When you drop into a French restaurant, beware of jaw-dropping spontaneous performances from the winner of The Voice! That’s what French diners learned when The Voice France winner Aurelien Vivos casually piped up after a restaurant piano player started playing Queen’s “The Show Must Go On” upon a patron’s request. Vivos is not the kind of guy who does things by half measures. He went all out, singing it like he was Freddie Mercury fronting Queen at Live Aid.
Suffice to say, diners were shocked, but they were soon lapping up the epic performance of one of Queen’s most underrated bangers. As pianist Julien Cohen played, Vivos delivered a powerful vocal, channeling the dramatic energy of the lyrics in a performance that had patrons in rapt attention. The Music Man is pleased to report that Vivos saved the best for last, ending the performance with a spine-tingling scream that sealed the deal on the epic surprise performance.
Cohen uploaded the unexpected collab to his YouTube channel, where it hit 1.5 million views. Fans watching at home praised Vivos’s unique voice and added comments such as “I had goosebumps through the whole video!” and “Thank you Freddie for inspiring humanity. Thank you guys! An unparalleled rendition!”
Queen released “The Show Must Go On” on October 14, 1991, and it was the band’s final single to be released while Mercury was still alive. They didn’t get the chance to play it live, but thanks to YouTuber VinzA’s clever arrangement of Queen’s live footage, fans can get the next best thing. VinzA’s 74 million view upload showcases Queen’s cut of “The Show Must Go On” with the band’s live footage, creating a fittingly dramatic visual for this legendary song.
The Music Man readers may recall that Queen issued “The Show Must Go On” as the lead single from their 14th studio album Innuendo. Most rock bands tend to have dropped off creatively by that point in their career, but it’s a testament to the genius of Queen that they remained at their creative and commercial peak so deep into their discography. It’s an especially impressive feat given the fact that Mercury’s health was seriously failing by this point. Mercury was in such ill health by the time that Queen recorded “The Show Must Go On” that the songwriter, guitarist Brian May, told Mercury that he’d understand if he wasn’t able to perform the demanding vocal in the studio. May recalled that Freddie declared “I’ll f***ing do it, darling”, downed a vodka, and “completely lacerated that vocal”, birthing an instant Queen classic.