The Cribs returned to Leeds to perform at the city’s Millennium Square this summer, their first appearance at the historic site in a decade and keeping pace with the energy of the performance was Lighting Designer, Tom Rawlinson who powered his hard-driving light show on his trusty ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console.
Rawlinson mirrored the intensity of The Cribs in his design. He backed the band with three rows of intense lighting directed downward or in the air, avoiding direct backlighting, something he said he is “not a fan of.” Setting a bold tone on stage was flashing lettering that spelled out the band’s name.
There was very little in the way of traditional moving effects. “I’m not big on movement,” explained Rawlinson. “I’m very much a position change type of guy.” Indeed, the overall vibe of the lighting was direct, bold and uncompromising, much like the music of the band itself. Given that the summer show took place during daylight hours, Rawlinson kept his brightness levels high.
Discussing his console’s role in creating this vista, Rawlinson said: “I’ve been using ChamSys for quite some time. The people there are very supportive and good to deal with. The MQ500M+ is always what I prefer to use as my main console. Its layout fits the way I work, and I like the multiple screens. On The Cribs tour, I really appreciate the Group Cues feature. It’s phenomenal, as it made it very easy to expand my number of fixtures at different venues.”
A longtime fan of The Cribs, Rawlinson didn’t hook up with them until four years ago. The Leeds show and current tour mark a milestone in his relationship with the band. “This was my first real full design for The Cribs, and I wanted to make sure they were happy,” he said.
