It seemed like it was forever – and yet, it’s now been two and a half years since the release of the highly controversial Freddie Mercury biopic. Bohemian Rhapsody. But nearly 33 years after his death, the elated Queen singer is still making his way with the cultural zeitgeist.

The last? The group embarked on a (gasp) 50th anniversary celebration, with a totally captivating new series titled, and rightly so, Queen – The greatest. Released on March 19, it’s a 50-episode streak – one per week – that captures the most glorious moments in the band’s scintillating history. Debuting today, Episode 2 is an absolute killer, catching the boys in 1974 during their first headlining gig at The Rainbow in London – a scene that had previously hosted artists like Clapton, Hendrix and Bowie. . It was a defining moment for them.

The live footage is spectacular to say the least, with Freddie decked out in his finest velvets and chainmail cuffs, imperiously prowling the stage and screaming those heroic words, “By flash and thunder.” , I will survive (I will survive, I will survive) ”like the true immortal everyone believed he was back then. The fact that the action goes from the glam-prog bombast of “The Seven Seas of Rhye” to the proto-punk-metal of “Stone Cold Crazy” only serves to reaffirm that no style or genre could ever have been able to. contain their magnificence. An archival interview with Roger Taylor and one from 2020 with Brian May are included. A voiceover also amusingly (or perhaps depressingly) reveals that a ticket to said concert would have cost you just £ 1.75 at the time.

May recalls, “We had done our support tour, and then promoter Mel Bush came over and said, ‘I think you can headline the next tour,’ and we were surprised. I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s really quick,” because normally you’d support a few acts and build an audience, and then do your main tour. He gave us a long list: Newcastle City Hall, Manchester Free Trade Hall, all kinds of classic concerts that rock bands have done, and he said ‘you can fill it all in, and at the end we’re going to do the Rainbow. ‘”

Bush was absolutely right, the story was written… and now it’s captured again in a few truly breathtaking moments. Stay tuned for more Queen – The greatest moments.