1844496600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232081573&sr=1-1 here (Amazon US)] and [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Live-Concert-Documentary/dp/1844496600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232081573&sr=1-1 here (Amazon UK)]. |
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| - | Tapes of the tour - and bootleg albums like "Rogues And Scandal" and "Sheet Kickers" - show a band growing in confidence all the time, particularly Freddie Mercury. At the Stirling show, Queen got the audience so excited that they rioted after the band refused to come back for a fourth encore! At another show, Freddie got too close to his fans, who dragged him off stage. This sort of reception surprised the band, but it also brought them increased press coverage.
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| - | In 1974 Queen won the support slot on Mott The Hoople's U.S. tour, but like their British critics, the American press were unimpressed. Halfway through the tour, Brian May fell seriously ill, to the extent that they were forced to return to Britain, and to begin making their third album without him.
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| - | But the enforced layoff proved to be a turning point in their career, and they bounced back in October 1974 with a new single, "Killer Queen", which took the charts by storm. "[[Sheer Heart Attack (album) | Sheer Heart Attack]]", their best album to date, followed it. With both releases high in the charts, the band set out on British and European tours. Opening the shows was a dynamic "[[Now I'm Here]]", with dry ice streaming onto the stage - first indication of the special effects and large lighting rig introduced for this series of concerts. The band also took to wearing elaborate costumes, like Freddie's silk cape, originated by [[Zandra Rhodes]].
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| - | The 1974 set was' captured on the film "[[Live At The Rainbow]]": after the tape of "[[Procession]]" faded away, and the band powered through "[[Now I'm Here]]", and then "[[Ogre Battle]]",. the medley made its first appearance, joining "[[Killer Queen]]" and part of "[[The March Of The Black Queen]]" with another track from the new album, the superb "[[In The Lap Of The Gods | Lap Of The Gods]]".
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| - | Brian May then played a short ukulele solo on the instrumental version of "[[Bring Back That Leroy Brown]]", before the band rocked out with the excellent "[[Liar (Queen song) | Liar]]" and the old favourite "[[Keep Yourself Alive]]". Another highlight was the Brian May showcase, "[[Brighton Rock]]" played with "[[Son And Daughter]]". But the Rainbow film isn't the ideal record of this tour, as it is only partially successful at capturing the magic of the band's live shows, and several songs are badly edited.
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| - | '''HEADLINING'''
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| - | The band also recorded the Rainbow shows for a possible live album, but this idea was shelved indefinitely. Instead, they set off for their first headlining tour of the States, and sales of the "[[Killer Queen]]" single and third album rose dramatically as the concerts continued. These early U.S. shows had a slightly different set list to the U.K. shows, something Queen continued to do in the States right up to 1982. The set is captured on various tapes, and also on the excellent bootleg album "Royal American". It opened with "[[Flick Of The Wrist]]", before moving on to the medley, and going on to include an excellent rendition of "[[Brighton Rock]]"/"[[Son And Daughter]]", plus the new U.S. single, "[[Liar (Queen song) | Liar]]". The encores were "Hey [[Big Spender]]"/ "[[Jailhouse Rock]]" and "[[Modern Times Rock'n'Roll]]", with Roger Taylor's vocal range exploited to full effect.
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| - | Queen then went on to tour Japan after a short break in Hawaii, and Queen-mania reigned as the band were mobbed at every step by thousands of fans. The shows at Tokyo's Budokan hall were filmed and recorded, and excerpts appear on "The Magic Years" video. Several bootlegs of the tour also exist, with Queen performing songs like "[[Hangman]]", "[[Ogre Battle]]", "[[White Queen (As It Began) | White Queen]]" and "[[Doing All Right]]".
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| - | They returned to Britain to begin work on their fourth album, and in October EMI issued the six-minute "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]" as a single. The 1975 U.K. tour began before the LP, "[[A Night At The Opera]]", had been issued, but by the time the tour ended the LP was securely placed at No.1.
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| - | '''POSTERITY''' | + | |
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| - | This tour saw the band playing longer sets than before, and gradually introducing songs from the new LP. An entire show was saved for posterity by the BBC, who broadcast the Christmas Eve gig at the Hammersmith Odeon on BBC2, and live in stereo on Radio One. The gigs opened once again with "[[Now I'm Here]]", followed by "[[Ogre Battle]]" and the lovely "[[White Queen (As It Began) | White Queen]]". The medley had expanded to include segments from "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]", while Brian May contributed an extended guitar solo to "[[Brighton Rock]]".
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| - | The show ended with a great rendition of "[[In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited | Lap Of The Gods (Revisited)]]", and the encores were a marvellous "[[Seven Seas Of Rhye]]" and a very different version of "[[See What A Fool I've Been]]". A tape of "[[God Save The Queen]]" concluded the evening's entertainment. This set has been widely bootlegged on the LPs "Command Performance" and "Christmas At The Beeb", among others -but fans should look out for the official BBC radio LPs of the show, which obviously come in perfect stereo. BBC transcription discs sell for £50-£60, while US. radio station promo LPs fetch £25-£40.
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| - | January 1976 saw Queen taking the "[[A Night At The Opera | Night At The Opera]]" shows to America. This tour is not well documented on tape, but the shows saw them continuing to introduce songs from the new LP into their set, like the acoustic "[[Love Of My Life]]", the short but sweet "[[Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon | Lazing On A Sunday]]", and Brian May's "[[Sweet Lady]]"
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| - | After America, the band moved on to Japan and Australia. The Japanese leg of the tour was well documented and heavily bootlegged - fortunately, as their sets were very varied. They played older numbers like "Seven Seas Of Rhye", "Hangman" and a good version of "[[See What A Fool I've Been]]", plus "[[Ogre Battle]]", "[[The Prophet Song]]" and "[[White Queen]]". "Mercury Poisoning", "Geisha Boys" and "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" are among the bootlegs which include material from this tour.
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| - | The band had played a festival in Australia in 1974, but this was their first full tour of the country. They were well received, and the exposure helped them score several big hit singles. Queen then returned to Britain for a break before starting work on their fifth LP. During the recording sessions, they found time for a mini tour of Britain, playing at Cardiff Castle in front of thousands of rain-soaked fans, then in Edinburgh, and finally the historic free show in Hyde Park, to an estimated 150,000 people. This event was not only filmed, but also broadcast on Capital Radio. It gained the band enormous respect in the music business, and confirmed their entry into rock's first division.
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| - | '''BOOTLEG'''
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| - | There are many tapes of the Hyde Park show around, including a bootleg called "Queen In The Park". The gig saw the band in transition, playing one song from the forth-coming "[[A Day At The Races | Day At The Races]]" LP, and an acoustic set with "'39" and "[[Love Of My Life]]". The show also included a superb version of "[[The Prophets Song]]", as well as older titles like "[[Flick Of The Wrist]]", "[[Liar (Queen song) | Liar]]" and "[[In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited | In The Lap Of The Gods (Revisited)]]". The new song featured was "[[You Take My Breath Away]]". The band were only allowed to play one encore, because of park regulations, but it was still a very memorable occasion, and the film - last shown at the 1988 Queen convention - captures much of the day's atmosphere.
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| - | After- this gig, the band returned to the studio to complete the "[[A Day At The Races | Day At The Races]]" album. This was in the shops in time for the band's next major tour, of America in January 1977, supported by Thin Lizzy who gave the band a good run for their money. The tour saw Queen playing new songs like "[[You Take My Breath Away]]", "[[Somebody To Love]]", "[[The Millionaire Waltz]]" and the hard rocker "[[Tie Your Mother Down]]", which opened the set. One of the better bootlegs of this tour is "Duck Soup", which has excellent versions of "[[Liar (Queen song) | Liar]]" and "[[Love Of My Life]]". It also features the band bursting into Elton John's "[[Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting]]", with some great Roger Taylor backing vocals. A radio CD featuring six tracks 'from this tour finally reached the market in 1988.
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| - | Queen then went on to tour Europe, and were once again heavily bootlegged. Among the unofficial results were the live-in-Denmark set "A Day At The Warehouse", which has four sides of classic Queen in full stereo. The, album contains virtually a complete concert:
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| - | "[[Tie Your Mother Down]]", "[[Ogre Battle]]", "[[White Queen (As It Began) | White Queen]]", "[[Somebody To Love]]", "[[Death On Two Legs (Dedicated to...... | Death On Two Legs]]", "[[Killer Queen]]", "[[Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy]]", "[[The Millionaire Waltz]]", "[[You're My Best Friend]]", "[[Bring Back That Leroy Brown]]", "[[Brighton Rock]]", "[['39]]", "[[You Take My Breath Away]]", "[[White Man]]"/"[[The Prophets Song]]", "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]", "[[Stone Cold Crazy]]", "[[Sweet Lady]]", "[[Keep Yourself Alive]]", "[[In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited | Lap Of The Gods (Revisited)]]", "[[Now I'm Here]]" and "[[Liar (Queen song) | Liar]]". You can expect to pay about £25 for stereo copies of this set, so fans with less to spend should look out for stereo tapes instead.
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| - | The band arrived home in June, coinciding with the Queen's Jubilee (and the arrival of punk rock). These concerts saw Queen at the top of their form, playing basically the same set as the European shows, but adding "[[Love Of My Life]]", and using "[[Jailhouse Rock]]"/ "[[Hey Big Spender]]"/"[[Stupid Cupid]]" as the encore. The Earls Court shows were recorded and filmed by the band, but for unknown reasons the tapes never appeared, which is a great shame, as these gigs were Queen at their grandest - with Freddie's vocals showing a breathtaking range and ability to switch styles from ballads to frenetic rock numbers, Roger Taylor's drumming and backing vocals equally effective, and Brian May's guitarwork being simply amazing.
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| - | As usual, though, the band received savage reviews in the music press, who reflected the general climate of antagonism towards long-established bands. So they retreated to the recording studios to make yet another album, though they had only a three-month break before the next U.S. tour began. "[[News Of The World]]" was to prove a turning point in both style and content, with the lavish production and full harmonies of earlier releases replaced by a harsher sound, epitomised by the blues number "[[Sleeping On The Sidewalk]]" and the pure energy of "[[Sheer Heart Attack (album) | Sheer Heart Attack]]".
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| - | '''GENUINE'''
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| - | Before going to the States, Queen recorded a two-hour interview for Radio One, broadcast at Christmas 1977. The interviews were quite revealing, and the band members came across as genuine people with a great sense of humour. Tapes of the interviews may not be easy to find, but they're well worth a listen as they reveal a lot about the band and their music. Queen do not do many interviews, and few are as good as this one.
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| - | The band also recorded a historic session for John Peel which has been heavily bootlegged. It featured four tracks, "[[We Will Rock You]]" (fast version), "[[Spread Your Wings]]" (faster than LP version), "[[My Melancholy Blues]]" and a weird medley of "[[It's Late]]" and "[[Get Down, Make Love]]". These are superior to the album versions and have been played many times on Radio One, and they deserve a full commercial release.
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| - | [[Image:livepic4.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Live circa 1977]]
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| - | The 1977 U.S. tour gave the band their final breakthrough in North America. Much of the tour was filmed, and excerpts have appeared on "[[Greatest Flix]]" ("[[We Will Rock You]]", fast version), and "[[The Magic Years]]" ("[[We Will Rock You]]" slow version/"[[We Are The Champions]]"). The tour saw the introduction of numbers from "[[News Of The World]]" like "[[Spread Your Wings]]", "[[Get Down, Make Love]]", and "[[My Melancholy Blues]]". One of the big surprises was Roger Taylor taking lead vocals on "[[I'm In Love With My Car]]".
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| - | At the Los Angeles Forum on December 22nd, the band got into the festive mood by singing an acoustic version of "[[White Christmas]]". The show was bootlegged, but the tape isn't easy to come across these days. After a short break, the tour continued from January through to March. Then in April the band returned to Europe, to find themselves more successful than ever in France, where the single "[[We Will Rock You]]" had been No.1 for twelve weeks! The European leg of the tour was a huge success; then in May Queen came home for five British dates.
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| - | At Bingley Hall, Stafford, the band were stunned to hear the fans singing along to "[[Love Of My Life]]", and then bowled over when the crowd sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" before the encores. These British shows added "[[White Queen (As It Began) | White Queen]]" and "[[Liar (Queen song) | Liar]]" at some dates. The Wembley shows were recorded by the band for a live album but once again it never materialised. But there are some good bootlegs of the shows, and they catch the band on fine form, with the May 13th gig having one of the best versions of "[[White Queen (As It Began) | White Queen]]" I've ever heard. The rapport between Freddie and Brian is remarkable, and the versions of "[[It's Late]]" and "[[White Man]]" are superb.
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| - | After the British tour, the band went to record a new album in Europe. These sessions produced the strangest ever Queen album, "[[Jazz]]", which has a distinct American sound. So it was no surprise that the "[[Jazz]]" world tour started off in the States, with the band dropping their glamorous costumes in favour of leathers and bright jeans. But their lighting rig was bigger than ever, with a huge bank of multi-coloured lights than can be seen on the cover of "[[Live Killers]]" and the U.K. sleeve for "[[Don't Stop Me Now]].
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| - | As usual, the band injected songs from the new album into their set, such as "[[If You Can't Beat Them]]", "[[Bicycle Race]]", "[[Let Me Entertain You]]" and "[[Fat Bottomed Girls]]", while "[[Dreamers Ball]]" was added to the acoustic set. The band dropped "[[Jailhouse Rock]]" and several songs from the early LPs on this tour, and the set was usually similar to the line-up on the "[[Live Killers]]" album. But the lack of familiar material - and the fact that the band insisted on leaving the stage during the middle section of "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]", leaving tapes to play that section of the song - meant that the press reviews were generally poor. But American fans flocked to see the shows, and the gigs at New York's prestigious Madison Square Garden were completely sold out.
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| - | 1979 saw the band undertaking their biggest ever European tour, playing Yugoslavia for the first time, and filling the huge Belgian stadium, Forest National. At the French concerts, English fans later dubbed 'The Royal Family' by Freddie - led the French crowd in singing "[[Love Of My Life]]". The Paris shows were filmed, for release as a film to accompany "[[Live Killers]]", but again nothing materialised.
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| - | These shows formed the basis of that live double set, although some songs didn't make the record - "[[If You Can't Beat Them]]", "[[Somebody To Love]]", "[[Fat Bottomed Girls]]", "[[It's Late]]" and "[[Jailhouse Rock]]"/"[[Hey Big Spender]]". The band went on from Europe to tour Japan, where once again shows were officially taped and filmed. The set list was basically the same as on the European dates, and only a few live tapes have surfaced.
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| - | '''BALANCE'''
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| - | Queen then mixed the live album in Switzerland. It appeared in June 1979, and was in some ways a disappointment. The overall balance of the album was weighted towards the later albums, and there was nothing at all from "[[Queen II]]" and only one song from the debut album. The album included several mistakes, for reasons best known to the band, and the recent CD release highlighted the poor mix on several tracks. It is not surprising that three of the band have since disowned the album; in fact, Roger Taylor didn't like it when it was released, and said so! But it still went Top 3 in Britain.
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| - | November 1979 saw Queen return to tour Britain, with the hit single "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]" climbing the charts. The 'Crazy Tour' had the band returning to smaller venues, a nice gesture to their fans. The end result was spectacular, and it's a pity that the live album wasn't taped on this tour. The set list varied from night to night, but the "[[Live Killers]]" structure was the basic framework, with the addition of the single (with Freddie on acoustic guitar) and "[[Save Me]]" (with Brian on piano). At the Dublin show, Queen sang "[[Danny Boy]]", while "[[Liar (Queen song) | Liar}}" resurfaced on the second night at Manchester. One of the best shows was at the Alexandra Palace in London, which is well worth looking for on tape.
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| - | On Boxing Day, Queen played a special charity show at the Hammersmith Odeon, in aid of the Kampuchea appeal. The show was filmed and recorded, and "Now I'm Here" was included on the Atlantic double album of the week of gigs. Unfortunately, ITV only included two Queen numbers in their film of the event, but the entire concert was shown on U.S. TV, and at last year's Queen convention. It included great versions of "[[Save Me]]", "[[Somebody To Love]]", "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]" and "[[Keep Yourself Alive]]" (guitar solo and superb kettle drum solo included). Brian's guitar solo contained the tunes of "Three Blind Mice" and "Silent Night". If Queen ever follow Bruce Springsteen in issuing a live boxed set of albums, then this show must form part of it.
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| - | Queen therefore ended the Seventies in superb style. Sadly, however, the only official live set from the band taped during this period wasn't as good as the band's best shows deserved. It's sad that it doesn't do the band justice, and although I disapprove of bootlegs, the fan has little alternative. The solution would be an equivalent to that Springsteen boxed set - or perhaps Jethro Tull's "20 Years Of" package - which would sample the best of the many live recordings recorded but never released by Queen during the Seventies.
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| - | ==Queen Live in the 80s==
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| - | '''Text Originally Published in Record Collector Magazine January 1996''' Written by Simon Duckett
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| - | Many of this year's anniversaries - Lennon, Hendrix, Joplin - are commemorative, so it's a relief to learn that 1990 can also give us something to celebrate, as it marks Queen's 20th year in music business. With the band currently working on their untitled 17th LP, we must assume that the enormous party thrown when they won the 'Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music' at this year's BRITS ceremony is the nearest they'll get to a formal recognition of the anniversary. We've decided to pay our own tribute by continuing our look at the band's live work; this examination of Queen live in the 1980s follows on from where we left off in issue 118, which covered the '70s concerts.
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| - | 1980 kicked off on a high note with a huge tour, two hit albums in the space of six months, and a fine run of four hit singles in Britain alone. But all this was overshadowed by the impact the band was making in the States, with two No. 1 singles and a chart-topping album in "[[The Game]]": a wave of success that repeated itself in Canada, Israel, Europe and South America.
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| - | '''CLASSICS'''
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| - | "The Game" tour began in North America with Queen performing numbers from the album alongside the usual mix of hits and classics. These gigs were the first to feature the huge 'Star Wars'-style lighting rig, and a similar show was captured on 1984's "[[We Will Rock You]]" video, now available at budget price. Noticeable absentees on this officially-sanctioned videotape were "[[Rock It]]", "[[Need Your Loving Tonight]]", "[[Mustapha]]", "[[Jailhouse Rock]]" and the raunchy "[[Fat Bottomed Girls]]".
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| - | By the time the tour arrived in Europe, Queen were about to release their "[[Flash Gordon]]" soundtrack, and so "[[Flash]]" and "[[The Hero]]" were added to the set. The British shows during December found the band in sparkling form and the set varied each night. On one notable night, 9th December, the group played "[[Imagine]]" as a special tribute to John Lennon who'd been tragically slain the day before. Tapes of this tour are not too easy to come by, but they're well worth seeking out.
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| - | Tour highlights included the piano version of "[[Play The Game]]", featuring a glorious guitar break from Brian May, but it was the newer songs which gave real sparkle to the shows. "[[Save Me]]" was transformed in concert with Brian switching to piano, leaving Freddie Mercury free to turn in a fine vocal performance; "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]", with Freddie on 12-string acoustic, Brian on Fender and Fred Mandel sitting in on piano, was given a heavier, looser treatment; and fans were treated to live renditions of "[[Another One Bites The Dust]]", "[[Need Your Loving Tonight]]" and "[[Dragon Attack]]" for the first time in Britain.
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| - | '''MIRACLE'''
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| - | After the European dates Queen relaxed until the next leg took them to Japan in February 1981. Tapes of these shows are virtually non-existent but there is a Japanese picture book, "The Miracle", which documents the tour. The set was virtually identical to the British shows with the exception that "Rock It" was added and "[[Somebody To Love]]" - absent from the U.K. dates - reappeared in the opening medley. Spring 1981 saw Queen achieve a major first by touring South America. In addition to the millions who packed out the continent's huge stadiums can be counted the regulars at the annual Queen Convention where several of these shows have been screened. The set was practically identical to the Japanese repertoire and captured well on tapes like "Rocking The Falklands", and on the "[[Magic Years]]" and "[[Rare Live]]" video releases.
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| - | [[Image:livepic3.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Live Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland, 1982]]
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| - | The band played three dates at the end of 1981 in Montreal in order to shoot the "We Will Rock You" video, which isn't wholly indicative of the live peaks attained by the group elsewhere. That said, the video captures the band in the process of change, with "[[Under Pressure]]" and a reworking of old favourite "[[Keep Yourself Alive]]" both indicative of a funkier approach. The release of "[[Hot Space]]" and its first single, "[[Body Language]]", in early summer 1982 provoked controversy because of the apparent shift towards a more disco- or at least funk-based sound. Some stunning shows during that year's tour soon silenced the knockers' hasty, ill-informed judgements, though. Kicking off in Europe, the live shows included just four songs from the latest LP, one of which, "[[Action This Day]]", was much faster and heavier than the album version with Freddie pulling out all the stops.
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| - | The British dates were particularly memorable, Brian May actually citing the Leeds date as one of the band's finest ever. That night, the band played a blistering "[[Get Down Make Love]]", "[[Play The Game]]" and "[[Somebody To Love]]", with only "[[Staying Power]]" retaining a funk edge. On this occasion the encores included a beefed-up "[[Another One Bites The Dust]]" and a frantic "[[Sheer Heart Attack]]" before the usual show closers, "[[We Will Rock You]]" and "[[We Are The Champions]]". The Milton Keynes gig was filmed by Channel 4 and broadcast in January 1983. Since then, excerpts from it have appeared on "[[Rare Live]]", though the show certainly deserves an official release in its entirety. There are some excellent stereo tapes in circulation from this tour, including some of the European shows - Zurich, Vienna (which was filmed) and Frankfurt (broadcast on German TV). One sad note: the "[[Hot Space]]" tour did not find room for Roger Taylor's "[[I'm In Love With My Car]]" or, more surprisingly, "[[Killer Queen]]".
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| - | '''REINSTATED'''
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| - | After a short break the tour reconvened in North America where Queen unveiled a totally reconstituted set list. Both the big hit "[[Body Language]]" and the follow-up "[[Calling All Girls]]" were added, along with "[[Put Out The Fire]]", apparently a highlight in many of these shows. "[[Rock It]]" was also reinstated and placed early on in the set. Tapes from these dates are fairly rare but an excellent U.S. radio broadcast was issued as a three-disc radio promo set and commands a high price when it makes a rare appearance on the market. Fans will find that recordings from the final leg of the tour, in Japan, are easier to locate; there was also a Japan-only official video release of the Osaka show. Tapes of these Japanese concert are highly recommended for the great versions of "[[Teo Torriatte]]" (with Brian May on piano), "[[Action This Day]]" and "[[Calling All Girls]]" they contain. At one show, Freddie performed a wonderful solo rendition of "[[Spread Your Wings]]" on piano, ruined only when he forgot some of the lyrics! The tour ended in November, marking a watershed in the band's career: they've not returned to the U.S. since, and their tour schedules have become noticably shorter.
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| - | Queen sat back during 1983, even cancelling a return visit to South America, before breaking the silence by appearing at the San Remo festival in Italy the following year. A full European tour followed in late summer, lasting - with breaks - well into 1985. The huge success of "[[The Works]]" LP and a total of four hit singles meant that the dates were quickly old out. Some forty songs were rehearsed, and for the first time in nearly five years, Queen revived songs from their early years, old favourites like "[[Liar]]", "[[Seven Seas Of Rhye]]", "[[Stone Cold Crazy]]" and "[[Great King Rat]]". The set opened with "[[Machines]]" before steam-rolling through "[[Tear It Up]]", "[[Tie Your Mother Down]]" and a surprisingly short "[[Under Pressure]]". Dropping many songs from "[[The Game]]" and "[[Hot Space]]", the new set was instead built around new material like "[[It's A Hard Life]]" plus old favourites "[[Killer Queen]]", "[[Now I'm Here]]", "[[Somebody To Love]]", and of course "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]".
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| - | Nothing was on offer from the "[[Jazz]]" album and only "[[Staying Power]]" remained from "[[Hot Space]]". There was a truly fine "[[Hammer To Fall]]" on which May was joined by [[Spike Edney]] playing additional guitar and keyboards. The shows closed with the remarkable "[[Radio Ga Ga]]" (complete with mass audience participation) before the band returned for a camp "[[I Want To Break Free]]", an electrifying "[[Jailhouse Rock]]", and the traditional finale of "[[We Will Rock You]]"/"[[We Are The Champions]]". At several British concerts Queen added "Saturday Night's Alright", and at the September 5th show, Freddie sang an impromptu "Not Fade Away" before launching into "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]". The U.K. dates were recorded by the band but not released: however, there are some superb stereo tapes in circulation dating from this time. "[[The Works]]" tour next moved to South Africa, which seemed to many observer a completely irresponsible thing to do. Queen paid heavily for their insensitivity with a huge fine and the threat of expulsion from the Musicians Union. The tour itself was far from successful with Freddie developing throat trouble and several dates having to be cancelled. Nevertheless, the accusations aimed at Queen by the press, who felt they were breaking the boycott for financial or even racist reasons, were unfair. Many of the band's songs deal with freedom - "[[White Man]]", "[[I Want To Break Free]]" and "[[Is This The World We Created?]]" - and the chief motivation seems to have been the naive belief that change could be brought about through music.
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| - | '''FLU'''
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| - | Having stopped off in Munich to record "[[Thank God It's Christmas]]", Queen took the world stage yet again in January 1985, headlining both nights at the massive Rock In Rio festival in Brazil. With Brian suffering with flu and Freddie still full of Xmas puddings, the band were clearly not on top form, as evidenced on the video release. But if you want to catch Freddie forgetting his words on "[[It' A Hard Life]]", "[[Live In Rio]]" (issued in 1985) is the place to go. After the festival Queen returned to the U.K., Freddie to finish off his solo album, the group to rehearse for the forthcoming tour of Japan and Australia. They had found their form again by the time the Japanese dates were filmed, performing "[[The Works]]" set in all its glory. The unofficial film in circulation also captures excellent versions of "[[Tie Your Mother Down]]", "[[Under Pressure]]" and "[[Another One Bites The Dust]]"; while a good stereo tape recording, "Live In Tokyo", comes highly recommended. The Australian dates - the band' first there in nine years - were filmed by the local television network, and an excerpt of "[[Radio Ga Ga]]" featured on the second volume of the three-video "[[Magic Years]]" series.
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| - | Queen returned to Britain after the Far East tour intending to take a breather. May saw Freddie's solo album charting well, while his second solo single, "[[I Was Born To Love You]]", reached No. 11. The resting period was cut short when the band announced their intention to appear at the Live Aid concert in July. To prepare, they rehearsed solidly for three weeks in order to condense the set into just 20 minutes. With no soundcheck and on a bare stage, Queen's performance became an instant legend; and sales of "[[Greatest Hits]]" rocketed. More than that, the appearance seemed to revitalise the group and they quickly re-entered the studio to record the "[[One Vision]]" single and, later, the "[[A Kind Of Magic]]" LP.
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| - | '''HUGE'''
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| - | The disc went straight to No. 1 in Britain and a major European tour was announced for the summer, again taking in Wembley Stadium. These shows were on a massive scale, the stage set was huge, and the music drawn from all parts of their career: but there were big surprises with some strange omissions from the set list. The shows began with "[[One Vision]]", followed by "[[Tie Your Mother Down]]" and a superb reworking of "[[Lap Of The Gods (Revisited)]]", kicking off a medley of "[[Seven Seas Of Rhye]]", "[[Tear It Up]]" and a stunning "[[A Kind Of Magic]]". "[[Under Pressure]]" followed, then a brilliant version of "[[Who Wants To Live Forever]]" (criminally left off the "[[Live Magic]]" LP), with Freddie's vocals soaring majestically. The pace was varied with "[[Another One Bites The Dust]]", a drastically remodelled version with a great driving rhythm supplied by John Deacon and Roger Taylor. Next up was an intriguing jazz instrumental featuring Freddie on piano and some delicate guitar-work from May. Sadly, this was not featured on either the live album or the official video release.
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| - | An old stage favourite, "[[Now I'm Here]]", was revamped becoming much harder and faster than the version on "[[Live Killers]]": Brian's guitar break was longer and the lighting rig was used to great effect. Leading into "[[Brighton Rock]]", the band then played a surprisingly extended acoustic set with "[[Is This The World We Created?]]" and "[[Love Of My Live]]", followed by a string of 50s and 60s songs like "Hello Mary Lou" and "Tutti Frutti", to which they added an electric ending best captured on the "[[Live In Budapest]]" video. The Wembley dates were filmed by Channel 4 and broadcast on TV and stereo radio later in the year as "Real Magic". "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]" still retained the tape segment and "[[I Want To Break Free]]" was now a sing-along number with the crowd supplying the chorus and the verses sung by Freddie. This is featured in edited form on "[[Live Magic]]". The shows ended in great style with a glorious "[[Hammer To Fall]]" (with Brian May letting rip), and an extended "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]", mysteriously left off "[[Live Magic]]". The band returned to encore with "[[Radio Ga Ga]]", prefacing this with "Hey Big Spender" at the second Wembley show. A second encore featured the slow version of "[[We Will Rock You]]", while "[[Friends Will Be Friends]]" led into the closing "[[We Are The Champions]]".
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| - | '''ACOUSTIC'''
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| - | While covering all aspects of Queen's career, the omission of songs like "[[Somebody To Love]]", "[[Save Me]]", "[[Play The Game]]", "[[It's A Hard Life]]", much of the hugely successful "[[A Kind Of Magic]]" LP and all of the "[[Queen]]" debut, was felt. The long acoustic set was fun but seemed out of place in what has turned out to be the band's last tour of Britain and Europe in the 1980s. The release of the heavily edited "[[Live Magic]]" proved pretty pointless, as both the official video "[[Live In Budapest]]" (1987) and "Real Magic" broadcast were more complete as tour documents. The "[[Live Magic]]" CD is marginally longer than the vinyl release, but still no substitute for the full, unedited concert.
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| - | The 'Magic' tour ended at Knebworth on August 18th before a crowd over 150,000. Tapes of these shows are worth seeking out for Brian May's performance alone - possibly his best-ever show - where he attacked his cherry red guitar, wrenching out some truly amazing effects. It was an amazing show, but was sadly marred by the violence of a few, and the tragic death of one fan. This was particularly out-of-character because Queen concerts are generally extremely good-natured affairs.
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| - | Knebworth proved to be the final Queen show of the decade. It was not till May 1989 that they returned with the brilliantly stylish "[[The Miracle]]" album which soon became a huge worldwide
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| - | hit. Despite this success, Queen are unlikely to tour in the near future, as Freddie has maintained his resolution not to appear live against the wishes of the rest of the band.
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| - | '''CROSS'''
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| - | 1987 saw the formation of Roger Taylor's band the Cross, featuring [[Spike Edney]] on keyboards. This outfit released its first single, "[[Cowboys And Indians]]", on Virgin in October, and made its live debut at Thames Television studios for the "Meltdown" show. They played a superb set lasting an hour, showcasing songs from the forthcoming "[[Shove It]]" album, and with Roger handling the vocals with great style. Particularly good were "[[Strange Frontier]]" and the marvellous encore of "[[I'm In Love With My Car]]".
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| - | The show was broadcast that December and, while the omission of "[[Strange Frontier]]" was inexcusable, for a debut show was damn near perfect! "[[Shove It]]" appeared in 1988 and the group supported both album and single with a tour of Britain's smaller venues. The set of classic heavy rock also drew from Roger's pair of under-rated solo albums as well as the new Cross album. Alongside "[[Love Lies Bleeding]]", "[[Cowboys And Indians]]" and "[[Heaven For Everyone]]" (with Roger confidently handling Freddie's lines) were the show's highlights, a fierce "[[Man On Fire]]" (with some tremendous drumming by Joshua and a great vocal from Roger), "[[Strange Frontier]]" and "[[Laugh Or Cry]]" from "[[Fun In Space]]", featuring some fine acoustic guitar playing by Clayton.
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| - | Later shows saw the Cross visibly growing confidence and adding a great version of "[[It's An Illusion]]" to the set. Meanwhile, many of the songs from "[[Shove It]]" were being transformed: "[[Love On A Tightrope]]" became a real showstopper, "[[Shove It]]" a powerhouse song. The shows climaxed with some raw vocals from Clayton on "[[Manipulator]]" before the group's version of "[[I'm In Love With My Car]]". The final British date at the Town & Country Club, London, saw one of the finest performances, and tapes of this show are well worth locating. The group then went on to Germany taking with them a sizeable number of their British fans.
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| - | A historic event took place in December 1988 when Queen fans gathered at London's Hammersmith Palais for a special Christmas party. The Cross played a short-but-incredible set of
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| - | their first three singles and some choice album cuts, being joined by John and Brian for encore. The trio, along with keyboard player [[Mike Moran]] ran through some blues standards, rounding off with a raw "[[I'm In Love With My Car]]". The band members later mingled with the crowd signing autographs and chatting to the hordes of enthusiasts.
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| - | The April 1989 Queen convention previewed the new album but a terse statement from Freddie was posted on the walls informing fans that he did not want to tour to promote the record. This was a crushing blow to the hopes of those who thought he may change his mind, particularly in the light of the album and single's success. The press, meanwhile, took delight in prophesying the demise of Queen.
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| - | Although welcoming the news that a new album is on the way, few Queen fans are expecting much in the way of concert performances to promote its eventual release. Video releases cannot replace the intimacy or the excitement of a live concert, so fans' hopes are pinned on Freddie Mercury having a change of heart. As the Stones and Paul McCartney have recently showed, demand to see the elder statesmen of rock is still at a premium and, arguably, the return of Queen to the stage could result in this marvellous quartet outselling them all.
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| - | '''WAITING'''
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| - | Perhaps the waiting game could be eased with the release of a live retrospective in the mould of Bruce Springsteen's five LP/three CD concert anthology. There is certainly enough material in the vaults and such a celebration would be instantly preferable to another "Greatest Hits" set. Rarities such as "[[See What A Fool I've Been]]" (1975) , "Jailhouse Rock", "Hangman" (1973) , plus previously unissued concert recordings of classics such as "[[Liar]]", "[[Lap Of The Gods]]", "[[Father To Son]]", "[[Somebody To Love]]", "[[Save Me]]", "[[Play The Game]]", "[[It's A Hard Life]]", "[[Flash]]", "[[The Hero]]", "[[Who Wants To Live Forever]]" and even "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]", would be more than welcome. At the time of this writing, there are no plans to release such a set, nor indeed a retrospective similar to that which celebrated 20 years of Jethro Tull. Perhaps the most we can hope for is the hasty arrival of the new album, although sources close to the group insist that, as yet, there is no projected title and certainly no release date. It looks as if fans will be celebrating 20 years of Queen in private.
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Revision as of 15:01, 7 December 2011
Despite the myriad excellent websites out there which detail – often in excruciating, painstaking detail – we here at Queenpedia felt it was necessary to integrate information about Queen's live performances. While this section is really just a "dumping ground" for information collected from other sites, it's highly recommended that you visit the websites listed below for more comprehensive and in-depth information.
As always, this section is a perpetual, and likely permanent, work in progress. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Current Tour
1950 - 1959
1960 - 1969
1970 - 1979
1980 - 1989
1990 - 1999
2000 - 2009
An index to the first and most recent live performance of every song officially released by Queen, as well as non-album B-sides and covers.
Separated into solo sections, and includes Queen + Paul Rodgers.
Contains information about instruments used live by Queen and its members over the years.
A note about bootlegs
Queenpedia doesn't officially endorse bootleg recordings. Anything in the Recordings subsection is merely for a point of reference and was used by the contributors to this section for research purposes only. Please do not contact Queenpedia asking how or where to obtain bootlegs.
Resources
The following sites are absolutely essential for anyone who wants to discover more about Queen and their live performances. This Gigography section would be nothing without the dedicated hard work of the people behind the following websites, so please check them out for pertinent information:
- Queen Concerts: basically, everything you ever wanted to know about Queen and solo concerts, from pre-Queen concerts all the way up to present day. Additionally, contains information about instruments used, support acts, the road crew, and memorabilia – and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Martin Skàla has dedicated his life to making sure information about Queen's concerts is 100% correct, and there really is no way to top what he has provided...
- Bob's Queen Live Page: ...except for Bob Wegner's Queen page, which goes into even further detail, highlighting existing and available recordings of Queen shows from 1970 to 1986, with a detailed analysis of bootlegs (including stage banter and explanations of set lists) and images from nearly every show. And of course there's the excellent discussion of the Live Killers sources, which attempts to date exactly which shows each song from that album comes from.
- Thomas Zeidler's page: Austrian journalist Thomas Zeidler started up this site back in 2005, just before Queen + Paul Rodgers hit the road, and he's essentially been to nearly every gig since. Contains detailed set lists and breaking news related to Q+PR, plus a nifty little stats page outlining what songs were played on the 2008 tour.
- Andy's Queen Concertography: though Andy stopped updating his website back in 1999, the Concertography (which is still online, as is his discography) was where it all started. Some of the information is now old and has been corrected by Martin and Bob on their respective sites, but it's still a nice resource to have.
- Queen Live: A Concert Documentary: written by Greg Brooks, who is now Queen's archivist, this book was first published in 1995 and was a Holy Grail to fans and collectors alike, containing detailed information about set lists and a complete bootleg discography. Throughout the years, websites like Martin's and Bob's popped up and, through excellent research by collectors, a lot of the initial mistakes were corrected, though several still slipped through for the second edition, published in 2004. Regardless, it's still a worthy resource should be in every Queen fan's library. Order it here (Amazon US) and here (Amazon UK).
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