Random Inaccuracies In 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (14 items)

(#12) The Band's First Gig Went Pretty Well

In the film, after Freddie Mercury joins Smile and before the band becomes Queen, they play an ill-fated first gig. Mercury's off-tempo, he breaks his microphone stand, and the group is kind of all over the place.

In reality, Mercury was road-hardened by the band's first gig because he had spent time performing and touring with his band Ibex. The scene where Mercury performs with a broken mic stand is something he did during his days in Ibex. Rather than struggling to get through the set as they do in the film, the band opened their first show with the total shredder, "Stone Cold Crazy" and exuded confidence on stage.
(#7) 'Fat Bottomed Girls' Plays In The Wrong Era

Queen's personal relationships were not the only inaccuracies in the film - the band's discography was all over the place, as well. "Fat Bottomed Girls," for instance, plays over a montage of Queen's first US tour, which took place in 1974 when the band opened for Mott the Hoople.

In 1974, however, Queen was touring in support of Queen II. It was four years before the release of the album Jazz, which featured "Bicycle Race" and "Don't Stop Me," along with the aforementioned "Fat Bottomed Girls."
(#13) Queen's First Album Was Recorded For Free

There's a moment in the film when the members of Queen bemoan their broken van. But where Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon see a major problem, Freddie Mercury sees an opportunity. He insists they sell the van to pay for the recording of their first album.

In reality, the band was given free recording time at Trident studios - where the Beatles and Elton John recorded - in exchange for ownership of their output. The man behind the deal, Norman Sheffield, got the band signed to EMI, but they weren't making any money. After a series of contract negotiations, Queen got out of the deal and were able to start making money off their music.

Mercury wrote and recorded two songs about Sheffield, "Flick of the Wrist" and "Death on Two Legs." Sheffield sued the band for defamation, and they never mentioned him again.
(#2) Freddie Mercury Was Friends With Queen For A Year Before Joining The Band

In the film, a shy Freddie Mercury approaches Brian May and Roger Taylor moments after Tim Staffell, the singer and bass player for the band Smile, bails on them. Mercury impresses them so much with his voice that they agree to take this mysterious ragamuffin into their fold. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Mashable reports Mercury was friends with everyone in Smile, including Staffell, before the band's dissolution. His band Ibex played with Smile, and Mercury, May, and Taylor lived together for a time before they started Queen.
(#5) Freddie Mercury Met Mary Austin Through Brian May

In the film, Freddie Mercury meets his longtime partner, Mary Austin, on the same night he meets the band. Mercury walks backstage and tells Austin he likes her coat in a clumsy sequence. She rebuffs him, but he finds her at the boutique where she works, and they begin their relationship.

In reality, according to Biography, Mercury met Austin in 1969, a year before joining Queen. At the time, she was casually dating Brian May, as May told Yahoo, but Mercury asked May for permission to ask her out, and the two quickly became inseparable.
(#14) Freddie Mercury Met Jim Hutton At A Club

In the second act of the film, Freddie Mercury makes a pass at a waiter, Jim Hutton, who puts the singer in his place. The two talk for the rest of the night and Mercury spends the next few years trying to find the only man who made him feel like a real person.

This movie meet-cute is not the real story. Mercury met Hutton, a hairdresser, at a club in 1983, and they got together two years later. Hutton stayed with Mercury until his death in 1991. The film does, however, accurately portray Hutton at Queen's Live Aid performance, which was the first time Hutton saw Queen perform.