Australian metalcore band Polaris is known for blending elements of metalcore and progressive metal with post-rock soundscapes, electronics and melodic hooks, intertwined with personal lyrics — often dealing with anxiety, depression and loss.
The band has just finished their Australian tour promoting their album The Death Of Me and are currently touring the US.
“The band were looking to have a different look to previous tours,” commented Luke Thiel on his lighting design. “Something that would stand out against other shows, they already had a design (by Zoe Spratling) they wanted to use which I made minor adjustments to.”
The post-Covid explosion of work meant that Luke had to structure his programming time and coordinate access to a media server to use for the process.
“Fortunately my time in the many lockdowns of the past two years (I am based in Victoria!) meant that I had time to further develop my systems and processes for programming and synchronizing shows,” added Luke. “I spent my lockdown time streamlining my process in creating timecode markers, macro writing and furthering my education of the power of grandMA2.”
The touring floor package was supplied by ei Productions and consisted of four Martin MAC Viper Profile, nine GLP JDC-1, four MAC Aura, two SGM P5, 34 x Martin Sceptron 1000 VDO as well as a grandMA2 NPU and Martin P5 Controller.
“I used the MAC Auras for sidelight and the JDC1s were split into two groups, four on US pre-rig truss and five on the floor mid-stage, which served as my rear wash,” explained Luke. “The MAC Vipers were split into two groups with two on the upstage pre-rig with the JDC1s and the other two on the mid-stage pre-rig.
“Both the runs of the pre-rig are what holds the Sceptron in place with another six sections of Sceptron on the downstage edge of the downstage risers. The two P5s were used for sidelight when the band were on the downstage riser. The media server was supplied by Above and Beyond Production Services and the console was my own. This was delivered on a grandMA2 command wing and LSV Timecore at FOH as it was a fully timecoded show.”
Luke programmed the show in his Pre-Visualization suite using grandMA2 in conjunction with MA 3D utilizing the Keylight MA3D Model pack. Audio/timecode playback is managed by a DAW via an LSV Timecore.
The versatility of Martin Sceptrons allowed Luke to create many different looks throughout the show whilst being able to use them as RGB fixtures and then switch to video input allowing for great combinations of everything from aggressive chases through to gentler trickling effects.
“We had downstage risers for the Sceptron to sit on as well as the band to utilise throughout the performance,” he said. “Upstage in between the Sceptron we also had risers to fill out the width of the stage to elevate the drummer and the band to also use either side of him. This allowed for the guitarists to be in between the Sceptron at times which I felt created some nice visual moments.”
Video content was handled by a PRG MBox media server. This was controlled via the grandMA2 and the video sent to a Martin P3 Controller to process and distribute across the Sceptron.
Luke says his favourite lighting look is the transition from the chorus of All Of This Is Fleeting into the mid-section right before the breakdown.
“For me, the combination of the abrupt change in colour scheme as well as the significant change from the bright chorus down to an all floor package lower lighting enhances the part and adds to the lead up to the breakdown to follow,” Luke said. “I still get the same feeling I had in my early years seeing bands at the local town hall and then later at the pub. Music is such a wonderful outlet and is why so many are drawn to it in one capacity or another as a profession. I’m always looking to enhance how the music makes me feel, the artist has done the hard work of creating such amazing music and I feel extremely fortunate that they trust me to deliver a visual representation of that emotion.”
Photographer: Jack Rudder www.instagram.com/thesaddestday
