City Theatrical’s QolorFLEX® NuNeon, RGB was recently used for British Electronic Artist Duke Dumont’s new tour at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 10, 2021 and September 11, 2021 to create an asymmetrical, central set piece that will travel with the artist to various venues around the world as the tour continues into 2022. A total of 48 reels of QolorFLEX NuNeon were used to adorn the artist’s performance area with a complex system of loose, color-changing cables, as well as outline the performance area. QolorFLEX 24x3A Dimmers are being used to provide dimming control for the QolorFLEX NuNeon.
Duke Dumont is known for his highly interactive live shows. He insists on creating an environment that is new and unique for his fans, and encourages his design teams to develop concepts that go above and beyond the norm. With pre-pandemic scenic design concepts resembling more literal interpretations of his logo, the artist inspired a 180-degree turn for the tour’s set and lighting design in mid-2021, shortly before they were able to resume live performances once delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lighting Designer Chris Thoms and Scenic Designer Cort Lawrence went on to create a hectic, asymmetrical “mad scientist” re-design concept for the tour. They sought an LED linear lighting solution with natural movement, color-changing technology, extremely bright light, and durability to withstand the logistics of a world tour.
Touring isn’t easy,” said Chris Thoms, Lighting Designer and Production Manager for the Duke Dumont show at the Shrine Auditorium. “QolorFLEX NuNeon has been a pleasure to use. There’s nothing out there that was close to what it can do. And, it is rugged and will last. I look forward to using it going forward on this tour.”
QolorFLEX NuNeon was introduced to the tour's design teams by the show’s fabricator/installer Rise Fabrication and then supplied by 4Wall. The remainder of the lighting package for the show was provided by Felix Lighting. QolorFLEX NuNeon was used by the show’s designers to create a performance area with bold enough light for the artist to see his instruments in the darkness, and an organic flow of sine waves - or visual representations of sound – coming directly from the artist’s performance area to enhance the audience’s visual experience.
“QolorFLEX NuNeon’s flexibility is endless – it can be placed and used in different mediums,” said Cort Lawrence, Scenic Designer and Production Coordinator for the Duke Dumont show at the Shrine Auditorium. “It functions in a way the artist is happy with, wherever it goes. As a set designer, QolorFLEX NuNeon opened up creativity in many ways.”
Duke Dumont’s central set piece design was first realized with 22 reels of 5-meter long QolorFLEX NuNeon, which made the artist fall in love with the look and want more. The design and fabrication teams then added another 20 reels, for a total of 42 reels of QolorFLEX NuNeon, or 210 feet of lit “cables” coming from the performance area. Six additional reels of QolorFLEX NuNeon were inlaid on the top of the table, to provide a glow that picks up the artist’s face and movements even amidst a backdrop of pure black. QolorFLEX 24x3A Dimmers were used to provide dimming control for the QolorFLEX NuNeon in six sections, which would allow the touring team to break down and rebuild the set piece easily throughout the tour.
The top and bottom of the set piece were split into sections, as two dynamic parts of the show. Using the GrandMA2 full DMX Controller and the QolorFLEX 24x3A Dimmers, the designers were able to input color and make it change in random or specific color patterns, depending on the rhythm and intensity of the music.
During the show, the audience could see the QolorFLEX NuNeon “cables” on this new scenic element being used in two ways: on, with white or colorful light, or turned off. While off, designers used the power of Robe spotlights to uplight the set and the artist. They also used of lasers, haze, special effects, and ambient light moves around the set piece to create silhouettes, volumetric shadows, and textures in the air.
The Duke Dumont tour is managed by Red Light Management.
To read the full City Theatrical case study, visit: https://citytheatrical.com/qolorflex/duke-dumont