For its 2025 season, ETO presents The Elixir of Love and The Rape of Lucretia in repertory, touring a diverse range of venues across the UK. Supporting this ambitious tour is White Light (WL), providing technical expertise and equipment to realise the creative vision of Lighting Designer Jamie Platt and Production Electrician Joe Kirk.

Jamie’s approach to lighting opera is deeply rooted in musical storytelling. “In opera, the narrative unfolds as much through musical leitmotifs as through sung text,” he explains. “Lighting becomes a second layer of narrative. I can shift the look of the stage simply because of an oboe or a violin.” This sensitivity is vividly expressed in The Elixir of Love, where a pivotal aria sees the lighting transform to reflect Nemorino’s emotional world. “We leave reality behind and enter his head and heart,” says Jamie. “The scenic practicals begin reacting to the music, shifting from naturalistic tones to colours that lift with the love and angst he’s feeling.”

In Lucretia, Jamie’s lighting takes on a more stylised role, shaping atmosphere and symbolism. “We use deep orange tones on white muslin drapes to visually disrupt a feminine space, reflecting the antagonist’s intrusion and the opera’s thematic tension.”

Touring presents unique challenges, particularly when moving between traditional theatres and concert halls. Jamie designs with adaptability in mind, favouring booms over overhead fixtures to streamline rigging. “My job is to make it as easy as possible for Joe when the shows are in-and-up in a single day,” he says.

Joe Kirk, ETO’s Lead Production Electrician, ensures Jamie’s design is faithfully executed in every venue. “ETO is all about making opera accessible,” Joe notes. “That means transforming non-traditional spaces into fully realised theatrical environments.” His work begins with detailed venue assessments and continues through close collaboration with Jamie to maintain consistency across the tour.

To meet the demands of varied infrastructure, the lighting rig is designed to be largely self-contained. “Using LED fixtures not only supports ETO’s environmental goals but also reduces the infrastructure we need to tour,” says Joe. The rig includes ETC Halcyon Titanium, Ayrton Diablo, and ETC Lustr 2 fixtures—selected for their reliability, versatility, and quality of light.

Jamie praises the Halcyon units for their punchy output and excellent diffusion options, whilst Joe highlights the importance of thorough prep and clear build methods to support local crews. “Some venues may only host one large touring production a year,” he explains. “It’s vital that everyone understands how the show goes together, regardless of experience.”

Joe adds, “From prep to performance, the team at WL have supported us every step of the way. I’d especially like to thank Dom for being so easy to work with.” Reflecting on his six years with ETO, Joe shares: “The most rewarding part has been bringing full-scale opera to communities that rarely experience it. Overcoming the challenges of each unique venue makes every performance deeply worthwhile.”

Dom Yates, WL’s Head of Lighting, comments: “Working with ETO over the past two years has been a joy. This collaboration demonstrates how technical excellence and creative partnership can bring world-class opera to communities across the UK – making every venue, no matter its limitations, a stage for powerful storytelling.”

As The Elixir of Love and The Rape of Lucretia continue their tour, ETO remains committed to its founding principle: “Opera that moves.”

Lighting Designer: Jamie Platt.

Lead Production Electrician: Joe Kirk.

Programmer: Stephen Settle.

Production Electricians: Graeme Smith, Ciaran Lillis.

Placement Student: Luis Callender (Production LX), Thea Bulgin (Design).

Image: Courtesy of Richard Hubert Smith.

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It was the first time that Robe iFORTE LTX Follow Spots – running on RoboSpot remote following systems – were used for a live music show in India.

The RoboSpot system – six iFORTE LTXs and four BaseStations – was supplied to Anirudh’s production and the show’s main lighting contractor, Bangalore-based Reynolds, by SSL Media from Mumbai. Guru and Vinod were hugely excited to be using the system for the first time in this context and to be trailblazing such technology in India.

They had pushed to get the iFORTES and the RoboSpot system on to the show, as they really needed a super powerful follow spotting solution to cover the long throws around the site, as well as fixtures that could hit the main stage and the B-stage with ease. The flexibility of RoboSpot made it a perfect choice.

Wrapping up the “Hukum” tour – which started in February 2024 at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Dome – in Chennai (also his hometown) meant expectations were sky high for a memorable and magical production, and everyone on the crew and creative team worked tirelessly and diligently to ensure that Anirudh fans were treated to a night to remember.

Vinod has worked as the artist’s LD since 2020, and for this tour, 369 Design Lab’s Albin Biju was the assistant LD, also running and integrating lasers into the show. In addition to co-ordinating all the lighting, Vinod and Guru liaised with the various other visual disciplines involved, including Pixadoo who took care of all things video, the centerpiece of which was a large 144 ft wide LED screen filled with cool bespoke content.

This massive screen was also a starting point for the lighting design, explained Guru, stating that all three of them at 369 Design Lab like specifying Robe products whenever possible. MegaPointes, Spiiders, BMFLs, Tetra2s and TetraXs are frequently on their designs, and they think the brand is “reliable and solid”.

They had been wanting to use iFORTE LTXs for a while and jumped at the chance to get them in for this show with its demanding long-throw follow spotting requirements.

The six iFORTE LTX fixtures were deployed on four delay towers left and right of the stage, one each on the outer pair of towers and two each on the inner towers.

These effortlessly beamed across the substantial throw distances to stage B, which was right in the middle of the concert ground, and they were also highly effective despite the brightness of the LED screen.

“The power, focus and sharpness of the zoom even when very tight is really impressive,” notes Vinod, with Guru adding, “It was fantastic to be able to hit that B stage from almost 200 ft away and for the beams to keep a super-sharp focus, even when tightly zoomed in!”

One song – “Pathikichu” – was lit completely in red, and even with this concentration of deeply saturated colour, the iFORTE LTXs shone through and picked up the artist with no issues.

Albin – who was calling the spots while Vinod ran the console – highlighted that they wanted to have the four spot ops nearby at FOH so they could audibly hear the cues if necessary… without him having to try and make himself heard over the cans – which can be noisy and mushy, especially for a highly animated show.

This close proximity also allowed Albin to develop a semaphore (hand signal) system for the follow spot ops as backup – a great testament to the practicality of Indian can-do thinking.

Guru and Vinod were delighted with the results. “The organisers and producers could also clearly see the difference in quality of the light in the artist, and they appreciated why we insisted on having them for this epic show,” Guru concluded.

Five manual follow spots were on standby to also cover the stage if needed, but only one was utilised as the RoboSpots proved so efficient.

The biggest overall challenge for the show was the rain – it was still Monsoon season in India – and 24 valuable hours of on-site prep and programming time were lost due to torrential downpours… but everyone pulled together in a superlative team effort to ensure that Anirudh’s end-of-tour show was filled with a host of visual surprises and sent the audience away with long-lasting memories of a brilliant performance and an unforgettable night out.

Photo credit: Irshad Pookollathur.

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Featuring a lighting design by Paule Constable, Swan Lake continues to captivate audiences with its visual storytelling. WL is honoured to support the tour, ensuring the lighting design is delivered with precision and consistency across every venue.

As the production continues to travel to theatres across the UK, WL caught up with production electrician Rich Mence to explore the technical elements behind the scenes. His expertise ensures that each performance, whether in Aberdeen or Shanghai, delivers the same breathtaking impact envisioned by Paule.

“Touring a show of this scale is complex,” says Rich. “No two days are the same for a production electrician, but the setup follows a precise rhythm. We’re moving seven trailers of gear weekly, adapting to vastly different venues, and still delivering a consistent, beautiful show night after night. That’s only possible through meticulous planning, flexible design, and a team that works as one.”

From the outset, WL collaborated closely with Rich and the creative team to translate Paule’s design into a practical, tour-ready system. From developing a detailed shop order to prepping the rig at WL’s warehouse, every fixture – from ETC’s Gio @5 console to Luminex’s Luminode 12 DMX nodes—is tested, addressed, and ready to perform.

“WL’s infrastructure kit; especially the Prolyte S36 pre-rig truss and Luminex nodes, has been instrumental in streamlining our load-ins and maintaining system integrity across venues,” Rich explains. “It’s about working smarter, without compromising the artistic vision.”

Each venue presents its own spatial challenges, particularly in terms of auditorium size and proscenium width. These variations require constant adaptation of front-of-house lighting positions to preserve the integrity of the original design. Once optimal positions are identified, Chief Electrician Yoshi leads the relight process, ensuring the show maintains its visual consistency regardless of the venue.

One of the production’s most rewarding technical achievements is a subtle yet sophisticated lighting transition during a nightclub scene. A flown lighting position reveals a hidden bank of ColorForce II LED battens, replacing a previously cumbersome LED wall.

“It’s a cleaner, more efficient solution that enhances the scene whilst simplifying the rig,” Rich notes. “That’s the kind of innovation that makes touring sustainable and satisfying.”

WL’s Business Development Manager Stuart Porter adds: “It’s been incredible to work once again with Rich and continue supporting Swan Lake’s tour. We’ve partnered with New Adventures for many years and are proud to supply lighting for such a ground-breaking British dance-theatre company.”

Beyond the technical, the tour is a celebration of community and collaboration. From local crews to international venues, the production thrives on shared expertise and mutual respect.

“We’re lucky to work with incredible people across the UK, Europe, and Asia,” says Rich. “It’s a privilege to share this show with so many audiences, and to do it with a team that values excellence, creativity, and care.”

As Swan Lake continues its journey, WL remains committed to supporting productions that inspire, challenge, and connect – on stage and behind the scenes.

Photography by Johan Persson.

The post New Adventures with White Light for Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

The performances were part of Sam Fender’s critically acclaimed and ongoing People Watching album campaign. The album is renowned for its heartfelt emotion, storytelling and overwhelming relatability.

The production equipment for these four spectacular shows – three at Fender’s hometown stadium of St. James’ Park, Newcastle, and one in London – was supplied by Liverpool-based Adlib (lighting, video, rigging, PA system) and Plymouth-based Nubsound (audio control).

To align with Fender’s raw and distinctively original aesthetic, Sam Tozer’s primary lighting requirement was “sheer firepower”… but applied simply in order to complement the epic cinematic aesthetic. The elegance and quality light output further accentuated the intensity of Fender’s material.

“The tour had already played extensively in arenas, where the streamlined, clean-cut lighting treatment worked brilliantly and everyone loved it, so the main basic need for the stadium gigs was to scale this up,” continues Sam.

Sam Tozer has been involved with the Sam Fender creative team as show designer since 2020, and works closely with lighting director and show designer Luke Avery and video content creator James Lockey, together with production manager Rob Simpson and tour director Oli James.

Adlib has been the equipment vendor since 2018, starting back then with floor lighting and video packages. The account has grown exponentially with Sam Fender’s success and is managed enthusiastically for Adlib by Jordan Willis.

Being in midsummer, “We needed extreme brightness for these shows,” stated Sam Tozer on why iFORTE LTXs were chosen.

There was also no roof above the band on the stage – custom-designed by Acorn Event Stages – for this show, so all the kit needed to be IP rated.

Six cantilevered structural towers provided rigging points for four horizontal trusses in overhead positions just above the band playing area.

The look featured a wide upstage screen – 50 metres wide by 10 metres high – made up of transparent Roe Vanish 8 LED product, which was framed on all four sides with iFORTES. A spectacular 22 x 4 matrix of iFORTES – 88 in total – was rigged behind the screen on ladders, which kicked some serious lumens into the picture when needed, and enabled the screen to appear one moment… and magically dissolve the next – like a trick of the eye!

The iFORTE wall also offered some great depth and kinetic effects to be created, although Sam admits that most of the time, these iFORTE LTXs were running only at 40 percent, leaving plenty of headroom for power stabs, accents and looks.

Sixteen iFORTES were rigged in fours on the front side of each delay tower and used for key and front lighting on the band and for other ‘specials’. Sam noted that they make “excellent face illumination, looking natural and well-balanced on camera.”

He has used iFORTES before on several previous projects, so already knew they were robust and reliable fixtures.

Around six songs into the set, the stage was atmospherically lit using a base layer of video content, with iFORTES also mapped into the mix and triggered by the lighting console running Notch Blocks.

The four iBOLTS were rigged on top of the structural towers along the top side of the screen and used for special moments when the show needed some dramatic and hugely intense beam effects to underscore the onstage action.

Using them simply, straightforwardly, and judiciously ensured maximum impact and a chorus of audible ‘wows’ from the crowd, and this is exactly what the iBOLT was designed to do.

Sam’s most exacting challenge for these stadium shows was integrating the structural elements of the stage into the overall picture, so they assisted in closing down the area for more intimate moments and for re-launching back into ‘big-rock-legend scenes’ when needed.

Playing two venues essentially made this a very short tour that logically required huge focus and smooth, asymmetrical teamwork from everyone to get it spot on for all – band, fans, and production.

Jordan Willis commented that, from a rental company standpoint, iFORTES are “a flagship profile” also versatile enough to be a FOH follow spot and main key light fixture in stadiums. “The iFORTES have proved impressively bright for those first songs when you are playing outdoors in the summer, as well as incredibly reliable!” he stated.

Adlib loves collaborating with Sam Tozer – winner of this year’s coveted TPi Lighting Designer of the Year Award – for many reasons, including his “attention to detail related to every aspect of the show. He is highly creative, and a real team player who understands how things work and what is possible – or not – from the outset,” concludes Jordan.

Photo: Luke Dyson.

The post Robe gets People Watching for Sam Fender appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

For the 2025 edition, held from 3^rd – 7^th September 2025, light quality played a decisive role. As the official service partner of Messe Friedrichshafen, Organissimo worked with Elation to upgrade the arena’s lighting, illuminating it with seventy KL PANEL XL LED soft lights to ensure reliable, flexible, broadcast-quality performance.

Lighting the Americana Show Arena presented several unique challenges. Activities began as early as six in the morning and ran until midnight, with rehearsals often stretching into the early hours. This meant the lighting system had to perform under near-constant use. The arena was also captured on eight to nine cameras for both broadcast and livestream, requiring lighting that would look natural and flicker-free on screen.

At the same time, the welfare of the horses was paramount. Traditional halogen fixtures had not only failed frequently, requiring constant bulb changes, but they also projected blinding light that could distract riders and animals. With fixtures mounted high on trusses above sensitive arena sand, there was no opportunity for quick maintenance if something went wrong, so reliability and performance were essential.

The venue knew they wanted to upgrade to LED, and the solution was Elation’s KL PANEL XL, a powerful LED soft light known for its even light distribution, high output and excellent color rendering. Organissimo mounted seventy units across three long trusses running the length of the hall, along with additional trusses at each end to achieve full coverage. Organissimo’s Martin Knauer chose the KL PANELs for the arena lighting and created the overall lighting design.

The KL PANEL XL adapts easily to the needs of live events, camera productions, and large-scale shows, and its features proved decisive for Americana: its 544W RGBWLC LED array produces up to 44,000 lumens with a CRI of 95, ensuring natural, high-quality color reproduction. With a color temperature range from 2,000 to 10,000K and flexible DMX control, the lights could quickly adapt from the bright white wash required for horse competitions to smooth pastels and softer tones for demonstrations and shows. The fixtures also include barndoors, which allowed the team to direct light precisely while avoiding unwanted spill.

“For an arena of this size, homogeneous and reliable lighting is crucial,” says Daniel Geiger, Managing Director of Organissimo. “The KL PANEL XL provided us with the perfect combination of performance, flexibility, and energy efficiency. It was an ideal light for this type of show.” The KL lights were integrated into the overall production by Organissimo, which not only managed lighting, sound, and video but also oversaw some construction and provided behind-the-scenes support.

Organissimo collaborated with camera teams, who specifically requested LED panel softlights, something that would not project blinding light but could cover the entire arena in a uniform wash. The LED panels enhanced video capture without distracting riders or animals, while the RGBWLC engine provided the softer color tones requested by the client. Engineered for both live and broadcast environments, the KL Panel XL ensures flicker-free performance through a 900–25,000 Hz LED refresh rate and maintains near-silent operation.

The KL PANEL XL units worked in conjunction with moving head fixtures, enabling Organissimo to combine uniform soft washes with dynamic spotlighting for specific scenes and performances.

The results exceeded expectations. For the first time, the Americana arena could transition seamlessly between crisp competition lighting and immersive colored scenes, something previously impossible with the halogen system. Riders, audiences, and online viewers alike benefited from improved visibility, natural colors, and dynamic effects. The system performed reliably under heavy use, even with near round-the-clock operation, and no failures were reported. “We were very excited but also a bit nervous as we had not used these types of lights for a horse show before,” Geiger commented, “but they performed excellently.”

By all accounts, Americana 2025 was a resounding success, drawing more visitors than ever before and raising production quality to new heights. The collaboration between Organissimo and Elation underlined their shared ability to deliver tailored event technology at the highest level while the KL PANEL XL proved to be an effective solution for equestrian event lighting.

Photo courtesy of Organissimo.

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The artist’s long-term LD, Jason Baeri, had been an early adopter of the powerful fat-beam LED fixture, with its massive 750mm beam diameter, when he specified a pair of heads for the Canadian artist’s grand walk-on at this year’s Grammy Awards back in February. “But this time, the deployment was very different,” he states. “For the Grammys we just needed something that had an awesome amount of power behind it, without having to deploy 20 different fixtures – like one big ‘Fat Light of God’. The MAD MAXX was the most effective tool for the Grammys, whereas this time we are taking advantage of the considerable throw, and the nature of this being a giant sky -tracking object.”

The MAD MAXX CW houses 19 90W white light LEDs (delivering up to 68,000 lm). And while it is in the spirit of the classic 3K and 7K xenon arc-sourced searchlights of old, the MAD MAXX carries many advantages, as Baeri points out. “There was a hole left by that generation of space cannons, and this has now been filled by MAD MAXX. It was always tough touring with [the older fixtures] because they required so much infrastructure. But these can run pretty much through the whole show without needing a break. Also, while it’s one of the most potent effect lights you will come across, you still need to justify it in terms of truck space and crew. So to have something like this that doesn’t require its own special power and separate team is a really big deal.” Furthermore, being designated ‘No Laser’, it doesn’t require a separate operator licence or permissions.

Recently reclassified with an IP66 rating, Jason knew he would need all of MAD MAXX CW’s muscularity, delivered by 12 heads firing up from the stage front, simply to compete with all the other heavy-duty ordnance built into the scenography – including a massive 150ft × 60ft videowall. The fat beams themselves criss-cross against a composite city skyline backdrop that has been resonating with the fans. “We put them at the base of the skyline to emulate big skytrackers. Their scale, next to that of the scenery, changes them into something huge, making the city feel like it’s alive. Their throw covers the full length of a stadium which is really excellent.”

The new IP66 classification is an important feature. “The fixtures have held up well, including a few torrential downpours,” he says. “We didn’t lose any to the weather.”

Rather than using the colour wheel, Jason Baeri has opted largely for the fixture’s intense white light, to cut through the space. He and programmer Manny Conde are running the MAD MAXX CWs in three segment mode (centre pixel plus inner and outer rings): “The three-ring mode worked great and delivers everything that we intended without the need for the additional channels in this instance.”

The MAD MAXX CWs were supplied by Solotech, with Rob Kennedy as the account manager. “Solotech are family,” reasons Baeri. “Rob and the whole team are solutions providers from another age.”

Thus the combination of visual impact and ease of management has again proven a winning formula while maintaining engagement with the audience. “The MAD MAXX is definitely doing what was intended,” says the lighting designer in summary. “It’s an important statement piece as a tool, designed for power, that cuts right through all the other stuff that’s going on. It is an incredible fixture and I will certainly be using it again.”

Photo credit: Steve Jennings.

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The venue received a tranche of funding at the end of 2023 to upgrade its technical infrastructure, which has included purchasing a bunch of new Robe LED fixtures that are primarily rigged in the main hall, including 22 PAINTES, 12 LEDBeam 350s, 4 LEDBeam 350 FW (fresnel wash – for smoother edges and enhanced colour homogenisation), 6 Spiiders, 8 TetraXs and 16 LEDBeam 150s. These were delivered during 2024 by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux.

The fixtures were on a list compiled by technical consultant and lighting designer Sebastiaan Groen (also a former employee), Neushoorn’s head of lighting Jorden Boersma, and their overall head of technical, Michiel Cornelisse.

The venue was a new build in 2015. Sebastiaan started as an intern in 2016 and was Neushoorn’s first full-time technician until 2019 when he left for the rough-and-tumble of freelance adventures, returning in 2024 to oversee the upgrade together with Jorden who also started in 2024.

Michiel joined the team in 2023, just as the funding was coming onstream, for which he co-ordinated and oversaw the budgeting. He was already familiar with the needs of the venue, being a professional sound engineer and through his connection as the principal sound engineering teacher at Firda. He therefore asked plenty of pertinent questions relating to the best options for bringing the lights up to date and in line with the shows coming through, and also thinking of what would work best for teaching the students.

The venue’s two halls are The Grote Zaal (Main Hall) with a capacity of 750, and the Small Hall, which can host around 350 people depending on the configuration. The cafe can further accommodate 150 people, and these spaces often run simultaneously, so it is a frenetic and vibrant environment with constant activity, producing over 500 unique shows and events a year.

Additionally, Firda uses the venue for teaching assorted course modules and for their own productions, so the programme is as diverse as it is interesting.

When it came to the crunch decision-making about which new lights to get to best fulfil their needs, Robe was “an easy choice,” revealed Sebastiaan.

Neushoorn previously had an installation of Robe’s first-generation DL series LED theatrical luminaires with 17 x DL4Xs, which arrived in in 2016 … and these fixtures are still going and have been moved to the Small Hall.

He pointed out this impressive reliability to Leeuwarden city council, who fund the venue, and explained that they needed consistency and reliability, which returning to Robe would give.

Conversely, lights from some of the other brands also purchased in 2016 had not done so well and were broken and needed constant fixing 8 years down the line!

The seeds of the upgrade process were planted back in 2021 – that’s when Controllux’s Maikel Sakkers originally met with Sebastiaan and the management team – but everything paused due to Covid.

Once reactivated as the pandemic was on the way out, Sebastiaan reached for the old list and then started updating it as, fortuitously, not only had new tech been launched since then, but some even more appropriate options had come to the market as Robe utilised time creatively during the pandemic to develop and refine all the product lines.

“PAINTES were absolutely perfect – made for a venue like this – small, punchy and fast,” stated Michiel referring to this compact and versatile fixture.

The team visited some other venues around the Netherlands which had recently invested in new Robe technology to complete their research and gather some firsthand opinions on how well the kit was working in situ and see for themselves what an excellent combination PAINTES and LEDBeam 350s make.

Most of the new lights are rigged in the main hall, including a floor package comprising Spiiders, Tetras and four of the PAINTES, and the sound system there is Funktion One to the delight of audiophiles. The small hall has been nicely revamped with the 17 x DLX Spots, four of which are in their floor package, together with the same quantity of new LEDBeam 150s.

Jorden mentioned that the new lighting rig makes tech’ing and lighting shows seriously easier, quicker, and more efficient as well as enabling more creative and intricate designs to be realised for productions and presentations.

Lighting control in the main hall is an Avolites Arena console, with a T3 for the area running the latest Titan Mobile software. Jorden will typically light around 50 percent of the shows coming through, and the rest will bring their own LDs or operators. He observes that Avo and Robe work extremely well together, a trend that is set to develop and further synergise with the 2023 acquisition of Avolites by Robe marking a new era.

Photos: Louise Stickland.

The post Rhino in the Room for Robe appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

For this special feature at PLASA, the production team behind the official tour is partnering with Absen to provide an exceptional visual experience in the AbsenLive Experience Zone. Disguise will be powering the screens, while Brompton will be handling the processing. Additionally, Adam Hall is supplying the lighting and sound to ensure a first-class production.

Absen’s VN4.8 Pro, used for all sold-out UK tour dates this summer, will take centre stage, immersing visitors in the energy, the sights and sounds alongside live footage and photography of the comeback tour. Whilst touring the country, this large display was positioned prominently on stage, showcasing a range of visual content, and serving as a dynamic and impressive backdrop for the performances.

Alongside the Oasis set-up, there will be additional staging options for live events showcased, including the ultra-lightweight SA2.6, SA1.9 and SA2.6-C from Absen’s Saturn Series. The range offers versatile performance across a variety of configurations, to give staging professionals the flexibility and efficiency needed for fast-paced live event environments. The high-impact Jupiter Pro Series’ JP8 Pro will also be on display, demonstrating its remarkable visuals and streamlined installation capabilities, making it the ideal solution for touring. In addition, visitors can explore the AbsenLive hands-on area: an interactive space designed to encourage a closer look at the SA2.6 and SA2.6C from Absen’s rental and staging portfolio.

The AbsenLive Experience Zone at PLASA invites visitors to explore the full breadth of its premium technology with each solution crafted to meet the fast-evolving demands of touring and live event production.

“PLASA is the perfect platform to demonstrate our evolving capabilities in rental, staging, and virtual production,” says Darren Jackson, Business Development Manager, AbsenLive. “We’re excited to return to the event with our monumental Oasis project, showcasing how Absen technology continues to elevate live experiences.”

On Monday 8^th September from 16:00 – 18:00 there will be an exclusive performance from Shoasis, a UK Oasis tribute band, at the AbsenLive Experience Zone in the Oly Room (located near the Olympia Grand entrance) during PLASA Show 2025.

The post Relive the Oasis Live 25 Tour with AbsenLive at PLASA appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

This was clear to see at Cadre noir of Saumur, a stunning riding exhibition that took place at the famed seaside resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage as part of the Gala of the Squires of the Cadre noir of Saumur.

Highlighting the aesthetic harmony of horses and their riders at the popular event was an elegantly balanced lighting design that relied on the precise performance of 16 CHAUVET Professional Maverick Storm 2 Profile projectors supplied by Alive Angers, the technical provider for sound and lighting.

Charley Guitton of Alive Angers, who served as the project manager of Cadre noir of Saumur, and Esteban Sabatier, lighting console operator for the show who managed all aspects of lighting.  Speaking of the fixtures, they said: “We needed IP65 fixtures, given that the shows are held outdoors and there is a lot of dust with the Cadre noir horses, not to mention the potential rain.” said Guitton. Sabatier elaborated further. “I particularly liked these spotlights for their wide aperture, power, colors, and incredible range of over 70 meters,” he detailed.  “We used 16 spotlights instead of the initially planned 20, which demonstrates their efficiency.”

There were other criteria to evaluate about lighting Cadre noir of Saumur that were somewhat different than those considered in most other projects. A horse’s vision is quite unlike that of human. Although horses have a near 360-degree field of vision, they can’t see directly in front of their noses. Unlike humans, they also have a layer of tissue in front of their eyes called tapetum lucidum that makes them more sensitive to light.  These and other factors had to be considered when lighting Cadre noir.

“The specific challenge with lighting for this type of show is that we must not frighten the horses while highlighting them, including during the first part when it is still daylight,” explained Sabatier. “We cannot use strobes or overly violent color changes with the horses. That could scare them. But with the Maverick Storm 2 Profile, we were able to create subtle and effective lighting effects that enhance the performances without disturbing the animals. The Maverick Storm 2 Profile spotlights are high-quality and affordable, making them perfect for our needs. Also, we need fixtures with high output, as they are located far from the scene (70m) and that there is still daylight during the first part of the show.”

To address these and other factors Guitton and Sabatier worked closely with a talented team that included Jean-Philippe, General Manager of Alive Angers; 50 Prod the organizer of the event – especially Alexandre Demaere the Production Manager; Philippe, the security manager; and the invaluable technical team of Arnaud, Dylan, Etienne, Raf, Axel, Ben, and Pierre.

Thanks to their collective efforts, along with their versatile fixtures, Cadre noir of Saumur came off beautifully, pleasing not just the large crowd of spectators, but the magnificent creates at the heart of this renowned event.

Photo Credit: Elisa Marq.

The post Horses and Squires shine at Cadre noir of Saumur with CHAUVET Professional appeared first on A1 Lighting Magazine.

The visual concept relied heavily on lighting for impact – there were no video elements on this leg of the tour campaign – and included some key Robe products, including FORTE moving lights and HolyPATT scenic luminaires, supplied by rental company Promosa, also from Vancouver.

George has been working with the band for four years as their LD, and before then their paths serendipitously overlapped several times around as they were rising stars on Vancouver’s energetic local live music scene, so he’s witnessed most of their career trajectory first-hand and is now delighted to be a part of it.

For the “Long Hair, Long Life” tour, George imagined a completely new design. With a black backdrop upstage and no video, it was a perfect space for lighting to play important literal and scenic roles in the show.

The bent milk crate image from the album cover artwork inspired him to think of linear lines contrasting with the spherical HolyPATTs and riffing on the contrast between the two shapes. The design objective was straightforward, involving filling the space with elegance and quality lightsources, meaningful colours and stimulating, dramatic contrasts.

He wanted HolyPATTS for their interesting appearance and the distinctive look they bring to the stage, and this became a starting point from which the lighting design evolved into an upstage row of 13 wide by 2 high HolyPATTs rigged on ladder trusses, with the fixtures alternated in height and positioned just in front of the black (back-cloth).

Based on Robe’s PATT2013™, the larger HolyPATT™ has a 4W LED Vintage Soft Coil filament lamp with a colour temperature of 1,800K to illuminate the transparent gold-brown parabolic reflector which produces an atmospheric glow.

“I love the texturing and richness of incandescent lighting, and while these are LED fixtures, their dimming response, retro styling and brushed aluminium casing add the impression of a softer tungsten warmth to the picture,” he explained.

The fixtures perfectly filled out the space behind the band, bringing form and depth to the stage.

Six of the ten FORTES were positioned along the floor at the back, with the other four – two a side – deployed left and right for low level cross light. George chose FORTES for their brightness and quality optics.

“I needed power and lumens from these angles, especially when in saturated colours, and FORTES were perfect,” he stated, adding that he feels FORTES are “unmatched” when it comes to aerial effects and yet equally as good for key lighting people onstage. “They were a huge part of the lightshow,” he explained.

Previously, George has used FORTES on numerous projects: “They are my first choice for compact, super-quick and rock-solid profile/spot fixtures.”

He had used HolyPATTS only once before on a tour with Ocie Elliott, which was also a bit of a test run to see how they would work onstage and how they would fare with touring – being pleasantly surprised in both contexts.

Challenges for the tour included the variety of venues being played and the consequent levels of light pollution. “We also basically wanted something that would look great anywhere, whether switched on or off,” George commented, referring to the HolyPATTs.

A memorable lighting moment of the set on the last tour was during the song “Peach Pit”, when he used all the HolyPATTs glowing at around 20 percent and a single FORTE, a simple framing of the action that was highly visually effective.

Working with George on programming for the tour was assistant designer and associate Averil Bott who also directed some of the dates when George had to jump off to fulfil other commitments.

Looking after the ‘roll-on-roll-off’ rig on the road was lighting crew chief Andrew Balzer from Promosa.

George notes that Robe is a leading international manufacturer, and he is constantly impressed with the way the brand continues to bring new and unique products like the HolyPATT to the market.

He feels that the FORTE/iFORTE range has been another game-changing fixture from Robe that has set the bar high, and all of these and more will continue to be used and specified for all Loud Entertainment Design Group projects, including upcoming ones with all-girl rockers The Beaches and rapper Shubh.

Photo credits: Kyle Dean.

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