Freddie Mercury’s Queen bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor took to the stage in Sydney alongside their collaborator, Adam Lambert, who now sings the vocal parts made famous by the late, great frontman. Turning back the clocks, Queen + Adam Lambert brought the incredible 1985 Live Aid setlist to life once again for the fundraising concert in aid of those affected by the bushfires in Australia. The event marked the first time in history the rock band have performed the 22-minute set which lit up Wembley Stadium over 30 years ago.
Lambert sang the lead vocals while May took his usual place on guitar and Taylor rocked the crowd of around 70,000 on drums.
From 1985 until now, the heartbreaking difference is, of course, the notable absence of singer Mercury.
But the Queen icon was there in spirit, with the group honouring him with the inclusion of footage from Live Aid.
Video footage played on the screens of his historic performance, complete with his interaction with the crowd, playing call-and-response as he shouted: “Ay-oh!”
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Queen shared two songs from their performance on YouTube, showing Lambert tackling Mercury’s soaring vocals on We Are the Champions and We Will Rock You.
They were on the line-up alongside Olivia Newton John, Alice Cooper, k.d. Lang and Guy Sebastian.
Lambert joined forces with Queen for the first time during his stint on American Idol in 2009 and has since become part of an ongoing collaboration with the rock band.
They are currently in the middle of a huge world tour with the Rhapsody Tour.
When they teamed up with Lambert officially, Queen made it clear he wasn’t stepping in to replace Mercury as the new frontman, but rather as a new musical project.
Mercury tragically died in 1991, five years after being diagnosed with AIDS.
The legendary musician kept his diagnosis private until days before his death.
He died on November 24, 1991, of bronchopneumonia.
