Music: News - Freddie Mercury Day

Queen were (yes, past tense, I'm looking at you Paul Rodgers) one of the finest rock bands of all time, and British music without them would be a shadow of the multi-genred beast it is today.

As a band which transcended different styles of music - you only need to compare songs from Greatest Hits 1 to Greatest Hits 2 - Queen are still one of the most well-known pop bands of the 70s and 80s. None of that legacy would have been possible without the presence of one flamboyant front man: Freddie Mercury.

His showmanship and song-writing skills were unmatched and the band's live shows were brought roaring to life as soon as he entered the stage.

Sadly, Freddie died in 1991, aged 45, from bronchial pneumonia as a result of contracting the AIDS virus.

Following his death the remaining members of Queen founded the Mercury Pheonix Trust in 1992, a charity organisation which has raised millions of pounds for various charities and helped to raise AIDS awareness.

The latest fundraising idea from the Trust asks fans to spend a day dressed as Freddie Mercury on September 3 this year, around what would have been his birthday.

Here's some information about the idea from the charity itself:

What is Freddie For A Day?

Freddie For A Day is a celebration of the life of Freddie Mercury, which is meant to engage members of the public in a fun way to remember one of our greatest artists, but behind it is the earnest purpose of raising funds to support the continued work in fighting HIV AIDS worldwide.

How Did Freddie For A Day Get Started?

Freddie For A Day began as a lone ranger initiative dreamed up by City worker Liz Swanton who also gives her time to editing the Mercury Phoenix Trust website (www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com).  Tying in with the recent 8^th birthday celebrations for the Queen musical ‘We Will Rock You’, Liz came up with the idea of spending a whole working day dressed as Freddie.

So When Will Freddie For A Day Take Place?

Freddie For A Day will take place this year on September 3. Normally, Freddie For A Day will take place on Freddie’s birthday (September 5), however when the birthday falls on a weekend, such as this year, it will always be on the Friday before.

Who Can Take Part?

Anyone.  Naturally, the first people to have decided to join in are the core fans, but Liz and the Mercury Phoenix Trust organisers are hoping that the challenge to live out a normal day in a Freddie costume – with all the fun attached – and with the purpose of raising money to help the worldwide work being done by the MPT, will have a wide public appeal.

How Do You Get Involved?

All you need to do is dress up as Freddie for a day and get your friends, family and school friends or work colleagues to sponsor you.  You can set up or get an adult to set up for you your own web page at www.justgiving.com and send this to those supporting you so they can sponsor you online.

If you are unable to donate online you can send in cheques directly to the MPT at the address below. Cheques should be made out to The Mercury Phoenix Trust.

The Mercury Phoenix Trust,

22 Cottage Offices,

Latimer Park,

Latimer road,

Chesham,

Buck, HP5 1TU

So, there you have it, if you fancy doing something charitable and horrifically embarrassing what better reasoning can you get?  I'm not one to be charitable, but he was certainly a phenomenal entertainer and the cause is a worthy one, so if you plan to do anything charitable this year, why not give this a go.

James Micheal Parry

Music: Muse unveil new single Neutron Star Collision

Just a quick post to share some new music from one of the greatest live bands of all time. Here is the infectious new single from the Devon threesome, continuing in their Queen vibe with some very welcome up-tempo beats. Take a listen:



Admittedly the lyrics aren't the most ground-breaking thing in the world, but it was written for the latest installment in the Twilight Saga - Eclipse - so it's kind of a given, here they are anyway:

I was searching you were on a mission
Then our hearts combined like a neutron star collision
I have nothing left to lose
You took your time to choose
Then we told each other with no trace of fear that

Our love would be forever
And if we die, we die together
Well I, I said never
Cause our love would be forever

The world is broken, halos fail to glisten
We try to make a difference but no one wants to listen
Hail the preachers, fake and proud
Their doctrines will be cloud
Then they'll dissipate like snowflakes in an ocean

Love is forever and we’ll die
We’ll die together
Well I, I said never
Cause our love, could be forever

Now I’ve got nothing left to lose
You take your side to choose
I can tell you now without a trace of fear

That my love will be forever
And well die, we’ll die together
Will I, I will never
Cause our love will be forever