Colour Sound Experiment supplied a lighting and video floor package for the latest
run of live shows by talented music producer Bonobo (Simon Green), with a brand
new lighting look for the stage designed by Will Thomas.

Thomas has produced an energising and refreshing show to match the vibe of the
music of “Migration’ and its transitory themes. A major starting point for this was
the visual material commissioned by Bonobo and produced by Strangeloop from LA,
who also created the screen design which brought an architectural presence to the
stage.

It was largely left to the ingenuity of Thomas and technician / rigger James Hind –
with support from others at Colour Sound – to produce a safe ground-supported
solution to position the asymmetric screens – the tallest being 5.5 metres high – in
exactly the right places.

Enjoying a great working relationship with Colour Sound, Thomas and Hind started
building structures in the warehouse and experimenting with different ideas for five
individually supported LED screens.

The route they chose utilised six Guil Engineering UKL 800 XL tower lifts which were
rigged with assorted trussing pieces to which the screens were then attached. These
lifts are like a modern version of the classic rock “n’ roll Genie superlift… and were
supplied, brand spanking new, by Neg Earth.

The screen was Colour Sound’s proprietary BT-6 LED, and the centre of the five
screens was supported by two lifts.

Lighting had to fit in between the screens and not impose on the shape, so Thomas’
design was based on six vertical Litec QX30 towers, hinged for quick erection,
standing on X-Bases. The centre pair were 4.5 metres high, the next were 4 metres
and the outside pair were 3.5 metres, with the lights sitting a little bit higher when
attached.

The workhorse fixtures of the design – programmed to maximise the stage space
and enhance the idea of shape and form – were Chauvet Rogue R2 LED washes.

Of 21 x R2s in total, two were rigged to each tower, complimented by five on the
floor and two a side on Manfrotto stands downstage, used for all the keying and
maintaining an essential subtlety to the lighting.

Also on the towers was a 2-cell blinder, with another 6 on the floor, then six Robe
Pointes positioned upstage on the deck for effects and aerial work.

Spread around the towers and on the side Manfrotto stands were 19 Chauvet Rogue
1 FX-Bs – newly purchased by Colour Sound.

Thomas ran lighting from a ChamSys MQ500 console – one of two also newly
purchased by Colour Sound – which he thinks is “excellent’.

The video was run via a Resolume system side-stage, which fed it straight to the
screens, but Thomas had control over the intensity via ArtNet.

The general “top’ lighting rig for the two largest gigs on this section of the tour –
Brixton and Manchester Apollo – was provided by GLS.

With every venue and stage being radically different, the tech has to be adaptable,
knowledgeable, a great communicator and generally excellent at their job …
“otherwise I would not be able to spend half the time I do at front of house
designing and programming,’ he states.