Rolling Stones “A Bigger Bang” World Tour 2005

The Rolling Stones’ “A Bigger Bang” World Tour is perhaps the iconic rock band’s biggest and bangiest to date. Featuring an elegant set design by Mark Fisher and complementary lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe – both of whom have been the band’s preferred designers for well over a decade - the tour is the Rolling Stones’ biggest ever and first featuring Martin MACs.

The entire set up is an impressive technological achievement, a massive 65 truck haul that features different looks for indoor and outdoor shows. PRG has supplied a large lighting rig that includes Martin MAC 2000 Profiles (equipped with Patrick Woodroffe designed gobos), MAC 2000 Washes and Atomic strobes with atmospheric fog and haze effects from Jem Roadie X-Streams. The rig houses the same fixtures for the indoor and outdoor shows.

The outdoor show is the first major rock concert to include the audience as part of the set design with some 200 lucky fans seated in large opera house like boxes forming part of the backdrop and set. Patrick has the majority of the MAC fixtures located on the center stage cantilevered trusses and uses them for stage lighting. The outdoor rig includes a total of 66 MAC 2000 Profiles fitted with Woodroffe gobos, 82 MAC 2000 Washes and 24 Atomic Strobes as well as other automateds, conventionals, LED and video.

The indoor rig has 72 MAC 2000 Profile, 75 MAC 2000 Washes and 8 Atomic strobes located on parallel and perpendicular stage trusses, circle trusses and square lighting pods. The lighting is quite active with a mixture of big color scenes and Stones signature white only looks changing often throughout the show. Lighting Director/Associate LD Ethan Weber explains how the MACs are incorporated into the rig, “There are two shows which alternate between stadiums and arenas. The stadium show stage set is based on the Globe Theatre with several balconies and custom truss with Martin gear lining the vertically stacked trusses.

“For the arena show there are some straight trusses but it is based around five lighting pods – three pods with 16 MAC 2000 Profiles each, and two pods with 16 MAC 2000 Wash each. There are also down- mid, and upstage truss with 8-10 of each type of MAC. The stadium shows have Profiles on the floor and we also wash light the PA. The arena shows have Profiles and Washes on the floor to light up set pieces, PA’s, etc. In the arena shows we light scrim and portals off to the side with the Washes.”

Following the North American leg which kicked off on August 21st in Boston, the band will tour Mexico, South America, the Far East and finally Europe in the summer of 2006.

Production designed by Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Mark Fisher and Patrick Woodroffe
Lighting Designer: Patrick Woodroffe
Associate Designer, Lighting Programmer: Dave Hill
Associate Designer: Adam Basset
Lighting Director, Associate Lighting Designer, Lighting Operator: Ethan Weber
Architects and Stage Design: The Mark Fisher Studio
Set Designer: Mark Fisher
Technical Director: Jeremy Lloyd
Head Rigger: Jez Craddick
Production Manager: Dale "Opie" Skjerseth