Black Veil Brides Bring Bandit on the Road

	"The Pyxis really lent themselves well to that as a combination of both beam and wash style lights," says Hopkins. Photo: Shawn Brandon Media

As 2023 dips into shorter nights and colder seasons, American rock band Black Veil Brides is transporting fans into a transcendent gothic heavy metal revelry. Their tour kicked off in early September with Bandit Lites supplying the lighting.

Mark Scherer, Bandit Lites client representative, worked closely with the band to craft a lighting system that would offer a wide range of versatility.

Bandit provided the tour with Ayrton Mistral S and Chauvet Pyxis which were primarily used for aerial effects, although lighting programmer Carter Hopkins does utilize spots as a special on either drummer CC or frontman Andy. Chauvet Rogue R2X Washes principally cover the stage, while Hopkins does throw effects into them as well as using wide fans to make the rig look bigger. Solaris Rayzrs and Chauvet Strike M fixtures are used for texture and movement behind the band with the Rayzrs also offering dimmer and color effects.

"It was a pleasure playing a small part in this awesome production," says Scherer. "By picking fixtures that could help accent the bands stage presence and add unique visuals to Carter's design and programming, we were able to facilitate a one of a kind design with multiple ways to change the overall feel and look of the rig to fit their entire performance!"

"The Pyxis really lent themselves well to that as a combination of both beam and wash style lights," says Hopkins. "Having a dedicated wash and beam in the same fixture as well as the continuous pan and tilt meant what I could do in each song with them was endless."

Additional fixtures include GLP X4 Bar 20 and Martin Atomic Bolds which are used for punchy floor blinders while the aura effect is used occasionally for a light back glow. Both a grandMA 2 Full and grandMA 2 lite console for control.

One of Hopkins favorite moments in the set is seen during the song "Torch," where a deep blue in the washes contrasts with the bright red in the strobes and bars and a deep orange in the spots.

"It helped create a dark environment on stage for an emotional song while also making the song still feel vibrant overall," says Hopkins.

Black Veil Brides tour continues into October. For more information regarding upcoming tour dates and tickets, visit blackveilbrides.net/.