Freddie Mercury: Queen's Final Gig Chaos With Lead ... - Daily Express

Freddie Mercury warms up backstage before Wembley concert

Freddie Mercury died in 1991 at the age of 45 after a battle with HIV and AIDS.

The star’s last major gig with his band Queen took place in Knebworth Park, August 9, 1986.

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But while fans able to attend will treasure the show that is now known as Freddie’s last, the reality behind the scenes turned out to be quite different.

A website called Loudersound.com has searched out a number of different interviews at the scene, and there was all manner of drama taking place.

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For one thing, Knebworth House’s current occupant, Henry Lytton-Cobbold, who attended the concert in his 20s, has made the almost-obvious comment that it’s utterly devastating Freddie’s final show wasn’t officially filmed.

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“Can you believe that on Freddie Mercury’s last concert, the great showman, no one actually pressed record?” he asked, completely aghast at the notion.

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“There’s a Dutch bootleg of somebody filming a screen at the back of the audience for the whole show, so there’s a record of it, but no proper film.”

And it would have been quite a recording, as the band’s roadie, Peter Hince, also revealed the dramatics going on on stage.

It turns out that bass guitarist John Deacon ended up smashing his bass into his amp after the band’s performance of Radio Ga Ga, an unusually rowdy move for him.

“He wasn’t p****d off at his gear, he wasn’t p****d off at me, I don’t know what it was,” Peter remembered, before adding: “John acted strangely on that tour.

READ MORE: Queen: Freddie Mercury hated THIS 'How dare they ask me? F*** them'

Freddie Mercury: Queen star's last gig utter chaos (Image: GETTY)

Freddie Mercury: Queen band members regularly talk about the late star (Image: GETTY)

He was doing stuff that was out of character

Peter Hince

“He was doing stuff that was out of character.”

And what’s more, despite a mammoth applause and satisfying ending with the encore of God Save the Queen, the concert was later remembered for something very different.

After leaving the stage, the band learned that paramedics had been unable to rescue a 21-year-old fan in time, who was fatally stabbed in the crowd, according to the publication.

Guitarist Brian Man has since reflected on the concert being Freddie’s last, sharing the singer’s poignant last words about the show.

“Did we know it would be the last time?” Brian told Guitar World. “No.

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Queen perform Bohemian Rhapsody at Live Aid in 1985

Freddie Mercury: John Deacon was not himself according to a roadie (Image: GETTY)

“Freddie said something like, ‘Oh, I can’t f*****g do this anymore, my whole body’s wracked with pain!’

“But he normally said things like that at the end of a tour.

“So I don’t think we took it seriously, really,” the musician added.

While the great Freddie Mercury’s final concert didn’t seem to go as smoothly as it could have, at least fans have a myriad of other performances to remember him by.

Queen continue to perform today with Adam Lambert.

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