Bandit Lights Mark Knopfler

Bandit Lites is supplying lighting equipment and crew for the UK, European and US sections of Mark Knopfler's 2008 world tour, which kicked off in Amsterdam at the end of March.

This is the third time Bandit has worked with the Knopfler team (they also worked with Knopfler on his 2005 world tour and his 2006 shows with Emmylou Harris).

Bandit Lites UK Chief Executive, Lester Cobrin says, “We are very fortunate to be working with the talented Mark Knopfler and show designer Simon Tutchener again on the 2008 tour.”

Once again lighting design is by Simon Tutchener and based on a very clean simple design incorporating an 8m A-type circular truss sitting centre stage as the main focal point, which is flanked by a 24ft and 16ft A-type truss each side, plus a 56ft A-type rear truss.

The show’s centerpiece features an image of the famous vintage National Style 0 Resonator Guitar on which he starts the song, "Romeo & Juliet" - it's a steel-body guitar with a very distinctive sound and look, a circular sounding board and a resonator on the front.

Using a high resolution photo of the centre of the guitar, drapes specialist company Blackout made a circular printed BP screen with the guitar image which is stretched across the downstage edge of the circle - looking fabulously 3D.

For two thirds of the show, this remains concealed from the audience in the horizontal position, suspended on 4 motors. Half way through "Speedway At Nazareth," it is tipped vertically to reveal the image, creating a whole new look and adding a completely new creative dimension and ambience to the stage for the end of the set and the encore section.

There are 12 Vari*Lite VL3000s hung off the underside of the circle and 8 Martin Professional MAC 2K washes rigged on top, which come into action when the circle moves into the vertical position. Tutchener beams them onto the screen producing a variety of subtly coloured and textured patterns.

The circle's movement is controlled by tour rigger Johnny "Hotpants" Ashton using one of Bandit’s customized touring motor controllers.

There are another 16 VL 3000 Spots on the rig; all loaded with custom gobos, 6 on the floor and 10 on the trusses; plus another 20 MAC 2K Washes, also on the trusses. All trusses are toned with a total of 24 LED PAR 64s. Bandit is also supplying an 18 way motor control system, an 18m x 10m LED Starcloth, 4 Lycian 2K Xenon FOH followspots, 10-way intercom system & 2 DF50’s w with fans.

With a total of 56 moving lights on the rig, each one has several precise functions and tasks. The show was initially programmed over 2 nights at Bray Studios before the first show in Amsterdam.

There were two main reasons that Tutchener chose a fully moving light rig. The first was because he realized that the trussing configuration didn’t make it an easy rig to climb for focusing conventionals. The second was a concession to the backline and musicians - to eliminate any chances of dimmer buzz across the guitars - of which there are many, and some vintage and rare – and all ultra sensitive to picking up the slightest noise!

Tutchener runs the show from his own GrandMA console with an MA Lite supplied by Bandit as back-up.

“Lester & everyone at Bandit are doing a great job as usual,” he says. “I know when they are involved that I don’t have to worry about anything, and the response to any requests is instant.”

Bandit’s crew includes crew chief, Mike Humeniuk, dimmer technician, Ewan Cameron and lighting technician, Tom Crosbie. The tour’s production manager is Pete Hillier and tour manager is Tim Hook.