Fine time for Fineline at Glastonbury 2015
Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (Glasto), presented a diverse melting pot of music, performance, entertainment, culture and fun from around the globe descending on the massive Worthy Farm site at Pilton in Somerset.
Bristol based lighting and visuals specialist Fineline Lighting supplied lighting for the Acoustic Stage, Astrolabe Theatre, Cabaret and Circus venues and also the WOW stage in the Silver Hays dance area.
Acoustic Fineline has built up the décor element of the stage to include lush red drapes, and masking around the stage and in the ceiling, which enhances the theatricality of the space.
This year, the Fineline team designed and custom fabricated a special chandelier with 40 spiral filament lamps to complete the deco elements.
With a line-up of artists keen to show their talent in an acoustic environment, stage lighting was designed by Rob and Fineline site crew chief Stu England. Based on three trusses spanning the 40 x 22 ft. ground support system was also installed, trimmed at 9.5 meters.
This was rigged with 10 bars of PAR 64s and some ACLs, together with Martin MAC Quantum Spots on drop bars on the back and mid trusses. Quantum Wash moving lights on the mid truss were used to create the general stage washes, while MAC 101s on the back truss served as effective tab ‘warmers’, highlighting the sumptuous red drapage.
On the mid truss MAC Aura XBs and XB Plus’s provided the beam work and rear key lighting, supported by Robe LEDBeam 100s for effects. Avolites dimming and a Sapphire Touch control completed the lighting package.
Lighting in the Astrolabe theatre tent was co-ordinated by Hal Himsworth.
A substantial amount of trussing was rigged in the roof to create a usable theatre grid and most of the base washes were created by static LED wash lights. The rig incorporated all the performer specs, together with specials and extras as needed and featured about 80 fresnels, profiles, floods and PARs which were re- worked and often refocussed and re-gelled between acts.
An Avo Pearl Expert with a Wing ran the lights, with Avolites dimming throughout.
Circus Lighting had to fill 12 metres of headroom and a 3D space about 8 metres square. The upstage truss was horizontally hinged at approximately 45 degrees along the sides to form an arc around the stage, supported from this truss, at the mid stage ends, and were vertical trusses for side lighting positions.
Additional lights were on the floor and rigged to the tent king poles and flown trusses suspended from the king poles and cupola. A mix of Robe 600E Spots and Chauvet Rogue R2 wash lights on the deck were combined with LED battens serving as knee kickers. These were joined by a good selection of generics – PARs, profiles and fresnels.
All the shows were rehearsed, pre-programmed and cue-stacked on the console – in another gruelling schedule – so everything triggered at the right times, with an Avo Sapphire Touch console and Avolites dimming.
Cabaret Fixtures were rigged on a 4 x 2 mere box truss built around the king pole to give FOH and audience positions, and on two trusses over the stage, with two vertical trusses on the downstage edge for booms.
Fixtures compromised about 60 PARs, 20 Source Four profiles for gobo projections plus fresnels. The moving lights were 10 x Chauvet Rogue R2 Beams and eight Rogue R2 washes.
Fineline’s Wingnut also created custom paper globe lanterns that lit with special LED rods which were strung up throughout the space adding depth and a bit of visual scenery to the otherwise black void above the audience. A bespoke mirror ball was also created and installed at the rear of the stage.
A variety of kits including 10 x Chauvet R2 beams, six Robe LEDBeam 100s, eight 2- lites, Atomic strobes and Chauvet Nexus 7×7 panels, PARs and ACLs was used. The funnel billowed with smoke courtesy of a Gem Roadie smoker.
