Elation Lighting rig for Shaka Ponk tour
- Details
Lighting design is by Alexandre Bucher of the 4eleven company, who has worked with Shaka Ponk for seven years as a lighting and video programmer and has toured with the band several times. The current MonkAdelic tour is his first as lighting designer. The LD, who also serves as lighting director on the tour, works with a set rich in scenery and detail with accompanying video show. Bucher uses lighting to add another layer of dynamism to the set while accentuating the on-screen visuals and has integrated the two Elation LED source luminaires in his design in large numbers.
Compact Rayzor 360Z fixtures, high-speed LED beam/wash luminaires with zoom, are located in six kinetic lighting pods that form a central element of the set. “I wanted massive fixtures that could do a powerful beam with pixel control of each LED but I never found it,” the LD said of his search for a super big LED light.
“Therefore I thought I would design it by assembling a lot of little LED fixtures. I tried several different small fixtures and was finally enticed by the Rayzor 360,” which was demoed for the LD by Dushow, who provide lighting for the tour. “I chose this fixture because it fit perfectly, it has pixel control of each LED and it has continuous and unlimited rotation on pan and tilt.”
The Rayzor 360s and LED wash lights are reinforced by floor-positioned DARTZ 360s, Elation’s new narrow-beam LED beam/spot fixture that houses an effects package that includes gobos and dual prisms. Bucher explains that on the Shaka Ponk show the DARTZ 360 has two roles: “The key role is to do backlight effects to empower the rhythm and give dynamism. The other role of the DARTZ is to light the musicians with its frost for an intimate front light.”
The Shaka Ponk tour is Bucher’s first experience with Elation lights. “Dushow are continuously looking for new and interesting products. They introduced me to the Elation lights and I decided to trust this product and give it a try. They are good advisors,” the LD said of the French technical production company, adding that he was the first to use the DARTZ on a large tour in France.
(Jim Evans)
