Lighting was programmed and directed by UK based Rob Lister who has worked as DJ Snake's LD for the last year and has a long-standing working relationship with Romain and High Scream from visiting Ushuaia Ibiza with DJs Axwell & Ingrosso ... for which Romain is also the production / show director.
Tickets for this landmark Paris show by the hugely popular and proudly French electronic music guru sold out almost immediately so the pressure was on for all to produce a truly amazing visual and sonic experience explained Romain.
"For this design we needed a video presence, but I really wanted the stage to have a strong lighting base," says Romain, "to use video in a more subtle and understated way and for lighting to have a very powerful presence,"
Fundamental to the idea was that the whole aesthetic was meaningful with a sense of finesse that blended some classical disciplines from theatre presentation with the heartbeat of dance music and clubbing.
Having used Robe products on numerous shows over the years - Romain jumped at the chance to try out these latest technologies - and was delighted when rental company S Group, lighting supplier for the Zenith gig, boosted their Robe stock with additional Spikies for the event.
For S Group's founder and owner Leon van Empel it was a perfect opportunity to purchase some new kit, "We are busy with a whole range of work and Robe is always a good investment. The products are extremely reliable and well made."
One of Romain's inspirations for this show was wanting to bring a super-powerful lightsource onstage - and you can't get anything more astronomically awesome ... than the sun!
This spawned the 6m diameter circular truss made up of four concentric rings populated with the 64 Spiiders. It was rigged on an automation system enabling it to fly in and out and, tilt and pitch above the elliptical shaped DJ booth.
Used strategically, these Spiiders were a prominent and dynamic lighting special effect throughout the show, which included when the truss circle was in its 'home' position and they became key lighting Snake and his various guest DJs and vocalists
The 80 x Spikies were arranged in two large matrix grids in between six columns of 12 mm LED screen on both left and right of the stage. These columns were arranged in a gentle arc and they flanked an elegantly curved LED surface upstage centre.
The 32 x Pointes were scattered around the rig and used for all the major beam technology and effects looks for which they are so well known and loved.
(Jim Evans)
