Bon Jovi kicked off the European stadium leg of their Bounce World Tour in Eurfurt Germany on May 25th with a new stage design. The satellite dishes from the first US leg have been retired, and the stage now features a moving high resolution video screen, along with three bands of fixed low resolution video across the complete width of the stage.

The new stadium stage design was created by Doug “Spike” Brant. The video screen was provided by Nocturne Video, and the specialized video screen support system was designed and manufactured by Brilliant Stages and TOMCAT UK.

Brilliant Stages designed the vertical tracking system to support the six sections of moving high resolution video screen. Four towers and a header truss pick up the screen sections which are arranged 3 wide by 2 high. The towers transfer a portion of the weight of the video screen down to the stage to avoid overloading the roof steel, and the header truss carries the hoists and drives during transit. Removable wheel units pin to the existing video screen frames and capture the DS tower chords. The screens pass within 15mm of adjacent columns while moving at up to 9.8mpm (32fpm) lifted by variable speed chain hoists under computer control. The customized CM chain hoists and metal fabrication were supplied by TOMCAT UK.

The system was designed to keep the setup and operation of a complex system tourable. The experience and capabilities of Brilliant Stages and TOMCAT UK came together again and produced equipment to support a very impressive show.

Bon Jovi will finish the European leg of the Bounce Tour in London, England on June 28th, and the equipment will cross the Atlantic in time to open the final US leg in Chicago, IL on July 11th.