Italy - The Vasco Live 2024 tour took place across three venues with a total of 12 shows, kicking off at the Stadio Comunale in Bibione, followed by seven dates at the San Siro Stadium in Milan and concluding with four performances at the San Nicola Stadium in Bari. As every year, the tour of Italy's leading rocker was marked by an impressive deployment of equipment and technology, including a powerful, visually striking lighting rig.
Vasco's lighting designer, Giovanni Pinna, comments, “We used the same rig and the same kinds and number of lighting fixtures as last year, and the same stage layout as in the past two years. However, we made a significant improvement in light programming and overall use. With today’s complex technology, it is not easy to use all the features the lights offer straight off. This year, though, after last years’ experience, I had a clear understanding of the full potential of the equipment and how to use it effectively.”
According to Pinna, the Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 units were the central component of the lighting setup since they were in constant use throughout the show. "I used the Claypaky K25s as the foundational lighting for all scenes; they were the only wash lights on the set. Additionally, I used them extensively for textured lighting and special effects, taking full advantage of the quality of their pixel mapping and rotating optical unit."
This year’s stage was a record-breaker, with a total width of 90m and a video area spanning 1,200sq.m. The LED wall was divided into multiple triangular sections, outlined by battens, and unlike in previous years, it was used exclusively to project live images of Vasco, with no visual effects that would interfere with the lighting. "In these conditions, the beams from the K25s were incredibly penetrating and thick," Pinna said. "Moreover, the K25s perfectly balanced the light output from the enormous LED wall, which was larger than ever before this year."
In total, 148 Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 units were used: 48 above the band, 80 at the front of the stage at a height of 20m, and 24 on the ground for scenic and audience lighting.
“With the K25s, you have the ability to manage wash lighting, even with the most saturated colours," Pinna added. "I worked a lot with red and dark blue because these lights handle them exceptionally well. In fact, the 'wow' factor was often achieved more through powerful washes than through other special effects.”
Giovanni Pinna was supported by Marco Zucchinali for the show pre-programming. Marco Piva was video operator, Fabrizio Moggio, chief technician and Nicholas Di Fonzo managed the computer media server. As in previous years, the lighting equipment was provided by rental company BOTW.
