Europe - For Dream Theater’s milestone 40th Anniversary Tour, the band’s long-term lighting designer, Steve Baird, turned to the Martin Professional catalogue – specifically, 30 Martin MAC Aura PXL fixtures newly acquired by lighting supplier, Entec Live, from Martin UK distributor Sound Technology.
The tour, billed as An Evening With Dream Theater, reunites the band’s line-up - James LaBrie, John Myung, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, and Jordan Rudess - performing together for the first time in 14 years. The European leg launched at London’s O2 Arena on 20 October, 2024, spanned 23 cities across 17 countries before concluding in Amsterdam on 20th November.
At the heart of Baird’s ambitious lighting design were an array of Martin Professional fixtures, including 28 Martin MAC Aura PXLs, eight Martin MAC Aura XBs, and 10 Martin MAC Encore Performances. The design centred around three large LED screens forming the stage’s visual backdrop, with lighting chosen to add shape and depth.
“The tour production design consisted of three large LED screens as a backdrop, so I wanted to design a lighting system that added shape and layers,” Baird explains. “I wanted to create big and bold looks.”
The MAC Aura PXL played a pivotal role in delivering those bold looks. “I needed powerful wash beams coming from both sides of the stage,” Baird continues. “The MAC Aura PXL stood out for their ability to deliver bright, saturated colours and cool pixel effects.”
To further enhance the visual design, Baird positioned additional MAC Aura PXL fixtures upstage to help frame the LED screens. Meanwhile, MAC Aura XBs lined the downstage edge, providing up-lighting effects, “especially in the mellow breakdown parts of the show.”
For key lighting, Baird relied on 10 Martin MAC Encore Performance fixtures. “We don’t use followspots. Encores have great output even when the fixture zoom is in wide. I was able to fill a 60’ x 40’ stage, allowing the band to go anywhere and not be in the dark,” he confirms.
The entire lighting show was run live, without timecode synchronisation, allowing for real-time adjustments and ensuring a dynamic visual experience tailored to each performance.
Finally, Baird commends the flawless performance of the fixtures throughout the tour. “The gear worked great, night in, night out,” he says. He is also quick to praise the work of lighting supplier Entec Live for their role on the production: “Entec did a great job making sure we had everything we needed to make the tour a success.”
With the European leg complete, Dream Theater’s 40th Anniversary Tour continued into 2025 with a US and Canada run and culminated at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on 22 March.
