Clay Paky Sharpys on Pitbull's world tour

22 May 2012

Canada - Rapper and pop singer-songwriter Pitbull, a Billboard Latin Music Award winner, has been playing to packed houses on his PlanetPit World Tour 2012 where Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures are in tune with the artist's vibe.

The tour recently concluded a cross-Canada run, will be heading for Europe shortly and plans to return to the US in the fall. Lighting designer Justin Geiger of Florida-based Impulse Creative Group designed a tiered rig with video in the centre for the Canadian dates. Impulse Creative Group consists of a design team with experience in live concerts, corporate events and houses of worship, which offers production design, system development and total show management.

"There's a high-energy club vibe to the show; it's very upbeat," says Geiger. "The venues mostly hold 8-14,000 people, and Pit is selling out all over the place."

Geiger "built everything around multiple heights and depths," placing six Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures on band risers, four Sharpys in each of the two wings and eight more across the top.

"They're being used as the fast-moving fixture of the show," says the lighting designer. "They're crazy bright for accenting strobe hits, and I use them for pulsing dimmer chases. In fact, I use them for every cue. The gobos are great, too."

Geiger notes that Sharpy fixtures appear to be "popping up everywhere" these days. "For good reason," he notes. "I had never used them before but told my production manager that I had to have them for the tour. And I just love them." Lighting fixtures for the Canada tour were supplied by Briere.

Francesco Romagnoli, Clay Paky area manager for North and Latin America, adds, "We're glad that our fixtures are doing so well for this tour. Mr. Geiger is a great designer truly understands the impact that the Sharpy can have."

(Jim Evans)