"They have been great," Bennett says, adding that the compact fixture has also been an excellent lighting fixture on Paul McCartney's latest tour, also a Roy Bennett designed show. "I love the 101s because of the size, weight and speed, as well as the light output."
One of the hottest selling artists of all time, Rihanna embarked on the Loud world tour in June to promote her latest album of the same name. The tour kicked off in North America with lighting supplied by Upstaging before legs in South America and Europe. The European leg began on 29 September and extends until the end of the year.
A key visual element in Bennett's design is four half-sphere pods on independent motion control that adjust up and down during the show. The face of each pod is made up of an LED screen with 28 MAC 101s mounted behind in four rows. The 101s are used to shoot beams and color through the screen, sometimes on their own or in combination with the video, and at only 3.7 kg (8.1 lb) is an ideal fit for the pod design.
Bennett acknowledges the support he has received from Martin US, especially from Martin product support coordinator Scott O'Conner who, he says, "always keeps me informed on any and all new developments."
Supporting act on the Rihanna tour in Europe is singer/DJ Calvin Harris who uses a Martin EC-20 LED screen for high quality graphics in his performance. The EC-20 panels are supplied by video services company Picture Works of London.
(Jim Evans)
