Update below.
The U2 blog Vertiblog sez:
"Factoid: The entire US$50Million stage lighting system for [U2's] Vertigo Tour is controlled via a Playstation [2] video game control[ler]."
Link (Thanks, Jeff 'Koganuts' Koga)
BB reader Ned responds:
This really isn't as surprising as it might seem. While a set of light cues (up/down, color changes, moving lights, etc) is written for a stage production, it is programmed into a set of cues on a lighting board. Once this is done the only control needed by a board operator is a "Go" and occasionally "Back" button (when the stage manager screws up and calls a cue too early). I can see this being done for cool factor, comfort, or just an eccentric stagehand trick. Easy analogy: running lights for a concert is akin to running a PowerPoint slide – all the hard work is done up front.
BB reader David Gilman says:
Ned is confused. He mentions a stage manager, so he's probably thinking of a theatrical production, where, yes, a guy sits there and pushes a GO button when the voice in his ear says "GO".
HOWEVER, in the concert industry, where the show invariably changes every night, it's customary to have a lighting supervisor run the show live..
There are cues written, but there's also a lot of changes. In fact, most people in the concert industry eschew theatrical consoles (like an ETC Obsession II, the standard on Broadway), in favor of consoles that give them more flexibility, like an Avolites, Whole Hog, or Martin Maxxyz.So, while *maybe* someone wired a Playstation controller to a contact-closure –> MIDI box and is using it to trigger something on a lighting console, the statement, "…The entire US$50Million stage lighting system for [U2's] Vertigo Tour is controlled via a Playstation [2] video game control[ler]." is pretty misleading.
Boing Boing reader Rob Burnip says:
Just a funny fact. Studio 39 makes videos of tourists flying around the city on a Magic Carpet. As an employee there, we use a Playstation 2 controller as well to control the camera and stage to make it look like they are flying. It is like the customers sitting in my green room are my game character. If anyone is in Las Vegas they can see me using the controller at Luxor and/or Circus Circus! Our website has not been updated in a while and only mentions our San Francisco locations as of right now.
Update: John sez:
I'm 'The Captain' of the Vertiblog and see that you posted a reference to my site on boingboing today. I wanted to let you know that I put up a link to the clip of the VH1 video that shows Willie Williams, U2's production manager, stating that the entire production is controlled via a Playstation handset. Here is the clip: Link (WMV)
