Mark does not use pick live on SFA
I think he does, if I remember well I would tell you that I saw him use one at the RAH in 2008/2010.
And this the place you can't hardly be closer from him anywhere else...
to be more accurate about SFA live :
- 1985 : no pick, Jack Sonni playing the intro
- 2001 : no pick but intro played by Mark with his nails, while Richard playing acoustic. and then rest of the song with fingers
- 2005 : idem
- 2006 : pick, both on intro and rest of the song ala shangri-la
- 2008 : idem
- 2010 : pick ditched, fingers again, intro played with nails
- 2013 : idem
even at the RAH :
you can believe that it's a pick but it is not, it's his nails.
he does this things very often when he wants more power, e.g. at the end of MFN, or Private investigations, or during the break of TOL.
If Mark uses a pick live he kept it during the whole song (expresso love, shangri-la, fizzy and the still, SFA in 2006-2008, let it all go, TLWNF, TMTS, etc...) I never saw him alternate pick and fingers in the same song, EXCEPT for news/PI final in 80-81, he took the pick just for outro (at 4:18) :