Bandit Inc has serviced Bolton for the last three years, since he resumed active gigging in the US. However this is the first European tour for some time and also Spillman's first experience working with Bandit UK. The tour was project managed for Bandit by Lester Cobrin.
Spillman, based in Anaheim, California, had to create a big show with an expedient amount of lighting fixtures. There were a few set pieces extracted from previous tours and carried forward to this one, notably three fast fold projection screens, upstage of the risers, used for gobo projections and other lighting effects, and to give the stage a shape and a sense of form.
The rig consisted of 142 PARs spread across three 40ft pre-rig trusses. The front truss featured nine Source Four key lights, and he used PARs for audience treatment as opposed to blinders, reckoning the latter were too harsh for Bolton's loungey style.
The upstage truss featured five Martin MAC 2K profiles, the mid had another four, and the front had four MAC 2K washes. On the floor were another three MAC 2Ks upstage and two MAC 2K washes downstage for front cross stage fill. Spillman ran the show himself on his Pearl which he describes as "Reliable and very easy to programme and operate".
Michael Bolton's tour continues in Asia and the Middle East until Christmas. Tour Manager is John Dubuque and Production Manager is Robert Nelson.
(Jim Evans)
