Manfred Nikitser, who has been Scorpions’ lighting designer since 2015, dug deep into GLP’s box of tricks for the lighting of the band’s 2022 tour, deploying 180 fixtures from the German manufacturer to bring out different facets of the elaborately designed stage set.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, and with over 110 million records sold, Scorpions are one of the longest-serving and most internationally successful bands in music history. The tour sees them bring their latest album Rock Believer to stages for the first time. As a curtain raiser, the German band performed a residency lasting several weeks at Zappos Theater in Las Vegas’s Planet Hollywood resort.
A fresh look was required for the new album, as well as the Las Vegas Sin City Nights residency and the subsequent Rock Believer world tour. Nikitser was responsible for creating the entire production design, including lighting, stage and video content. As creative director, he also ensured that special moments, such as the show opening and powerful drum solos, unfolded their full magic.
“The core idea of the new design was to bring the band back to the fore. The stage architecture and lighting design should support this,” says Nikitser. "Everything should have a classic yet modern rock look."