On February 15, 2012, Danish metal masters Volbeat scored their first No. 1 Hit in the USA with “A Warriors Call.” Impressive? Yes! But it wasn’t yet time to celebrate. To be completely honest, the group still hadn’t yet cracked the elusive “Big Time” barrier on this side of the Atlantic.

All that changed, and changed dramatically over the course of the next decade as the band from Copenhagen began turning out a string of hits, nine of which were destined to top the mainstream US Rock Charts. As Volbeat was becoming a household name in the US (at last among houses with metal music fans!), the band continued to build on their popularity in Europe, not to mention the rest of the world.

Niller Bjerregaard has been a part of this incredible journey since 2008 as the band’s lighting designer. It all started when he was introduced to Volbeat by their sound engineer, an old friend, who asked if he could light their performance at the Skanderborg Festival. (Although Volbeat had become increasingly popular in Denmark, they had only a small skeleton crew at the time, with no LD.)

Bjerregaard and the band clicked — and before long, he found himself going out on an EU tour with them, carrying only his backdrop on a bus with a small trailer in tow. That production from almost two decades ago, is a far cry from the panoramic show that will be supporting Volbeat on its eagerly anticipated tour in support of its upcoming (June 6 release) album “God Of Angels Trust.”

Yes, things have changed! But the fierce creative passion that drives this LD and his longtime client and binds them together, remains as strong as ever.

The Global popularity of Volbeat has grown tremendously in the years since you started working for them? How has this changed what you do as a lighting designer?
“It has had a tremendous impact on my life as a light designer, not only how I do lights, but also in terms of my involvement with the artist, management, lighting vendors and last, but not least, my own business — HappyLightGuy, which has grown as result of this success.

“When I started doing lights in 1988, it was another era. I was just learning how to count to four and put colors together! The bands I worked with were basically friends, and I got my gigs through them, or through the local small club where I worked three days a week. Fast forward to present day — now things are very much management controlled. It’s a big business for all parties involved.

“Everyone want to make sure that we get the best value for the money. This often means that it takes longer to get a final result approved. Nothing wrong with that! It’s just a different way of working. You have to be sharp and prepared and willing to change things around if needed with out losing your cool or getting frustrated or insecure.

“Things evolve all the time and you have to follow the pace and make good decisions along the way, always making sure you are in budget and realistic. That’s why having a good production manager is a must. That person can guide you through the different stages of the production to make sure you look at all angles. We are so lucky to have that in Volbeat in the person of Dennie Miller. He is guiding the ship involving the different design stages, from the creatives, to the paperwork, rigging, vendors, budgeting, trucking — the list goes on.”

Volbeat has been widely praised for its unique take on metal music since they often incorporate hints of other genres. Does your lighting reflect it when the band goes into rock or rockabilly modes?
“Absolutely! One thing I have learned from doing lights at a small club in my hometown of Aarhus, Denmark three nights a week in the early days, was how different genres of music work, and how you could light them up in different ways and colors to make it match the perspective of the genre. That sense has always followed me since then. I use that experience to this day — probably not thinking too much about it, but it still lives in my mind when I think about lights and music together. I always enjoyed the different genres that are touched by Volbeat’s music, and it keeps things interesting for the two hours they play every night. Every genre has its big ‘go to’ moments and that includes metal music, but with Volbeat I get to mix all those perceptions of a specific genre look into a new interpretation as they mix different genres during songs.”

Critics often comment that Volbeat looks so happy on stage. What is the mood like off stage or when you’re on the road? What is it like to tour with this band?
“I joined the band 17 years ago as their LD and have been with them ever since– too long some would say — haha! Over the years we have developed a camaraderie, absolutely and back in the day we partied quite heavily together. As the tours got bigger and the schedules got busier and travel on different schedules, I don’t see the band as much as I use to. I might go hang out with them in the dressing room before the show, or we will go out for dinner on off days. As we are all Danes, it gives us a natural connection and a bond that is easy to maneuver in — same kind of humor and quirks. We have a great time on tour. Volbeat are very generous and kind to work for. If you do your very best, its it’s a very good work place.”

How involved does the band get in lighting? Do they give you any input, or do they leave it all up to you. Can you tell us a bit about how the process works?
“Their level of involvement has varied over the years depending on the tour and size. But in general as long as I keep inside budget, I have more or less a free hand. Michael (frontman Michael Poulsen) does get involved with artwork and the general theme of the tour. Most of the Volbeat records have a story or a theme that I work my design into. That can be a great help for a design that matches the tour and overall expression of the album.

“This touring cycle we are about to start has been a bit different in the making. As technology progresses, we find new ways to work on and present the design. So, we invited Michael on a virtual walk of the stage design. We had him join us online and we could move around on a vital stage so he could see the different stage elements and lights we are planning to use. He could then give us some corrections and opinions. It was very handy and time saving as we did not have to go back and forth with 3D drawings and long explanations that could otherwise get lost in translation.”

What are the main lessons you learned about lighting (or anything else) from working with Volbeat?
“The importance of planning ahead and researching is one. I learned the importance of planning your work so you meet all your deadlines and goals in time and be prepared. The things I learned to think about: What size tour are you working on? What is the size of the venue? What is the budget? How much truck space? Crew size? Rigging? All of this must go hand-in-hand with the overall design and stage look. It’s a lot to think about but with research you can eliminate most obstacles in front of you. Again — having a good production manager is key to an easy and well prepared tour.”

You’ve done a lot of great shows with Volbeat. Do any stand out as being especially memorable?
“Absolutely, the 56,000 sold-out audience in Telia Parken in Denmark 2017 stands out. It was the first time Volbeat did a Headline Stadium tour in Europe and we played the national soccer stadium in Copenhagen. It was a magical experience, but also a bit frightening as home court is always special. Special guests included Lars Ulrik (Metallica) – Mikkel Kessler (Danish Boxer) – Mille Petrozza (Kreator) – Rod Sinclair (Banjo) – Danko Jones as himself – Johan Olsen (Magtens Korridoer) – Barney (Napalm Death) – Mia Maja(Danish Singer). It was filmed live and later aired in movie theaters around Europe.

“Something else that stands out for me is how lucky I have been to work with great group of people at Volbeat, beginning with the band itslef: Michael, Jon, Kasper, and Flemming. Then as mentioned already there is our PM who is also FOH sound, Dennie Miller. There are also Guy Sykes our tour manager; Tue Bayer and Jerry Carillo, our guitar techs; Pat Row, who monitors sound; Pete Abdou, our drum tech; and Britt Bowman, SoMe and photos.”

If you had to sum it up in three words, how would you describe working with Volbeat?
“Respect – Love – Creativity.”