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Avolites on tour with Firefly Solar
An Avolites Pearl 2008 console has been touring the summer festivals with Firefly Solar, the UK's first fully mobile, reliable solar power solution for the outdoor events industry, based around the Orion solar powered generator.
The console was specified by Firefly's production manager Andy Mead and lighting designer Doug Currie to control all lighting on the Firefly Stage throughout its extensive summer festival tour, which started in May and has included Glastonbury, Shambala in Northamptonshire, Lovebox, The Secret Garden Party, Retrofest in Scotland, the Loop Festival in Brighton and many others.
Firefly puts high production values at the top of its agenda along with the utilisation of solar energy. Mead explains, "We've been working with a number of different companies and organisations over the years to find high end, low energy technologies with which we can work for live events".
The Firefly Stage was based around a 40ft wide S2000 Saddlespan structure for which Firefly supplied all the necessary technical production and crew in a fully self-contained package. The stage also used other structures including an 18 metre geodesic dome and a 30 x 20 metre big top. The versatility of the rig offers great flexibility in the choice of structure.
Lighting included 20 of the new EasilyLED Beamcans - the carbon neutral PAR can for the 21st century - a 38W homogenous LED lightsource offering maximum energy efficiency via its unique ‘throttling' technique, and designed to run on solar, battery or mains power.
Also on the rig was the world's only daftDATA KillerLED flood, a 4.5kW equivalent LED light source in panel format with full colour mixing facilities, ideal for effects like texting as well as chases, strobing and washing large areas with rich saturated colours.
These were joined by six Martin Professional MAC 250 Entours, two MAC 600s and eight custom LED low voltage birdies. All of this, the Turbosound PA, the band backlines and anything else needing electricity had to run off the 63A power supply provided by the Orion.
The Pearl 2008 was originally specified by Chris Crockford of EasilyLED in consultation with Doug Currie. Currie wanted a rock ‘n' roll style desk that was easy to use, and fast and practical to programme in multiple act situations.
The Avolites' Pearl is the world's favourite festival lighting desk, and one of the most ‘buskable' consoles on the planet - so it was an obvious choice. Mead comments: "We've been very happy with the Pearl, it's been the perfect control solution, the support from Avolites has been fantastic."
A very wide variety of performers took to the Firefly stage over the summer including a proliferation of gypsy, folk and ska bands, The Young Blood Brass Band, Hayseed Dixie, UK Beat Box, Champion Beardy Man, Rachael Unthank & The Winter Set and Four Good Men which included members of pop superstars Wet Wet Wet and Simple Minds.
The 2008 tour - which was trucked around the country using UK produced bio fuels made from recycled cooking oil - has been a massive success, and next year, along with the S2000, Firefly will tour a larger 60ft wide S5000 Saddlespan structure.
10th September 2008
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