Backstage With the Band

[mstreck]

 Our drummer brings along a roadie friend of his that helps us load in/out and set up - and is willing to also run lights, so my next goal is to assemble a light rig that we can take out and help make us look more like a "real band". We have been hiring out for lights, but we can't find anyone with a light rig who will commit to us "full-time", so we might as well buy and run them ourselves.

I've been lurking in the lighting forum, trying to figure out what I "need" vs. what I "want". I figure I might as well ask for advice here as well. So... what do you guys have in your lighting rigs?

Thanks! 

Mike

[guido61]

two trees with 4 LED par cans each on either side of the stage.  usually a couple of cans are turned around and pointed out at the crowd.

we also have a truss bar across the back of the stage with 6 old-style par 56s pointing down at the band and a projector screen that hangs from the bar behind the drummer.  We shoot projected images of different lighted patterns from a projector near the front of the stage.

We also have a spinny light thingy that sits on the floor in front of us that usually is pointed to display moving lights on the ceiling.  And a hazer to make all the beams from everything look cooler.

We're planning on getting a couple of more special effects lights this year.

[Mutha Goose]

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Mutha Goose wrote:
I run 15 feet of rear truss with:
4 Blizzard Q12s
2 Blizzard Fab5s
2 Chauvet 6Spots
4 Chauvet Intimidator 350 Scan LEDs.

In front I run 2 T-bars with 4 Blizzard Q6s.
Plus an Antari-350 hazer.

I run the lights with a foot controller to DMXis

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[twostone]

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Mutha Goose wrote:

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Mutha Goose wrote:
I run 15 feet of rear truss with:
4 Blizzard Q12s
2 Blizzard Fab5s
2 Chauvet 6Spots
4 Chauvet Intimidator 350 Scan LEDs.

In front I run 2 T-bars with 4 Blizzard Q6s.
Plus an Antari-350 hazer.

I run the lights with a foot controller to DMXis

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Nice lights

[StratGuy22]

8 - BlIzzard 3NX
6 - Chauvet Pinspot 360
4 - Chauvet Intimidator 1.0
4 - Blizzard Fab5
Chauvet Hurricane 1800 Flex smoke machine


On their way:
8 - Martin MiniMac Profile

Next upgrade
4 more 3NX
4 more Pinspot 360

http://youtu.be/N1YLqFktCzs

http://youtu.be/fgX59L4-qaQ

http://youtu.be/aNOURpTqTMo

[dan88z]

we have a real simple setup. Mainly because 99% of the venues we do wouldn't like a fog machine burping smoke or seizure inducing lights when people are trying to eat. I have 2 color strips that I bungee to the top of the speaker stacks that light up the band, and some venues use a 1 Chauvet 4play clear light bar that we sit behind the band and set to the sound response setting, and aim a couple of the lights at the ceiling and a couple at the dance floor.

[n9ne]

No hardware advice here, but a personal observation:   do not underestimate the value of front lighting.

One of the more popular regional bands in this area has an absolutely amazing light show, and every time I've seen them perform, they created a full-blown concert atmosphere.

But last summer,  I happened to see them in another city, playing a venue with a relatively shallow stage that allowed them to use much of their backlighting rig and all their specials, but a very limited the amount of frontlighting....and the presentation looked completely different.   Instead of of creating their usual highly  professional concert-level atmosphere, it looked like just your average bar band standing there playing while someone ran a fantastic light show in the background.   I realized that it was the front lighting that really pulled everything together into one cohesive show.....and the lack of frontlighting made all the difference in the world.

I've seen plenty of bands that have reasonably good backlighting, but will just throw a couple spare cans in the front to illuminate the performers.....which always strikes me as a bit ridiculous.   I understand space considerations and all that, and I understand how critical lighting is for creating whatever ambiance you're going for.   But the fact is, the primary job of any stage lighting is to illuminate and draw the audiences eyes to the performer.   And it seems like a lot of bands get so caught up in creating scenes or whatever, they end up forgetting the whole reason for getting lighting in the first place.

[TrickyBoy]

I've got a 10' truss with 3 color strips, an american DJ fusion bar 3 and two other lights that I forget their name, but they are white lights that look really cool with fog.

In general, moving lights, pin spots, etc really only look good when enhanced with fog IMO. where the colorstrips look great with or without it.

[StratGuy22]

Even if you JUST light the band. It makes a big difference.

And +1 on the fog. My smoke machine died between sound check and show time so the light didn't look anywhere near as good as they should.

[Mutha Goose]

Fog is better than nothing but fog has a few down-falls:

• It can set off smoke detectors
• It dries your throat
• smells (some)
• looks all patchy
• dissipates quickly....

A Hazer on the other hand doesn't have any of these issues. They are more expensive though, but they work so much better. If you're going to spend good money on lights, don't get cheap on the fog/haze.

[StratGuy22]

True. I'm so torn between fog and haze. I said fuck it and went with fog. I'll get an Antari HZ300 in the next 6 months but I needed my smoke machine yesterday.

[StratGuy22]

I really like the smell of fog, but I'm old school. Lol

[guido61]

LOL. Me too. When we were using a fogger everyone else in the band bitched about the smell and how it bothered their throats and waa waa waa. To me it smelled like the good old days.

Oh well. Now we have a hazer.

[Mutha Goose]

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guido61 wrote:
... To me it smelled like the good old days...

If I want that, I'll ask 50 people to exhale their cigarette smoke on me LOL!

[dan88z]

An original project I was in a long time ago was doing an outdoor gig and the light guys had the fog machines. The wind kept blowing these billowing clouds of it right into our singers face. She was coughing and wheezing and begging "please!" over her mic. It was really funny to watch on video but at the time, I knew it sucked for her.

[jimiv]

...Two light trees on each side of stage front with LED cans.  (man those LED bulbs are expensive, but what a difference!)

...One light tree in back of Drummer elevated about ten feet with a large moonflower splashed on dancefloor and Quad Gem DMZ Moonflower on band. 

...Two chauvet foggers, but ditto on the Hazer and that is my next purchase.

[mstreck]

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dan88z wrote:

An original project I was in a long time ago was doing an outdoor gig and the light guys had the fog machines. The wind kept blowing these billowing clouds of it right into our singers face. She was coughing and wheezing and begging "please!" over her mic. It was really funny to watch on video but at the time, I knew it sucked for her.

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Amy's asthmatic, so fog is risky. We already had to grab her inhaler once in the last 6 months. The fog machine turned on and never turned off until the guy unplugged it - which is why I'm buying a hazer and will control it via footswitch myself. Actually, I'd like to get to the point where I can pre-program everything and control the lights via a foot controller (which is what StratGuy22 does, if I remember correctly).

 Lots of good info here. Thanks, guys! 

[jdboyl72]

We use the following:

12 x Chauvet Par 38 Tri LED par cans - 3 x pre wilred 4bars on the back truss

6 x Chauvet Qspot 160 LED - 4 hanging on the back truss, 2 on vertical towers

4 x Chauvet colorsplash 200b - 2 per side, used as front color wash (will be upgraded at some point)

3 x Chauvet Colordash accent VW - used for front lighting white and amber

6 x 150 watt halogen blinders building into drum riser, controlled with Chauvet DMX4 Dimmer Pack

3 X American DJ Fusion FX Bar 3 - white pin spots (don't use these all the time, only for big shows)

Chauvet Hurricane Haze 2

Chauvet Obey 70 controller (will upgrade soon but I just can't decide which way to go)

15 feet of triangular truss with crank stands

2 x 4 foot vertial square truss with 24 inch bases

2 trees for front lighting

[StratGuy22]

Pics!!!!???!!!!!

[StratGuy22]

Actually, I'd like to get to the point where I can pre-program everything and control the lights via a foot controller (which is what StratGuy22 does, if I remember correctly).

Lots of good info here. Thanks, guys!
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My new hurricane 1800 flex arrived the other day. Man does it put out. Even just little puffs to bump up the smoke now and then will work out well.

I am able to control my lights in banks of 10. I use the Behringer (forgive me for I have sinned) FCB1010. One volume pedal controls the dimmers for the lights on the band, I can knock them back to dim the band for effect, and the other volume pedal controls the smoke machine via DMX.

Maybe I'll whip up another video showing the foot pedal working. It's fun playing around and creating scenes. Once my new trunks arrive between gigs, the lights can stay in the garage, ready to go.