queen magic tour 86

In June the mighty Queen machine rolled into action for the very last time with Freddie, and the Magic tour of Europe commenced. Using the biggest stage and lighting rig ever assembled, the band played mostly stadiums and some large arenas across Europe and the UK.

Following an unusually long period of rehearsal at Wembley in London during May and June, Queen travel to Stockholm for the first Magic Tour shows.

The Magic Tour incorporates the UK and nine European countries only. It is never taken to America, Japan or Canada, as were most other tours. It consists of twenty-six performances at twenty separate locations, played over an eight week period. It includes Queen’s first and only show in Budapest, Hungary, and also their only concert at the beautiful Knebworth Park site, in Hertfordshire.

Queen are again Britain’s most popular band and the UK shows break all attendance records like never before. The queue for tickets at Newcastle (the first show in England) was longer than that seen in 1974, when Newcastle United reached the FA Cup Final. All 38,000 tickets were sold within an hour. The proceeds from this show are donated by the band and promoter Harvey Goldsmith to the international Save The Children Fund.

At the two Wembley Stadium shows, the show itself incorporated the largest lighting rig ever assembled for a live show, weighing over nine and a half tons. The stage was the largest ever erected there and measured 160 ft wide and over 52 ft high from ground level to the top of the lights. It was capable of filling one entire end of Wembley and was so heavy that supports had to be bored into the concrete foundations of the stadium.

The second show is filmed by Tyne Tees Television, and later broadcast as their first ever radio / television simulcast, transmitted to all 48 stations in the Independent Radio Network. It is also released in edited form on home video and later a complete version is issued on DVD.

The Manchester show on July 16th sold out so quickly that it was reported that more than double the amount of tickets could have been sold for the 35,000 seat football venue, thus making Queen’s concert the fastest selling show in the history of the city.

They made history on July 27th when they played at the Nepstadion in Hungary. It was the first time that a major rock band had played a stadium date in the Eastern Bloc, and was filmed by the Hungarian Film State company Mafilm Dialog. The filming necessitates using nearly every available 35mm television camera in the country, seventeen in all. This show too would be released on home video and titled Live In Budapest.

Queen's final show of the tour took place at Knebworth Park on August 9th, with the 15th century mansion house being a fitting location for what would sadly prove to be Queen’s very last concert with Freddie. Before an audience variously estimated at between 160,000 and 200,000, Queen certainly went out in style.

Text taken from the forthcoming revised and updated edition of Queen Live: A Concert Documentary .

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On this landmark tour, the band undertook 26 performances at twenty separate locations in the UK and nine European countries over an eight-week period.

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Queen’s latest ‘The Greatest’ episode celebrates their now legendary 1986 stadium tour of Europe – ‘The Magic Tour.’ You can watch the new episode in full below.

Rejuvenated by their history making Live Aid performance a year earlier, and the success of their A Kind Of Magic album, June 1986 saw Queen return to touring for what would be the biggest series of concerts of Queen’s career, and although the band had played vast venues before, there was a sense that this tour would take it to another level…

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“We’re going to play the biggest stage ever built at Wembley with the greatest light show ever seen,” Roger Taylor told journalists ahead of the tour.

On ‘The Magic Tour’, the band would undertake 26 performances at twenty separate locations in the UK and nine European countries over an eight-week period including their first and only show in Budapest, Hungary.

Such was the vast scale and scope of the under-taking, the bridge-like stage structure required the services of a company normally involved in motorway and bridge construction. The trucks transporting the equipment would cover over 165,000 miles, the equivalent of nearly seven times around the world.

Talking here in the preparation stage for ‘The Magic Tour’, the band speak of the commitment they were taking on, with only Freddie expressing concerns about the weight such a massive tour would levy, but non-the-less expressing his enthusiasm for performing for large audiences.

Roger Taylor: “The thing we are all looking forward to most at the moment is this European tour.”

John Deacon: “And that’s quite a commitment from us in a way, because Freddie’s sometimes a little reluctant to go on the road these days.”

Freddie Mercury: “It’s been a while since we actually did a tour. It’s very, very exhausting for me to do what I have to do. The stages are getting bigger and everything, and you know I just like to feel that I’m perfectly fit to do these shows, and not just say ‘yes I’ll do it.”

John Deacon: “We’re starting on it now really, ideas for the staging, the lighting and that sort of thing.”

[Interviewer] “This particular tour you’re doing, you’re taking a hundred and sixty foot stage, which is the biggest ever constructed for a rock act?”

Roger Taylor: “Yes, it’s an absolutely massive stage. It’s really been designed to cope with the places that we’re playing in. To get the optimum out of those places.”

Brian May: “We usually go in someplace like a film studio which has this big, open…like an aircraft hangar I suppose…and just set everything up and put everything through its paces.”

Brian May: “Because it’s not enough for us to be rehearsed, we make sure every single lamp, every wire, is set up so everything’s going to be given a run through, so all the bugs can be ironed out before we get on tour. It’s like a full dress rehearsal.”

John Deacon: “We’ve been playing for so many years now, we do feel very relaxed playing in quite big gigs as well really.”

Roger Taylor: “Strangely enough, when you’re used to large audiences, 100,000 is almost less terrifying in some ways, than 5000. “It’s a strange thing with our band, the bigger the audience the better it seems to work. The audience contact seems to be better with the larger audiences.”

Brian May: “Once you’re on tour, I like to get on and do it. I don’t like to be hanging around on tour. I like to get in as much as you can because you can build up this great rhythm, and you get into the mood and the feel of playing, you play better each night, I think. If you see us at the end of the tour, we are a lot different from what we are at the beginning of the tour, because we’re in that rhythm. I suppose it’s almost like being an athlete, you just work on yourself and you have nothing else to think about, except doing your bit for that two hours as well as you can.”

Freddie Mercury: “There was a trend a few years ago, with the punk movement and whatever, where they said, ‘Oh, we want to play to the small audiences because we’re being intimate, and all that.’ Load of rubbish. I mean everybody who wants to be a star wants to play to the biggest audiences.”

As will be seen in part 2 of ‘The Magic Tour’, over the final few weeks of the tour, Queen would perform three of their biggest and most iconic gigs – demonstrating why they are regarded as the greatest live act.

Watch every episode of ‘The Greatest’ on Queen’s official YouTube channel .

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The tour featured some of the largest venues, biggest crowds, and enthusiastic performances from the band. In 1987, Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS and the band together made the decision to stop touring, making the concert at Knebworth on 9 August 1986 the last time that the four original members of Queen performed on stage together. The Knebworth concert is regarded as the pinnacle of the tour, and is often represented in photography by a frantic swarm of helicopters branded under the 'magic' emblem.

From this tour, Queen have since released Live at Wembley on VHS, Laserdisc, CD and DVD, Live Magic on CD and Live in Budapest on VHS and Laserdisc (later re-released and retitled as Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest on DVD, Blu-ray and Deluxe editions).

History [ ]

Stage design [ ], tour dates [ ].

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• 1 John Deacon
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• July 12, 1986 Setlist

Queen Setlist at Wembley Stadium, London, England

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• One Vision ( with intro on tape, elements of May's "Star Fleet" at end ) Play Video
• Tie Your Mother Down Play Video
• In the Lap of the Gods... Revisited / Seven Seas of Rhye / Liar / Tear It Up ( segues into A Kind of Magic ) Play Video
• A Kind of Magic Play Video
• Ay‐Oh Play Video
• Under Pressure Play Video
• Another One Bites the Dust Play Video
• Who Wants to Live Forever Play Video
• I Want to Break Free Play Video
• Impromptu Play Video
• Guitar Solo Play Video
• Now I'm Here Play Video
• Love of My Life Play Video
• Is This the World We Created...? Play Video
• (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care ( Elvis Presley  cover) Play Video
• Hello Mary Lou ( Gene Pitney  cover) Play Video
• Tutti Frutti ( Little Richard  cover) ( acoustic into full band ) Play Video
• Gimme Some Lovin' ( The Spencer Davis Group  cover) ( tease ) Play Video
• Bohemian Rhapsody ( with taped operatic section ) Play Video
• Hammer to Fall Play Video
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love Play Video
• Big Spender ( Cy Coleman  cover) ( segues into "Radio Ga Ga" ) Play Video
• Radio Ga Ga Play Video
• We Will Rock You ( segues into "Friends Will Be Friends" ) Play Video
• Friends Will Be Friends Play Video
• We Are the Champions Play Video
• Song played from tape God Save the Queen ( [traditional]  song) ( bows ) Play Video

Edits and Comments

77 activities (last edit by ExecutiveChimp , 11 Dec 2022, 06:43 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care by Elvis Presley
• Big Spender by Cy Coleman
• Gimme Some Lovin' by The Spencer Davis Group
• Hello Mary Lou by Gene Pitney
• Tutti Frutti by Little Richard
• A Kind of Magic
• Friends Will Be Friends
• Who Wants to Live Forever
• Hammer to Fall
• I Want to Break Free
• Is This the World We Created...?
• Radio Ga Ga
• Bohemian Rhapsody
• Love of My Life
• We Are the Champions
• We Will Rock You
• Another One Bites the Dust
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love
• Tie Your Mother Down
• Under Pressure
• In the Lap of the Gods... Revisited / Seven Seas of Rhye / Liar / Tear It Up
• Now I'm Here
• Guitar Solo

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Wembley stadium.

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Queen Gig Timeline

• Jul 09 1986 St James' Park Newcastle upon Tyne, England Add time Add time
• Jul 11 1986 Wembley Stadium London, England Add time Add time
• Jul 12 1986 Wembley Stadium This Setlist London, England Add time Add time
• Jul 16 1986 Maine Road Manchester, England Add time Add time
• Jul 19 1986 Müngersdorfer Stadion Cologne, Germany Add time Add time

125 people were there

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This is what 120,00 Queen fans in a field look like -Knebworth 1986

    U nfortunately, Mercury was to fall victim to the dread epidemic that decimated the gay community in the 80s. He contracted AIDS and as there was no way to slow the progression of the illness at the time, he succumbed to the disease in 1991, only announcing that he was HIV positive the day before his death .

    I t was day of perfect weather , so there were not mud baths or masses of cars to dig out, but there was a huge crowd and the approaches to the park were heavily clogged with traffic for up to five miles around the site. The crowd was let in to the arena around 9 am and they had a long wait , as the first band, the unfortunate "Beloius Some " was badly treated by the crowd. Mr Some, aka Neville Keighley, was well known in the emerging dance scene but was NOT the sort of act to go down well at a Queen concert . He was bottled ,although most of the plastic containers thrown at him did not connect . Those hit by the containers threw them back at others and a jolly good time was had by all.. we don't think....

   T here were hour long gaps between the bands ( quite reasonable by Knebworth standards , which had been known to stretch out to three hours or more ) and Status Quo were well received when they took to the stage. The band were sporting two new members in the form of a new rhythm section . Quo were nearly always a good band at a festival and this time round proved to be no exception. It seems the highlight of their act was when a roadie stole the show by climbing onto the top of the stage and successfully managing to upstage the band by pretending to play a large cutout guitar whilst head banging frantically. The band were rumoured to have sacked him for this transgression . Quo were on early ( normally they would have been expected to come on just before Queen , but they were playing another gig later on in the day, so they had to nick off .

     T his left the Scottish tinged act Big Country, to pave the way for the headliners,. Big Country were quite popular in the 80s,although they never had massive hits, their album ' The Seer" did chart at number 2 in 1986, but for all that , they were rather strange band to be on this bill, as they would not seem to appeal particularly to Queen fans . Their music had a celtic feel to it and really did not connect to the populistic and anthemic Queen tunes , but who knows, perhaps they were on the bill because members of Queen liked them..... or perhaps because they were not likely to outperform Queen and thus steal their glory ...

    J ust how well Big Country went down is arguable as reported sources vary, with quote regarding them doing four encores to none at all ! They were the recipients of a full 2 litre bottle of something or other thrown from the crowds, but they got better reception than Beloius Some .

My son ,daughter and son in law were all at this concert, but we don't recall seeing Status Quo at all, and no we hadn't been drinking as all bags were checked on entry. Queen were spectacular, and we recall Big Country. My son put me on his shoulders so that I could see more. At this time I was living in Hoddesdon Herts and so it was much easier for us to get back to the pub I was managing with my 'ex'. However I did have blood on my trainers and never could quite work out where it had come from, but who knows when you are enjoying yourselves and singing along you get lost in the Queen 'magic' . There will never be another Freddie, and I still have my program and t.shirt. Regards Ann Randerson

I found your website whilst searching for some info on who the fourth support act was for the concert - I was there but had completely forgotten the completely inconsequential pop act Belouis Some were the fourth act. I couldn't work out why at the time and still can't now, but perhaps it was because the gig was arranged quite late after Queen couldn't get an extra night at Wembley. We were standing just behind and to the left of the big tree in the first photo from the stage but had a clear view of the stage. We got there fairly late because of the long traffic queues and thought we were near the back due to the large number of people in front of us. The next day we saw footage on the news (because of the stabbing) and realised that we were about one third of the way back from the stage, not at the back at all. I liked Big Country, Status Quo and Queen, although I wouldn't have bought tickets if it wasn't for a girl I fancied who was a big fan (I asked her out to the concert and we got married 6 years later, to the day, and are still together). As far as I remember, Status Quo seemed a bit flat maybe because they were on quite early. To me it didn't seem strange that they were on before Big Country because they were already in decline by this time and their popularity was waning. Big Country seemd to be better received where we were although many people were still sitting down throughout both their and Status Quo's sets. Queen did a very good set, very much a greatest hits, and tracks such as Radio Gaga stick in the memory. It also featured several (I think four) tracks from the current album, a kind of magic, which in my view was not their greatest work but went down okay. I had completely forgotten about the lack of lights after the show, but your website jogged my memory of having to find our way back to the car. It wasn't pitch black though and I have a good sense of direction so we found our way back quickly. Unfortunately our car was in the field nearest the exit so by the time we had walked there lots of cars had already queued up to get out of the concert and nobody was letting any cars from our field into the queue. Despite their only being less than 10 cars in front of us in the queue from the field and only being about 50m from the exit onto the main road it was 3-4 hours before we got out - and then I had to drive home. After a great day though, I really didn't care. I feel quite priviliged to have been at Queen's last concert.

On random surfing tonight just looked at your website on the above. I was one of the first in the grounds that day with my ex. Have lots of memories and also a scrap book with a few things in it, even a poly bag i think!!! Sadly, I also tried to resuscitate the guy that was stabbed & have never forgot him. I was sitting on the boards for the lighting structure not too far from the stage. We had to sleep in the car overnight as no-one was going anywhere that night by car!!! let me know if you want more, have magazine pics from a few days later.

I was there! I stumbled across your page on the concert & the photos took me right back. I used to have a copy of the Live Magic video, where I could be seen nodding out of time to the music. That was how I ended up on your page - my wife wanted to see the footage. I was front row for the whole thing, in front of John Deacon. A superb day. I have a few distinct recollections of that concert. Firstly that I never liked Big Country, but live they were brilliant. Even went to one of their concerts in Aberdeen later. Still never took to their albums though!

Secondly, I remember it being a stunning day & when Status Quo came on, suddenly there was just the most almighty push as 120,000 people came towards the stage. Then, when I looked round, up the hill at all those people, there were sort of shimmering clouds against the blue sky - turned out it was clouds of sweat which was pretty rank. I also seem to remember the Status Quo bass player, who was pretty young then, just looked chuffed to the gutties to be on stage with the Quo.

To this day, and after many other concerts, Queens performance still stands out as one of the best I've seen. Cracking music, a storming performance from the front man & the other three all great musicians & performers. Still got the t-shirt, though it certainly doesn't fit any more! They need ro re-release that Live Magic video on DVD so I can prove to my wife I wasn't always fat wi nae hair! Cheers. Des.

Took me 3.5 hours to find my motorbike after the concert only to find the battery dead; couldn't have cared less. I was about 150 feet from the stage. The bit where Freddie stood at the front of the stage and sang short pieces that the audience sang back - unforgetable! 125,000 people singing Bohemian Rhapsody with Freddie - Overwhelming. There will never be anything like it again in my lifetime. Miss you Freddie. M.

(Used under creative commons licence , the original can be found at http://www.memoryarchive.org/)

JUST NOTICED YOUR REVIEW, I WAS THERE; AND CONTRARY TO YOUR COMMENTS QUO WERE LIKE A PUB BAND IN COMPARISON WITH QUEEN, WHEN THEY WERE ON, THERE WAS NOT A FULL CROWD AND MOST PEOPLE REMAINED SEATED DURING THEIR SET. I HAVE SEEN MOST OF THE MEGA-BANDS AND AFTER ATTENDING THIS GIG PROVED NONE OF THEM CAN COME EVEN CLOSE TO A QUEEN PERFORMANCE. CHEERS W.K.H.

The 86 Queen show was truly magnificent - even better than their Wembley show.You cite the Quo coming on early due to other commitments that evening - the rumours at the time it was because the drummer had the squits and needed to come on during a "lull" - far more rock'n'roll. You don't mention the food fights though - these spilled over from the steps of Wembley (much throwing of tomato sandwiches) and were much more good natured than the wee-filled bottle fights, Highlights were a hail of pork pies aimed at a presumably drunk guy sitting on someone's shoulders yelling "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". I have no memory of the lights going out, but I do know it took 5 hours to get out of the car park! Keep up the good work! Rob

I was there too; I remember the plastic bottle wars, the massive queues to get out. the roady on the roof during status quo but it was a fantastic event Queen blew everyone way. My personal story is we waited for ages to get a fresh piece of melon from the stall for my Mrs took it back to or spot and some huge great beefy hells Angel looking quo fan narrowly missed putting his foot on it. My Mrs (Girlfriend at the time) slapped the back of his legs!!!!! We all thought we are all going to DIE! But he looked down at her (a tiny little 18year old girl and he just looked so totally shocked that she had slapped him) and said "oh sorry love!" Really funny !! It was a very chilled out summers day when different music fans just got along Great day Paul Foxley

Recordings and setlists.

Thanks to Simon and Phil for the setlists :-)

More info about this concert can also be found at the Knebworth House site and at Rip Gooch's site , which contains substantial portions of text from the now out of print book Knebworth Rock Festivals, by Chryssie Lytton Cobbold .

Can we get a witness ?

    W e have been endeavouring to collect as many recordings of the artists that featured at these concerts as possible, so we can effectively review the performances, provide set lists and band line-ups. Any info displayed on these pages or which is sent to us for review remains the copyright of the contributor and the Archive makes NO PROFIT from its use. The intention is to also display as many personal histories of the festival as possible for the benefit of readers of the site and we welcome all written contributions, no matter how long or short. If you can contribute in any way, with tapes, reviews , photos or personal histories, please Contact us .

Knebworth Concerts 1974-86

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Queen Live At Wembley Stadium 1986 Full Concert Full HD Remaster

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How Queen’s ‘Live Magic’ Became Tragic

Queen ruled the rock world in 1986 (well, except perhaps the U.S.), after securing the throne with their breathtaking performance at Live Aid the previous year. They followed that up with the release of their 12th studio album A Kind of Magic , which sold 100,000 copies in its first week and would sell six million more in the future.

Next come the Magic Tour, a 26-date royal progress through Europe, including a triumphant return to London’s Wembley Stadium and a dramatic appearance before 120,000 subjects at England’s Knebworth Park to close the journey. It also included the largest show ever performed by a Western band in Communist Eastern Europe, when they drove a 13-truck extravaganza to play for 80,000 people in Budapest, Hungary.

It seemed like a good idea to release an album from the tour. But in fact, Live Magic  – released on Dec. 1, 1986, although it didn't appear in the U.S. until a decade later – proved to be a significant dent to their crown, and became known as one of the most disappointing live releases of all time.

The fundamental problem with Live Magic is that it attempts to contract the experience of a full-blown Queen tour into a single disc. The idea of presenting recordings from multiple locations is a good one, and so – up to a point – is the concept of providing a lightning-fast taster of the band’s abilities, perhaps aimed at new fans.

But that’s not how it plays out. Forcibly crushed into a running time of 49 minutes and 19 seconds, much of the band’s extravagance and regality is stripped away. It’s difficult to imagine “Bohemian Rhapsody” without the operatic section; it’s even more difficult to hear it rendered that way on the disc. “We Will Rock You” loses 30 seconds while “We Are the Champions” is stripped of 60 seconds, and a verse and chorus of “Tie Your Mother Down” are edited out. Not every song from the set list makes the cut, and those that do aren’t in the original order. What’s worse is, better editing – such as removing long sequences of nothing but crowd applause – would have allowed room for at least some of those missing musical passages.

Listen to the Edited Version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ from ‘Live Magic’

What were they thinking? Perhaps there’s a clue in an interview with Freddie Mercury that took place midway through the tour, when he was once again asked to discuss the band’s fragile existence. “It's trying to keep the band going when everybody says it's breaking up,” he reflected. “[W]e were all getting really desponded and we all wanted to do different things, and when you have that in your sort of bloodstream. … The slightest things that happens, you just say ‘Fine, that's it.' … You just need the slightest excuse to actually break up the band.”

Asked what kinds of things the members fought over, Mercury replied: “A lot of the time [it’s] how each musician is displayed on an album. … So, like, if I had more songs than somebody else, it would make them a lesser musician, you see what I mean? … I’ve always tried to sort of make it very diplomatic, so I just say OK, no matter what it is, we all have even songs from now.” He added: “At this point of time, I think that's the only way for Queen to survive.”

So, perhaps Live Magic is like anything else designed by committee – an example of so many compromises being made that the jigsaw no longer makes up a picture.

Queen Discuss Their Argumentative Nature in 1986

The tragedy is made even more Shakespearean by hindsight. The Magic Tour was Queen’s last with Mercury: He discovered he was HIV-positive after the road trip, but before the live album’s release. He was diagnosed with AIDS the following year. When Mercury later revealed his condition to his bandmates, they made the decision to remain off the road and focus instead on studio work.

Few live albums could carry that amount of emotional baggage, and Live Magic certainly wasn’t up to the challenge. Perhaps in recognition of that fact, Queen released the double-disc Live at Wembley ’86 the year after Mercury’s death . With a running time of 110 minutes, it did far more justice to the legacy of one of rock’s greatest in-concert acts. So did Hungarian Rhapsody , the Budapest show, which came out in 2012.

Watch Queen Perform ‘One Vision’ from ‘Live at Wembley ’86’

The Best Song From Every Queen Album

You Think You Know Queen?

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Queen / stockholm 1986 the first show of the magic tour / 2cd.

in 1980s , Queen , Wardour 2016/03/15 2,366 Views

Queen / Stockholm 1986 The First Show Of The Magic Tour / 2CD / Wardour

Translated text:

Live at Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 7th June 1986

Click Image To Enlarge

From the result, the 1986 Magic tour, which has become the queen last live tour, will be a three-tenth anniversary this year. Is it the flow of time what early …. Last year from our shop, the tour the last day Crazy. Ultimate title “KEBWORTH 1986” of S transcendence audience recordings that Mr. recorded is still fresh in memory was released. The last live at the end of the live tour, that was containment Final Live Show of the Queen in the best possible way (although John Deacon I have tossed the base) of It was this title. And is the first day of our tour to this release in that thirty anniversary of the Magic tour, I Stockholm performances of June 7 this year. There Speaking of the Magic tour to Wembley Stadium on the 2nd minute any time of the condition, such as Hungary is the official video release of are substantial, it may also become the last of the live tour in Freddie Mercury during his lifetime to the single There is no doubt that it was closed is a big factor. Furthermore, all of the fact that large-scale tour of Europe at the venue only of the stadium-class call the big topic from that time, there was also the result that story had been raised of recording and shooting. Thus This Stockholm performance does not fit into the existence of mere tour the first day, I think in comes down to the fact that because it is the origin of live activities had also become the final tour.

Queen was thinking disbanded break the hesitation in Live Aid, large-scale tour was dared by Hissage the new work has created new leaf “A KIND OF MAGIC”. This state, as the official video listed above had been proved, last hurray as a tour … it is also a result waged the Queen is imposing performance that has reached the maturity of the band. Only the strong are such an image, is really interesting playing content and atmosphere of Stockholm that this time will be released! After all, this is a tour the first day. Rock-solid serving another dimension to the play the first time, such as after the Wembley and Knebworth. Such as “One Vision” of the opening, it is not if Once went committing messed playing the first time in about seen to listen to one. Moreover, it is a recording has been audience recorded here, is also interesting sound image of the back-chorus of Roger Taylor that awfully on-state in the early stages. Thanks to the first day of the tour, yet will come from the tension of the opening number, where the back-chorus distracted to play is doubtful is pampered. From only that have familiar each picture of Knebworth and official, it is a sight that reflected in anything fresh. Opposite to the “A Kind Of Magic” is such as already show off the excellent stability of the performance, even in the repertoire from the same album, enough to know the difference of up to try to put the members care about.

And if me and the first day of the tour, of course Freddie top form is tone of voice. On the evidence, without any chorus in the audience, he sang as possible at the end to one person, “I Want To Break Free” is Not the testifies eloquently to the strong first time. This tour from the previous only song chorus of the audience has been a staple in, here in the form of Freddie that Mise banged sing stoic is dignified would also be rare occasions. However, tour the first day seems to presumption of rare occasions, it will comes down to that the “Bohemian Rhapsody” is had been played subsequently to this song. One of the aims of the Magic tour, it was possible for group long-standing hesitation is Miseru by expanding the frenzy of live Aid you’ve sunny in a moment with a short stage in the afternoon to their own tour. Where is what you’ve played the “Bohemian Rhapsody” Short version in opening has created a great effect. So around that live in Stockholm is about to Sashikakaro in the middle, there is also the bold was Mise showing off this song. But unlike Live Aid that was not less than 30 minutes, it does not wipe discomfort that would pick up the Queen largest anthem at the position of the usual repertoire for a long time live. This attempt will be only the first day after all, and later was Ainari and live the second half of the play is a classic. It just even the very funny scene, but there is the fact that there to tour the first day, Freddie does not miss to hear like singing this classic in the singing voice with a sharp reminiscent of a heyday, such as 1981 and ’82. You might also rare occasions in that regard. Without shake to Brian in the middle of the song, as after the “Baby I Do not Care”, “Duwa” chorus is or was still irregular, further “Hello Mary Lou” is a further middle of acoustic cover corner, here But the tour first day unique rare scene that Freddie as possible singing alone listens. And what as through the whole volume Nevertheless anyway interesting momentum of playful tea playing the first time! There is something deeply impressive considering that went promoted to the frequency of Wembley and Knebworth from here.

And it is the audience recordings that were used against the current release, this is before Uxbridge label is “SWEDISH MAGIC NIGHT” 4CD-R set had been recorded when you release the “source # 1” a remastered recording. Unique sound image captured on the play in the sound quality of the field seems harder recordings of charm. A result of it was re-this time remastered, hum of bass that was worrisome from the middle live is wiped out, yet more natural, yet now enjoy direct state. This is improved when listening with headphones clear, and the sound from the speaker to the state of play of the contour hear a more pronounced (this time adjusting to the pitch which has been subtly shifted to the bonus). Originally “SWEDISH MAGIC NIGHT” itself is “MAGIC IN STOCKHOLM” in the past, resulting in high levels of mania as low Generation Upper version of the sound source, which has been released in the (here there was a advantage that the press CD) “only here Press limited press CD release of a sound source to the voice of those or “you do not put out will be finally realized. Queen last “magic” began from here!

結果的にクイーン最後のライブ・ツアーとなってしまった1986年のマジック・ツアーから、今年で三十周年となります。時の流れは何と早いことか…。当店からも昨年、ツアー最終日をCrazy. S氏が録音した超絶オーディエンス録音の究極タイトル「KEBWORTH 1986」リリースされたのは記憶に新しいところ。最後のライブ・ツアーにおける最後のライブ、つまりクイーンのファイナル・ライブ・ショウを最高の形で封じ込めた（ジョン・ディーコンはベースを放り投げてしまいましたが）のがこのタイトルでした。そして今年はマジック・ツアーの三十周年ということで当店が今回リリースするのはツアー初日である、6月7日のストックホルム公演なのです。 マジック・ツアーと言えばウェンブリー・スタジアム二日分にハンガリーといった具合にオフィシャルの映像リリースが充実している時期でもありますが、それもまた一重にフレディ・マーキュリー存命時における最後のライブ・ツアーとなってしまったことが大きな要因であることは間違いありません。さらにはすべてスタジアム・クラスの会場オンリーでヨーロッパを回る大規模ツアーということが当時から大きな話題を呼び、録音や撮影の話が持ち上がっていた結果でもありました。よってこのストックホルム公演が単なるツアー初日という存在に収まらないのは、やはりファイナル・ツアーとなってしまったライブ活動の基点だからということに尽きるのではないでしょうか。

解散を考えていたクイーンがライブ・エイドで迷いを断ち切り、心機一転作り上げた新作「A KIND OF MAGIC」を引っ提げて敢行した大規模ツアー。その様子は先に挙げたオフィシャル映像が証明していたように、円熟の域に達したクイーンが堂々たる演奏を繰り広げたツアー…それもまた結果としては有終の美。そんなイメージが強いだけに、今回リリースされるストックホルムの演奏内容や雰囲気が本当に面白い！何しろこれはツアー初日なのです。後のウェンブリーやネブワースのような盤石たる演奏ぶりとは別次元。オープニングの「One Vision」など、一聴して解るほどにハチャメチャな演奏ぶりがおかしいったらありゃしない。 しかもここに収録されたオーディエンス録音ですが、序盤においてロジャー・テイラーのバックコーラスの音像がやけにオンな状態というのがまた面白い。おかげでツアー初日、しかもオープニング・ナンバーという緊張から来るのでしょう、演奏に気を取られてバックコーラスが怪しくなる箇所がちやほや。ネブワースやオフィシャルの各映像を親しんできた身からすると、何とも新鮮に映る光景です。反対に「A Kind Of Magic」は既に安定感抜群の演奏を見せつけるなど、同じアルバムからのレパートリーでも、メンバー気の入れようの違いまで判ってしまうほど。

それにツアー初日とくれば、もちろんフレディは声の調子が絶好調。その証拠に、観客に一切合唱させず、彼が最後まで一人で歌い切る「I Want To Break Free」がその好調ぶりを雄弁に物語っているではありませんか。このツアー以前から観客との合唱が定番となっていた曲だけに、ここでストイックに歌い切ってみせたフレディの姿が凛々しくもレアな場面でしょう。しかし、ツアー初日らしい極めつけのレアな場面、それはこの曲に続いて「Bohemian Rhapsody」が演奏されてしまったことに尽きるでしょう。 マジック・ツアーの狙いの一つ、それはグループ積年の迷いが午後のショート・ステージで一瞬にして晴れてしまったライブ・エイドの熱狂を自身のツアーに拡大させてみせることがありました。そこではオープニングに「Bohemian Rhapsody」ショート・バージョンを演奏したことが大きな効果を生み出したものです。そこでストックホルムでもライブが中盤に差し掛かろうとしている辺り、そこで大胆にもこの曲を披露してみせました。しかし30分にも満たなかったライブ・エイドと違い、長時間のライブでクイーン最大のアンセムを普通のレパートリーの位置で取り上げてしまうことの違和感は拭えません。結局この試みは初日だけとなり、以降は定番であるライブ後半の演奏と相成りました。それだけでも非常に面白い場面なのですが、そこへツアー初日ということもあり、フレディが1981年や82年といった絶頂期を思わせるキレのある歌声でこの名曲を歌い上げる様も聞き逃せません。その点でもレアな場面かもしれません。 さらに中盤のアコースティック・カバー・コーナーでは「Baby I Don’t Care」の「ドゥワ」コーラスがまだ不揃いだったり、さらに「Hello Mary Lou」では後のように歌を途中でブライアンに振ることなく、ここでもフレディが一人で歌い切るというツアー初日ならではのレアな場面が聴かれます。それに何といっても全編を通してのはちゃめなちゃな演奏ぶりの勢いがとにかく面白い！ここからウェンブリーやネブワースの域へと昇格して行ったことを考えると感慨深いものがあります。

そして今回リリースに当たって使用したオーディエンス録音ですが、これは以前Uxbridgeレーベルが「SWEDISH MAGIC NIGHT」4CD-Rセットをリリースした際に収録されていた「source #1」をリマスター収録。野外らしい硬めの音質で演奏をオンに捉えた独特の音像が魅力の録音。それを今回リマスターし直した結果、ライブ中盤から気になった低音域のハムノイズが一掃され、より自然でありながら、それでいてダイレクトな状態を楽しめるようになりました。これはヘッドフォンで聴くとクリアー、スピーカーから鳴らすと演奏の輪郭がより際立って聴こえるという状態へと向上したのです（おまけに微妙にずれていたピッチまで今回アジャスト）。元々「SWEDISH MAGIC NIGHT」自体が過去に「MAGIC IN STOCKHOLM」（こちらはプレスCDというアドバンテージがありました）でリリースされていた音源のロージェネレーション・アッパー版としてマニアから高い評価を受け「こちらだけプレスで出せないものか」という声まであった音源の限定プレスCDリリースが遂に実現します。クイーン最後の「魔法」がここから始まった！

Disc 1 (60:53) 1. One Vision 2. Tie Your Mother Down 3. In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited 4. Seven Seas Of Rhye 5. Liar 6. Tear It Up 7. A Kind Of Magic 8. Day-O 9. Under Pressure 10. Another One Bites The Dust 11. Who Wants To Live Forever 12. I Want To Break Free 13. Bohemian Rhapsody 14. Impromptu 15. Guitar Solo 16. Now I’m Here

Disc 2 (44:55) 1. Love Of My Life 2. Is This The World We Created? 3. You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care) 4. Hello Mary Lou 5. Tutti Frutti 6. Hammer To Fall 7. Crazy Little Thing Called Love 8. Radio Ga Ga 9. We Will Rock You 10. We Are The Champions 11. God Save The Queen

Wardour 180

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