The show is one of a number of festivals in the rising star artist's action-packed summer and fall schedule which LA-based LD Brody has been lighting for the last three months.
He was delighted to learn that the lighting package for GDF contained the BMFLs. Snake's show design features big, bold, high-impact looks mainly using primary colours with plenty of red and white.
There's continuous audience interaction throughout the set, and Brody explained that he wants everyone to receive the full-on live experience, wherever they happen to be in the arena, so "good lensing on a fixture is vital as it's a long way to throw to the back at some of those venues, and at Red Rocks I definitely needed the punch and power of the BMFL."
Twelve of the BMFL Spots were rigged overhead on six finger trusses - two per truss - with another six on the deck upstage of the DJ booth. Behind this was a large LED screen.
The BMFLs were used to throw saturated light across the entire audience for epic wide looks transferring the energy of the stage into the fans. "The fast zoom and the ability to create a tight beam contrasts nicely with the beam fixtures on the rig," commented Brody.
Snake's set is played completely live and the visual team also includes VJ Danny Purdue. There's no pre-planned set list or cue structures, Danny, Brody and DJ Snake all communicate with one another throughout the show calling colours, drops, blackouts, moves and accents which keeps everyone on their toes.
One of the biggest challenges of working in the Red Rocks environment is the steepness of the arena and the fact that the FOH is very near to the stage, so Brody created his lighting positions as if he was sitting right at the back.
With the production trusses rigged so the lighting fixtures could be maximized in relation to the pitch of the amphitheatre, he was able to reach out right to the back with the BMFL beams - and draw everyone into the rhythmic haven of DJ Snake's world for the duration of their pumping set.
(Jim Evans)
