Read Queen Unseen for Free Online

upbringing, Fred could communicate with and relate well to the common man – the fans. He did watch football on TV and loved all major sporting events. His favourite football team, after England, was Brazil and the wonderful silky skills they had, the smiles they always wore and their dedicated carnival army of enthusiastic fans. Fred did occasionally play ‘footie’ on stage when a ball had been thrown up from the crowd, and he would dispatch it back with power and some style. I fancy he could have made a powerful and exciting attacking central midfielder – playing in the hole behind the big man upfront. The only outdoor sport I recall seeing Fred play was tennis, which Roger played too, whenever an opportunity arose.
    Sport occasionally crept into Queen live shows and for the first ever performance of ‘Champions’ at Madison Square Garden in New York in December 1977, Fred came on stage wearing a blue and white NY Yankees jacket and baseball cap. The New York Yankees had just won the World Series and, despite The Garden being on the fifth floor, the crowd of almost 20,000 people made the venue tremble with their response. Fred was adept at stage baseball, getting good practice as a batter when various objects came hurtling towards the stage, whereupon he would deflect them with his inverted mike stand. The Japanese are passionate about baseball so it delighted them when Fred hit home runs with the coloured plastic balls they liked to throw on to the stage. Then he’d throw full bottles of Heineken beer back in reply…
    On the Magic tour, a truly magic scenario unfolded during the second show in Munich. Apart from it being Queen’s home-from-home with a lot of friends, it was the day of the 1986 World Cup final between West Germany and Argentina. All the German crew and staff backstage at the Olympiahalle were glued to a small TV. The game was drawn and went into extra time just as Queen went on stage and the final result not yet known. Fred’s master plan, if Germany were victorious, was to come out for ‘Champions’ dressed in the German football kit and kick a ball or two into the surely ecstatic crowd. However, Argentina eventually won, and a fitting climax to Fred’s last performance in a city he loved was denied him.
    Football is the game of the people and, despite their university degrees, and somewhat arrogant stance at times, Queen were a people’s band. They always gave good value and their best show and certainly put their money where their mouth was, continually defying all the critics. It became unfashionable to like Queen and their music, presumably because they were very successful. Now, we can’t possibly have that in England – people who are popular and talented! To sustain a career in the music business you have to have, above all, quality and talent; determination, belief and endurance are also required in order to achieve at a consistently high level. Queen had it. Fred in abundance.
    He also had an abundance of crap piled on him from some areas of the press and tabloids, who were only interested in his weaknesses, lifestyle and sexuality. Despite being a very strong-minded man, it did hurt him sometimes. When the fans are getting on to a top football player because he’s out of form or not scoring, he answers them in the best way – by getting the winning goal or, better still, a hat trick. Fred answered the media by writing another hit single, and Queen by producing another platinum album and getting rave reviews for the record-breaking live show to prove they truly were ‘the champions’.
    The end of the ‘Champions’ encore was the end of the show, when the lighting rig, with every light full on, moved and tilted towards the audience as smoke and dry ice covered the stage, engulfing the band. After taking their bows, hot and sweaty Queen would bounce off stage right, to the sound of audience appreciation