Willie Williams of Rebus designed the production and Cate Carter lit it, with tour LD Tess Falcone, using CHAUVET Professional Color STRIKE M and STRIKE 1 fixtures for strobe, wash and audience light across arenas and stadiums.
Mumford & Sons played three sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in August on the 25-city North American leg of their Prizefighter tour, which ended October 8 in California. As the band pushes into new musical directions, the production takes a more rock turn with industrial “cages” and pyro effects while staying true to the band’s identity.
Cages, a chandelier and a wall on fire
“The upstage wall was formed from 15 large ‘cages,’ each housing a collection of custom brass hallmarks inspired by a trophy cabinet in a locker room. Whilst these are primarily scenic elements, each cage also houses multiple lighting components, allowing us to create different lighting effects,” explains Carter.
“We have custom WW LED tape integrated into each of the cages, illuminating the brass hallmarks and the cage structures themselves, whilst enhancing their form, and creating intriguing shadow effects on the backdrop,” she continued. “Lighting fixtures that are built into the top and bottom of each cage, are providing strobe and blinder effects for those moments when we want something hard-hitting.” A hidden flame system concealed within the structure also allows the team to set the back wall on fire at a key moment in the show.
An automated cylindrical video screen and a “chandelier” of lighting fixtures hang over the stage. The screen shapes the look of the show depending on its position and whether it is displaying content, while the interplay of the chandelier’s lighting and video adds energy throughout the 22-song set.
Color STRIKE M and STRIKE 1
The rig, supplied by Fuse, includes 30 Color STRIKE M and 44 STRIKE 1 on the arena show. For stadium shows, 28 extra Color STRIKE M and 16 STRIKE 1 were added. “Both show formats had the same onstage design,” explained Carter. “For the stadium shows we add a line of STRIKE 1 and STRIKE M fixtures along the wings as well as a FOH / Audience lighting package.”
The Color STRIKE M is the show’s main strobe fixture, on ladders stage left and right framing the chandelier and on a ground row along the upstage edge of the band riser. “We utilise the Color STRIKE M both as strobe fixtures and also as a wash / FX light, with the colour plates,” said Carter. “The tilt function on these fixtures helps increase functionality as they can be used as a band backlight or flip over for adding dynamic effects to the scenic backdrop.”
The STRIKE 1 “has been a long standing feature in Mumford & Son’s shows and is a key contributor to the look and feel of the lighting design,” Carter said. On this tour it runs around the top tier of the chandelier, emphasising its circular construction, on the ground row behind the band riser for a warm backlight, and on the front truss as crowd blinders.
Lighting the audience without overusing blinders
“It’s important that the band can see the crowd in these moments and that the audience in turn feel like they are a part of the performance,” she said. “Whilst blinders are a useful tool for illumination, they quickly become tiresome on the eyes, and it can become a one-way conversation – as the band can see the crowd and not vice versa. With festoon and lots of warm white, gentle sources on the rig, we have many tools in our armoury to illuminate the crowd and raise the ambient light level (when appropriate) without always reaching for the blinders.”
The team
TAIT provided staging and automation, Ox Event House did the scenic build, and Strictly FX, Y Lines and Perry Scenic also contributed. Williams and Carter thanked LD Tess Falcone, programmer Joe Lott, lighting crew chief Jenn Dymond, and Erik Blombahl and Matt Ockendon from Rebus. Also involved were PM Shane Rawdon, stage manager Jason Fearnley, programmers Cian Westall, Kemal Canalp and Ben Thurston, camera director Michael Duque and head rigger Amos Carter.
Photos: © Laura Harvey
LinkedIn
Instagram
