The Full concert experience with ADJ

A four-room venue at the heart of Manchester’s clubbing scene, for Sankeys – a club which usually brings in separate companies to provide the audio, lighting, video and effects – this arrangement with UK Events Group was an usual one. But the appeal held by the company’s industry standing, not to mention its wide range of services, led the venue to hire UK Events Group to deliver full production for the show.

Lighting designer Oliver Suckling had 40 hugely versatile Vizi Beam 5RXs to play with, while 38 Inno Color Beam Quad7s were also provided, allowing them to produce a stunning array of active beams. The 5RX’s Philips Platinum 5R source, motorized zoom, prism effects and range of 14 colors (including cool-white and UV) ensured a mesmeric display of concise beams in a series of distinct hues; while the Color Beam Quad7s, powered by 70W CREE LEDs, offered hard-edge beams and plenty of room for creativity thanks to 8-zone LED chasing. During Fat Boy Slim, these super-tight, multi-faceted beams shot upwards to accompany the blistering bursts of flame at front of stage, adding an energy and intensity to his performance which left the crowd craving more.

Another hugely important element of the visual production was the video screen, which was used to project striking visuals and artist logos during the electrifying musical performances. Forming this massive solid split wall (measuring 11.6 x 4.64m) were 140 ADJ AV6 video panels – the largest screen created using the revolutionary AV6 since its much-anticipated release in 2015, proving its worth as a high-quality but affordable LED video panel for the production market.

Allowing huge-scale production value, the AV6 video wall provided an incredible back-drop for Fat Boy Slim, displaying smiley face visuals and flashing the words ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ in huge letters as he treated fans to one of his biggest hits to date. At another point during the event, a huge screen-wide Basement Jaxx logo left crowds in no doubt about who they were there to see, as the duo offered up hit after hit in an unstoppable performance. The AV6 also displayed a range of mesmeric visuals in vivid color, working with the ADJ moving heads to create a high-energy, colourful atmosphere and provide pure lighting excitement for the vast 7000-strong crowd below.

"It was exciting to see a company like UK Events Group showing the industry what the revolutionary AV6 – along with our range of powerful moving heads – is really capable of," commented Kris Dawber, Sales Manager for ADJ Europe. "Because they offer exceptional brightness and clarity while being easy to link together, the team at UK Events Group had no problems using 140 panels to form a gigantic video screen that was the perfect back-drop for the legendary dance acts performing at the New Year’s event. It just goes to show that you don’t have to spend big to think big and get creative!"

Of course, this is exactly what Sankeys wanted: a budget-conscious but big-impact visual display that could be used to enhance the performance of each artist and give fans a memorable night of dance music in an atmospheric, visually stimulating environment. Thanks to its commitment to providing cost-aware but quality lighting and video solutions, ADJ was the obvious choice for this project, with UK Events Group needing to guarantee something special for both client and audience while working to a tight budget.

Credits for Production:

• Venue: Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, UK

• Lighting Designers: Oliver Suckling & Andy Green

• Photography: Kyle Mcloughlin (https://www.facebook.com/KyleMcloughlinPhotography/)

• Video Producer: Lee Isserow (http://leeisserow.com)

Official Gear List Utilised:

• 140x ADJ AV6 Video Panels

• 40x ADJ Vizi Beam 5RX Moving Heads

• 38x ADJ Inno Color Beam Quad7 Moving Heads

• 20x Elation Professional Proton 3K Strobes

• 20x Elation Professional Cuepix Blinder WW2

• 40M of DuraTruss