AARHUS, Denmark –
Since forming in 2007, British band Mumford & Sons has toured the world
almost non-stop. Now setting out again to showcase their third album, the
band’s Lighting and Production Designer, Ed Warren, selected HARMAN Martin®
Professional VDO Sceptron 10s and MAC QuantumTM Washes to make
their live show even more immersive and experiential.
Warren developed a
captivating new design specifically for the new album, Wilder Mind. He
immersed himself in Mumford & Sons’ music until it resonated in his mind–he
even played the band’s music while sleeping. “Designing is a very fluid process
for me. I don’t force it,” says Warren. “When I’ve visualized my first thoughts
and I feel like I’m in the right zone, the concept starts to take shape.”
In the initial
stages, Warren presented his ideas to the band using mood boards. They liked it
and when finalized, he submitted his design to UK rental company NEG Earth,
along with a product specification list. After reviewing Warren’s list, Caroline
Beverley, Project Manager, NEG Earth, suggested using the new VDO Sceptrons
from Martin Professional as an alternative to the fixtures specified. Beverley
said they would be perfect for Warren’s design, and when Warren saw them he was
easily persuaded.
“The VDO Sceptrons
were perfect for what we wanted to do,” says Warren. “As some of the concerts
happen during daylight, I needed fixtures with a good color output and
brightness. The Sceptrons do just that–even in bright sunshine.”
The VDO Sceptrons
play a leading role in the design where they frame the stage and trusses. The
fixtures are mounted onto the downstage edges and the two risers, and along the
vertical lines of ten towers upstage. Side trusses and three U-shaped trusses
above the band are also lined with VDO Sceptrons, adding a futuristic look to
the show. Although capable of displaying video content, Warren uses the VDO
Sceptrons in simple RGB mode on four channels. This design ended up suiting
Mumford & Sons very well. The VDO Sceptrons and the MAC Quantum Washes are
mixed in with older fixtures, comparable to the band’s traditional vibe from
previous albums and their new, rockier synth-based material.
Warren believes in
creating an experience for an audience. he wants to immerse the audience in
every show he produces and make every fan feel at one with the band and the
performance.
“The art of lighting
design is to support and reflect what the band is trying to evoke with their
music without distracting from it,” says Warren. “You want to complement the
music and stir the audience as much as possible, but you need to respect that
people have come to see the band–not necessarily the light or laser show.”
The VDO Sceptrons
support Warren’s approach to lighting design as they add both depth and
dimensionality to the stage. This way, the stage jumps out spatially and is not
just a flat object at one end of the venue. Also on tour with Warren and
Mumford & Sons are 16 MAC Quantum Washes that Warren uses to backlight the
band and the stage and light through the open risers.
“They’re great
lights,” says Warren. “Just like the Sceptrons they perform very well and stand
up against daylight with great colors.”
Mumford & Sons
will be touring until the end of 2016.
Martin Equipment
·
VDO Sceptron 10, 159 pcs.
· MAC
Quantum Wash, 16 pcs.
Credits
Lighting Design: Ed
Warren
Rental company: NEG
Earth
Chief Electrician:
Adam ‘Moonunit' Morris
Production Manager:
Steve Gordon
As a world leader in
the creation of dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment,
architectural, and commercial sectors, Martin lighting and video systems are
renowned the world over. Martin also offers a range of advanced lighting
controllers and media servers, as well as a complete line of smoke machines as
a complement to intelligent lighting. Martin operates the industry’s most
complete and capable distributor network with local partners in nearly 100
countries. Founded in 1987 and based in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin is the lighting
division of global infotainment and audio company HARMAN International
Industries. For more information please visit: www.martin.com.
HARMAN (harman.com)
designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers
and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems; audio and visual
products, enterprise automation solutions; and connected services. With leading
brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark
Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the
entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 25 million
automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car
systems. The Company's software services power billions of mobile devices and
systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from
work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 27,000
people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $6.2 billion
during the 12 months ended June 30, 2015.
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