Preston
Hoffman provided a dynamic lightshow with a difference for the third
consecutive year at the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. He decided to use GLP’s
new compact impression X4S almost exclusively, bolstered by few other discharge or conventional tungsten effects.
The
Pulse Lighting designer is no stranger to GLP’s impression series (or the U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville, NC where the show takes place). Last summer he pulled 12 of GLP’s larger impression X4 fixtures for the Red Rocks show by Slightly Stoopid, so he knew all about the strength, intensity
and flexibility of the lightweight LED sources.
For the 25th edition of Christmas Jam, Dizzy Gosnell at Bandit Lites’ San Francisco office —
described by Preston as “one of the best in the business” — provided 56 of GLP’s
next generation impression X4S for the special Christmas show, enabling the
technician to group 36, divided into four backlight sets and create an ACL-type
effect, while the remaining 20 were placed on the front truss to function as
key lights. Bandit again donated the equipment to help support the charity Habitat for Humanity, the beneficiaries
of the event.
“The show was essentially
LED,” Preston acknowledges, “although I did have a few traditional hard edge
fixtures and audience blinders. I have never used such a high ratio of LED
fixtures before, primarily because until now I haven’t been able to get
everything I need out of them.”
As an early adopter of LED
front light, he says the X4S outperformed any moving LEDs that he had used previously.
“Their versatility never stopped impressing me; the one thing that I have not
seen until now is the ability to get a crisp beam out of a moving LED fixture but
I was able to get beautiful looks out of these by zooming in and focusing them
to look like a hard edge fixture.”
Preston says the design of the DS truss proved a great asset. “With a multi-artist
show, front light is forever changing position, and often guests would join
bands onstage at the spur of the moment. Having 20 of the X4S units on the truss
allowed me amazing flexibility to deal with this on the fly, when Lekos would never
have never cut it.”
As for power
feeds, he notes that the amount of cable necessary was greatly diminished from
years past, while the compact size of the GLP heads allowed him to fit many
into small spaces between the bigger fixtures.
A
further advantage was that in the morning, as each band set up, he could “really
dial in their front light including keeping the front wash tight on the band
and not over the stage.”
So having proven the merits
of the X4 at Red Rocks, why the switch … and what features other than size
impressed him about the X4S “Christmas
Jam is a show that I get to try new things out on and I was ready to
experiment again,” he replies. “Dizzy told me that [Bandit] had just purchased around
90 of the new heads, so I was eager to put as many as I could on this show to
see what the smaller version could do — and this year was like a home run in
that regard.
“I had an idea from using
the X4 — but found it to be more than just a smaller version, as it has its own
characteristics,” he appraises. “For instance, the small face allows you to get
really tight beams as opposed to a high output, large faced wash light. In fact
I was not thinking of these as wash lights at all, but as an independent layer
that filled a lot of space with beautiful fans and ACL looks. However, I was
not prepared for exactly how stunning they would be in reality.”
The dynamic was achieved by
placing 12 heads around a circle that contained a video wall with 24 on a
straight left to right truss. Preston notes how beautiful the fixtures looked
on video and pictures from the pit. “There was always something interesting
going on behind each musician which is something that I think is generally
missing when you see concerts on TV. When I see cameras close up on musicians
the light show is usually totally lost, however this show had great looking
close ups!”
And Preston’s ‘champagne moment’ within the show? “I particularly liked how the
X4S on the US Truss turned out. It was sort of old school meets new school in
that I was using new equipment to deliver old school ACL looks.”
Summing up, the LD says, “Everyone
I talked to had nothing but amazing things to say about the show from a
lighting aspect; this year was supposed to be over the top and it certainly
was. To exemplify the point, Phil Lesh
Quintet, Gregg Allman & Warren Haynes, John Scofield & The Uberjam
Band, Keb’ Mo’ and Gov’t Mule all performed, in many collaborations, along with
Widespread Panic, who closed the opening night, not leaving the stage until
4am!
