Spiiders & PATTs for Blue Rodeo
- Details
Al has worked with the popular band for the last six years, and this is the fourth full production tour he's done with them for which he created a totally original look and design. He knows what they are comfortable with onstage, "it's about setting the right mood and environment for the music," he explained.
Limited truck space was another consideration for this one, so getting maximum impact from a minimum number of fixtures was essential. Keeping this in mind he chose the 20 x Spiiders and five PATT 2013s.
The Spiiders were evenly positioned along the upstage truss with the five PATT 2013s on floor stands at various heights around the back.
The Spiiders created an "awesome" wall of light enthused Al, who used the central flower effect for highlighting the audience during some special punctuating moments.
The PATTs were dimmed down for most of the show, used for nice warm tungsten glow effects and - sparingly - as a blinder.
Prior to this tour, Al had been using another brand of LED wash light for a few years which was getting a little old and tired, so he started scouting around for something different.
He likes the colours and the beam look on the Spiider’s tighter zoom. He also likes the way the light is emitted from the lens, observing that a lot of LED washes are extremely bright at the lens which he finds distracting. "It's so much smoother coming out of the Spiider," he said, adding that he also thinks the fixture is nice and bright overall, and certainly holds its own with the rest of the rig.
He used the tightness of the zoomed-in beam to produce architectural style looks. The flower effect was applied judiciously and he was grateful for it being there.
With size and weight also important, the Spiiders worked out "perfectly".
The PATT 2013s were on the lighting plot because of their retro styling. “A beautifully designed fixture that suits the band perfectly," said Al, adding that they are always asking for a "comfortable warm stage that would remind people of a living or a listening room."
(Jim Evans)
