Musings 02: Behind the Masks...

Throughout the twenty years of his life that Freddie spent with Queen his on-stage persona, or Character Role, developed with his musical ability and his life.

Although he is often accused of 'pandering' to the homosexual market with his dress during the late 70's and early 80's many people fail to realise that this mode of dress was reasonably commonplace at the time. The great Disco era was based on what was initially a homosexual music form and the underground styles of music and lifestyle emerged into mainstream around this time. Freddie adopted these, as did many others and, with his usual extremism took them to their fullest extent. Watch his dress on-state (his character role) and his dress off-stage (in interviews or candid photos) and there is little or no difference between him and the other members of Queen or any other person at the time. Except, perhaps, for a predilection for Hawaiian shirts, but he can be forgiven

this. This dress sense can be seen to be simply an extension of his dress in the early 70's which had the stated aim to be a costume, to be something that delivers entertainment to the audience: to be noticed. Freddie's costumes were flamboyant, were striking, were (sometimes) weird yet always achieved their goal of being noticed. His whole persona on stage was 'Notice me', 'listen to me' for 'I am Freddie Mercury and I am a Star!'

Queen, although often thought of as starting in 'glam rock' went further then this. They weren't just about the flamboyant, glamorous, feminine styles and makeup that many glam rock groups were. They were about excess and have never denied it, but the excess was for the audience, to put on a full show with all the glitz and glamour of a Las Vegas show today. Freddie's stated aim was not just to give them the music, but to give them the experience, the visuals to support the music to make an entire entertainment package.

This was the character of Freddie: he was, on stage,