Queen

Date: 5 March 2013
Recipient: Queen
Location: Imperial College London
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On the 5th of March 2013, one of the world’s greatest bands of all time were honoured with a PRS for Music Heritage Award at Imperial College to commemorate where they performed their first concert in London on the 18th of July 1970.

The plaque was unveiled by PRS for Music chairman Guy Fletcher and accepted by Queen members, Brian May and Roger Taylor in front of close friends and family including actress Anita Dobson and Kashmira Cooke, Freddie Mercury’s sister. 

The first proper gig we did was at Imperial College in the Union Hall. I remember it very distinctly because I’d seen all sorts of people playing in there. I’d been part of the Entertainment Committee and we booked a group every Saturday night in those days. People like Spooky Tooth and Steamhammer! We booked Jimi Hendrix too. So for us it was a dream come true to actually play on that stage. It used to get packed in there so it was a major stepping stone for us.

Loved by millions the world over, they were often thought of as the People’s Band. Queen’s song writing originality combined musicianship with real life emotion sustaining generations of dedicated fans. It will be an enormous honour to present Brian and Roger with the PRS for Music Heritage award at such a fine institution.