Queen interview at Live Aid rehearsalMorning TV program "Rock’n roll royalty", 1985
Brian: It was actually at the BPI awards that we went to, to collect an award, and Geldof was a few tables away and came over and said, “How about doing this thing?”. And he said “We are going to have this, and this, and this, and this”. And we said “Or, yeah, I’m sure”. You know, thinking that it was an almost impossible thing to get together. But we said “Yes, we’d be interested”. Than a bit later on, he rang up and said, “Look, Brian, I have to have a commitment, you know?” And so, we sort of talked about it a bit more, and it seemed like we were all very keen to do it, you know? I: Is that because you support the cause and want to do your bit, or because it’s such a unique rock event, that you can’t afford to miss out, in a way? Brian, Freddie, Roger: Good question! Freddie: Probably a little bit of both, actually. To answer that honestly, it’s a bit of both. Actually, you know, because I think it is a very good cause, and initially, I think we would have liked to have taken part in the Band Aid single, but I think, we were in separate part of the globe. And so, the second bush at it was this thing. And also the fact that some of the biggest and best-known groups around the world are taking part, why no us? So, I think… it makes me, personally proud to, sort of, be part of it, actually. I: Was it difficult to choose numbers for a 20-minutes set? Do you find, that you have to stick to your best-known numbers? Brian: Yes, we’ve just been talking about that. It is pretty hard to make the choice. You have to be very concise. Roger: Yes, we don’t really know guite what to do. You know, whether to play the hits or to try and do something new. But I think in 20 minutes, really, we’ve got to play things that people know and will recognize, you know, in Turkey, or wherever they’re watching it, maybe (all smiling). Hopefully. Brian: Anything goes. Freddie: So we’re still squabbling over that fact, that’s what he’s trying to say, huh? (Others laughing) I: You’re known for the spectacle of your live performances, for the backdrops of the expansive lighting rigs. It is gonna to be difficult to cope with the, sort of, sparsity of Wembley? Brian: Well, it all comes down to if you can play or not, really. Which is nice, really, it’s a way, because I think, probably, there’s probably an element of people who think that groups like us can’t do it without the extravagant backdrop but we’ll see, yeah. I: After 13 years, do you still get excited about this sort of live performance? Freddie: This one especially. Brian: It’s a great, yeah. Freddie: We still like to play and fool around. I: What about the number that you two are going to be performing towards the end, towards the finale? What’s the story behind that? Freddie: Well, actually, it seems that it looks as if we actually wrote it for this occasion, but we didn’t, actually, it was done a long time before that. It seems to fit the bill, actually, so I think they opted out and said, well, why don’t the two of us… Because I mean, during a Queen show, it’s just the two of us that actually are playing. Roger and John actually go and have a drink of something. But so we weren’t really going to do that one, but it seems to be very, sort of, of a part to the show. It’s very meaningful and so we are going to do it. I: Tell me a little bit about it. Freddie (to Brian): Or, you tell her. Brian (smiling): It came about when we’d almost finished recording the album The Works, actually. And we’d been throwing stuff of because there wasn’t room for it, and in the end we threw off so much that we said: “There’s a little hole here, it just needs something”. And actually, Mack, who was producing us, said “Why don’t you do something really simple?” You know, just write a song. And Freddie and I were there late one night, and we just came up with these thing. It was very quick. And we just had this particular thing in mind, you know. The whole business of Africa was in our minds. And that’s the way it came out. I: Saturday’s meant to be all for a good cause, and there’s aren’t meant to be any egos involved? But are so… (everybody smiling) Oh, no, no egos at all, no! I: But are so many superstars going to find it difficult in each other’s, sort of, personal spaces? Roger: Complete, totally impossible. Brian: It should be hilarious. Freddie: It’s gonna be chaos. I thing it’s going to be chaotic, yes. It has to be. I mean, we’re not… We are not all wonderfully well-behaved kids, are we? (smiling). But that’s going to, sort of, actually be the nice part of it, actually. There’s be lots of frictions, (and rumors) and we’re all gonna try and outdo each other, I guess. But we’re just gonna go and play. Brian: That’s right. You want to give something special, really, cause that’s what it’s all about. You know, not a regular thing. So everybody’s gonna be out there giving their best, and that’s what it’s about. Make some money for those people. As Geldof says, that’s what it comes down to, you know? We can all have a great time, and I think we will, but it comes down to the fact that it’s gonna make tons of money. And for a change, the money’s gonna go to the right place.
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