In January 2023, the metal bands Gojira and Mastodon announced their co-headlining Mega-Monsters Tour, which kicked off in mid-April. The Atlanta, GA-based metal band Mastodon and French avant-metal group Gojira have now hit the road fully embracing the idea of co-headlining, including the lighting design collaboration that has a design both unifying and yet distinct for each act. Lighting Designer Pete Cary, Owner and Senior Designer with Summit Production Design, has been with Grammy Award-nominated Gojira for six-and-a-half years—five-and-a-half as their LD. Designer Eric Price has been lighting Grammy Award-winning Mastodon for over a year. Both LDs collaborated on the Mega-Monsters Tour design along with the support of Chicago-based JRLX Lighting. LDs Pete Cary, Eric Price, as well as Kevin Rosenhagen, Jason Reberski, and Andy Kloubec of JRLX spoke with PLSN about the lighting solutions they brought out to this truly mega tour.
Cary begins by talking about the overall design for the tour and what he tried to do differently for this tour. “Working with Gojira for so long, we know what we like,” says the LD. “We’re always trying to do different things. We have always wanted to try video fascias all over the flown trusses, which we have implemented on this design for the first time. We’re definitely loving it so far. It looks great. I’m always working on dozens of different concept designs that could be used for various artists or installations.” Price concurs about liking the video fascias on the truss. “The video ribbons on the truss fingers was a Pete idea for sure, which I love,” he says. “I think it was just a really cool decision.”
“The design was very collaborative between Pete, myself, and Tyler Bingley, the Manager and Tour & Production Manager for Gojira, who also manages Mastodon,” explains Price. “There was already a very well-established friendship and communication between the two camps, which was great. But between the three of us, we came up with the overall design. Pete was the lead in the design. He came up with a lot of the overall approach and really just killed it on the first try. He had drawings out to all of us before I even finished my first design. The idea that we wanted to stick to first and foremost was lots of video. Both bands are very video driven these days.” Cary, who enjoyed working with Price on the design, pointed out that the two designers consulted on the fixture types and on the orientation of the lights. “Eric was very easy to work with and I love everything that we come up with.”
Each band has a 70-minute set with a 30-minute changeover between headliners. This tour, being a true co-headlining production, sees the bands rotate who gets the closing set on a nightly basis. Each band also uses a Kabuki drape reveal before their sets. “We are flip flopping, almost every day; swapping who’s first, who’s second,” says Price. “There are a few shows in the local markets for a band where we’ll double up, Atlanta and the Southeast and Mastodon will play two closing slots in a row. When we get into Montreal and some other cities, Gojira will close twice, but otherwise it is a true flip flop.”
Designing Together
In terms of the band’s design input, Gojira leaves the design to Cary. “They like to see the finished render and I know what they like at this point. The same from a programming standpoint; they love everything that’s going on. They mainly worry about their floor space to move around in and where the key lighting is at certain moments. Otherwise, they give me full rein; it’s pretty great.” For Price, there’s more input from Mastodon on the lighting, especially about who to highlight when in a song. “They do give a fair amount of input on what they want for the lighting design,” says Price. “They like highlighting, for the lack of a better term, the solo points. ‘This is this person’s moment out in front and then it goes back to the full band’ type of thing. But they aren’t involved so much in the color suggestions, nothing like that. It’s more of the finer points in the cues. Otherwise, they let me do my thing, which is cool.”
For the shows, in addition to operating the lighting, Cary also directs the video for I-Mag and controls the media server feeds to the screens. All the video content for Gojira is created by the band’s drummer, Mario Duplantier. “Luckily, all the video content that Mario comes up with is very abstract, a lot of black and white, very minimalistic, which leaves a lot of room for lighting,” Cary comments. “There’s not a ton of color that restricts me or forces me into a certain direction with lighting. Honestly, it’s the best content to use. I use Resolume for my media server and just have it all DMX mapped to my grandMA, so it just runs in the background.”
For Mastodon, in addition to lighting, Price also designs and operates the lasers, and controls video. He uses a PRG Mbox for his media server. “All the content was created by the band with their video content creators. Being from Atlanta, some of our clips are made by the folks at Adult Swim. For Mastodon, they give me content and say, ‘this is what we want here, this is what we want there’. It’s very much one clip per song; almost a video storybook for each song. We use extremely colorful, psychedelic video. They love the kind of spacey, cartoony, psychedelic vibe to their videos. So, it’s fun to make color choices based on the videos. With that kind of fun video product, you can get real out there with color choices; it’s more of a ‘the world is your oyster’ type thing.”
With the video panels mounted on the truss, the production team wanted a powerful, but matching lighting rig. “We really wanted to stick with, not to say a specific brand, but we wanted something that was really cohesive through the fixtures, and that we knew was going to look really solid together,” explains Price. “We also wanted something that wasn’t just straight or traditional truss. We wanted to get into a kind of broken up, scattered, but still, symmetrical look to it. Beyond that, it’s down to the special effects and the floor packages to separate the two bands in the style and the look. Mastodon has two risers skirted with video panels and we have lasers; Gojira has kind of a half circle video wall, and they have Cryo, and streamer confetti for their special effects. Both bands are using pyro, but everybody kind of wanted their gags to set each other apart but keep the overall design the same for both bands. We’re using six flame towers and Elliot, our pyro guy from Atlanta Special Effects, just killed it first try.” The lasers for the tour were supplied by Grant Kondourajian, principal of GK Lighting.
Key Equipment Choices
When it comes to his gear, Cary says “I use MA. It’s simply because it’s what everyone uses, so it’s what I taught myself; on the console that I bought for myself. It’s the same with Resolume, it’s just the ease of it. It runs on a laptop, and I can take it with me anywhere. Also, it integrates well with MA. I’ve always used those two and they work great for me.” Price operates Mastodon on an ETC / High End Systems’ Full Boar 4 with PRG’s Mbox for his media server and employs Pangolin Beyond for laser control.
So, at the FOH, there’s two different control consoles and two different media servers, all of which use different control protocols. It’s not to say that having different control systems is complicated, it’s just a point of pride for the lighting crew to make it all work night after night, stop after stop. Cary comments that he’s got his “MPUs, Eric has his HBUs; we’ve got sACN, but I have to use Art-Net to talk to the Resolume media server, and then I need MAnet to talk to the MPU. So yes, it’s a bit complicated, but that’s what we do.”
When it came to picking lighting fixtures, both designers went back and forth and had lots of conversations about how to choose from the many options available these days. Both are big supporters of Robe products. “I’ll always take Robe if I can,” says Cary. “They’re the best; everything from the product and the customer service, Robe all the way.” Price adds, “We definitely wanted to go with MegaPointes, one of the most versatile fixtures out there; load up the rig with MegaPointes. We went back and forth on the wash fixture topic and happily settled on Spiiders. Pete and I both wanted to go Fortes and we made it happen; they’re just an amazing fixture as well.” Both Price and Cary had never used the Robe Forte before. Cary shares his feedback on the fixture. “The Fortes are unbelievable fixtures so far. I love them. I definitely wish I had 100 more of them. The Fortes are on the upstage floor truss, ground stacked. Then there are another eight in the upstage corners. The Spiiders are hung underneath the video fascias on the overhead truss.” Price adds, “I am very impressed with the Fortes, which is the first time I’ve used them. Both the Spiiders and the Fortes are great fixtures for what they’re doing for us.”
As far as a front light, both Price and Cary were up in the air. “It’s front light, not that it isn’t important, but it’s front light,” comments Price, who felt “we didn’t need something ridiculous. After a few ideas, Jason Reberski asked if we’d be okay with the Elation Lucius due to its being an IP65 rated light. We have a couple of outdoor shed shows, where the downstage truss is exposed. We trusted him. He told us it was a great product and so far, I love them and think they’re great. It’s a nice compact fixture. It’s definitely impressive, and it’s IP rated.”
Crafting Each Song
Cary tries to make each song look unique, as much as possible. He sets limits on what he will do in each song. “I will always try to test myself in one song; maybe only do position changes, no movement effects. Then for another song, only do movement effects, no position changes. Some songs only have color effects. I always try to make every song stand out as much as possible. But also, let the video showcase some songs. Let the live camera feed on the I-Mag screens be the showcase on some songs. Never try to be lighting 100% of the time, with brutal, in the face lighting; but definitely certain moments for sure.” In terms of color, Cary does tend to stick with similar combinations, “just because it’s what I’m used to,” he continues. “I always try to find inspiration from other designs specifically just on a color aspect. I always try to use pastels because they meld so well together. When it comes to deep reds, deep blues, deep greens; they’re just hard to mix with other colors unless you’re doing a white or a CTO. But as soon as you make any of those colors pastels, now you can mix them with any array of colors, at least in my personal opinion, from my designs choices.”
Price likes to work with color too, but subtly varying his color palette at times through the set. While the videos are colorful, he’s not going to be creating rainbow chases through the whole show. “I like to try to work with some foreground / background type of things,” says Price. “Not necessarily alternating warm and cool but having sections of the show that’ll be a little more warm palette oriented and keep it that way for a song or two. Then bring the audience’s eyes into a cooler palette. Not as much of a drastic change song to song. More of a thematic up and down throughout the set. It’s just something I like to do with all the bands I work for. Not to be abrasively changing for the audience. Make the visual a little bit more subdued and subconscious.”
When it comes to something that only a designer or production person would notice, Cary calls out the video fascias on the flown trusses. They are using ROE Visual CB 5 supplied by DCR in Nashville, led by Paul Owen, for the Mega-Monsters Tour. “The video fascia on the flown truss that’s at an angle, is definitely the first eye catching thing that I would say someone notices. It’s not something I’ve seen done very much in any other design.” Price is on the same page, “I think they might find the video fascia on the truss interesting. Especially the way we’re traveling the gear and the way it integrates into the GT truss. DCR made custom brackets so they can just hook right on the GT truss and then be secured into place, which work great. They come out of the case, the hands just pop them on the downstage edge of the GT, lock them in, and they’re good to go.”
Support of the JRLX Team
When it comes to the support of the lighting team at JRLX, Cary could not be happier, stating “They’re the best. I’ve never seen a prep done as well. Everything labeled, everything! It’s very, very well done. The fixtures are in great condition, very clean and everything works.” Price is equally happy with JRLX saying, “I’ve known Jason for about 15 years now. We’ve worked together a lot all through the years. They’re always a no-brainer for me. I always know if it’s JRLX, it’s going to be perfectly prepped, quality gear; they’re just outstanding at what they do. Nothing but good things to say about those guys.”
It’s not often that two designers get to work together on a show at the same time. Though both designers knew each other prior to this tour they’d never had the chance to work together before. “We’re both very easygoing,” comments Cary. “We both have very well-built shows that don’t require a ton of focus time. It’s smooth sailing, at least for me and Eric.” Price concurs, adding, “As to the ground-up part of the design, it was very collaborative between Pete, Taylor, and me along with my tour manager, Tim Moss. I’m really enjoying working with Pete and the whole team on this tour.”
The Mega-Monster Tour is playing across the U.S. to rave reviews and enthusiastic audiences. The shared fan base of Mastodon and Gojira is excited about seeing the two bands together and they appreciate the big, dynamic looks Cary and Price have brought to each act for the tour.
VENDOR SUPPORT: The JRLX Perspective
The conversations between JRLX and the Mega-Monsters design team of Pete Cary and Eric Price started late last year. “We got the initial design, and I was talking with Pete in November at LDI,” says JRLX COO, Kevin Rosenhagen. “You’ve got two great designers—both Pete and Eric—that dream big. Then it’s about making a solution that works within their budget but keeping their vision a reality. Like any tour, it’s going to go through a few revisions, but we always try to keep that vision intact and keep what’s important to the designer. One of the main things for Pete and Eric on this one was getting Robe Fortes. We worked with Robe and got those in stock for them.” Jason Reberski, JRLX CEO, adds that, “it’s almost a complete Robe rig. We needed a big gun in our inventory; Forte’s fill it wonderfully. Then for the downstage keylights, since about half the shows are sheds and half are arenas, we ended up going with the Elation Proteus Lucius because they’re IP65. There are also some GLP JDC1 and X4 Bars sprinkled in the rig.
For this tour, JRLX had extra time to prep the tour, and as a company they have set high standards of prep for the rental clients, especially touring clients. “If all we do is touring, it has to be through the roof high standards,” states Reberski. “From labeling and branding to the full prep, we want it to be incredible. It has to be perfect. Kevin and Andy [Project Manager, Kloubec] really budget time well. For Andy, from a project management standpoint, it personally matters to him everything that we put out. He’s very much aligned with the incredible level of detail that we provide our tour preps.”
Taking the two control systems and integrating into one data network was also the work of JRLX. To make the system stable, robust, and tourable, it all comes down to integration. “We had to make all of these systems talk and play together,” says Rosenhagen. “The backbone of our touring infrastructure relies on ProPlex DMX nodes and switches because it is rock solid gear; you can’t get anything better. It’s integrating the console networks all to talk on one network at a different time through switches and then adding in the two different media servers on top of that. All these networks have to come together to make the show happen. That’s where ProPlex comes in to support all this stuff talking together.”
JRLX Project Manager Kloubec feels that JRLX really sets itself apart when it comes to their touring support. He points out, “I think what sets our shop aside from many of the others, is that we don’t take every client and we aren’t the cheapest but we are providing a level of service that you’re pretty much getting from no other company. Every project that we approach is a bespoke lighting project. Every decision that we make is cleared with the production team, cleared with the lighting designer. The fact that we give ourselves this pad, to work on these projects for longer because we can, it really allows us to get these preps done right and done well ahead. We can dot every i and cross every t, and make sure that our stuff is rock solid when it rolls onto that first show site. That means a lot to our clients and, I think, that’s why we’ve been able to build such strong, long relationships, certainly with these two clients. Just having them tour together was a dream come true for all of us. It’s been really special to be a part of the Mega-Monsters project. I’m just looking forward to continuing to work with these guys and continuing to build relationships with everybody who comes to JRLX.”
Production Team
Gojira
- TM & PM: Taylor Bingley
- Gojira LD: Peter Cary
- Production Assistant: Matt Croteau
- Stage Manager: Ryan Tarby
Mastodon
- TM & PM: Tim Moss
- Mastodon LD: Eric Price
- Production Assistant: Anika Jacobs
- Stage Manager: Darren Sanders
Mega-Monsters
- JRLX Lead Lighting Tech: Parker Shore
- Lighting Techs: Dan Arnold, Ryan Balog, Pepe Salas
- Lead Tour Rigger: Mike Queally
- Lead Video Tech: Johnny Jordan
- Video Tech: Ethan Perry
- SFX Techs: Rick Russ, Elliott Evans
- JRLX Account Rep: Kevin Rosenhagen
- JRLX Project Manager: Andy Kloubec
- JRLX Lead Prep Tech: Peter Schwob
Vendors
- Lighting: JRLX
- Video and Audio: DCR
- Special Effects: Atlanta Special FX
- Lasers: GK Lighting
- Trucking: 46 Logistics
Gear
- 1 MA Lighting grandMA3 full-size
- 1 MA Lighting grandMA3 light
- 2 ETC / HES Full Boar 4
- 22 Robe Forte
- 32 Robe MegaPointe
- 40 Robe Spiider
- 14 Elation Proteus Lucius
- 8 Elation WW2
- 26 Elation WW4
- 26 GLP JDC1 Strobe
- 20 GLP X4 Bar 20
- 14 ADJ Jolt 300
- 10 Look Solutions Touring Unique 2.1 Hazers
- 5 Look Solutions Viper NT Foggers
- 3 Lex 48 Way Distros
- 1 ProPlex Data System
- 3 MA Lighting grandMA3 NPU Model L
- 1 ETC / HES HPU
- 5 10’ Tyler GT
- 30 8’ Tyler GT
