Robe shouts it out for Tears For Fears
- Details
Alex utilised 66 x Robe MegaPointe moving lights as a key element of the rig - among other fixtures - to imagine a memorable looking and flexible lightshow as the band delighted enthusiastic audiences - original and new - and fans with their diverse catalogue and multiple hits.
He positioned the multipurpose MegaPointes everywhere in the rig. Thirty - 10 each - were rigged on three overhead trusses, some were positioned upstage behind a row of LED video pixel battens, there were three per side on the deck for low-level cross lighting and another six in the air each side for high-level effects.
He described the MegaPointe as “a perfect size and choice for multiple lighting tasks” on this design.
Their flexibility meant he could use them for a soft-edged front light and a hard-edged beam effect, having both the necessary punch and being compact and adaptable enough to work in arenas of all sizes.
In addition to these, Alex spec’d two BMFL Spot fixtures which were used with a Robe RoboSpot remote follow spot system. “I’m a huge fan of this,” he commented. “The simplicity of operation and the smooth motion of the RoboSpot system is stunning, and the fixtures are great as well.”
He and his lighting director / operator on the road, Richard White, left the targeting and iris control to the spot operators, with all other parameters running through the desk, as an obvious way to achieve perfect fade ins / outs and interesting colour bumps as well as keeping the operators focussed on accurate pick-ups and following trajectories.
Alex is a big fan of using LED screens as light sources and he was able to push this treatment during the huge numbers like Shout and Change.
Lighting for the UK and European dates was supplied by London based Neg Earth. Richard, programmer Joe Cabrera and he spent two days in previz and then a week at the LH3 rehearsal space in London with the rigged plugged in pushing the grandMA2 console hard with 163 DMX universes going into it.
Alex worked closely with video provider Stu Mercer from Vis-A-Vis Video who supplied the LED screen and added the cameras for the London O2 gig which Stu also directed.
(Jim Evans)
