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| Lloyd Guitar Tech |
Lloyd is the guy who has to ensure that Francis and Ricks guitars are all tuned correctly and that their plectrums are positioned where they want them, all guitars need to be re-strung regularly so to reduce the chance of broken strings mid show.
And with Francis & Rick using an arsenal of seven guitars between them, its no mean feat and believe me Francis and Rick know what they want so there is no pressure !!
There are wireless guitar packs to be checked and double checked speakers, monitors and continuous tuning and re-tuning, I remember one particular sound check where Francis had brought a guitar from the dressing room on to the stage for the sound check and in the ten minutes or so it had been on the stage it had gone out of tune, even Francis was amazed, but a change of temperature will have that affect on a guitar due to the fact that most of the guitar is made of wood, so all day and during the show Lloyd is checking tuning and re-tuning right up until he hands the guitar to Rick or Francis so that the unmistakable sound of Status Quo is never compromised.
Lloyd started out in the business as a basic Rodie working folk music venues around Hertfordshire and Berkhampstead and its his love of guitar that lead him to where he is today, Lloyd has now been with the mighty Quo for the last six years but has in the past worked with the likes of The Manic Street Preacher, Annie Lenox, Ricky Martin, Terror Vision, Therapy and Placebo to name just a few.
Patrick Marks Lighting Designer extraordinar
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| No Relation to Steptoe |
Patrick Marks the man responsible for the lighting extravaganza that excites and enthrals all that look upon a live Status Quo gig, the lighting spectacular that Pat creates is only limited by the lighting rig that the local promoter provides,obviously there is a minimum requirement and sometimes the minimum is all he gets, that's when you find Pat a little despondent but then as they say the show must go on and go on it does and he always creates an amazing light show what ever he is given, but when he get his hands on a full lighting rig then he really comes in to his own and you get to see what thirty five years in the business has taught him.
Pat's first experience of working the lights was when he was at Kiel University and by his own admission he had ulterior motives as he had worked out that by offering to do the lights he could get in to every Party, Disco and Gig for free, Pats time at university was spent studying Performing Arts and Education and from university spent eight years as a teacher working with children with special needs, which has stood him in good stead to work in the Rock and Roll industry.
After a split with his wife at the time and the dividing up of house and contents he decided to strike out on his own and he purchased an old VW Van and some lights and PA equipment and honed his skills working Pubs and clubs around the Luton and Dunstible area until a friend who happened to be PR Man for Gary Newman offered Pat a chance to go large, he then found himself thrown in at the deep end and realised how little he had learnt but like a true professional he rose to the challenge and learnt on the job working with Gary Newman, Aswad, Aztec Camera, Saxon, Big Country travelling as far a field as North America and Australia.
He also dipped his toe in to the world of TV and Film working on Orchestra Wide , Big World Cafe, later working with M People , King , Sinead O'Connor and Nigel Kennedy he was then offered three weeks work with Status Quo that was in 1989 and he is still there working his magic creating his amazing light show.
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