Kicking off in Nice, France, on 24 May, the tour continued throughout Europe and featured, as Coldplay's legions of fans have come to expect, only the highest production values - state-of-the-art lighting, pyrotechnics and Xylobands for the audience (wristbands featuring flashing lights that synchronise with the music).
When designing the concept for the tour, lighting designer, Paul Normandale, came back to an old challenge: "I needed an IP-rated wash fixture - as well as a blinder - that would be reliable and crew friendly," explains Paul. "Often in stadium situations the equipment is exposed to some challenging elements and for this Coldplay tour, like the last one, most of the venues we are visiting have no roof.
"We therefore wanted to use fixtures that are robustly durable and weatherproof. Previously, we've used units that required extensive bagging and retro-waterproofing. Plus, of course, a discharge lamp invariably seems to blow just as the band is about to go on stage - usually 100 foot up in the air!
"The ProLights ArenaCOB4 fixtures remove all of these issues," continues Paul. "Plus, they offer some interesting programming variations - as individual cells within the fixtures can be controlled and programmed separately, which is quite unusual for a blinder product."
In Paul's design, 60 of the RGBW ArenaCOB4 fixtures provide top and side lighting for the band, along with a further 25 Warm White ArenaCOB4-Halos replacing the traditional 4-lite DWE blinders.
The lighting director of Coldplay's tour, Graham Feast, says, "These fixtures will definitely become a mainstay in Lite Alternative's rental stock. We produce an increasing array of outdoor events every summer and it has been great to work with a brand that responds so positively and quickly to real market requirements."
Under the risers, and replacing MR16 battens, are ProLights LumiPix 16H linear LED battens. Each metre-long batten features 16x12W high-efficiency RGBWA+UV LEDs able to deliver both the warm tungsten of the unit they replaced, but add the option of a full colour spectrum both on stage and to the camera.
Finally, and providing the band with a magical, almost phosphorescent glow during special UV sequences are 60 ProLights StudioCOB UV LED PARs.
Neil Vann, ProLights brand manager for AC-ET, comments, "The ProLights range is being developed in response to the feedback of some of the world's leading lighting designers and directors, including Paul and Graham, and it is fantastic to see such stunning results. I am always delighted that these 'workhorse' fixtures provide the performance that designers demand and deserve, but at a price that means they can deliver their creative concepts on budget."
Once the European leg of the tour completed in July, Coldplay headed to New York for the first in a series of US dates where Upstaging Inc. are supplying the lighting in the USA.
There will be a full production feature on Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams tour in the September issue of LSI.
(Jim Evans)
