Rolling Stones 'Bridges to Babylon' Tour 1997
On August 18, 1997, the Rolling Stones launched their album and tour, Bridges to Babylon, by staging a full production number under New York City's Brooklyn Bridge. The kick off to this huge event was only a taster of the drama which appeared within the tour itself.
With a demanding set design, once again the Stones turned to Mark Fisher to create a masterpiece of transportable staging. In turn, Mark Fisher turned to Architen Landrell for help. With the demanding nature of the staging industry, designers had to rely heavily on the dramatic possibilities of draped fabric to realise their concept for this huge touring stage set.
As with any touring set up, the speed of installation and removal, along with the need to easily pack and unpack the set, made fabric the material of choice for set designers.
The main requirements were for enormous stage curtains on electrical track systems, together with cladding for huge columns and scrolls as stage backdrops. There were also clear fabric roofettes and smaller stage drapes incorporated into the concept.
Architen Landrell used their long established experience of working within this challenging industry to quickly and efficiently provide the fabric elements to create a dynamic and vibrant stage set.
