According to Pollstar's recent listings of the Top 50 worldwide concert tours, the numbers two, three and four slots were occupied by AC~DC, U2 and Lady Gaga respectively, to all of whom Brilliant Stages was a key supplier.
AC~DC's Black Ice tour originally kicked off in 2008 and marked the first appearance of the band for eight years. Brilliant Stages designed and manufactured the infrastructure for the spectacular focal point, the Rock 'n' Roll Train. Conceived by Fisher Studio's Jeremy Lloyd and Mark Fisher, the life-size steam train incorporated lighting, pyrotechnics, smoke, C02, headlights, a brass bell and deployable, light-up devil horns.
Totalling 6000kg, the locomotive could be pushed up and downstage by only two stagehands and took just three people to rotate it to its show position.
The train kept on rolling through to 2010, refreshed and with a header added for the culminating leg of the tour. It was designed for touring needs, ease of handling and, in this case, with all parts fitting into carts suitable for trucking and upper deck air-freight.
Pivotal to Mark Fisher/Willie Williams' 'Claw' for U2's 360° Tour was Brilliant Stages' fabrication of the central spire or pylon. Fifty metres high and loaded with 34 PRG Icon 2 'Bad Boy' moving lights and two 600mm mirror balls, the pylon needed to withstand the rigours of touring yet also be easy to erect and transport. The final design was constructed of 19 2.4m high sections fabricated from high grade aluminium and high tensile steel to extremely high tolerance for accurate assembly.
"We all feel that Brilliant Stages really did do a brilliant job on the pylon," said tour production director, Jake Berry. "It is very user friendly and extremely efficient in the way it goes together, both for fit up and breakdown. We were very happy with the outcome."
Finally, in January 2010, Brilliant Stages was approached by Leroy Bennett and Peter Aquinde to supply part of the staging on an updated Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour. With a delivery deadline of less than six weeks, it tested Brilliant Stages' ability to react to urgent deadlines.
Working alongside Andy Edwards of 3D Design, Brilliant Stages produced two telescoping towers and stairwells. Each tower has a footprint 8' x 7' to fit within the mainstage and extends on two levels, from 11' to a total raised height of 26'. The Tower operation is carried out by manual electronic control to multi-reeved winches mounted within deck levels.
Also included in Pollstar's Top 50 Tours 2010 list were Roger Waters (10), Muse (13), Pink (20), Rammstein (24) and Simply Red (50) tours, all of which received the Brilliant Stages treatment.
(Jim Evans)
