QUEEN: “A GREAT TRAIL OF CONSEQUENCES” MAR DEL PLATA (¾/1981) AND ROSARIO (3/6/1981) CONCERTS’S REVIEW- “PELO” MAGAZINE
Queen’s tour left a trail of consequences in various fields: in the organization of shows, in the press, in the musicians and, of course, in the public. Everyone, in time, will get a benefit. But these performances are granting a credit that many Argentines are unaware of: Queen, particularly and at their expense, invited a significant number of journalists from around the world. The results of those visits are already appearing: two weeks ago, Melody Maker, the most important music publication in England, dedicated two spectacular pages to Queen’s performance in Argentina. In that article, they praise the warmth of the local audience, the organization enjoyed by the members of Queen and the whole show; and they emphasize the opening of a great market for international rock.
It’s good that Argentina comes into existence. And it’s very good that it does it through its creative people: the rock public. Because these people are not exclusively public, they are also the ones who support our own music. They are the ones who go to the mass concerts. They are the ones who in those concerts, and in those of Queen, make the sign of Peace and practice Peace. They are the ones who go in pairs and not in gangs. They are, in other words, those who seek beauty and art through music. And all that is very good to know in the world.
In this same series of notes, you will find one that refers to the dinner “Pelo” shared with the four Queen members.
There we told Brian May that “Queen will never have an idea of how much they helped the Argentine people and Argentine rock music with their performances.
Brian May replied that he had the feeling that he was doing more than just playing on stage and that this particularly moved him and made him very happy, especially as a human being. And he was serious. Beyond the judgment that everyone can have about Queen’s music and their spectacle, one thing is rigorously certain: they gave themselves totally to give us their good vibes. Probably because we received them the same way.
Arrival: The group and all their entourage arrived at the Mar del Plata airport six hours before the recital. A large number of the audience concentrated in the hall and the adjacencies of the place hoping to get closer to the musicians. The departure to the hotel was a movie, with patrol cars and motorists sounding their sirens, crossing the city at high speed, while a group of fans on motorcycles tried unsuccessfully to approach the cars of the musicians.
Security: Despite the deployment of the first moment, there were serious security problems at the Mar del Plata stadium.
During the concert a large number of people entered the forbidden places, trying to get to the stage. After this, the four musicians had a meeting alone. The subsequent proposal was very clear: if they didn’t have the necessary guarantees, there wouldn’t be a show in Rosario.
Show: The performance in Mar del Plata was the poorest of the whole tour. The band was very much in front of the obvious security problems and also had to endure inconveniences up and down the stage.
Brian May had his black night.First he broke a string on his guitar and when he changed it, he realized that the other one wasn’t working well either. He ended up giving up his solo.
Friends: Roger Taylor and Brian May are the only ones in the band who have an extramusical relationship. With the photographer Neal Preston they form an inseparable trio. The others; each one attend their own lives, but is not true that there are strains or that they don’t talk to each other, as some rumors suggested.(🙄🤨😕❓❓❓❗❗❗)
Help: Charming, friendly, were the indispensable helpers of the musicians and the constant and safe contact with the press. The interpreters (Alejandra, Patricia, Liliana and Jorge) worked very hard, but they were always willing to give a hand to whoever needed it.
Professionals:The professionalism with which the band moved at all times was absolutely overwhelming. Something very difficult to achieve for part of the local organizers, accustomed to the "elasticity” of our environment. But soon they had to get ready to follow the rigorous and punctual rhythm of the band’s activities.
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Rehearsals: The expertise shown by the musicians in each of the sound checks was surprising. They arrive separately, and each one tests their instrument and voices. Then the four come up and briefly play a song. The sonidist usually asks for brief interventions and then quickly adjusts the sound.
Change: After the tension experienced in Mar del Plata, all changed in Rosario. The security worked perfectly and the band gave one of the best shows of the tour. Despite a persistent drizzle the audience (thirty thousand people) was receptive and created the right framework for Queen to make a brilliant concert.
Gesture: It was unusual because Mercury is the least demonstrative and reserved of the band. It happened that at the end of the show in Rosario, Mercury received a floral arrangement in his dressing room. Outside, a group of female cops stood guard, when unexpectedly Mercury appeared waving the flowers. The basket flew through the air and after a brief struggle ended up in the hands of a proud law enforcement officer to the annoyance of her coworkers.
Film: During each of the concerts the filming of “Queen On Tourne” continued, for which eight cameras were used. The film will be completed with images of the São Paulo and Rio concerts in Brazil. Of course there will also be scenes from the U.S. and Japan tours.
Press: The comments in the newspapers of the inland were of different caliber and level. The Mar del Plata press was the least competent: the newspapers used the concert with a ridiculously sensationalistic tone and lacking real information. They stressed that “John Deacon is an excellent drummer” and “Roger Taylor is a great bassist”.(🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄)
Repertoire: The show was the same in all the shows. After the first performance in Buenos Aires they added “Somebody to love” and “Fat Bottomed Girls”. In the farewell concert in Buenos Aires there was another change: they added one more song, the show started with an ardent version of “The Jailhouse Rock ”.
Prices: All the members of the band and their assistants were surprised at the prices of things. The musicians complained about how expensive everything is in relation to Europe and the United States, and recommended the staff to measure themselves in their expenses. The most affected was the official photographer, Neal Preston, who had to buy film stuff. He was very surprised with the very high prices of photographic stuff in Argentina.
Comments: On the way back to Buenos Aires, all the members of the band agreed that the Argentine public was one of the best audiences they had faced. They even pointed out that some organizational mistakes (due to lack of experience in this type of events) had been overcome with the will of the organizers, and that the enormous affection of the people had ended up minimizing any problem.
Tension: Some moments of tension were experienced before the beginning of the last concert in Velez. With the capacity of the stadium totally full, and a large amount of public struggling to enter, there were moments of nervousness. It was necessary to help many people with symptoms of choking and light-headedness due to the enormous pressure on the bleachers. Even the police had to cut the wire to help the people with those problems.
Farewell: The last dinner on the seaside was highly emotional. The whole band was visibly moved by what had happened a few hours earlier. All atendants ate and, for the first time, drank abundantly. Everyone had a sense of relief after the preliminary nervousness. May, Deacon, Mercury and Taylor agreed that the Argentine tour was a milestone in Queen’s career.
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THE MEETING OF “PELO” WITH QUEEN: “ A NIGHT AT THE VILLA”
The meeting of our photographers and editors with the members of Queen took place on the night before their farewell performance in Argentina. It was in a countryhouse in the west of the City. There they met some people related to the tour, the promoters, the members of Queen with their families and part of the staff of the band. Of course the excuse was a succulent barbecue and several dozen “empanadas”.(1)
(1) Type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Latin American and Filipino cultures. The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, and literally translates as “enbreaded”, that is, wrapped or coated in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat, cheese, corn, or other ingredients, and then cooking the resulting turnover, either by baking or frying.
In a cozy atmosphere, far from the persecusion of photographers, fan groups and stage nervousness, Brian, Roger, Freddie and John received the edition of “Pelo”, published the day before, with the “Pelo” coverage of their debut in the country. On that night in the Villa they commented on a variety of issues related to the performances of Queen in Argentina, but the big expectation was centered in the farewell performance that the band would give the next day at the Velez Sarsfield Stadium. By that time it was already known that the tickets were totally sold out and the members of the band themselves supposed that a very emotional concert was going to take place, on the part of the public and tense on the part of Queen.
Little Prank: When a good time had passed after dinner, several of the musicians and those close to the band were prowling around the swimming pool. The command came to us right away: they wanted to celebrate the meeting by throwing Jim Beach into the icy waters of the pool. But Beach detected the tidal wave, and quickly put himself in the least compromised position possible, while smiling timidly at his malicious companions.
Fervor: May and Deacon commented on the immense affection that the fans demonstrated to them at every step and in every one of the places they’d been. Brian was very surprised and commented on why they had arrived more than an hour late to the barbecue: due to the siege of the hotel where they were staying.
Weather: Although the dinner was held outdoors, and the night was too cool (almost freezing), the members of Queen were very friendly and willing to have a good time. Avoiding the cold, which for them is very natural, they did everything possible to behave like “one more of the house” and leave aside that they are stars.
Anecdotes: During the meeting, each of the musicians took the opportunity to tell their experiences and “adventures” of their stay in Argentina. May told us about his walks through the Rosedal* and the “safaris” to go shopping in Florida*; Deacon about his long walks through the city with his wife and children, including a visit to the zoo that we shared; and Taylor jokingly referred to his visit to Ital Park* with his girlfriend Dominique.
Curiosity: Before dinner began, Queen’s musicians wanted to satisfy a curiosity that gnawed at them: they wanted to see how and where the barbecue was made. They had already tasted the roast meats and wanted to see a “ argentinian grill” in person.
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After the meal, in a separate room there was a high voltage conversation between Freddie Mercury, Daniel Ripoll* and Juan Manuel Cibeira*. It started when Freddie, enthusiastically, commented that he had the idea of appearing at their farewell concert in a Flash Gordon’s T-shirt and invite Maradona to the stage (for whom some members of the band have admiration).
Once there they would exchange t-shirts: Maradona would keep Flash’s and Freddie Mercury’s the national team one. Mercury thought all this was nice and a kind of homage to the famous Argentine football. Like others, he asked us what we thought of the idea:
Pelo: We honestly think it has nothing to do with it. We don’t understand why you want to do that.
Freddie: Music is fun and so is football, why can’t they be together?
Pelo: In Argentina the rock public is not the same as football, have different goals and unshared tastes.
Freddie: If people, by what they showed, love Queen and, as far as we know, love Maradona, I’m going to try and unite those two feelings. It’s that simple. Anyway, it won’t be a show for the press. It’s for people.
Pelo: It’s true. We know that people love Queen. As for Maradona, never showed that he liked this kind of music or that support the rock public.
Freddie: However, I think it’s going to work out well. I like the idea.
Pelo: We believe that with time it will be interpreted as a demagogic gesture. But if your purpose is to join forces and not separate them, we wish you luck.
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May with his son in his arms, descends from the plane in Mar del Plata.
Prenter and Mercury cut their hair before travelling to Mar del Plata.
May arrives at the Mar del Plata stadium besieged by the local television.
Freddie Mercury and his custody waiting for the sound check.
Roger Taylor and his assistant exchanging ideas about the stadium.
The sound check was an example of professionalism and speed.
Rigorously guarded, Queen enters the stadium in Mar del Plata.
Brian May had his black night, the guitar failed during his solo.😢😢
Mercury was incomprehensibly attacked by a section of the public.😔😔
In eight of these trucks the transfer of all the equipment took place.
In Rosario, security was reinforced to avoid new incidents.
The engineer James Khalaf is responsible for Queen’s sound.
In the sound check the band showed a better mood.
More than thirty thousand people attended the show in Rosario Central Stadium.
This time Mercury was able to establish a communication with the audience.
In piano and guitar Brian May made a very good performance.😊😁
Encouraged by the public, Queen made a very hot show.
In Rosario Mercury gave one of the best performances of the tour.
Phil Sims (press) and Paul Prenter (manager) commenting on the edition.
Brian May with his family, always tried to speak to us in Spanish.
John Deacon was excited to have appeared on the cover of “Pelo”.
During dinner, Mercury commented some aspects of the performances.
Roger Taylor, out of the scene is always with his girlfriend.
With Brian May we remembered that first meeting in New Orleans.
Phil Sims had countless attentions for our journalists.
Dominique (Taylor’s girlfriend), Roger and Paul Prenter reading Pelo.
Mercury showed us that his problems with the press no longer exist.
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*ARGENTINIAN PEOPLE AND PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE:
-Daniel Ripoll: Journalist. Founder, director and editor of the specialized magazine “Pelo”.
-Juan Manuel Cibeira: Journalist and Writer. Chief Editor of the magazine.
-Florida Street: Popular shopping street in Downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pedestrian street since 1971, some stretches have been pedestrianized since 1913.
-“Rosedal”: Traditional park located in the Palermo neighborhood in the city of Buenos Aires.
-Ital Park: Theme Park in Argentina. It became a landmark of Buenos Aires in its 30 years of existence (1960-1990).
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Other ‘Queen in Argentina 1981′ related articles:
https://melisa-may-taylor72.tumblr.com/post/187358426974/queen-in-argentina-pelo-magazine-march (part 1)
https://melisa-may-taylor72.tumblr.com/post/187381102064/queen-in-argentina-pelo-magazine-march-1981 (part 2)
https://melisa-may-taylor72.tumblr.com/post/187406747789/queen-in-argentina-pelo-magazine-march-1981 (part 3)
https://melisa-may-taylor72.tumblr.com/post/187449982999/queen-in-argentina-pelo-magazine-march-1981 (part 4)
https://melisa-may-taylor72.tumblr.com/post/187473196124/queen-in-argentina-pelo-magazine-march-1981 (part 5)
https://melisa-may-taylor72.tumblr.com/post/187496155699/queen-in-argentina-pelo-magazine-march-1981 (part 6)
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