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Bandit Rocks All Over The World with Status Quo
With nearly four decades of performance, and legendary for rock anthems like ‘Caroline’, ‘Rollover Lay Down’, ‘Down Down’ and many others under their belts, the band still have plenty of enthusiasm and energy for their show, and tour regularly every year.
Marks also designs Quo’s set, which has evolved over the last few tours. This year, the arena show set contains five upright onstage truss towers filled with scenic Marshall cabinets – symbolic of the power and volume of Quo’s own specific brand of rock ‘n’ roll.
A major challenge on this tour is the huge contrast in venues. These range from Wembley one night to Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall the next – as Quo like to ensure they reach all of their many fan bases dotted around the country – not just the major cities. Marks explains how he had had to plan to lose 75 per cent of the equipment at certain gigs, but for it to still look like ‘their show’.
Before the start of the tour, he spent a week in Bandit UK’s visualisation suite at their HQ in Bedford, mapping and programming the show using Martin Show Designer. This gave him a real head start going into the hectic schedule.
It’s the first Quo tour that Bandit has undertaken, following some one-offs with the band in the summer, and Marks is “very impressed” with all aspects of their service. He’s also delighted to be collaborating with Lester Cobrin again.
The Quo arena rig consists of three trusses. The front one contains 30 Pars - for three colour washes - Congo, Lee 137 pale lavender and half CTO – the very pastel shades to pick out the front line. The band have not used followspots for years. Also on the front are six Martin MAC 600s and six Source Fours to key-light the downstage mic points, which include original Quo stars Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt. There also six 4-lites for audience lighting.
The mid truss features eight MAC 600s and 12 MAC 500s and three strings of ACLs, plus three Source Fours to key-light the upstage drum and keyboard positions.
The back truss is shaped into a gentle curve – achieved with Bandit’s custom angle pieces - and wraps the rear of the stage, complete with two vertical trussing ‘legs’– one per side. For the arena shows the rear truss features 36 PARs, 12 PARs on each vertical, 12 MAC 500s and two strings of ACLs.
On the floor are the five custom upright truss towers, fabricated by Total Fabrications from over-sized pre-rigged truss, and containing the scenic Marshall cabinets. These are actually 13 disembowelled real Marshall cabinets, each now fitted with two Par 36 DWE bulbs and a red architectural strip light.
There’s lots of white light used in the rig. Marks explains that he’s trying to create an impression of the 1970’s/80’s ‘massive rock show’ style that’s so appropriate to Quo, using 21st century technology – which everyone coming to shows now expects to see.
The judicious use of the moving lights allows him to have a much smaller Par can count than would have typified a genuine 1980s rig – when size was absolutely crucial! However every lamp on the rig has a purpose and is worked hard. The Par cans are all chrome, in keeping with the metal theme and the fully ‘revealed’ truss-work, all of which imbibes the stage with a raw, industrial rock feel.
Bandit’s crew are Peter “Fats” Parchment (crew chief), Rob Starksfield (dimmers) and Mick Freer (technician). They were joined by Tom Crosbie (technician) for the arena shows. Marks is quick to pay tribute to his on-the-road team and the hard work that goes into making his show happen each night, proudly declaring that they achieved the first sub-11 minute generic focus of the tour, and are working on reducing it yet further!
Lester Cobrin comments: “I’ve been working with Pat since 1995. He is a gent, a master of his craft, and an absolute pleasure to work with.”
9th December 2004
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