Robe ColorSpot and ColorWash 1200 ATs and ColorSpot 575 ATs were in action last weekend at the WOMAD Festival – on the Club WOMAD arena located inside Reading Rivermead Centre. The fixtures were specified, installed and operated by Martin Dudley of Reading-based Martin’s Lights, who collaborated with Geoff Blindt from Mystic Lights of Watford on the design and visual concept for Club WOMAD.

It’s the fourth year that Dudley and Blindt have teamed up to light the Club WOMAD arena, which runs for all the three nights of the annual festival. Dudley has also worked at various WOMAD events around the world including in Greece, Spain, the Canaries and the USA, with bands including Fun^Da^Mental, Afro Celt Sound System, and the Dhol Foundation.

This year they decided on a completely new lighting design. Dudley had bought eight Robe ColorSpot 575 AT’s from Robe UK earlier in the year, so they were available for this year’s show ….. and he also took the opportunity to try out the Color Wash and Color Spot 1200s.

The room was clad in a black and white cloth drape to make it more tent like, and Dudley and his team installed a large triangular trussing shape constructed out of Trilite trussing, flown on 3 points which covered a large part of the room. The 1200s and 575s were clamped onto this, with some fixtures on the stage floor and rigged on to another triangular trussing frame onstage. Some 1200s were also attached to the FOH ‘cage’ truss,“I wanted to spread them as far and wide as possible” explains Dudley, in the cause of getting the most dynamic throws and beam patterns.

They were used for lighting, effects and projecting gobos on to the ceiling, walls and floor of the space – the two colour gobos looking particularly good. It was the first time Dudley had used 1200s and, like many he was well impressed with their brightness. He also liked having all the "toys" and effects at his fingertips, admitting that they’d not even scratched the surface with the unit’s capabilities due to the tight programming time.

Club WOMAD was one of the most popular areas on the festival suite, specially after some of the open air stages closed for the night. The ColorWashes and Spots also came in handy for additional stage illuminations, where Dudley had to light for a wide variety of acts including the Soul Jazz Sound System and Brasil’s Bossacucanova on Friday night, Sergent Garcia from Spain and France and Qool DJ Marv from the USA on Saturday. The festival closed on the Sunday evening with a blistering DJ set from Nitin Sawhney. Dudley ran the Robes and all other lights on the rig with an Avolites Pearl.

Photo caption: Martin Dudley (left) and Geoff Blindt (right)

An additional four ColorWashes were rigged in the Green Room and chill out zone next door, which was a difficult space to light with low ceilings and bare walls, but the 1200s did a good job in creating some ambience.

Since Dudley purchased his 575s, they have constantly worked on a variety of shows including corporate events, parties and an interesting mix of live work, with festivals like The Rise in Burgess Park, South London and for shows with bands like Supergrass (LD Ali Bale).

He concludes,“I really enjoyed using the 1200s and will definitely use them again .. and the service and support form Robe UK has also been brilliant”. Dudley’s WOMAD crew were Jenny Cauldwell, Gareth Dean, Bob Kiddle, Chris Davey and Carl Ward.

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