MSA Rocks the Moves for Sabaton

	Photo: Jens de Vos (@jensthepanda), courtesy Sabaton

Automation specialist MOTOR Stage Automation (MSA) designed, engineered, and supplied two spectacular kinetic elements and control for Swedish power metal band Sabaton's The Legendary Tour.

A 98.4' runway, complete with articulated stairs -- customizable according to stage height -- at each end, flies in during the show to connect A and B stages, allowing the band to get close to the fans along the arena as it skims above their heads.

In addition, a center stage drum riser flies in from the roof during the changeover to land on a set of three giant inflatable hands, made by Airworks, emanating from a special riser onstage.

The automation project was managed for MSA by Jimmy Johnson, who says the process started with a thorough EN 17206 risk assessment, which then led to the equipment specifications.

The walkway is constructed from a series of off-the-shelf products flown from a mother grid made from MSA's new stock of HOF MLT FOUR heavy-duty trussing. The whole structure is flown on 14 Moveket hoists, ten 2,755lb units and four 1,3230.5 units, complete with V-Motion drives.

The M:Cat modular system is designed to be scalable and packs down into its own set of carts for transportation and rapid deployment. The M:Cat walkway is flown in the center of the venue at 90 degrees to the stage and descends at strategic points in the set with stairs that hinge down onto the stage, allowing safe access for the band.

The runway sections, with integrated wheels for running into the venue and positioning, each weigh 66lb per 9.8' unladen, and the full length is made up of eight sections, bringing it to a 2.4 ton total load, plus lighting fixtures, smoke machines, and special effects, all of which are attached.

Johnson notes that the safety and engineering experts Blumano Associates consulted the risk assessment. HOF MLT FOUR is a newly developed product that saw HOF and MSA collaborate. Another new investment by MSA has boosted their existing stock of HOF trussing.

The drum riser is positioned in the middle of the stage and is a focal point throughout the high-energy show. Production manager Johan Bengs came to MSA with the idea from the band and a drawing from drummer Hannes van Dahl, together with ideas for what he wanted to do, including it being pushed upwards by the giant hands.

Johnson and the MSA team looked at various options using stage lifts and a custom system or suspending the platform from chain hoists, before deciding to use four Moveket hoists and V-Motion drives and a flown platform for greater flexibility and ability to rig in the different-sized venues.

The design and engineering process had to allow for drum tech Emanuel "Kebbe" Isaksson to build and tech his kit safely each gig. The solution was that the drum kit was built on the floor on wheels, rolled into position before the stage, then picked up and flown to working/backline height, where van Dahl also accesses via a first-floor entry point built into the scenic castle wall of the stage set. The latter was a concept from set designer Bertil Mark, also the lighting designer, and the band.

The riser was then flown into the roof; from there, it descended to meet the inflatable hands coming out of the stage.

Once the working at height was minimised, safety rails and anchor mounts for harnesses and fall protection were made available from the mother grid, so in the case of "unplanned maintenance," the crew could safely have access.

The riser also had to be stopped from spinning, an issue discovered during previous experiments, so to stop gyration, eight RCF LightLocks were added and positioned beneath the riser, where they acted like a ship stabilizer.

Von Dahl also received full training during the summer 2025 leg of the tour on how to deal with any emergencies and rescue procedures, and head rigger Yose Lawson was instrumental in ensuring everything happened safely in the air.

"Yose [Lawson] was vital in making sure that the engineering and rigging were workable for both the riser and the bridge," says Johnson. Lawson also came with a team of expert riggers who leapfrogged the tour, ensuring the rigging was advanced and ready at each venue for the tour's arrival.

UK Rigging was selected by Bengs and Lawon to provide all the tour's rigging elements, which, together with automation and the other departments, fitted into 24 trucks, three filled with all the automation, and four dedicated to the daily advanced rigging package, involving A and B advance rigging teams, supplied by Lawson's Rigging Machine.

An over-stage mother grid from MSA facilitated all these automation and other technical elements, comprising 29.5' by 19.6' runs made up from more of MSA's HOF MLT FOUR trussing.

This structure accommodated all the automation hoists, cable management, and safety/rescue equipment. The mother grid lighting fixtures were supplied by MSA's sister company, Vigso Rentals.

The tour's automation programmers and operators were Kentaro "Ken" Johnson and Sam Colclough, running the show on a fully redundant Moveket Expert III console system.

Also on the automation team were MSA's operations manager, Daniel Klausen; special projects engineer, Valdemar Enemark; automation crew chief, Martin Kirch and automation and performer safety technician, Gareth Sumnall.