Brian Wilson rocks on with Bandit
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“Bandit has had a very long and positive relationship with Brian Wilson and it is a true honour to work for him and the entourage that handle his production,” said Bandit Lites vice president Mike Golden.
“In this day and age, I am so fortunate to work with so much real talent on one stage,” explains lighting designer Chris Stuba. “Brian is in a big band with a lot of amazing soloists, so there has to be a good amount of isolation so each band member can be highlighted.”
Stuba balances his design by focusing on where the lighting falls and, more importantly, where it does not, designing in WYSIWYG which allows him to see what works and what doesn’t before he even hangs a light.
“With the Zombies opening, we needed to differentiate the look of their sets,” says Stuba. “We had a pipe and drape system to hide Brian Wilson’s back line, which in turn became the Zombies backdrop. I had very little floor lights because of the logistics of putting two large bands on one stage.”
When lighting the show, Stuba received the set list early to get a feel for the show, and with many songs originating from the 1960’s and 1970’s, Stuba drew on colour palettes and draperies to invoke the old variety shows of yesteryears.
Bandit Lites provided Martin MAC Viper Profiles, High End Systems SolaSpot 2000, Martin MAC Auras, Chroma-Q Color Force 72s, VL 3500 Spots and VL 500s with a grandMA2 full console for control.
“I do love a VL 500,” says Stuba. “To me, there is still nothing like tungsten. There is still some magic to it.”
“We have had the pleasure of working with Chris Stuba for almost 20 years and have welcomed each and every opportunity,” Golden adds. “Chris knows exactly what he needs, and he always delivers a professional and visual show, all with a smile on his face and an incredible wit. Combined with production manager Clint Boire running point and tour manager Marc St. Louis steering the ship, this tour runs like a fine watch.”
“Mike Golden and project manager Jimmy Hatten always treat us like superstars,” concludes Stuba. “The talent and the lighting they send us has always been great; thank you everyone.”
(Jim Evans)
