Robe For Doll Domination

robe-pussycat-dolls-pcd292108379.jpgPittsburgh, Pennsylvania based LD Scott Warner is using all-Robe moving lights including fixtures from the new Digital Series on his rig for the Pussycat Dolls popular “Doll Domination” tour, currently in Europe, with lighting equipment being supplied by UK-based HSL.

Warner first used Robe fixtures on a PCD show in St Petersburg, Russia last year. The performance, brightness and features impressed him so much that Robe has now become his moving light of choice. With the timing of Doll Domination, he was keen to try out Robe's new Digital Series, so added 6 DigitalSpot 7000DTs, 36 REDWash 3Ÿ192 LED wash lights and 12 Robe REDBlinder 2Ÿ96s to the spec – all of which were newly purchased by HSL for the tour. The rig also includes 60 Robe ColorSpot and ColorWash 2500E ATs.

The 90 minute PCD performance is a highly visual, all-action extravaganza encompassing the genres of pop, hip-hop and cabaret, for which Warner's light show needed plenty of multiple-choice options.

His creative scope has to cover all avenues and keep the new looks coming and the excitement and anticipation pumping right to the final chords. He achieves all this with a relatively expediently sized rig in terms of fixtures.

“The 2500s are fantastic,” says Warner, as the core elements of his design, “They're proving really reliable, very bright and offer all the flexibility I need”.

The lights are distributed all across the rig. This features an innovative trussing design based on 4 Octopods - two static underneath the front truss and two moving ones over-stage left and right, plus a 4.5 metre circular truss stage centre, and a smaller semi circular truss. In the upstage left and right corners are two 20ft runs of SwingWing truss, flown diagonally, and there's also a back truss running the full width of the stage.

On the floor are 8 REDWashes used as footlights across the front of the stage and four ColorSpot 2500E ATs in ‘shin-buster' positions stage left and right. The idea was to keep the floor clear of lights and accentuate the clean lines of the set, a co-design between Warner and production manager Bryan “Froggy” Cross.

Warner uses the REDWashes to cover the stage and set with numerous lush and striking colours. He comments, “They are really brilliant units! The coverage and the colour range are both amazing, and they also have a proper white which is very useful”.

The DigitalSpot 7000 DTs are flown below the two front truss Octopods, and utilised extensively for chart topper Lady Gaga's set which opens the evening's entertainment.

He runs the show from a grandMA full size lighting console.

Warner adds that the technical service and support from Robe worldwide is “Excellent” and also feels they really have their fingers on the pulse in developing digital lighting technologies for the future.