Robe’s new ROBIN series of moving lights made a high impact UK debut on the Stereophonics’ landmark Cardiff Castle homecoming show in Wales, UK, last weekend ….. specified by LD Tim Routledge and supplied by lighting rental company HSL.
Routledge incorporated 8 of the new ROBIN 300E Beam fixtures into his rig. It was a daylight show, so he specifically needed lightsources that were mega bright and would hold their own and be seen. He adds that it is “always exciting” to be the first to use new technology, and jumped at the chance to use the ROBINs once he had seen a demo at PLASA.
The ROBIN 300E Beams were placed on 7 vertical trussing towers that surrounded the stage. “The light output and the punch from them is absolutely amazing” comments Routledge. He also likes the quality and definition of the beam, and reckons that he will definitely be using them again.
Another great advantage of the ROBINs in this context was their expedient size. The saddlespan stage structure was tight for space when it came to finding lighting positions, and the weight loading for flying was limited, so apart from 2 lights, the whole rig had to be floor based and squeeze into a relatively compact area.
The Robin 300E Beam fixture has advanced optics allowing gobos to be focused anywhere within the beam path, for creating precise and dramatic aerial effects. The beam angle ranges from 1.6 – 6.5 degrees, and a dichroic glass reflector to maximise the light output – which never fails to impress once seen it in action. In addition to full colour mixing, there are 9 replaceable “Slot&Lock” rotating gobos plus 7 static gobos. The ROBIN 300E Beam fixture is one of a family of 5, which includes the ROBIN 300E Spot and Wash and the ROBIN 300 Plasma Spot & Plasma Wash.
Routledge’s Cardiff rig also featured 14 Robe ColorWash 700E ATs, two of which were attached to each of the 7 towers and used for vibrant back and general lighting. A major architectural feature of the show was a large matrix of 250 LED fixtures, and this, all the moving lights plus strobes, 2-lite blinders and profiles were all controlled via a grandMA2 lighting console.
Routledge has also used many Robe moving lights on many other shows and generally thinks the brand is reliable and well engineered.
The Stereophonics show celebrated the launch of their forthcoming new album “Keep Calm & Carry On”. They last played at Cardiff Castle in 1998, and the 10,000 tickets for this show were sold for the same price as 11 years ago! The band – known for their electrifying and energetic live performances – enthralled the crowds and ensured that everyone involved enjoyed a truly memorable day!
Leave a Reply