HSL project manager Mike Oates says: "It's great to be working with Robin and production manager James Baseley and tour manager Dave Lawrence and their team again. Massive Attack have been one of the UK's most influential and creative bands over the last two decades, and their live productions are always inventive and interesting. This one is no exception."
Robin Haddow worked closely with the band's video and show designers United Visual Artists (UVA) on developing the look and feel of the show, for which they did a week of technical production rehearsals at HSL's new space next door to their warehouse facility in Blackburn. They also received considerable input from Massive Attack founder 3D.
The result is a multi-layered integration of lighting and video elements into a tightly timed show which flows harmoniously with the music. The video content also includes the use of thought-provoking text information - a style that's been continuous in their live work for at least five years.
They are again touring 15 custom modules of Barco O-Lite 510 video screen upstage, making a 15mwide by 3mhigh back wall.
Attached to the base of each O-Lite frame is a Robe ColorWash 250E AT moving light. Upstage of the screen is a truss, rigged about a metre high off the ground on special tank traps, on which is mounted 15 Vari*Lite 3500 Washes. These are used extensively through the show shooting beams dramatically through the transparent architecture of the screen.
For side and front lighting they are using eight Robe ColorSpot 700E ATs, four on stands for the downstage edge of the stage and four a bit further upstage on flightcases. There are Atomic strobes and 4-lite Molefeys dotted around behind the band but in front of the screen.
Haddow's "favourite effect" involves 32 Robe REDWash 3-192 LED wash lights and eight customised sections of trussing designed by HSL's Rupert Reynolds. Each trussing section has been adapted to be quick-fitted with four REDWashes for easy set up.
Also behind the screen, Haddow has 5 x A&O Falcon 3K searchlights with Flower lenses, which provide mega-bright multi-pinspot effects through the screen.
The show is run via three control systems - a Hog 3 set up which also drives a PixelMAD system that supplies content to the REDWashes (which are also programmed as conventional light sources). This is operated by Haddow.
The O-Lite and D3 system is being supplied by XL Video and the PA comes from Wigwam, all long term suppliers of Massive Attack. The tour is currently scheduled to run until the end of November.
For more on the Massive Attack tour see the October issue of Lighting&Sound magazine.
(Jim Evans)
