The rig features over 100 moving lights from Coemar, Martin, Clay Paky, Syncrolite and Vari*Lite, a 49-way Kinesys automation system and some specially fabricated custom trussing commissioned by Bandit. Baz Halpin and lighting director, Trent O'Connor used Bandit's MSD pre-programming suite for one week prior to rehearsals. There were two weeks of production rehearsals at Elstree Studios prior to the first show.
Seven variable length raked 'finger' trusses run upstage/downstage forming an architectural 'roof' over the main performance area. All of the truss moves on Kinesys motors and the centre three have hinge-down sections at the front. Bandit purchased the Lo Pro trussing & custom hinges from Total Solutions with some modifications made by Bandit Lites' Dizzy Gosnell.
"This is a band that has always pushed the technical boundaries," Gosnell commented. "Baz's design called for lots of strong truss pre-hung with all the moving lights. The lamps needed protection up and down ramps, no time to fiddle with handrails and such, it had to stack/un-stack easily and securely and it had to be instinctive for stagehands all over the world to work with. The V-shaped castor frames we designed keep the heads safe and the truss flying quickly."
There are a total of 77 Coemar Infinity Washes dotted all over the rig, including nine per finger truss, arranged in groups of three. On the downstage edge of each finger is a Syncrolite - a 10K in the centre and 5Ks on the rest.
There are also Martin Atomic Strobes on the fingers, along with a total of five Vari*Lite 3000s, used for band key lighting.
Behind the fingers is a 'Syncrolite truss' - also on Kinesys motors - containing seven 5K Syncrolite units and 8 Martin Atomic 3000s along with 10 Martin Professional MAC 2000 Washes used for punchy back beam looks. In all, Bandit supplied a 24-way vari-speed Kinesys hoist system for video and a 25-way for lighting.
Two Martin Maxxyz control desks were programmed by Halpin and lighting director Trent O'Connor, who is operating the tour. Both Martin Maxxyz consoles were upgraded to Maxxyz+ for this tour.
The screen at the rear of stage was designed by Mark Fisher of Stufish. It's made up of asymmetrically populated sections of Barco O-lite, with a block of fully populated O-Lite in the middle, and 304 ACL bulbs strewn randomly across it, but symmetrically patched at the dimmers. The screen opens and closes horizontally.
Bandit UK chief executive, Lester Cobrin comments: "A special thanks goes to the talented Production Director, Robbie Williams, Production Manager, Albert Lawrence and the entire production team. This tour wouldn't have been possible without their expertise and hard work."
(Jim Evans)
