Keep Queen Alive

Report by Rita Prata

The preparations had begun several days before the party. With the usual professionalism that Portuguese Queen Fan Club "Keep Queen Alive" got us used to, Sérgio Marques was able to get the Hard Rock Cafe de Lisboa space, the great “One Vision” and was also able to achieve the Media’s precious attention, not to mention Emi’s and Casino de Lisboa collaboration, which enriched the competition stock of prizes.

The press
“Domingo” Magazine (Correio da Manhã), published September third: On the thirty of August, Sérgio Marques gave this journal a magnificent interview in which he speaks about “Keep Queen Alive” and his personal life (go figure!). The generous article had three distinctive parts: The first, where a chapter of a recent publication of Freddie Mercury’s most intimate and personal life is published (which in my point of view is of extremely bad taste); A second part where only three pages are devoted to the Portuguese club, and a third one, with full page pictures, that seemed to be mainly chosen to illustrate the theme of the first chapter… Either way, Freddie Mercury was remembered, and even if that is the main thing to retain from this article, I’m really sorry to see him so many times associated with the gay world – Something that Freddie, just like true fans know, didn’t want to. Well… It’s the signs of time we’re living in!

In the television, “RTP N’s”, 5 pm news bulletin (September 5th) showed a live interview with Sergio (which was, unfortunately, impossible for me to see), “Sic Noticias” (September 6) showed some brief news about it on the “Caras” show, as well as in the news bulletin. “RTP 1” showed also a small documentary on September 3rd. This was the television’s contribute to Freddie’s memory.

Magazine Focus (Septembro 2006)

On the Hard Rock Cafe Lisbon:

Thanks to the marketing director’s Cristina Lopes good will, we were able to decorate the whole space with “Queen” reliques, posters, discs and documents, in order to assure that no space remained without “Queen’s” presence!
It all began quite early, around 9:30 Am, with the help of a half of dozen dedicated fans (see picture above), ready to loan their precious items related to the band, and “One vision’s” band rehearsal, so that they could shine later in the evening without any incidents. Two hours later it was ready: what a shinny homage to the great Freddie!

Rita Prata, Margarida Ivo Cruz, Inês Pinto, Sérgio Marques, Maria Inês e Daniel Campos

During the day, several DVD’s related to the man of the day were projected. But it was only about 5, 6 PM that the strong core of fans reunited, ready to perform together the true homage.

And so it begins the "Rainbow 74” projection around 8:30 PM just as scheduled.
Although the initial idea was more to remember and relive the 70’s, searching for that concerts and showing DVD’s of that time, the technical problems made things difficult, making unable to show “Hammersmith”…A thing that made me really sad. This way, we decided for Freddie Mercury’s videoclips. At 22:30 PM Biarny Look alike assumed the 80´s look and in the already usual songs he went up stage, to the delight of some of the public. By this time the competition’s jury was already really busy trying to decide who would be one of the 6 winners.

Luis Miguel Biarny . foto: Inês Pinto

One Vision

One Vision foto: Magicx Produções

But the thing that we all had been waiting for was the performance of the “One vision”, truth be said! How can I say this? Full House, the place was literally busting with people, there wasn’t a single table unoccupied nor was there a single place on foot: Full house!
Total success! In other words, almost near 500 people where there! The “One vision” blew the house down, overtopping expectations in a way that not even an ironic incident with the difficult “Don’t Stop me now” could make the ritm and emotion by both the band and audience fade away. Now, there is a major question that has to be answered: If by one side “Hard Rock” was a great place for a band to play… on the other side… the stage area has to be enhanced for Alex! He simply needs more space! Can you imagine how claustrophobic Freddie would have felt in that stage?... (and how much we would fade with that situation!?) Oh, and we have already realised that the excuse “there’s no work tomorrow” simply does not apply with these absolutely fanatic fans!!! The truth is that if the “One Vision” carried on with the concert, then no one would have left until late in the evening… by other hand it’s good, leaving us begging for more: They know what they where doing! But I simply can’t stop remembering that young man bouncing up and down in the front row… The guy was more then a “grupy” more then an “addict” of the sound, in fact, some brief moments of music lethargy that made us think we were in front of “Queen”…

Ricardo Pereira José Fusco Alexandre Santos Mário Duarte Vitor Barros
fotos: Magicx Produções

Announced and delivered the prizes, for the last five a T-shirt; a single “Love Kills” and an invitation for the show “A kind of Magic” offered by “Casino de Lisboa” and for the happy winner, a Freddie Mercury’s replica from NECO, having been selected the plastic work of the devoted fan Rita Mafalda.
The overall analysis of the party was extremely positive, I think with is even fair to conclude that it was, without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest and richest public anniversary and homage that was ever made in Portugal for Freddie. It was, wasn’t it?

One Vision + Sérgio Marques, foto: Daniel Campos

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