My symbiont is cooler than yours

Five or six years ago, I was a student studying at Imperial College. I wasn’t a very serious student, but still I studied as one would, and socialized as one would, and greatly enjoyed my student lifestyle. Through that university lifestyle, I met a certain guy, formed a friendship with him that continues to this day, and was able to make the conditions for me to do this job that I have now.

That guy was, unlike me, a very serious student. He was bright on top of being serious, so naturally he had better grades than guys like me, and was always outstanding, and while we were unlike each other, we got along a fair bit, and spent time together outside of school, too. During this time, I learned that this guy that I thought was strictly serious was actually crazy about rock music. Now that I’ve written this much, this “guy,” who is tall and a friend with the top grades, has surely been recognized as Brian May by fans.

I’ve known the members of Queen since they first formed, so from the very beginning, in other words. Although I’m working exclusively for them as an engineer, it’s not that I always wanted to be an engineer. I met Freddie, Brian, and Roger, and when they first formed Queen, it all started when I helped them transport amps, instruments, and other gear.

Queen was a collection of poor students back then. Still, Freddie graduated from art school, and Roger got a degree in science. Brian also earned a degree, and apparently was going to keep going towards a PhD, but after putting a lot of thought into whether he should continue with Queen or keep studying, he made the decision to be a musician.

It’s not like there were jobs lined up everywhere they looked after they graduated. Life had to be difficult for this group of unsuccessful musicians. The story of Freddie and Roger working at a boutique in Kensington Market is now well-known.

The four of them have not changed at all It wasn’t easy to continue working little by little on their music careers while working part-time. No matter where they went, they had to carry their instruments, amps, and gear on their own. I was with them, and at that time I had a plain, small, light van. I started to become responsible for loading amps and guitars into this van and taking them to wherever they were playing. When I look back at it now, this was the first step in eventually working as an engineer for Queen.

Needing a bass player, John joined Queen about two years after the group was formed. The circumstances surrounding that have been covered already by numerous magazines and newspapers, so I won’t go into details.

I got to know Brian first, then Freddie and Roger, and then finally John, and I still remember well how I met each of them for the first time. I often get asked by lots of people whether the members have changed over the years. Most of the people who ask me that are guessing that their simplicity from before is no longer there. However, as far as I can tell, Freddie, Roger, Brian, and John have not changed at all. Queen have become so successful, and they’ve become stars, but their personalities are the same as when I first met them.

I wonder if they never thought of themselves as stars? They haven’t changed in the 5-6 years I’ve known them, to the point where sometimes I almost forget that they’re members of the famous Queen. That’s why when I see them being followed around by young girls at train stations, hotels, and around town on this Japanese tour, I get a little surprised. These kinds of scenes seem more common than when they first came to Japan. All of the members apparently wanted to talk to the fans, but it’s impossible with this many people.

An unforgettable memory I reprised my role as engineer on this Japanese tour. However, I only work as an engineer mostly on tour. I’m also with them in the studio when they’re recording an album, but they hire other people as studio engineers. When the four of them enter the studio, they become very serious. And they complete their work after much painstaking work, and fans end up with an album.

I like Queen as friends, of course, but I also like them as musicians. I often listen to their albums when I’m at home. My favourites are Queen II and A Night at the Opera. Right, there’s I’m in Love with My Car. Roger wrote this song for me, and both Roger and I are very much into cars. The two of us have gone to see car races, and sometimes we even race cars ourselves. However, maybe Roger’s many fans wouldn’t approve of such dangerous activities.

On top of being an engineer for their live shows, sometimes they ask me for my opinion about various things. For example, what song was the most well-received that day, or the set up of the stage. During a concert, the lights are so bright that they can’t see behind the stage. Me, I always set up the equipment behind the stage, and have a seat. That’s why it’s immediately clear which songs are well-received and what kinds of reactions the audience has. When a concert goes well on a particular day, the four of them listen attentively to my advice. But if they’re ever in a bad mood, there can be trouble. It’s better not to say anything when that happens. The four of them become extremely high-strung before and after concerts.

What that means is, that’s how serious they are when it comes to their music. They’re always thinking about the progress and growth of the Queen sound. Their day-to-day lifestyles can also be seen as different from those of the typical guys in rock groups. There aren’t too many occasions of them getting drunk and wild. Roger probably drinks the most out of the four of them. But still, it’s not that Roger is a heavy drinker. On top of that, the four of them never drink before a show. That’s how much they focus on their act.

That’s how much nervous energy they use on stage, and when they go on tour, they spend a long time travelling from one place to another, and the daily round trips from hotels to airports continue. I grew tired of this lifestyle several times. There’s no doubt that the members felt this way as well. However, there’s a sense of happiness you get from living in this harsh world that you couldn’t get elsewhere. I still remember it well. The day I first heard a Queen record on the radio…. That was Seven Seas of Rhye, Queen’s first hit single in the UK. We were all slapping each other’s shoulders and jumping around, raising a ruckus.

Also, the day Queen first appeared on the popular TV show Top of the Pops was also memorable. The day Queen first played in Japan last year, too…. On the first day at the Budokan, there were over 10 000 audience members. Up until then, they had only performed to audiences of at most 4,000 people in the UK, and now they were performing in Tokyo to 10,000 people. The excitement and emotions felt were unforgettable.

Four distinct personalities I don’t know how long I’ll be working with Queen. I might get tired of touring as I get older, and I might become a studio engineer at that point. However, as long as Queen exists, I’ll likely be by their side. That’s how much of a good friend they are to me, and how appealing they are as musicians.

Lastly, I’d like to write about each of their personalities from the point of view of their friend. First of all, John, the youngest member, as you’re aware. He’s extremely wise, and he also understands well the essence of business. He doesn’t talk very much in interviews, but if he has a little bit to drink, he becomes a cheerful jokester, that John.

Next is Roger, a truly easy-going guy. He doesn’t fret and think too deeply about things, and doesn’t get seriously concerned about life. His philosophy seems to be that life is there to be enjoyed, and every day he thinks about how to go about enjoying life. Roger is also the type to go drinking and merrymaking on occasion.

Brian is the opposite of Roger. His personality is the kind that seriously frets and worries about everything. However, when it’s about the world in general, he doesn’t care very much. What he’s interested in is the theory behind the music.

Freddie is slightly impatient, and can be generous. He’s the kind of person who would buy a gift for anyone right away, and spends a lot of money on that. He’s up-and-down with his mood, and when he’s in a good mood, Freddie is truly kind, but if something he doesn’t like happens on stage, or if there’s a problem with the music, he gets angry like a roaring fire. He’s a perfectionist that is hard on himself, just as he is hard on others.

I like my current job, and I really like the four members of Queen as people. It’s true that they have become “stars.” Still, the fact that they will be life-long friends hasn’t changed.