Stone Sour Tours With Bandit Lites

American heavy metal band, Stone Sour is touring the nation with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites. The Grammy nominated group recently released its sixth studio album, Hydrograd, which debuted at No. 8 on Billboard's 200 chart, and appeared at No. 1 in three categories.

Lighting designer Julie Cox fashioned a rig that would fit the direction of simple and clean while still packing a powerful punch. By choosing fixtures that would balance truck space, multiple effects and budget, she crafted a multilayered and emphatic design that could complement the powerhouse band's sound.

Bandit Lites supplied Elation Elar 72 UV PARs, Wildfire Blacklites, Martin Atomic 3000 LED Strobes, Chauvet Nexus 4x1 fixtures, Claypaky B-EYE K20, Claypaky Mythos, SunStrips with a grandMA2 Lite console for control.

"The main fixture I was adamant about was the Martin Atomic LED strobes," says Cox. "I still had the hit of the flash effects, but the subtleties of the background effects behind the flash add an extra layer of color. Also, being the only one building and running the show, I'm a huge fan of not having to change out lamps."

Cox has a special rapport with Bandit Lites, noting the care and dedication of both the client representative, Brent Barrett, and project manager Don Lockridge.

"I'll always consider Bandit as family," says Cox, "From Brent with his cheerful phone calls to Don making sense of what I'm thinking and the crew who did a great job prepping the gear." "We are thrilled to be a part of this tour," adds Barrett. "Julie's skill and dedication are apparent in every look and I believe fans of the band can see her care and attention to detail throughout the entire production. Also, it is great to again have the opportunity to work with Stephen Shaw (tour manager) who is one of the true professionals in our business."

"I know I can walk into something with Bandit gear and understand it right away," finished Cox. "Bandit is how I was raised in this industry."