By: Billy Dukes
In 1992 the surviving members of Queen invited friends and fellow musicians to pay tribute to the late Freddie Mercury. The concert included performances from over a dozen top rock and pop artists of the day, from David Bowie to Guns N’ Roses to Metallica and Def Leppard. Later this summer 34 different performances from that night will be available on ‘The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: The Definitive Edition’ DVD and Blu-Ray.
The opening act performances have never before been available on DVD or BluRay. These include mini-sets from Metallica, a Queen medley from Extreme, Def Leppard and Brian May performing ‘Now I’m Here’ and two songs from Axl Rose and company.
The second disc will feature the main set, including multiple artists joining May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon to sing Queen hits. Gary Cherone and Tony Iommi perform ‘Hammer to Fall.’ Robert Plant sings ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love.’ Other artists included on the 20-track second disc include Elton John, George Michael, Liza Minnelli and Seal.
A third disc of bonus material includes rehearsal performances, the 10th anniversary documentary and photo galleries. The concert raised money for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity designed to provide relief of suffering from AIDS.
Fans commenting on the news at the band’s website expressed disappointment that the entire concert is not included in this package. Also, it’s not clear yet if the DVD and BluRay will be available in the United States, or on the same date. A link to order the project goes the U.K. Amazon site and a search of Amazon.com did not produce a satisfying result.
