USA - Light Action of Wilmington, Delaware, acknowledges that they have one of the best gigs in the industry. Each year for more than a decade, they’ve provided full-service production for a string of legacy acts on Rock Legends Cruise, a floating rock festival with a cause that sails the Caribbean every February. For years they have relied on Elation lighting to illuminate multiple stages and this year turned to newly acquired Proteus Lucius LED profile fixtures to raise the production even further.
“Gigs don’t get much better than this one,” stated Brian Market, COO at Light Action. “We have a great client in the Native American Heritage Association, it’s a great cause, and there is literally a boatload of rock talent on board. People love it so much they come year after year, and we help keep it exciting for them with top level production on three stages.” Proceeds from the four-day cruise go to support the Native American Heritage Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing basic necessities to families living on Reservations in South Dakota.
For Rock Legends Cruise XI in February, Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas served as a floating rock venue for over 20 legendary artists and 4,000 seafaring fans. Light Action served as an all-inclusive production house for the event, providing a full AV and production package, including all manner of staffing.
Guests enjoyed rock ‘n roll shows by legendary acts like Sammy Hagar, Bret Michaels, Jefferson Starship and many others, which took place outside on a main stage on the Pool Deck, as well as inside in the Royal Theatre and Studio B, all with Elation lighting. IP-rated Proteus Lucius featured on the outdoor stage, a multi-functional CMY fixture that Light Action had recently acquired to replace Artiste Picasso units of previous years, which were moved to the indoor Royal Theatre.
Light Action works closely with Elation rep firm The Healy Group to stay up to date on the Elation portfolio including demoing Elation gear, which often takes place at Pine Box Studios, a 24,000 square foot production rehearsal space situated adjacent to the Light Action building. Whenever they want to see how a fixture sizes up against another manufacturer, Brian says they’ll get demo units in and throw them 100-150 ft to a far wall for comparison, as they did with the Lucius.
“Not only was it bright but with its multi-functionality it looked the ideal unit to service the many different kinds of jobs we do from corporate AV to rock and roll. We’re real fans. Actually, we’re fans of all our Elation fixtures. It’s one of those brands that you never have to apologize for when you place them on a gear list.”
The compact brother to the popular Proteus Maximus, the IP65 Lucius is fully loaded and can be used as a profile, beam or wash light, reducing the need for variant fixtures. Brian says that because their work at Light Action is so varied and often takes place outdoors in the wet U.S. Northeast, investing in outdoor-rated IP gear is an increasing focus for the company.
“A great thing about Lucius is that it can take a beating,” he stated. “At sea for example, it’s not just rain but it’s wind-blown rain that comes in from every direction and angle. We’ve had some years with really rough seas as well so there’s a lot more than just rain to deal with. Then of course there’s the sunlight and heat. You want something that can handle that kind of environment.”
Light Action handled the majority of lighting design, programming, and operation for the bands while collaborating with specific acts who had their own lighting personnel onboard. The Proteus Lucius proved to be an indispensable fixture, functioning as a reliable workhorse on the outdoor stage, and according to Brian received considerable praise from lighting directors who were impressed by its versatility.
“It’s exceptionally bright with gobos across three gobo wheels, good colour rendering, impressive speed, and a range of capabilities from spot to beam,” he said of the 33,500-lumen moving head. “We can’t say enough good things about it.” Joining the Proteus Lucius on the outdoor stage were Elation Rayzor 760 LED wash fixtures, DTW Blinder 700IPs, and SixPar 300IPs.
Meanwhile, on the indoor Royal Theatre stage, the Artiste Picassos were joined by other Elation gear while in Studio B existing Elation Fuze Spot and Fuze Wash fixtures were supplemented with a Light Action floor lighting package.
