Chauvet Professional: I’m With The Band – Myles Mangino and The Pixies

Not simply a band, The Pixies can more aptly be seen as a molten force of rock music, one that has not only left its mark on the genre with a string of seminal songs and live performances, but has also influenced myriad other artists, from Kurt Cobain to David Bowie.

Although they can rock with the best of them, the quartet from Boston has never relied on over the top sonic explosions to move audiences. Instead, their power is drawn from a far more immersive blend of splendidly balanced musical expressions. Their thoughtful and subtle approach to music is mirrored in the evocative visual designs of Myles Mangino, the New York creative who has been lighting their shows for over three decades.

Like his longtime clients and friends, Mangino eschews the quick, easy and sensational, opting instead to dig deeper to arrive at something more transformative and memorable. Taking time from his busy schedule, he talked to us about his relationship with the Pixies and some of the experiences they’ve shared.

The film loudQuietloud was more than a biographic work about the Pixies, the term has also been used to describe the band’s style of using sharp contrasts in their music. Is this reflected in the Pixies shows you design?
“Yes, absolutely. My show design and programming style follows many years of being a studio engineer and record producer. It’s like when we would have, say, an intro that’s a stripped down version of a chorus when we recorded a song. There would be a first verse that has one guitar track, then a second verse where a second guitar is introduced and the cords begin to open up. Then a new vocal harmony would be introduced in the second chorus, and so on.

“I work on lighting programs in the same way. Typically, I program for the busiest verse and chorus first. Then strip things away to match the other parts of the song. As the sounds from verse to verse opens up we can brighten the colors, or open beams wider; and, as new instruments are introduced, we can bring in new layers of lights, video and scenic elements.”

The Pixies have inspired the music of so many other bands. What do you think has made them so influential?
“Original, timeless songs.”