Tourniquet - Biographies

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Ted Kirkpatrick
(drums)
	As drummer, songwriter and cofounder of Tourniquet since its inception in 1990, Ted�s aggressive, musical, and often unorthodox approach to the drums has been recognized by thousands. Ted grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and began to play drums at age 12. The readers of HM Magazine voted him "Favorite Drummer" for 10 years in a row, and again in 2003. Ted has twice been featured in Modern Drummer Magazine. �Ted�s philosophy of treating the drums as a musical instrument - not just a noisy timekeeper - makes sense in light of the fact that he has written the music and lyrics for fifteen of Tourniquet�s #1 singles, in addition to the songs that bring out the technical, melodic, and eccentric side of the band. He is well known for his ability to create and execute polyrhythms within the framework of songs and for his advanced double bass technique. �Besides the normal influence of other drummers, Ted�s unique style developed from other more unconventional sources. As a great admirer of the classical masters, he has incorporated the staccato bursts of Scarlatti�s harpsichord sonatas, the counterpoint of Bach�s fugues, and the explosiveness of Beethoven�s symphonies into his playing. As a traveler to the jungles of Papua New Guinea, the Amazon Basin of Western Brazil, Malaysia, Taiwan, Ecuador, the Solomon Islands and other far off lands in search of butterflies and other insects, the fantastic and repetitive sounds of the jungle have influenced his drumming as well. For the often requested acoustic sets Tourniquet occasionally performs, Ted plays 6 or 12 string guitar. TED'S DRUMMING PHILOSOPHY: Learn all you can from watching, listening, and talking to other drummers, then step outside the drumming world and observe... You may be surprised how much non-drumming factors can influence your playing!� [ influences ] (non-drumming influences) Jungle and insect sounds Scarlatti Harpsichord Sonatas (drumming influences) Simon Phillips, Carl Palmer, Dave Weckl, Terry Bozzio, Dean Castronovo, Akira Jimbo, Buddy Rich [ equipment ] Ted endorses and plays: DW drums and pedals Paiste cymbals Vic Firth sticks Remo heads Impact cases [ highlights ] (on video) Circadian Rhythms - The Drumming World of Ted Kirkpatrick Ocular Digital (on CD) Viento Borrascoso (PS) Descent into the Maelstrom (POD) K517 (VL) Trivializing the Momentous, Complicating the Obvious (AA) Immunity Vector (MVTR) Melting the Golden Calf (WMARD)

Luke Easter
(vocals)
Luke grew up and resides in the San Francisco Bay area. He started singing at age 19 and his remarkable vocal ability was evident from his first audition with Tourniquet. He brings life and emotion into every vocal line. As the band's frontman, he always manages to get the crowd involved with the show. A testimony to his talent, many of his vocal lines and harmonies on the band's albums were done in only one take. The 1997album "Crawl To China" marked Luke's first writing credits - contributing the lyrics to 3 songs. He continued his lyric writing skills by contributing three songs to Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm and two more to Where Moth and Rust Destroy.

Steve Andino
(bass)
	Born in lower east side of Manhattan, NY. Grew up in Bensonhurst - Brooklyn, NY. Moved to L.A. in the fall of 1988. "I started playing guitar at the age of 13 but I could never master playing lead." Not until 1992 did Steve find his love for bass guitar. He played in a variety of local bands before joining Tourniquet in early 1999. Steve played his first show on April 19,1999 in Germany. Steve says "I don't know how to read notes, but I force myself to play by ear at least two hours daily. What motivates me to play is seeing the energy and hunger that our fans feed us on stage. Being a part of Tourniquet has opened my eyes to a whole new perspective. There's nothing more exhilirating than playing music that's not cliche' and spreading the word of our Lord through the power of music." [ equipment ] AMPS: Ampeg SVT III Pro Series CABINETS: Goliath 18", Nemesis 18" BASS GUITARS: Musicman Sterling - 4 string Musicman Stingray - 4 string Jackson 800SR - 5 string

Aaron Guerra
(guitar, vocals)
Aaron grew up in Stagecoach, Nevada, population 900 - not exactly the mecca for guitar teachers, so Aaron's father taught him how to play. In fact, when he moved to LA to join Tourniquet, he was playing in Final Notice, a band he formed with his father. He is a very precise rhythm player and his strong sense of melody for leads can be heard on Tourniquet's albums. Two decades of guitar playing later, his love for music and performing is always evident. Aaron has written the music to six Tourniquet songs - three appear on Crawl to China and three on Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm (MVTR). Check out Aaron in the October 2000 issue of Guitar World magazine. [ equipment ] Guitars: ............ Fernandes "Vertigo" ............ ESP "Viper" ............ Gibson "Explorer" Amps: Marshall JCM 800 - modified by Jackson Cabinets: Carvin 4 x 12 Effects: ............ Dunlop Wah pedal ............ Digitech Whammy pedal ............ DOD Death Metal pedal ............ Boss Dual Overdrive pedal Strings: D'Addario XL Light (.042 - .010) Picks: Dunlop Tortex .88mm [ highlights ] "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose" (Carry the Wounded) "Viento Borrascoso" (Acoustic Archives) "Drinking from the Poisoned Well" (Microscopic View...) "Immunity Vector" (Microscopic View...) "Skeezix Part II" (Microscopic View...)