US-based Premier Global Production, who provided lighting services for the new tour, worked with lighting designer Scott Holthaus to fill his equipment needs. "We had just got 78 Sharpy fixtures, which are hot little items right now," says vice president of sales James Vollhoffer. "We were excited to add them to our inventory - it was time to make the investment since we see a demand building for them. All of ours are now on a boat heading for the European leg of the band's tour."
Holthaus continues: "Although we've never been into literal imagery, the set is a three-dimensional shape based around an asterisk. Everything radiates out into an octagon from an asterisk-shaped video screen in the stage. Video screens are on each facet of the octagon and can move to face the audience. They can also expand from 14 to 40 feet like a Venetian blind. Most lighting trusses are in and around the video screens where they are really working the vertical."
The Sharpy fixtures are deployed on the floor, behind the upstage video screen, on top of the six torms, in the centre of the octagon and behind the main upstage video wall "to blast through the video panels," according to Holthaus.
(Jim Evans)
