Bandit Lites Get Lucky Lighting up Midland with LD Paolo Alfaro

	The WW4 blinders provided additional tungsten looks, while also both accenting PAR looks on slower songs and flashing on higher BPM songs. Photo: Chris Warrick - slowhandbuzz IG

Country music group Midland has taken to the road for the Get Lucky Tour with a lighting system provided by long time vendor, Bandit Lites. The Grammy-nominated group (comprised of Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson, and Cam Duddy) recently released their fourth studio album Barely Blue to critical acclaim.

"It's a whole new tour, whole new look, whole new set, whole new lighting setup and stage plot," Carson told a Rio Rancho reporter. "It's just fun to rebuild the set list and the whole, kind of, live experience when you have a new album. You can kind of integrate that into it, but it's going to be the same Midland energy and entertainment, so it'll be a fun night of honkey-tonkin'."

Inspired by the retro rigs seen on various tours, Duddy (bassist for Midland and creative director) sought a PAR can look. Working with production manager Kris Heinold, Bandit Lites client rep Mike Stanley and lighting director Paolo Alfaro, they workshopped various versions before arriving at the current rig utilizing Bandit's FlexRax carts.

"The FlexRax carts have been a game changer," says Alfaro. "Not only have they enhanced the look that we were looking for, but also the versatility that it has provided and how nicely packed our truck is now. I love those carts. The way you can just roll them onto stage, lay everything out and then at the end of the show, load it out nice and quickly, it has really changed things. Our loadouts used to take anywhere from one to one and a half hours depending on the show, and now we have had loadouts that have only taken us about 35 minutes, which is insane."

"Thrilled to get another Midland rig on the road," says Stanley. "It was fun watching this one go from a napkin sketch to coming alive."

In choosing the fixtures for the design, the team chose fixtures that would fit and travel in the FlexRax to streamline transportation, ultimately using Elation CuePix WW4, Elation Seven Batten 42, Martin Atomic VDO Bold, Mega-Lite Circa Scoop LED, grandMA2 full console for control.

"The Martin Atomic VDO Bold's are such an amazing fixture," says Alfaro. "The things that you can accomplish with the fixture is almost unlimited: from being able to make the background do pixelated effects to the center "beam" giving it a bright punch, adding on to the fixture, it makes it to where you can really be creative using those, especially in groups, which we have them in. I use them as a glow or light backlight for some songs in the set, to set the mood for the song and/or even add the effects from the macros pool to make it do fun things that add to the look. I utilize the beam to add an additional color, blend it in with the glow glass and even flash them during higher BPM songs like "Longneck Way to Go" or "Mr. Lonely", the fun songs on the set."

The Circa Scoops XL stood out to Alfaro from the previous tour and he enjoyed the creative freedom the pixel application offered.

"On this tour, I utilize every single pixel in different ways, depending on what song it is on the set," he explains. "On songs like "Old Fashion Feeling" and "Barely Blue," I utilize these to do subtle things like a simple SIN dim effect, separating the ring from the middle sections of the fixture; basically, recreating that oldish, vintage bar vibe, making it moody, which is what the guys want. I like to use them to give that tungsten color vibe with the middle "bulb" light as well."

The WW4 blinders provided additional tungsten looks, while also both accenting PAR looks on slower songs and flashing on higher BPM songs.

"The service from Bandit has been amazing," says Alfaro. "From getting the fixtures replaced, making sure that all of our gear is up to par, to getting things changed in a matter of 24 hours notice because some lighting didn't quite check the box, it has been beyond excellent! The detail and how well everything is put together, including labels, cables, and even racks, has blown my mind. As a former Bandit tech, I have always loved how well Bandit takes care of the gear and their techs and clients and how well things are carefully labeled and put together."

For more information about Midland's upcoming shows and news, visit www.midlandofficial.com/tour/.