Colour Sound Experiment has purchased 17 ColorSpot and 17 ColorWash 575 ATs - its first Robe fixtures. CSE's Haydn Cruickshank says they made the purchase because "people want to use them", adding that they also have a place in CSE's hire stock as a "well specified, good value, mid-range" moving light. Their first show was the legendary Southport All Weekender, where they received a good caning! They will also be out on the Ascot Charity Ball, Hi Fi North and South festivals and the Metal Hammer Awards plus numerous dry hires to other companies.
16 ColorSpot 1200 ATs are the first Robe's bought by GLS, although they already have another order placed with Robe UK. The purchase followed being very impressed with some units they had on demo. With the demand for Robe now "clearly rising" according to Ian Turner, "It was time to go for it". He says: "Like most UK rental companies, we need a fast and cost-effective spare parts service and that's exactly what Robe's 2-year warranty brings to the table. This is absolutely fundamental to keeping an efficient rental operation running."
Robe's robustness and reliability was also an important factor in their decision, and in terms of functionality, Turner thinks the identical DMX personality and interchangeable gobos are very useful features.
Shows on which they have been used include the Pogues' UK tour where they proved ideal for larger arena shows. They have also been used on the Flaming Lips' European tour, including their Royal Albert Hall show in London, where extra Robe fixtures were added to illuminate the organ and choir stalls, making a stage backdrop out of the surrounding environment. They have also been specified by LD Esteban Caracciolo for the upcoming Fall Out Boy tour for which GLS is the lighting supplier.
Halo has purchased 16 ColorSpot 1200E ATs - also their first Robe fixtures. Halo's Steve Marley looked at them last year and "really liked the units, the price and the service". The lights have already been used on a selection of shows at Brixton Academy and will be used for Halo's steady stream of ongoing concerts, large dance parties and corporate events.
(Lee Baldock)
