AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Paul Normandale is using MAC 101, MAC III Profile and MAC 2000 Wash XB fixtures from Martin Professional for the 2011 Chemical Brothers tour, with Normandale's lighting production company, Lite Alternative, supplying the gear. The band is also touring with a G-LEC Solaris+ 360-degree video curtain system. "My job is to turn the band's performance into a truly three-dimensional show," said Normandale, who rigged an 8-meter-diameter truss from which he hung 48 8-meter lengths of G-LEC Solaris+ to form a circle around the band. The 40mm-diameter LED light ‘balls' of Solaris+ provide 360° viewing, with the product light enough to allow Normandale to fly it in on occasion to surround the band.
The system consists of five 125kg motors built into the truss – and, Normandale added, the rig doesn't come close to its load limit, crediting the light weight of the G-LEC Solaris+.
"We had custom visuals produced, running off a Catalyst media server, and had a week in production rehearsals where we were able to establish what type of images worked best. It gave us a chance to play with the video and adjust the content to use the product to its best advantage."
Normandale has also used 56 MAC 101 LED moving heads behind translucent video screen for the electronica duo. Mounted in four rows of 14 fixtures each, the 101s are pixel-mapped to three songs and used for overall impact and general lighting purposes during other parts of the show.
Although latency between pixel-mapped video and moving heads might have seemed a hurdle, the MAC 101s have been keeping up with the video imagery, Normandale added.
With a brightness that belies their 3.7 kg weight – each can punch out up to 2200 lumens – the MAC 101, which also features a calibrated RGB color mixing system, is Martin's fastest moving head yet. Its compact dimensions help the fixture fit into rigs and sets, and also makes it easy to handle.
Normandale also rigged Martin Atomic 3000 strobes between the 101s for flashy blasts that are also mapped to coincide with the video.
Requiring a bright hard-edge light, Normandale turned to Martin's MAC III Profile, positioned on a rear moving truss and on the floor. For wash effects, he is using Martin's MAC 2000 Wash XB.
The tour also includes two Jem ZR44 Hi-Mass foggers, each kicking out 1200 cubic meters of fog per minute. Those units each have a 9.5 liter fluid container for longer operating periods without refilling.
For more information, please visit www.martin.com and www.g-lec.com.
