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.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

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.

• Queen: Freddie Mercury on WHY his songs were different from Brian's
• Queen: Freddie Mercury hated THIS 'How dare they ask me? F*** them'

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.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

“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.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

“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.

• Freddie Mercury 'I WON'T make it to 70' His thoughts on life and death
• Freddie Mercury birthday: Brian May shares Bohemian Rhapsody MYSTERY

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.

The latest news and gossip from the Royal Family plus selected offers and competitions Subscribe Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

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.

Queen Elizabeth II Freddie Mercury Musical Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Comments Most Read Most Commented Latest videos Amanda Owen shares major farming update as daughter Clemmy learns new skill Netflix icon shares rare snap of music legend dad after candid health admission Trump's major speech change linked to brain damage in fresh health fears Call the Midwife's Vanessa Redgrave's age, family and daughter's tragic death Food and drink holiday warning issued after outbreak of virus with 'up to 75% death rate' Harry Styles tickets and where fans can buy them on resale if they missed out Melania Trump shares her favourite song and music artist of all time Premium Harry Styles ticket packages with drinks £100s cheaper than standing Highways Festival 2026 tickets out now as line-up finalised with Emmylou Harris Enter Shikari announce arena tour with tickets about to be released 'Incredibly comfortable' Loop Earplugs price plummets in 'deluxe' deal Harry Styles tickets, presale, and how to get early access to Together Together tour Where to buy BTS London tickets after general onsale sell out REVIEW Verdi's La Traviata better than ever at the Royal Opera House A$AP Rocky confirms tour with tickets out sooner than expected on presale Johnny Depp band Hollywood Vampires tickets out this week for UK tour All Time Low fans can buy last-minute arena tour tickets now Johnny Depp supergroup Hollywood Vampires announced 2026 UK and European tour and tickets Brian May speaks out on next Queen and Adam Lambert tour Eurovision Song Contest live tour to launch this year and it begins in London BTS 2026 tour tickets and where to buy them for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Bruno Mars tickets, presale code, links and where he will be playing as new dates added Unseen Paul MccCartney footage documentary with unreleased music gets new trailer Elvis daughter Lisa Marie's hidden childhood message inside Graceland 'secret drawer' 'I'm a linguist - David Bowie's 'Heroes' was a song for the Germans' Elvis ex ‘erased from biopic’ pays emotional tribute to King on his birthday Elvis 91st birthday ceremony livestream gets tearful with Lisa Marie tribute

Daily Express uses notifications to keep you updated

Keep me updated No thanks