Shinedown Gets "Attention" with Bandit Lites Lighting System

	Photo: Sanjay Parikh

Bandit Lites once again provided the lights for American rock band Shinedown, who recently wrapped the North American leg of their ATTENTION ATTENTION Tour with Papa Roach, Asking Alexandria, and Savage After Midnight. The band recently broke records with their 11th top ten hit, "Get Up," with the most top tens in the history of Billboard's Rock Airplay chart.

Named for their sixth studio album, the ATTENTION ATTENTION Tour had a name with a mission: to enthrall audiences and hold their interest. To that end, long time lighting director Carter Fulghum shared that each of the 160 Bandit-provided fixtures were hand chosen to make every second of the performance unforgettable.

"Every fixture has a purpose in the show and have been utilized to that end," says Fulghum. "Mitchell Schellenger did the programing and Cort Lawrence did the design; they both did a great job of utilizing each light to its potential. It made the rig look a lot bigger than what it is."

Bandit Lites supplied Claypaky Mythos 2 fixtures, High End Systems SolaFrame 2000s, Showline Nitro 510C, Claypaky Sharpys, Claypaky B-EYE K20s, GLP X4, Martin MAC Viper Profiles, Elation CuePix WW2, Elation Smarty Hybrids, GRNLite Battens and Chauvet Freedom Pars.

In an effort to capture the "attention" component of the tour, lead singer Brent Smith sought to incorporate the exclamation points from the album cover into the design. Five towers were fashioned, three with two rows of Claypaky Sharpys, four fixtures high with a break and then two more as the dot of the point, and two more loaded with GLP X4 Washes.

"They help give the show some of the big looks that keep it impactful," says Fulghum. "We also have some video panels that were shaped like exclamation points as well with custom content that runs through the show. It is triggered by the grandMA2 through an M box server. Even though it has different video content running through it, there is always the shape of the exclamation point that is there; kind of a subliminal reminder of the album."

Claypaky Mythos on the down stage and mid stage truss supplied the main spots for the show, highlighting solos and adding accents. Claypaky Sharpys and GLP X4 fixtures were divided among five towers while B-EYE K20s provided both wash and beam looks, as well as a useful shape mode. The main wash for the stage, provided by SolaFrame 2000s, was placed downstage on the left and right in addition to Bandit's exclusive GRNLite LED battens for an edge to up light the performers, giving the desired low light look as opposed to a high front wash. Martin MAC Vipers were used in conjunction with a FollowMe System to offer impactful, theatrical moments.

And while Fulghum has been touring with the band since 2012, each concert still brings new moments of spontaneity as the band changes up the songs at the end of the show, drawing on their discography to showcase different songs.

"It is very unscripted and there is no telling what could happen," Fulghum shares. "I just find it shows the camaraderie of the band and gives the audiences a look at who they really are. Brent Smith, Barry Kerch, Zach Myers, and Eric Bass are great guys who care about their crew and it shows."

With a rigorous touring schedule and high expectations from fans, Bandit Lites team went above and beyond to guarantee the lighting system matched the unflappable energy and passion Shinedown brings to every performance, the company says.

"Bandit always does a wonderful job of prepping the tour for the road; everybody pays attention to the little details that can sometimes fall through the cracks," says Fulghum. "Our client rep is Brent Barrett, and he leads the charge on making sure everything is thought of, and project manager Matt King does an awesome job of coming up with ideas to make load in and load out faster. Even Bandit Lites founder and chair, Michael T. Strickland, has helped with ideas and suggestions to increase efficiency."

"I have had the opportunity to be the client rep for Shinedown for well over a decade," says Barrett. "During that time, it has been a great pleasure to witness their continuous evolution as artists and in stage presence. Carter is integral to their live show; he is extremely creative and is always working to fine tune the show's visual element to even better compliment the band."

"The crew (Taylor Sherman, Ryan Waldron, Jason Groth, and Justin Wilk) have been top notch in dealing with late load-ins and other challenges that the building can sometimes throw at you," Fulghum concludes. "Touring can be challenging from time to time; it is great knowing that there is a group of people who are willing to go the extra mile to help you with any problems you might face."

"I have known the guys in Shinedown twenty years and consider them close friends," says Strickland. "Brent Smith grew up in Knoxville and first came around Bandit in middle school. He is the most talented vocalist in the business, bar none. Shinedown is a most incredible band and the music and the message is second to none. Shinedown is more than the music; it is a belief in humanity and that comes across in everything they do. If the songs alone don't get you, the live show will. Brent, Barry, Eric, and Zach are simple the best people you will ever meet. There are two kinds of people: Shinedown fans, and those who will be Shinedown fans! I love the guys and look forward to the next twenty years!"