The Rogues ‘delivered the colour and the brightness the music demanded’ (photo: Gregory Nolan)
USA - Ever since Dropkick Murphys burst on the music scene in the late ’90s, bold, colourful backdrops have been almost as much a part of their show as their music.
This year, the band added a new twist to their stage presence by having five separate sections of drops that were revealed in stages. Accenting the unveiling of each section, while also furnishing an endless stream of bright and colourful looks to support the band’s thunderous performance, was a Jeff Maker lighting design that featured 17 Chauvet Professional Rogue R2 Wash fixtures, supplied by JRLX, Inc.
“Things were a bit different this year compared to Dropkick Murphys’ other tours when it came to their drop setup,” says Maker. “They went with five separate sections of drops, each of which had a Velcro reveal in front of it. We would reveal the drop during a blackout at mid-set. The Rogues provided perfect uplighting and colour saturation for the drops as they were revealed. We positioned them so their lights hit the drops’ artwork in a way that reflected light and colour very nicely.”
Maker arranged five of his Rogue R2 Wash units on the upstage deck, using them to uplight the different backdrops. An additional four Rogue fixtures, two on either side of the stage, were placed downstage on pipe and base for key side light. For stage washing, specials and aerial washes, Maker positioned eight Rogue R2 Wash fixtures on four 10’ vertical towers stationed over the band’s riser setup position mid-stage.
“I needed fixtures that would not only be versatile and flexible enough to showcase the new set, but also provide that extra firepower to really magnify the performance,” says Maker. “The Rogues delivered the colour and the brightness the music demanded.”
(Jim Evans)

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