Mark

Mark Thatcher lives in Ruthin, N. Wales and has been playing lead and bass guitar since age 13, though the first band outing was with “Distortion”, on drums aged 11. Played lead guitar in college bands "Green Gilbert" and “Virus” at UCW Aberystwyth, then moved to Blaenau Ffestiniog to form power trio “Plasterers” which became four-piece “The Grams”, alternating between bass and lead guitar. When the Grams reached the end of the road Mark did some sessions with the very talented composer/keyboardist Jochen Eisentraut and his Tigers and Graduettes project then when Jochen went to London to seek his fortune played bass in a C & W duo gigging weekly in pubs and clubs around N. Wales (sorry, I appreciate this was heresy).
Mark then got involved playing guitar and bass with a new band project “Llwybr Cyhoeddus” which became the No 1 Welsh band of 1985/86 with hit single “Dawns y Dail”. Highlight of this band was playing in the New Year for BBCTV Wales. After work commitments forced departure from Llwybr and a move to Chester another band was formed, “A Few Good Men”, initially on bass, then moving to guitar. AFGM played a number of venues along the N. Wales coast. Having moved to Ruthin and after the demise of AFGM after the drummer retired with ill-health, various covers bands ensued, including “Dark Horse” and Wrexham-based band “Route 66”. “Deadline” was formed from the remnants of the latter and gigged regularly in the Chester and N. Wales area until mid 2008.
With a view to concentrating on bass, Mark joined what was to become RhythmCatcher in early 2009, great musicians but unfortunately the project was short-lived. Some energy is going into a re-formed AFGM, re-recording the old stuff and writing new stuff with Ron Hornsby (keys/vocs) - slow progress though. now with blind justice....let the dancing begin