Lighting Co. Bandit Lites
Venue
Various (Tour)
Crew
Lighting Designer & Director: Mick Thornton
Lighting Crew Chief: Kenny Mason
Lighting Techs: Kenny Mason, Mick Thornton
Video Content/Director: Mick Thornton
Tour Coordinator: Mark Hogue
Production Assistant: Karen Kolvin
Stage Manager: Terry Shamrell
Bandit Lites Acct. Rep: Dizzy Gosnell
Trucking: EgoTrips
Gear
1 grandMA1 (Full) w/ grandMA1 (Lite) backup console
16 Vari*Lite VL2500 Spots
16 Bandit GRN Moving Wash
14 Bandit GRN PARs
8 ETC Source Fours
16 2-Lite DWE Audience Blinders
2 Reel EFX DF-50 Hazers
2 Antari Low Dry Ice Machines
75 Panels Clay Paky Mirage 20mm Panels
1 Martin Maxedia Server
Designer Insights by Steve Jennings
As a lighting designer and director over 30 years, Mick Thornton has worked with numerous artists over that period. Just a sample of those include The Cure, Andrea Bocelli, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Yes, Skunk Anansie, The Sisters of Mercy, The Gypsy Kings and Opeth. We caught up with Mick on his current tour with The Moody Blues to discuss the show.
Mick Thornton
Lighting Designer & Director
“I have been designing for The Moody Blues for 13 years now. I was suggested to the band by Bandit Lites who I had just brought Alice Cooper to their client roster. The first show I did was at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas with the in house lighting rig… challenging to say the least.
“I have a great relationship with Bandit and all the guys there. I did a few tours with Bandit in the UK before they closed the London shop. Dizzy Gosnall and Matt King are my guys when doing The Moody Blues and I can safely say I get top service from them and their team. Dizzy is a great guy to deal with as he has a wealth of experience having done most of the classic rock bands in the past. The fixture count on this tour is obviously controlled by budget and truck space as are most tours. I really like the Bandit GRN moving Wash Lite as it gives off a really nice beam and the colors are very solid. Bandit have a great facility in Nashville for programming which I take full advantage of.
“Between myself and Mark Hogue the Tour Co-Ordinator, we have created a very cost effective and creative design. Mark is a very visual guy and we have over the years managed to build an attractive and flexible design. We have a great working relationship. We started out with an idea of making The Moody Blues have a distinctive look, but also a show that was very flexible when need be. Most of the venues on this run are large theaters, which suit this show down to the ground. Flexibility and vision is the name of the game.
“I run the video in the show through my Grand MA1 which triggers the Martin Maxedia server, which I am a big fan of. There is no other server that has such a quick and user friendly operation. I created all the shows content within the server and added a bunch of my personally created imagery. One could walk into a venue and have a show if need be with a very short space of time. I find the Clay Paky Mirage panels very user friendly and quick to assemble. We’re using 3 screens (5 x 5 Panels per screen).
“Working with Mark (Hogue) and this crew is always a pleasure. We have had the same team for a few years now and it’s like family. We are coming to the end of this current US run and start a UK tour in June (Zig Zag Lighting – Leeds), with most of the same crew. The Moody Blues have always allowed and trusted myself and Mark to go in the right direction for a band of this stature. Their music is very visual and they allow me to paint a very creative picture for them to perform in front of.”
For more photos by Steve Jennings of The Moody Blues Timeless Flight 2015 tour, go to:
http://www.prolightingspace.com/photo/albums/moody-blues-gallery-by-steve-jennings
