Halestorm takes to the stage with Bandit
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“As the co-headliner, we had access to the whole air package, however Alice Cooper had a large set piece that needed to be covered,” said lighting designer Craig Richter. “We had to trim the blackout truss low enough so that I could shoot over it with the US lighting truss, but high enough to not give away the Cooper set.”
To that end, Richter crafted a design with an old-school, massive wall of light behind the band. Using custom-built set carts made by Gallagher Staging on a mast in a grid pattern that cranked up to 14′ high, Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures were hung on the base of the carts while Chauvet Maverick Pyxis units were mounted on the upper sections.
“I am really impressed with the Pyxis,” says Richter, adding, “their output is great and can cut through some of the other bigger fixtures. The outer ring of the Pyxis works really well with the Robe Halos I have next to them, as well as with the Claypaky B-EYE K20 fixtures. They mimic what I'm doing with both of those other fixtures, while at the same time provide a different over all look for the stage. I am really happy that Bandit was able to purchase these for us and I plan to use them again on future designs.”
To keep the system in sync with the album cycle, Richter and the Halestorm team approached the design with enough changes that would make a noticeable impact to the audience without requiring a lengthy amount of reprogramming songs.
“For me it all comes down to simplicity,” Richter explains. “I don't try to reinvent the wheel with crazy effects or pixel mapping of the fixtures. I just stick to some standard positions and colors that complement each other well. When the song calls for it, I add some in your face movement. When it comes to choosing fixtures, I look for diversity as well as bang for your buck, as I need something that can do multiple tasks due to budget and space, so the more the fixture can do the better. At the same time I also want a variety, since I have yet to find a one fixture that can do everything.”
Bandit Lites supplied more than 140 fixtures including Martin MAC Viper Profiles, GLP X4S, Elation Color Chorus 48, Chauvet Maverick Pyxis, Chauvet Rogue R1 FX-B, Chauvet Nexus 4x4s, Claypaky B-EYE K20s, Robe Halos, Eurolites and a grandMA 2 Full console for control.
“It is not just anyone who can take the practicality and logistics of having a lighting system on carts and turn it into a design that both compliments and accents a band with the stage presence of an artist like Halestorm, but Craig and tour manager Mike Mahar pull it off and make it look easy,” says Bandit Lites business development officer Brent Barrett.
(Jim Evans)
