Inductees included guitarist Peter Frampton, Randy Bachman, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Capps, Will Lee, Velma Smith, Corki Casey O'Dell and country legend Barbara Mandrell, the first woman inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Posthumous inductions went to Ben Keith, Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band Double Trouble while Roy Oribison was honoured with the first Iconic Riff Award. Additionally, Mike Curb was awarded the first ever Industry Icon Award.
In a place filled with such immense talent, it would have been a shame to not indulge in some jaw dropping performances, and the evening did not disappoint. Neil Young, Randy Bachman, ZZ Top and Chris Isaak each took the stage, performing under a lighting rig that Mark Carver tailored to each musician.
"The general design was to balance colour tone and graphics with necessary light requirements needed for broadcast," explained Carver. "I made sure that each artist had a unique look by utilizing differing colors and textures for each specific performance."
Equipment used included VL 3500 spots on the front truss for band and honoree specials, VL 3500 washes for feral wash and colour toning, VL 3000 spots for graphic effects while GLP X4S's were used to light set pieces. Additional equipment included two Grand MA 2 full consoles.
"Mark is an incredible talent in both lighting and organization," said Bandit's vice president Mike Golden. "We do a series of shows over the course of the year and he treats each show with the same level of professionalism and flexibility. Every tech and project manager that has worked with Mark comes back asking to work with him again."
The Bandit crew included Andy York (gaffer), Chaz Martin (board op), Dave Butzler (lead tech) and Don Lockridge (project manager). About the experience with Bandit, Mark Carver said, "The Bandit Team performed superbly from start to finish."
(Jim Evans)
