When lighting designer Tyler Santangelo decided that
floating diamonds would look better than squares on the stage for the Irish
Christian experimental group Rend Collective, he simply adjusted the Nexus
panels on his rig and created a new look. This was the first (but
certainly not the last) time that Santangelo got to appreciate the versatility
of the intense COB LED panels from CHAUVET Professional.
As the LD on the Rend Collective tour, which has
crisscrossed the globe from Sioux Falls to West Sussex and Manhattan to
Budapest, Santangelo has frequently called on the Nexus panels to create new
looks to fit different venues and keep pace with spontaneous flow of the
group’s performance.
Rend Collective, which reached the top of the Billboard
Christian Album charts (and number 13 overall) in 2014, has played in venues
ranging from small churches to large arenas. “At the start of the tour, I knew
that given the wide variety of stage sizes we’d be dealing with, we would need
a lighting rig that was not only road worthy, but also very flexible,” said
Santangelo. “The Nashville office at 4Wall Entertainment worked closely with me
to put together a rig that was simple, easy to transport and very flexible.
Nexus panels were at its center from day one.”
Santangelo makes frequent use of his rig’s flexibility as
the tour stops at its widely varied mix of venues. “At most stops we use 10
Nexus 4×4 panels on four towers, which really fills out the stage nicely,” said
the LD. “However, we’re often in a position where we have to use only
half or fewer of the Nexus panels. Yet we’re still able to create an
interesting looking show, because of the output and versatility of the Nexus
panels make the stage look full – plus we have full 53-channel control, which
gives us the capability to match our design to Rend’s songs. We use a
Martin M1 Console, and other additions included TMB 4-lite Punch Lites,
Leprecon ULD-360 Dimmers, and Lex Distros with the ability to switch between single
and three phase to program the rig.”
The color rendering capabilities of the Nexus panels also
create an engaging look on stage through various venues. “We’ve used the full
spectrum of colors, but we’ve tried to stick mainly with warm colors such as
amber and CTC,” said Santangelo. “I’ve been amazed by the colors from the
Nexus. None of the colors were off from some of my other LED fixtures on stage.
It was nice to have matching reds and blues.”
The low power draw of the Nexus was also critical to the
versatility of the touring rig. “I had to make sure the show could go on
whether we had lots of power or were plugging into a couple of sockets in a
wall,” said Santangelo. “The Nexus panels allowed me to fill a lot of space on
stage using low amounts of power — not to mention, they can get so bright! It
was nice to have so much color on stage.”
A dynamic six-member group that seems to be constantly
moving on stage, changing positions relative to one another and engaging the
audience with unexpected actions, Rend Collective also created a special set of
demands that called for a flexible lighting rig. As anyone who’s ever been to
one of the group’s concerts will attest, these are artists who believe in their
message and relish the opportunity to engage the audience with spontaneous
actions.
This exuberant spontaneity provides audiences with a
memorable experience, but it also creates challenges for a lighting designer.
“It’s incredibly fun and rewarding to be involved in this tour, and part of the
reason is that it does present some cool creative challenges,” said
Santangelo.
“Right from the start, I knew we needed a lot of versatility
on this tour. This is where the Nexus panels came in handy. Whether I
used a single light on a panel or all 16 lights, I was able to do so many
different things with the Nexus. I could make the fixture look identical to a
blinder in one of Rend’s songs, then turn it into a vertical LED strip for
another number.”
The intense output of the Nexus panel added to its versatility,
according to Santangelo. “At full output, this fixture is stunning,” said the
LD. “I saved 100% as a cool effect such as when there were sudden pops or a
Capella blinder type moment. If the band was in a standalone calm moment, I ran
the fixture anywhere from 5%-20%. This allowed me to keep the focus off
of the fixtures but still wash the stage with some amazing colors.
“Then, when the band did a more upbeat song, I ran the
panels anywhere from 40%-75%, which still kept them in background, but
delivered a powerful impact to the stage,” continued Santangelo.
“If you ask me to describe what the Nexus does, I couldn’t give you a simple
answer, because it does so much – it’s as limitless as your creativity. When
you want a small rig for a band that has a large personality and an extensive
musical repertoire, the Nexus can be your best friend.”
