Memorial Day 2003 :

For  the very first time, on September 6th 2003, Freddie Mercury’s Montreux and the Swiss Fan Club organize a Memorial Day in Montreux to commemorate Freddie’s birthday.
A truly unique experience for hundreds of fans from all over the world who came to Montreux to celebrate Freddie Mercury’s birthday. This beautiful day included, among others, going round some places Freddie and Queen frequented in Montreux (Lake House, visit of Mountain Studios with David Richards). Then in the evening, they expericed the music of Queen with famous Dutch Queen coverband « Miracle ».

All to be seen in full color and stereo sound. For you, the true fans, Mercury’s Pilgrims”.
15 minutes strong with emotions to be seen on a DVD english with french subtitles and french with english subtitles.
Music is  Queen original. Collection piece. Limited edition 500 pces. CHF 49.- (euros 31.-) Postage by registered mail : please add CHF 10.50 (euros 6.60) for Europe or CHF 12.50 (euros 7.90) for USA or Asia.

To order this DVD please send us an  e-mail...

Program 2003 :

-  private boat ride to the Lake House

- visit of the Mountain Studios, guided by David Richards himself

-  lunch by Freddie’s statue, prepared following the recommendations of Peter Freestone, Freddie Mercury’s personal Assistant for 12 years

- Rock concert with “Miracle”, Queen’s famous Dutch cover band.


 Fan testimonies - Memorial Day 2003 :

To the account of Freddie Mercury’s Montreux and the Swiss Fan Club, a Memorial Day has been organized and will be repeated every year to the honor of this huge entertainer and singer Freddie Mercury.
This year, all fans have long awaited this event which has been organized September 6th 2003 (Freddie’s birthday being the 5th he would have been 57). More than 200 fans have come from all Europe (Germany, Holland, England, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, France, Switzerland, Croatia) but also from USA with one aim : Queen’s music. What a beautiful day ! How much joy and happiness for all fans ! The day starts at around 9am. The organizers (Rita, Norbert, Serge, Heiddie and Monika) are welcoming all of us, fans arrive from everywhere one after the others. They first pay homage to Freddie near the lake side where the statue has been placed, wonderfully decorated with flowers and lots of messages filled with love. Queen music plays there too.

We all get a “welcome” coffee there and some fans head towards the mythic Mountain Studios in small groups of a dozen people where David Richards, sound engineer and faithfull friend of the band, who collaborated with them on many of their albums, welcomes us. He is a such a friendly person shaking hands with everyone of us and eventhough he has been working with the greatest international music stars in the world he is humble and an example for us all. With his soft voice he recalls souvenirs, the way he works, short stories, with a voice filled up with nostalgia and emotion. Mostly when he would explain how “Mother Love” was recorded. “Freddie was very weak, with strenght and courage he has given all the energy he had left, he sang this song a capella, sitting next to me in the control room because he could not climb the stairs anymore to get to the upper floor where he would usualy record”.
How courageous was Freddie ! Everybody listens with a deep respect, the atmosphere and ambiance, charged with emotion, is tangible. Freddie’s soul is present at this point. There is a long silence, after a few moments we all come out of this so particular atmosphere and David asks if we have some questions to ask. He answers to every question with such kindness and then comes the autograph session. We all got a numbered certificate, printed with our names especially for this historical day. David signs each of them with a smile and also signs some collectors, DVD’s and other documents fans have brought with them for this occasion. We are just like on a cloud and it’s only when we come out of Mountain Studios that we emerge and come to reality. It’s over noon and we start to be hungry. It’s time for food and we walk to the Covered Market just a few meters away from the statue where tables and chairs have been placed for us. Queen music and food prepared with love on Peter Freestone’s advise (Peter was Freddie’s personal assistant for 12 years). Shrimp cocktail with bolognese, vegetable or salmon pasta, fruit salad, wine, water and coffee.

The management was perfect and everybody seems to love it. We all eat together with lots of pleasure and all are happy to be part to this party sharing the same passion. In the middle of lunch we all sing, with our heart, “Happy Birthday Freddie !!!”
After lunch we walk along the lake side waiting for the boat trip which will take place within minutes on this beautiful Lake of Geneva. Time comes. We get into the boat in small groups, and here too the music of Queen is with us for the whole trip. The boat slowly passes by Freddie’s apartment in Territet (near Montreux) by the lake side. The trip goes on and we come right in front of Freddie’s statue who seems to greet us but we know he is with us “it’s a king of magic”.... Finaly we can see the Lake House, small chalet over the lake and where he wrote many of his songs. It’s picture can be seen on the “Made in Heaven” album. This trip is very mooving, we would love to stay there longer but unfortunately we have to go back and we tell the story of what we have seen to others. We are all impatiente now to experience the concert of the Dutch Queen coverband Miracle which is also one of the highlights of this day. They came especially for the Memorial Day. Time is getting near and we all walk through the town a bit further up to reach the concert hall called NED. It’s amazing all these fans ! People look at us strangly asking themselves what those Queen fans are doing in town ! Here we are and David Richards too !! Some music in the concert hall of other rock legends make us wait and at 9.10pm Miracle come on stage. They start playing. The red special is there !! The heat goes up immediately everybody is united in the same spirit. The magic Queen music ! All well known songs, one after the others, how much emotion, how much joy ! This will last until midnight. This coverband is outstanding because they play songs Queen have never played live ! The singer has a such a voice......very near to Freddie’s. But of course there is only one Freddie !! Once the concert is over, fans, David Richards and the organizers of this Memorial Day walk back to the statue covered with flowers and candles. Discreet Queen music floods the surrounding !!! Freddie can see us. He is with us. There is a very special ambiance
What else can we say about this fantastic and amazing day but THANK YOU from our heart to all those people who have made this event possible and in spite of the sadness to see this day pass by, we are happy to come back for the next 2004 Memorial Day.

We love Freddie and Queen !! And thank you to them for the happiness they give us and will give us with their music and their immortal talent.

Janine & Tiffanie Ereno - France