News of the World Tour



The News of the World Tour was a concert tour by the British rock band Queen, supporting their successful 1977 album News of the World.

It was the first to feature 'We Will Rock You', 'We Are the Champions' and 'Love of My Life' – three of the anthems that helped make Queen well known for their concerts.

This tour was the first the band performed without an opening act.

One of the shows on the North American leg – at The Summit in Houston, Texas – was filmed and is widely available among fans. The Houston concert is considered one of their best bootlegs.

Tour band

 * Freddie Mercury: lead and backing vocals and piano.
 * Brian May: Electric guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals.
 * Roger Taylor: drums, lead vocals (on I'm In Love With My Car) backing vocals, tambourine on '39
 * John Deacon: Bass guitar and additional vocals.

Tour band

 * Freddie Mercury: Lead vocals, piano, tambourine
 * Brian May: Guitar, backing vocals
 * Roger Taylor: Drums, lead vocals ("I'm in Love With My Car"), backing vocals
 * John Deacon: Bass guitar, additional vocals, triangle

Reception and recollections
In the book The Show I'll Never Forget: 50 Writers Relive Their Most Memorable Concertgoing Experience, novelist Tracy Chevalier recalls attending one of this tour's concerts at the age of 15:

"The band wisely didn't dare attempt to reproduce in its entirety the long, baroque confection that is Bohemian Rhapsody. For the infamous operatic middle section, the band members left the stage as the studio recording played. Freddie and Brian then changed costume, and, at the word "Beelzebub", all four men popped out of a door in the stage floor and joined live again for the heavy metal section, fireworks going off, dry ice pouring out, everyone going berserk, me in tears of excitement. It was one of the best live moments I've ever witnessed. Indeed, I was spoiled by seeing Queen play live before anyone else; for sheer exuberant theatricality, no one else has come close."

Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times called this concert tour the band's "most spectacularly staged and finely honed show yet".

"We arrived in Las Vegas on Monday," recalled Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris, who was travelling with the band for a filmed piece, "and the band weren't playing until Thursday, so we had three days to party… On the Thursday, when the band were playing, they got the four limos to park at the back of the Aladdin. Each of them got in, then the limos drove them round to the front, where they got out and walked into the hotel for the gig. You have to do it; it's the rock 'n' roll way. You can't just walk into the lobby!"