ADLIB Lighting continues its working relationship with Enter Shikari, the finest of contemporary UK post-hardcore, supplying lighting equipment and crew for the current UK tour.
The project is being managed for ADLIB by John Hughes, and Enter Shikari's lighting design has been created by Steve Bewley, who has been onboard with the band since March this year.
Says Hughes, "It's great to be on the road with Shikari again - they are one of the most exciting bands of the moment. Steve has put together an imaginative, great looking and very practical design, which works well in all venues whatever the available stage space".
Bewley's starting point was in devising a rig that matched the massive energy, breakneck pace and highly animated performance of the band, and in helping transmit this vibe from the stage and into the audience. He also wanted something that looked completely different to their last tour, to reflect the new and innovative style of the latest album "Common Dreads" that was released in June and became an immediate Top 20 hit.
He decided on a back wall of light effect, configured slightly differently from a conventional rock 'n' roll 'wall of death'. He came up with a horseshoe shaped truss supported by four trussing legs including two side arms giving it the horseshoe shape when viewed from the top. This gives all the lighting positions he needs for the heavily back-lit show, along with the chance to rig all the fixtures in slightly off-kilter ways and configurations. The structure was also designed to be robust enough for the band to be able to climb on it during the show if they wish!
It has to be tailored to 80% of the venues on the itinerary as they vary in stage size, so the structure also had to be ultimately flexible. In the full configuration, it spans 40ft with a height varying between 2 and 3 metres, determined by available headroom.
Upstage of this, where possible, they use the house rig's back truss, which is always flown higher than their light wall.
On the horseshoe are 16 Martin MAC 250 Wash and 10 High End Studio Beam moving lights, 8 Atomic strobes with colour changers and 9 x Showtech Active Sun Strips.
The Sun Strips are rigged vertically at different heights in a gentle curve across the structure, and the MACs are arranged 1-up-1-down along the width of the trussing span. The Studio beams are rigged to the downstage arms for side washing duties.
The Atomics are positioned at jaunty angles to give a random "fallen down" appearance - reinforcing the overall non linear look of the lighting. The rig is completed with 4 Studio Beams on the floor.
Also on the floor are PAR16 Birdies on gooseneck stands, which can - and are - grabbed by and played with by the band as they get kicked over - getting pointed and shone into the audience is a favourite trick which always goes down a storm.
Right at the front of stage is a 'vanity cage', a metal box underlit with a single PAR 64 on which the band can stand and be up-lit. It is utilised regularly by all of them except the drummer throughout the set.
Bewley controls everything via a Hog iPC console and a wing, which is an ideal choice for its small size and many features. In addition to the touring rig, he also advanced and sent a spec out to all the venues requesting specific lights to be hung on their house rigs for their shows.
ADLIB's lighting tech Darren Purves is working with Bewley, making a great team.
Bewley is extremely impressed with ADLIB, "The service is second to none, the crew are all very professional and friendly and the kit is in excellent order - what more could you ask for?" he affirms.