Brilliant has worked on several stages for Muse including the highly successful 2009 Resistance tour and subsequent 2010 stadium tour, and the band's inspirational stage design for their Reading and Leeds anniversary shows in 2011.
Oli Metcalfe's design for the Second Law tour incorporates a semi-circular stage with a straight leading edge, from which projects a full width fore-stage and thrust, and which is inset with circular polycarbonate panels housing lighting effects. Tech bunkers flank each side and a curved runway circumnavigates the upstage edge. LED panels and moving heads feature heavily in the Brilliant Stages' design which needed to incorporate the necessary support and infrastructure to accommodate this.
Brilliant Stages' David Harrison, supported by Brilliant's staff and project manager, Kenny Underwood, were heavily involved with the design aspect from the start. The new design has taken the circular stage used on the 2009 Resistance tour and adapted it to form the basis of the new staging, removing 2.5m from the circular stage to create a flat front-leading edge with a re-engineered substage framework to support it. Three existing scissor lifts were in-filled, retaining just the piano lift for current use and two additional off-stage access stairs with handrails were added to augment the pre-existing set leading up from back stage.
The stage is surmounted by the original revolving drum riser which was adapted to accommodate 600mm high LED panels attached to its sides. Brilliant Stages increased the height by adding a rectangular base and infill corners, and created a framework into which the LED panels slide and are locked into position by the corner pieces.
(Jim Evans)
