NASHVILLE – Bandit Lites is providing gear for three-time ACM nominee Thomas Rhett as he joins Jason Aldean’s “We Were Here” 2016 tour. Collaborating with both Thomas Rhett and tour manager Logan Kornegay, lighting designer Nick Whitehouse built upon their general concept to create the final lighting design. What may look like a standard rolling floor package reveals itself to be compact custom video and lighting lifts that extend to a full height of nearly 30 feet above the stage. Lightweight Ayrton MagicDot-R and Clay Paky Mythos both play a key role.
More details from Bandit Lites (www.BanditLites.com):
“Thomas Rhett has some really great ideas and has a fantastic team around him; it really was a pleasure to work with them all and get this together,” said Whitehouse, who specifically chose lightweight fixtures that could be hidden within the lifts while still providing powerhouse beams and spot looks.
Following the success of the Ayrton MagicDot-R on Thomas Rhett’s fall tour, Whitehouse utilized both those and Clay Paky Mythos, which gave him the powerful beams looks needed to cut through the LED video, while Solaris Flares strobe and LED Washes are used to backlight the band members.
“The combination worked out perfectly, and because of the moving towers and various levels of fixtures, the show looks much bigger than it actually is!”
Whitehouse referred to the MagicDots as the ‘workhorse of the show,’ crediting their speed and tight beam for providing amazing looks that would’ve previously required twice the amount of fixtures, while the Mythos’s versatility allowed it to be utilized as both a wash and a beam.
“I used these as my main spot fixture, and they really worked well there and as well as doing the beam looks,” said Whitehouse. “We could really kick it up a notch and do a super gobo look. For the size and power consumption of these lights and what is possible with them is really incredible. I’m very impressed with both.”
Brent Barrett, Business Development Officer of Bandit, shared that this venture has been a pleasure saying, “Nick Whitehouse has created a visually stunning design for Thomas Rhett. Those attending his concerts will be truly impressed with all the different visual elements that take place during the show. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Nick, Logan, Production Manager Kevin Twist, Board Operator Andrew Hunt and the entire Thomas Rhett Team!”
“Bandit really looked after us,” said Whitehouse adding, “the gear is top quality and was prepped, installed and ready to go day one of rehearsals. The support for anything additional we needed was also perfect. It is a very slick package they have put together, and it really shows they are committed to making this an excellent tour.”
