The automation elements are an integral part of the eye-catching set, lighting and production design created by show director Paul Normandale, while the load monitoring - including the new LibraRIG product - has been provided by Rigorous Technology to the tour's head rigger, Yose Lawson.
Normandale is known for his innovative and imaginative designs and stage environments and the design incorporates eight irregularly sized panels of 7mm LED screen upstage which move in and out to different positions and formats during the show.
This is achieved using 16 Kinesys-converted half-tonne Liftket motors and Vector control, specified by Normandale and provided by lighting contractors Lite Alternative. The LED screen is supplied by the tour's video contractors, Chaos Visual Productions.
The design concept is 'festival friendly' as well as looking quirky and interesting - and the moving screens in particular help boost the dynamics and creative scope of the performance space.
The Kinesys Vector control system and the Catalyst media server used to store and play-back the pre-recorded video content have been linked, so the Catalyst receives positional information from the Vector computer allowing it to accurately align the video footage to the screens in real time as they are moving. This adds yet more flexibility to the visual equation.
Normandale always specs Kinesys when there is motion control involved in his shows: "Anything that provides the potential for visual variety is a great aid to the design," he comments.
Other recent Normandale designs to include Kinesys are Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Shakira et al - and Blackburn-based Lite Alt has invested steadily in Kinesys products over the last 10 years. On the road the automation is being co-ordinated and operated by chief production motionologist Mike Coryell, who has worked with Kings of Leon for the last five years.
The LibraCELL system which ensures that the mother grid is not being overloaded at any time and that all the hoists are running correctly - is being supplied to the tour by UK based rigging company Rigorous Technology.
The LibraCELL - load measuring shackle - is used to monitor two elements of the rig. Twelve are fitted with the new Kinesys LibraRIG product and these are monitoring the 'mother grid' during load in, throughout the gig and during the load out.
LibraRIG is a new Kinesys product developed in conjunction with LibraCELL hire specialists Rigorous Technology, which allows the connection of a 4750Kg LibraCELL to a standard 3250Kg shackle commonly used for truss pickups.
(Jim Evans)
