Andi Watson, creative director for the In Rainbowstour, explains: "Doing away with conventional lighting on set was a massive leap of faith for us. Of course our concerts are all about delivering the music but the fans expect a visual spectacle as well. At the same time, we can't just pollute the atmosphere merely for effect."
Watson continues: "Having put the LED equipment through its paces we were convinced it was the right way to go. To be honest, not having a single discharge or incandescent lamp in the design has set a new benchmark for us."
Always open to see how the set could be further improved Watson and tour production manager Richard Young were shown pre-production units of the latest LED innovation namely Color Reach Powercore which can project 5000 lumens of light over 500ft. Five modules were supplied for the South American leg of the tour by Bristol based Utopium Lighting, the first rental company to fully invest in this fixture.
Watson comments: "The ColorReach has such an awesome output that as soon as the units became available I wanted to use them."
To ensure the fixtures were securely positioned, Radiohead's production team hired the services of Specialz, who, as their name suggests, specialise in bespoke fabrication solutions for the stage and theatre industry. The Color Reach modules were supported within custom made aluminium 'yokes' and attached to the front truss. UK audiences will now also gain the benefit of this addition to the spectacular lighting display as the band finishes off its tour with festival dates culminating in Leeds and Reading.
Adding to the on stage drama and used throughout the entire tour, iColor Flex SLX, a multi-purpose LED based strand of light, has been used to edge light equipment pods or "quins" as Watson likes to call them.
To ensure the band members stand out, iW Blast Powercore key lights the group. Its adjustable colour temperature ranges from a warm 2700 K to a cool 6500 K allowing just the right shade of white to be selected. The additional benefit is that unlike conventional light sources, such as incandescent, LEDs emit a cool beam of light. As Young comments, "They provide what is probably the most natural-looking white light from any LED fixture we've seen. Plus, of course, the LEDs don't project as much heat on to the band so they are not as uncomfortable as they might be despite so much light shining down on them."
(Jim Evans)
