Kasabian's current tour is taking the UK by storm with Clay Paky Alpha Beam 300 fixtures. The tour supports their latest Pink Floyd-influenced album, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, which reached number one in the UK top 40 charts this past June. In October, the album won Best Album award at the 2009 Q Awards and is also nominated for iTunes Best Album 2009.
The British indie rock band has released three studio albums in ten years and have had a string of success, with their songs used as the main soundtrack on BBC Three's show, Russell Howard's Good News and as the official theme song of a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event, Cyber Sunday 2007. Their music has also been featured in Hollywood movies and on numerous PlayStation and Xbox video games. Kasabian has participated in a number of prestigious performances including the Teenage Cancer Trust performance at the Royal Albert Hall, MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia and at Glastonbury Festival 2009 opening for Bruce Springsteen, as his special guests.
Speaking about the UK tour, guitarist Sergio Pizzorno commented, “We won't be coming out of alien pods, nothing like that going down, but I've read about famous Pink Floyd shows so maybe something like that.”
Lighting Designer Nick Gray of Renegade Design used 32 Alpha Beam 300 fixtures as the main workhorses for the rig. The set featured a LED border creating a picture frame effect around the stage, with the Alpha Beams in clusters overhead and placed behind the band at ground level for stunning uplighting effects. “It was a very unique rig,” says Gray, “All in all I was very happy.” Lighting was operated by Paul Kell and equipment was supplied by Neg Earth.
Gray has been using the Alpha Beam 300 fixtures in a variety of shows over the past year. “I have been using the Alpha Beams a lot recently,” he explains, “Throughout the early, mid and summer season I had a rig of Alpha Beam 300s without using any other moving heads, no wash, no spot. I wanted to see how versatile they would be as the primary fixture. I was really happy with them.”
He continues, “More recently we have just completed an area tour and I have used 21 Alpha Beam 300s. They have been used in groups of three and have acted as my ACL fixture, for obvious reasons they have cut the mustard due to their brightness, speed and distinct output. Overall I have been well pleased with them over the past 12 months and think they have been pretty groundbreaking and impressive since their introduction to the market.”
Ashley Lewis, Clay Paky Area Manager for the UK said, “We have seen fast growing success of the Alpha Beam range here in the UK, thanks to creative individuals like Nick Gray. We look forward to seeing many more great things.”
The UK tour visits Glastonbury, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and London's Wembley Arena. The band will begin an Australian leg of the tour in January 2010 as part of the Australian-New Zealand touring festival Big Day Out before returning to Europe. For tour dates, visit the band's website at www.kasabian.co.uk.
Keep an eye on Renegade Design for additional upcoming shows featuring the Alpha Beam 300 fixtures. Renegade Design has leading experience in lighting design and technical production within the event industry including concerts, conferences, fashion shows and unique events all over Europe. Additional information and show photos can be seen at www.renegadedesign.co.uk.
For more information about the Alpha Beam 300 and other Clay Paky products, visit www.claypaky.it.
Photo credit: © David Morrell