NASHVILLE – Multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter is currently touring the country with songs her from her newest album, Midnight. Bandit Lites is supporting lighting design firm Pulse Lighting and LD Preston Hoffman. The setup includes four truss towers, each with three GLP X4s, two Robe Pointes and two Cuepix Blinders from Elation.
More details from Bandit (www.banditlites.com):
Pulse Lighting specializes in designing rigs that provide big looks with the most bang for a buck and a small trailer footprint. Lighting designer Preston Hoffman redesigned Potter’s summer floor package with twelve GLP X4s for a compact wash that double as a beam when focused tightly, eight Robe Pointes for versatile graphic and textural looks, and 12 CUEPIX Blinders. Four towers of truss each features three X4s, two Pointes and 2 CUEPIX Blinders, giving Hoffman the opportunity to build large looks both behind and through the band.
“Grace conveyed to me that she was looking for a highly versatile rig that can provide lots of different feels, as the band plays a wide variety of music, meaning it has to be equal parts pop, as it is rock and roll,” said Hoffman. “These fixtures are so great for the small trailer tour because they pack tight and are both very powerful and very versatile. I am able to get huge looks out of my ground package, and when used in concert with the in house or locally provided system, it really looks big.”
With the lighting needing to be both striking and efficient for travel, Hoffman chose lights that were both compact and multi-purposed. An example includes the two cell CUEPIX blinder Bandit provided. Since Potter prefers to not use follow spots, Hoffman uses the blinders as side light when she works the edge of downstage. Additionally, the blinders give a warm blinder push for rock and roll looks, pop chases and pyro-like strobes.
“Bandit has been great with support when I need it,” said Hoffman. “And although this rig has been rock solid with no issues, I know for sure they have my back when I need them. I love the fact that this band tours out of Nashville, and I have my company there now, and I have the support of Bandit. By having access to such a great infrastructure like Bandit, it allows me to design and put out a lot more tours.”
