BLØF is a Dutch rock band that has an enthusiastic and eclectic fanbase earning serious respect for the musical integration of sounds, styles and genres from a diversity of cultures into their work, therefore expanding the look and feel of the visual environment is key when designing their lighting.
Patrick Kramer, lighting designer for BLØF, was able to “paint’ using lighting at a recent show at Amsterdam’s 17 000-capacity Ziggo Dome, with a little help from over 200 Robe moving lights including 26 of the new BMFL Spots. Kramer collaborated with set and video designer Bart van Rooy and between them, the concept of building geometric shapes, squares and rectangles evolved. These were based on a Layher scaffolding superstructure clad with a mix of LED and scenic panels.
Kramer chose Robe for all his moving lights, which comprised of the BMFL Spots, 40 x Pointes, 80 x CycFX 8s, 34 x LEDWash 800s and 32 x MMX WashBeams. “Each set of fixtures had a specific functionality, and combined they enabled him to produce an eye-catching and emotive show that thrilled and captivated the audiences and impressed the press,’ he explains.
BMFLs on the over-stage trusses were used for potent front lighting, while those on stage at the back were used to create huge all-encompassing long-throw beam-looks, high clarity gobo effects and vibrant band washes. The Pointes were positioned upstage in five vertical lines, their primary role to increase the depth of the set and stage’s three dimension and accentuate its scale.
The CycFX 8s framed the top and bottom of the set / stage, emphasising the architecture of the space and completely changing the appearance of the stage. They were connectors between the energies of the band onstage and the audience, wiping across the space with huge sweeps of colour and masses of beams so the stage appeared to be floating. The LEDBeam 800s were situated in the Layher scaffolding structure and used to backlight the stage making it glow and shimmer.
The MMX WashBeams were used for side lighting, highlighting the silhouette and lines of the set as well as for adding pulsating washes. The scope of the design and the versatility of all these Robe fixtures meant that Kramer could cut between enormous epic looks one second to cool, subtle, fluid, intimate looks the next. “It was the first time I have used BMFL Spots and I have been itching to use them since seeing the pre-production models at the factory in the Czech Republic.’ He also likes the zoom range and the choice of gobos and reiterates the impressive optical quality of the BMFL.
Patrick ran the lighting and lasers from Resal Laser, for the Ziggo Dome event on his Avolites Sapphire Touch console, with an Avolites Ai Infinity server playing back the video content and live camera feed. Lighting, rigging and sound equipment was supplied by PRG EML, video kit came from Faber AV with content produced by Bart van Rooy and programmed by Tenfeet’s Leon Driessen. The stage structure was built by Interstage BV.
