dsmith2904
ONE love, blood, life
On the Road: Smasher
A new Vertigo leg means more profiles of crew members on U2.com. This time the focus is on Smasher, U2's touring video director. Members can read the complete profile here. Snippets are below.
Day to Day Role
I make sure that all the visuals go to the right place at the right time during the show. I have to hook up the front end of the video gear, all the computers that control it, and, for example, if there are any changes from the band on the day, it’s my job to create the new stuff and get it formatted correctly.
Bono might go up to Willie with a suggestion or request about the visuals and Willie will then talk it through with me. It wouldn’t be ‘Can you make a new video?’ but more like changing the colour of something or scrolling some text in a different way. Mostly minor re-edits. The band are very hands-on in this, as in everything they do: they pay a lot of attention to what is happening in the whole production, even minor things are examined. It is unbelievable that they can do a show at the same time!
Favourite memory of life on the road with U2
It has to be an after-show party called ‘the riggers arms’ in Verona Italy in ‘93 during ZOOTV where I found Larry tapping beers for everyone while Bono and Edge were inventing some new dance steps on the dance floor. There was a big truck driver dressed up as a belly dancer doing a version of ‘Mysterious Ways’ in front of the band. We had great party’s organized by the riggers on the tour back then. Another great moment was when Willie called me to see if I wanted to run the video on Elevation. That was a big step up the ladder for me.
A new Vertigo leg means more profiles of crew members on U2.com. This time the focus is on Smasher, U2's touring video director. Members can read the complete profile here. Snippets are below.
Day to Day Role
I make sure that all the visuals go to the right place at the right time during the show. I have to hook up the front end of the video gear, all the computers that control it, and, for example, if there are any changes from the band on the day, it’s my job to create the new stuff and get it formatted correctly.
Bono might go up to Willie with a suggestion or request about the visuals and Willie will then talk it through with me. It wouldn’t be ‘Can you make a new video?’ but more like changing the colour of something or scrolling some text in a different way. Mostly minor re-edits. The band are very hands-on in this, as in everything they do: they pay a lot of attention to what is happening in the whole production, even minor things are examined. It is unbelievable that they can do a show at the same time!
Favourite memory of life on the road with U2
It has to be an after-show party called ‘the riggers arms’ in Verona Italy in ‘93 during ZOOTV where I found Larry tapping beers for everyone while Bono and Edge were inventing some new dance steps on the dance floor. There was a big truck driver dressed up as a belly dancer doing a version of ‘Mysterious Ways’ in front of the band. We had great party’s organized by the riggers on the tour back then. Another great moment was when Willie called me to see if I wanted to run the video on Elevation. That was a big step up the ladder for me.
