Mushroom Group and Visit Victoria partnered to produce 2021 Sounds Better Together, an unprecedented series of COVIDSafe concerts across multiple metro and regional Victorian venues from Saturday 23 January to Saturday 30 January, featuring some of our finest home-grown talent.
On Saturday, Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley hosted a large outdoor concert featuring Jimmy Barnes + The Teskey Brothers + Vika & Linda with Phaseshift Productions supplying all things lighting.
The design was put together by Simon ‘Junior’ Johnson from Frontier Touring and was drawn before Phaseshift even knew who the acts were. The design had to be simple enough that three different vendors could replicate it using their own fixtures no matter what the brand and keep the general design continuity across the different sites. Three straight trusses with large spots and washes were used overhead along with molefay strobes and a few beam lights. Upstage was dominated by six verticals trusses and central screen used for logos and video rolls. Some washes were put on the side for extra wash and to help have something in the background of camera shots. The plan was always that it would be shot for TV so that had to be taken into consideration when Junior was drawing the plot
Phaseshift’s rig comprised on 22 x Martin MAC Viper Profile, 24 x MAC Quantum Wash, 30 x MAC Aura XB, eight Claypaky Sharpy Plus, 12 x molefay 4 lite, 16 x molefay duet, four Martin Atomic Strobe and two Robert Juliat Aramis followspots. Control was a HES Whole Hog 4 with Hog 4 Full Boar back up and LSC Dimmers and Distro.
“Jeff Pavey made great use of the rig; even though the design had some similar elements to his normal Jimmy Barnes design it was different,” commented Phaseshift’s Johnny Bamford. “He spent some time in previz before showing up on site but there was still a fair amount of updating to be done once he got on there. Like usual with Pavey, there are no rules to how light can be used – one minute it can be providing key light for a performer the next it’s creating big air beam fx.
Sam Carrol lit The Teskey Brothers using his own Chamsys console and wing setup.
The short lead-time made putting on the gig a challenge. Most of the gear had sat there for nine months so everything needed a fresh test and tag and to be thoroughly tested. Working with a super tight budget can sometimes be challenging but even though this one was tight, it didn’t cause Phaseshift any drama. Adhering to covid restrictions and protocol is going to be the new norm.
The central upstage screen provided by Mediatec, Imag screens provided by PRG and OB, cameras, record etc supplied by Mediatec.
Phaseshift Crew
Thomas Herterich
Graeme McHugh
Ben Kocsis
Johnny Bamford
