Flare’s Luke Rolls prepping some of Flare’s AX3 stock
UK - Flare is a busy and successful UK-based event lighting, visuals and technical specialist which was established by designers Ben Cash and David Amos in 2008. The company has invested heavily in Astera’s battery powered wireless LED products in the last 18 months and has over 100 x AX3 LiteDrops in stock which are used in a multiplicity of ways on most of their projects.
Ben Cash explained that they originally started looking at the very compact AX3s to use as table centres - covered by an opaque dome - for the assorted corporate and gala dinner events that they supply. This is an application for which they needed a great looking, reliable and long-lasting LED product that was battery powered and could be easily wirelessly operated. The AX3s proved a perfect solution.
Ben and the team also soon discovered that the AX3s could be used elsewhere at events and gigs, for all kinds of set and environmental dressing, highlighting and texturing.
Flare frequently work - drawing and programming - with lighting designer Rob Sinclair (Kylie Minogue, Kygo, Clean Bandit, David Byrne, and many more), and in summer 2017 they re-lit a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic Starlight Express in Bochem, Germany, using some AX3s ensconced in the set. “They are great even in certain typically theatrical contexts” commented Rob.
He’s also used them as band footlights on high-profile charity fundraisers at venues like London’s Roundhouse, which have featured performances by a succession of famous artists, and he’s also used them for lighting the back, front and inside of signs.
Ben has also just purchased six of the eight-way TitanTube kits from Astera’s UK exclusive distributor, Ambersphere Solutions.
Flare regularly supplies lighting for special events at the Westfield retail complex in west London, with AX3s constantly used for these shows.
They were also recently used on an experiential event for leading supermarket Tesco. Devour, staged in Shoreditch, east London, was an immersive sensory experience combining food from Tesco’s Finest line with an interactive journey incorporating taste, smell, sight, touch and auditory stimuli. 64 Astera AX3s helped enhance the guest experience.
(Jim Evans)

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