Francis, part of creative visual design and programming collective MIRRAD, produced a lighting design for the short but popular and much anticipated UK tour which followed on from summer festival work. A completely new live show concept was evolved for this, with production based on the Brixton Academy gig and adaptable to fit the other venues.
The band plays instrumental music, taking samples from classic public service information films, archival footage and propaganda material to (in their own words) "teach lessons of the past through music of the future" with a satirical and humorous edge.
Visuals are fundamental to the performance, and with no chat between songs and no lyrics as such, this is the main communication between band and audience.
The band's own media guru, Mr B, sits onstage running the various content and clips, effectively as a fourth PSB member. Brixton also featured a number of guest appearances including a choir, and the show was live internet streamed via the venue's website.
Up until this tour, PSB had been using small projections screens that resembled old TV sets, but to fill the space and enlarge the idea for Brixton, Colour Sound was asked to supply two 5m wide LED screens made up from their proprietary 6mm BT product, mounted in custom wooded surrounds that rounded the edges. These stylishly integrated with the original screens and were revealed by a mid-stage kabuki drop at the top of the set.
The lights were hung on seven flown trusses, all angled differently and with an assortment of drop bars - Francis avoided anything linear to introduce more depth to the picture.
The rig included 18 x Clay Paky a.LEDA K20 LED wash fixtures fitted with B-Eye lenses, chosen for their versatility including the pixel effects which can be produced with the individual pixel control. They were joined by 18 x SGM XC-5 strobes - part of a recent purchase by Colour Sound - and eight Robe Pointes, also chosen for their multi-functionality.
Twenty-four ProLights DIAMOND7 small LED wash units were arranged in two fans above the Sputnik and on top of these were various generics and blinders arranged around the floor.
There was no front truss, but front side lighting included some ETC Source Fours on stands plus a few fresnels on the deck for foot-lights.
Francis controlled everything via an Avolites Sapphire Touch supplied by MIRRAD.
Francis was joined on the tour by crew chief Simon Robertson, technician Stu Barr and Dave Cattermole who tech'd the LED screens.
(Jim Evans)
