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Jon Barker - Lighting Designer |
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| About LD: How did you start out in the business? I always had an interest in lighting at school, after which I went on to study Lighting Design at Rose Bruford College and it was during this time I started semi-pro freelancing in the industry. I just started out by getting work through mates and Uni and then gradually making more contacts directly with production lighting companies. What was your first show as the Lighting Designer? When I was at secondary school in Abingdon I used to help out with the lights for the productions and the first show I was asked to look after completely was a John Mason School Music Concert. I accidentally pressed the blackout button half way through the Orchestra. Ha! First "proper" show as LD was a tour for an excellent band called Goldrush from Oxfordshire What do you like best about your kind of work? Having new experiences every day by meeting new people and travelling different places. What is the most difficult or challenging aspect of being an LD? Anything to do with the politics What has been your biggest high so far? I really really really enjoyed a show I did with The Twang a couple of summers ago where we headlined the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury. I guess because it was the first festival headline show I had done with a band... What’s been the strangest brief/tour so far and why? I once got asked to design and operate a lighting rig in a Big Top for a Playboy Photo shoot but was unavailable! Other than that, I ended up mixing FOH sound for a well known West End Musical due to some freak reasons a couple of years ago... Which performer/what event would you most like to work on/with and why? I've always wanted to LD a band headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury... How long have you been using Avo consoles?/When did you first use an Avo product? Ever since I started working in the lighting industry professionally. I think the first Avo desk I used was an Avo Azure at the Oxford Zodiak Which is your preferred console and why? I've just bought a Tiger Touch so I guess I should say that... What is your favourite feature of the console? The power of the punch it packs for its size. Specially... I like quick palletts and the attribut editor when programming media servers Best tip ever given to you about being an LD? Or what tip would you offer? A quote from Paul Gavin - all you need to be a professional lighting technician is a mobile phone, a diary, a sharpie and some white tape. I think he forgot to mention the years of experience, but I know what he meant ;-) Getting to know you: What tunes are you currently listening to? Stornoway - Beachcombers Windowsill (amazing album, I'm addicted to it), Morcheeba, OK Go, Funkadelic, Chuck Berry, Radiohead What’s your biggest guilty pleasure? Just Jack Last album bought? Stornoway - Beachcombers Windowsell Favourite festival or gig/show and why? Truck Music Festival. No - it's not a festival featuring monster trucks it's a beautiful small and fiercely independent music festival now in it's 13th year. It happens on a WORKING farm and also happens to be my local (when I lived with my parents anyway) festival. I design the lighting for the Main and Barn Stages - the barn stage is in a real working cow shed, all the cows get moved out for the weekend and it smells very rural in their haha. Had some excellent post-festival nights their too... What three things couldn’t you live without while on tour/at gig? Ear Defenders, phone contact to back home, MacBook. If it's a festival I'd substitute the MacBook for my Sunglasses Have you ever been star struck and by who? I was very excited about being in a backstage corridor with James Brown once. He was a real performer... If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you want to have with you? Scarlett Johansson, Sunglasses and some Stowford Press Cider Favourite City you’ve worked in? Glasgow - always great crew and always a great gig Most bugging question you get asked from artists/venue/management or gig goers? Venue Promoter - "You know there's a disco load out tonight yea" Other than being an LD is there any other production role you’ve always wanted to try? Production Assistant/Production Manager How do you generally spend you’re days off from a tour? Either completely hanging from an excellent day-off eve night party or exploring what a place has to offer. I love to get out and explore everywhere I go.... What magazines or books do you currently read? Currently reading Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. Last Household chore you did? Does mowing the lawn and general gardening and border maintenance count? Last person to call you? Call me what? |
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