Forum Melbourne is a historic theatre and former cinema that has been a live music and events venue since it was taken over by Marriner Group in 1996. Situated in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD on Flinders Street, the list of musicians and bands that have graced the famous stage over the last 25 years is both extensive and impressive.
The venue underwent a significant refurbishment in 2017, and more recently, was upgraded with a new lighting rig proposed by Mike McDonald, who has been their House Designer for many years. Mike understands their clientele moving forward and what they require, from concept touring to corporates to product launches or film and TV projects that come through the door.
“We do quite a range of shows here at the Forum, and I had to consider that when deciding upon new gear,” commented Mike. “I also had to keep in mind the possibility of hiring in extra gear if required.”
Versatility, universal acceptance, future-proofing, and what popped up on Riders the most were all key factors in the choice.
Consequently, it is no surprise that the new rig features 14 x Martin MAC Viper XIP, 12 x Martin MAC Aura XIP, 24 x Martin ELP PAR and an MA Lighting MA3 light for control.
Marriner Group Production Manager Jason Platts notes the wide variety of events held at Forum Melbourne, “ We are a busy concert venue, and we also host regular corporate events, awards galas and festivals, so the house lighting needs to be versatile enough to offer appropriate looks for each of these clients.”
With nearly 30 years of concerts and events under their belt, and having listened to the feedback of the many talented lighting designers who attend the Forum, the Marriner Group technical team selected fixtures and a design that will hopefully be durable for many years.
“We need a flown rig that is simple enough to dial in a show relatively quickly, but also offers designers an opportunity to show their flair,” notes Jason. “A high percentage of live concerts are looking for the house flown rig to fulfill their needs without re-rigging, and they only tour a floor package, so we have tried to offer a house package that designers and operators will find agreeable, which of course saves time and money for promoters who want to avoid unnecessary extra production.”
Mike adds that the venue is trying to move towards greener, LED engine source fixtures that make maintenance easier.
“I think that the technology has come so far that we can finally start using MAC Viper XIP for good key light sources, and they are equivalent to a discharge fixture,” he said. “If we put the MAC Viper XIP up against an old MAC Viper, they are comparable. The XIP offers the flexibility of the old MAC Viper mode within the same footprint. So yeah, it was about being strategic and longevity – our old MAC Vipers we’ve had for eight years and have been a super test of time, so it was natural to progress into the new generation of MAC Viper.”
The MAC Aura XIP acts as key, wash, and effect lights, with a bit of eye candy from its filament effect. Again, it is a fixture respected on touring specs and festivals, and Mike says the MAC Aura has been his favourite wash light since it came out.
“I think it’s a test of time – look how long it’s been in the market,” he remarked. “The MAC Aura XIP are a great step up from our previous washlights.”
Keeping within the same product range allows for colour consistency across the rig, so adding Martin ELP Pars was a no-brainer. Mike knows it will transition to the full range if he chooses one colour with the MAC Viper XIP and MAC Aura XIP.
“It’s a variable zoom, so we can do beam or big wash looks or use it as a strobe fixture,” said Mike. “It’s a versatile product, and it’s a nice step up from our regular generic LED Pars that we’ve had for the past eight years.”
Mike reports that the feedback on the new lighting rig has been fantastic from promoters and bands that have minimised their load-in time and have a powerful house moving light package to walk into. Load your USB, and away you go!
Choosing an MA Lighting console for control was a given, with Mike agreeing that it is the industry standard in concert touring.
“We were looking at a full-size MA3, but we move the console around the venue, our corporate shows operate in a different position to our rock and roll shows, we needed to pick something suitable and with a compact footprint for our corporate shows,” commented Mike. “For this size venue, I think there is a good amount of playback in the MA3 light hardware.”
Lighting Designer Craig Boyes notes that, as a touring LD, you can encounter a million different scenarios coming into a venue.
“I’m pretty sure we have all had one of those days when you just walk in and go, ‘Oh crap what am I going to do with this?’” he remarked. “Recently, I was on tour with You Am I, and we were rolling into the Forum in Melbourne. We toured a floor package and used the venue’s top rig. I have done shows in the Forum many times and anticipated a pretty good day, knowing the in-house rig and the great in-house techs at the venue.”
About a week out, Craig learnt that the Forum would probably have a new rig installed by the time they went in. In Craig’s mind, this could be either great or a debacle, depending on how well the installation had gone and whether there were teething problems. So, Craig got in touch with the venue, and his fears flew away when he saw the new fixture list.
“I was excited!” he said. “The venue returned immediately with the new tech specs, a plot and patch and an MVR file to get me started. Thank you to the Forum.
“The morning of the gig was one of those days you walk in and go, ‘Wow, this is going to be a great day’. Long story short, the new rig is brilliant!”
Craig adds that with a small variety of high-quality fixtures, it is easy to clone your show in with the venue patch, and, being Martin fixtures, the fixture library is readily accessible. There is no ‘I wonder how this fixture works’ and creating a profile on the fly!
Craig comments that the MAC Viper XIP is his new favourite profile, and to have 14 in the rig (10 over stage) is a luxury you don’t always get.
“The MAC Aura XIP (12 over stage) is an excellent addition to the Aura range, a little more punch and bigger than the XB, it fitted well with my floor package of the same units,” he added. “Being able to animate these also gives that little extra to the standard wash rig you usually find.
“While not in my standard show, the additional 24 ELP Pars were an easy addition to the show, in a good position and powerful enough to add a deep colour bed to any of my existing looks. The colour match across all the fixtures was excellent.
“All in all, it was an easy day at the office with a great-looking result at the end of it.”
For more venue information or to see what’s coming up at Forum Melbourne, visit ForumMelbourne.com.au.
Photos: Laura May Grogan
