At last, it happened! From time to time, I have wonderful dreams involving great musicians such as David Bowie, Brian May or Jimi Hendrix. I was longing for a dream where I meet Freddie, the great Freddie Mercury. And it occurred last night.
I was attending a Freddie Mercury concert (in a rather small venue, quite strange regarding the event) as he was celebrating his 80th birthday. As I can remember, it wasn't a Queen concert, but Freddie on his own. And he was very Freddie : classy, powerful, sometimes a bit slower than usual yet incredibly present ! He was wearing a shiny tuxedo with a flower in the front pocket. It was incredible, I was deeply moved and speechless.
We (the audience) all were amazed that his voice was still there - timeless, powerful, majestic and gentle all at once. The concert was too short (or our expectations were too high regarding a 80-old Freddie). We knew this concert was a real treat, as it had been a long time since he had last taken to the stage.
My dream is quite blurry: I am now after the show walking besides Freddie - the crowd behind us, under a bright sun (?) with a nervous security guard not far from us. I remember this detail : Freddie had a black cane with a silver handle which he sometimes used.
Our conversation was short: I only had the opportunity to thank him for the show and that all of his songs have guided me through my life as a musician but also as a human being. Freddie just looked at me – not just a quick glance, but a proper look – he touched my arm and simply smiled at me. I remember his smile – shy, gentle, sweet and grateful all at once. That warm smile moved me deeply because I saw another side of Freddie : not the greatest performer of all time, but just a human being, a little shy and, as I felt it, very thankful, very sensitive. Then he walked away followed by his bodyguard. And so my dream comes to an end.
I must admit that I am frustrated not to have had a proper conversation with him...