USA - The Struts recently concluded the 28-date USA leg of their Pretty Vicious tour. Lighting designer Carlos Katsurayama transformed the stage with a shifting variety of dramatic looks throughout the show that wrapped themselves tightly around the mood of the music. Helping him create this evocative canvas on stage was a rig supplied by LIT Lighting of Phoenix, which featured 14 Chauvet Professional Maverick Force S Profiles.
Positioned on the riser, behind the guitar amps, the compact moving fixture with a seven-slot colour wheel and 14,000 lumen output was used to create a dynamic backdrop for the band. Drawing on features like the profile’s 120-degree complete module rotation and wide zoom ranges, Katsurayama was able to conjure up a variety of captivating looks.
“The Force S Profile brought a good level of intensity to everything,” said Katsurayama, who worked with TM Tim Fulton on the show. “An amazing thing about The Struts is the wide range of their music and emotions. As a designer this gives me the chance to try very different styles throughout the set. So versatile fixtures are a must.”
Adding to the impact of the design were the various silhouette looks Katsurayama created, outlining the band members against a variety of monochromatic and two-tone colour palettes. Also contributing to the dramatic effect of Katsurayama’s show was his frequent use of side lighting. “I always love side lighting,” he said. “It creates an edgy air on stage.”
For some moments in the show, Katsurayama used the Maverick Force S Profiles on the riser to create crossing aerial effects, giving his show a different look. He also varied things by changing the depth and intensity of colour on his backdrops and adding gobos.
“My favourite look had to be the very beginning of the actual set when I use gobos to light up the downstage edge, hiding the entire stage when our singer Luke dramatically entered the light for the first line of the song,” noted Katsurayama. From that moment on, fans knew they were in for a rock show.
