All Time Low scored a UK number one album in 2015 with Future Hearts, elevating them to arena status with legions of new fans. Their long time lighting designer Maker responded by conceiving a sense of the design "being alive, to achieve the ultimate engaging experience for the audience".
"I've been using Avolites consoles for 10 years and I've been using the Sapphire Touch since 2014," says Maker. "I absolutely love the console. The set list function puts the playbacks I need at my fingertips and I love how exact and sensitive the touch screens are. It's easy to update any attribute on the fly, it's extremely user friendly, and easy to programme.
"I enjoy using the Pixel Mapper and Key Frame Shape Generator as well. It is the perfect console."
Maker specified two networked Sapphire Touch consoles for the tour - one as main and one as backup - as well as an Avolites Quartz on the same network at stage and DMX processing handled by an Avolites TitanNet Processor.
The main concept for the UK tour staging involved four diamond-shaped screens - all of which moved during the set, transforming the design throughout the show - alongside a large rig.
"I created some new static looks for certain songs and some constant motion for entire songs," Maker explains. "In terms of staging, we installed an elevator upstage centre for the band's entrance as well as for the first song of the encore. I also wanted to have a catwalk for the guys to use, which brought them right out into the audience. I designed the set, lighting, video and truss to work together for the biggest impact possible for these arenas."
Maker's rig consisted mainly of Robe fixtures - Robin BMFLs, Pointes, 600 LED Wash and Beam fixtures, 600e Spots and Cyc FX8s. In addition, Maker specified Elation ACL 360 LED Bars and Martin Atomic 3k Strobes, which provided rock looks.
All Time Low played London's O2 Arena, the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Manchester Arena, Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena and the Glasgow SSE Arena.
A full production report of All Time Low's latest tour will feature in the March issue of LSi - OUT SOON!
(Jim Evans)
