The screen footage - running for 90% of the show - was produced by video artist Richard Shipman. Shipman worked in close conjunction with the band and lighting designer Vince Foster, whose lightshow is directed and operated on the road by Leggy. Their collective ideas produced the highly imaginative and original stage look. The video content ranges from bold graphics and cartoon characters to scratchy, treated black and white movies and effects, and is absolutely integral to the show.
The screens are being engineered and operated by Icharus Wilson-Wright, who comments: "The panels are great - apart from their massive brightness, they work really well as atmosphere creators, always getting a great reaction from the crowd." From a technical angle, he adds that the LED panels have been totally reliable, and the backup and service from GL UK has been excellent. The screens have been shoe-horned into even the smallest indoor venues on the tour, which the band has deliberately kept to an intimate size.
Control is via a MIDI-based software system. The sources are stored on two Doremi hard drives, and triggered by the band’s DR16 audio hard disk recorder, which outputs SMPTE timecode synched with the Doremis. In addition, Wilson-Wright also does some ‘live’ creative over-mixing with his Panasonic MX50 vision mixer - to ensure the show retains an anticipatory edge and a live feel, and doesn’t look too premeditated. "It’s a very organic looking show," he comments.
(Lee Baldock)
