BANDIT HISTORY: 40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Part 4: The 90’s

Little did the Bandit family know as the 90’s began, that the decade would bring inventions, massive superstars, phenomenal growth, moving lights and awards beyond belief! It was a journey for Bandit that began with an unknown man named Garth, and ended with a well-known event called Woodstock. Everything in between was as diversified and interesting as the decade in which these events took place.

Bandit had the great fortune to hook up with what would become the largest selling artist in the history of the business, Mr. Garth Brooks. From 1990 on, Bandit and Garth became fast friends and continue to work together on projects today. Garth set a standard that the industry would follow for years to come. Garth carried bigger lighting systems than any heavy metal act ever dreamed of, and today holds the record for a single show attendance (with over a million people in Central Park in 1997).

At that same time, Bandit delved heavily into film and television work, as well as into ownership of the early moving lights offered for sale. Bandit worked on over 200 feature films in the 90’s, including What About Bob, Delta Force 2, Sleeping With The Enemy, Hellraiser 3, Wayne’s World 2, Hoffa, Pet Semitary and Earnest Scared Stupid. On the TV front, Bandit worked with regularity on HBO Boxing, HBO Comedy, MTV Spring Break, The Dove Awards, Fox on Ice, CBS Ice Wars, Larry King Live, Clinton’s Economic Summit, CNN, Hot Ice, Garth Brooks Live, Paul Simon in Central Park and hundreds of other shows. One of the biggest events Bandit was proud to illuminate was the Super Bowl 29 Half Time show in Miami.

The biggest breakthrough in entertainment lighting at that time occurred in the early 90’s as a number of companies developed moving mirrored lights to compete with the dominance Vari*Lite had in the industry. Bandit Lites surveyed the landscape and decided to partner with High End Systems out of Austin. Within no time at all, Bandit and High End had hundreds of the new Intellabeam on acts all over the globe. Soon, other firms joined Bandit and High End, and eventually other manufacturers joined the game at a high level, thus altering the fate of the Vari*Lite monopoly. Bandit became the world’s largest High End rental company for many years and together with High End, Bandit placed the I-Beam, the Studio Color, Studio Spot, F 100, Data Flash and other High End products into mainstream touring.

In the early 90’s, Aerosmith approached Bandit to become their lighting vendor, and Bandit took the challenge in stride. Both Aerosmith and Garth Brooks required a sophisticated computer motor control system unlike anything in the marketplace. After 6 months and 2 million dollars, the patented Moto Data system was created. This evolutionary control system worked in conjunction with the custom Bandit Motor Controllers and allowed for operation of chain hoist from a touch screen with a graphic representation of the lighting trusses on the screen. The simplicity, safety and brilliance of the system made it an immediate success. Bandit continues to use the system in present day and has offered up Moto Data 2.

In the same period of the early 90’s, world leader Avolites was spun off by its parent company and Strickland purchased the U.S. portion, moving it from New Jersey to Knoxville. The company relocated to Bandit’s Dutchtown offices and development of what would become the Diamond Console and a new 72 way dimmer rack began. Sales and service for Avo were brisk and the company reorganized itself both sides of the Atlantic. The UK side was purchased by the directors, who eventually also purchased the U.S. side from Bandit.

A man named Chris Cronin left Thomas Engineering in the early 90’s and eventually set up Tomcat. Along the way, Chris and Michael Strickland collaborated on stage sets (which Cronin built) and in the process, the pair was nominated for ‘Stage Set of the Year’ for Amy Grant and Quiet Riot. As Cronin expanded Tomcat into the U.S., he collaborated with Strickland to found Tomcat U.S. operations. After helping set up the firm, Michael Strickland stepped away to focus on Bandit. He also sold his interest in Thomas Engineering in the mid-90s to spend maximum time on the Bandit growth.

The 90’s also saw Bandit continue the process of giving back in the form of charity work. Farm Aid has been a Bandit project since 1991. Bandit began a corporate giving campaign that includes over 60 charities today and involves hundreds of thousand of dollars each year. Bandit supports the United Way, The American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Clubs and many other worthy causes each year. It was also in the 90’s that Bandit coined the term, HUMANOMICS, or business planning based on concern for people. This principle is what guides the firm to this day.

Bandit set up an educational department to train and educate people both inside and outside the firm. This educational reinforcement insures the quality of both Bandit service and of the industry as a whole. Seminars are held every year all around the world for the sole purpose of education. The Bandit Lites’ sales team grew to staggering heights in the 90’s, due in large part to the great educational system. The combination of a qualified, caring sales team backed by this emphasis on education made the sales growth a natural progression.

As Bandit continued to expand, Strickland saw a need in Asia and quickly set up offices in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Asian market additions were followed by recognizing the need for greater control in Europe, and buying out the partner in the UK. As a result, the Bandit London office was able to better monitor the product quality. Dizzy Gosnell joined Bandit in the Nashville office in the early 90’s when the assets of the firm he worked with were acquired by Bandit. Today Gosnell is the GM of Bandit San Francisco, which he set up in the late 90’s. Richard Willis returned to Bandit and assumed an office position that he still holds today, as VP. Mike Golden continued as VP in Nashville and the Bandit Global Management team was shaping up.

Bandit was called into the world of WCW, and then into WWF (now WWE) to provide the ‘Bandit Standard’ to the fast-paced world of sports entertainment. The partnership between Bandit and the WWE is now over 15 years old. Bandit and WWE continue to set the standard for live television events and set the bar higher every year. WWE is the world leader in sports entertainment and Bandit is proud to be their partner. From this modest beginning, Jason Robinson has become one of the senior staff members within WWE and a world-renowned production designer for his absolute brilliance.

Production Manager, Mikey Weiss opened the eyes of Bandit in 1994 regarding fall protection, and from that day to this, Bandit has lead the initiative to put OSHA and HSE compliant fall protection equipment on all lighting systems. The use of the equipment was a huge challenge in the early days but Bandit moved on. Today, thanks to Bandit and others that joined in, the industry is a much safer place to work.

As the world of moving lights continued to change, Martin from Denmark emerged as a new player and Bandit quickly became a believer. Soon, Bandit became the world’s
largest Martin rental house and helped Martin gain a large market share globally. The MAC 500, 600 and 2000 quickly became the industry favorites. Martin rolled out many successful products in the 90’s and Bandit was a partner in them all.

Bandit started to earn a lot of recognition in the industry in the 90’s. CMA named Bandit the ‘Production Company of the Year’ in 1993, an award Bandit would win 3 times before the award ceased to exist. Both Knoxville and Nashville would name Bandit as a winner of their ‘Future 50,’ five times in each city, leading Bandit to go into the Business Hall of Fame in both locations. In 1996, Performance Magazine named Bandit ‘Lighting Company of the Year,’ the first of what is now 16 such awards, more than any other firm. Mass Mutual named Bandit Lites as one of the top 50 firms in the U.S. with its Mass Mutual Blue Chip Award in 1996. That same year Bandit was named ‘Entrepreneurial Company of the Year’ in Knoxville by the city. The pinnacle of the awards in the 90’s occurred when CNN / USA TODAY named Michael Strickland ‘Entrepreneur of The Year’ for 1999, a distinction held by Bill Gates, Michael Dell and other such notables. This is a very proud moment in Bandit history. Bandit Lites is honored to continue receiving awards today, a testament to the hard work of the dedicated family at Bandit Lites.

Many new and old clients joined Bandit in the 90’s. The Judds, Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, Jethro Tull, Damn Yankees, Ted Nugent, The Moody Blues, Blondie, The Go-Go’s, Donnie Osmond, YES, Alice Cooper, Barry Manilow, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Hall & Oates, Aerosmith, REM, Offspring, Jewel, and hundreds of others were all Bandit clients.

Knoxville purchased a new 90,000 square foot facility, Nashville custom-built a 30,000 square foot facility with the industry’s first hanging room, and London purchased a new 25,000 square foot facility. Real estate was fast becoming a part of the Bandit business plan. The hanging room, known as Venue One now, is 100 x 40 x 40 and holds 80,000 pounds. This was the first and only hanging facility in the industry that artists could use free of charge to hang and program their show. Bandit had once again set the standard.

As the 90’s came to an end and the world looked toward what Y2K would really be, Bandit lit the infamous Woodstock ‘99. While it was a huge event and a technical achievement, it signaled the true end of what we had all known as the Woodstock Generation. It is an event Bandit was proud to have been involved in, but the tragic, violent ending will long be remembered.

“From the ashes of Woodstock, we all looked forward to the new millennium with eager anticipation of what the next century would hold.” Strickland commented. “In light of where we had been in the last 30 years, where could we possibly go in 2000 and beyond?” Stay tuned for Bandit History: The 2000’s.