Robe Bowls For Soup

 

Lighting designer Haydn Thomas is using Robe ColorSpot and ColorWash 575E AT moving lights and a Robe DigitalSpot 5000 DT on Bowling For Soup’s current UK and European tour.

The Texas based comedy-influenced punk-pop band are enjoying the success of their "Get Happy 2" tour and latest "When I Die" single, along with their largest production tour to date. Thomas has worked with them since 2003, and was left to come up with a lighting plot that would match the fast-paced energy and action happening onstage.

He wanted to get a wide dispersion of lightsources all over the stage area at different levels, so the rear truss consists of 5 box trusses bolted together, measuring a total of 12 metres long by 2.5 m deep, with the top edge raked forward.

Six Robe ColorSpot 575E ATs are rigged onto this, with another 4 mounted on top of four vertical truss sections stood on the floor, two either side of stage at the back.

The front truss features 6 ColorWash 575E ATs and the DigitalSpot 5000 DT, which is rigged in the centre.

The Robe fixtures are used to create lots of <cite>“big open looks, gobo effects and audience sweeps”</cite> he explains, adding, <cite>“The 8 – 50 degree zoom on the Wash is awesome! It’s effectively like having double the amount of lights on the front truss as I can use them as either a Spot or Wash effects”</cite>.

He uses the DigitalSpot to project digital backgrounds over the top of Bowling For Soup’s two backdrops during the set, utilising the fixture’s onboard media clips. <cite>“It’s well bright enough to be visible even against the rather dark backdrops”</cite> he comments, adding that it is great to have this extra layer of texturing at his creative disposal.

Colour wise, the show is strongly accented with red, white and blue - standards of the Texan flag - to reflect Bowling For Soup’s loyalty to and love of their state, combined with some ‘yellow moments’ which are striking when they occur.

Freelancer Thomas - who works regularly with Leeds-based lighting equipment contractors Zig Zag - has been using Robe products extensively for the last 2 years and has <cite>“Never had a problem with a fixture”</cite>. Consequently, Robe is definitely his moving light of choice.

He also mentions that, ”The service from Robe UK is excellent - exactly what you need for touring”.

He’s controlling all the moving lights, the DigitalSpot and a generic rig consisting of PARs, ACLs, Moles and strobes from an Avolites Diamond 4 console which is also his desk of choice.

Thomas is working alongside lighting technician Graeme Moya. Sound is being supplied by Stage Audio Services from Birmingham.