MANCHESTER, UK – Lighting designer Oliver Suckling served up the visuals for a NYE lineup at Sankeys Warehouse in Manchester that included Fat Boy Slim and Basement Jaxx (pictured here), among others. Suckling made good use of ADJ fixtures in the rig, including 40 Vizi Beam 5RXs and 38 Inno Color Beam Quad7s.
More details from ADJ (www.adj.com):
When it comes to throwing a party, there’s no better time than New Year’s! Earlier this month, Sankeys Warehouse secured a stellar line-up – including – for a New Year’s Day party at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester (UK), seeking a stunning production to match. It was Liverpool-based production company UK Events Group who were tasked with bringing the performances of two legendary dance acts to life, supplying everything from the awesome pyros and effects to a lightshow that was all ADJ!
A four-room venue at the heart of Manchester’s clubbing scene, for Sankeys – a club which usually brings in separate companies to provide the audio, lighting, video and effects – this arrangement with UK Events Group was an usual one. But the appeal held by the company’s industry standing, not to mention its wide range of services, led the venue to hire UK Events Group to deliver full production for the show.
“The venue had worked with a couple of other suppliers and was looking for a team who could come in and offer the full package,” explained Tory Harper, co-director of UK Events Group (with James McMahon). “We have built our business on being able to supply from one source and the venue liked the fact that by calling us it saves time and money, as we can supply all their production needs.”
This all-in-one package included everything from audio to special effects, with CO2 and pyro used to achieve Tory and James’ vision of a display inspired by rave and club culture, offering the wow factor for the thousands of dance fans in attendance. Wanting to add to this with a big, bold, over-the-top lightshow, James, Tory and the team opted for an all-ADJ/Elation setup that included powerful moving heads and incorporated an unprecedented number of AV6 modular LED panels to form one mammoth video screen.
“We have used ADJ products for the past five years and believe that the quality of product, value for money, and service and support – from all of the team from sales through to maintenance – can’t be beaten,” she added. “ADJ products have enabled us to grow our business, in accordance with market trends, at an affordable price, and the company has been first to market with products including the Vizi Beam 5RX moving head.”
Lighting designer Oliver Suckling had 40 hugely versatile Vizi Beam 5RXs to play with, while 38 Inno Color Beam Quad7s were also provided, allowing them to produce a stunning array of active beams. The 5RX’s Philips Platinum 5R source, motorized zoom, prism effects and range of 14 colors (including cool-white and UV) ensured a mesmeric display of concise beams in a series of distinct hues; while the Color Beam Quad7s, powered by 70W CREE LEDs, offered hard-edge beams and plenty of room for creativity thanks to 8-zone LED chasing. During Fat Boy Slim, these super-tight, multi-faceted beams shot upwards to accompany the blistering bursts of flame at front of stage, adding an energy and intensity to his performance which left the crowd craving more.
Another hugely important element of the visual production was the video screen, which was used to project striking visuals and artist logos during the electrifying musical performances. Forming this massive solid split wall (measuring 11.6 x 4.64m) were 140 ADJ AV6 video panels – the largest screen created using the revolutionary AV6 since its much-anticipated release in 2015, proving its worth as a high-quality but affordable LED video panel for the production market.
Allowing huge-scale production value, the AV6 video wall provided an incredible back-drop for Fat Boy Slim, displaying smiley face visuals and flashing the words ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ in huge letters as he treated fans to one of his biggest hits to date. At another point during the event, a huge screen-wide Basement Jaxx logo left crowds in no doubt about who they were there to see, as the duo offered up hit after hit in an unstoppable performance. The AV6 also displayed a range of mesmeric visuals in vivid color, working with the ADJ moving heads to create a high-energy, colorful atmosphere and provide pure lighting excitement for the vast 7000-strong crowd below.
“It was exciting to see a company like UK Events Group showing the industry what the revolutionary AV6 – along with our range of powerful moving heads – is really capable of,” commented Kris Dawber, Sales Manager for ADJ Europe. “Because they offer exceptional brightness and clarity while being easy to link together, the team at UK Events Group had no problems using 140 panels to form a gigantic video screen that was the perfect back-drop for the legendary dance acts performing at the New Year’s event. It just goes to show that you don’t have to spend big to think big and get creative!”
Of course, this is exactly what Sankeys wanted: a budget-conscious but big-impact visual display that could be used to enhance the performance of each artist and give fans a memorable night of dance music in an atmospheric, visually stimulating environment. Thanks to its commitment to providing cost-aware but quality lighting and video solutions, ADJ was the obvious choice for this project, with UK Events Group needing to guarantee something special for both client and audience while working to a tight budget.
“The crowd went wild!” Tory said. “Lighting and vision tells a story, and our technicians know not only how to work the crowd but also how to read the DJ and take the crowd on a journey. Social media comments after the event talked about the production of the show – that’s when you know you have done a good job!” And the post-event response was equally as positive from the client, who used the words ‘pronominal’ and ‘amazing’ in its feedback and declared that UK Events Group had “thrown the kitchen sink at the wall with this one”.
“As always, ADJ didn’t let us down – we had one fixture lamp off, which out of a show with 122 fixtures wasn’t too bad and was rectified in less than a minute,” said James. “If anything, they have done us proud by showing doubters that you can put on a show of this scale using ADJ products – with a reaction that has got people in the industry talking and asking the venue who did the production!”
Having been booked on the spot for the next show at the venue, UK Events Group will bring its all-in-one production package back later this month, with ADJ’s flexible, innovative and budget-conscious products playing a vital role. Featuring artists including Nicky Romero, Sander Van Doorn and Laidback Luke, the event will take place on January 30th, when ADJ will once again prove that large-scale, crowd-pleasing production doesn’t have to mean spending big!
Venue: Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, UK
ADJ Dealer: UK Events Group
Lighting Designers: Oliver Suckling & Andy Green
Gear List:
140x ADJ AV6 Video Panels
40x ADJ Vizi Beam 5RX Moving Heads
38x ADJ Inno Color Beam Quad7 Moving Heads
20x Elation Professional Proton 3K Strobes
20x Elation Professional Cuepix Blinder WW2
40M of DuraTruss
