Vari-Lite VL6000 Beams on heavy metal duty
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Lighting designer Robert Coleman chose fixtures to reproduce the ‘classic’ look of an Iron Maiden rock show. The production features three distinctly themed but equally spectacular sections. Beginning with War, the set then changes to a stunning cathedral interior, and finally to Hell – and the broad reflector face and punchy output of the VL6000 Beam fits the bill.
Coleman makes full use of the VL6000 Beam’s heavy duty output. “They are incredibly powerful - they’ve been hitting the back wall of the stadiums,” he said. “And the beam doesn’t look like any of the others in the rig, so it’s nice to have something else to go to: it adds another gear to the show.
“I needed a fat beam light to sit on the stage set, mainly to create a searchlight effect. As the fixture would be very visible, it was important that it looked good itself. There are other lights I could have used, but didn’t like the look of physically.”
He added, “The searchlight effect worked perfectly for the War section of the show, but it has also been great for lighting the cathedral arches. They have a nice architectural quality to them.”
In performance, Coleman praises the VL6000 Beam’s colour reproduction and effects capability. “I had some reservations about using a non-CMY fixture,” he said, “but the combined colours from the colour wheels have been stunning. I have particularly enjoyed the strobe, especially when blasting the audience.”
(Jim Evans)
