LOS ANGELES – Volbeat frontman, Michael Paulson, kicked off the Kia Forum show on the band’s eagerly anticipated “Greatest Of All World Tours” by apologizing to the sellout crowd if his sore throat might affect his upcoming performance, but declared that he wouldn’t want to miss this show. Fans cheered wildly, admiring the pure grit that characterizes this red hot Danish band.

Paulson and his bandmates then broke out like runaway trains with a headbanging rendition of “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown,” followed by “Lola Montez,” sending the crowd into a frenzy and nearly blowing the 407-foot (124-meter) high roof of the big arena.  No apologies necessary!  The boys from Copenhagen delivered every ounce of intensity that their legion of fans has come to expect -- and then some.

It's been the same story at every stop along the way on the USA leg of their global tour, which began July 17th at Denver’s Ball Arena and ended August 22nd at the Credit Union One amphitheater outside Chicago. Matching the music at every ferocious note is a hard-driving Niller Bjerregaard lighting design powered by a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console that calls forth images of metal’s roots.

Working with a rig supplied by Premier Global Production, Bjerregaard designed the show “as a tribute to the Classic Rock Show and Truss layout.”  Discussing the creative process behind the design, he said: “It was actually similar to one of the first lighting rigs I designed 35 years ago in a smaller version with Par Cans Only for a band called Grobe in the mid-90s. The fixtures were hung in groups of three and are finger-focused all the way. Ideally, we had a 40-foot trim on the tour, as it tied the rig and backdrop/stage set together in a perfect frame. The trusses itself was staggered in a star formation to give it depth and elevation without overlapping fixtures and looks.”

The Greatest Of All World Tours represents a milestone in the ascent of Volbeat in the US, as the band is playing larger venues. Bjerregaard is quick to credit his colleagues in helping him navigate the new waters. “PM Dennie Miller, and SM Dave Marcucci, were tremendous helps,” he said. “I also was ever-appreciative for the work of rigger Ryan Riordan; LX crew chief Jerome Labonte; LX Tanja Arends; LX Cy Schumacher; Lx Luke Berry; LX Hunter Roney; PGP Lighting; TAIT; and, of course, Volbeat and the entire crew.”

Bjerregaard notes his ChamSys Group Cue and Group layout windows were also critical in helping him achieve the bold, massive looks he was after as the tour moved from one amphitheater or arena to the next on the tour. “The effects I could do running across the fixtures because of the Group Grid Window were absolutely amazing, and it took me no time to create complex special effects with movement, color-intensity, and absolute without spending the time setting up the desk for that.”

The Remote Focus also helped him adjust to different FOH positions that he found himself in on the tour. “Really, this has to be one of my all-time favorite features -- especially on this run,” he exclaimed. “In some of the bigger venues, we were quite far from the stage and sometimes had difficulty getting a clear look at the stage floor. That’s when this was a lifesaver.”

Leaving ample room on stage for the band to move around and interact with fans, Bjerregaard delivered intense lighting action from overhead fixtures. He also created theatrical looks from well-timed and colorful side lighting.

In addition, he relied on intense color contrast to enhance the dramatic effect. This was beautifully evident during Paulson’s solo in “Devil Rages On,” when the singer is highlighted in full red. Then, as the song progressed, the rig opened up with a slow-motion strobe, before moving into a huge ballyhoo moment.

Many fans in the USA saw Volbeat for the first time. Thanks to the band’s passionate performance and dramatic moments such as this one, it won’t be their last.

About ChamSys
Based in the UK, ChamSys Ltd. was founded in 2003 by a group of designers and product developers seeking to create a lighting console that offered greater flexibility.  The company’s MagicQ range has set an industry standard used in some of the most prominent concert, theatre, broadcast and club applications around the world.  ChamSys was acquired in 2017 by Chauvet & Sons LLC, a leading global provider of professional luminaires, trusses, controllers and related equipment headquartered in the USA. For more information, visit www.chamsysusa.com