Interview with Bübü
It didn't take long after Reverb Dream had started that I started seeing posts from Sabine Bulliard, also known as Bübü Illuminator, on my Instagram feed. There were two things which were certain - she worked with a lot of bands that I liked and she is well respected within the music scene in Switzerland. Having given up her steady job, Bübü followed her dream of driving Swiss bands and doing the lights at shows. It's a certain decision that I have always admired and that I can relate to, as two of my closest friends have made the same type of change in their lives, and despite the hard work to make it happen, they are a lot happier ever since.
It was at the concert from Beurre and wolfer at the Sedel in Lucerne in October 2025 that everything came together - the music, the lights and the sound to create a very impressive and unforgettable overall experience. I really, really enjoyed the wolfer performance but Beurre was definitely one of my live highlights of the year. The lights and sound (bravo to Vincent Sudan for mixing at the venue, being in the back left of the room and with the columns) added an extra layer to the show. After the show, I discovered that Bübü had done the lighting and soon I would find out that she did the lights for the High on the Sound show featuring Oze and STRUKTURSTRUKTUR. Although I was ill that evening, I can still remember how the lights added an extra quality to Oze's performance at Südpol.
I was curious about the lighting - how do you learn it? How does it work at different venues and different bands? What's going through the person's head during the show? I also wanted to know more about the touring side to her job, especially it's something that I have never experienced first hand. What sort of journeys and stories has she already experienced as a driver for bands.
Not long after receiving Bübü's replies for the interview, we met again at this year's Alles Post- MusikFest!, and despite the technical issues arising from the console, it made me very happy to have done the interview with her and to see her again in action after the interview too!
I would like to thank Bübü for her replies to my questions! Also a big thanks to Petros from Nine Month Summer for the translation!
The Journey
Tell us about yourself and your story.
I was a model Swiss employee in the chemistry industry, haha. I was raised with the mindset that "if you want to be happy, you need a real job, a real salary, a husband, kids, a house, a car, and a Labrador." As a result, I should have been deeply sad, according to that upbringing. So, I was just quietly hanging out in my chemistry world, in the deepest boredom. I worked so I could pay for my travels, so I changed workplaces regularly. My passions were music and travelling.
I had two major triggers for my "life change." The first was during a conversation with a helicopter pilot (yes, really!) who asked me, "What gives you satisfaction at the end of your day? I’ve saved lives, seen incredible landscapes, gone on missions, etc." I was unable to answer his question. Nothing brought me joy in my work because I was working to "have a real job"—no one had ever made me think another choice was possible. Six months later, I still hadn't found an answer to that pilot's question.
My second trigger happened when I returned from a trip. I ran into a friend (a lighting technician), and he said, "Oh, you must be so happy to start working again after a two-month break." That phrase floored me.
I replied, "But who could be happy about going back to work seriously???"
And then, my friend gave me that famous answer—so simple, so logical: "Well, just do a job you love! Tell me without thinking: what would be your dream job?"
"....uh...well...uh I don't know...uh driving music bands on tour!!!"
"Well, do that!"
And just like that, the machine was set in motion. He helped me a lot, finding a name, making a logo, surveying bands, etc. A year later, I had quit my chemistry job and was driving my first bands on tour. Bübü Accelerator was born.
My first tour was with a grindcore band, friends of mine called Tuer, and then, surprisingly, bands who didn’t know me reached out—like Closet Disco Queen—and that was it. It moves me to think about that; it took some guts to leave everything behind for that.
I barely made a living because my goal was mostly to help the bands and make a name for myself. I didn't do enough tours to live off of it, so I looked for odd jobs. I started in a bar, also as a medical courier, and that same friend said to me: "Well, try lighting!"
"...uh...well...uh, what?” I'm just going to say hello to Fri-Son and tell them I want to learn? I'm looking at a computer, it’s glitching, I don’t think it’s for me, and I have zero creativity, and what? You have to go to school, you have to be a geek, you have to be in the scene..." "No way, just go, try it, period."
Result: I went to try at Fri-Son, then at Nouveau Monde, then at Ebullition, then at Festi’cheyres. Everything happened very fast, and it became a huuuuuge passion! I HAD BEEN LIED TO. I absolutely can have a jon that I am passionate about, I can absolutely learn on the job, I have an insane amount of creativity, wow! But okay, it’s hard because I’m a total amateur with computers, haha.
So, I went from the little model Swiss girl to someone who doesn’t have a "real job," driving bands, travelling, discovering concert venues across Europe and Switzerland, and learning lighting tech whenever I can.
Then COVID happened. All tours stopped. Fortunately, I had my little medical courier job and, most importantly, plenty of time to lock myself in empty concert halls to learn. I spent hours understanding the consoles, making basic shows, etc. When we came out of COVID, there was a shortage of technicians—many had sadly had to stop—so I was able to progress very quickly from that moment on. I decided to reduce, and eventually stop, touring to devote myself essentially to lighting. Bübü Illuminator was born.
How long have you been doing lighting and driving bands?
I stopped chemistry in April 2017. I started my first tours in May 2017. I then interned in lighting from 2018 until COVID. After COVID, I practically stopped touring to dedicate myself to lighting.
How did you reach the decision to start these jobs? Did lights already play an important role for you at concerts (as a spectator)? Was there a specific moment that triggered this path?
Actually, not at all. I had seen hundreds and hundreds of live shows, but I had never been interested in the lights. I didn't even know it was a job, and given my upbringing, it wasn't a "real job." I really fell into it by chance—and what a chance, what a passion!
Did you do specific training for lighting?
Absolutely not. I went into the venues and learned on the job. Many venues offer an "intern" option, which allows you to see the job, to get familiar with this world and these hours. Because yes, I was really shocked at first by the hours—arriving two hours before the bands, who themselves arrive hours before the concert. I didn’t realize anything about this industry. Discovering everything that has to be done for a live show to take place. The advantage of being an intern is that you often work with different managers, and you can learn from each person, see what suits you and what doesn't, to then build your own style. There is no right or wrong, and a thousand different paths to get to the same result. On the other hand, I also realized how much it requires knowledge of electricity, IT, climbing, etc. That often discouraged me, but apparently not enough, haha.
Do you have a specific driver's license?
No, because I’m old, I have an old license, and that’s lucky; I didn’t need to do anything. My license allows me to drive 16-seater vehicles up to 3.5 tons. So no, no nightliner, hehe, but small and large vans are no problem. I had never driven them before, though, so I had to learn. I went driving with friends to get used to the maneuvering. Because, as a woman, when you do a "man's job," you don't have the right to make mistakes; you have to do even better than them if you want to make your place, all so that they eventually say, "Wow, you drive like a guy," as if they were the gold standard for "good driving." It’s unbearable. And on top of that, we know that for some guys, driving is THE topic. I was very stressed about that, so I wanted to be perfect. But hey, that’s another debate...
The Job Itself
How does it work—does a band contact you? What are the steps for a collaboration with the group?
So, there are several types of job categories: theatre, concerts for venues, and concerts for bands. Let’s leave the theatre aside for now. For venues, over time you get to know your venue, your programming, your console, and you arrive a bit before the bands. You set up what was requested in the rider, you prepare a show if requested, but most of the time—and this is my biggest thrill—it’s full improvisation, and it’s brilliant. Trying to transcribe the emotion of the music and the musicians through light is just great.
If you work for a band, usually it is they who contact you. We discuss what the band wants, their conditions, and above all, what they need. Whether the goal is to create something in residency, for an album release, for a tour, etc. Most often in my case, it’s for residencies followed by a release show and a few concerts (often a big budget problem in the cultural sector). I love doing residencies; you put yourself in a mega comfort zone for everyone, and for me, it avoids stress. For the creation, there are as many ways to do it as there are bands and lighting techs, I think. Sometimes the band has very specific ideas, and sometimes I do as I feel. A mix of both is often, in my opinion, the best. I often ask about the emotions of the tracks; it helps me a lot.
How do you prepare for a concert? Do you listen to the band in advance? Do you receive a setlist beforehand? Is it spontaneous?
If I work for the venue, I don't necessarily listen beforehand, and we don't necessarily have a setlist. I do it fully spontaneously, but I know the console and the venue, so that helps a lot. I don't really know how it works in my head, but from the first note, everything flows naturally. I stop thinking, I just do, I have a blast, I transmit what I receive from the music, and apparently, I have a great sense of rhythm—that helps a lot.
If I work for a band, yes, there is a setlist and I know all their songs by heart. For me, it's mandatory. If you know the tracks, that's already 50% of the work, and since you never quite know which console or which venue you’ll end up with, you might as well guarantee that part. My technique is simple: as soon as I’m driving, I listen to the bands on loop.
What is your approach if the concert venue has a different type of console? (Can you bring your own?)
Super simple and inefficient: I PANIC and reassure myself by saying that I know the songs. I hope the technical hospitality of the venue will be good. I always inquire beforehand, and depending on the console, I try to go and practise a little. Some consoles have software on the PC, so I can prepare a bit in advance. But as I said earlier, the fact that I’m not a geek puts me at a disadvantage. It stresses me out a lot, too. I really function on emotion, so I tend to want to be in the room to "feel" what I want to do and how. So yes, often it’s mostly panic.
Do you have specific rituals before a concert?
Besides panicking, you mean? Haha. Pacing back and forth, smoking 18 cigarettes in 3 minutes, trying to reassure myself, wanting to disappear and being mega excited at the same time. I don’t have a ritual, but I think I’d like one. But one thing is for sure: I have to say a big "merde" (break a leg) to the band. For me, we are in it together; I’m playing with them.
What is the flow of an evening/concert for you?
For a venue: Arrive 1–2 hours before the "get-in," prepare what’s requested, then welcome the bands, welcome the technicians if there are any, do soundchecks where we take the opportunity to create pretty "scenes," positions adapted to the band, etc. Then dinner, then here we go, we make everything flash!
For a band: Arrive at the venue, I do a mental scan of everything—the placement of the projectors, what’s on the floor, on the sides. I visualize my ambiances, I look at where the control booth is, and identify the person at the lights. During the soundcheck, that’s where everything is played out for me too. I only have that moment at the console to create or finalize my lighting programming. As mentioned above, I don't often prepare too much in advance because I like to be inspired by the location and the options it presents. But it also means I need more time at the console, which is rare. When the soundcheck is over, we debrief a bit, we relax, we mess around, then eat, and then off we go.
What are your thoughts during a concert?
None, in general. At least, I try. If I think too much, I lose the thread. It’s completely crazy how all the stress and perfectionism fall away as soon as it starts. Sometimes I have little "Yes, that's so good" or "Oh damn, I missed that part" moments, but I live the thing to the fullest. I go into a kind of trance; I don't know, I just live the emotion to the max. My eyes are in a constant scan between the whole stage and the console, the audience too (not to dazzle them), my hands move in piano mode with each finger having its own rhythm. And here again, if I think about it while doing it, it stops. Living the emotion and not thinking... I think enough beforehand, haha.
How do you feel after the performance?
I loooooove this moment! Oh my god! The explosion! I really have a bomb of euphoria and relief that falls over me. Sometimes also a bomb of anxiety, because it’s hard to be satisfied with oneself, but the euphoria is always there, and there is always that feeling of "Waaah, we managed to do all that." It’s a super important moment for me that I need to live and share with the band. The human side is so essential to me in this job.
Touring Life
What kind of vehicle do you have?
Georgette, the Toyota Starlet! Haha, it was a big question at the beginning, whether I should invest in a van and, if so, what size. If it’s too small, too big, etc., you still have to rent another one—is it going to be amortized, where do I park it, etc.? And at the moment I decided to make Bübü Accelerator official, a friend called me saying he was going to start a van rental company for bands and that we could form a partnership. So I didn't hesitate twice! Not only did I have a great partnership with Van Diving Splitters, but I also had several vans at my disposal, and it gave him publicity too! It just goes to show, it was meant to happen at that moment.
Do you transport the band and the equipment?
Yes, in general, it was the band members and the backline. The Van Diving Splitters vans are specifically equipped for that; everything is done for tours—it’s genius. (And yes, I’m taking this opportunity to promote him!)
Is there a lot of discussion? About the evening or other topics?
It ranges from life philosophy to road games like "would you rather," to silence, music, debriefing the evening, telling stories about our lives, listening to guilty pleasures, working in one’s corner, singing, making silly jokes, drinking, sleeping. It’s very varied from one day to the next and from one band to another. But it’s often very calm during the day and very lively at night :)
Who chooses the music during the trip?
I never choose the music. I hate doing that—no matter where and with whom, I hate choosing for others. But I’m the one who validates it or not, haha! The respect for the person driving is always immense.
What was the longest trip you've done?
I think the furthest I went by van was Serbia. It was great. It’s crazy to think that you travel so far, just in a van, for concerts. And since I mostly drive "small" bands, sometimes you sleep at locals' houses, and depending on the country, these are really superb experiences. I loved that mix of travel and music. The longest trip was also on that tour when, in the middle of Czechia at midnight, they told me: "Aaaaah Bübü, we looked at the schedule wrong, we have to be in Lyon tomorrow, not the day after"... I think it was 16 hours of driving. I drove as much as I could (I’m quite a machine), like 9 hours, then I handed off the relay and drove again at the end. Since that day, I refuse to do more than 9 hours a day—it’s exhausting for everyone.
What was the most memorable tour?
Honestly, all of them! I have incredible and stupid memories with all of them. I wouldn’t be able to choose one anecdote over another. But I still keep an incredible memory with The Revox, when on the morning of our departure from Paris, we had simply lost two members of the band; they never came back, and it was impossible to reach them. The drummer found them by chance at the cemetery on Jim Morrison’s grave, with two bottles of cider (one of which was for me, to apologize).
Reflections
How many concerts have you done?
Oh la la, the question!! No idea. An average of 6 per week since COVID, and before that, well, 2 per week—I’ll let you do the math.
What are your highlights?
The Nostalgie Plage release show and the Sandokai release show. I don't know, for these two very distinct events, there was a huge personal accomplishment. I felt so aligned with what I am doing. I, who doubt a lot and stress a lot, felt just in sync with everything. And that's rare, but I even validated my potential at those two concerts! Those are also two bands where the music speaks to me enormously, the humans who play it are just incredible, and I was truly invaded by a feeling of well-being, euphoria, and satisfaction... at my job... such luck!
The most memorable shows you’ve participated in?
I don’t really know, they are all memorable to me, but not long ago for wolfer, at the very beginning of the live set, I just lost half my projectors. No idea why. And we had to do a whole live set in those conditions. It was hard, I had to use a lot of creativity, but it was great. There was also a theater scene where, because of a mishandling, I plunged a whole stage into night. Or, if during a live set, you extremely need to go to the bathroom. These are things we don't think about, but nobody is ever going to stop for a lighting issue, so you have to continue, at all costs.
What feedback have you received that you liked the most?
When I was doing full improv for a band and someone came up to me and said, "Oh, it’s a pleasure to see someone on lights who knows all the songs," even though I was just discovering the band. Or a drummer who once told me, "My god, you were so into it, if the light hadn't been in sync with me, I would have thought I was the one playing out of rhythm." Or "Bübü, you’re fired, you stole the show from us" (thanks, Windshelter haha). But in general, I think what touches me the most is when the band tells me they really feel my energy on stage. I think that, every time, it moves me.
Are there people you see often at concerts (in different venues)?
Yes, we often cross paths with the same people, whether in technical roles or in the audience. It’s like a very large circle, but at the same time, everyone knows each other.
Your thoughts on your colleagues and peers?
The contact is really great; there is also a lot of mutual aid, which I think is great—it’s really precious. We never hesitate to call each other to ask for advice, and personally, in my own way, I love giving it. However, I find it hard because, like all artistic and creative environments, we quickly fall into comparison. I would like not to do that, but I often compare myself to others. Because I lack knowledge in IT and electricity, I often feel I am not legitimate in doing this—the real impostor syndrome. Which creates quite a lot of anxiety for me. But I don't let myself be defeated by this anxiety, and that is something I am very proud of. I often face a feeling of jealousy while being super happy for others. It’s a new feeling.
What would you advise those entering the world of lighting?
Try it. It doesn’t cost much to try and see if you like it or not.
What are your plans (and wishes) for the future?
I dream of going on tour, but not as a driver—as a lighting technician. Otherwise, I have a few great residencies waiting for me for this spring, and I’m really looking forward to them. I am always so moved when I’m offered a residency, to say, "Wow, it’s me they are asking? Really?" I hope to keep this euphoria, creativity, and satisfaction, this human side of my job, and this emotional side for as long as possible. Sometimes anxiety makes me forget everything I love about it and the path I’ve taken. I thank you for this interview, which reminded me how my choices are just right and so great.
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