PRS Artists Back Beyoncé During Legendary Coachella Performance
Posted Apr 17, 2018
We're 3 days out from Beyoncé's headlining 2018 Coachella performance, and fans are still talking about it. The show's massive production included a full marching band, over 100 step dancers, and Beyoncé's touring band consisting of PRS artists Lauren Taneil (bassist) and Francesca Simone (guitarist).
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Lauren Taneil picked up the bass guitar at just 7 years old and "her wildest dreams came true" when she was chosen to play bass guitar for Beyoncé five years ago.
Lauren feels a commitment to encourage young women as an artist with an elevated gig, “I want to encourage young women to stay focused on their goals, and stay spiritually grounded/connected in who they are and who is inside them. To make sure they take care of themselves first and foremost and never stop growing/learning.”
Lauren plays a combination of PRS Grainger basses, and rocked a black 5-string Grainger Bass during Saturday night's performance.
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Francesca Simone was inspired to pick up the guitar at age 12 after she saw Carlos Santana live in concert.
After that point, her hunger for learning was insatiable, 'When I was in middle school, I would go to bed at 10pm since my parents didn't want me staying up too late, set my alarm for 2am to get up and practice for three hours, then get another hour of sleep before getting up to go to school. I loved it so much. I was always listening, and learning."
Her dedication and commitment to practice led to a connection with Beyoncé's tour manager and eventually an audition, which she nailed.
Check out our recent interview with Francesca here!
Francesca played her trusted PRS 305 on Saturday night, and had her time to shine during a powerful solo while side-by-side with Beyoncé. She says about her beloved 305, "I need a diverse array of tones for this gig, which is exactly what my guitar offers. It’s a real workhorse… I can get anything from sparkling clean rhythm tones to heavy distortion."
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Beyoncé's hour-long set included special guests, impressive choreography, and stunning visuals - which may be why excited fans are dubbing this year's festival "Beychella."
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CONNECT WITH THE ARTISTS
LAUREN TANEIL
FRANCESCA SIMONE