The console was specified by Firefly's production manager Andy Mead and lighting designer Doug Currie to control all lighting on the Firefly Stage throughout its extensive summer festival tour, which started in May and has included Glastonbury, Shambala in Northamptonshire, Lovebox, The Secret Garden Party, Retrofest in Scotland, the Loop Festival in Brighton and many others.
Firefly puts high production values at the top of its agenda along with the utilisation of solar energy. Mead explains, "We've been working with a number of different companies and organisations over the years to find high end, low energy technologies with which we can work for live events."
The Firefly Stage was based around a 40ft wide S2000 Saddlespan structure for which Firefly supplied all the necessary technical production and crew in a fully self-contained package. The stage also used other structures including an 18m geodesic dome and a 30 x 20m big top.
Lighting included 20 of the new EasilyLED Beamcans, a 38W homogenous LED lightsource offering maximum energy efficiency via its 'throttling' technique, and designed to run on solar, battery or mains power.
Also on the rig was the daftDATA KillerLED flood, a 4.5K equivalent LED light source in panel format with full colour mixing facilities, designed for effects like texting as well as chases, strobing and washing large areas with rich saturated colours.
These were joined by 6 Martin Professional MAC 250 Entours, two MAC 600s and eight custom LED low voltage Birdies. All of this, the Turbosound PA, the band backlines and anything else needing electricity had to run off the 63A power supply provided by the Orion.
The Pearl 2008 was originally specified by Chris Crockford of EasilyLED in consultation with Doug Currie. Currie wanted a rock 'n' roll style desk that was easy to use, and fast and practical to programme in multiple act situations.
A wide variety of performers took to the Firefly stage over the summer including a proliferation of gypsy, folk and ska bands, The Young Blood Brass Band, Hayseed Dixie, UK Beat Box, Champion Beardy Man, Rachael Unthank & The Winter Set and Four Good Men which included members of Wet Wet Wet and Simple Minds.
The 2008 tour, which was trucked around the country using UK produced bio fuels made from recycled cooking oil - has been a massive success, and next year, along with the S2000, Firefly will tour a larger 60ft wide S5000 Saddlespan structure.
(Jim Evans)
