Westlife's remarkable career is still breaking new markets as record sales of the latest 'Face To Face' album and the tour deliver the band's dynamic, slickly choreographed and highly entertaining show to both new and traditional audiences.
Lighting designer is Peter Barnes, who worked closely with lighting director, programmer and operator Dave Lee - the two have collaborated on the last three Westlife tours. Bandit's account handler is Mark Powell who says: "Working with Peter is always a pleasure, and Westlife go from strength to strength every year."
Creative directors for the 2006 show are Ian MacDonald and Will Baker (of Kylie fame). One of their current trademark styles is the use of video defining the overall stage look. Lighting wise, Barnes decided on an epic wide-stage feel to compliment this. Barnes made two bold aesthetic decisions - one was to have no front truss and the other was to have no profile lights - all the moving lights are wash fixtures.
The front truss was abandoned to increase the width of the stage and to open up a clear view for everyone in the arena. With three layers of video - a MiPix low-res screen upstage, four moving hi-res screens in front of that and MiPix filling the rear gaps in a set of full stage width steps - it was essential that lighting also kept a complimentary shape and form.
Barnes designed five trussing 'fingers' that fly in just behind the four high-res screens, vertically framing them. The fingers move up and down and work in conjunction with the screens creating different architectural looks. They also function equally as well as a stand-alone lighting effect, and there are two more static vertical fingers on side trusses either side of stage.
Barnes decided on the punch and power of wash lights over the facilities and projection capabilities of profiles: "Basically I first used break up gobos in about 1979, and I thought it was time for a change!" he remarks. The moving lights are all Martin Professional MAC 2K Washes - 67 in total. Not a huge amount of moving lights for an arena show, but well placed and judiciously used, they really magnify the stage. The fixtures are spread across the three overhead trusses, the two side trusses, the five finger trusses, and the floor.
The fingers also feature 22 Pulsar Chroma Bank strips and they are moved using Bandit's customised Motodata automation system.
Other kit included four Coemar SuperCycs along the back wall and four Atomic strobes bolted under the stage mesh at the front. Then there are eleven 4-lites and four 8-lite blinders. Lee operates the show using a WholeHog II console, and Bandit is also supplying four Lycian 1290 follow spots.
Bandit's crew are Steve "Stoner" Ruisling, Rob Starksfield, Ricky Butler, Jason Dixon and Tom Crosbie. Lee says: "The crew are absolutely excellent and as always, the rig came out of Bandit's warehouse in tip-top condition."
Audio equipment comes from Wigwam (FOH engineer is Steve Levitt), video is by XL Video UK and pyros by Pyro Junkies. The production manager is Jason Danter.
The tour opened at Belfast's Odyssey Arena following production rehearsals near Dublin and continues until the end of May. The band are also playing a series of festivals throughout the summer.
(Chris Henry)
