Lighting
and stage designer Andy Hurst is utilizing the razor-bright beam of the Clay
Paky Sharpy for electronic dance music duo Chase and Status’s first ever arena
tour.
Inspired
by the dance clubs of the nineties Hurst has put together a theatrical stage
design of curvaceous trusses and Clay Paky fixtures, provided by Blackburn
based hire company HSL, along with a set backed by five large video screens.
“The
feeling of the new album is kind of nineties so I went for that look in my
design,” explains Hurst. “I remember how all the clubs were designed in
circles, loads of circular tread plate everywhere so I have rigged lots of
curved trusses on stage to give it that nineties rave sort of feel.
“I
chose the Sharpys because I needed a small, lightweight fixture that was easy
to rig but can still produce a bright enough beam to punch through all the
video,” explains Hurst. “The front truss is around 13 meters high so I needed
whatever light I rigged up there to have a powerful enough throw to cut through
the LED screen. That’s what the Sharpys are great for, you don’t loose their
intensity in demanding situations.”
The
show’s design ripples outward from a circular LED screen to two LED screens per
side. The four screens played a mix of live and pre-programmed visuals whilst
the centre circle plays hard-hitting moody graphics.
“Due
to the shape of the truss I was unable to pre-load any of the lights,” explains
Hurst. “However due to the Sharpys small size and weight meant rigging the
lights pre-show each time has not been too much of a problem.”
The
award winning Clay Paky Sharpy has become a firm favourite on the electronic
dance music scene. The bright, laser-like beam, 14 colour wheel option and 17
fixed gobos make it a versatile, powerful effects light.
Hurst
agrees: “The Sharpy is a popular choice for arena shows and large dance acts
because it gives you brightness, speed and that distinct sharp beam shape. A
lot of shows use video and with the Sharpy the beam still reads, even on arena
shows where often you have very high trim heights.”
