AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — Lighting Designer Haydn Cruickshank used 28 Robe ColorSpot and ColorWash 700E AT fixtures on leading UK dance act Underworld’s “Oblivion With Bells” recent UK tour.
The fixtures were supplied by Cruickshank’s west London based rental company Colour Sound Experiment, which now has over 80 Robe moving lights — all supplied by Robe UK. The 700s were newly purchased this summer for Colour Sound’s 2007 festival season.
Underworld’s lighting rig was based around four trusses — three flown overhead and the fourth ground supported at 5 feet above “floor” height at the rear of stage — and rigged with fixtures that would normally have been scattered across the floor. This was designed to contain the floor lighting and keep the deck area tidy for 16 large inflatable tubes, which joined the visual equation two thirds of the way through the set.
The 16 ColorSpot and 12 ColorWash 700E ATs were spread all across the four trusses in a balanced, but not totally symmetrical manner. They were effectively “The Light Show,” creating the main dynamics for a classic rave lightshow in the true spirit of Acid House, keeping feet grooving, bodies moving and minds spinning for two hours.
It’s the first time that Cruickshank has used the 700s on tour, and he is extremely pleased with the results. “They got a real good workout during the show and proved 100% reliable.”
He made the most of the animation wheel, which was a new effect for him. He thinks that the substantial zoom on both ColorSpot and ColorWash fixtures is extremely useful. He really likes the tight beam of the spot and the rotating beam shaper, all of which helped add to the plethora of colour and movement styling Underworld’s show.
Working with Cruickshank on Underworld’s lighting crew were Stuart “Woody” Wood and Richard Gilson. Cruickshank ran the Robe’s via his WholeHog 3 console along with a sizable generic rig including Moles, Strobes, Profiles and PARs, plus LED lighting in the form of i-Pix Satellites and JTE PixelLines.
Toby Vogel produced Underworld’s live video mix. As always, he and Cruickshank worked closely to ensure that both mediums — video and lighting — fused seamlessly into a coherent, exciting and complimentary visual experience.
For information, please visit check www.robe.cz.
