Accompanying Nothing More on this journey during this 15-city tour was a stage production that featured a lightshow by Lighting Designer and Programmer, Mike Null, with help from co-Designer/Lighting Director, Ryan Pervola, and Operator Chris Lawrence.
Working with a 4Wall Entertainment supplied rig anchored by eight Color STRIKE M and 12 Rogue R1 BeamWash fixtures from CHAUVET Professional, the design team matched the band note for growling note.
“The overall goals in the design were to ensure that the crowd saw the band, to create textures, and occasionally, to punch you in the face,” said Null. “We balanced these three things with a design that hits whatever it is that it’s called on to deliver in the set. With Nothing More’s style of music, you get to incorporate a lot of different elements to arrive at a show that feel’s incredibly balanced and consistently new.”
To help the design team achieve this, the Color STRIKE M were positioned just above head height, while the Rogue R1 BeamWashes were flown 10-feet in the air. The lower units were used for strobing, while the higher ones provided wash light.
“The main purpose of the wash positions was to provide colour in the negative spaces, in addition to making the band the priority,” sail Null. “You can say it was an old-school approach; we wanted something that can light the band from that high, rather than create more eye candy and leave the band in the dark. The strobes were specially placed below the BeamWashes because that was our main punch. We had plenty of light to see the band and other fixtures that gave us texture.”
Null’s design allowed the production team to thread a needle, as they collaborated on creating a straightforward show without having the stage look crowded. “The thing I really enjoy about programming Mike’s rig was how it was pretty minimalistic, yet very powerful,” said Pervola. “This rig packed a punch and gave us so much depth and versatility. There really wasn’t a moment during the set when things felt bare, or you felt like more lights were needed.”
“The design also gave our show a really unique look and feel that set it apart,” concluded Pervola. “We conveyed a mood that was very analog and industrial to reflect the band’s personality, yet we also easily went to a natural and organic look for the next song.”
