Joshua Light
Lighting Designer / Lighting Director
Meet Josh
In late February, LD Joshua Light (Vance Joy, The Faint, EELS) had just wrapped up American rock band Alter Bridge’s tour when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. Itching to get on the road again, he says the extended break has reinforced just how important live events are.
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our industry. How are you coping?
I have been hanging in there considering how different this year has been going versus how it looked at the beginning of the year. Alter Bridge had a pretty busy schedule planned as we were at the start of an album cycle. It has been rough adjusting to unknowns about the future of our industry. As a roadie, you are used to having long stretches at home. Usually that time is filled with recovery from the previous tour and planning for an upcoming tour. Having that cycle interrupted and turning into simply being home isn’t easy.
How has your work been affected and are you working on any projects at the moment?
My year has been totally wiped out work wise. I usually fill in at a few local venues when I am home between tours to keep busy but without those venues being open all my energies have turned to projects around the house. One upshot of all this time home is that my backyard looks amazing.
On your website it says you moved often in your younger days. What was your youth like and what did you want to be when you grew up?
With divorced parents and a father in the military, I didn’t spend more than two years in the same school until high school. One aspect of moving often when you are younger is that your focus tends to shorten to more immediate concerns; how do I get along in this new town and new school? I didn’t have much of a long term plan as to what I wanted to be growing up.
How did you get into the industry?
I stumbled into the industry by accident basically. A confluence of factors led to me getting a part time security job at a club in Chicago called Metro. That part time job turned into a full-time one and I eventually started filling in on production, loading gear. That turned into a full-time stage manager position when I also started to learn lighting.
Did you have that seminal moment when you knew lighting was for you?
The seminal moment in my life was that time on the production crew at Metro. I fell in love with the idea of live production first. The magic that happens when you transform an empty stage into something special with a lot of hard work and tight crew. Lighting was how I ended up fitting best in the production world. My first lighting moments were running oh so many opening acts on an old Hog 500 and getting a feel for how lighting could elevate moments in music.
When you initially sit down to design lighting for a show, what is the first thing you think about?
Space and scale. How much space do I have to work with (stage and venue wise) and what is the scale of the event we as the production team are creating? Are we looking to fill an entire arena with beams of light or focus attention onto an artist or speaker on stage? Space is also an important factor to consider because any successful touring design must pack up onto trailers at the end of the night. Designing a beautiful 12-truck show does you no good if you are rolling out with one semi.
When does fixture choice enter your head? Is that something you think about right away when you’re designing or does that come afterwards?
Fixture choice in the general sense of what type of fixtures do I see as necessary for the show will enter my mind pretty quickly. Do I need a lot of wash light or nice tight beams? Is there a media/content angle that needs to be addressed? Will I need a type of fixture that integrates with planned or existing set pieces? Does the artist hate strobes? I want to be sure early on what general types of fixtures I want to bring to the party.
How do you keep up with new products out there?
My favorite part about working in local venues on tour breaks is getting to see what fixtures are coming through. This gives me the chance to work with a bunch of different fixtures, see how they perform and occasionally get to pick the visiting LDs brain about their feelings on the fixture. You also get a very real sense of what trends in fixtures are going on. Sometimes it is one specific product that everyone can't get enough of; occasionally it is a type of fixture that you see several different manufacturers putting out.
What do you see as the newest/hottest thing in lighting?
I am excited about GDTF and MVR. I am hoping for a future where designs and ideas translate quicker through drawing, visualization and real life. I think the technology will end up being an important tool in getting the most out of designs when it comes time to program, then adapting those designs in new ways. On any tour, you are bound to have a few rooms that pose challenges to the design you are carrying. Being able to plan ahead for these eventualities with a clear plan that is executable is important.
You used Elation’s Smarty Hybrid on Alter Bridge. What advantages did going with a hybrid light give you and is that something you see yourself using more in the future?
Being able to expand the range of looks I can produce is the best feature of a hybrid fixture. As I said before, space is important to me in the design process and being able to fill that space with a multipurpose fixture is a huge bonus. I can absolutely see myself using more hybrid fixtures in the future.
Any of Elation’s newest lights you’d like to get your hands on?
Not a light per se. I am interested in checking out the new hazers under the Magmatic line though. There are some good products in the atmospherics category but not a lot of innovation on function or price point. I like that the Therma Tour and Prime both look simple to deploy. I am, of course, also stoked on seeing a Smarty MAX in person. Not many LDs will complain about a fixture they already like getting brighter.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
First and foremost I want to be on the road. I want to see our entire industry back on the road putting on safe and healthy events. I haven't been to a show since the end of February. Of course I miss having work. Even more so, I miss live music. We are all part of this industry because we see live events as important. Having this time away from them reinforces how important they are. There is something special about getting a group of people together that can’t be replicated.
What would you like to accomplish in this industry that you haven’t already?
In a career sense, I look forward to learning more and becoming a better designer and programmer. A great part of this career is working with a network of talented individuals and learning from them. I haven't been part of a stadium tour yet, I would love to be involved in some capacity with something on the scale of Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour.
What do you like to do when you’re not doing lighting?
On days off while on the road I am usually trying to get a run in. Getting exercise is one of the hardest parts of being on the road but it pays off the most in terms of feeling like you can keep up with crazy hours and time away from loved ones. It is also a nice way to get and explore new cities a little bit.
What’s something about Joshua Light that people might find surprising?
My last name is actually Light, from birth. I did not change it when I got into the industry. Also, one of the years that I toured with Vance Joy, I managed to run a half marathon distance (not official races but 13.1 miles in one go) on four continents.
