How did you become know as "Ratty"?

When I started in the music business and being the youngest, I had to do the ‘dirty’ work, which included crawling on top of the dirty, dusty equipment to put small items in the tight spaces under the roof of the truck. I was very skinny and had long greasy hair and was nick named ‘The Rat’ by the truck driver on a Mott The Hoople tour. When I first started working for Queen full time, Brian May changed it to ‘Ratty’. Maybe he thought it was nicer - and possibly after the character in the classic Wind in The Willows book ??

In the early days did you ever feel that the Queen would become as hugely successful as they did?

On the 1973 Mott The Hoople Tour - no, nobody did - except Queen themselves!

However, when I started working for them during the recording of Night at The Opera, there was a feeling something special was going to happen. And it did!!

How involved with a sound check were the band?

In the early days very involved, they would spend a lot of time getting things exactly as they wanted individually and as a band. From around 1980/82 onwards Fred & John would only sound check occasionally or at the start of a tour, some outdoor shows or big shows in major cities - South America for example. The stage set up was always exactly the same - nothing changed, so they felt comfortable to go on stage knowing everything was where they expected it to be - and working as they wanted. They had confidence in both themselves and the crew. I did Fred’s piano and guitar sound check, his vocals were done by Jim Devenney, the on stage monitor engineer. I also did John’s bass sound check and could play (badly) along with some of the simple songs.....

Brian and Roger always sound checked. Drums need to be tuned as well as ‘proper’ instruments and different conditions - heat, humidity, outdoors etc can affect them - often causing low feedback. Brian was very particular about his sound and would adjust to the venue being played.

I also tuned John’s and Fred’s guitars prior to the show and took a strobe tuner reading from the piano that every other instrument was then tuned to.

In the studio the band were known to be perfectionists, did this carry over to their preparation for live shows?

Yes - definitely. Fred was very involved with the ‘look’ of the show - the lights, effects etc. Queen all worked closely on the set list and structure of the show.

Is there a particular tour that stands out in your mind as being a highlight in your career?

All tours had their highs and lows - The South American shows were very special as it was real pioneering and huge enthusiastic and receptive audiences. I thought The Works Tour had a fantastic stage set, a great set list and the band were playing particularly well.

Touring obviously provided the crew with a hectic schedule. Did you manage to find anytime to relax and take in the many different countries that you visited over the years?

Yes we got time off - but not always in the most exotic places. We would often be holed up in a motel on the side of a motorway near to the venue. We did try and make time to see the cities; usually we had time in Japan, there was time off in South America, and if doing multiple shows in one city - New York, Los Angeles, Brussels, Vienna, Edinburgh or even Birmingham etc...

Did the band have a favourite country to tour?

No I wouldn’t say so, they enjoyed playing to all nationalities - it was a challenge. We all enjoyed Japan because it was so different and of course England was home, and America was big, exciting and welcoming. Certain European cities were quite special to play for the band - especially in Germany and Holland.

Were the crew surprised at the reaction to Queen in Japan during their Japanese tours?

Yes - it was like Beatlemania! hordes of screaming girls. That was in the early days and it did change to being less hysterical. Very entertaining.

Was John's microphone ever turned on during a show?

What do you think ?????

Did John have a particular make of bass that he liked to play?

John always preferred his old Fender Precision, which started life as a sunburst, then in 1975 it was sanded down and varnished to a natural finish. For the final Magic Tour it was given a black lacquer finish and black scratch plate. He had a spare Fender precision and for a time in and around 1977, he played a Music Man Stingray - which later he used just for Another One Bites the Dust. He had a sunburst Fender Precision Fretless that he used for the ‘acoustic’ set around 77/78 and an active custom Fender Precision that he recorded Under Pressure with - and then used it for the song on stage. There were also a Red Fender Elite that was a spare and that he used at Knebworth and Fred’s tribute concert. He also had a beautiful 1955 Fender Masterbuilt Precision bass with maple neck (Which I found for him in Dallas during Jazz rehearsals) that he used on stage 78/79. He also had a Kramer and Warwick Buzzard as back ups. John also played a black Fender Telecaster six string - as rhythm on Staying Power - Hot Space Tour.

At what point do you feel that the band realised that they had hit the big time?

Night at The Opera period - after the success of Bo Rhap and the world tours.

Was there ever any discussions to bring The Works tour to North America in 1984?

Yes, I believe some dates were planned in reserve. I think it was a huge mistake by Queen not to take that tour to America - it effectively killed the band there. The decision was because the singles from The Works had not done very well in the US, but were big hits everywhere else. Queen had just signed to Capitol Records and expected more I guess. The breaking point was the video for I want To Break Free - the ‘drag’ and comedy didn’t go down well in America and Queen would not make an alternative video for the US market.

Was there a feeling at Knebworth that it would be the last Queen concert?

For me definitely, and I think for many others too. Nobody knew of Fred’s health issues, but it just felt like it was over......

Do you remember any shows nearly not happening due to technical problems?

There were a few due to trucks being delayed or broken down due to weather and bureaucracy. But we always managed it somehow - the show did go on. I think the one show that was ‘patched up’ with rented equipment was 1977 Chicago stadium.

On average how long did it take to set up the stage and equipment for a Queen show?

It changed over the years as the show got bigger. On average for an indoor show the lights would go in around 8 AM and the stage would be ready for sound check around 5PM. However, final adjustments for sound and lights and staging could continue until show time. The band only needed their personal equipment and the on stage monitors to do a sound check - the rest could wait until show time. When it had to work!! Outdoor shows with bigger stages, ramps, walkways etc took several days to set up.

What is your favourite Queen song?

Nothing particular, I preferred the rockier songs, but also appreciated some of the ballads too. Dragon Attack & Under Pressure were very exciting when they were being recorded and still sound great.

What was your favourite live song by Queen?

I always got my foot tapping and head nodding to Now I’m Here and there was a tremendous energy on stage when they played Somebody To Love. Hammer To Fall is a great live song and from the final tour One Vision and Kind of Magic worked very well. Early days - Keep Yourself Alive and Liar were great, and the first Queen song I remember hearing and liking was Hangman - which they played on the Mott The Hoople Tour.

Did you ever grow tired of hearing the same songs night after night?

Sometimes, however, I didn’t really listen to the songs as such, I was too busy concentrating on Fred and John and their needs, and the various cues I had to act on during the show.

Did you ever tour with any other artists other than Queen?

I started out with the David Bowie organisation, who were also involved with Mott The Hoople. I was Mick Ronson’s guitar roadie, and also toured with Mott and others such as Lou Reed, Eno (Roxy Music) Kevin Ayers, David Essex and others I forget - or would prefer to....

In 1983 Queen decided to take a year off from touring and recording. Although I was a full time employee of Queen Productions, my small retainer salary could not sustain my mortgage and expenses for a year - so I was ‘snapped up’ by Supertramp and went off to LA to work for them and then on their final European tour. A very different experience to working for Queen. Supertramp were very easy going, down to earth people who were totally into their music. I thoroughly enjoyed working for them. They were particularly appreciative and generous towards their crew.

However, Queen got bored and decided to go back into the studio (To record The Works in LA) so I had to leave Supertramp before their US tour and get back to Queen duty. Business as usual ......

How would you sum up your experiences touring with Queen?

It was a great time - an era that can’t be repeated. There was a wonderful sense of adventure and excitement that comes with being young and on the road with a rock band. I learned a lot about life and myself, and am especially grateful to Fred for his influence and professionalism. He exuded positivity, energy and creativity and from that I learned to believe in myself and that quality was always the key to real success. Most of the time it was far from being a glamorous occupation - it was dirty, exhausting and the conditions could be very difficult. I worked extremely hard for Queen, was dedicated and loyal, and though this was not always appreciated, I have no regrets and can look back fondly and proudly on what I and Queen achieved.

 

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