NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – The Moody Blues, the world renowned British rock band, have been touring since the fabled moment in music history referred to as the British Invasion, and while they have 18 platinum and gold albums, retail sales of more than 70 million units and decades of touring behind them, the trio, consisting of Graeme Edge, Justin Hayward and John Lodge shows no plans of stopping any time soon.
The band’s illustrious career stretches across more than half a century with their second album, Days of Future Passed, long held as the world’s first art rock album, and in celebration of its 50th anniversary, Bandit Lites was honored to supply the lighting and video elements for the legendary group.
Bandit Lites supplied Lighting Designer Mick Thornton, now in his fifteenth year with the band, their exclusive GRNLite Moving Washes, GLP X4, Robe Pointes, 4 Lite Moles and LED Pars, along with Chauvet Video Panels (6mm) and Clay Paky Mirage Video Panels (20 mm).
“The balance between the two video panels worked extremely well and gave a real dimension to the show,” said Thornton.
With the production design specifically based around Days of Future Passed, Thornton had to account for the video element, while choosing fixtures that would complement the video wall and make sense for travel.
“As with a lot of productions these days, the budget and truck space plays a large part in the design,” said Thornton. “We were working with only two trucks, so I had to be careful with the gear list. The Robe Pointes worked perfectly in balance with the output of the video wall and certainly cut through.”
Thornton spent five days at Bandit Lites’ Venue One Rehearsal facility, using that time to craft the lighting and video components for the visually impactful show.
“This tour was very much video orientated as the album tells the story of an everyday man going through his day and had to have a very strong visual aspect that fitted the lyrical content,” explained Thornton. “This process took a long time to create and worked well with the feel of the show.”
“This was a very important tour for the Moody Blues being the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking album Days of Future Passed,” said Bandit Client Representative Dizzy Gosnell. “They planned a few shows through the tour with a full symphony orchestra playing behind them. The Hollywood Bowl show came right near the beginning of the tour, and it was the season opener for the Bowl for 2017, with a massive firework show at the end, and a DVD shoot, too… not much pressure then! Mick did a fantastic job along with Lucky (John Lucksinger) and Dave Stabley and resulted in this being a truly benchmark production for the Moodies.”
“As always Bandit gave me the support and help with numerous aspects of this tour,” finished Thornton. “John Lucksinger, as always, was exceptional and is a joy to work with. His knowledge is priceless.”
About Bandit Lites, Inc.
Bandit Lites is a global leader in the entertainment lighting marketplace. From touring productions to fixed installations, Bandit Lites has a full staff of highly trained professionals to deal with all types of lighting needs. Bandit’s global presence will insure seamless transitions no matter where your next show takes you. More information available at www.BanditLites.com