With great sadness, we are passing on the news that Mick Thornton, our lighting designer for many, many years, has died.
Mick joined us in 1983. A few hours before we set off on our first 'proper tour', we managed to borrow 8 par cans and our one roadie-come-tour manager, Tommy Tee, went round to a friend's house to ask if he would operate them for us. By coincidence he wasn't in. Instead Mick answered the door in his underpants and, from what we understand, the conversation went approximately:
Is .... at home?
No.
Oh. Have you ever operated lights?
No.
Do you want to learn?
Yes.
Pack your bag, we're leaving in an hour.
And so began a wonderful career which saw Mick develop quickly into a creative and sought-after lighting designer, going on to work with The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, Black Sabbath, Andrea Bocelli, Thin Lizzy, Opus, Paradise Lost, The Almighty and countless other bands as well as 20 years with NMA.
He was known for his big smile and big heart and his love of music and lights and the touring life and he will be missed by many people in the industry.
Rest in peace Mick, and thank you for everything you gave us, x
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Mick Thornton
