Queen at Live Aid Philadelphia

http://books.google.com/books?id=I7Pyrk-Koq4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false  

This book has a chapter on Queen at Live Aid (beginning p.138 -- the whle chapter isn't there but you will get a flavour if it). Good book and makes some interesting points about how and why Queen came to be remembered as the "top performance". The author argues that UK press coverage immediately afterward did not single out Queen although TV reports did. In the USA, press reports did not cite Queen as the top performance: in fact Queen was not treated much differently from any other performer in press reports. The author argues that some homophobic comments by comedian Chevy Chase immediately before Queen came on ("are they Queens?") undermined the audience reception of the band. I would argue Queen's performance was perceived with more enthusiasm in the UK because, quite simply, at that point they were hugely popular in the UK compared to the USA. 

ps the author refers to HtF as Hammer Will Fall, which is slightly annoying.

freddiefan91 wrote: the band deliberately (and rightly so) dropped the lyric "build your muscles as your body decays", as it would of been inappropriate especially the reason for the concert in the first place

I didn't realise that!  I've watched it several times on dvd and i never copped it -- i assumed that it wasn't picked up, or Freddie just randomly didn't sing bits.  Didn't realise it was intentional.  Wow.

The performance is on an extra disc in the Montreal dvd.  I love that performance, the white just makes it magical, and the crowd are great.

I adore how Freddie messes around with a cameraman during Hammer To Fall. One of the most amazingest things I've ever seen!

I didn't like the way the camera focused only on Freddie, with occasional Brian shots and John and Roger being pretty much invisible. Apart from that it's a pretty good performance IMO

/ \
Freddie's performance demanded all the attention!

[QUOTE] [b]freddiefan91 wrote:[/b]

the band deliberately (and rightly so) dropped the lyric "build your muscles as your body decays", as it would of been inappropriate especially the reason for the concert in the first place[/QUOTE]

I'd like to know the source on this matter.

[QUOTE] [b]NOTWMEDDLE wrote:[/b]

I do agree that NOTHING was said in the following days and weeks in the American media.  It was a tragically lost moment for Queen as far as Queen were concerned.  There was much celebration over U2 and Madonna.

[/QUOTE]

Old post resurrected and blah blah blah... but I'd just like to say it's really telling that some crap (I don't mean she can't sing - but she has contributed relatively precious little to the development of music) artist like Madonna was given attention in the US in the context of Live Aid, and Queen weren't. Madonna is an average writer, a good singer, but absolutely nothing extraordinary. I could never understand why she is so famous. She was just lucky to be at the right place at the right time, and to have tremendous business acumen and a strong ability to advertise her brand.

This is the country which produced such gems as the Kardashians (granted it's the Daily Mail which keeps fuelling their fame), Paris Hilton and her band of over-privilleged, untalented and unfairly famous cunts, Donald Trump... the list is neverending.

If Donald Trump becomes president then we'll know that the US has lost all hope.

Here here. /\

To answer the years old question. Yes there is.

It doesnt asnwer my first original question, does it?

I was there at JFK as a 16-year-old, already four years into being a massive Queen fan. JFK took a break from their being an act when Queen came on, and the crowd did watch on the video screens. We were watching a live feed, not MTV or whatever. There wasn't much of a reaction to any of the acts, really--no one clapped along to anyone, although there was a little cheering. I do remember one lady with a bikini dancing along to CLTCL. No one had any idea what Hammer to Fall was.

But I did get to see the whole performance, unlike those watching on MTV, who saw Alan Hunter's head bopping along.

Thx!! That was the most usefull answer in all those years.

I should have askef adam and jamie. Another myth busted.

You should thank me for resurrecting your original post!
Haha.

^^ Thx!