Between 7 June and 27 July, Tim McGraw will visit some of the ‘B’ markets he missed over the past few tours in North America with a rig full of High End Systems products. This rig is ringed with 46 Studio Beam, 42 Studio Spot 575s, six Studio Color 250s, six Studio Spot CMY 575 automated luminaires and a Wholehog II console. Equipment this time is provided by Nashville-based lighting contractor Premier Global Productions. Steven ‘Creech’ Anderson recently decided to get off the road, so he's now at Premier overseeing this touring account and others as VP sales/account manager.

Lighting designer Leroy Bennett designed the last tour, and for this short run, "it's the same basic design," says lighting director Jerome Thompson. "This is somewhat of an extension of that but with a few modifications. I replaced out the Icons with Studio Spot 575s and Studio Beams. But the basic effect is there."

Thompson says he's excited about using the High End Systems equipment. "I'm really sold on the Studio Beams. I'm going to use them for a long time now," he says. "So I've got the equipment living in the truss; I've got the hard edges with the Studio Spots, I've got the Studio Beams and a Hog - what else could I want?"

Thompson shares programming duties with Eric ‘Guido’ Perry. "We're tag-teaming on the Hog," Thompson points out. "The Wholehog II is definitely my choice of console now that I've learned it. It works - it always works and it seems to be everywhere."

(Lee Baldock)


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