Inspired by the dance clubs of the nineties Hurst has put together a theatrical stage design of curvaceous trusses and Clay Paky fixtures, provided by Blackburn based hire company HSL, along with a set backed by five large video screens.
"The feeling of the new album is kind of nineties so I went for that look in my design," explains Hurst. "I remember how all the clubs were designed in circles, loads of circular tread plate everywhere so I have rigged lots of curved trusses on stage to give it that nineties rave sort of feel.
"I chose the Sharpys because I needed a small, lightweight fixture that was easy to rig but can still produce a bright enough beam to punch through all the video," explains Hurst. "The front truss is around 13m high so I needed whatever light I rigged up there to have a powerful enough throw to cut through the LED screen. That's what the Sharpys are great for, you don't lose their intensity in demanding situations."
The show's design ripples outward from a circular LED screen to two LED screens per side. The four screens played a mix of live and pre-programmed visuals whilst the centre circle plays hard-hitting moody graphics.
"Due to the shape of the truss I was unable to pre-load any of the lights," explains Hurst. "However due to the Sharpys small size and weight meant rigging the lights pre-show each time has not been too much of a problem."
(Jim Evans)
