Creativity and Technology required for Arena Rock Concerts

The article “High-end rock tours reach into bag of tricks” by Karen Idelson from Variety Magazine is a great example of how companies are looking for creative ways to present their entertainment.  The article suggests that audiences for arena rock concerts are requiring more technically advanced productions.  Willie Williams, designer for the U2 360 degree tour, believes that audiences are inundated with other forms of entertainment like high-tech videogames and amusement park shows.  This competition requires they deliver creative ways to use technology for their concert tours.

The article describes expanding video screens, a giant animatronic Fame Monster, and a mechanical dress that moves separately from the performer who is wearing it. 

For the mechanical dress, the Lady Gaga tour designer, Matt Williams, turned to the Jim Henson Company for the designing task. The creative supervisor, Peter Brook, from the Jim Henson Creative Shop created the dress using a type of plastic fabric similar to a shower curtain.  The fabric needed to be durable enough yet wearable for the performer.  The material was hand sewn from a London supplier.

The Fame Monster, also from the Lady Gaga tour, is operated similarly to the large dragons used in a Chinese New Years parade.  Dancers dressed in black leotards operate the enormous puppet using an old theatrical technique that still works today when done effectively.  If done right, the audience’s sense of disbelief is suspended. 

In a related Variety article, “Behind Fame Monster, A Rose”, by David S. Cohen, veteran puppeteer Tim Rose brings the fantasy creature to life.  Rose is well known in the movie business for his work on Star Wars: Episode VI -- The Return of the Jedi."  He also built the motion-control rig for the silhouette "Bat-wing" against the moon in Tim Burton’s "Batman."  Rose describes the Fame Monster as "a cross between a deep-sea angler fish and an octopus."  The creature weighed in at two-thirds of a ton and had to be counterbalanced so it could float in the air.  The team was given only four weeks to develop this creature.  They had to get it right the first time as to be sure to pass all the necessary government safety regulations.  It was a challenging task for the limited time given.

Both the creative development of the Monster itself and the methods used to build it stand as examples of the use of creativity and technology in large-scale concert productions.

References:

From: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118025398.html?categoryId=1009&cs=1#ixzz11rd6P2P7

From: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118025400.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1&ref=ma#ixzz11rnv6NSL