Freddie Mercury Memorabilia Auction Draws Enthusiastic Crowd at Sotheby’s
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An auction of items once owned by British rock star Freddie Mercury turned electric on its opening day, taking in a higher-than-expected $15.4 million.
The sale, by Sotheby’s in London, included $2.2 million for the Yamaha baby grand on which he composed “Bohemian Rhapsody” and other hits. The auction’s second and third instalments happen today.
Mercury, the Queen frontman who died in 1991, was an eclectic collector of artwork, furniture, and feline-inspired décor, who had aspired to lead the Victorian life, “surrounded by exquisite clutter.” Lifelong friend Mary Austin said there was nothing Mercury loved more than an auction.
The live, black-tie event drew 2,000 bidders from 61 countries. The first item, a graffiti-covered door on which fans had written tributes, prompted a spontaneous chant of “We Will Rock You,” and sold for $521,000.
Mercury’s autographed handwritten lyrics to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which he almost called “Mongolian Rhapsody,” sold for $1.8 million, while his “We Are the Champions” lyrics sold for $401,000.
Mercury’s stage costumes were a huge draw, including $801,500 for the jewelled crown and scarlet cloak he wore in his “Magic” tour, and $256,500 for his rainbow-coloured satin appliqué jacket.
A serpent-shaped silver bangle Mercury wore in the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video sold for $882,000, setting a record for the highest price ever paid at auction for a rock star’s jewellery, Sotheby’s said.
The final three online auctions start Sept. 11 and run through Sept. 13.
Austin plans to donate an undisclosed portion of the proceeds to charity, including $344,000 from the sale of a Cartier onyx-and-diamond ring given to Mercury by Elton John to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
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Odd Culture Group brings a new kind of after-dark energy to the CBD, where daiquiris, disco and design collide beneath the city streets.
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Sydney’s nightlife has long flirted with reinvention, but its latest arrival suggests something more deliberate is taking shape beneath the surface.
Razz Room, the new underground bar and disco from Odd Culture Group, has opened in the CBD, marking the group’s first step into the city centre.
Tucked below street level on York Street, the venue blends cocktail culture with a shifting, late-night rhythm that moves from after-work drinks to full dancefloor immersion.
The space itself is designed to evolve over the course of an evening. An upper bar offers a more intimate setting, suited to early drinks and conversation, while a sunken dancefloor anchors the venue’s later hours, with a rotating program of DJs and live performances.
“Razz Room will really change shape throughout a single evening,” says Odd Culture Group CEO Rebecca Lines.
“Earlier, it’s geared towards post-work drinks with a happy hour, substantial food offering, and music at a level where you can still talk.”
As the night progresses, that tone shifts.
“As the evening progresses at Razz Room, you can expect the music to get a little louder and the focus will shift to live performance with recurring residencies and DJs that flow from disco to house, funk, and jazz,” Rebecca says.
The concept draws heavily on New York’s underground club scene before disco became mainstream, referencing venues such as The Mudd Club and Paradise Garage. But the intention is not nostalgia.
“The space told us what it wanted to be,” Lines explains. “Disco started as a counter culture… Razz Room is no nostalgia project, it’s a reimagining of the next era of the discotheque.”
Design, too, plays its part in shaping the experience. The upper level is warm and textural, with timber finishes and burnt-orange tones, while the sunken floor shifts into a more theatrical mood, combining Art Deco references with a raw, industrial edge.
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