Brian May and Roger Taylor announce 4K Live Aid and Queen Rock Montreal home release

Brian May and Roger Taylor have announced a 4K Live Aid and Queen Rock Montreal home release for the very first time.

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Brian May and Roger Taylor announce 4K Live Aid and Queen Rock Montreal home release
Brian May and Roger Taylor have announced a 4K Live Aid and Queen Rock Montreal home release for the very first time.
By George Simpson, Senior Film and Arts Reporter
16:15, Thu, Mar 14, 2024 | UPDATED: 10:49, Fri, Mar 15, 2024
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Back in 1981, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon performed two filmed shows in Canada that became the iconic concert movie Queen Rock Montreal.

Following a remastered record-breaking IMAX release earlier this year, Brian May and Roger Taylor have now announced a 4K home release version of the “live and dangerous” performance, which includes a commentary by the pair.

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Brian May and Roger Taylor announce 4K Live Aid and Queen Rock Montreal home release
Brian May and Roger Taylor have announced a 4K Live Aid and Queen Rock Montreal home release for the very first time.
By George Simpson, Senior Film and Arts Reporter
16:15, Thu, Mar 14, 2024 | UPDATED: 10:49, Fri, Mar 15, 2024
0Bookmark
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Back in 1981, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon performed two filmed shows in Canada that became the iconic concert movie Queen Rock Montreal.

Following a remastered record-breaking IMAX release earlier this year, Brian May and Roger Taylor have now announced a 4K home release version of the “live and dangerous” performance, which includes a commentary by the pair.

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The guitar legend said: “You see four young guys, we’ve already been around the world a lot of times, we’ve sold a lot of records, we’ve had a lot of hits, we know how to play with each other. I feel proud of who we were at the time.”

The drummer added: “It’s so satisfying to look at our younger selves in explosive action after all these years!”

If that wasn’t enough, alongside the famous five-song set is Freddie and Brian’s performance of Is This The World We Created…? and part of the Live Aid rehearsals.

This new collectors’ box set had the 35mm original negative scanned to ensure the highest possible resolution, removing any dirt or damage frame by frame.

After the success of Queen Rock Montreal’s theatrical run on IMAX, Queen has announced deluxe releases of the iconic concert. The monumental event is now available to pre-order on 3LP transparent blue vinyl (Queen online store exclusive); 3LP black vinyl; 2CD limited edition; double Blu-ray; and a double 4K ultra high definition package. These various editions will arrive on May 10.

Queen Rock Montreal captures the iconic rock band at the very peak of their live powers. Recorded in 1981 and recently released as a record-breaking digitally restored IMAX concert film, this landmark moment in the band’s history is now being released for Queen fans around the world.

Queen Rock Montreal presents Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon at their most exciting and exhilarating. As Brian May puts it, this is Queen “live and dangerous.”

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Queen were on all-conquering form when they returned to Montreal, Canada, for the fourth time in November 1981 to play two huge concerts at the 18,000-seat Forum.

This pair of Montreal concerts marked a historic moment for Queen. After their massive success in the 1970s, the band entered the 80s bigger than ever, with the hugely successful The Game album producing their two biggest ever US singles in “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (both Billboard No.1’s), followed by the UK No.1 single “Under Pressure.”

Queen’s return to Montreal came after almost two years of touring, including their very first tours of South and Central America, which saw the band playing two nights at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium to more than 150,000 devoted fans. As a result, when the band arrived in Canada in November 1981 they were in electrifying form.

“Montreal is one of our favorite cities, it’s a great audience there, very full of energy,” says Brian May. “We’d played this particular venue, The Forum, several times before, and it was always full of really enthusiastic people giving us a lot of energy back.”

The original concerts, which took place on November 24 and 25, 1981, were truly ground-breaking. They were arranged specifically to be filmed for a full-length concert film to document their live show. Director Saul Swimmer planned to shoot them using state-of-the-art Double Anamorphic 35mm footage, which allowed it to be projected on a gigantic, five-store high screen. Backstage tensions between the members of Queen and Swimmer could have caused problems, but instead they propelled the band to new heights.

“We were very, very hyped up, some of the tempos are really fast, there’s a lot of really incisive, angry playing,” says May.

Queen Rock Montreal features a rawer version of the band who had released “Bohemian Rhapsody” half a decade earlier, showcasing their unparalleled musicianship, soaring vocal power, and unstoppable live energy. “There’s no one on the stage apart from us,” says May.