Recorded at Edinburgh’s Leith Theatre, the Live in Leith livestream series combines emerging and breakthrough Scottish artists with spectacular production values – including Robe moving lights – streamed via Dice TV on three consecutive Saturday nights in March and April 2021.
The four featured artists – two per gig – were lit by Lighting Designers, Grant Anderson and Sam Jones. Presented by BBC Radio Scotland DJ Vic Galloway and produced by Lynn Morrison and Callum Jones for the Leith Theatre Trust, the six recordings marked the first fully in-house productions staged since the venue reopened in 2017.
The concerts provide an opportunity for Scottish production professionals to work for a week in a landmark venue, enabling rental companies such as local lighting supplier, Black Light – spearheaded by Calder Sibbald – to get back to work.
Closed to the public since March 2020 following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Live in Leith is part of a host of fundraising and campaigning to support the venue’s redevelopment and eventual full reopening as a vibrant and proactive live music and arts hub.
Lighting production was specified by both Anderson and Jones and based on the range of kit that Black Light had available in their warehouse, which included several Robe fixtures.
The first recording session starred Ransom FA and Nova and was lit by Anderson, who utilised 15 Robe BMFL Spots rigged in trusses flown high up in the roof of the main auditorium stage, along with eight Robe LEDBeam 150s, positioned four a side on boom stands for cross-stage lighting. An additional pair of Robe Spiider LED wash beams were deployed in the downstage corners as floor level key lights for the artists with an array of additional fixtures.
Grant has worked on several pop-up shows and art installations at Leith Theatre in recent years, mainly for the Edinburgh International Festival, and was excited to be asked to light the grime session for Live in Leith because he was very inspired by the music and it gave him the chance to take a “completely different” and highly imaginative approach to lighting. “The design is simple, powerful, and effective,” he remarked.
Showlite delivered lighting to the first Live in Leith livestream recording. Jones utilised the same basic overhead and side rig – including the BMFLs and the LEDBeam 150s, however, the fixtures were completely re-rigged. He brought in some extras including six upstage vertical trusses which were rigged with 24 narrow PAR cans and 18 additional LEDBeam 150s.
Retro PARs and LEDBeam 150s were arranged in columns on the upright trusses. For Lucia & The Best Boys set, he added a ring of Robe Spikies on the floor around the back of the band members. “The beams look great on camera and they are so small you can squeeze them in almost anywhere without anyone noticing until they are fired up,” he commented.
Both LDs programmed and ran their own shows, having pre-visualised their design at home with the luxury of a full day of on-site programming. The wider Live in Leith team comprised Sound Engineers, Jane Datony and Bryan Jones; Video Producer, Ross Blair and Trench One. Audio kit was supplied by DM Audio and Warehouse Sound Services for the second and third edition, with catering provided by Artisan Larder Scotland.