Country music fans were given a glimpse into the future at the Lady Antebellum Pavilion, featuring a light show designed by John Berrett, utilising 35 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Quest Sound & Productions.
“People familiar with country music know that quite a few stars got their starts writing music for established artists,” said Berret. “The musical talent on stage was pretty awesome. My goal was to give them a look that reflected their talent as well as their potential. I wanted to evoke the stardom yet to come.”
Berret accomplished this goal for the six writers (Ray Fulcher, Tyler Reeve, Cole Taylor, Trea Landon, Daren Racheals and Wyatt Durrette) with help from 19 COLORado 1-Tri IP Tours, 8 Rogue R2 Spots and 8 Rogue R1 Beams, with a rig controlled by a ChamSys PC Wing.
“I dispersed the COLORado fixtures throughout the stage to create warm color washes that reflected the mellow sound of much of the music. Of the 19 COLORados, 16 were on downstage truss spread out to create this nice back wash with blues, deep reds and other colours. Then I kept the other 3 COLORados in my back pocket so to speak to use as crowd blinders. They have the output (806 lux at 5 meters) to work as intense audience lights in this setting. We used them to great effect all night on the higher energy songs.”
Berret relied on 8 Rogue R2 Spots on the ground, 4 each stage left and right, to hit the writers-turned-performers with coloured light from each direction. “Mostly the side lighting created mellow looks and allowed me to give the stage some depth, with crossing patterns. On occasions, we also used them to create some nice aerial effects on the crescendo moments.”
For added punch, Berret used the Rogue R1 Beams in his rig. Stacked on truss totems and cases, the beams created some intense audience lighting and aerials. They also were used for specials on individual artists.
“Our design gave the stage the look that fans would expect to see when they go to a concert by an established star,” said Berret. “This is the mood we wanted to create. These folks aren’t stars yet, but the future is in their favour.”
