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Clay Paky Sharpys Pass Test of Time for Rush Tour

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KANSAS CITY, MO — Howard Ungerleider, lighting designer for Rush’s Clockwork Angels Tour, relied on dozens of Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures provided by Premier Global and Production Design International for the trek, which ran from Sept. 7, 2012 to Aug. 4, 2013.

More details from Clay Paky (www.claypaky.it):

“We had 55 Sharpys on the tour for the duration,” said Ungerleider. “Sharpys are one of the most versatile and exciting lighting fixtures I’ve used in a while.  I can really get a lot of looks out of them.  I definitely work them without over-using them.”

Rush tour photo by Steve JenningsUngerleider positioned the Sharpys on moving parts of the truss so they could descend at any time for automated moves.  He maximized their application, deploying them to different effect for various songs in the set.

He used Sharpys with gobos for a laser simulation for “Red Sector A” where he also had the fixtures simulate laser effects.  He tapped them as accent points for “Body Electric.”

Ungerleider used very three-dimensional theatrical effects for “The Wreckers” in which a video showed a storm at sea and the Sharpys emulated rain with their atmospherics.  The lights also created a Jacob’s Ladder effect and a barricade for “The Pass.”

Rush tour photo by Steve JenningsThe lighting designer believes Sharpys are “a superior light” whose “performance is amazing.  I love the beam and the ability to use gobos.  The Sharpys’ size and weight are incredible, too.  The light source and what it produced filled the bill for what I was trying to accomplish for Rush on tour.”

Dates in Phoenix and Dallas were recorded for a DVD release later this year.