Sean Caie, HOD for lighting at the Grand Arena was asked to step in as lighting designer by his boss and technical entertainment manager, Gavin Taylor. "I was a bit hesitant," admitted Caie. He knew that he had a big show coming up a couple of days directly after Snoop Dogg and there was a level of expectancy for that. "I was concerned that I could not give both parties my full attention. I care about what my shows look like and wanted to give my best."
After being given the brief, Caie was happy to jump in. The technical rider simply specified three straight trusses and a couple of moving heads with the aim to create a club like feel. This included no solid red washes, something Snoop Dogg has stipulated over the years.
With two large events days apart, it was decided to rig all the gear in advance. It meant twice the amount of pressure for set up, but there was now additional gear made available for the Snoop Dogg concert.
Caie worked on the MA2 Light purchased by Grand West Arena last year. "There really were no challenges," he said. "I'm pretty confident with my console, it's a solid platform. When I switch it on, everything is still there. Obviously I back-up the show files religiously. All effects were linked to four speed groups and I used the key lighting for the band.
"I was initially concerned that we could not provide the client with what they wanted, but in the end we exceeded their expectations. I was confident with all the equipment. Maintenance is big at the GrandWest. When I put on my lights they work. I re-lamped prior to the concert and adjusted any hot spots. It's critical."
(Jim Evans)
