Control/Dimming Touring bands + light shows.
- Thread starterZakkClarkTLB
- Start date
wavemaster447
Member
Speaking as a ME for a small/medium (600 seat) road house, most shows that come through either:
1) give us a lighting plot, which they adapted from their touring plot to fit in our theatre, and then their LD comes for focus, brings their own board or show file, edits the patch so it matches up, and then runs the show.
2) Gives us a channel list, i.e. "Warm front wash from Stage Right" "Cool front wash from Stage Left" "Blue Downlight", and then shows up with a board or showfile and patches, and then runs the show. We create a new plot for the show, and hang it.
3) include some basic lighting requirements in their rider "blue cyc" "red downlight"", and a LD works with the ME to set up subs, and then they run the show on our board on the fly. We typically adapt our rep plot to meet their requirements.
4) Leave it entirely up to us, we hang our rep plot and do the best we can. Typically we get a setlist with descriptions like "sultry" "energized" "angry" for songs.
I'm actually prepping to tour a show myself on the side, and the essence of what I'm trying to do is to simplify the show into basic areas/zones/directions of lighting, assigning them each channels, and then working with each theatre to make the same sort of things can happen. I'll be giving each theatre individual plots, and then bringing my own board and just re-patching the show for every venue.
1) give us a lighting plot, which they adapted from their touring plot to fit in our theatre, and then their LD comes for focus, brings their own board or show file, edits the patch so it matches up, and then runs the show.
2) Gives us a channel list, i.e. "Warm front wash from Stage Right" "Cool front wash from Stage Left" "Blue Downlight", and then shows up with a board or showfile and patches, and then runs the show. We create a new plot for the show, and hang it.
3) include some basic lighting requirements in their rider "blue cyc" "red downlight"", and a LD works with the ME to set up subs, and then they run the show on our board on the fly. We typically adapt our rep plot to meet their requirements.
4) Leave it entirely up to us, we hang our rep plot and do the best we can. Typically we get a setlist with descriptions like "sultry" "energized" "angry" for songs.
I'm actually prepping to tour a show myself on the side, and the essence of what I'm trying to do is to simplify the show into basic areas/zones/directions of lighting, assigning them each channels, and then working with each theatre to make the same sort of things can happen. I'll be giving each theatre individual plots, and then bringing my own board and just re-patching the show for every venue.
bishopthomas
Well-Known Member
I just did three shows with a band in very different venues. The first show (TLA in Philadelphia) I used all of the club's gear. They happened to have the same console I would have brought in and they had a decent enough rig to make it happen. I worked with the house LD to get a focus and had a super easy night.
The second show they had around 18 par cans on DS/US trusses. They were run off NSI Microplex dimmers. So I ran the house rig off their little console and used my Tiger for the movers and blinders that I brought in. There really wasn't even a point in refocusing their conventionals.
The last gig was at the 9:30 club in DC. They had plenty of wiggly lights, strobes, blinders, lekos for front lighting specials. I just brought in my console. All of these shows I advanced ahead of time so both myself and the house folks knew exactly what to expect.
In June I'll be going back out with them, this time spending 4 weeks touring the entire country. I'll definitely have my console but for the most part I'll be using all house gear. Since we're doing the club circuit in 600-2000 seat venues the lighting is installed I'll pretty much just get what I get. I'll have something generic in the tech rider, especially to require the house LD to be there starting when we load in. We'll do a quick focus and depending on the situation I may or may not use my own console. The main thing is to advance the shows so that there are no surprises when you get to the venue and there's now limited amount of time to hang, focus, program, etc.
The second show they had around 18 par cans on DS/US trusses. They were run off NSI Microplex dimmers. So I ran the house rig off their little console and used my Tiger for the movers and blinders that I brought in. There really wasn't even a point in refocusing their conventionals.
The last gig was at the 9:30 club in DC. They had plenty of wiggly lights, strobes, blinders, lekos for front lighting specials. I just brought in my console. All of these shows I advanced ahead of time so both myself and the house folks knew exactly what to expect.
In June I'll be going back out with them, this time spending 4 weeks touring the entire country. I'll definitely have my console but for the most part I'll be using all house gear. Since we're doing the club circuit in 600-2000 seat venues the lighting is installed I'll pretty much just get what I get. I'll have something generic in the tech rider, especially to require the house LD to be there starting when we load in. We'll do a quick focus and depending on the situation I may or may not use my own console. The main thing is to advance the shows so that there are no surprises when you get to the venue and there's now limited amount of time to hang, focus, program, etc.
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