Production and Lighting Designer Bryan Hartley has designed for a lot of metal bands in his long and storied career. He is perhaps best known for his longtime design work for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), for which he has won Parnelli Awards for Best Lighting Design. Recently, he’s worked with Pantera, Lamb of God, and he’s now out in Europe touring with Five Finger Death Punch. He has worked multiple times with the iconic thrash metal band Megadeth during the past 35 years. This spring, Hartley got back with lead singer Dave Mustaine and Megadeth for the Crush the World tour, a 12-show run through nine South American countries. Other than his own grandMA3 consoles and a backdrop, the tour picked up gear locally in each of the nine countries. Here, in his own words, Hartley discusses being back designing with Megadeth, and how much he does not like cloning strobes.
Back with the Band
I went down to South America and ran my design for the 12 shows of Megadeth’s Crush the World tour. It was perfect because it had only lights and a backdrop. I created a big show but was lucky because it was just lights and a backdrop. There was no video. All the fans saw was just the lights. I know the music so well; I like their music. I’ve been with them, on and off, for 35 years. I’ve got so much history with Dave [Mustaine] and Megadeth. Of all things, my daughter Chelsea came from Megadeth. That’s a really cool piece of history. I met my ex-wife when she was working wardrobe for Megadeth back in the early 90s. Dave likes that history and is always asking me about how my daughter is doing. So that’s cool.
I do like designing for Megadeth a lot because of the history I have with the band. And that history is intertwined with TSO as well. The very first tour I ever did with Megadeth was back in ’88 when I was with a band called Savatage. I toured with Savatage with Paul O’Neill, who would go on to found Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was Savatage, Megadeth, and Dio; it was a big tour, all arenas. I met [TSO’s] Chris Caffrey on that tour as well, who was a side player at the time. On that tour, I met the Megadeth guys and went to work directly with them in ’92, doing their Countdown to Extinction tour.
Design Choices
On this recent tour, since we were getting gear from so many different vendors through the run, I had to be simple with the design. I ended up doing straight trusses, but I angled them all to where it looked like a house, like a peak roof. I went with five trusses and the two sets of torms. There were no crazy truss designs, or anything like that; it was very simple, but with a good chunk of lights. On my plot, I had 54 [GLP] JDC1 strobes, 40 [Claypaky] Sharpys, about 24 profiles, and 40 wash lights. For my profiles, I went with Martin MAC Viper Profiles and for my wash lights, Martin MAC Quantum Washes. I also used 26 CHAUVET Strike Array 2s and a handful of Strike Array 4s. A good chunk of lights I could definitely work with it. In my design, I had a nice supply of floor lights also, and that’s all there was to it.
The fact that I know the music so well is what really got me through all the shows with different gear. It’s kind of like a guitar. Anybody can have a guitar; anybody can have a light show. I guess it’s just how you play it. I guess I played okay because I got many compliments out there on the road, which was cool. I enjoyed the run very much. If I were asked for advice from someone about lighting, I’d have to say that whoever is running the lights, definitely, 100% know the music. You can tell if the person knows the music. I think the main thing with the way I run the lights—and I feel like it’s my strongest point—is me connecting with the music. As silly as this thing is, my fingers running the lights to music, that’s what I think people probably notice about my lighting for shows. I would like to think that my choice of colors and timing stands out.
‘We don’t have what you designed on your plot…’
We went to nine countries on this South American tour, getting gear in each, so basically, I had nine different sets of gear. It’s not like in North America where you put your rig together and you run with it. Every rig is a different company in a different country. I had some Robe FORTEs, some Vipers, which I speced. I had some lights I’ve never heard of before. I designed and programmed for JDC1 strobes, and I got them in a couple of places. Then I got the [CHAUVET] Color STRIKE Ms in a few places, and then at times I got some knock offs. When you program for JDC1s and have to change to some of the knock-off strobes, you basically have to start over and reprogram it. That’s always the biggest challenge when you go to places like this where you have to clone every day. Cloning is getting a bit better these days, but with cloning strobes, it’s always a challenge.
Don’t Cut the Followspots
With Dave, what it really comes down to is the spotlights. I tried to take him out of the spotlight, but he’s just so used to having that light in his face. And I feel like that puts him in a good space. I feel like he can have the spotlight on him, he can play, he can move around, and then everything around him is going crazy. So honestly, I think he feels a safe space in there and he doesn’t get distracted by all the other lights and everything.
Really Fun
Megadeth hadn’t been down to South America since 2017, and I did that run as well. On this tour we did nine countries, with big crowds, sold-out shows, it was great. The Tour Manager, Welshie [Paul “Welshie” Chapman] was amazing, and the Production Manager, CJ [Stasinos]was great. Those guys were really great to work with. I did not know either of them at all and they didn’t know me at all, so it was great that we came together. They were just awesome on all levels. I’m so glad I got a chance to go out on this tour. I appreciate the fact that Dave Mustaine reached out to me. That meant a lot to me. It was great that I got to go down there and just really kick ass on this show. I’d always try to go in the night before and I would spend the entire time that I had getting it all set. Welshie and CJ were willing to let me spend all the time there. That time really came down to the strobes; cloning and programming the strobes! And of course, the band are great. I think it was probably one of the best tours that I’ve done. I enjoyed it so much on many different levels. Really fun.
PRODUCTION TEAM
- Tour Manager: Paul “Welshie” Chapman
- Production Manager: CJ Stasinos
- Stage Manager: Mark Williams
- Lighting Designer/Director: Bryan Hartley
- L2: Glenn Jenkins
GEAR
Lighting
- 26 CHAUVET Strike Array 2
- 6 CHAUVET Strike Array 4
- 40 Claypaky Sharpy
- 54 GLP JDC1 Hybrid Strobe
- 24 Martin MAC Viper Profile
- 40 Martin MAC Quantum Wash
- 2 grandMA3 light Console
