Lighting designer Scott Holthaus worked with Jack Johnson to create a simple tungsten look, using only scoops and lekos for the main part of the lighting design. Wooden battens and large pulleys give the appearance of "Roald Dahl meets the Italian circus" while 15 scoops and 15 lekos hang from random heights on the five bars.
"While we showcased the old technology, we have some moving heads hidden above in the support trusses to give a bit of pepper," explained Holthaus. "We (per lighting director Leif Dixon's idea) were worried that the artist would soon be bored of the static brown leko scenes and want to spice it up... so we planned that in advance with moving lights."
Equipment for the tour included MAC 2k fixtures, MAC Auras, GRNLite Battens, VL 1000 tungsten fixtures and two Grand MA 2 lite consoles, and while some companies may have been daunted by the creatively unconventional design, Holthaus was happy to find Bandit more than obliging.
"We asked for some silly things like the bars of scoops and the Bandit team didn't bat an eye," said Holthaus. "They just dug in and came up with a system to effectively tour this funky rig in a professional way."
"This rig was an intriguing mix of classic theatrical lamps that we have all grown up with in schools, theaters and TV studios, with the new age of LED fixtures," said Bandit's production director Dizzy Gosnell. "The clever part is that you can't see the join in the show, as the two ages of lighting never clash. It's a very tasteful show that never tries to overpower Jack and the band."
(Jim Evans)
