Having just completed a successful, sold-out Australian tour, Powderfinger popped across the planet to play concerts in Ireland, Scotland and England. The London concert was at the Astoria Theatre on 17th November. Recommended to the band, their lighting designer Damien Oxley and production manager Denis Sheahan by Chameleon Touring Systems, their lighting supplier in Australia, The Moving Light Company supplied the show with Martin MAC500s and MAC600s as well as VSFX effect projectors, Blonde film lights, Arri 2K fresnels, and two 4K HMI fresnels with dimming shutters and scrollers. The rig was controlled from an MA Scancommander console. The Moving Light Company also sourced and supplied video projectors, tab tracks and drapes for the band as well as a crew to get the show in and out.
"Damien lights the band in a very theatrical way," commented The Moving Light Company's Dave Isherwood after the sold-out concert, "with the moving lights, 4Ks and blondes on the floor, allowing him to create interesting shadow projections on the cyc. The concert was great fun for us, working in a very different environment to the theatres we're more normally associated with. We look forward to seeing the band back here next year!"
Powderfinger's current album, Odyssey Number Five, is riding high in the Australian charts, recently attaining triple platinum status. The band will return to the road with a new Australia/New Zealand tour in 2001; further information can be obtained from their web site, www.powderfinger.net.
The Moving Light Company's other current projects include West End shows such as The Beautiful Game, Napoleon, The Witches of Eastwick, Notre Dame de Paris, Fosse, Chicago, The Car Man, The Graduate, Thunderbirds FAB and Art and the new UK tour of Saturday Night Fever. The company's diverse range of over 750 automated lanterns from many different manufacturers has also been put to use on projects as diverse as trade shows, product launches, concerts and films. The Moving Light Company also provide service and support for other users of automated lighting, most notably the Royal Opera House in London. Further information can be found at the MLCo web site, www.moving-light.co.uk.