Hello everyone,
I always wondered if we could trace back Queen's itineraries throughout the years. But this time not in the concert halls, but in the hotels...
I'd be interested to know if we could list the hotels where Queen members used to go while on tour. Let's see if we can add some information here, if that can learn us some things about their life on the road.
For example, I add the information that on November 20th, 1975, they went to the Ship Hotel in Bristol. An autographed Queen album has been auctioned, and would have been signed by the Queen members (in fact Deacon signed for Roger Taylor... Was he busy in town ???).
Here is the text I have : "Ship Hotel, Bristol, November 20th 1975, signed 'Freddie Mercury', 'Brian May' and 'John Deacon', Deacon has also signed for Roger Taylor, in blue ballpoint on the front cover, According to the vendor these autographs were obtained at the Ship Hotel where they were staying after they returned from a concert ".
They were in concert in Bristol on Nov. 17th and 18th. On 19th they were in Cardiff, and on 21th they were in Taunton. The 21th was also the day when "A Night At The Opera" was issued... A major date in Rock'N'Roll history.
So, would that mean that they remained several days in the same hotel, and commuted from there to concerts in several cities ? Or is the date wrong ? Your thoughts ?
Anyone having some information about Queen & members and the hotels ? Have you met them ? Do you have documents that can help discovering the dates ?
I think what the band did as their popularity increased and the money flowed in was base themselves in a particular hotel and fly to various gigs. In California they would base in LA and fly or maybe drive to Long Beach and other venues close by. They possibly could have stayed at the Continental Hyatt House or the Riot House as it was dubbed as they seemed to tolerate rock bands. They could also base themselves in NYC and fly into Providence, Boston, New Haven, Hartford and possibly Philadelphia. My cousin was their lighting director for the ADATR, NOTW and JAZZ tours. If I could get ahold of his trunk with his schedules in it I could pass on the info.
Well, the pages don't load anymore. But yes, a part of the information is in those documents.
Maybe we could go back in time, and try to get information about the first years too ?
Just go out and buy all itineraries... Then you'll know... Though those things don't really give any important details that need to be discussed.... Or would add anything new... I can upload most of the itineraries.... They make greAt collectors items but i think bob studied most of them and the important things are mentioned on his website....
Though as a collector to a collector : ruth have you ever seen a " Queen at st james park" 2 lp booteg?i have never met someone who ownes a copy of that one... Off topic i know but just curious...
I think I missed one once. It exists, somewhere, but it is probably not that interesting.
Back to the topic, somebody would like to offer information about Queen & the hotels ?
Could anyone post scans of a tour itinerary for the 1973 tour ? Or the 1974 tour ? It would be interesting to see how Queen lived on tour in the first real years of active touring.
Ok here we go, two earliest I got... 74 and 75 UK (for 73 contact Paul Bird):
1974:
Manchester: The Post House
Hanley: Grand Hotel
Liverpool: Holiday Inn
Leeds: Dragonara Hotel
Coventry: Devere Hotel
Sheffield: Hallam Tower
Bradford: Norfolk Gardens
Newcastle: Post House (Tyneside)
Glasgow: Albany Hotel
Preston: Tickled Trout
Bristol: Holiday Inn
Bournemouth: Norfolk Hotel
Southampton: Post House
Swansea: Dragon Hotel
Birmingham: Home
Oxford: Home
London: Home
1975:
13-15 Nov St. George's Hotel LIVERPOOL
16 Nov De Vere Hotel COVENTRY
17-18 Nov Holiday Inn BRISTOL
19 Nov The Post House (near) BRISTOL
20-21 Nov County Hotel TAUNTON
22-23 Round House Hotel BOURNEMOUTH
24 Nov Polygon Hotel SOUTHAMPTON
25-26 Nov Grand Hotel MANCHESTER
27 Nov - 6 Dec Home LONDON
7 Dec The Post House BIRMINGHAM
8 Dec Preston Crest Hotel PRESTON
9-10 Dec Holiday Inn BIRMINGHAM
11 Dec Holiday Inn NEWCASTLE
12-13 Dec Tay Centre Hotel DUNDEE
14 Dec Sheraton Inn Hotel BUCKSBURN
15-16 Dec Albany Hotel GLASGOW
OK, that's really interesting ! For example, they came in Manchester in 1974 and 1975, but not in the same hotel... The same for Newcastle, Bristol, Bournemouth and Southampton.
In Glasgow and Coventry, they remained in the same hotel.
Thanks for the info. Any other info ?
Kind Regards,
Olivier,
Belgium.
I got a habit of doing similar things with the members of the Queen group. For me, this is a whole idyll and admiration. And just recently, together with the planet of hotels, I am following in the footsteps of my beloved Freddy and trying to visit absolutely every hotel in which they were on tour. What is surprising is the fact that the hotel administration also stores this as a memorable trophy