The aesthetic idea behind these were that they would create a monolithic tower block feel to the stage - reflecting the slightly perturbed and harsher urban ambience of the new album A Weekend In The City. He also intended this architecture to physically enclose the band within their performance area onstage.
Smith specified the RADlite because he wanted a video element to the show and he thought the towers should come to life, and play a multiple role in the stage action, rather than just being structural elements. He also intended to use them as an additional and contrasting lightsource.
He has worked with Radical Lighting's popular PixelDrive pixel mapping product before, and has also used an earlier version of RADlite. "I was very keen to try the new NG1 version," he says. He spent about four days creating all the content himself using a variety of software including Apple Motion.
The video effects were used for about two thirds of the band's concise set in a show blending conventional lighting and video effects into a larger and more diverse picture, sometimes working together and sometimes in contrast to one another.
"Using the NG1 has generally opened up another layer of dynamics and I'm sure it will be developed further as the tour progresses" he says.
The NG1 and all lighting kit was supplied by Siyan along with Smith's three crew - Rob Watson, Will Yapp and Jon Barker. The tour is in Europe until the end of May, then does the summer festivals, Australia and New Zealand before returning to the US. There's currently talk of larger UK shows later in the year.
(Jim Evans)
