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| Andy Tomkins Big X |
Andrew Tomkins, Andy to his mates or Ramp Man or sometimes !!! best not !!
As much as he looks like a jovial jolly chap he is in fact a very very serious Technician, ah that's Bollocks, because he is a funny, jolly, jovial,chap with the most fantastic sense of humour and the quickest wit.
That said he is very good at what he does and what does he do I hear you ask, well single handed he takes care of John "RHINO" Edwards Bass Guitars and all that in tails as well as looking after Andrew Bowens Key Boards and Guitars so once that truck is unloaded its full on for Mr Tomkins.
But this fine figure of a man has been doing this now for many many years, Andy started out in the business 25 years ago beginning just working as local crew so basically just getting shouted at to move this pull that put that here and this there, from that he worked Back line , Drums, Bass, keys,this guy is the all rounder of the team, but he is well settled now in his current roll which he has occupied now for the last two and a half years.
Before joining the Status Quo Crew Andy has worked with the likes of Van Morrison, The Manic Street Preachers, Pulp, Verve and Richard Ashcroft solo stuff, not to mention Transvision Vamp, Dogs D' Amour, Wild Hearts, JJ72, Green on Red,Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Skunk A Nancy to name a few and I am sure he is missed by them all as he really is a great guy to know and to work with like I say very very funny and rarely a day goes by when he does not have us all in stitch's.
Tim Franklin Monitor Engineer Supremo
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| Captain of the Star Ship Enterprise |
Well Tim Franklin may have the look of a serial killer but he is a really nice guy.
Tim has now been working with the Mighty Quo for the last seventeen years, so in the seniority league amongst the crew Tim is way out in front, Tim is the Monitor Engineer for the Quo, before and during the show Tim is in radio contact with the Sound Engineer Andy May at Front of House and between them they keep the Quo sounding just right.
Tim is positioned at stage left and quite often if you look closely you may see any one of the band just mouthing something to the side of stage, this is where Tim's ability to lip read comes in very useful.
I have sat next to Tim on many occasion's and Francis or Rhino have mouthed something to me to tell Tim, if they where unable to catch his eye and I have never yet had a bloody clue what they are trying to say, but Tim he is on it he is sat there with a monitor desk which can only be described as the control deck of the Star Ship Enterprise, I have never seen so many buttons, switches, slides, onscreen displays and lights.
From here Tim can bring up the sound levels of every instrument on the stage individually so the audience gets to hear each one all in perfect harmony, but obviously different song different sound so come show time Tim is there leaned over his Monitor Desk his hands a blur sliding, switching and adjusting and ensuring that the sound that the audience hears is just perfect and the fact that he has now been doing this for Status Quo for 17 years would suggest he is bloody good at what he does.
Tim started out working with a small PA company twenty five years ago and worked his way to the top of the pile always working with sound and PA, Tim has in his time worked with Prince,Lionel Richie and the Cockto twins to name but a few.
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