40 AT 40: JAMES HARDEN
Job Title: UK General Manager

The people are what sets Bandit Lites apart from the rest of the industry. Once a week, for 40 weeks, Bandit will showcase an employee that has made a substantial contribution to the company, whether it be in an office, on the road or somewhere in between. Bandit would not be celebrating its 40th Anniversary without the hard work and dedication of every one these employees.*

*Employee Spotlights are released in no particular order.

James Harden started his career at Bandit sweeping floors as a freelance employee. In the next seven years, Harden moved from warehouse manager to production manager, and then from operations manager to his current position, as general manager of Bandit’s UK operations. Below are a few questions we asked to get to know him a little better.

Q. What is your title? Please describe your job responsibilities.
A. I am the General Manager. I look after the everyday tasks of running the company so Lester [Cobrin] is freed up more to sell and bring work in. I monitor health and safety, expenditure and purchasing.

Q. Why and/or how did you get involved in this industry?
A. My school had a theater as well as a school hall. I went to an all boys’ boarding school so I quickly learned that it was one way to meet girls as the theater was always being used by ballet schools for shows and I could bunk out of study hall with a legit reason. When I left school, I turned a hobby into a career. I started doing roadie work for a band and saw it as a means to free t-shirts and traveling. The band needed someone to do lighting and I fell into the roll of being road manager and lighting designer.

Q. So then how did you get involved with Bandit?
A. I immigrated to the UK in July of 2001 with my wife and son to expand my career, as there wasn’t many shows I hadn’t worked on in South Africa and I needed a change. We came over without knowing anyone and I had no job lined up. We were visiting family who happened to live the next village from Bandit. I walked into the Bandit office, handed my CV in, and asked for a job. I remember saying, “I’ll sweep floors and cut gel, just give me a chance.” I was asked to come back the next day and I’ve never looked back since.

Q. In your opinion, what is the most significant technological advancement since you started working in the entertainment industry, and why?
A. LEDs and Media servers. The equipment and effects available today are astonishing. A set today is not just wood and canvas. It is electronic, making the set come alive and opens up a whole new world of looks, depth and moods for a lighting designer.

Q. Do you have a favorite memory from working at Bandit Lites?
A. Standing front of house next to Baz Halpin watching Queen and Paul Rogers is definitely up there. I saw Queen in South Africa when I was 16 and that was when I decided that I wanted to get involved in the entertainment industry. Watching Queen & Paul Rogers as a Bandit employee seemed like my life had done a full circle- very satisfying.

Q. What is the best part of working for Bandit Lites?
A. The people are the best part, and the tradition of Bandit Lites.