Out of complexity find simplicity… Albert Einstein was fond of giving this advice to students. Words of wisdom for anyone grappling with the infinite intricacies of physics to be sure, but it’s also something to keep in mind when trying to capture the deeply nuanced and multi-faceted music of a band like Opeth. That’s especially true on a two-leg tour, each one involving a very different type of show. Just ask Niller Bjerregaard.
The well-known designer lit two legs of the Swedish progressive metal band’s tour: One consisted of fly-in shows that carried only a backdrop and called for him to busk; the second involved an extensive floor package with video panels and a media server. Bjerregaard excelled at both by distilling things down to the basic core element of the band’s music.
Also helping Bjerregaard realize his vision on the two-part tour was his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console. “My ChamSys light desk together with Capture visualizing software and Hippo Media server, all connected to the network ports on the desk, with sACN on all used universes,” he explained. “It was so easy to set up third-party software/hardware and have it speak to the ChamSys desk. I found the network ports and the number of universe available straight out of the desk also to be fantastic.”
Bjerregaard, described the tour as “quite challenging, but fun.” In essence, he had to program his show twice, spending time at the Victory Event & Tour APS warehouse with his ChamSys desk and visualizer. “The first leg of the tour was programmed with a busking/Cue feeling; we had to be very adaptive to the different shows we did,” said Bjerregaard. “I was specking a heavy floor package and a MQ500M desk to accommodate show needs and production, but for the first leg, it ended up very different. Unlike Leg 2, which was more modern looking, Leg 1 was a Doom-Old school Heavy Metal look with the band in silhouette and heavy smoke. This was really fun. In moments like this you don’t really know what’s going to happen next, and your fingers just play along to the music and moods. I loved the depth it created with some looks that were very dramatic and ’evil feeling,’ which suited Opeth’s stage presence.
“We followed a different approach in Leg 2, with a large video component. It was jammed packed with risers, lights, and video panels — all provided by Victory Event & Tour APS. This was a well prepped production and I spend a week in Victory warehouse to prepare the tour and production, preprograming it on my MQ500M, but this time seeing the whole floor set up and connected to a Hippo Media server witch ran the video content on DS – MS Banners and a US video Wall directly from the desk intergraded with the Light All In Cue lists and Bump Buttons. The Production looked cool with big dramatic looks to go with Opeth’s fantastic diverse and exciting music.”
Prior to beginning his design for the tour, Bjerregaard spent a great deal of time listening to the music of Opeth. Closing his eyes and feeling the surge of emotional energy, he visualized the moods and imagery in his head, describing them as Doom, Death, Ominous Darkness, Depth, Happiness, Bliss, and Heaven!
“My interpretation of Opeth is vibrant colors, dark space, and silhouettes mixed with a 50- cue list of moods and strobes effects,” he explained. “It was a journey of taking risks and not following the norm. The band plays for two hours every show, and each song is about 12 minutes long, with five or six different main parts. A very comprehensive cue list was needed. Each song took about three or four hours to program. Some songs had many fast breaks and solos that need highlighting, so I used many Cue Macros to log different cue lists to make sure I hit all breaks and video changes correctly. There was no timecode to help me.”
What was there to help Bjerregaard was the Opeth crew: Steven Page, George Davidson, Ollie Sandqvist, Saso Pusnik, Milton Evens, Stefano Cassese – and, of course, his trusty ChamSys. “It’s a very different challenge on a two-legged tour like this,” he said. “On the leg where we didn’t have a big floor package, we had to rely on house rigs. So many variables had to come together to make it look seamless and coherent. ChamSys has all the right tools to make this happen– and easily too.
“On leg two, a crucially important feature was the Macros to Launch Cue Lists for video content,” continued Bjerregaard. “It made it so much easier not to have to think about video content, as it just connects to different cues. Also, the Motorized Faders feature was a big help when we had multiple faders running effects and video content at the same times as the main cue list.”
On the subject of cue lists, Bjerregaard had a final thought on the tour. “The thing I love about Opeth is their raw power mixed with delicate and clever combinations. So, the cue list I did for them was extensive and pretty complicated.” Relying on his clear creative vision (along with a powerful console), Niller Bjerregaard was able to make these “pretty complicated” transitions in this show, something he describes as “seamless and pretty.” Such is the power of simplicity.
Photos by Pavlos Mavridis Photography
Further information from ChamSys: www.chamsysusa.com
