Chris Reade lights Vidya Vox with Chauvet
- Details
The Chris Reade and Jay Ballinger-designed light show includes a collection of Maverick MK2 Spot, Rogue R2 Wash and STRIKE 4 fixtures.
“We use these fixtures in wide variety of ways to reflect the scope of Vidya’s music,” said Reade of Las Vegas based KYVA Design LLC. “Much of the credit for our impactful lightshow goes to Heather Cossette. Jay and I gave her a general overview of what we were looking for regarding visuals. Heather then took the concept and put her stamp on it through her programming and directing. We trust Heather's instincts. I personally am impressed by her creativity, detail, and fantastic attitude.”
The net result of this collaborative effort is a lightshow that’s as sweeping and ebullient as Vidya Vox’s far-ranging creative mashups. Relying on the rich colours, wide zoom range and crisp gobo patterns of their overhead fixtures, the designers create intricate lighting architecture on stage that seems to bend and flow with the artist’s music.
Although the exact number of fixtures in the rig varies depending on the country the international tour appears in, their role in the design remains consistent. The Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures are flown on multiple trusses and are employed as key lights, in addition to being used for silhouettes, audience sweeps and gobo breakups.
“We’ve really been impressed by the MK2 Spot’s output,” said Reade. “It’s definitely giving us arena-level brightness, and it’s very versatile. We’re using it a lot for texture on the stage and to create hard edge looks.”
The Rogue R2 Washes also came in for praise from the design team. “I love the R2 washes,” said Cossette. “They clone great and I’m happy whenever I get them on a gig. They just do a great even wash, a nice tight beam, and the colour mixing is wonderful.”
Engaging the crowd and strengthening their connection to Vidya Vox are the STRIKE 4 warm white LED fixtures that are positioned on overhead truss as well as on V-shaped structures located to either side of the stage. “We like the look of the STRIKE 4,” said Reade. “Its colour temperature and adjustable dimming curve make it a great crowd light.”
On the initial South African leg of the tour, which took place in Durbin and Johannesburg, local suppliers Sounds Ideal Productions and JYM Sound and Lighting supplied the gear for the concerts, providing the design team with more good memories. “Both companies were great to work with,” said Cossette. “Shaniel Laloo, our house lighting tech did whatever we needed, always with a smile. His lighting show was great, his timing phenomenal, and he had a positive eager to learn attitude.”
(Jim Evans)
