Blair has posted the Tool August 2015 Newsletter this morning, and this time around it’s an interview with Tool video designer Breckinridge ‘Breck’ Haggerty. Here’s an excerpt:
BMB: What is the usual process of putting together the video clips and such for a Tool show or tour? The starting point and finishing touches? How much of the material used in the projections do you create, and do you get input from the band members? I’m guessing that Adam Jones is involved?
BRECK: Adam has always been very involved in the design, and all of the other band members contribute in different ways. Generally, Adam will give us the big picture, and Junior and I put the show together from there. The visuals are made up of small looped segments that I weave and layer through the show. There must be 2000 clips in the collection at this point, so there’s a lot to work with. The iconic images you remember from the shows are the works of far greater talent than my own. By name: Camella Grace is responsible for the psychedelic nudes and swimmers, Chet Czar creates the fish-skinned creatures of your nightmares, Meats Meier crafts the intricate mechanical/spiritual beings that populate the show, Matt Santoro, Kevin Willis, Robyn Breen Shinn, I could go on and on… My role is in the arrangement and mortar, and I build the abstract visuals that bind all these great artworks together as a whole.
BMB: What are the usual preparations for putting together and syncing up the video design for a Tool show or tour? How long does it normally take before you are good to go?
BRECK: The prep time depends on how much the show needs to change. When we made big leaps in design like with a new album, it can take months. If we’re just on to another leg with the same design, it may only take a day. This time around, we’re starting with a new overall concept from Adam, and we’re going to re-work the entire thing, so we’re starting to build the Halloween show now.
Seem like a lot of effort to go to just for one show…
quick. someone cross reference dates of new live rig testing to new album release windows.
What dates?
Soundwave 2016 – no brainer
I presume you mean 2017 – I doubt very much they will headline the 2016 version of Soundwave.
But it’d be a safe bet to assume that Tool will headline Soundwave the year after their next album gets released.
So this part of newsletter catches my eye/ear…….~~~ “The project”~~~~. Didn’t Justin say in an interview that they were currently working on the biggest project of their lives? yes I am attempting to dig. ~~~ BMB: Are there video ideas that you have that you would like to see incorporated in the live show that can’t be done for whatever reason, and if so, what might these be? BRECK: Yes, but we’re still trying, so I can’t say much. The project has new hope after we were contacted by the group that produced the rainbow over Levi’s Stadium for the… Read more »
Why do you think they won’t headline Soundwave? They tend to tour down under for BDO’s every few years (similar dates). AJ Maddah believes Soundwave will sell out within a day (tool have the capability to to do that). Most of the big name groups have already been discounted for the 2016 fest.
Dreams are free I guess.
AJ has tweeted several times that Tool won’t play Soundwave until they have a new album ready. Maybe there’s a vast conspiracy going on, and Tool are secretly read to unleash the new album on us, but I think it’s quite unlikely.
Feel free to dream, but calling it a “no brainer” seems a little optimistic. Just don’t get your hopes up. I’ll be as excited as anyone if Tool appear on Soundwave 2016, but I just don’t see it happening.
Glass half full and all that jazz
I’m a glass half full guy personally, but sadly it’s quite empty at the moment.
Interestingly enough, I would hold onto that half-full glass though. From what I’ve heard there is some cause for optimism…
What the hell are they doing!?
I’m getting the feeling we’re not only getting slapped in the face with an album out of nowhere but something bigger is going to happen…
They are going out with a bang because we all know this is going to be their last effort as a band…
He makes it seem like they are going to do a mini tour, but with Puscifer doing a two month tour literally the day after the Tool show I don’t see how it’s possible. Just another tease. Gearing up for the tour after the album, but whatever. It’s still clearly far away. Why not just give fans one thing they want? It would be extremely easy. 30 sec clip. All these teases are bull. Any hope what so ever they will play a new tune with the new stage setup? I sure hope so but doubt it. Well hopefully the… Read more »
I didn’t see any suggestions of a mini tour in there anywhere.
You answered your own question…no way they play a new song due to the fact that crappily shot video of it would break the interwebs almost immediately.
That being said, I’ve got my fingers crossed (and flight across the country booked) in anticipation of something out of the ordinary come All Hallow’s Evening.
We’ll hear the new (original) stuff in all its glory once they drop the album…we’ve waited this long…we can make it til Spring.
Hang in there everybody, I’m confident it’ll be worth the wait.
@ out…
Stinkfist
Sigh…
Tools lack of aside. It was a good interview. And I must say, Breck and Junior do a great job. Best in the business as far as I’m concerned. These guys really make a show something else and more with there work. I am excited to see a new set up and what’s to come in the future.
Maybe they’re planning on recording the Halloween show? Idk why else Adam would be devoting a large amount of his time to putting a new design together instead of focusing on finishing an album
Just to keep people from getting their hopes set too high (Tool fans? Never….). The Halloween show isn’t some major radical departure from what Tool shows have been, but we are building it from scratch and discarding much of what has been done during the past 9 years. Scott (lasers), Breck (video) and myself (lighting) are taking this upon ourselves. Adam is not “devoting a large amount of his time” to it. It won’t affect his writing and recording time at all. We’ve sent drawings of what we are planning to the band, and they have looked it over, but… Read more »
Also, no recording is planned, to my knowledge.
Now theres an idea. New album comes with live DVD of 2015 show and bonus footage from 2002 tour. Wow. Doubt they’d do it from a festival show though.
Thank you for some clarity Junior. It’s nice to hear. I’m excited to see a brand new show whenever it is they may tour next!