Concert set-up question

[dasreaper]

A friend of mine will be going on tour in a few months and asked me to light his show. I have television experience with lighting along with other video projects, and I have localed a few concerts here, but I have never been asked to light a show (other than TV).

As for TV I have designed a few sets and set and balanced the lights myself, and I also have experience replacing dimmer packs. My friend knows I have tv and video experience and he have seen my "creative lighting" work so he wants me to be a part of his team.

The music he plays is electronic, I cant say Tech, House, etc. but it "dark" sound to it and it also have an industial sound to it.

I want to keep the over all set dark and possibly use ellipse to have beams of lights going out to the audience. I want to have one ellipse on the performer. I want to keep the theme as dark as possible with as few lights as possible and have an ocasional "bright set" on both the audience and the performer and have different lights flash on the beat. I don't know what board I am using yet, but I have basic experience with ETC Expression and Flying Pig (I think) since the studios I work in have them.

What will be good lights to use with this type of event? I already have planned for at least 5 ellepse and I plan on having four towers to have set up. I am all new to this and I want to be prepared. Also I know some clubs we will go into will have thier own "decent" systems, would they usually allow people to pre-program their system for the performing artist? If I can use the venue's systems, I'd rather do that, but for the venue's that lacks a decent system, we will set up our own.

 

[themuzicman]

I'm an audio guy, but when I work club gigs, I see a ton of smaller electronic music LD's rolling in with SunLite PC controller stuff (Sunlite Suite 2 : lighting control software, USB DMX 512 controller). I've never used it myself, but I'd say 80% of the dubstep/electronic shows I used to work (which was the bulk of the club work I was doing the last few years) had LD's using this software.

The usual lighting rig that the lighting company would bring in was like 8 Chauvet COLORado Batten 72's, 20 Chauvet Color DASH par tri, and 15 to 30 Mac 250's. Just to give you an example of what it can do.

I can't tell you what lights you should use, just giving you a possible suggestion for a lighting controller that I have seen used. I've never used it, so I can't vouch for it - but I have seen enough people using it to know that it works.

 

[dasreaper]

Ah, I am beginning to get the idea. I am slowly learning this stuff and this site is a great wealth of information. I will check out that software.

I want to use this experience and possibly start a career in this. In TV you blast everything with the light, and with this your painting with the light and can be more creative... I like it.

 

[mstaylor]

LEDs are good for clubs because they can give you multiple looks and takes very little power. If you use an Express I would set up a bunch of looks on subs and busk from there. For clubs that have in house systems, you may want to add some of your stuff or not depending, but I would take their board out and use their DMX line and do what you want on a board you use everyday.
Some clubs may balk at you using your board because they will be afraid you will change something they have set up. Generally they don't know what they are doing and only know how to use the system as is. Assure them that their instruments are stupid and don't care who feeds it signal, plus you will be less likely to change a patch if you don't use their board.