Experienced Lighting Director, Cosmo Wilson, has been lighting Aerosmith’s shows since 2012, working within a genre with which he is entirely familiar. In 2017, the partnership has been piloting their 5th major outing together.
Wilson thought about the latest set design while the band were touring South America in 2016, and when it came to speccing the equipment the veteran LP opted for German Light Product’s hugely popular impression GLP X4 LED moving head portfolio, commandeering 272 fixtures as a direct replacement for the classic Par can.
“I wanted to create a design that was reminiscent of Aerosmith’s earlier tours, back in the ’70s and ’80s, with the enormous Par can rigs and ‘finger’ style trusses,” Wilson explained. “The big difference is the video wall which is definitely not 70’s or 80’s, but I helped to create some of the content that is at least reminiscent of the band in that era. I knew that the GLP X4 would give me the look of the ‘old school’ Par can rig, and,” he stated. “I have used the same configuration of double hung Pars in 30-inch truss.”
Wilson first featured early GLP impression moving lights in 2008 on the AC/DC Black Ice tour. “I also used other GLP lights on a lot of one-off shows and really started loving the source itself, as well as the brightness, throw and saturation. The first time I spec’d the GLP X4 was on Foreigner’s Soundtrack of Summer tour in 2014, and I realised even then that I could use them to replicate Pars.
“In addition, the band members are used to Pars, partly because of the heat output, but also the way they attack and decay and the way the light changes on the stage. It is also about the way the light hits the stage as an intensity change instead of colour change. Plus, I am concerned about the source, as the audience wants to see a Par can rig that reminds them of seeing Aerosmith in the old days. GLP makes lights that give me the ability to recreate my vision perfectly.”
The original Aero-Vederci Baby show design had been dependent upon carrying production with them. “But I then found out we were going to Europe first and using local production everywhere, so that really created a huge issue trying to replicate my design using the locally available gear. However, I did get PRG UK to do 8 of the European shows and they provided great product support.”
“The impressions have performed even better than I expected! They give me the Par can look I want, they have the throw of a Par but they also do so many other things like change colour and strobe! The only thing they don’t have is the heat output of a Par but I think the band is over that!” Wilson concluded.
