Award-winning lighting designer, Butch Allen, recently deployed Martin by HARMAN
Axiom Hybrid fixtures to create a bold and innovative lighting design for Eric Church’s
Holdin’ My Own Tour.

Allen’s goal for the 65-date tour was to create a lighting rig that could translate the up
close and personal vibe of a small club performance to a massive arena setting. To
achieve this goal, Allen worked with vendor Christie Lites to design a truss structure
capable of flying Axiom Hybrid fixtures almost 80 feet in the air—well out of the
audience’s sightline. Thanks to the Axiom Hybrid’s powerful output, advanced lens
capabilities and versatile effects, Allen was able to achieve impressive visuals that
would have been impossible with standard profile and wash fixtures.

“The lighting on this tour was a big departure from a traditional concert presentation,’
said Allen. “Normally there is a lot of visible truss structure, pyrotechnics and moving
video screens. But with this show, the audience could not see the lighting system if
they were watching the stage because it was flown so far up. While we were setting
up in Nashville, all of the lighting designers that stopped by to check out the rig
couldn’t believe the brightness and power of the Axiom Hybrids. I designed the entire
show around the Axioms, and if they did not perform as well they did, you would be
talking to my replacement.’

For the Holdin’ My Own Tour, Eric Church performed without a supporting act, filling
both the opening and headlining spots. Allen wanted to create a lighting rig that would
not only support the music but also keep the audience actively engaged throughout
these marathon performances. The lighting rig was supplied by vendor Christie Lites
and included 115 Axiom Hybrid fixtures suspended on trusses that spanned the entire
length of the arena, forming three large grids over the main stage, the runway and
audience pit, and FOH.

With the stage in the centre of the arena and the lighting rig hung so high up, Allen’s
design evoked the mood of a smaller venue where nothing separates the audience
from the performers onstage—putting the music at the centre of attention. This
configuration also made it possible to light both the stage and the crowd from
different angles—without directly shining the beams in audience members’ eyes.

“When I was going to concerts as a young man, it was distracting when the stage
lights shined directly in my eyes,’ said Allen. “We went for the maximum number of
angles to make sure the audience was illuminated comfortably. The goal was to make
the audience feel present and engaged and at the same time avoid any distractions.
This tour was focused specifically on the music, and we wanted to remove the “fourth
wall’ between the audience and the performance.’

When it was time to select fixtures for the design, Allen looked for a fixture that could
maintain a powerful throw, and also provide an impressive arsenal of effects. This
combination of features led him to compare all of the hybrid fixtures on the market.
During his research, he visited the HARMAN facility in Sun Valley, California to see
how the Axiom Hybrid stacked up against the competition.

“As soon as I tested the Axiom Hybrid, I knew I had found the right fixture for this
tour,’ said Allen. “The Axiom is the only hybrid fixture that doesn’t have any lens
changes, and you get full access to all the effects the light offers. I use the fixtures
that are the right tool for the job, and Martin’s toolbox is very well stocked. There was
no need for me to hang a profile and a wash light—I can hang one 52-pound light that
does everything.’