Time to Wake Up

LD Tom Horton has lit Godsmack for the last couple of years, taking over for Sonny Satterfield when he went off to do Black Sabbath. Horton started with the band as a dimmer tech from LSD, and also worked on such tours as Tina Turner and Elton John. Of the design of Godsmack's current tour, Horton explains, “Lead singer Sully is really involved with the light show. Kille Knobel, Sully, and I spent two weeks on programming. I have to thank the band for the opportunity to grow, to make the transition from an electrician who's done it for 10 years to getting the gig. The band is loyal and they want to help you succeed; they share the same goals, which is build the band. It's fun; it's what it's all about.”

The summer leg of the tour supporting the Awake album ended October 1 in Austin, TX. “LSD/Fourth Phase has been really supportive,” Horton says. “The Icon is still a great, bright light; I'm using the Icon Console, and once again, Kille, the woman who programmed it, was able to do anything I wanted. It's just all set up for me. Having her program the console was really nice. She's the goddess.”

Horton worked closely with the lead singer on the design. “After talking to Sully, we decided on a wall of lights, a tower of High End Systems Cyberlights, laid it over with some PAR cans, and used the Icons for the big sweeps from above, so we have really sharp horizontal movements with the mirror in the set.”

Sully says, “Tom and I discussed the set. He knows I'm into gargoyles, castles, and stuff. It kept growing; we dropped the Cyberlights into the tower pillars and then added pyro. Tom came up with what lights we needed, and I got to learn a little bit about programming it. It was really amazing to learn about the board and how it worked. Kille was awesome.”

GODSMACK

Lighting & Set Designer
Tom Horton

Lighting Programmer
Kille Knobel

Production Manager
George Stipanovich

Set Construction
All Access

Lighting Supplier
Light & Sound Design/Fourth Phase

Lighting Equipment