Dream Theater's lighting

[Apricot]

How is it at their shows, they're lighting is always spot on with the song playing? Is it programmed for the lights to display x pattern or x brightness, etc from the drum kit or something, or is their some light effect virtuoso who can switch strobe lights in 13/8?

Just curious if anyone knows...

[John94]

All programmed. Then I believe they are just played like a video game? Or is that the video packages?

[SystematicThought]

All programmed.

May I also just say that the BC&SL tour had the best light show overall. The stage always looked so vibrant and alive.

[JimmyJava]

My favorite DT lightshow was definitely the Train of Thought tour. I think the Budokan DVD looks amazing where the lightning also plays a supporting role to the video screens but still very effective. The lightning is very neat and clean and not thousands of lights playing at the time. Loved it.

[bjackson87]

All programmed.

May I also just say that the BC&SL tour had the best light show overall. The stage always looked so vibrant and alive.

Agreed. Probably the best visual DT show I've seen, Jordan's huge wizard hat was also a bonus.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I can't wait for the American leg to kick off and see the new stage setup.

[ReaperKK]

I used to work at an arena during college where many concerts where played so I've gotten the chance to speak with a few lightening directors. Essentially if the band isn't playing to a click (I don't think DT does but I know that PT does as well as bands like Tom Petty) the lightening director spends most of his time hitting cues from the band, say guitarist takes a guitar solo, well the lights will do a loop while he solos and when he decides he has had enough the lighting director will cut to another set of lights.

If a band is a on a click then it's fairly simple, it becomes the bands issue to stay on top of the lighting cues, although if there is a mess up by the band then the lighting director has to step it.

Also most venues has staff that is on hand that handles spotlight work. This was the case for my venue that I worked, usually the employees that do the best work during the set-up before show was selected to do the spotlights if they wanted. If they did do it they had a headset to communicate with one of the lighting crew that member of the lighting cue would tell the in house employee where to shine the light.

Lighting systems for concerts are ridiculous. I was able to play around with the software that they used for a Tom Petty show years ago it's amazing the type of control they have, bands could do set changes on the fly and it'd be as simple as changing the playlist in the lighting software.

Hell if anyone has seen the PULSE tour with Pink Floyd in 1995 that software was advanced that there could be a set list change 30 minutes before the show.

[Hayden]

I think that this would probably interest those of you who haven't yet seen it.

[Ħ]

I wasn't a huge fan of the LAB lighting.  It was okay.  But overall I didn't love it like I did for the BCSL tour.  I just think the bluish colors fit the vibe of DT more than red.

[Crash]

Essentially if the band isn't playing to a click (I don't think DT does but I know that PT does as well as bands like Tom Petty) the lightening director spends most of his time hitting cues from the band, say guitarist takes a guitar solo, well the lights will do a loop while he solos and when he decides he has had enough the lighting director will cut to another set of lights.

If a band is a on a click then it's fairly simple, it becomes the bands issue to stay on top of the lighting cues, although if there is a mess up by the band then the lighting director has to step it.

I can tell you that MM plays to a click during the show.

[Adami]

Essentially if the band isn't playing to a click (I don't think DT does but I know that PT does as well as bands like Tom Petty) the lightening director spends most of his time hitting cues from the band, say guitarist takes a guitar solo, well the lights will do a loop while he solos and when he decides he has had enough the lighting director will cut to another set of lights.

If a band is a on a click then it's fairly simple, it becomes the bands issue to stay on top of the lighting cues, although if there is a mess up by the band then the lighting director has to step it.

I can tell you that MM plays to a click during the show.

Based on what?

[Crash]

Based on what their monitor engineer told me.... It is not uncommon.

[ReaperKK]

Never knew that about MM, I do remember MP saying they didn't play to a click. JP also brought it up at a guitar clinic I went to.

[chrisbDTM]

might be confused with the secret cowbell, that MP used, and that MM now uses

[Crash]

The dreaded cowbell... I can think of nothing worse than that being blasted into your IEM's set at stun.

[Orion1967]

Just for general shits-n-giggles I would love to see a DT show done something like Muse does.   
Went to see them (Muse) early 2010 for the first time live and it was by far the best show overall I have ever been to. 

[Ħ]

What's the DVD bootleg where you can hear the click before each song?  Was that the one in Chile?

[Crash]

What's the DVD bootleg where you can hear the click before each song?  Was that the one in Chile?

I am not familiar with the bootleg you speak of but are you possibly hearing the count in for the rest of the band.. as in the drummer clicking his sticks together to count off the start of the tune? The click track that MM is playing would not be heard by the audience. It would only go to the in ear monitors for his cowbell loving ears only.

[Ħ]

Er, yeah that's what I meant.  The cowbell.

[JimmyJava]

Yeah, that's the Chile show from 2005 where you, for some reason, hear Mike counting the band in with the secret "cowbell".

[Fuzzboy]

I think during the first Devin townsend project show, the sound guy screwed something up and you could hear the click track through the PA. Might have been the same thing...

[SystematicThought]

Yeah, that's the Chile show from 2005 where you, for some reason, hear Mike counting the band in with the secret "cowbell".

I think that's only because the bootleg is recorded through the soundboard. That's why you hear the cowbell

[fadetoblackdude7]

The BC&SL tour had by the far the best visual show, it was so colorful and the silver drapes hanging were cool. They really got more intense with it starting on the Chaos in Motion tour, and I hope it gets better!

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Apparently, Petrucci said in an interview that they were bringing proper tour producers (for the first time ever) to make a great stage production this time around. I'm excited.

[MetropolisxPt1]

What's the DVD bootleg where you can hear the click before each song?  Was that the one in Chile?

Their is a bootleg of in cleveland where mp's silent cowbell can be heard, he talks about this on the drum commentary for octavarium on score. He says someone from inside either the DT crew or one of the other bands made a soundboard bootleg of it.

[Crash]

What's the DVD bootleg where you can hear the click before each song?  Was that the one in Chile?

Their is a bootleg of in cleveland where mp's silent cowbell can be heard, he talks about this on the drum commentary for octavarium on score. He says someone from inside either the DT crew or one of the other bands made a soundboard bootleg of it.

Sounds like this was probably a mix off the monitor console then.

[fadetoblackdude7]

Apparently, Petrucci said in an interview that they were bringing proper tour producers (for the first time ever) to make a great stage production this time around. I'm excited.

Shit....me too!!