The 2012 Larmer Tree Festival, staged in the picturesque environs of Larmer Tree Gardens (photo: Gary Chandler-Honnor)
UK - West London based Entec Sound & Light supplied a substantial stage, architectural and garden lighting package to the 2012 Larmer Tree Festival, staged in the picturesque environs of Larmer Tree Gardens at Tollard Royal, south Wiltshire.

It's the seventh year that Entec has been involved with providing lighting the popular boutique festival, set in the environment originally created by prominent Victorian, Lieutenant-General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers, and opened as the first private gardens for 'public enjoyment' in the UK.

The Entec crew of five was led by Richard Hutton. The equipment and designs covered five principal music stages of various sizes and a theatre / club space located in England's oldest corrugated iron building.

The Main stage was an 18m saddle span structure which was new for this year, bringing its own set of lighting challenges for designer Mark Jones, as overhead hanging points are scarce.

Thinking laterally, Jones used the actual roof of the tent as the major point of illumination, and Entec's new Robe LEDWash 600s proved invaluable once again with their light weight and small size, enabling six to be flown in the roof - the only fixture small and light enough for the job.

Onstage, side towers facilitated additional lighting positions, rigged with Clay Paky Alpha Spot 300s and 12 active Sunstrips arranged into shapes around the stage. There were also four sets of Studio Due CS4 motorised ACL bars on stands.

Sections of striking red Lycra drape were used to dress the entrances of the stage, adding pizzazz and flare, also having a 'tidying' effect, These were easily detachable to allow the rolling risers to move on and offstage for changeovers.

Continuing on the improvisational path, bamboo and polythene was utilised to create a custom rain hide covering the exposed lighting fixtures in the roof. Bamboo was the only option for keeping within the 22Kg weight allowance.

Entec supplied two options on control consoles - an Avolites Pearl 2012 and a Jands Vista S1 running the latest v2 software. Visiting LDs included Simon Chandler-Honnor (Joolz Holland) and Tony Austin (Paloma Faith).

(Jim Evans)


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