Ireland - Over 80 Robe moving lights proved they were real winners in an eye-catching design by LD Tom Kenny for the 2008 Meteor Irish Music Awards, staged at the RDS in Dublin last weekend, produced by Caroline Downey and Louis Harte for MCD and broadcast on national TV channel RTE in a special programme directed by Niamh White. All lighting for the celebrity clad event honouring the very best in contemporary Irish music, was supplied by Dublin rental company Just Lite.

The show was presented by comedian Dara O' Briain, and featured performances by 11 leading artists including Westlife, Shane Ward, the newly reformed Boyzone, Sinead O'Connor, Scouting For Girls, Tom Baxter, Cathy Davey and others.

Robe fixtures took centre stage for the Awards, a mix of ColorSpot and ColorWash 1200E ATs and 700E ATs which were arranged across four trusses and operated by Darragh McAuliffe using a WholeHog Full Boar console. Another Full Boar, run by Nick Maldon, drove a Catalyst media server and all the projection screen content. Kenny, McAuliffe and Maldon all worked closely with set designer Alan Farquharson to develop a modern visual look for the show based on clean lines and a clear space with a few twists of glamour.

The trussing on which the Robes were hung consisted of an oval shaped piece and a large V shaped truss with 40 ft forks, which were both central and in front of the stage area, plus a 60 ft, 45 degree angled back truss hung over the stage. For side stage lighting, an additional 16 ColorSpot and ColorWash 1200E ATs on drop bars were added to the most onstage ends of two 140 metre trusses running the length of the auditorium and also used to rig audience lights.

(Jim Evans)


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