Lighting for 'table dancing' and strip clubs is an area of expertise for Matthews and, over time, he's refined the very specific requirements of the environment into the art of capturing mood and creating an aura of tension and drama. "It's very similar to theatre" he explains, adding that the era of tacky and tasteless lighting in these types of venues - particularly in the Spearmint Rhino's brand - is long past, with their acceptance into mainstream entertainment culture.
Spearmint Rhino's are always keen to stay ahead of the game. Being geared to offering a slick and polished experience for their clients, technology and high production values are high on the agenda. A central element of the girls' dancing shows is to be able to interact and effectively 'wear' the lighting effects across their bodies as they perform.
A crucial technical factor in choosing the right lighting fixtures for Spearmint Rhino's was reliability; the club is open seven days a week for long hours and the lights are worked hard. They also needed a lighting set up that was easy to programme and operate by various DJs rather than a dedicated lighting operator. Matthews has worked exclusively with Robe products as the moving light of choice in all his installations for the last year, "It's the only brand I would consider," he says. "They're the brightest, most reliable and best available for the money". At the Heathrow club, he has installed four Robe DJ Scan 150 XTs and three ColorMix 150 Washes plus a Robe DMX Control 512.
The new rig has made a huge difference to the overall presentation and atmosphere. The club's managers are delighted with effects as are the girls who perform in the lights every day - they now effectively have a new set of visual props to work into their provocative, exotic routines.
(Lee Baldock)
