WINDOW ROCK, AZ – When asked what he attributes Megadeth’s enduring success to, Dave Mustaine, frontman and founder of the iconic, Grammy-winning band quips, “stubbornness.” Of course, fans, like the 10,000-plus who packed the fairgrounds at the 75th annual Navajo Nation Fair would respectfully disagree.

For them, there’s much more than mere tenacity behind the metal mashers successful 35-year run, beginning with their sheer musicality including fret-frying guitar riffs, pounding bass and drum solos and edgy undertones that stick themselves deep inside the brain. This virtuosity, along with the band’s penetrating stage presence was on full display when the thrash metal pioneers took the stage in this remote corner of Arizona near the New Mexico border in early September on day six of this seven-day event.

Helping to evoke the right menacing mood for the evening’s performance was a lighting rig put together by John Garberson and his Creative BackStage team of L1 Matthew Berg, and L2 Michael Morse, that screamed intensity.

Hired by Pro Production Service, the Creative BackStage team built the rig from the lighting rider provided by Megadeth, who brought their own LD and floor package. Anchoring this rig were 52 CHAUVET Professional fixtures, including 14 Rogue R2 Wash and 10 STRIKE 4 fixtures downstage; eight Maverick MK2 Spot and six Rogue R2 Wash units mid-stage; as well as six Maverick MK2 Spot, and eight Rogue R2 Wash lights upstage.

“For great rock/metal show you always want that strong blinder effect,” said Garberson. “We were confident that the 10 STRIKE 4 fixtures in our rig would light up everyone in the rodeo arena.”

Flown in a straight line across a single down stage truss structure, the STRIKE 4 fixtures lived up to Garberson’s expectations, covering the entire crowd in amber light. The fixtures, which are powered by four 100-watt LEDs, also reflected the pulsating sound of Megadeth by strobing to the music. Their 16-bit dimming curve also made it easier for the design team to create captivating fades.

Joining the STRIKE 4 units in psyching up the crowd, were the rig’s Maverick Spot fixtures, which were used to direct bright aerial effects over the audience. The spot fixtures were also used to highlight band members during the bold solos, which occurred throughout the 90-minute set.

When other artists performed on stage during the week-long event, the Creative BackStage crew ran shows on the same rig, producing their own brand of memorable looks in the process.

Creating these looks was fun, but other parts of this project had their own challenges. “Having a stage that barley fit, rodeo arena, tells you all you need to know about the challenges,” said Garberson. “We had a load in that went right into a rodeo right into the concert. But in the end, nobody cared. Like everyone in the crowd, we were thrilled to see Megadeth in this setting.”