USA - While many concert tours rely on large lighting rigs that showcase extreme lighting displays, some are more about the experience of the music than the production behind it. Such was the case for lighting designer Rich Locklin and lighting director Steve Fallon who have recently completed work on the latest Paul Simon tour.
Tasked with creating a design that worked in harmony with the music instead of overpowering it, Locklin and Fallon teamed with authorized dealer TMS who supplied them with Vari*Lite luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite.
"This show is not about lighting," began Locklin. "You close your eyes and listen to the music and when you open them again you're not looking to be shocked into the moment, lighting has to be about supporting the artist and the music."
With a stage set up that consisted of four risers with nine key lighting areas, and a 48' high gray scrim for the projection, Locklin and Fallon knew that in order to achieve the ideal balance, the fixtures chosen would have to provide them with rich colours at varying intensities, and full color temperature control. It was the matching of these criteria that led them to select Vari*Lite luminaires.
Fallon explained, "In this design the lights had to be able to blend with the projection. We are projecting onto a grey surface so that the background of the show is more conducive to being just that, a background, instead of an omnipresent image. Therefore, in order to get the perfect blend between lighting and projection, we have to go though consistent yet varying degrees zoom, intensity, and colour."
"I knew we had to have the Vari*Lite beam spreads where we could go from a tight beam to a wide, soft wash," said Locklin. "We would be using the fixtures to mainly lig and the ht the band, colour wash the stage, and then give some texture on the projection backdrop. With Vari*Lite luminaires I have the ability to develop more of a softness where it is not all about beams or 'in your face' lighting, but more about the unity of light and sound."
To fill their lighting rig, Locklin and Fallon used ten (10) VL1100 ERS luminaires for front key lighting, 14 VL3000 Spot luminaires for general stage wash and backlight colour blending, and then eight VL3500 Wash FX luminaires for slight texture on the projection screen along with additional backlight colour blending. While some revel in the power of the VL3000 Spot and VL3500 Wash FX, Locklin and Fallon touched on the more subtle and creative features of the lights, along with the versatility of the VL1100 ERS.
