UK-West London based lighting and visuals rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment(CSE)is supplying lighting and video(LED screen and control)to the current Peter Andre Up Close&Personal UK tour,working with lighting designer Dave Farmer of THC Design.
It's Farmer's first tour with Andre,asked on board by tour director John Proctor,although he has known CSE's Haydn Cruickshank for many years and worked with the company on several previous occasions.CSE was able to supply both lighting and video in a very competitive package.
The tour is visiting a variety of venues,taking in theatres,concert halls and arenas,so Farmer's rig is designed with innate adaptability to work in all of these spaces.Farmer's starting point was a basic concept from show producer Christian Storm of Mass Movement,which included some specific video treatments from which Farmer started building the lighting visuals.
The rear and riser LED screens are made up from 60 square metres of CSE's BT12 12mm pitch lightweight screen,arranged in three sections with staggered edges to resemble a cityscape.The riser screens add an extra level of surface and also blend seamlessly into the rear screens for stage wide panoramic effects.
Video content-produced by The Clear Image Company-is being played back via a Catalyst media server also supplied by CSE,which was programmed by Hugh Davies-Webb before the start of the tour.The Catalyst is triggered by timecode from the MD for the show.
The lighting was spec'd to cover Andre and his four dancers with general washes and additional specials and effects for the set,which embraces an eclectic collage of genres and styles,complete with theming plus some visual magic and drama thrown in to the high energy mix.
"Overall it had to look big,bold,poppy and up tempo,with a serious amount of dynamic range,"explains Farmer.
CSE is supplying five trusses-front,a kabuki/pyro mid-stage truss,a 6m diameter semi-circle and two upstage trusses-one for lights and one flying the LED screens.
Farmer chose 13 Clay Paky Alpha Profile HPEs as the main moving light sources,together with 10 GLP Impression 120 Zooms and 14 CP Sharpies.
Eight of the Sharpies are on drop pipes between the three screens,and the other six on the semi-circle truss.Farmer finds them'Extremely versatile for high impact moments as well as holding their own,brightness wise,in relation to the LED screens".
Six Atomic strobes are distributed between the floor and truss,and there are six LED PARs backlighting the risers.
On the floor are four Robe Robin LEDWash 1200s,which are used for general stage and dancer washes.Farmer is using them in Mode 1 for the first time,enabling individual control of the LED rings,through which he has created some funky and zappy effects.
Four-lite Moles as always do a great job of the audience illumination-it's a highly interactive show with lots of communication between Andre and his very enthusiastic fans,a 95%female demographic encompassing a wide range of ages!
Two FOH followspots complete the lighting and visuals package from CSE.
Farmer programmed and is controlling the show from his own Hog 3 console.He comments,"Myself and the production are very happy with Colour Sound who have been great-excellent service,attitude and equipment and fabulous crew."
He is joined on the tour by four CSE crew-Toby Lovegrove and Franki McDade on lighting and Phil Dowling and David Kyle taking care of video.
