Roger Waters Tour - This Is Not a Drill

TESS provide safety documentation for the Roger Waters ‘This is Not a Drill’ European Tour

TESS have provided safety documentation for many high profile tours over the years, and with live performances renowned for providing a visual and musical spectacle, TESS were excited to be engaged to support the Roger Waters production with the European leg of the ‘This Is Not A Drill’ tour. Utilising a 360° stage design, the show featured various gags, including a rotating lift, automated video screen and kabuki banner drops that presented our team with new challenges.

One of the more unusual gags on the tour was a gas-fuelled prop machine gun, which provided an imitation of live fire, including noise simulation, in a realistic theatrical prop shell. Working with Alastair of Smoking Boots, TESS incorporated a risk assessment for the use of prop gun into the tour RAs. This risk assessment detailed design features and administrative controls adopted by the tour to mitigate hazards such as gas leak, fire and misidentification of the prop as a weapon.

In addition to the prop gun, the tour also flew their iconic inflatable pig dirigible over the audience. Whilst pig balloons have been touring with Pink Floyd and Roger Waters in various designs for several decades, increasing oversight in Europe presented a challenge for production, notably as the tour travelled through Germany.

Remote control inflatables comprise a relatively niche corner of the tour supplier industry and, as such, very little paperwork existed for the highly bespoke product. Whilst in many instances, onsite inspection was sufficient to assure local promotors and venues of the safety of the device, certain jurisdictions required further assurance. Working with the touring RC operator, TESS developed a comprehensive risk assessment and one-page briefing sheet to share with local promotors, supporting the approval process that facilitated the gag.