Electronic summer from impressionists A-ha
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With the band revisiting their original trademark electronic sound, show designer Stu’ Farrell has conceived a thought provoking staging for the band that sees specialist supplier Video Design provide some unusual LED and a distinct degree of autonomy for Julien Hogg, Farrell’s long-time collaborator and custodian of all things video.
“The visual concept is intended to make the audience think about what they are seeing,” Hogg began. “Stu’s design sees three long strips of LED on the front of double wide risers approximately three-foot tall, one for each band member. The Vanish25 panels we have from Video Design are chosen to allow the lighting behind to shine through, and for the LED to be part of the effect. We also have an eight-foot tall screen of V25 across the back of stage.
“The Vanish panels as the name suggests, are all see-through; we have what we call Sabbath Pods, square frames of lighting that are set behind the LED. With fewer pixels in a shine through panel (25mm pixel pitch) you have to be careful about what you put through the LED. The panels have 50% transparency and were chosen deliberately to achieve the effects Stu’ wanted; they have proved perfect for the design.”
For the early dates Hogg is supported by Rob Stansfield, “Rob is an LED panel specialist,” explained Video Design MD Alex Leinster. “We put him in there as this is an unfamiliar product and we didn’t want anything to distract Julien from his core creative function.”
(Jim Evans)
