4/5/96--Copenhagen's Valby Halle (which is basically a big gymnasium) drew a large and appreciative crowd of very blonde fans to see what was the fourth stop on Sting's current Mercury Falling world tour (for an earlier report on the tour read Stung Again in Concert Archives). Although they'd only be on the road for about a week, the production crew, headed by LD and set designer Nick Sholem, had the show's sumptuous high-tech visuals well under control. Sholem has a tendency to try out whatever new products the industry offers, and this tour is no different. As perhaps the Wholehog control console's most loyal fan, the LD is taking the Wholehog II out on its first world tour. Ace programmer Nook Schoenfeld has been busily hammering out the show's looks on the new board, which is handling all of the show's luminaires.
Another product making its rock touring debut is the DHA digital light curtains, which are positioned above the electronic kabuki drop that was built by Charlie Kail at Brilliant Stages. "The light curtains are absolutely brilliant," Sholem extols. "The movement on them is super smooth."
One conspicuously absent new product is High End System's new (and controversial) Studio Color; Sholem had specified 14 of the luminaires, only to be disappointed at the last minute, when they were not delivered. Those fixtures have been replaced with Vari*Lite's VL5B automated wash luminaires; there are now 43 as well as 22 VL6 spot luminaires. The 24 High End Systems Cyberlight automated luminaires are still in the rig, with 12 of them connected to Wybron's AutoPilot system. "The Wybron AutoPilot has been technically perfect," Sholem says. "We're actually fine-tuning our show to it--it's a matter a knowing where to draw the lines."
The rest of the tour's equipment includes three 400S/F Wildfire UV lamps, six PAR-64s, six Pan Command Color Faders, seven 2kW Bambino fresnels with barn doors and floor stands, six 6-cell 1.2kW floor cyc lights, one 5kW Xenon image projector (FOH), and seven 1kW image projectors (with carousels) on stage. The projectors are supplied by Labyrinth and operated during the show by Jason Bridge.
Rounding out the crew are AutoPilot technician Sean McGrann, lighting crew chief Tony Simpson, followspot technician Bob Batty, dimmer electrician Steve Shipman, lighting technician Paul Tibbles, head rigger Bill Spoon, rigger Clint Carswell, carpenters Tom Boyle and Andy Perrin, and production manager Tam Fairgrieve.
The tour's lighting contractors are Upstaging and Meteorlites, with additional automated lighting supplied by Vari-Lite. The drapes for the kabuki system are by David Perry Productions. While currently still in Europe, the tour is scheduled to reach US shores by the end of June.
To see the original article, please go the ETEC website.
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