Bon Jovi recently visited our shores and brought along with his lighting director Sooner Routhier. Sooner is a veteran of the industry and has worked with top US acts such as Rage Against the Machine, Daughtry, Linkin Park and Rihanna. Pro-Systems journalist Greg Bester caught up with her to talk shop and find out more. Let’s see what she had to say.

Tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to become a lighting designer?
Sooner: I took dance in high school. I was a complete nerd and took advantage of extra credit whenever possible. We were told if we joined the tech crew we could get extra credit in dance. That’s when I fell in love with lighting. I saw my first rock concert in 1997 – The Smashing Pumpkins with Lars Upton as lighting designer – and realised that I actually loved rock n’ roll lighting more than dance.

You got a BFA in Technical Theatre with a concentration in lighting design from Emerson College. How has this helped develop your skills? Do you think you would have fared the same without it?
Sooner: I feel like I could have gotten by without the degree, but it helped shape and mould skills that I otherwise would not have gained working for a production company.

What was one thing you learned as a stage hand at the Majestic Theatre in Boston that has stayed with you your whole career? Please elaborate.
Sooner: Unfortunately I don’t remember much of these years. I worked for a lighting company in New Hampshire for a majority of my college career. I learned via ’trial by fire’. I learned the importance of speed and improvisation when building various types of lighting rigs. I also learned a lot about sound and rigging. I think that working for a company that does both sound and lighting helped me realise the importance of working as a team on a gig. It’s not always ALL about the lights!

Coming from a theatre background, do you apply that approach to a rock n’ roll stage show?
Sooner: Not at all. They are two completely different monsters.
Can you describe your first big break that pushed you into the ’big time’?
Sooner: I met my current business partner, Robert Long. He hired me on my first arena tour in 2005. We’ve been working together ever since.

You’ve subsequently worked for such top acts as Chevelle, Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine, Rhianna and, of course, Bon Jovi. What do you think is the most difficult part of the job at this level? Does it get easier because you’re working with professionals, or does the pressure get heavier and the job more intricate?
Sooner: Every job has its challenges. It’s really just figuring out what those challenges are in the beginning. With Chevelle – we were working in clubs. We had to make an amazing light show happen with the different tools provided to us. With Bon Jovi, it’s watching Jon at all times. He constantly changes the show. I have to constantly watch where he’s going next. I wouldn’t say it ever gets easier or harder. It’s just different.

What is your favourite show you have ever done and why?
Sooner: Rage Against the Machine – every show. The energy at every show was intense.

Being a woman in a predominantly male-dominated industry, what advice do you have for young girls aspiring to become lighting designers?
Sooner: Don’t make it an issue. Most men love working with women on the job. Besides, we smell better.

Do you think having a so-called ’woman’s touch” is beneficial to the art of lighting design? Do you see any differences in how you approach the craft as opposed to your male counterparts?
Sooner: If I do, it’s gone! HAHA! I’ve been working for some pretty heavy rock bands for years. I had to learn how to be badass instead of how to paint a ballerina’s body!

Where is your favourite destination that you have travelled to?
Sooner: Thailand.

What do you do with your free time?
Sooner: I always try to explore on days off when I’m on the road. I also try to run every other day. Relaxation always involves reading.