Freddie on tour - an aging athlete ?

I try to bring this to you raw and unfiltered. In my opinion Freddie was like an aging athlete at least since "The Works Tour". Of course he was still very good and occasionally even superb ( Live Aid ) but he had lost "something" wich is hard to explain. Maybe just three percent energy, a fingertip of power or whatever you want to call it.

I am not slagging the Works or Magic tour in general.

Is someone with me ?

I agree. He was fairly old by then and probably wasn't as hungry for touring anymore.

Is 38-40 classed as a fairly old man??

>Is 38-40 classed as a fairly old man??

Yep - even when that dude ISN'T wearing a leotard and a jock-strap. Honestly, the lack of advice he was receiving is, truly, staggering. Still, it if gave Paul Prenter a hard-on, I guess it was "job done", eh?

Freddie was getting a bit wide around the waist by '85.

[QUOTE] [b]scottmax wrote:[/b]

Is 38-40 classed as a fairly old man?? [/QUOTE]

In general no. But I think it's past his physical prime as far as fitness and performing.

If you're going to classify Freddie as an athlete (and I'm not saying you should or shouldn't), then yes, pushing 40 would be "fairly old". Personally, I don't think "aging athlete" is the right metaphor for this situation - it seems to me that by the mid-80s, touring had become a bit of a chore. The guys were so used to it, and probably worn down by it, that I think it was just "a job". All the perks were things they'd gotten used to years ago, and the downsides were starting to grate. I think you see this kind of thing with most artists/groups whose career lasts long enough. So, IMHO, not physical wear, but mental boredom and routine.

He wasn't "old man".
He was probably tired of touring.
Also, he had been in relationship with Jim from '85, he probably wanted to spend more time with him than going on a tour.
Later, he probably would have liked to go on a tour again but he got sick, and sadly that never happened again.

Any person is at its peak at 30. From then onwards the body slowly starts to decline.
Of course, performing may not be considered topsport but in Freddie's case I think the physical effort may be equal to what a athlete does.
Singing AND moving around like he did was a hell of an effort.


In Freddie's case - sadly - there was also a virus in his body and I think it's no too far stretched to say that as early as 1984 some effects were showing.
And if you take into account that he didn't adjust his behaviour (still sleeping little etc.) yet, then it's no surprise that some effect is seen in his performances.

Phoebe has commented on how tired he felt during the Magic tour. In my mind there's no doubt the Hiv-virus was responsable to that. He was in denial until the Kaposi Sarcoma showed up in the (early) spring of 1987. By then his immune system had already taken a HUGE beating (this was probably already going on for about 2 or 3 years).

I turn 40 this year, looks like I’m fucked then.....

Yup, you're fucked my friend!.....once you hit 40 It's all downhill. In all honesty when we turn 40 we think we're old because of comparing ourselves with our younger days, but in reality 40 is still young. Freddie looked young for live Aid, lots of energy for sure. The things that ages you faster will be the things you put in your body, in Freddie's case he did lots of drugs and partying up to 1986....smoking ages you faster, he was a big smoker as Well, Of course he had his illness that made him fatigued by 86 . I should add that he looked tired for the magic tour by his standards, but still had more energy than most 25 year olds. He still did plenty of running around on that tour. Never a stage big enough for Freddie Mercury as Mick Jagger said. Athletes are different, just a regular person who enjoys working out will notice a difference in the gym once they hit 40. Body breaks down more. A singer, if you take care of yourself age shouldn't be a factor.

Funny, I've always found the Magic Tour shows the most energetic by Freddie. Just check out him singing TYMD at Wembley. He looks like he will explode any minute :D

Interesting topic

Would Freddie still want to tour at 70; probably no

His performance was high energy; always switched on and in the moment, even on The Magic Tour but, if you look closely, you can see he is visibly out of breath even early in the set (Tear it Up at Wembley)

He was also past his prime vocally (doesn't a man's singing voice peak around 30?). This was clearly seen on The Works tour where in every recorded performance, he was clearly struggling compared to Hot Space tour only two years earlier

I seem to recall a postponement of an interview with Simon Bates on BBC radio1 in 1985 due to health issues; and Simon Bates indiscreet comment about 'fur on Freddie's tongue' - there was obviously something going on health wise and voice wise at that point

For some unknown reason, he absolutely peaked at Live Aid but that was a 20 minute slot compared to the regular 2 hour Queeen show and I don't believe for one second that any of the Queen songs were an easy sing, never mind doing it every other night for four months in a row

I saw him on the Magic Tour and distinctly remember thinking that he looked thinner (than The Works tour) and at a particular moment (Radio Gaga) he looked decidedly gaunt :-(

As a lifelong fan, it was heartbreaking to see his decline and, if he was still around, he would be outperforming every wanna be from Justin Hawkins to Robbie Williams then eating them for breakfast

Freddie may have had the first effects of HIV in this period, that's why he lost this "something"