Lighting equipment was provided by L&L Stage Services from Herentals and capacity crowds of 35,000 enjoyed the summer heatwave, picturesque and funky location and a sizzling line up of the coolest local and international reggae artists in Belgium's only such reggae event. The festival bills itself as the 'most laid back' in the country!
Smeets has lit Reggae Geel's Main stage for the last four years. His design this year was based on being flexible and appropriate for lighting ten different live artists a day and also adding a distinctly reggae vibe to the aesthetics.
This year, Smeets utilised 18 Robe 600E Spots and 18 Robe LEDWash 600s from Robe's Robin range, together with a selection of generic fixtures and strobes.
The moving lights were rigged on a front truss and a shallow box truss covering upstage and mid-stage which was gently raked.
Smeets has used these models of Robe fixtures a lot in his recent designs, which are readily available throughout the country thanks to the very proactive work of Benelux distributor Controllux.
On the Robin 600E Spots he likes the speed of the fixtures, the colour mixing and the good selection of gobos. During the early part of his career he cut his teeth as a moving light operator with the leading brand of that time and so appreciates the high quality, reliability and functionality of the Robes.
On the LEDWashes, having a full beam - which looks like a real beam of light - coming out of the fixture looking solid and in one colour is very important and this is the first thing that impressed him about the LEDWash 600s when they were launched in 2010. He also really appreciates the 15 - 60 degree zoom on these.
He thinks the 600E Spots and the LEDWashes are a perfect complement together and ideal for making specific duo-colour colour scenes and looks that have real texture and depth, with the LEDWashes zoomed wide and the 600E Spots irised right down.
Smeets used a grandM2 light console for Reggae Geel. He has been using Robe regularly in his work for the last three years, ever since L&L, with whom he works regularly as an LD and programmer, bought their first units.
(Jim Evans)
