Lighting and visuals rental company HSL continued its energetic working relationship with lighting / visuals designer Steve Bewley and the band Enter Shikari, supplying lighting and video equipment to the latest shows on their Flash Flood of Colour world tour.
Bewley has worked for Enter Shikari for the last five years. They are among the hardest working artists on the live circuit, bringing their highly adrenalized electro-metal sounds and stage performances to a loyal and enthusiastic international fanbase.
Around 18 months ago, HSL came on-board to supply equipment for their UK and European work after Bewley was impressed by the people, equipment, service and attitude of the Blackburn based operation.
"We needed a complete solutions company for lighting and visuals ... and HSL was a great choice," he states.
HSL's project manager Mike Oates says, "We love working with Steve and the band. The ideas are always fresh and interesting and the shows are full-on, lively, fun and innovative - both musically and visually."
The stage design concept for this section of the Flash Flood tour was an evolution from previous incarnations and derivative from the distinctive apex-down anti-corporate triangles of the album's artwork.
It represented a development from the raw, industrial lighting looks of the past, incorporating more layers of video and a hint of the conceptual transition in anticipation of the forthcoming new album.
Playing academy sized venues - two nights in each - Bewley also created a practical and adaptable structural backbone for the stage based around three 4 metre high triangular shaped pods, each clad in Martin EC20 LED screen.
The LED was supported by a custom trussing framework designed and built by HSL complete with special floor-mount bases. Each pod featured two legs of EC20 down each side, each with a video panel at the top, kicking forward making a Y-shape either side. A front-facing 3D triangular shape - also angled forward - was made up from three Chroma-Q Color Block DB4 LED battens at the top of each tower.
Video content - stored on a Hippotizer media server supplied by HSL - was produced by Light Rhythm Visuals (LRV), who were commissioned by Bewley. A varied collection of material was based on a combination of ideas from LRV's Ben Sheppey, himself and the band.
Video and lighting elements and effects were synched together manually with the music by Bewley, triggering the Hippotizer from his grandMA2 light console.
The overhead lighting rig was hung on the house trusses of each venue.
For moving lights he chose 12 Clay Paky 1500W Shotlight Washes - four on the back and four on the mid truss, with the remaining four on the floor. They were combined with the house spot moving lights and Moles at each venue.
The majority of the touring lighting rig was deployed on the floor, starting with 18 Robe LEDBeam 100s, which are ideal Enter Shikari 'mayhem' lights with their mega fast movement and lightning-quick colour changing and strobing effects!
Ten Chroma-Q Color Force 12 LED fixtures were tucked in around the edges of the stage providing subtle band facial lights - fitting the bill perfectly for the desired low-lit front environment.
Bewley says, "As always, the service from HSL was amazing, the kit was in excellent condition and Mike ensured that everything was spot-on throughout."
He worked alongside his tech Tim Spillman on the tour, which was a massive success and concluded another hectic year of touring for Enter Shikari, which is set to continue in 2013.
