One of Germany’s most influential artists of recent years
is pop rapper Cro, who is just wrapping up an “MTV Unplugged Open Air” tour
that played dates across the country this summer. Lighting design was by one of
Germany’s preeminent designers, Gunther Hecker from CUE Design, who
incorporated Elation Professional Platinum FLX™ hybrid moving heads supplied by
German production company satis&fy.
Known for wearing a panda mask when he performs, Cro’s
music is a catchy fusion of rap and pop, called \”raop,\” which, based
on his audiences, attracts fans of all ages. His popularity is at an all-time
high and for the “MTV Unplugged Open Air” tour he was supported on stage by a
20-member strong orchestra positioned across three tiers and fronting horizontally-tiered
LED screens.
Gunther Hecker handled the entire visual design for the
tour – lighting, set and video – his first year working with the artist. It was
also his first test drive of Elation’s award-winning multi-functional Platinum
FLX fixture, four of which he placed on stage, two each downstage right and left,
with a further twelve positioned behind the bottom row of LED panels. Working
from stage level, beams from the FLX’s were projected from behind and through
the screen.
“It’s been interesting to test the FLX on this open air tour,”
said Hecker, who was introduced to the fixture by Martin Heuser, Global
Director Lighting & Rigging Services at satis&fy, whom he has worked
with for many years. “After I saw a shootout of the fixture at the satis&fy
facility in Karben I was sold on it. They’ve worked out well and I’ve had no
problems with the fixture on this tour.”
Hecker has done the lighting for many MTV Unplugged shows
before, which by definition are a bit more subdued than plugged shows. Cro’s
music was “toned down a bit” for the unplugged version compared to his normal
touring set, Hecker says, and that went for the lighting as well. “On Cro, I
used the FLX through the whole show as both a spot and beam light and used a
wide palette of colors. I utilized them when the LED screen was both off and on
and especially when I had them in white light they really cut through the LED
video.” The Platinum FLX’s were the only automated fixtures on the tour that
the production carried themselves with all other intelligent lighting sourced locally.
satis&fy, who handled staging, scenic, video and
lighting on the Cro tour, added 100 of the Platinum FLX fixtures to their
inventory earlier in the year and have kept the fixtures busy on a variety of
events ever since. The “MTV Unplugged Open Air” tour, which ran from May
through August, was its first European tour outing. Cro will hit the road again
later this year, playing arenas.
http://www.elationlighting.com
