Lighting Designer Dom Smith - one of the UK’s most talented young practitioners of the art - specified an Avolites Diamond 4 Elite for the UK leg of The Cooper Temple Clause’s “Kick Out The Fire and Let The Flames Break Loose” tour. 

The bands' acclaimed second album was released in September, and with their interesting blend of electronics and rock ‘n’ roll are causing a stir both as live performers and recording artists.

Bandit UK supplied lighting equipment to this, their first ‘real’ production tour, although they have been touring on-and-off for most of the year. The basics of Smith’s design aesthetics have been evolving from their first shows back in April when they used a combination of house rigs and toured specials.

Smith has always been an Avolites user, having developed his craft using Avo Sapphires and Pearls for the last 7 years as his career has progressed. He wanted to use the D4 since he first saw the prototype models at PLASA 2002. This year, with the console now in full production, the opportunity arose with the upcoming tour. 

So far, it’s been a big hit. He likes the massive flexibility of the D4, and standard features like the ability to make any fader on the board into a playback. The huge capacity and processing power also means there’s no worries about it running slow or out of memory. He likes the layout, the programming architecture and the fact that Avo’s support and back-up is always brilliant. 

The intense, suggestive power of TCTC’s music lends itself ideally to a dramatic and theatrical style of lighting at which Smith excels.

Lighting fixtures are a mixture of conventionals - PARs, Molefeys and ACLs - and assorted moving lights including Martin 2K profiles and MAC 600s plus Martin Atomic strobes. To maximise the multi ‘layered’ look and effect, Smith had a front and back truss, with MAC 600s on drop bars from the back, plus 6 floor standing towers, each topped with a MAC 2K Profile – all controlled with the D4.

Smith has worked regularly with Bandit UK for the last 12 months, and comments that their service and back up is also excellent. The lighting team was completed by crew-mates Craig Saunders and Rob Watson.

All photos are © Louise Stickland