Hand Built By Robots

Parts of the set for French superstar Johnny Hallyday’s Tour 66 are being put in place by robots during the course of the show.

France’s senior rock ’n’ roll star wanted his tribute to American rock culture to include iconic symbols, such as the Harley Davison logo, the American Eagle, and the Route 66 emblem.

Designer Mark Fisher created a stage dominated by a huge mythical bird, with wings outstretched to span the width of the performance area.

Beneath are two giant caryatids, architectural supports taking the place of a column or a pillar, that are moved in to position by robots moving on tracks.

“Johnny Hallyday always likes to stretch the creative boundaries,” says Dirk de Decker, project manager for Stageco, which built the set from Fisher’s design.

The Belgian-based company, which has won several awards for its stage building, created a flexible setup that can be scaled down for some of the smaller venues.

Hallyday’s production fills 56 trucks, 14 of them to transport the Stageco equipment.