Grammy-nominated August Burns Red kicked off its winter tour on 5 January 2018 in support of its 7th studio album Phantom Anthem.
The lightshow was designed by LD Victor Zeiser of Squeek Lights. Working with his lighting director Dave Summers, Zeiser created a flow of big, multi-faceted looks with a relatively small rig anchored by Chauvet Professional Rogue fixtures.
“We have 6 Rogue RH1 Hybrids, 4 Rogue R1 Washes and 3 Rogue R1 FX-Bs, along with 4 NEXT NXT-1s and some strobes, that’s about it,” said Zeiser. “We applied the same design aesthetics to the rig as we have in the past, but we wanted to add new fixtures and new looks to keep things fresh. The band was excited by the demo we gave them of the RH1, and they were gung-ho about incorporating this fixture into the rig for their tour, so it became a big part of our design.”
That design is described by Zeiser as “hard hitting,” with continuous movement, variations between spot and beam displays, and transitions from beam heavy looks to layers of texture. “Dave has been great at flowing with the music,” Zeiser continued. “He loves the variety of the looks he can get out of the RH1s. I think he’s using them an equal amount of time in beam mode and blown out spot mode. He’s also using them with a combination of the prisms. Another thing we like is the nice interplay between the narrow beams from the NXT-1 and the wider light from the RH1s. They complement each other very well.”
Zeiser’s design called for 2 Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 Wash fixtures and 2 Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 FX-B units to be hung on truss located to either side of the stage. The Chauvet Professional RGBW washes were used to sidelight the band members and work in coordination with the NEXT NXT-1 and Rogue RH1 Hybrid fixtures to envelop the stage in saturated colours.
Adding impact at key moments and engaging the crowd with audience lighting were the 4 Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures. “We use the FX-Bs to crisscross the stage with narrow beams. This plays off nicely against the washes,” added Zeiser. “The FX-Bs were part of our show on the last August Burns Red tour, but since the band responded to them so positively that time, we decided to sneak them in this year along with all of the new things we have on our rig.”
Also new this year is the set piece that sits upstage just off the drum riser. Designed by Carson Slovack, it’s a replica of the band’s Phantom Anthem album cover logo. In its centre, giving it a captivating illuminance, was a collection of Chauvet Professional DJ Festoon fixtures.