Freddie Mercury Punk Rock?

Alan McGee on music: Why Freddie Mercury is a punk-rock icon...
Queen have always been considered the antithesis of punk. But if punk rock was about never being boring, then Mercury's camp, Bollywood theatrics were almost a political weapon.

"I spent yesterday arguing with a friend that Freddie Mercury was punk rock. He hates Queen. I love Queen. That's the kind of band they are. And when I tell people that I consider Freddie Mercury a great songwriter and punk-rock idol, some get it and others don't. John Lydon paid tribute to Queen in 1977 when he was recording Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols in the same studios as them. Lydon crawled in stealth-like fashion to say hello to Freddie Mercury (before crawling out again). He wasn't the only icon who admired the Queen frontman. Kurt Cobain, in his suicide note, wrote of how he both admired and envied Freddie Mercury for basking in the love from his audience." [Guardian UK]