WWE Raw 8-7-2023 Pyro "Behind the Stage" Concussion Mortar View

WWE RAW pyro from the August 7th, 2023 edition of WWE Raw, filmed from behind the stage!
For those unaware, the pyro used on the WWE stage is virtually silent to the crowd/microphones, so WWE's pyrotechnic company couples it with concussion mortars hidden behind the stage to achieve the classic WWE pyro sound. This is a unique technique used by WWE's pyro companies Zenith and StrictlyFX over the years, that I have yet to see used elsewhere in pyrotechnics at this magnitude.
I set out to snag these amazing seats, which would be terrible to most people, but great for me, as I was looking to get a good view of the concussion mortar stand. This worked out pretty well, though I think a better seat would have been a view into the corner of the mortar stand's curtain. My ultimate goal was to get a shot of the actual racks on the stand, which I've only ever seen a glimpse of on an old WWE.com post, though I now see that it would be impossible to view from above, as this was the highest seat in the arena and nowhere near the angle needed for that.
I tried to capture the smoke clearing from each pyro, and caught most of them, but missed Seth's first display of the night.
Another neat thing captured here is their little flashing warning beacon on top of those backstage racks, which they turn on before each pyro display, presumably to warn everyone backstage. It's also helpful to know when to record for things like this!
The post in question showing the concussion racks:
www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemani...
Filmed at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN.
00:00 Intro
00:10 Cody Rhodes (1st Appearance)
01:24 Ricochet
01:47 Matt Riddle
02:12 Shinsuke Nakamura (1st Appearance)
02:50 Judgement Day
03:20 Cody Rhodes (2nd Appearance)
04:50 Shinsuke Nakamura (2nd Appearance)
05:06 Seth Rollins (2nd Appearance)

[@tyleranderson5297]

Incredible! I’ve always wanted to see a vid like this. Thanks for thinking of things like this when filming. The concussion is my favorite part of the pyro display and I love learning more about it.

[@StageExploration]

Yeah! @TheRealVisionary also has a great video of it from an angle more into the corner of its curtain. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGOZeGeaiMh6jqM I've been trying to figure out why sometimes, like at his show, the concussions are redder and nearly smokeless at first, but turn to their classic bright white with regular smoke near the end. Audio wise, they seem to sound exactly the same from what I can hear. I've also noticed from looking at different footage that the change is at the same point in that display each night as well. Curious!

[@chrisnorthcott2724]

@@StageExploration Very interesting. Do they hang them or shoot them from the floor?

[@StageExploration]

​@@chrisnorthcott2724 It seems to be a stage deck/platform with the mortars on it that is hung with chain hoists in the air, with the whole assembly surrounded by that drape that goes to the floor. I've been trying to find a photo/video of the platform before it's draped/raised for years to no avail, other than a grainy picture from an old WWE.com article here www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/23/exclusives/pyromania I feel like the stage build timelapses are the best bet, but I have yet to spot it in those... I assume they have a PyroDigital XLR line going up to it from the floor. Judging from the view from my other channel, they're only using three outputs on the PyroDigital console, so I'm guessing they have maybe one line going to splitters for the stage right/stage left floor, one line going to the overhead truss and sides, and one line going to the concussions...and maybe they plug in another line that goes to the ring for things like Lashley's pyro...

[@NicholasHamilton1718]

I was there

[@This_Drummer]

Neat video! 🔥 Was it not as loud knowing you’re behind it?

[@StageExploration]

Thanks! Not sure I fully understand the question, but to me, and this might be because this was my second event with pyro and I might be getting more used to it, but it didn't seem as loud as the first time when I was sitting behind the technicians at stage right in my other video. At that first event, it was like the loudest thing I had ever heard. The cool thing is I could feel the heat and pressure off the mortars sometimes from back here at this second show!

[@user-ou2bo4ps6t]

Is Cody Rhodes's concussion the loudest, or does it just seem like it in the video?

[@StageExploration]

At this show, I think they were all the same model of concussion, but some sound a bit louder if you haven't heard one for a bit. Some of the shows I've seen, they have like two models of concussion, one are these classic white flash ones, and the other are a reddish darker one. That can be seen clearly in live footage of the early 2023 weekly opening pyro, where it switches from the reddish ones to the white ones about halfway through at the same spot in the data table each week they did that display.

[@rongamble9884]

I'm just waiting for something to go bad with all these indoor pyro stunts that go on with concerts and all that

[@notabelas3987]

Its highly regulated. The risk is minimal.

[@rongamble9884]

@@notabelas3987 apparently you didn't see the female Latino singer killed by a misplaced pyro on stage yrs ago

[@notabelas3987]

@@rongamble9884 Was this in the US? When I say regulations I mean US Laws. Ever since the The Station nightclub fire in 2003 a lot of regulation happened. WWE can't use pyro until the local fire department reviews and okays its safety every show for example.