Lighting Co
Gemini LSV
Venue
Various (Tour)
Crew
- Lighting Designer, Programmer & Director: Brian Lareau
- Lighting Crew Chief: Keith Wailes
- Lighting Techs: Buddy Wambles, Adam Nunley, Austin Tower
- Gemini LSV Rep: Jason Cain
- Production Manager/Set Designer: Patrick Dickinson
- Tour Manager: Mike Latronico
- Production Assistant: Erin O’Rourke
- Stage Manager: Ashley Groom
- Pyro: Pyrotek Special Effects/Reid Derne
- Pyro Operator: Rory Jones
- Pyro Tech: Keith Maxwell
- Riggers: Josh Jenkins, Buddy Wambles
- Set Carpenter: Josh Jenkins
- Backdrops: Grosh/Greg Viera
- Kabuki: Sew What?/Rent What?/Shane Nelson
- Risers: Gallagher Staging
- Trucking: ICJ Transportation
Gear
- 2 Avolites Pearl Expert Pro consoles
- 52 Martin Quantum Washes
- 45 Martin MAC Viper Profiles
- 14 Martin MAC Viper AirFX
- 18 Martin Atomic LED Strobes
- 12 Robe MegaPointes
- 6 Robe Spiiders
- 10 Antari DarkFX Wash 2000 UV units
- 4 High End FQ100 fog machines
- 4 Base Hazers
Designer Insights by Steve Jennings:
When iconic thrash metal band Slayer, who have been around since 1981, decided in early 2018 that this would be the last world tour, Brian Lareau (lighting designer, programmer and director) had production conversations with Patrick Dickinson (production manager and set designer), noting they knew they would need something that could scale throughout each tour segment. “Based on that, we made additions and adjustments on nearly every leg, says Lareau, starting with our five truss layout, then adding another truss finger to that as well as side torms. Floor fixtures were modified based on which set pieces were utilized for each tour, and the complexity of any given show situation. After transitioning through headline tours, various festivals, and oneoffs in far-reaching towns, we completed the last revision for ‘The Final Campaign’ about two months ahead of the tour.”
With the final 4 or 5 legs taking us all over the world, Lareau says Patrick had his hands full with all of the production details. “So as our November/December 2018 tour was winding down, he stopped out at FOH one morning and said “Just draw up with something for next year. You know what they want,” and walked away! Every time we had thrown ideas around previously, we were both on the same page mentally before even comparing notes. I think he knew that this time would be no different and trusted that I could put it all together. I sat down with Ben McHugh, my primary tech on that tour, and he translated all my ramblings into a coherent Capture file. I actually thought it was a bit much, but Patrick was on board. I think he even said, “Is that all?” We made a few adjustments to accommodate some new pyro effects, and ran with it. I couldn’t be happier with the result. Patrick took the final plot and generated multiple sizes so we could take our rig everywhere. We ran the smaller B and C versions when we started back up in Australia in March, and debuted the A rig on the next US run. With the exception of a few festivals and shows that required improvised versions, we had our design at nearly every show for all of the final year.”
Going into it, Lareau knew that he couldn’t just do the same old thing again, so that was the primary driver in the A rig expansion. “It had to be big, but it is still a Slayer show, so it also had to be clean. We didn’t change too much fixture wise, but we doubled the finger count, so we basically doubled the Quantum Wash and Viper Profiles. Originally, there were six more Quantums across the upstage trusses, but even with the 6′ rake, we would have needed to add another row of staging. We decided to lose those in favor of adding more pyro, which turned out to be the right decision. On our side torms and the downstage truss, we did make the change to AirFX units because they gave us increased output for the key lighting which really helped when competing with the larger fixture count. Having that available punch in the key lighting is so important in this show. If the fans can’t see these guys ripping guitar solos, then I’m not doing my job well. That’s also one of the reasons that effect lights are minimal and used sparingly throughout the concert. On this final leg, we added four banks of MegaPointes to the floor to give us some really punchy ACL looks and to fill in some texture, but that’s it. There are plenty of gigs out there where the lighting can be a spectacle. With Slayer, it’s all about the band. And the pyro, of course.”
When it comes to the pyro, Lareau says they occasionally add or change a song or two, but they have remained fairly consistent during his tenure. “The pyro songs are decided by (guitarist) Kerry King directly, and once he says that a song is getting fire, it’s up to Patrick and pyro operator Rory Jones to work out the details to bring it to life. Also, because there were quite a few changes to the pyro setup for this tour, even though most of the songs are the same, the cues throughout can be quite different. The overall stage set was stripped down to just guitar cabinets, a drum kit, some killer backdrops, lots of lights, and tons of fire. Additional gatlins flown between the lighting trusses, downstage salamanders, and of course, Pat’s unreal inverted fire cross. The downstage units, in particular, required some very careful planning. There are a number of pyro hits that coincide with specific lyrics. While the pyro team spends a great deal of time making sure that everyone is well acquainted with when and where the pyro cues are, that never stops the musicians from testing their fire resistance! Speaking of fire resistance, by moving the guitar cabinets out of set carts to directly on the floor, that also decreased the distance between the DragonTails and the midstage floor MegaPointes. After only seconds of pyro test on day one, the proximity to the tails melted the housings on five of the six units. Our lighting team from Gemini masterfully applied CarbonX to the rear housings, trimming around fan intakes and venting, and managed to keep them melt-free and working flawlessly for the rest of the run.
I’ve only worked for Slayer for a little over 4 years, which is more than three decades short of the length of their career. A number of incredible lighting directors have held this post, and there were some damn big shoes to fill. I’m pretty fucking stoked that someone considered me good enough to be Slayer’s last LD. I’m incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity and honored to be a part of the Slayer family.”
More Slayer – The Final Campaign tour photos by Steve Jennings:
