Lights shows for small (300 max) gigs

Denalihighway

Hello there pixieheads,
We're looking to expand the live thing with our next gig and want to recruit someone to do a half decent lightshow to excite people and make them wish they were us.

I assume you need to get someone and introduce them to your setlist so they can get to know the songs and do a proper job? I also assume this won't be too easy and hence not too cheap! Alas the net can't do everything after all. We have someone in mind but before that...questions...

Any steers for good people?
Pitfalls?
Likely costs?
Other stuff?

Thank you.

Savman

I dabble with this stuff, its a specialist area where you need to know what you're doing. Any intelligent lighting should be DMX controllable which means it accepts an XLR-type lead in and out so you can daisy chain other lights.

For example, if you have a Scanner on DMX channel 1, you can add more of the same scanners to mimic this behaviour simply by setting them all on the same DMX channel (this is simple Master/Slave config). That aside, you cant beat plain old and straight forward par cans for general lighting, they're cheap as chips and can take a beating and you can stick on the ground or behind the kit or anywhere you see fit.

Good lighting makes a huge difference, its something I've started exploring in the last 6 months or so, once you understand the basics its relatively straight forward. Its not like sound engineering where one wrong move and you deafen everyone, you cant really go wrong with lighting...

Denalihighway

Thanks for that. To be honest, in the short-term anyway, its not something I'd consider dabbling in myself. Might be fun if I had the time & a few squid to buy some equipment and I may in the future (recommendations on stuff welcome). I agree, it's something v important and I think it adds immeasurably to a show, so its something I wudn't mind paying decent money for and letting someone who knows what they're doing run the show.

Do you know what the damage wud be to get someone on board for a 15(ish) song set?

Have you played gigs with your own rig or were you actually dedicated to the lighting side of things?

Savman

Denalihighway wrote:

Have you played gigs with your own rig or were you actually dedicated to the lighting side of things?

Both. Used to just concentrate on lighting once sound/pa/desk was sorted but I dont multitask anymore due to bands taking advantage :rolleyes:

Cost is hard to envisage, steer clear of the AudioVisual companies they're very expensive and very few care about what they do. It'd be handy if you knew someone who had some experience with lighting, maybe in a venue or whatever and throw him a few quid to do a gig for ya, then both parties are off on the right foot if/when you choose to do it again.

If you're talkiing about a serious rig with moving heads etc then an AV company is your only option, you could be paying upwards of €600 cos its considered high end stuff that you only use when you can afford to

Denalihighway

I can understand how bands may take advantage - I certainly would! Although if you could do it all well, couldn;t see why it couldn;t be a nice little earner for ye - or a Bunson Burner as David Brent wud say. Yes we certainly wouldn't want to pay that kind of money but if we thought it wud be worth it ye never, if you thought you'd get the crowd then feck it...

Appreciate the help Savman, anyone with other experiences bad or good let me know

Savman

hey did ye get anywhere with this yet?