Touring acts have always expected to substitute the lighting gear on their riders when they arrived in New Zealand but MJF Lighting has set out to change that inconvenient way of touring.
“People have peddled out whatever they had in their rental department and done substitutions but we’re buying a whole lot of new kit which people want on their riders,” commented Michael Farrand, MJF’s Managing Director. “It’s bringing the standard of New Zealand lighting equipment up in the industry. Now, when tours come from Australia to New Zealand, it’s a seamless transition for them. We should have the same sort of gear that they have over in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.”
Michael wisely decided to invest in IP65-rated products for outdoor settings, but gear that would pivot nicely to indoor concerts, theatre and other events.
“We decided to purchase 36 x Ayrton Perseo,” he said. “Added to that were 18 x Ayrton Eurus, 24 x Martin MAC Aura XIPs and 24x MAC Aura PXLs, with more Auras already on the way. We also purchased a full-size MA Lighting grandMA3 and a grandMA3 light and have just placed an order for further MA consoles ahead of the next summer period.
“We’ve been using the new equipment on numerous shows and events over the past six months and the market’s been responding well. It just took us to commit to a significant investment with the confidence of ongoing support from Show Technology.”
Michael notes that Show Technology’s Managing Director Emmanuel Ziino has been incredibly helpful in paving the way for MJF to achieve its business goal.
“We’ve got a very good partnership with Show Technology that goes back many years,” he added. “This is one of those occasions where it’s easy seeing the business plan that I had in place and going, well, how do we work together to achieve it?”
Auckland’s Synthony in the Domain was a good opportunity to highlight all the new products (as well as 80 x Claypaky Sharpies) that Show Technology has been bringing into the marketplace in Australia and now, in New Zealand.
Synthony in the Domain is a breathtaking collision of the biggest electronic dance anthems with a live orchestra, DJs, vocalists, and immersive visuals. The event is New Zealand’s largest outdoor concert, attended by 35,000 people, and MJF Lighting’s investment into new equipment ensured its client and the designers were able to access gear New Zealand has not been able to offer in the past.
Photos: Duco Events
