The chart-topping punk-ska band, The Interrupters wanted a new look for their shows when they contacted Peter Therrien and JDI Productions through an intermediary. “I was touring with Flogging Molly when someone, I still don’t know who gave the band contact info for JDI and me,” said Therrien. “Their management reached out to us. My Flogging Molly tour was over and I had time, so here we are.”
The “here” where Therrien and the LA-based quartet are right now, is in the midst of an extended North American tour in support of their Top 10 FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT album. For Therrien, the tour not only represents the chance to spread his creative wings with a first-time client, but also an opportunity to run a different kind of show with his new ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 console.
“Cody James of JDI tried the ChamSys MagicQ MQ 500 Stadium lasts year, and told Derek Iorfida (owner of JDI Productions) great things about it, so Derek purchased some consoles,” said Therrien, who designs for the Cranston, Rhode Island-based company. “I wasn’t 100% happy with the console that I was using. I wanted something that would make it easier to patch and clone different house stuff on tour. My first show with the MQ80 was in June. I haven’t looked back since.”
Therrien is creating a silky smooth flowing light show that wraps itself effortlessly around the band’s bouncy ska sound with its very fast bass lines and airy upstroke guitar fills. Using intense downlighting against a backdrop of deeply saturated colours, he creates an ethereal glow around each band member, while geometric patterns of light created on risers accentuate the emphasis on the musicians.
“I think all tours have their own set of challenges, but this one for me was all about learning the band, what they like, and what makes them feel comfortable,” said Therrien.
“The Interrupters want a very classic ‘Punk Show’ at points so, verses get big looks. Then, I add some movements for choruses in deep washes of colour. On the more ska/dance songs, it’s pretty much the same, but a little more movement and FX. The idea is to flow with the show and highlight the specialness of each band member.”
Helping Therrien accomplish this in his 3-universe show is his ChamSys console. Given that his light show has to incorporate multiple fixtures from each new house rig on the tour, he appreciates how the cloning features of his console help him expand his rig.
“This is just a really powerful option to have at your disposal on a tour like Fight The Good Fight,” he said. “Going into the Patch Window, it’s very fast and easy to add fixtures when I get to a new venue. It’s also very convenient to be able to add fixtures, and sometimes just palettes instead of palettes and cues. The Execute Window is another great feature since it lets me customise the console. Another thing I like is having all the Playback Buttons right below the screen.”
Therrien is carrying an Extra Wing with him on the tour. The compact MQ80 console and the Extra Wing along with their cases, fit neatly in the trailer as the tour crisscrosses North America. “I have 26 programmed pages, plus one Exec Page for the 22 songs in the set, plus some others for the backup pages,” said Therrien. “The Extra Wing is where I keep all my ‘constants’ for every show.”
This programming has worked to produce results that make the band and its legion of fans very happy. So much so, that when The Interrupters embark on their European tour at the end of the year, Therrien will be there as the band’s LD. Coming along with him will be his new ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 console. As he said: “there is no looking back.”