Responsible for the mainstage festival rig was Mick Freer, head of concert touring at award-winning production and hire outfit Hawthorn that provided the lighting, rigging, drapes, FOH control systems and followspots for Sundown's mainstage.
"Jason Derulo's lighting designer, Bobby Bascombe, specified the 24 x Claypaky A.leda B-EYE K10s for the flown rig, and 26 x Claypaky Sharpys in vector mode for the floor package," says Freer. "Claypaky Sharpys were also requested by Steve Bewley, lighting designer for Dizzee Rascal, and Chase and Status' LD, Andy Hurst."
Freer consulted Bascombe, Bewley, Hurst and the other visiting designers in the months leading to the festival to create a main stage rig that would accommodate the specific needs of the headline acts and provide versatility for other visiting artists.
"The lighting designers provide a festival/touring plot in their rider," says Freer. "I then pick out the key elements that they want and incorporate them into the rig design. In this case the Claypaky Sharpy and A.leda B-EYE K10 were fixtures specified by multiple designers."
"The B-EYE K10 was specifically requested by Jason Derulo's production," says Freer. "Incorporating this fixture into the design provided the opportunity to create really crisp washes on stage as well as the chance to use the fixture in its FX mode displaying some great eye-candy effects for the audience. They are ideal fixtures for a festival situation where you have big crowds, big acts and quick changeovers."
"The Sharpy was perfect for the Derulo floor package and as a general workhorse for the rig," continues Freer. "Sundown Festival has a lot of quick changeovers and the Sharpy was fast and easy to put into place. Its small size meant we could also hide the fixture into backline set-ups which allowed us to create some great aerial visual effects. The fixture combines this power with a small physical footprint and a lightweight build."
(Jim Evans)
