Just as the mud and rain didn’t deter enthusiasm and good vibes, Avolites lighting consoles once again proved they are the most universally popular choice for festival set ups of all types – at the UK’s highest profile festival.
A total of 21 Avo consoles and 20 Avo Art2000 racks were used site-wide at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Music & Dance.

Jazzed Up Diamonds

At Jazz World, an Avolites Diamond 4 took centre stage, supplied by Essex-based DPL, who were enjoying their first year as a Glasto supplier. This controlled 18 Robe ColorSpot 1200E AT moving lights, 22 pieces of the new Martin Professional Stage Bar 54 LED battens, over 150 PARs, 8 cell Molefeys and a Hippotizer digital media server driving 24 square metres of ChromaQ ColorWeb LED screen configured in 6 columns.

The Jazz World rig was designed by Darren Parker and Pete Watts, and the console was programmed by Watts and operated by him plus DPL crew members Mike Williams, Mike Pitt, Andy Higgins and Ben Shepherd throughout the 3 day event

An eclectic and interesting Jazz World line up included Amy Winehouse, Corrine Bailey Rae, Damian Marley, The Guillemots, John Fogerty, Guilty Pleasures and many more

Pete Watts also used Avo’s D4 Pilot linked in to the main console, giving remote control over any faders - to balance and run white lights for the television cameras during any visiting LD’s slots – alleviating them of this additional task.

Acoustic Diamonds

Over on the Acoustic stage, LD/programmer Gary Churchill used a D4 – also his desk of choice – to run 14 Martin MAC 700 Wash and Profile moving lights plus 4 MAC Tungsten Washes, 8 MAC 250 Entours and 24 Martin Stage Bar 54 LED battens plus conventionals including Molefeys and PARs … and a Maxedia digital media server. The rig was powered by Avolites ART dimmers.

Lighting for this stage is co-ordinated by Rob Sangwell with equipment supplied by
Bristol-based Fineline.

Gary Churchill comments, “The D4 is a great bit of kit – I particularly like the wide choice of faders and the fact that you can put any playback anywhere you like for direct access to any fixtures onstage.”

Fine Pearls

Other Fineline supplied stages included the Circus tent, where LD James Loudon used an Avolites Pearl Expert which he really loves “The Expert takes the  Pearl’s scope of operation to new dimensions” he commented. The console was also programmed and operated by Pearl owner Jan Osborne who was on Loudon’s crew for the duration.

The Circus Stage rig included High End Studio Beams and Studio Spot moving lights, conventionals of all types and two of the mega new i-Pix BB LED wash lights.

Smiley Diamonds

It was Avo-tastic and all smiles over in the John Peel Tent, showcasing some of the hottest and most exciting emerging band talent.

Lighting designer Cate Carter was using a Diamond 4, supplied along with the rest of the lighting gear by Bristol-based South West Audio (part of the South West Group).

The D4 was controlling Martin MAC 2Ks, 500s and 600 moving lights, Atomic strobes, 2 and 4 cell Moles, PARs and Source Four PARs. The rig was powered by Avo ART 2000 hot power racks and ART 4000 dimmers.

Carter has used Pearls many times before, but this was one of the first opportunities she has had to seriously put the D4 through its paces. “I absolutely love it” she enthuses “It’s great to have everything right there in front of you – it’s hugely flexible and easy to use. All the visiting LDs seem extremely happy with it as well!”.

Carter also designed lighting rigs for the Park Stage and the “BBC Radio 1 Introducing” stage in the Park Arena, both of which featured Pearls for control and lighting kit supplied by South West audio.

Dancing Diamonds & Pearls

In the Dance Area, the West Dance Tent featured a lighting design by Colour Sound Experiment’s Jasper Johns and yet another Avolites Diamond 4 console – run by a great team of leading dance LD/operators Jas Bhullar and Stuart “Woody” Wood.

Fixtures in here included 10 each of Robe ColorSpot and ColorWash 700 ATs, Moles, strobes and conventionals. Mark Vedo, A Guy Called Gerald, Mr C, Howard Marks, Kenji Williams, DJ Monkey Pilot, Phil Hartnoll presenting Long Range and numerous others all kicked ass in here over the weekend ….. along with a stonking performance by Hybrid, with lighting operated by Avolites’ own Dave Parry.

Lighting kit for East and West Dance stages, Roots, G and Glade stages, and the Dance Field Lounge Bar was all supplied by Colour Sound, getting right back to their dance origins!

Roots, G, Glade and the Dance Field Lounge Bar were also all-Pearl controlled and the West Dance featured 48-way of ART 2000 dimming.

Avalon

Southampton based GLS also made their first Glastonbury appearance as suppliers, providing lighting equipment for the Avalon Stage, which was designed by Will Thomas and Matt Morris with a Diamond 4 specified for control. This was controlling 10 Robe ColorSpot 700 moving lights and a host of conventionals.

Killer Diamonds

Saturday night pyramid stage headliners The Killers – who’s hair-raising set shook the sacred Glasto lay lines to the core - brought in their own touring Avo Diamond 4 Vision console to the festival. This was run by LD Steven Douglas and supplied by Siyan, The Killers’ tour lighting contractors.

All the Glasto Pyramid Stage lighting equipment was supplied by Neg Earth, who have serviced this and the Second Stage at the UK’s best known festival for some years. 

Douglas’s D4 was controlling 18 Martin Mac 2000 Performances, 26 Mac 2000 Washes, 18 High End Studio Beams, 14 Martin Atomic strobes, fourteen 9-Lite Moles, twelve 2 Lite Moles and a raft of PARs and Source Fours.

‘Avolifers’ on Hand

Avolites’ Steve Warren, Koy Neminathan and Lindsey Markham set up ‘Avolife’ base camp behind the famous Lost Vagueness Chapel of Love. Other Avolites staff manned satellite “Avolife” camps across the site; Nick Forro, Dave Parry and Simon Harris were based behind the John Peel Tent, Aziz Adilkhodjaev was stationed behind the Cabaret Tent and everyone was jealous of new Avolifer Phil Blue who was camped behind the Pyramid Stage with Hannah and Rachel from Total Production.

Their mission – apart from delivering 10 of the new Avolites Showsafe backup systems prior to the opening of the festival – was to enjoy the great atmosphere, catch up with Avolife friends – old, new and groovy all over site and help everyone party on happily for yet another super-squelchy uniquely fabulous Glasto weekend!