band lighting

[Sam]

I know it has been covered before.. but I like to think it is coming from a slightly different angle.. due to certain pieces of kit I already have.

Anyway..

I have been asked to maybe do basic band lighting for a number of gigs in different sized venues.. so I am having a pondering over lighting.. and wondered what your views are. (I expect they will all be fairly small venues)
I currently have / will have by that time:
2 Pilot 250 moving heads
6/8 Led pars
1 i Colour
2 250w scanners
and various other bits and bobs..

Whilst a may be talking a load of poo (so please put me straight) atht emoment I am thinking:

At the back of the audience:
*either par 64s 500w / 56s 300w with medium / flood bulbs at the back to provide a wash. (straw colour: LEE103?)
* Some pars with narrow bulbs.. to "spot" band members..

Front of stage:
*2 moving heads.. could be used to shine into the audience if needed.. and to 'spot' the members a bit.. or just to have beams twirly around in the air haha.
* i colour maybe.. (even though i know will doesnt like them..) for a blast of colour occasionally..

Behind the band:
* par 56s... with the beams coming 'over' the band
* Led par cans.. uplighting the back wall. (could use the icolour to do this)
* scanners coming over the band at certain points


Just general thoughts at the moment.. and not really size specific as I havn't had the details of venues yet.

So. would appreciate your thoughts.

[Sam]

adding on to it.. maybe some floor cans pointing up and over from behind the band?
And it's a five piece 'cover' band. so a variety of music.

[DMX Will]

I think....

4 64 cans with 500w lamps (narrow.....as you've got a lot of throw) behind the audience on a simple t bar. (2 colours, L103 Straw and L118 Mid Blue)...Make sure their on a dimmer, so you can get some different varients of washes.

Truss along the back of the stage (maybe slightly over the drummer) on the back the pilots either end, maybe the scanners...but you'd be fine without.

Then put your LED pars on the top side of the truss evenly spread.

You could then...buy some of those spot boxes, replace the lamps with white ones, and put them either side of the drum kit as blinders? Just a little idea I just thought up! (You've then got some spot boxes if you have a retro night too!)

I would have thought....that would do you. If your throw is less than 10m, get the medium flood lamps for the pars. Otherwise deffinitly the narrow beam lamp.

[Ricesnaps]

I'd suggest something simple.

Don't go over the top, mosy bands have very little in the way of lighting anyway. Try a set of medium flood PAR 56's, chased set on T-Bars in front of the stage to each side. Nice variety of strong colours - reds, greens and so on. If you really want, maybe add a narrow spot on each side with no filter just to help pick out the singer.

Simple is the key here

[DMX Will]

adding on to it.. maybe some floor cans pointing up and over from behind the band?
And it's a five piece 'cover' band. so a variety of music.

And yeah, maybe 4x 56 floor cans uplighting in the same L103 and L118. Again, make sure their dimmed (you might start to "cook" the lead guitarist). I'd get medium beam lamps in those.

[Paul James Promotions]

I do a lot of small band lighting work, mostly which is low budget.

Firstly, Par 56 300w cans, 4 per side either side of stage (not behind audience) is great as a simple wash. I use Straw in two of the cans, for vocalist(s), then maybe amber, red and blue to light the band. Don't worry about having to 'pin point' the individual band members on small shows. The audience will see them as long as the stage is lit well. Bare in mind that you will usually be working with a limited power supply.

For effect, it's just a case of experimenting. I often use 1 Mac 250 and 1 Mac 300 per side, on flightcases. Saves having to run cabling behind the band, and on small stages it can get difficult to work around them before and after the show.

If you decide you want to set up lighting at the back of the stage, I wouldn't bother to mix standard Par cans with LED's. Baring in mind again the power supply available to you, I would mount a row of LED cans, spaced out across the back, as high as possible.

Hope this gives you an idea.

[DMX Will]

I'd suggest something simple.

Don't go over the top, mosy bands have very little in the way of lighting anyway. Try a set of medium flood PAR 56's, chased set on T-Bars in front of the stage to each side. Nice variety of strong colours - reds, greens and so on. If you really want, maybe add a narrow spot on each side with no filter just to help pick out the singer.

Simple is the key here

I disagree. I hate the standard 2 sets of 4 par cans on a t bar in red, yellow, green and blue. I think it looks amateur. You don't want the bands faces in red and green particually. Use the LED pars for adding "spice" to the rig.

The band I worked with last night had something like what you suggested Matt, and to be perfectly honest it looked awful.

I'd suggest green is a big no-no in a band situation.

[Ricesnaps]

I disagree. I hate the standard 2 sets of 4 par cans on a t bar in red, yellow, green and blue. I think it looks amateur. You don't want the bands faces in red and green particually. Use the LED pars for adding "spice" to the rig.

The band I worked with last night had something like what you suggested Matt, and to be perfectly honest it looked awful.

I'd suggest green is a big no-no in a band situation.

And to be fair, presentation is generally very poor with most bands!

I think we both agree that simple is the right way forward even if we do disagree on the way to do that!

[DMX Will]

And to be fair, presentation is generally very poor with most bands!

"Ain't that the truth!"

Completly agree, can you imagine it though if they velcro'd all their cables....or hung a star cloth up to hide the cables....The band would have to play behind the star cloth....so you might as well just put on a CD.

[Corabar Steve]

I'd suggest green is a big no-no in a band situation.
I'd dissagreehttp://planetsmilies.net/vicious-smiley-1842.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)http://planetsmilies.net/vicious-smiley-1763.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

And to be fair, presentation is generally very poor with most bands!

I think we both agree that simple is the right way forward even if we do disagree on the way to do that!Grrrrrrrrr!http://planetsmilies.net/vicious-smiley-1761.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)http://smilies.vidahost.com/contrib/scorchio/saevil.gif


"Ain't that the truth!"

Completly agree, can you imagine it though if they velcro'd all their cables....or hung a star cloth up to hide the cables....The band would have to play behind the star cloth....so you might as well just put on a CD.
Ejit :sj: :sj:

[Corabar Entertainment]

...and yes, that is Steve at the microphone in the middle of the first picture!

[jamesh]

I do a lot of small band lighting work, mostly which is low budget.

Firstly, Par 56 300w cans, 4 per side either side of stage (not behind audience) is great as a simple wash. I use Straw in two of the cans, for vocalist(s), then maybe amber, red and blue to light the band. Don't worry about having to 'pin point' the individual band members on small shows. The audience will see them as long as the stage is lit well. Bare in mind that you will usually be working with a limited power supply.

For effect, it's just a case of experimenting. I often use 1 Mac 250 and 1 Mac 300 per side, on flightcases. Saves having to run cabling behind the band, and on small stages it can get difficult to work around them before and after the show.

If you decide you want to set up lighting at the back of the stage, I wouldn't bother to mix standard Par cans with LED's. Baring in mind again the power supply available to you, I would mount a row of LED cans, spaced out across the back, as high as possible.

Hope this gives you an idea.

Yep i'd have to agree with Jamie here.... but it does depend on stage size... If it's only small you'll get away with 2 Par 56 300w cans either side rather than 4...

And yep if you want to run pars behind the band got for 4+ LED par 56 or 64's.... Will add colour to it but will mean your not pushing the power as much...

[Sam]

Yep i'd have to agree with Jamie here.... but it does depend on stage size... If it's only small you'll get away with 2 Par 56 300w cans either side rather than 4...

And yep if you want to run pars behind the band got for 4+ LED par 56 or 64's.... Will add colour to it but will mean your not pushing the power as much...


thank you for all your replies..
food for thought!

Although I understand simpler is better.. but I do already have a number of units such as the moving heads.. so would be good to include them :-)

Will have a think and get back to you..

[DJWilson]

hi, i would suggest the moving heads you said and a few scanners (e.g dynamos) and i'd use the pars coming down from the ceiling onto the band (back and front).

All the best! :)