For aspiring British musicians of the ’70s, all roads led to London’s legendary Rainbow Theatre. In 1974, Queen reached that milestone as they stepped up to headliner status – and as November 1974 archive footage shows, they seized the opportunity with a performance of the hard-rocker from “Sheer Heart Attack.” The footage is notable as marking the first time Queen were professionally filmed live in concert.
No rock band is born in a stadium. Back in the early ’70s, when Queen were a hot tip but not yet a national treasure, the Rainbow Theatre in London’s Finsbury Park was an imposing rite of passage, challenging every group of upcoming hopefuls to prove themselves capable of graduating from the club circuit.
Queen had already braved the Rainbow stage once before as support to Mott The Hoople in 1973. But when Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon returned to headline the 3,000-seater venue the following March and November – promoting that year’s breakthrough albums “Queen II” and “Sheer Heart Attack” – the lineup were bristling and bent on proving themselves.
“When I see the footage of us from those shows now, I see so much confidence and adrenalin,” Brian told Mojo in 2014. “And I think, ‘My God, we were such impatient boys.’”
The Rainbow shows have gone down in Queen lore as the moment the band announced their ambitions and stepped up to British rock’s top table. And while the band’s setlist ran the gamut that November, perhaps the most rabble-rousing moment is the pummelling rendition of “Stone Cold Crazy” revisited in this week’s archive footage.
“When I listen to Queen At The Rainbow now, I find it extraordinary,” said Roger of the live album released in 2014. “I’d forgotten how heavy we were with things like ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ and ‘Flick Of The Wrist’. We weren’t a pop band. We were like Led Zeppelin with harmonies…”
Pick up some Queen for your collection here.
See also:
Queen create A Kind Of Magic on The Greatest Live
Queen revisit Love Of My Life from Rock In Rio launch on The Greatest Live
Queen revisit Bohemian Rhapsody on The Greatest Live
Queen revisit iconic venues on The Greatest Live
Search Queen at hennemusic
