Lighting and visuals designer Andy Hurst wanted to make a big impact for Chase &
Status’ acclaimed Saturday night headliner set at the 2017 Lovebox festival in
London’s Victoria Park. He, therefore, designed an epic specials package which was
supplied by HSL, together with crew – which was installed under the event’s
production “top rig’.

The “extras’ included 194 x SGM Q-7 LED flood/strobes, used highly effectively for the
onslaught of strobes that you expect at a Chase & Status gig, as well as super-bright
floods and audience blinders.

The Q-7s were rigged so that they worked together effectively in linear strips,
wrapping around the back and sides of the stage, the PA wings and the portrait format
IMAG side screens, also integrating these screens into the performance space.
Andy loves creative challenges and is known for his fresh approach. “I wanted this
consistency and coherence in the look to put the band right at the centre of the
aesthetic, and also bring a structural integrity, depth and a sense of perspective,’
explained Andy.

With a get-in at 3 a.m. the day of the show and a number of other considerations, it
was vital that the design be practical to install as well as looking cool and dynamic.
Upstage five trussing towers were deployed – suspended from a truss in the roof and
also anchored to the floor on bases, each outrigged with 16 x Q-7s which took care of
80 fixtures and made up an impressive upstage matrix of lights behind the “house’
video screen, a 12mm surface from CT – made up from a semi-transparent product at
Andy’s request.

This worked perfectly for through-the-screen retina-burn effects and contrasted
completely to when the screen content was running, which was a mix bold ambient
video and footage of various guest vocalists who have worked with Chase & Status.
The band has used this as a vehicle to bring virtual – but larger-than-life – artists to
stage in their shows for some time.

Emile Sande, with whom the d&b duo have collaborated for their new single, “Love Me
More’ made a surprise live appearance to the delight of the very enthusiastic crowds.
The side trusses were angled slightly and provided rigging for seven wide by four deep
grids of Q-7s each side, consuming another 56 units, with a row of Kinekt lasers along
the top from ER.

Lasers are a lightsource that feature frequently and innovate in Andy’s designs, and
on this one, he utilised a total of 44 Kinekts. In addition to these upstage ones,
another ten a side were rigged on the angled side trusses, alternated with more Q-7s
on drop arms.

Another eight Q-7s a side were rigged vertically – four each on two offstage towers –
and the Q-7 picture was completed with 10 fixtures rigged up the most offstage
towers the other side of the IMAG screens, with 7 a side along the bottom of the
screen … all of this giving the full “wrap’ effect and endless possibilities for the full on
maelstrom of a lightshow that accompanies a Chase & Status performance.
Ten Vari*Lite 6K beam lights were positioned on the floor behind the band, from
where they blasted powerful piercing beam effects into the audience and aerials into
the sky.

The specials package was completed with 12 x Robe LEDWash 1200s, six a side on the
deck or low-level cross lighting and two at the back offstage from the row of VL6000s.
The design gave Andy all the energy and movement he needed to light another
incendiary performance.

He utilised his own Road Hog Full Boar control set up, and HSL’s crew of three
comprised Andy “Paris’ Hilton, Kevin Parrott and crew chief Matt Brown. All lighting
elements of the show were coordinated and project managed in the office by HSL’s
Jordan Hanson.

“They were all fantastic’ commented Andy, “We did a lot of pre-production work and a
detailed prep up in Blackburn to ensure that all ran like clockwork on-site. It was a lot
of hard work for a one off, but it was worth it – everyone was very happy with the
results.’