Richard Neville of Sydney-based Mandylights said the “big project of note” is Ricky Martin’s “One World Tour,” which hits North American arenas Sept. 15-Oct. 25 after previous tour legs in New Zealand, Australia and Mexico earlier this year.
“It’s a pretty massive show, with about 150 moving lights with four huge, video covered LED cubes that move up and down to reveal the band and various tricks,” the lighting designer and director told PLSN. “There are 3,500 custom-made LED cube pixels across the back of the stage scenic, and right from the start, the show is 2.5 hours of high energy Ricky Martin with a full band, eight dancers and a huge lightshow.”
CSN on QM2
LD Jimmy Hatten has cruised through 13 years with Crosby, Stills & Nash — but never on a boat. CSN embarks on their September-October tour from New York — not on a Wooden Ship but on the Queen Mary 2 — with three shows onboard Sept. 4-11. “It will be a completely 100 percent LED rig,” Hatten notes. They disembark at Southampton, U.K., for more shows in London and Europe.
Just Say Yes
LD Don Weeks has resumed touring with Yes, who are co-headlining with Toto through September in the US and Canada. Billy Heaslip has now joined the tour as systems tech for both Yes and Toto. Heaslip has history with both bands: he subbed as Toto’s LD back in 1982 and was LD for Yes LD in 2009. Heaslip told PLSN, “This job came about because Yes’s manager asked my opinion if the tour warranted a system tech for their floor package, and after looking at both plots, I strongly suggested they carry one… Then I suggested I do it…” So Yes said Yes.
Quick Cues
Production designer Trevor Ahlstrand has designed Slipknot’s “Summer’s Last Stand” tour. Lighting director is Greg Kocurek. Their touring mates are Lamb of God, with LD Garrett Wentz…
LD Steve Mills is out with “Weird Al” Yankovic, while Matt Mills is out as lighting director for Disturbed…
Lighting Director Ryan “Stumpy” Campbell is on tour with Seether…
For the third year in a row, LD Benoit Richard has designed the theatrical lighting and video for NBC’s Sunday Night Football opening segment. The new spot, featuring Carrie Underwood, will air for the first time Sept. 13 and every Sunday during the 2015 NFL season. To view a behind the scenes documentary, visit plsn.me/PLSN-SNF…
LD Brent Clark recently worked on a theatre/musical piece called “Oh Canada What a Feeling.” The multimedia show — which chronicled Canadian international artists from the 1950s to mid-1980s — used a live band and six singers. Finishing that, he hit the road with Stereophonics for his 10th year with the Welsh rockers…
Baz Halpin of Silent House is the production designer, lighting designer and show director for Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour. Eric Marchwinski of Earlybird Design worked as associate lighting designer with Bryan Barancik and lighting designer Chris Nyfield. Steve Foster is out running the lights. Gabriel Coutu-Dumont produced the content…
LD Troy Stubby continues touring the world with Air Supply. Following the US tour this summer, he travels to Malta, Ireland, South America, and a Canadian run September to October…
LD Sooner Routhier designed Imagine Dragons’ Smoke + Mirrors tour, with artistic director Jesse Lee Stout. Lighting director is Mitch Schellenger…
LD Ed Warren of Next Level Lights has again designed lighting and production for Mumford & Sons’ current tour…
LD Mark Henderson has designed Mark Knopfler & Band’s arena tour, running through October…
LD Kevin Cauley has been lighting Soundgarden here and there along with a few unusual projects, including a Beethoven Opera in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over the summer he worked on the film, Lonely Island, with a huge concert setup at the Los Angeles Forum. The film is slated to come out next year…
LD Mark Butts served as the co-production designer with Raj Kapoor for Shania Twain’s “Rock This Country” run…
LD David “Gurn” Kaniski is touring with Rise Against, and he figures he will finish the year with them…
LD Cosmo Wilson had three weeks off after AC/DC’s European leg to enjoy a dip in his new backyard swimming pool. While back in the States, he finished the last few dates of Aerosmith’s Summer Tour, taking over for Rob Koenig, who had to return to Metallica. AC/DC is now back in the States with Cosmo at the helm…
LD Nook Schoenfeld took the summer off from working with bands and recently spent time lighting shows for Mercedes and Porsche instead, while still serving as editor of PLSN magazine.
Debi Moen is now gathering news for a bountiful October harvest. Reach her at dmoen@plsn.com.
