|
Entec by the
Lake
Back to Headlines
Entec Lighting is supplying equipment
to the 10 week series of Saturday
Lakeside Concerts at picturesque
Kenwood House in Hampstead, north
London. The high profile event
is now in its 53rd year, and this
is the second year Entec has been
onboard for IMG Arts & Entertainment.
Entec was invited to tender for
the Kenwood gig after working
with IMG on the Spanish Riding
School of Vienna, arena tour of
2001.
|
 |
 |
|
The cabaret style series of concerts
varies considerably in content - from
the likes of Bjorn Again to the Frank
Sinatra touring show and several orchestras
as well as high profile international
jazz artists like Diana Krall, who's
show completely sold out.
Entec's Head of Lighting Adam Stevenson
explains that they are supplying a
basic rig consisting of sixteen 400
Watt exterior sodium floods to illuminate
the white-clad inside of the stage,
for those wanting absolutely no additional
visuals apart from the requirement
for people to see them .. And this
is the option favoured by most orchestras.
|
 |
|
The entire lighting system
is rigged directly onto the
stage structure, and also -
at the request of the client
- concealed above a custom made
white inner skin, to be as invisible
as possible, preserving the
clean and uncomplicated lines
of the stage.
For those wanting to jazz up
their shows with extra lumens
and some colour into their light-shows,
Entec is offering two upgrade
packages - standard and advanced.
|
|
The standard option includes four
MACs, Source Four profiles and half
a dozen floor cans.
The advanced option - enthusiastically
embraced by Diana Krall's lighting
designer Dale Lynch - includes Entec's
Vari*Lite 2402s and 2202s, a selection
of Source Four profiles and fresnels,
plus a WholeHog II console. The VLs
for the Krall gig were rigged on Manfrotto
stands and shrouded in white drape
to blend them into the stage surround.
For Krall's performance, the lighting
desk was also moved from it's regular
side-stage position to FOH, alongside
the sound desk. Lynch says, "I've
been very impressed with Entec - they
have done everything I've asked with
great efficiency and good humour,
and they are great people to work
with".
|
On site, lighting is being looked
after by Steve Kerwick for the
season. For him, the biggest battle
is to create an interesting looking
show with the very limited available
power. This is three phases of
32 amps, which also runs the sodiums,
and is soon consumed, leaving
minimal headroom for any additional
stage lighting. However Kerwick
has mastered the art of balancing
dimmers and ensuring that each
artist looks good, whatever their
chosen lighting package. "Classy
and appropriate lighting is the
generic brief" says Kerwick
|
|
 |
|
Left
to right: Danny Kerwick, Steve
Kerwick,
Dale Lynch (LD for Diana Krall)
and Entec's Adam Stevenson
|
|
The stage is a Serious structure,
and the audio, supplied by RG Jones
is rigged onto 5 of Summit Steel's
elegant SmarTmast towers around the
site. The technical infrastructure
is designed specifically to fit the
Kenwood site and its needs. Production
manager is Gudrun Allsobrook from
IMG, who liases with site owners English
Heritage and runs a team of over 80
technicians, crew, security and administrators
for the show days. One of her production
colleagues Sally Lawrence-Archer comments,
"Our overall challenge is to make
everything fit the site properly.
Precision in all departments is the
key to making the big picture work".
After the show each weekend, the
major technical elements - like the
PA and stage - remains in place, but
other areas of the site are completely
stripped of deckchairs, toilets, concessions,
and any other intrusive objects, etc.
This leaves the "Listed Vista" from
the splendid neoclassical pile of
Kenwood House clean, pristine and
free for people and canines to enjoy
during the week.
|
|
