Bands and gig lighting

[Jamtastic3]

Well I thought I'd just see what peoples thoughts are on today's world of lighting when it comes to bands.

 

I've noticed a slight 'trend' as such with such bands as Keane, Razorlight, U2 etc and also particular music shows like T4 and channel 4's TBA, where their lighting seems to be made up of various old lights - some huge beasts just pointing out from behind bands . I don't know any of these lights by name but I'm certainly not talking about PATTs here. So why are old conventionals creeping up on the modern gig stage? Are they to tie in with the chique, indie, retro characteristics of bands and their styles or is it just another design process where the lighting designer is defining the lighting as another form of elegance to look at rather than something that should be hidden in a rig?

Personally I'm not a big fan of these old style lights - but in some situations they do look nice.

[tokm]

Hmm,

 

I know of a few tours that have taken things like 5k Fresnel's on tour.. but for bands like U2 and Razorlight, it sounds like your talking about Syncrolite heads, they could be mistaken as old lanterns..

 

I saw a gig on Channel 4 a few weeks ago, think it was the Snow Patrol doing a gig in some old place in London that was just glass all round. Was a day time gig so not much lighting to it other than few big 5k frezzies behind the band (could be what the O/P is talking about)

 

There may be a trend for modern bands of the level of say Zutons, Artic Monkeys and alike to still use lots of generics, but the big super size tours like U2 and Robbie Williams and a lot of the tours by bands just a bit smaller are almost 100% intelligent kit.. At least thats what the articles in LSI and from what Ive read on here seem to indictate!

 

Just my thoughts on it all,

 

Tom

[marky]

I actually think it's quite refreshing to see them again! Par bars and tungsten space flower things make a really big impact against hundreds of moving lights!! Lighting is all about contrast, so it's good to see!

 

Retro clothes are back in fashion, the same goes for lights I guess...

 

Anything which challenges the way you think about light or lighting techniques is good as far as I'm concerned, but as always it's a personal taste thing.

[lightsource]

Retro clothes are back in fashion, the same goes for lights I guess...

 

And with the amount of bands charting with 80's covers, the music's not that different either ;)

[Modge]

Indie bands are all about being retro it seems, even if they have a bunch of movers people will still be impressed with retro they are if they do e.g. have hudge fresnals on sticks behnd the band.

 

Also there was (in general tech chat I think) fairly recently a silly bug par can rig appreshation thread, which I whole heartly agreed with.

[landy]

I saw a gig on Channel 4 a few weeks ago, think it was the Snow Patrol doing a gig in some old place in London that was just glass all round. Tom

 

I think 'that old place' was a small venue called The Royal Opera House ;)

[Stu]

Depeche Mode had some nice bits on their last tour, which consisted of an old 5k/10k fresnel which had the guts cut out of it and replaced with some LED modules (can't remember which types!) which looked pretty damn good!