Routledge specified 55 Clay Paky Sharpys, 12 Sharpy Wash 330s, 36 A.leda B-EYE K20s, 10 A.leda B-EYE K10s, 15 Clay Paky Alpha Profile 1500s and 20 SuperSharpys to deliver versatility and impact to the diverse production by Louder Entertainment.
"The sheer brightness of the fixtures was the main reason for using the SuperSharpys this time around," says Routledge. "As we had moved to outdoors for the first time I needed something to make the show special. Whilst we played in darkness being in the middle of the city there was a lot of ambient light so I needed something super bright to extend the width of our show and give it an outdoor festival feel - the SuperSharpys did this effortlessly."
The SuperSharpy boasts a 470W lamp, with a beam that is three times brighter than the original Sharpy. For Barlow's show, they were rigged in two lines of 10 units, below the two IMAG side screens.
"The central IMAG screen was super wide, which formed the basis of my design - I wanted an epic wide feel, enabling me to make simple but bold lighting statements," says Routledge. "For me, it's not about constantly throwing the lights around the stage but instead creating tightly programmed static looks that make the big movement moments even more impactful. I also like to use a range of fresher and more modern colours and hues, such as aquas, jades, tungstens, pale rose and a range of off whites to give the show a more contemporary feel."
The SuperSharpy offers designers endless colour options, with a CMY mixing system with gradually fading colour wheels, 11 special colour filters on three wheels and two CTO filters creating beautifully warm shades.
"The key to this show for me was versatility, whilst keeping an edge of class to the production," says Routledge. "Gary's music spans a wide range of styles and I needed as many options as possible, which is particularly where the B-EYEs came in. From being a stunningly bright LED wash to the huge range of effects they deliver they always look lovely in the back of shot whether on or off. From fractal effects for Gary's Beatles-esque 'Requiem' to twinkling JARAG tungsten-style effects for 'Let Me Go' - the B-EYEs gave me so many creative possibilities."
The A.leda B-EYE K20s were rigged on a total of six trusses, with two on the stage and two on each IMAG, in line with the stage trusses. The B-EYE K10s were in a line format on the stage risers.
"As Eclipse is a predominantly Clay Paky rental house, I was pleased to also be able to specify Sharpys and Sharpy Wash 330s, which are always fantastically reliable tools. In addition, I used a number of Alpha Profile 1500s for key lighting the band, which are easy to shutter off and very bright, making them perfect for the outdoor version of the show."
On Eclipse Staging Services' recent investment in the Clay Paky SuperSharpys, Tom Ralston, project manager for the Gary Barlow Dubai show, says: "The Gary Barlow concert was the perfect showcase for our new SuperSharpys, as well as our other Clay Paky fixtures. We strongly believe the SuperSharpys were a fantastic investment and will be in great demand. They're very versatile fixtures and bright enough to be used solely as a search light as well as deliver all the original Sharpy onstage effects. Also, the fact that they are physically so small means they will not only be utilised in rock and roll but also the corporate market."
(Jim Evans)
