UK: Lighting designer Steven Bewley is using a primarily Clay Paky rig to light renowned trip-hop trio London Grammar during the band’s current UK tour.
The delicate lighting design created by the Newcastle-based designer weaves the band’s haunting music into a web of theatrical glamour and is already earning itself industry praise.
“The brief from the band was that they wanted every song to look different,” explains Bewley. “So the creative concept for the lighting design came from the idea of merging looks from a TV show, a stage show and a gig. We wanted to create a real mix – there’s some old-style lighting mixed with video as well some new styles layered with some cutting edge LED technology.”
During the past six months Bewley has worked with the band on their UK and American tours, deciding to change up the rig during this current UK tour by specifying a large amount of Clay Paky kit, all provided by UK rental company Neg Earth. For this updated version Bewley opted for 36 Sharpy, 8 Sharpy Wash, 16 A.leda B-EYE, 18 Alpha Spot 1500 HPE and 16 A.Leda K5 Wash.
“The B-EYE was a late addition to the rig after deciding it needed a further dimension,” says Bewley. “It’s used mainly behind the semi-transparent LED screens along the back, side and directly above the band behind the LED screen pods. The fixture’s multiple beams pop through the gaps to create a sense of immense depth. It’s a great fixture – the rotating lens, the colours, all of it comes together to give you a vast creative toolbox to play with.”
Shooting across the stage are the bright beams of the Sharpy Wash 330, which Bewley deployed to add further texture to the design.
“We have the Sharpy Wash 330s at the side of the stage,” continues Bewley. “We use these to light across the stage toward the band with vertical moving beams of light. The colour of the fixture’s beams work really well on skin and, as with all Clay Paky fixtures, work in great harmony with each other – I can definitely say they are one of my optimum lighting fixtures right now.”
Providing the part of the layered back wall effects is a series of Alpha Spot 1500 HPE fixtures that sit in front of the LED screen.
“I chose the Alpha Spot 1500 HPE because I needed something that could provide a powerful, fat beam,” continues Bewley. “The Alphas have an extraordinary output and some great gobos so I can create some big, powerful looks that change up the design.”
At the other end of the spectrum is the compact A.Leda Wash K5 lights that the designer rigged along with the B-EYEs behind the back wall’s semi-transparent screen.
“The K5 is a fantastic little light and using it behind the screen gives a look of massive depth,” explains Bewley. “It is so bright and really punches through giving the impression of a larger, much more theatrical stage.”
Bewley credits the innovation of Clay Paky fixtures as a vital support in his design – which is already being recognized by industry professionals as one of the most notable this year.
“Clay Paky is at the top of its game right now,” finishes Bewley. “During the R&D for this tour I did a shoot out between Clay Paky fixtures and other similar ones on the market and Clay Paky came out on top nearly every time.”
Ambersphere Solutions is the exclusive Clay Paky distributor for United Kingdom and Ireland.