Metallica’s record-breaking M72 tour continues to play sold-out venues across Europe in support of the band’s eleventh studio album, 72 Seasons. The tour began in Amsterdam in April 2023 and continues to captivate Metallica fans around the world.
The tour features an impressive circular stage measuring 36.6 metres in diameter, designed by Dan Braun. It includes a central audience area and a spectacular lighting design created by Rob Koenig, Metallica’s long-time lighting designer. The tour is known for delivering completely different setlists each night and featuring different support acts, with a schedule that typically includes two shows in each city.
To ensure the band remains visible from every angle of the stadium and is properly captured by production cameras, Rob employs 16 iFORTE LTX Follow Spot units operated via an eight-station RoboSpot remote system from Robe.
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The 16 iFORTE LTX units are installed on eight 30-metre-high towers positioned around the stadium and focused on the central stage. In-the-round performances are one of Metallica’s preferred stage formats, allowing greater proximity and interaction with their enthusiastic fan base. Each tower incorporates large LED screens and vertical structures running the full height of the display. The two fixtures located at the bottom of each structure serve as follow spots.
Koenig selected the iFORTE LTX FS fixtures, supplied by Nashville-based international lighting provider Premier Global Productions, for their output, IP rating, high colour rendering index (CRI), and excellent colour reproduction, particularly for skin tones and key lighting.
The shortest distance between the follow spots and the stage is approximately 14 metres, while the longest distance, to the opposite side of the stage, is around 35 metres. Depending on the venue and stage configuration, these distances can reach up to 50 metres. "They really excel at those longer throws," says Koenig.
Rob has been using RoboSpot systems in his lighting designs since 2018.
At the time, it was the only system with a zoomable camera, and because our stadium stages are enormous and the band is constantly moving, it was the most flexible option for us. Since then, the system has become an essential tool in my productions, he explains.
At the start of the M72 tour in 2023—originally planned to run for two years, although extraordinary ticket demand has extended its lifespan—the RoboSpot system utilised BMFL WashBeam fixtures. This year, those units were replaced by IP-rated iFORTE LTX models.
The band had already used iFORTE LTX fixtures at several festivals last year. "The first time we lit the band with these fixtures, we loved their native look: the brightness, texture and quality of the light were exactly what we were looking for, without a single complaint from anyone." Nevertheless, Koenig conducted a series of comparative tests in January this year to evaluate different moving-head follow spot options. The process ultimately led to the selection of the iFORTE LTX.
The first thing is that artists can look directly into these fixtures without feeling uncomfortable. It may sound obvious, but I’ve seen many moving-head fixtures over the years and, if the artist isn’t comfortable with them, that’s the end of it—they’re removed and sent back. Part of my job is to ensure that artists are as comfortable as possible while still receiving intense light on their faces, he explains.
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In addition to meeting other requirements such as output and weather resistance, "it is the most comfortable light to look at when facing directly into the beam", he states.
RoboSpot operators work beneath the grandstands from stations equipped with video and monitoring systems. Their role is limited to tracking the musicians using the iFORTE LTX FS fixtures, while colour, intensity, and all other lighting parameters are controlled from the FOH console operated by John Niles. According to Koenig, the system uses the tracking zoom function integrated into the RoboSpot stations to maintain framing on each band member.
Koenig also highlights the flexibility of the RoboSpot system: "Operators can control all parameters or just one, as is the case on this tour. Depending on the show, the system can be as simple or as complex as I need it to be". During the M72 tour, the RoboSpot system has a dedicated technician, “V” Ruby, responsible for its daily maintenance and operation.
Metallica fans will also be able to see the band at Sphere Las Vegas in October, where they will headline a 24-show residency titled Life Burns Faster.
