Dance parties are back on the menu for 2021, with Untitled Group pulling together the tastemakers and boundary-pushers of the Australian dance music scene for the return of its famed day parties.
Headlined by ARIA-nominated producer Hayden James, best-known for hits such as Something About You, Between Us and his new song Foolproof with Gorgon City and Natt Dunn, the latest day party saw Melbourne revellers descend on The Timber Yard.
The 6000-square-metre Port Melbourne warehouse venue is primed for COVID-safe events, with spacious indoor and outdoor areas, and plenty of room for socially distanced dancing. That said, the venue was operating at a reduced capacity for the nine-hour party.
Lighting was provided by Lighting Lab, Untitled Group and Synergy Events Group. Production management was by Nathan Aveling’s Gig Control with lighting design by David Fairless of Colourblind.
According to David, there was no brief for this particular gig but as he knew they were rolling into a club-like environment so they discussed a deeper, more pumping set with standout moments.
David’s aim was to deliver geometric formations and impressive programming that synchronised with the beat of the music.
All the lights were situated on top of containers surrounding the dancefloor giving a 360-degree perspective to the show.
In the rig were 36 x LightSky X Beam 230, 66 x Hex RGBWAUV LED Par, 72 x 1m LED Video Strip and 4x Martin LED Atomic 3000. Control was by an MA Lighting grandMA2 light with a grandMA2 NPU.
“Programming was fun and simple, diving deep into custom effects and knowing the effect engine well helped create flawless looks and impressive effects to be recalled at any time,” commented David. “Having all the beams focused perfectly above Hayden’s head in the DJ booth, pulling everyone’s attention to the centre of the room and firing effects in those huge moments originating from that central point made for some standout looks.”
Photos: Dara Munnis
