Pooh’s Friends Forever tour, which ended in October this year, was far more than a beautiful musical experience; for fans of the beloved band, it was also a journey through time. Formed in Bologna in 1962, the band, which has sold over 100 million records, has been an integral part of Italian popular culture for over half a century.
The music and cultural tradition that characterize the group were both on full display when the tour stopped at Rome’s Olympic Stadium and Milan’s San Siro. Production designer Jo Campana incorporated elements of the band’s history into his scenography. But this show was no nostalgia trip. Pooh has never been afraid of pushing the envelope, incorporating new sounds, and experimenting with new technology throughout their career.
Reflecting the dynamic spirit of Pooh, while also evoking timeless images was a collection of 96 CHAUVET Professional Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-blinders, which were imported by Zalight with service by Agoro. Campana arranged 66 of these fixtures in a matrix of 11 structures positioned behind the LED wall. The remaining units were hung on overhead and side truss structures.
Running the lights was Francesco De Cave, who worked with the band on their 2016 Reunion Tour. “I had already collaborated with Pooh,” said De Cave. “When I started interacting with them, they immediately appreciated my way of working, and an excellent relationship was immediately created. They were truly the precursors of show business in Italy. At that time, there was no one like them and, together, they took care of all the management of the group, including, as I said, the show.”
When running the lighting on this tour, De Cave followed a basic thought-line. “The general mood of this show was the ‘Pooh street,’ which means colors and harmonies,” said De Cave. “However, we also followed a ‘hard’ approach where it was needed; so, at times it could be strong and impactful. I followed the inspiration that their music gives; it’s the music that advises you what to do.”
A fundamental part of the lighting project, and certainly its central element, were the 90 Color STRIKE M units. “These fixtures really have a lot of parameters, and to make the most of them I used them in 97 channel mode,” said De Cave. “I mapped them — and by doing a lot of group work, I created a series of very satisfying effects.
“The brightness of the Color STRIKE M is impressive, and the machine’s response speed to commands is also crazy,” continued De Cave. “The colors are really beautiful, and – very importantly – they remain constant even at low dimming; I have to say that I was very satisfied.”
De Cave used the Color STRIKE M fixtures to direct beams of light through the large central stage blow-through video wall. This added a captivating depth to the stage, which was in keeping with the aura De Cave wanted to create. “That was exactly the feeling I wanted to give,” he explained. “Sometimes I projected the same colours with the Color STRKE Ms as the images, to enrich and emphasize them. At other times instead contrasting them with great brightness and very different colors, I created a range of extremely dynamic or deeply suggestive effects.”
In the end both effects served the same general goal: to convey the music and times of one of Italy’s most important pop rock groups.
Further information from CHAUVET Professional: www.chauvetlighting.com
