Queen live at Elland Road, Leeds, 1982 - my recollections

A recent internet discussion has rekindled memories of my most memorable concert-going experience, when I saw Queen perform live at Elland Road stadium in Leeds in May 1982.

In all honesty, although I am a massive music lover, I have never been one for attending big concerts in person. I have seen dozens, if not hundreds of bands in pubs and clubs over the years, but bigger venues have seldom had the pleasure of my attendance.

The first thing to mention is that we didn't even have tickets for the Queen gig beforehand. We travelled to the venue on the day, primarily with the intention of soaking up the atmosphere, and possibly standing outside the stadium to hear the music.

Anyway, partly by bus, and partly on foot, we made our way to Elland Road, and kind of mingled with the crowds. I recall that it was a bright and sunny day.  Memories are naturally rather hazy, but I guess that the support acts (Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Teardrop Explodes) must have started playing around late afternoon, with Queen planning to make their appearance once the sun began to go down.

I was with my older brother and a friend, and we spent much of the afternoon and early evening standing outside the gates of the stadium, hoping to catch a glimpse of band members or assorted hangers-on.  We were eventually rewarded when none other than Freddie Mercury walked past, literally feet away from us, although we were standing on the other side of some metal railings at the time!

Eventually the time came for Queen to go on stage, and at this point we were still standing outside, although as their performance got under way, we could hear the music pretty clearly. Imagine our delight when, after the first couple of numbers, the security guys allowed some of those standing outside to enter the ground. I'm not sure who authorised this, but I've always liked to think that Queen (or their management) had something to do with it.

I can't even remember whether our friend was still was with us at this stage, but my brother and I were very lucky to be standing quite close to the front left of the stage, so we had a splendid view. This was my first experience of any kind of live rock or pop concert, and initially the sheer spectacle, and the attendant assault on the senses, rather blew me away.  Gradually, though, I began to appreciate the sheer brilliance of the performance. At the time Queen were at, or near, their peak as a live band, and there were very few acts anywhere who could rival them at the time.

The major documents of the 1982 UK/European tour are the audio and video recordings of the later Milton Keynes show.  However, I think that Brian May for one has gone on record as saying that the Elland Road show was superior.  Queen's act in the early 1980s was characterized by abundant energy and the tightness of the ensemble, and these elements were very much to the fore that night in Leeds.

I was quite young at the time, and some of the musical and artistic nuances are therefore lost in the mists of time. I recall clapping and waving my arms quite a bit, in addition to singing along enthusiastically with most of the songs. All too soon, the concert was over, and we joined the thousands filing out of the stadium. I remember that local residents were still standing on the pavement outside, soaking up the sights and sounds.

From memory, I think that the last bus had already gone by the time we emerged, so we walked the several miles home, still in a state of euphoria and well-being because of what we had just witnessed.

Leeds United 4 Birmingham City 0

Club managers often bemoan international breaks, because they tend to interrupt the rhythm of teams, painstakingly built up over a period of weeks or months.  After today's match, the Leeds manager Brian McDermott admitted that the World Cup qualifying hiatus had benefited his charges. Tactical fine-tuning, a pause for reflection, and a general clearing of the air were all evident in the 4-0 victory over Birmingham City at Elland Road.

After a nervy and scrappy opening couple of minutes, Leeds settled down and played some direct but composed football, with a welcome lack of anxiety. It probably helped that the shortcomings in the Birmingham defence made themselves apparent very early on, and gave Leeds encouragement. Another thing which was noticeable throughout was the physical commitment of the players, not shirking challenges or 50-50 situations.

It would be easy after this performance to say that everything in the garden is rosy, but this was one (admittedly impressive) display at home against a team clearly lacking both confidence and cohesion. We need to reserve judgement until this "new Leeds" has prevailed in more adverse circumstances, against more buoyant and resilient opposition. At points in the match, too, one can see why there has been speculation about the recruitment of more strikers to the club.

After half-time, Birmingham responded, either to the pull of professional pride, or to a diatribe from Lee Clark, or a combination of the two. It would be exaggerating to say that Leeds had to weather a storm, but when openings were carved out, United retained their shape and Paddy Kenny made a couple of good saves when called upon.  Yes, the post was hit, but I think Leeds have earned a bit of good fortune!

Another encouraging feature of the second half was the way in which Leeds used the ball. Despite having less possession after the interval, they were always looking to distribute the ball imaginatively and calmly, even when under pressure.

A good overall team performance, but Austin, Smith, Byram and Mowatt stood out.

Definitely something to build on, but beware of false dawns....

Leeds United 1 Barnsley 2

So once again with Leeds it is one step forward, two steps back, as Barnsley secure their first victory at Elland Road for twenty one years.

I must confess that I didn't follow this afternoon's game particularly closely, being otherwise engaged, but it seems to me that Leeds must start to improve their form at home, and achieve some semblance of consistency in front of their own supporters. It is very unlikely that they will be able to rely all season on surprise or fortuitous away results. In addition, Leeds' goal difference is markedly inferior to the teams around them.

The Championship is habitually described as "ultra-competitive", which is another way of saying that it is largely mediocre, with few teams able to put together a convincing sequence of results.  One or two teams usually emerge as a cut above the rest, and Southampton and West Ham seem poised to fulfill the role this season.  The rest will be fighting for the play-off positions.

Despite how inconsistent and erratic Leeds seem, they are still in the play-off spots, partially by dint of the shortcomings of their competitors. It would be churlish to criticise the team if it reaches the play-offs, but it would also be nice if they could do it purely on their own merits, and not be seen to be benefitting from others' failings.

Goodness knows what will happen at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening!

Leeds United 0 Blackpool 5

I must admit that after Leeds' recent slight wobble in League form, I was mildly apprehensive about tonight's match at Elland Road, but even I could not have envisaged how it would turn out.

Goalkeeping errors played their part, clearly, but this appears to be part of a wider crisis of confidence which is threatening to envelope the team, not too long after things seemed relatively optimistic.

Leeds now face tricky away fixtures at Leicester and Burnley in the next few weeks, and it is to be hoped that Simon Grayson is able to find a way to stop the rot before then. There is a real danger that the season could begin to stagnate for Leeds, or worse....