PixelLines for Pyramid Stage

4 July 2005

UK - James Thomas Pixel Fixtures were utilized in a number of non conventional ways at Glastonbury 2005, including the architectural illumination of the Festival's Pyramid Stage, seen - literally - in a completely new light for the first time!

These various lateral applications of Pixel fixtures illustrated their energy-saving properties, adaptability and low heat emissions. The latter specifically enabled them to be encased in plastic and other impromptu weatherproofing materials to protect them from the swamp like conditions, in abundance at this year's Festival!

Pixel's Chris Ewington and Pyramid Stage LD Andy Porter (AKA Fraggle) had been speaking about architecturally lighting the Pyramid for the last couple of years. In 2004, Fraggle used PixelPAR 90s to illuminate the internal structural detail of the lighting rig. This year, with the new 110ec PixelLine wash fixture coming on line he developed the scheme further. He placed 18 PixelLine 110ec's around the base of the stage washing the skin of the Pyramid. The internal trussing of the structure was again lit - with 24 PixelPAR 90s.

The Pixel fixtures were controlled by Fraggle's laptop running JTE's PixelDrive software. He used the Scheduler in PixelDrive to switch on in the mornings and run throughout the day, gradually fading in as darkness fell. The lights draw very little power so the cost of leaving them on all day was not an issue.

The Pyramid was lit in solid red on the Friday for the White Stripes and in blue on Saturday for Coldplay's headline slot. On the Sunday, for Basement Jaxx's closing headline set, it was a combination of congo and pink plus some interesting rainbow looks.

"They are fabulous fixtures" says Fraggle on the 110ec's. Lighting the Pyramid proved a big hit with everyone from festival goers to the BBC, which filmed the show every day. On PixelDrive, he says, "It's a great piece of control software - quick and easy to use and highly flexible. It also ran on my old laptop, which was ideal for the 'muddy field' situation."

The Glade Area, run by Mark Parsons, took advantage of 12 of JTE's new 21W PixelPUP fixtures to internally light a 10m diameter inflatable star. This acted as a beacon visible from all across the site, drawing people into the magical Glade area.

The PixelPUPs were set to an auto RGB and Amber chase. The Glade's "G" stage was lit up with 18 PixelPipes - also a recent addition to the Pixel Range, plus a PixelLine 110ec. In the Budweiser Crown tent, LD's Nick Jevons and Phil Winward of Electric Fly Productions used 17 James Thomas PixelLine 1044 battens to make a literal light sculpture translation of Budweiser's Crown logo. This served equally well as a powerful daytime lighting statement upstage as it did for producing lighting effects for the many bands performing in this area. They also used five PixelPAR 90s for general stage wash lighting - with all units and the other stage lights run from an Avolites Pearl.

In addition to these more off-beat uses of Pixel Fixtures, many LDs integrated them into band sets and performances on the main stages, including LD Leggy for Basement Jaxx, closing the festival on the Pyramid stage complete with 26 PixelLines, and Jonny Gaskell, LD for Fatboy Slim. Pixelline 11044s were also used by Colour Sound Experiment as an integral element of the Dance Tent lighting.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)