Onstage, a large proportion of the heat was generated by the 24 Par 64 cans lighting the small area. This gave Morrissey a flash of lateral inspiration. He'd originally seen James Thomas's PixelPARs in action at PLASA 2002 - when they were launched. Morrissey approached JTE, and worked out a deal for replacing the conventional Pars with PixelPAR 90s. Including the wiring, it cost a little over half of what the air-con costs would have been.
The result has seen a stunning transformation in the gig climate at the Academy 3. The temperature has gone from being unbearable to pleasant for those onstage and in the audience during the show, Morrissey reports. "Virtually every band and their tour or production managers have commented on it," he says, "all completely positive."
Plus there are other benefits of using PixelPARs: the colour range increases the overall versatility of the rig; lower maintenance, no dimmers required, and low power consumption (the entire rig is run off two 16A supplies) resulting in lower running costs. "It's a venue operator's dream," he enthuses.
The lighting rig also contains six Martin MAC 250 Plus's and is controlled from an Avolites Pearl 2004. Morrissey is now looking at upgrading the lighting rig in the larger Academy 2 venue to use Pixel range fixtures, and predicts that this is the way forward in the future for venue owners and operators of all types.
(Lee Baldock)
