In September 2015 innovative post punk electronic rock band New Order released their tenth “Music Complete” album and started the live tour to support the work, which to date has included tours of the UK, Europe, Asia … and is set to visit the US, Japan, Australia and then festivals this summer.
The band formed in 1980, and their long term New Order lighting designer Andy Liddle has also been a collaborator in the New Order live experience almost since then, joining in 1981!
This tour, he has used 16 x Robe BMFLs as the backbone of the lighting rig, together with other lights, controlled via an Avolites Arena console.
Andy chose BMFL Spots for their “amazing brightness, speed and optics” … and positioned four of the lights on each one of four over-stage trusses, along with other lighting and GLUX video panels, trimmed at 7, 6, 6.5 and 1.5 metres, and positioned at 3, 6, 9m upstage, respectively.
His creative starting point for this design was amalgamating and re-imagining all the best elements of three maverick touring lighting designs which date back to 1983, 1986 and 1989 respectively.
The lighting equipment for the UK and European legs of the tour was supplied by UK rental company Hawthorn, and Andy’s biggest challenge so far has been the tight pre-production times ahead of each leg of the tour.
In addition to some intelligent and thought-through lighting to match the drama and excitement which resonates at every gig, Andy worked closely with founding band member drummer, keyboard player and engineer Stephen Morris who produced the video content in conjunction with Damian Hale and Sam Pattinson from Treatment Studio … to mould the aesthetic of the show.
Photos by Dom Henry
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