Avolites and Avolites Media continued their strong association with Glastonbury Festival with an array of equipment and an eager team out in force to support friends and colleagues alike. With three headline acts on the main stages controlled by Avolites, as well as numerous other acts and stages, the festival proved an excellent opportunity to showcase the power and versatility of the range.
The first of the headliners, Arcade Fire, performed in elaborate costumes and face paint against a myriad of moving mirrors, fireworks, and an outstanding use of lighting skilfully conducted by Chris Bushell from a Sapphire Touch.
Meanwhile, for Kaiser Chiefs, Ali Pike put on an excellent light show using Titan Mobile. Disclosure’s festival closing set on West Holts stage featured a light show from Will Potts controlled using a Tiger Touch Pro.
Lily Allen performed against a backdrop of 24 baby bottles, supplied by Ben Vaughan of Light Initiative, made up a bespoke video screen, with media served using an Avolites Media Ai Infinity EX4 Server.
Anna Calvi’s Park Stage performance was supported by Tom Campbell, controlling lights from his Tiger Touch II. Beautifully lit by Leela Otremba, Little Dragon delivered an energetic set using her own Tiger Touch II console, also employed on the band’s world tour, in support of latest album Nabuma Rubberband. “With this show, the most important feature has to be Pixel Mapper. I used it to draw simple images which I then manipulate in the Pixel Mapper to get bespoke effects. It is especially useful for making my own colour patterns. In general I have really got into using the Set List feature as well.”
“The main elements for this show were the abstract fluorescent tubes,” says Otremba. “They were the part of this design that I inherited to a certain degree; so I took what was there and made it my own by using Light Initiatives’ custom LED wands and reworking the positioning of the strips. My main focus was to get certain fluorescent colour combinations and really bring the design to life. I did a lot of research into custom strips and fixtures to ensure my desired look came together on stage in terms of dynamic, colours and practicality.
The Arcadia stage opened each night with an enthralling ‘Landing Show’, with the stage set for a stellar electronic line-up including Disclosure, Mr. Scruff and David Rodigan MBE. Jamie Trant was controlling the lights for the stage from a Sapphire Touch, with support from Avolites. The video mapped content, coming from an Infinity EX8 server and Sapphire Media Server was controlled by Tom Wall and supported by Avolites Media. All equipment used on the stage, including the above as well as a back-up Tiger Touch II and two Titan Net Processors, was supplied by Tim Smith of Smash Productions, who also served as production manager for Arcadia.
Other areas featuring Avolites kit included Shangri La, where the Hell Stage was controlled by a Tiger Touch II from PF Events. In Shangri La’s Art Department area, featuring artwork from the likes of Shephard Fairey, Hayden Kays and Doug Foster, were two Titan Mobiles, an Expert Pro and three Powercubes, courtesy of James Waudby from Astral Design. The Circus and Theatre area saw Avolites particularly well represented, with Sapphire Touch consoles gracing the Acoustic and Circus stages, as well as a Tiger Touch and ART 2000 dimmers on Cabaret, and an Expert and Wing on the Theatre stage. All of this was provided by Fineline, with Simon Johnson and James Loudon among the names in control.
Also on site were Coloursound, supplying a range of kit including an Expert Pro to the Glade stage, and on the London Underground area of Block 9, an Expert Pro plus Powercube and an ART2000 T4 dimmer. Providing another Powercube to Block 9’s Genesis, Coloursound also controlled the lighting for the majority of the bars on site.
“It is hard to explain just how important Glastonbury is to me personally as well as to Avolites as a company. Firstly, we are able to obtain fantastic feedback by directly interfacing with LDs who use the lighting and video control systems. Secondly, we strengthen the existing relationships with designers, and the numerous new contacts our huge team of Avolites staff on site are able to develop. We also get direct and up to the minute input on where our industry as a whole is heading – allowing Avolites to deliver on our promise of defining the future,’ says Avolites and Avolites Media MD Steve Warren.
