In February 1981, when Argentina was not yet part of the regular circuit of major international tours, four British musicians landed in Ezeiza and forever altered the scale of shows in the country. Queen's visit was recorded as a foundational milestone for stadium rock. In their book 'La historia jamás contada' ('The Never Told Story'), Iván Petracchi and Lucas Pan propose to revisit those days from an unprecedented angle. The 144-page investigation, providing access to private archives, direct testimonies, and never-before-exhibited collectibles, moves away from the already known figures—the five shows, the 300,000 people gathered, the three airplanes, and two boats that transported equipment—to delve into the intimacy of the tour. The arrival of the band, composed of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, marked a turning point: it was the first time a supergroup played in football stadiums in Argentina, replicating the technical deployment it used in the United States and Europe while presenting the albums 'The Game' and 'Flash Gordon.' Three of the concerts took place at the Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield stadium, one at the José María Minella stadium in Mar del Plata, and another at the Rosario Central stadium. The focus of the book is not on the attendance record but on what happened offstage. 'Exclusive stories, behind-the-scenes conversations, and unexpected encounters narrated for the first time by those who were there,' the authors anticipate. 45 years after that tour, the book invites us to answer a persistent question: what happened when the lights went out? The narrative includes the band's day-to-day in the country: the cars that transported them, the restaurants where they tried local flavors, and the strolls that, at times, distanced them from the logic of international rock. The volume also adds an exceptional photographic archive and memorabilia preserved for decades in private collections. Part of that material, as announced, will be part of an international exhibition that will begin its tour in 2026.
