Podium de Vorstin is a purpose-built live music venue right in the heart of “media city’
Hilversum, in the Netherlands. It’s interesting modern neo-ecclesiastical steel
architecture was created by Architekten Cie and ensures that it stands out as an
aesthetic landmark as well as a popular entertainment venue.

Production assistant Robin von Zijl and technical manager Michael Sakkers were part
of the team who chose Robe Spiider LED wash beams and DL4S Profile luminaires –
16 of each – in a recent technical upgrade. This replaced their previous moving lights,
which were from a competitor brand and dated back to 2010 when the venue opened,
built on the site of the former De Tagrijn youth centre which burned to the ground.

Vorstin’s action-packed production schedule includes at least three or four live gigs
every weekend. Events are held at its two performance spaces – of 850 and 300
respectively – which can be set up in a number of different configurations to stage a
mix of bands, dance shows, stand-up comedy and cabaret and also includes regular
radio and TV broadcasts.

There were two main reasons Robe was selected following a shootout just to underline
that they were making the correct decision. The first was that Robe is now is on
numerous band/artist lighting riders as the moving light preference, and the second is
their excellent working relationship with Benelux distributor Controllux.

The majority of the 16 x Spiiders and 16 x DL4S Profiles are in the main room’s
overhead rig, with four of each type reserved for floor specials. Vorstin’s smaller hall –
from which Radio 2’s Saturday afternoon Music Cafe’ is broadcast – has some
LEDBeam 100s that were installed in 2015. These are used five days a week and in all
that time – there has only been an issue with one unit.

For the vast majority of incoming bands and artists, Vorstin’s in-house team will
design and operate lights explained Robin, so they are using the Robe’s extensively.
“They are great lights with an excellent output,’ he comments.

The Spiiders are run in extended mode giving individual pixel control which is great
for eye and camera candy. “The zoom is fantastic and so fast,’ stated Robin, adding
that with these installed, they don’t need to rely on PAR cans anymore when lighting a
show.

The DL4S profiles he thinks are “quick, responsive and quiet’ and all the technical
crew are extremely pleased with them. The DL4Ss are constantly used for face and
key lighting for which they are an efficient and highly flexible solution, and the new
fixtures are making a big difference to how they can light all types of shows.
Robin first worked with Robe products when he was freelancing for leading Dutch
rental company Ampco Flashlight, so he knows their reliability and quality-engineering
from his experiences there.

Apart from the huge increase in flexibility at Vorstin, the crew also receives many
positive comments from bands and artists about the new lighting. “They notice the
improvement,’ confirms Robin.
The “standard’ house rig is redesigned and completely re-rigged each year to ensure
that shows can get plenty of variety in the look and feel and the most out of the
various fixtures.