On the touring front things get busier as the days get longer; LSD currently has gear out with the Cranberries; Pop Idol, Status Quo, Temptations & the Four Tops, Here & Now 2, Travis, Bryan Adams, and the Tweenies.
Dealing with each in order: The Cranberries tour is exclusive to the European mainland, finishing in Montpelier on April 29. LD is Cary Richter, this is an arena design using three trusses, Icons, Studio Colors, Eight lights, Color Mags, and a Star Cloth. The tour is slated to visit the US in the Fall. Contact Lester Cobrin in London.
Pop Idol is in many ways a follow on from the recent touring successes of S Club 7 (also serviced by LSD). LD Pete Barnes has taken the main component of the S Club rig, namely Icons, PC Beams, Super Cycs, Studio Colors, and re-configured them for this surprise outing. Contact Micky Curbishley in London.
Status Quo: With Rick Parfitt suffering a repeat bout of guitarist elbow, Quo are obliged to cancel their already rescheduled Feb/Mar German and UK dates. LD Pat Marks will once again be at the controls of a Mac500 and Studio Color rig when they venture forth in April/May. Contact Lester Cobrin.
The Temptations and Four Tops is one not to be missed, and the setting is entirely classic Sixties with LD Tom Hailpin electing to use a simple two truss configuration filled with PARs and Source 4 profiles (and naturally four Super Troupers in the house) This tour is selling arenas and includes two nights at the Royal Albert Hall. Contact Lester Cobrin.
Here and Now 2 ventures forth under the steady hand of Simon Tutchener, who also lit version 1 last year. The same concept, classic bands from the eighties, Tutchener will use the same design: 120 PARs, plus Mac500s and Studio Colors on a V shaped truss. Contact Lester Cobrin.
Matt Jensen is working a Willie Williams designed show for Travis. Simple in look, the rig is composed mainly of Mac2000 and Studio Colors with six Panoramas behind the back line on the floor. The rig also includes every strobe known to man, Searchlights and Lowell Omni’s. Heavy use of video projection (supplied by XL Video) includes some fantastic footage by Williams. Don’t miss it. Contact Lester Cobrin.
Tweenies is drawing to an end now, but if you haven’t already caught it, contact Micky Curbishley. Design by Mark Cunniffe “The only man good enough for the job”, says the Who’s LD Tom Kenny.
Kevin Forbes in Birmingham is looking after Bryan Adams. This tour has effectively been running since 1999, but the current show is a complete redesign. As with Travis this is a Willie Williams show with lighting input by touring show director Mac Mosier, and again features projected video from our friends at XL. Lighting has changed from the extreme simplicity of PARs largely in open white for the last trawl through Europe, to a complete automated rig of Studio Spots and Studio Colors.
Others; Account manager Robin Wain in Birmingham currently has dry hires out on Carmen and Classical Spectacular, plus Robin has with a full system out for Faithless who have now moved up into arenas. LD Jvan Morandi has kept to mainly Cyberlights and PC Beams but has added an extra truss to his design.
Look out for Santana playing Crystal Palace with LD Tom Kenny at the faders. Roger Waters kicked off his world tour in South Africa on the last day of February, he’ll be in the UK in June. LD is Andy Gibb, a rig of Icons and Studio Colors.
Sophie Ellis Bextor with LD Mark Scrimshaw using PC Beams and Macs.