Traveling Light
So I carried a console, a chandelier and a backdrop. That’s it. I’ve always thought that most LDs can make a show look amazing if they have enough tools. But what I think separates the men from the boys is if you can come up with lots of great scenes using a minimal amount of gear. The only thing I asked was that I could have a handful (like six) moving lights to pick up solos and add a little movement when absolutely necessary. Most clubs have a few assorted movers. Some don’t have any. Some don’t have a place to hang one if you did bring it in. And some, well, they just plain lie to me on the phone, then backpedal when I arrive.
It’s up to me to advance the lighting for every venue. Every place has an in-house lighting guy. Most are competent with their house rigs and can re-patch, re-gel or move fixtures around to help a touring LD out. And they will tell you in advance that, while the plot may show 12 moving lights, only five actually work. I understand when that happens and I appreciate the honesty. Most clubs don’t have much money, and the owners certainly do not wish to spend what they have on parts and new light bulbs. So I work with what I have. Because I know I can make the show rock. And the kids with cancer need the money more than I need to rent some lights.
Of course, there were some exceptions, like playing NYC, where I knew there would be a bunch of press people in attendance. I needed a little more than the 120K of PAR cans in house, so I asked the house LD to get me seven Vari*Lite VL3000 spots. He helps me out by arranging for the city’s largest lighting company to deliver seven VL3K fixtures. That’s all I need to pull off all my effects, pick up solos, ballyhoo, etc. But if I’m paying $300 per light, I need them to work.
Straight out of the road case, one doesn’t even strike. I use another one of them on the floor to backlight the artist. Problem is that any guitar within 8 feet of this fixture makes the pickups buzz like crazy. So it cannot be used. The remaining lights are stuck with some strange software (we checked; they were in the right mode) because they are running sluggishly and not bumping colors like normal VLs. I now have five out of seven lights that sort of work, and I’m boned. I remember why I never use this lighting company for anything. Not a great show.
A Mixed Bag
On this run, I play some fabulous places that have great systems. The Fillmore in Denver has this cat named Dan Sherman who rents them their lights. When I get there, Dan has the rig in top shape. Everything works and is gelled in advance. The House of Blues in Chicago was most accommodating, and their gear was in good shape. In fact, I find that most of the Fillmore and H.O.B. chains of clubs take pride in their gear and the majority of it works. Even some houses, like the Egyptian in Indy, may not have the latest gear or a great fly rail system, but they make sure what they do have works properly. I respect that crew and can make their gear shine. But then we have the other extreme.
There are these two clubs, in two separate cities, who go by the same name. I believe they have the same owners, or at one time did. But they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. They both have small rigs with just a handful of movers. I’m hesitant at first, and think I need to bring in some additional stuff. But then I think of the autistic kids getting the funds they need, and I cannot justify it. So I call to talk to the lighting directors at each gig. One assures me that while he doesn’t have a lot of gear, what he has does work, except one of the movers has a bad magenta flag that sticks. He’s honest, and I can roll with this. But then I call the other club and get the house production manager. He tells me he can answer all my questions, and I don’t need to talk to his LD. This should have raised a red flag immediately, but this guy talked a good game, so I believed him. When I get there, only two of the moving lights actually work. All the others have stuck gobos, color wheels that are frozen in place, etc. etc. The house guy apologizes profusely. “Had I called him,” he explains… I ask him what he does with the single Technobeam and Studio Spot that do work. “All I can do is light the mirror ball. That does spin though.” I got that going for me.
Shady Spots
Spotlights are always an issue. In some places, I have literally no front light other than a few red and blue PARs. So I rely on spotlights to pick up solos and keep the main dude lit. Two spots is usually enough in a club, as the chances of finding more than two local hands who have ever run one is slim. But hey, this fibbing production manager has arranged for me to have four spotlights at FOH to cover for his lack of frontlight.
It takes all day, but they get them and the intercom working for the show. It all goes well until someone in the kitchen turns on the microwave, tripping the breaker. Apparently the AC lines to the spot run straight to the club’s kitchen and plug into a wall outlet. So two songs into the set, I lose two of the spots, and communication with the other two. Not only can’t I light one side of the stage, I can’t tell the other guys to black out. This whole gig is a comedy of errors. Note to self, always stick with just two spots at clubs.
I made a mistake when I started this run. I didn’t bring any pre-cut gels for house PARs. Most clubs will have a folder of used gel I can sort through and use, but they tend to be different shades of burnt-out filters. So I call in a favor. My friend Joel Svendsen works for Rosco, the gel manufacturer. He had recently been telling me stories about the new series of E gel the company had developed, including new colors that nobody else made. He just happens to have a few samples at his house, and he donates them to the cause. Colors such as Prussian Green and Aztec Gold are immediately put to good use, and will now become a staple in future shows.
