NASHVILLE, TN – On Sept. 6, Keith Urban launched his seventh album, Fuse, with a live performance that was streamed across the globe. The concert was a part of the Yahoo! Music’s Ram Country and took place in downtown Nashville. Lit by LD Victor Fable and programmed by Susan Rose with support from Mark Carver, Andy York and Buddy Lunn, the team worked with Bandit Lites to transform Cumberland Park into the appearance of a full tour production.
More details from Bandit Lites: www.banditlites.com
In today’s digital age, music fans are able to hear entire albums before their official release date, and Keith Urban made sure he delivered to the entire world as he streamed a live performance of his seventh album, Fuse. The event was part of Yahoo! Music’s Ram Country and took place September 6 in the heart of downtown Nashville.
LA based lighting designer Victor Fable worked with Bandit Lites to deliver a functioning, flexible design for both those streaming the concert and those attending the show. Additionally, Fable wanted to give the appearance of a full tour production concert.
Using the truss and lighting as the scenic elements, Fable utilized the curves of the outdoor stage at Cumberland Park, taking advantage of the beautiful Music City skyline. Half circle trusses made up three arches: one upstage center and two upstage right and left, while the overhead lighting was a simple up, mid and downstage design which provided a nice blended look with the surroundings for both the audience and the cameras.
“Every show has its challenges, but challenges is what makes designing so much more rewarding,” said Fable. “In this case, the biggest challenge was time. The show was a one day wonder and we went LIVE on September 6 at 8 pm and we don’t get the venue till 10 pm on the 5th. A lot of work needed to be accomplished in a small amount of time. Besides loading the truss and lights, we had spot towers, stage extensions and lasers. I knew that based on the schedule that dark time to focus and set up spots was going to be almost non-existent. Fortunately, I had an outstanding group of people behind me to make this all happen. My programmer, Susan Rose, did a great job at the helm of the Grand MA. I called upon old friends, Mark Carver, Andy York and Buddy Lunn to help make the show a success. They did not disappoint.”
Equipment for the event included Robe Pointes, Robe 1200 LED spots, MAC 2k Washes, Robe 600 LED Washes, Robe 100 LED Washes, Color Kinetics iWhite Blast, Comar Pars, GRN Moving Washes, VL 2500 Spots, Lycian M2 Spots and two grandMA 1 consoles.
Although Fable has been a part of the lighting industry since the mid-80s, this event was his first time to directly work with Bandit, and he found himself blown away by the level of skill and dedication that the Bandit team brought to the show.
“Without a doubt, Bandit’s reputation is stellar, and even while working with the likes of Vari*Lite, I have never heard anything but praise for Bandit’s work,” explained Fable. “After working with Mike Golden and the crew at Bandit, I can say they made it happen at every level, way beyond my expectations. From preproduction, budgeting, prepping the show, to execution, I had a no stress experiences. What more can a designer ask for? I have the highest respect for this company and cannot wait to work with them again.”
“I had the extreme pleasure of meeting and working with Victor for the first time on this project and I can say in complete sincerity that I cannot wait for the opportunity to do more,” said Golden. “Victor, Steve Angus and the entire Yahoo team were a complete joy to work with.”
Fable was so impressed with Bandit, he expressed his desire for a Los Angeles location saying, “Hell! I’ll even help move you in!”
