Playing venues such as Alexandra Palace, MEN Arena, plus a raft of vast spaces in Europe and the USA, Bushell's lighting skillfully pulls the audience focus to the centre of the stage without losing the essential theatricality of the early Florence shows.
Lighting is ethereal with Bushell using it more as a statement than for big effects. He discusses, "The overall theme is based around 1920s Baroque fashion and architecture. While a great deal of thought and planning went into the set, I also wanted the presence of the lighting to complement and exploit the space around the set piece. The VL3000 Spots were perfect for this. With their wide angles and long throw I was able to use them as top and back/side light. The VL3500 Wash fixtures fanned out from the centre mimicking the set and creating an almost physical beam presence in the air."
Beams of lights hit the stage from a plethora of angles and heights to create an impressively architectural look.
"Another part of the original brief was "to employ an esoteric color palette," continues Bushell. "In particular we use a certain teal green, which is used on the set along with particular golds and ambers. The Series 3000 luminaires were great for complimenting and cutting through these colors, which I didn't necessarily want to appear on Florence's skin tone or costume. I find that getting the more fiddly colors right is much easier and consistent from a Philips Vari-Lite fixture. Things like the CTO's, Straws and Ambers along with subtle pinks and steels. This time round I played with them a lot more."
David March, director, European sales for Philips Vari-Lite comments, "The VL3000 Spot and VL3500 Wash fixtures have had an undeniable impact on the concert lighting industry. Their colour and optical systems provide lighting designers with the exact tools needed to capture the essence of their lighting designs, and to have them showcased on a tour such as this is indeed a testament to their worth."
For more on Florence & the Machine's Ceremonials tour, see the May issue of LSI - out soon!
(Jim Evans)
