Happy Freddie Mercury’s Birthday!

Freddie Mercury's Moustache

Oh hello there! I didn’t want to disturb you in the middle of putting up the bunting or decorating the commemorative crown on this most exciting of holidays, but we here and Anglophenia just wanted to wish you and yours every happiness for Freddie Mercury’s Birthday, or Freddie For A Day day.

As we all know, the great man would have been 65 today, so people all over the world are paying tribute by donning the traditional false moustache and a yellow jacket, and striking extravagent poses with a sawn-off microphone stand. Some of them might even be rocking the bright pink ensemble (still with moustache) that Freddie wore for the “I Want To Break Free” video, and then asking their friends to sponsor them as they strut and preen their way to work.

Whatever it is you’re doing to mark this occasion – from a brief second thinking about a time when rock stars were far more preposterous than Pitbull squared, to a night at the karaoke, belting out a note-perfect rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Wayne’s World headbanging and all – let’s all take a moment to be thankful to the man who single-handedly convinced the world that there is no such thing as looking too daft, if you happen to also be charismatic and talented enough to carry it off.

Here’s just a brief stone-skip across the mighty Freddie ocean. It’s a bit sweary, mind: