The collaboration between Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize brought an explosive mix of industrial rock and electronic techno to Coachella’s Sahara Stage, enhanced by an impressive lighting design by Paul “Arlo” Guthrie based on 57 COLORado PXL Curve 12 motorized battens from CHAUVET Professional.
Named Nine Inch Noize, the project united the dark and uncompromising sound of Nine Inch Nails with the distorted electronics of Boys Noize in a 45-minute performance marked by an immersive and aggressive stage production. The result was an experience that some media outlets described as one of the most striking performances in Coachella’s recent history.
The artists performed inside a deep cutout positioned on top of a steep elevated ramp, a scenic resource that added a strong surreal element to the show.
To reinforce that atmosphere, Guthrie positioned some of the COLORado PXL Curve 12 fixtures on a square structure suspended above the stage and distributed the remaining units around the platform, creating the impression that the band was floating in its own ocean of light.
I used the fixtures in a square above the band and outlining their performance area on the floor to create a kind of cage or box. They also created a row of footlights at the front of the stage that illuminated the dancers from below while they performed outside the cutout. In addition, I used them to visually punish the audience throughout the show, explains Guthrie.
At certain moments, Guthrie relied on the high output of the COLORado PXL Curve 12 fixtures to generate extreme effects, flooding the stage design with blinding light. Throughout the performance, the fixtures operated in sync with the music through intense strobe effects that reinforced the immersive and powerful nature of the visual design.
Songs in the setlist, including Nine Inch Nails tracks such as Closer, Heresy, The Warning and Copy of A, began with deliberate and rhythmic strobe sequences that progressively increased the visual and sonic tension of the performance.
Guthrie’s design took advantage of the flexibility of the COLORado PXL Curve 12 motorized battens to build an industrial and immersive aesthetic capable of matching the musical intensity of Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize during one of the festival’s most talked-about live performances.
