Our Friend Scott Johnson (1979-2012)

June 18, 2012 at 8:21 PM

SCOTT JOHNSON (1979-2012)   On Saturday 16th June we sadly lost our great mate Scott Johnson. Scott has been working with the TAPFS family now on and off since 2000 as the Drum technician for Bonney. Scott always put a smile on everyone's face and was a reliable, dependable man on our work-force.

It was an honour to have had him on our team. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and all the other bands and crew members to whom he worked for. God bless and rest in peace Scotty lad, you will be deeply missed.

Scott, 33, died Saturday when the stage collapsed before a Radiohead concert in Canada, just hours before the show was to begin. He grew up in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in England, where his parents, Ken and Susan, live. He was their only child.

He worked at Electro Music for 10 years, starting as a 13-year-old, when he was there for two weeks as part of his school program. Then the store hired him to work in their drum section on Saturdays and full time when he finished school.

From there he went to work with his friend’s band, Longview, which is where he met the members of Keane, for whom he’d go on to work with when they exploded internationally.

When he was with Longview, he got his first big break, touring as drum technician with Australian Pink Floyd, which was playing in front of thousands throughout the United Kingdom and the world. All the while he continued to play drums in and around his hometown.

“I’m surprised he’s a drum tech and not a drummer in a major band,” Bonney said.

But as a drum tech, he was considered a rare talent, which led to his work with Radiohead. He added Radiohead to his resume earlier this year.

“Tuning a drum kit is a very difficult skill,” Bonney said. “There’s drum techs out there who just set the kit up, but to have it tuned perfectly every night is a highly trained, highly skilled talent, and he had them perfectly tuned at every show.”

Message from Bonney Scott was my best mate and Drum Tech for so many years. His professionalism was noted World Wide. He was the most kindest, generous, well-mannered and wittiest man I know - who didn't have a bad word to say about anyone! You will be so missed brother. I love you! Bonney.

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