Based around the trials and tribulations of "the unlikeliest Take That tribute band", Never Forget is constructed around Take That's greatest hits. Directed by Ed Curtis and designed by Bob Bailey, the show features lighting by James Whiteside who is making use of some of the latest LED lighting technology, including Thomas PixelLine 1044 battens and the ChromaQ Color Web LED mesh, controlled by MA Lighting's grandMA lighting console and mediaPC media server.
"The LED battens are used inside translucent legs on either side of the set; at the end of the show the legs swing open so the lights themselves are visible to the audience," Whiteside explains. "LEDs seemed like the obvious way to light these because of the near-infinite colour options they could give us. Having battens that were individually controllable along their length gave us all kinds of extra dynamic looks.
Upstage, the LED battens are complemented by Chroma-Q's Color Web 250 flexible LED mesh grid. "We wanted something that felt like a contemporary pop concert," Whiteside says, "and by chance we saw something perfect on a television show which I then discovered was Color Web. It was great for us: easy to rig, easy to tour, transparent - our band are behind it - and run from DMX. Since there was no video designer on the show I knew we'd be working with low-resolution 'block' images, and running it from DMX meant that the lighting department could just control everything ourselves."
The grandMA control system was chosen based on a suggestion from White Light's Dave Isherwood, who recommended the console and its media server because of the tight integration between the two, allowing Whiteside and programmer Dave Sadler to "treat the LEDs just like a moving light; in the final set-up we run the Colour Web from the mediaPC server, with the PixelLine battens controlled directly from the console so that effects could be created quickly using the grandMA's effects modulators without having to create artwork for the media server. With support from MA's Richard Lambert, it all worked out very well."
The grandMA console is also controlling a rig that includes Clay Paky Alpha Wash Halos, DHA Digital Light Curtains, Martin MAC 2000 Performances and MAC 600s, Vari-Lite VL1000s, VL2000 Spots and VL2000 Washes, ETC Source Fours and Source Four Multipars, L&E MiniStrips and Rainbow colour scrollers. Followspots are Robert Juliat Super Korrigans, with atmospherics from Look Solution Uniques. Data from the grandMA is output via MA NSP processors and ELC dmXLAN Node8 nodes for ArtNet to DMX conversion.
Also working with Whiteside on the show are Steve Sherriff as production electrician and Andy Greenwood leading the touring lighting crew. Simon Gooding is the show's production manager.
(Jim Evans)
