Seeing Queen, Knobworth, 1986, by Ian

From MemoryArchive

Who: Ian Evesham
What: Seeing Queen
When: August 9, 1986
Where: Knobworth

August 9th 1986 is a day I will never forget. I was 17 years old and had been fascinated with and loved Queen's music for years before that. However, actually going to gigs was something I simply hadn't got round to doing. I was actually offered a Wembley ticket, bought it, then swapped it for the Knebworth ticket so I could go with my best mate, Jon.

I remember us being stuck in a ten mile tail back panicking that I'd miss something, then parking up and walking for what seemed miles to get to the massive grass bowl that I knew had previously played host to such legends as the Stones, Genesis, Pink Floyd and Led Zep.... I enjoyed the quo's set and was a big fan of Big Country anyway, but nothing could prepare you for the entrance Queen made (those of you who were there will know exactly what I'm on about).

The sun was setting on a beautifully hot day. The intro to 'One Vision' boomed out from a rig as big as, well, as big as f**k, and those opening chords tore through your stomach, smoke poured from the stage and the band was on, they were there in front of me, doing what they did best--performing live!

As I turned to Jon to admit that I just didn't believe what I was seeing (or hearing, the sound they had that night was astounding), 'One Vision' was over, straight into my favourite then, and now, 'Tie Your Mother Down', my bottom jaw had dropped open ten minutes earlier but I was still in visual disbelief when after the first audience participation with in 'The Lap of the Gods' Freddie took to the piano! 'Seven Seas'! Tear it up!(i preferred it heavy!) I've since heard Roger say "deafen and blind 'em in the 1st ten minutes!".. I remember thinking it was a good job I swapped my Wembley ticket, it couldn't have been this good could it?

The songs kept coming as the Hertfordshire sky darkened, and the most incredible lighting rig surely possible containing every conceivable colour was brought to glorious life by the fading natural light. 'Bohemian rhapsody', 'Hammer to Fall', 'Crazy Little Thing.' Utter perfection is how this 17 year old saw it. THIS WAS MY FIRST GIG! They said there was 120,000 there! OK,so give or take one or two, 240,000 hands raised aloft in time to 'Radio Ga Ga', and I know you have all tried to explain to loved ones who weren't there just how mind-blowing an experience that was. In truth, you just can't.

So then, tragically, the end of the show was almost upon us but not before the obligatory 'We will Rock You' and 'Champions'. As the band hit those final chords, Freddie Mercury stood on that Knebworth stage dressed as the king of England, and for everyone who was there on that historic night in rock history, he was. IAN EVESHAM.