(O) (661) 250-5337, (C) (661) 755-2290

Lady Gaga – Born This Way Ball – 2012 World Tour LED Lighting Design


We lit several of the props used in this tour’s show: The “Disco Stick,” the “Electric Chapel” and the motorized tricycle she rides on stage.

The “Disco Stick” involved integrating two separate 10-output chase circuits, a length of standard LED tape, a high-brightness LED spotlight, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and controls into the fiberglass, epoxy and plexiglass stick. Each chase circuit, one in the head and one in the tail, was custom built to sequentially flash 10 180-lumen LED lamps built into the structure of the stick.

A length of InPhase cool-white LED tape was wrapped around a form, then surrounded by custom holographic diffusion to create the head of the stick, which was topped off by a heavily-modified high-brightness Streamlight flashlight.

The lithium battery pack and charging/protection circuitry was assembled to fit within the tail of the stick and provide some balance to the unit.

The “Electric Chapel” consisted of two telephone-booth-sized chapels and a small platform. Built on casters, they were designed to roll on and off stage for the song Electric Chapel; because of their mobility, they required SLA batteries for power and wireless DMX for control.

Each chapel was a three-foot-square booth built of aluminum extrusion and half-inch plexiglass. InPhase RGB LED tape was installed underneath the plexiglass as it seated in the aluminum channel. Each wall had a heart shape or a cross shape cut out; when edge-lit, the cutouts appear to float in space while aglow. Each wall also had an outward-facing lit surround to frame it. Each feature was independently controlled, which allowed for some stunning lighting effects.

The platform surrounds were lit in a manner similar to the chapels, but did not have the cutouts or edge-lighting of the chapels.

The motorized tricycle, built by Jet Effects, employed several offroad-style lamp fixtures. We took off-the-shelf tungsten fixtures and installed high-intensity LED lamps and current regulators within. In this case, the goal was not to build a bright light, but to extend the battery life of the cycle.

Special thanks to toto1024 (www.toto1024.tistory.com) for the wonderful images.

Builder: Jet Sets
Matt Pomerantz & Doug Morris
www.jetsets.com