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How can I light a soft rock gig?


RaltoJo96

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I've been asked to light a small soft rock gig for a friend, but I was just wondering what I could do with it. All I have is two banks of Par64s, any suggestions of what I could do to make it look impressive? I don't fancy just setting up a chase or just sitting there flashing them on and off. I wanna do something awesome! :D

 

Thanks,

Jo

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Two Banks? - Dependent on who you speak to this can mean 8 or 12 Par cans in total (either 4 way, or 6 way bars)

 

If they are rigged on Bars, take them off. Chuck two out front (Or even 1) just as a bit of front light without gels, then stick gels in all the rest, Nice rich vibrant colours should do, dont bother with a dark green, although a complet blue wash does look nice go for a lighter shade of blue.

 

Some on the floor at the back, some to the side, some up top, all with different colours in them, so each colour comes from a different angle. Then get fancy with the chases! Not much else you can do really.

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I've been asked to light a small soft rock gig for a friend, but I was just wondering what I could do with it. All I have is two banks of Par64s, any suggestions of what I could do to make it look impressive? I don't fancy just setting up a chase or just sitting there flashing them on and off. I wanna do something awesome! :D

 

Thanks,

Jo

Hi Jo

Two banks of how many Par 64s?

Do you have enough dimming to control each Par individually?

What rigging facilities have you got (IWBs, T-Bars, Manfrottos etc)?

Do the Pars have to provide face light as well as or is there something else for this?

Do you have haze available?

 

Charlie http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

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Eeee I seemed to have missed a lot of information out here...

 

There's 4 cans per bank, however now I come to think of it I could possibly get a third, depending on the size of the venue. And yes there's enough to control each par can separately, and sadly no haze available. It wouldn't be necessary to provide face light, but we could for effect if needed. They're hung on T-bars I think. :)

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...It wouldn't be necessary to provide face light, but we could for effect if needed...

 

Sure about that one?

 

 

I would do:

 

3 backlight cans at back on stands (either on stands up quite high, or on the floor in a fan array) colours depend on music.. maybe RBG, maybe magneta, blue, and amber.. or just open white would be fine.

(infact, just reading about having no haze.. might be more effective to have the stands as sidelights, with the same array..)

 

2 front lights (o/w)

 

 

not much more creativity you can do really..

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I've been asked to light a small soft rock gig for a friend, but I was just wondering what I could do with it. All I have is two banks of Par64s, any suggestions of what I could do to make it look impressive? I don't fancy just setting up a chase or just sitting there flashing them on and off. I wanna do something awesome! :D

 

Thanks,

Jo

 

Hi Jo,

 

If in terms of two banks you mean 8 P64's then your options are OK-ish, however it all depends if you can rig them or if you can just use T-bars. If I were you I'd go with:

 

2 x front light - Sorry, but it's kind of essential and the bare bones unless you can compensate with side light - You wouldn't go to a gig to just see some video screens and speakers with someone supposedly singing but yet you struggle to see them would you? :P

 

I'd then create a nice vibrant wash to fill the stage - I can't say use 2x or even 3x as it depends on your venue and you'd have to experiment. That should look nice though, again Gel depends on the type of music but I've always found a vibrant blue to be very effective. In terms of rigging the wash lights, you're looking at a good height and I'm afraid if you're restricted to T-bars it could look a bit poor.

 

I'd then place 1 or 2 PARs either side of the stage for some side light - If it's soft rock this could look fairly nice, it wouldn't be nothing to fierce but would define each member of the band - One thing you need to consider is the people watching the gig, is it more teens wanting the effect and flashy flashy, or do they actually want to see the performers? While I'm at it, with rock I've always found back light beautiful for not so much lighting the talent but just outlining them but still looking effective.

 

If you have the time - Play around a little here; see what works best with the venue. And refer back to is it about lighting the talent or effect, with rock you can do a bit of both - But really you need to think about which one for this concert is more important. We can't decide this for you as we haven't seen or heard the band and don't know the venue. But we can help! :).

 

Regards,

 

James.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Get a list of the songs being played with an indication of style (slow, fast, sad, clueless, classical etc). The flashing looks better if you choose some suitable songs for just verse / chorus changes.
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Nothing wrong with colour chases - BUT - they have to be manual. In all my years since the first controls appeared with a 'chase' button I have hated the result. If you are a musician, you can play the chase, with the feel of the music. With a limited number of sources - maybe select a couple of vibrant colours - maybe a blue, not too dark, but a 'proper' blue, and something like a red - I quite like the fire colour. Then you can use this as a kind of constant - with limited quantities, it won't be a proper wash, but from the front, will be ok of they're crossed to get the most beam spread. I like a really vivid yellow for the beats/blam moments, and possible a magenta/pink, depending on the style. Making them change in sympathy with the music is the key to making limited kit look good.
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There's 4 cans per bank, however now I come to think of it I could possibly get a third, depending on the size of the venue. And yes there's enough to control each par can separately

 

If you can get a third then how about putting it at the back on the floor and pointing those 4 cans upwards through the drums and amps, all in open white and all at completely diferent angles. Even without haze that should still look good for effects.

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