SCHEESSEL and NEUHAUSEN OB ECK, Germany — Die Ärzte and their light show were part of the twin festivals in north and south Germany, Hurricane and Southside. The band’s LD Lui Helmig designed a specials package that could be integrated with the house lighting system for the band’s performance at both sites. With the shows taking place during some of the longest days of the year, Helmig needed to defy the setting sun and ensure impact even in daylight. He used five of Robe ColorWash 2500E ATs along the back of the stage as an integral element of the design.
Helmig, who had first used these units at the Tauberntal-Festival in 2008, found that even with only five units, he could create beams blasted through to the front of the stage and into the audience beyond, adding depth and a new layer to the performance area.
“The ColorWash 2500E ATs really stand out from anything else with their significantly higher light output,” Helmig said, adding that, “together with the usual Robe reliability, speed and custom color palettes makes them an ideal festival fixture.”
The Die Ärzte’ specials package also includes six custom frames, each with 48 PAR 36s in a matrix, used for graphics and blinder effects, plus a transparent GLEC LED wall, fed with content from a Catalyst media server.
Helmig and Roland Greil did all the lighting pre-programming and operating for the festivals using a RoadHog console with side wing, and an e:cue fader unit. Martin Heuser controlled the Catalyst and Tobi Buedenbender operated the PAR 36 matrix.
Die Ärzte went straight from their gig in Neuhausen ob Eck and headed north to give the 60.000 visitors waiting at the Hurricane festival another show. The floor based ColorWash 2500E AT units were also used two weeks later for two stadium concerts by the band in Linz, Austria, together with an additional 130 Robe moving lights.
The three-day Hurricane/Southside event featured over 60 bands, including the Pixies, Kraftwerk, Nick Cave, and the reunited Faith No More as well as new indie rockers like the Kings of Leon and The Ting Tings. There was also a real diversity of genres — from Moby to Katy Perry and Lilly Allen.
For more information, please visit www.robe.cz.
