Music entrepreneur who toured with Led Zeppelin is made an OBE

An entrepreneur who began his career as Led Zeppelin’s touring soundman and went on to a lead a global music technology group, has been made an OBE.

Philip Dudderidge, 75, described himself as a “a teenage rebel who went into the music industry” but found touring America in 1970 with the rock legends a physically punishing ordeal.

Mr Dudderidge said about the Led Zeppelin tour: “The music was fabulous of course but the experience of going to the States and doing a tour there, it was really hard work.

“Not only doing the shows but then having to drive between cities – we did 28 cities in a month – so by the end of it I was completely exhausted. I just said ‘I can’t do any more’. We were only a crew of three, these days they’ll have 50.

“Really, what I learned in the States was the direction of travel for live sound amplification – systems needed to get a lot bigger.”

Mr Dudderidge also worked as the house engineer for the famous Implosion Club concerts at London’s Roundhouse in the 1970s.

He said: “Elton John played and a band called America did their first gig, but so many bands, more bands then I can even remember.”

The entrepreneur added: “My ambition at the age of 21 was to own the best PA system in the world and work with the best people in the world, and for a number of years we did run a rental system and we toured with lots of different people.

“My last gig was at the then Odeon Hammersmith with Ry Cooder. It was just a one-off gig and I deputised for the usual sound engineer and that was the last show I mixed.

“There’s nothing more artistically satisfying then mixing a live show, and feeling what the audience was hearing. Well, it’s down to the band but it was completely up to you how you represented the band.”