Rock legends are to play a free show in Kharkiv
ers are going to play a free openair concert to support the ANTIAIDS campaign in Ukraine in Kharkiv’s Ploscha Svobody (Freedom Square) – Europe’s secondlargest citycenter square. Queen will perform just a week after the birthday of their legendary frontman Freddy Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991. The gig is expected to attract more than 100,000. Supported by Queen’s own HIV/AIDS charity, The Mercury Phoenix Trust, the free concert is being organized by the Elena Franchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation and is being devoted to the fight against AIDS. The show will be a prelude to the official release of the new fiveyear public awareness ANTIAIDS campaign “On the Edge” the following day.
For Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, now joined by rock vocalist Paul Rodgers, the concert is one of many the band has played to address the issue of HIV/AIDS. In June, the band performed amongst international stars in London’s Hyde Park to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday and raise awareness of the work being done by his HIV/AIDS organization.
Many might be surprised at the choice of location for the event – Kharkiv, as opposed to the capital, Kyiv, where the previous ANTIAIDS concert by Elton John took place last year. Elena Franchuk, founder of the ANTIAIDS Foundation said: “We’ve chosen Kharkiv for this concert – it is our country’s biggest city after Kyiv, with a population of 1.5 million [and] at its heart, a student city. After the great success of the Elton John concert we organized in Kyiv in 2007, we decided to take the message of our HIV/AIDS campaign not only to the capital cities but to our youth all over Ukraine.”
But, of course, many will travel to Kharkiv not only to hear the musicians address the audience on the issue of AIDS, but to use a rare chance to see legends live in Ukraine.
Some dedicated Queen fans (and I count myself among the latter) consider the reunion of the band with Paul Rogers as vocalist a mistake – at least under the name of Queen, while others recall Queen’s main quote “The Show Must Go On” as an excuse for the band to carry on playing.
The original Queen as we knew it ended in 1991 with Freddy Mercury’s death, and then officially ended with the release of “Made in Heaven” – a genius tribute album of Queen’s previously unheard songs.
Still the two original members of Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor, continued performing, and started collaborating with Paul Rogers (formerly Bad Company, Free, The Firm) in late 2004. Brian May had performed with Rogers on several previous occasions, and invited him to perform with Queen at their induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame. The three performed several songs together and in 2005 announced their common tour. After touring worldwide, the new band released its first single, “Say It’s Not True,” the live album “Return of the Champions,” and the studio album “Cosmos Rocks” in 2008.
Kharkiv (Ploshcha Svobody).Sept. 12. 7 p.m.
