Roadies on Queen tours
A basic list of roadies who worked for Queen on their tours between 1973-1986Tour - that's not only Queen members but also heaps of other people who had to build the stage, take care of the instruments and make sure that everything worked fine. These people undoubtedly deserve our 'thanks' and this page is a small tribute to them. Please, if you have any addition or correction, don't hesitate to let me know. The names are sorted in alphabetical order. The list is far from complete, it's just a basic list of some names and a couple of photos.
Special thanks to Alex Smirnov, Peter Hince and Mirek Rejchrt for some of the photos.
Queen crew in Berlin in late 1970s
Queen crew in front of Queen's private planein USA 1978
Queen crew before the last Queen concert in Knebworth 1986
| Adam Howell | Stage manager and driver in the early days (1972-1974) |
|---|---|
| Alan Espley | Lighting technician during the Magic tour. |
| Alan Kiersley | Truck driver during European Works tour. |
| Alan Robertson | 'Superman' who held Freddie on his shoulders during We Will Rock You. |
| Alan 'Vera' Moore | Truck driver during Magic tour. Also used to be the third drummer with Judas Priest and played on their second album, Sad Wings of Destiny (1976). |
| Alex 'Zeus' Giorgiou | Carpenter (stage set) for the Works and Magic tours. |
| Albert Sutton | Truck driver during European Works tour and Magic tour. |
| Andy Moore | Stage equipment supervisor for UK ANATO tour. |
| Andy Polard | Rigger during European Game tour. |
| Benny Bus | Bus driver during European Works tour (note his surname - not sure if it isn't a joke! :-) |
| Bill Louthe | Sound technician during the Magic tour. |
| Bill Reid | Lighting technician during American The Game tour. |
| Bob Batty | Lighting technician during the Magic tour. |
| Bob Bickleman | Monitor mixer for European The Game tour. |
| Bobby (Rob) Reid | John Reid's older brother, worked as tour manager for Queen roughly between 1975 and 1978 |
| Brendan Hyland | Security member for the Magic tour. |
| Brian Croft | Pre-production coordinator for the Magic tour. |
| Brian 'Jobby' Zellis | Brian's guitar technician and roadie from late 1977 (American Jazz tour) until the Magic tour. |
| Brian 'Nudger' Spencer | Stage equipment supervisor (ANATO), sound technician, monitor mixer (ADATR, NOTW, Jazz). Brian sadly passed away on June 24, 2016, after fighting a long battle with cancer. |
| Brian Sullivan | Lighting technician during the Game tour. |
| Charlie 'High Steel Drifter' Boxhall | Rigger in 1980 - 1986. |
| Chris Clow | Lighting technician during European The Game tour. |
| Chris 'Crystal' Taylor | Roger's drum technician since 1976. Also a personal manager together with Paul Prenter during the UK Hot Space tour, a band party member (hard to guess what it means!) with Peter Freestone for the Works tour and a band co-ordinator during the Magic tour. |
| Chris H. Lamb | Lighting system supervisor (ANATO Japan), stage manager (NOTW Europe). |
| Chris Lennon | Truck driver during Magic tour. |
| Chuck Eldridge | Lighting technician during the Hot Space and Works tours. |
| Conrad 'Twitty' Pelletier | Sound technician from Clair Brothers, US Jazz tour 1978 |
| Dan "Clark Kent" Pfautz | Sound technician from Clair Brothers, South American tour 1981 |
| Dane Clark | Wardrobe supervisor from 1976 to 1979. |
| Dave 'Batman' Irwin | Carpenter (stage set) for the Works and Magic tours. |
| Dave Hill | Lighting technician during the Magic tour. |
| Dave Keeble | Catering company member in 1982 - 1986. |
| Dave Lewis | Catering company member in 1982 - 1986. |
| Dave Thomas | Catering company member in 1984 - 1986. |
| Dave Wilson | Lighting technician + pyrotechnics in 1986. |
| David Costa | Art direction (design) for ANATO tour. |
| David Larkham | Art direction (design) for American ANATO tour. |
| Dennis O'Reagan | Official photographer during several Queen tours. |
| Derek Hay | Lighting technician during the Works tour. |
| Des Seal | Truck driver on the A Day At The Races 1977 European tour |
| Dieter 'Fizzy-O' Breit | Physiotherapist during the Magic tour. |
| Ed Dracoules | Monitor engineer for the Works tour. |
| Edwin Shirley | Owner of a transport company (Edwin Shirley Trucking Ltd.), supplier of tour trucks for many European tours. |
| Francine Keeling | Productions secretary for Australian Works tour. |
| Gary Day | Bus driver during Magic tour. |
| Gary Lanvy | Lighting technician during the Works tour. |
| Geoff Higgins | Roadie of Freddie's pre-Queen group Ibex. |
| George Stedman | Truck driver during Magic tour. |
| Gerry Mott | Lighting technician during the Magic tour. |
| Gerry Nessbit | Lighting technician during European The Game tour. |
| Gerry 'Uncle Grumpy' Stickells | Tour manager for American ANATO tour and then every tour from American NOTW tour onwards (with his company GLS Productions Inc.). |
| Graham P. Brown | Tour manager of Japanese ANATO tour. |
| Guy Forrester | Lighting technician during the Magic tour. |
| Harley Medcalf | Tour director for Australian Works tour. |
| Harvey Goldsmith | Promoter of Queen concerts in the UK (from 1978 onwards?). |
| Ian Brown | Tour manager of UK ANATO tour. |
| James Dann | Lighting technician for ANATO and ADATR tours. |
| James 'Trip' Khalaf | Sound engineer from 1978 onwards. |
| Jim Barnett | Production manager for European Jazz tour, lighting director/designer from Saarbrucken 1979 to 1984. |
| Jim Beach | Nowadays the most important man in the Queen industry - head of Queen Productions. Listed in the tour programs as "business manager" from late 1979 onwards. |
| Jim 'Mary' Devenney | Monitor engineer for the Game, Hot Space and Magic tours. |
| Jimmy Ober | Audio engineer for the Crazy tour. |
| Joe 'Liza' Fanelli | Band assistant in 1985 - 1986. |
| Joe Trovato | Lighting supervisor for NOTW, Jazz and Australian Works tours. |
| John Anthony | Sound engineer in the early days. |
| John 'BJ' Lewis | Truck driver during Magic tour. |
| John 'Collie' Collins | Keyboard/bass supervisor for the Magic tour, also a crew member during the Works tour. |
| John Dall | Lighting technician during European The Game tour. |
| John Kirby | Crew member during European Hot Space tour (keyboards and bass gear). |
| John McGraw | Stage designer in 1980 - 1986. |
| John Miles | Stage designer in 1980 - 1986. |
| John R. Harris | John used to be a sound engineer and roadie in Smile. He was a Queen roadie (sound engineer) since the very beginning. After the US NOTW tour, much to the group's regret, he fell seriously ill but he managed to return for the European Jazz tour and Crazy tour. |
| John Reid | Queen manager until late 1977. |
| John Rivett | Truck driver on the A Day At The Races 1977 European tour |
| John 'Tunbridge' Wells | Security member for Hot Space, Works and Magic tours. |
| Julia Lennon (Bakewell) | Truck driver during Magic tour. |
| Ken Testi | Manager and roadie of Freddie's pre-Queen group Ibex. Responsible for recording the famous Ibex gig in Liverpool - the only audio recording of an Ibex concert that has survived. |
| Kevin Ritchie | Managing director for Australian Works tour. |
| Lee Charteris | Crew member during European Hot Space tour. |
| Lindsey 'Not Dave' Beckingham | Catering company member for Magic tour. |
| Mal Ross | Personal manager for the Game tour. |
| Martin Disney | Operator of Super Trouper spotlights on the 1977 European tour |
| Mel Bush | Promoter of early Queen concerts in the UK (1974 - 1977?) - before the Harvey Goldsmith era. |
| Mark Keegan | Productions manager for Australian Works tour. |
| Michael Fiedler | Security member for American The Game tour. |
| Michael 'Mick' Graham | Truck driver during Magic tour. |
| Michael Truman | Lighting technician during the Works tour. |
| Mick 'Not Dave' Riddle | Catering company member for Magic tour. |
| Mickey Conafrey | Truck driver during European Works tour and Magic tour. |
| Mike Nolan | Crew member during European Works tour. |
| Mike Roth | Monitor engineer for Jazz tour. |
| Mike 'M.I.' Wiesman | Rigger in 1980 - 1986. |
| Mike Wolfe | Audio engineer for the Crazy tour. |
| Neal Preston | Official photographer during several Queen tours. |
| Neil Battersby | Roadie of Roger's pre-Queen group Reaction and also and driver of their blue Thames Trader van. |
| Neil 'Moxie' Glover | Drum technicial for the Magic tour. |
| Nick Luysyerborghs | Carpenter for European Hot Space tour. |
| Nick Pitts | Stage manager for American NOTW tour. |
| Paul Korzilius | Security supervisor for NOTW and Jazz tours. |
| Paul Prenter | Band co-ordinator for NOTW and Jazz tours, then personal manager until the Works tour. |
| Pete Edmonds | Pete was Brian's friend from Hampton Grammar school and became the first roadie for Smile in 1968; he also became their driver with his green Thames Trader van. |
| Pete Gray | Lighting technician for Ibex (with his wife Helen) |
| Pete Malandrone | Brian's guitar technician on his solo tours and also during the tour with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert. |
| Peter Brown | Tour co-ordinator (ANATO, ADATR), personal manager (NOTW USA), group co-ordinator (NOTW EU, Jazz). |
| Peter Burke | Truck driver on the A Day At The Races 1977 European tour |
| Peter 'Phoebe' Freestone | Wardrobe supervisor from the Game tour onwards, 'band party' member during the Works tour (what the hell does that mean? :-) |
| Peter 'Ratty' Hince | One of the longest-serving crew members (from September 1975 onwards although he met Queen already in 1973 when he was working for Mott The Hoople). Supervisor of Freddie's and John's equipment, also official photographer on later tours. |
| Peter Raym | Sound technician for Japanese ANATO tour. |
| Peter Wessell | Lighting technician during American The Game tour and European Hot Space tour. |
| Phil John | Stage equipment supervisor for UK ANATO tour (Roger's equipment). |
| Raymond Lindholm | Lighting technician during American The Game tour. |
| Rex Ray | Sound technician during the Magic tour. |
| Richie 'Big Rich' Anderson | Brian's guitar technician for ANATO, ADATR and NOTW tours. |
| Richard A. Ford | Road manager for the Japanese ANATO tour. |
| Rick 'Parnelli' O'Brien | Stage manager from The Game tour onwards. |
| Roger 'Smoky' Thomas | Truck driver during Magic tour. |
| Rob Johnstone | Stage manager in early to mid 70's. |
| Ron Wong | Art direction (design) for American ANATO tour. |
| Roy Barry Clair | Sound technician during the Magic tour. |
| Roy 'Cliff' Bennett | Lighting designer for the Magic tour. |
| Simon Fowler | Official photographer during the European Hot Space tour. |
| Simon Tutchener | Lighting director for the Magic tour. |
| Steve Benjamins | Piano tuner for the Magic tour. |
| Steve Colison | Truck driver during European Works tour. |
| Steve Lake | Lighting technician for Ibex and Queen in the early days |
| Steve Moles | Lighting technician during the Magic tour. |
| Steve Murphy | Catering company member for European Hot Space tour. |
| Sylvia Reed | Gerry Stickell's assistant for the Works and Magic tours. |
| Ted Winfield | Truck driver during European Works tour. |
| Terry Giddings | Security member for Australian Works tour and Magic tour. |
| Tim Davis | Truck driver during Magic tour. |
| Tim Lamb | Lighting technician during American The Game tour. |
| Tim Phillips | Lighting technician during the Magic tour. |
| Tom 'Midget' Foehlinger | Sound technician during the Magic tour. |
| Tony Ardizzone | Crew member during European Hot Space tour. |
| Tom Kipphut | Stage manager for American Jazz tour. |
| Tony 'Mr.Hyde' Williams | Wardrobe supervisor for the Works and Magic tour. |
| Tony Rossi | Sound technician for European The Game and Hot Space tours and for The Works tour. |
| Wally Gore | Security member for Hot Space and Works tours. |
| Wally Versen | Security member for the Game tour. Played the "Darth Vader" role - for the encore (WWRY) he held Freddie on his shoulders. |
