Queen: The Complete Works Read Online Free PDF Page A

Truro
    March 12, 1966: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
    March 17, 1966: Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth
    July 17, 1966: City Hall, Truro
    August 15, 1966: Dartmouth, Devon
    August 16, 1966: Town Hall, Torquay
    January 7, 1967: Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth
    January 24, 1967: Penmare Hotel, Hayle
    January 28, 1967: Guildhall, St Ives
    March 3, 1967: Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth
    March 4, 1967: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
    March 10, 1967: Penmare Hotel, Hayle
    March 11, 1967: Blue Lagoon, Newquay
    March 31, 1967: Penmare Hotel, Hayle
    April 21, 1967: County Grammar School, Truro
    April 29, 1967: Penmare Hotel, Hayle
    May 4, 1967: Skating Rink, Camborne
    May 6, 1967: Blue Lagoon, Newquay
    May 27, 1967: Skating Rink, Camborne
    July 29, 1967: Beach, Perranporth
    July 31, 1967: Village Hall, St Just
    August 4, 1967: Rugby Club, Hayle
    November 10, 1967: Pennance Hotel, Hayle
    December 21, 1967: Raven Youth Club, Thurnby Lodge
    July 4, 1968: Beach, Perranporth
    July 13, 1968: Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
    It was an easy transition for The Reaction: they were used to performing sets without their erstwhile lead singer, but they still needed a vocalist. After a series of auditions, they hired Roger ‘Sandy’ Brokenshaw, who was later fired due to his penchant for upbeat soul and mainstream ballads. The band wanted to progress into heavier musical territories, but were without a lead singer again. It eventually dawned upon the band that Roger Taylor would be the best vocal substitute, but he still wanted to establish himself as a proficient drummer, a difficult task when coupled with singing. He was up to the challenge anyway, and The Reaction morphed into the power trio they had always wanted to be.
    The band also landed a pair of roadies, Neil Battersby and Peter Gill-Carey. Roger, meanwhile, gradually evolved into the leader of the group, an inevitability, considering his status as the lead vocalist. When the band contacted a booking agency (BCD Entertainments) about performing some dates, Roger successfully argued that the band might as well find their own bookings and save the ten per cent fee the agency required. Roger also explored his creative side, already establishing himself as an eccentric, theatrical drummer: in a move that even Keith Moon never attempted, Roger doused his cymbals with gasoline and set them alight. After acquiring his family’s piano, he removed the outer frame, painted the now-exposed interior and, during shows, would leave his drums to pound out random chords. When the set came to an end with ‘Land Of 1,000 Dances’, he would attack the piano with as much ferocity as he had his drums. Other times, the band would conclude their shows by spraying each other with foam.
    In February 1967, a horrific road accident almost brought an end to The Reaction. Roger had just been granted his driver’s licence and offered to relieve Neil Battersby of his duties for a night. As the van and its occupants – including Roger, Michael Dudley, his girlfriend Marian Little, Richard Penrose, his girlfriend Valerie Burrows, Neil Battersby and Peter Gill-Carey – were travelling along the A30, they encountered some serious fog. Without warning, the van somersaulted and landed on its roof, sliding along the road for several feet before coming to a halt. Roger was thrown clear and was unhurt, but his passengers weren’t so lucky: Michael received a broken hand and nose, Marian suffered a cut chest and Valerie had internal stomach injuries. Richard and Neil were covered in cuts and glass, but the worst injured was Peter, who was lying unconscious in the middle of the road and bleeding profusely. The accident was so severe that Peter was left with a paralysed right arm and was unable to finish his medical degree. Unbeknown to Roger, he had slammed into an abandoned fish van; seven years were spent in legally exonerating him.
    The accident affected Roger considerably and, while The Reaction continued throughout 1967, he was grateful when