Queen and Adam Lambert are touring across North America this month with a set that features a really special moment around the halfway point.
Sir Brian May whips out his acoustic guitar for an emotional rendition of Love Of My Life, which he wrote with Freddie Mercury.
When the guitarist performs it today, he asks the audience to turn their phone torches on to create a beautiful display of light around whichever venue the band are playing in.
Then, thanks to the magic of modern special effects, footage of the late Freddie appears next to him as they perform the song together.
Of course, back in the 1970s and 1980s, the pair sang the track together on their tours and now Queen have shared rare live footage of just that.
This week’s episode of Queen The Greatest Live features a clip of Freddie and Brian performing at Brazil’s Rock In Rio back in 1985. Over the course of two nights the band headlined in front of more than 400,000 fans and their epic set featured that much-loved ballad.
An accompanying caption reads: “Originally featured on 1975’s A Night At The Opera album, the studio version of Love Of My Life was intricately orchestrated and featured Queen’s signature flood of vocal harmonies. But as their performance at Rock In Rio reminds us, the ballad became an entirely different proposition live, with Brian rearranging the song for twelve-string acoustic guitar and taking the stage with Freddie Mercury for a stripped-back duet.
“As Brian explained in an interview, the song had already proved a crowd-pleaser on previous trips to South America. ‘I think it’s the moment we first realised they knew Love of My Life. Not only knew it but would sing it. And not only would they sing it but would sing it with a passion that brought tears to our eyes.’”
The caption added: “Now, as Brian introduces Love Of My Life in Rio – ‘You want to sing with us?’ – the response is deafening, letting Freddie take on the role of choirmaster as he conducts the crowd, basking in their energy, bowing and blowing kisses. And when he takes the lead, his lyrics now seem unbearably poignant (‘When I grow older, I will be there at your side’), in the hindsight knowledge that the Freddie-fronted lineup was nearing the end as a live band.
“But that unforgettable night at Rock In Rio, Queen were indomitable, holding the sprawling South American crowd in the palm of their hand. ‘You did great!’ shouts Brian as the song concludes. “You sing very nicely…”