Latest news with #WeAretheChampions
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Teenage activist Jack Karetai-Barrett completes 900km ride for Māori wards awareness
Teenage campaigner Jack Karetai-Barrett rode on to Parliament's grounds to hugs from whānau, congratulations from supporters and the upbeat sounds of We Are the Champions blasting from a portable speaker. It was the penultimate moment in the 15-year-old's 900km bike ride to raise awareness for Māori wards. Jack set off
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Bob Geldof told Freddie Mercury to ‘just play the hits' before legendary Live Aid performance
Queen's six-song performance, which saw lead singer Freddie Mercury make the 72,000-strong crowd clap and chant in unison, is often referred to as one of the greatest rock gigs of all time. The concert was watched on TV by an estimated 1.5 billion people in 150 countries. It raised more than $140m (€118m) for famine relief, and raised awareness over Ethiopia's devastating food shortages. Speaking to The Radio Times, guitarist May and drummer Roger Taylor reflected on the performance 40 years later, with Taylor saying: 'During Radio Ga Ga, it did seem that the whole stadium was in unison. But then I looked up during We Are the Champions, and the crowd looked like a whole field of wheat swaying.' We weren't touring or playing, and it seemed like a crazy idea It was only Taylor who was enthusiastic about playing the concert initially, while other band members – May, Mercury and bassist John Deacon – were unconvinced. 'We weren't touring or playing, and it seemed like a crazy idea, this talk of having 50 bands on the same bill,' May said. 'We thought it was going to be a disaster. Freddie, in particular, said, 'I haven't got the right feeling for this.' 'He wasn't the leader of the band, but if he dug his heels in there was no dragging him, so we parked it.' May recalled the moment Mercury changed his mind, saying: 'I said to Freddie: 'If we wake up on the day after this Live Aid show and we haven't been there, we're going to be pretty sad.' He said: 'Oh, f*** it, we'll do it'.' 'It was one of the few moments in anyone's life that you know you're doing something for all the right reasons.' Before their performance, May said the band were told by festival's organiser, Dubliner Bob Geldof: 'Don't get clever – just play the hits. You have 17 minutes.' The set saw them open with Bohemian Rhapsody, followed by Radio Gaga, then the a cappella call-and-response section Ay-Oh, and Hammer To Fall. They ended the set on We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. Taylor recalled that the hardest decision for such a short set was picking the songs. For him, it was 'obvious to open with the verse of Bohemian Rhapsody; it was so immediately recognisable. Then to finish with We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions was a no-brainer'. Though the band was given a strict 17 minutes for their performance, it ended up lasting 21 minutes, due to Mercury's call-and-response segment. 'We thought that might be on the cards,' May said of Mercury's big moment. 'We just didn't know whether he was going to feel right about it. But he was so bold.' Queen played on a line-up alongside U2, David Bowie and Paul McCartney at London's Wembley Stadium, with Madonna, Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan performing at the John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia.
Irish Examiner
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Bob Geldof told Freddie Mercury: 'Don't get clever. Just play the hits' before Queen's 1985 Live Aid set
Freddie Mercury's performance with Queen at Live Aid in 1985 is often seen as the crowning glory of one of the greatest showmen the world has ever seen. But he still needed some very clear instructions from Bob Geldof, the festival's organiser, before going out on stage. 'Don't get clever,' the Boomtown Rats frontman told him, according to fellow Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May. 'Just play the hits — you have 17 minutes.' Queen's six-song performance was later voted the world's greatest rock gig. During the short set, Mercury had 72,000 people clapping as one. Taylor, the band's drummer, told the Radio Times: 'During 'Radio Ga Ga', it did seem that the whole stadium was in unison. But then I looked up during 'We Are the Champions', and the crowd looked like a whole field of wheat swaying.' The performance might never have happened, too, if it were not for the persuasive powers of May, Queen's lead guitarist. 'We weren't touring or playing, and it seemed like a crazy idea, this talk of having 50 bands on the same bill,' May said. 'I said to Freddie: 'If we wake up on the day after this Live Aid show and we haven't been there, we're going to be pretty sad.' He said: 'Oh, fuck it, we'll do it.'' He added: 'It was one of the few moments in anyone's life that you know you're doing something for all the right reasons.' The singer was not the only one who was not immediately convinced Queen should even play that day. It has previously been reported Geldof was reluctant too. Earlier this month, the promoter Harvey Goldsmith said he and Geldof were working together on the line-up. 'Being the producer, I understood how slots work and who went where. I was also dealing with the technical side: we were doing two shows [London and Philadelphia] and had to stay strictly to time because of the satellite. 'I thought about it, and said for the late afternoon slot the perfect act would be Queen. Bob said: 'No, they've peaked. I don't think they should play! I said to Bob, I really think they'll be perfect to go on in that 5.30, 6 o'clock type slot — knowing Freddie as I did, I knew they'd really make a show of it." The Guardian
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Jamal Roberts Crowned Winner of American Idol 2025 in Record-Breaking Finale
The American Idol Season 23 finale delivered an emotional and star-studded night as Jamal Roberts , a 27-year-old father of three from Meridian, Mississippi, was officially crowned the winner . Competing against John Foster and Breanna Nix, who placed second and third respectively, Jamal sealed his victory with a powerful performance of 'Her Heart' by Anthony Hamilton. Host Ryan Seacrest described the outcome as the result of the 'biggest finale vote in show history,' with fans having less than three hours to cast their votes during the live event. The finalists began the night with a group performance of Queen's 'We Are the Champions', joined by the show's Top 14 contestants, setting a celebratory tone for the evening. Ahead of the finale, all three contestants visited their hometowns, a cherished American Idol tradition. Jamal's segment featured him singing 'Just My Imagination' by The Temptations, accompanied by touching clips from his visit home, where he expressed his hope to bring 'love, peace, and unity' to his community. Jamal, a physical education teacher by profession, now embarks on a promising musical journey. As per Newsweek, the American Idol winner receives a record deal with Hollywood Records , along with a $125,000 advance and an additional $100,000 upon completing an album, totaling $250,000. He will also be provided with a recording budget of up to $300,000, which serves as an advance recouped from future earnings. From his soulful voice to his heartfelt story, Jamal Roberts captured America's hearts—earning not just a title, but the beginning of what promises to be a remarkable musical career.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool squad in Dubai hotel with $33,000-a-night rooms
Liverpool's players were spotted inside a luxurious hotel in Dubai as they enjoyed a few days off following Sunday's game against Arsenal. Eight days separate Liverpool's 2-2 draw with the Gunners and next Monday's trip to Brighton, so Arne Slot allowed himself and his players some downtime in order to continue celebrating their Premier League title win. While Slot took the decision to head to Ibiza, where he was spotted spending time with Wayne Lineker, Liverpool's players headed to Atlantis The Royal — a luxury hotel in Dubai. Virgil van Dijk and co were pictured strolling through the hotel, as well as also spending time on a luxury yacht off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Dean Huijsen offer, Jeremie Frimpong 'advanced', Luis Diaz plan READ MORE: How Liverpool could line up next season with Jeremie Frimpong and 3 more exciting transfers Alexander-Arnold is not visible in any of the footage of the trip which has been circulating, but it is believed that he is there, as the vacation was apparently partly organized as a farewell trip for the right-back, who is set to join Real Madrid at the end of the season. Reported to be one of the finest hotels in the world, lavish suites at Atlantis The Royal can set guests back from $9,000 to $33,000 per night when booked at short notice. The Skyscape Penthouse — the cheaper of those two options — boasts a large terrace with an infinity pool, a jacuzzi and views of the Arabian Sea. Even the cheapest rooms at the hotel cost more than $1,000 per night; it is not clear which rooms the Liverpool players have been staying in. While the players have been enjoying the sunny weather in the Middle East, head coach Slot has also been having plenty of fun of his own in the Balearic Islands, partying at the famous O Beach club. Drinks can cost thousands of dollars at O Beach, which is co-owned by Wayne Lineker — the brother of former England star Gary — with the priciest item on the menu a six-liter bottle of Armand de Brignac brut, which costs €9,500 ($10,500). A 15-liter bottle of Veuve Clicquot Nebuchadnezzar will set customers back €4,900 ($5,450), while a three-liter bottle of Dom Perignon is priced at €3,750 ($4,150). Other outlandishly pricey items — although ones which most people could still stretch to — include a glass of fresh fruit juice, which costs a whopping €10 ($11), and a can of Red Bull, which costs €7 ($8). Lineker shared a picture of himself alongside Slot, accompanied by the caption "Caption this #ynwa", while he also shared a video of Slot being serenaded to the tune of We Are the Champions by Queen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wayne Lineker (@waynelineker) Liverpool is winless in its two games since it clinched the league last month, after allowing a two-goal lead to slip against Arsenal. Speaking after the game, Arne Slot said of the Reds' failure to close the game out: "Unfortunately, we had 15 to 20 minutes where we played with the same intensity [to the previous weekend at Chelsea, when Liverpool lost 3-1]. "It is not completely bad, but I miss a little bit – and the first 15 or 20 minutes of the second half were similar to what we saw last week, where we played really good with the ball, came into so many promising positions but in the final third we were not that decisive. And defending last week, the few goals we conceded were – let's put it positively – not so good. That I saw in the first 15 minutes after half-time, but the first half was great."
