Brian May says Queen thought Live Aid performance went ‘kind of OK’ at the time

‘We weren’t aware of what an epoch-making thing it was,’ revealed the guitarist

Brian May has said that Queen failed to grasp the significance of their iconic 1985 Live Aid performance at the time.

The band’s short set at the charity concert is widely ranked among the greatest live music performances ever.

It also formed the centrepiece of the hit 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody, which focused on the life of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (played by Rami Malek).

Speaking with TalkRadio, May, Queen’s long-standing guitarist, said: “It was so strange kind of reliving it for the movie. They recreated it so incredibly faithfully, and to be there on that set was really spine chilling; it brought it all back.”

“At the time, we weren’t aware of what an epoch-making thing it was, really,” he added. “We came off [thinking], ‘Well, that went kind of OK.’ But we didn’t realise that it had made such a lasting impression on the ether… It sort of lives on, doesn’t it?”

During the 22-minute performance at London’s Wembley Arena, Queen played a selection of their biggest hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Radio Ga Ga”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, and “We Will Rock You”.

Despite May’s suggestion that the band didn’t immediately appreciate the impact of the performance, it has been reported that Mercury and co rehearsed meticulously for the gig itself.

Also on the bill for the famous charity concert were acts including U2, Dire Straits, David Bowie, The Who, Elton John, and Bryan Ferry.