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Thread: Classical Spectacular

  1. #1
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    Default Classical Spectacular

    Kevski and I had a pre Roger Waters preview of the Echo Arena in Liverpool last night when we went to see the Raymond Gubbay Classical spectacular.
    The Music and show were very good - Liverpool Phil. Orchestra and Choir - Marvellous! The lights fireworks and guns were great too.
    And the Lasers....? Effective but limmited.
    They had a pair of identical lasers either side of the stage which had beam tables firing to a number of difraction effects and also to bounce mirrors, small mirror balls and more rotating diffractions out in the audience area. The lasers were Argons that clearly had AOM control as they were faded in and out nicely. These were used for all the scanned FX but with no colour (line) selection in the output they were just single colour scans. Bright strong but lacking the impact of even just argon colour selection - Some blue beams and green beams would have been nice. When fired at the diffractions and mirror balls the lasers had a red (Im guessing a diode combo of sorts) which was weak compared to the blue and green but added to the starburst effects nicely. There was lots of beams into the audience - which some people didnt seem overly happy about, but Im sure the calculations had been done for safety. The beams on the back wall opposite the stage looked to be about 8 inches in diameter - nice round gaussian blobs from them old gassers . The lasers were used alot - but not too much which was good but the variety of effects was limmited to about 8 or so different things so it just looked too repeated. If there had been some colour in there they would have got away with it more. There was a couple of occasions where they used lights to project union jack gobos onto the wall - Pomp & Circumstance + Rule Brittania - and they swept these round the audience. This was effective but had it been nice fat Red white blue laser beams or scans I would have had much more impact.
    Upon arrival I quickly identified the laser operator - sitting centrally behind the light & sound booth - he wanst tough to spot - the Pangolin Lasershow Performer console gave the game away along with the TFT displaying the Live! window. Kev & I nipped down for a peek at the interval but he buggered off as soon as the lights went up so we didnt get to speak to him - obviously wanted to get to the front of the bar queue!
    The Echo Arena is a nice venue - it should be being brand new - They should however have tested the fire alarms - which were set off by the smoke at the rousing climax of the show when the guns and fireworks were firing! But worst of all was the parking - the person who signed off the carpark planning needs his nuts kicking. One route in from the main road - 2 lanes to a roundabout into one lane - to the barriers in three lanes - into the carpark in one lane -Traffic Jam city! Then when you come out of the venue there is but one door into the car park - yes one 3 foot wide door! & god knows how many soles shuffling towards it. We went for a drink and an hour later the cars were still queuing to leave.
    I will not be parking there when we go to see RW!

    Great show well worth a watch, lasers good but could be better

    Rob
    If you need to ask the question 'whats so good about a laser' - you won't understand the answer.
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  2. #2
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    Default

    Sounds like you had a good night Rob - Pity about the car parking though.

    I see this at too many 'decent' venues, it's as though the car parking isn't significant. It's more than likely those Civil Service 'green' types who seem intent on driving everyone out of their own transport by making life increasingly difficult (and expensive) for those who drive their own vehicles. It wouldn't be so bad if we had a decent public transport system. It's as though the queue at the car park exits comes as a complete surprise to them every time

    It's like being behind women in supermarket cues, the checkout operator finishes scanning the goods and asks for some money... The request for money seems to come as a complete surprise to the lady shopper! They then have to start emptying their bl**dy handbag to find their purse, yet they've been waiting whilst their goods have been checked through the scanner for the last god know how many minutes!!.... AARRRRGGHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Sorry... Didn't mean to rant, but it does hack me off when the parking is poor.

    I must start reading more newspapers, I might find out about some of these concerts if I did

    I need a sit down now to let my blood pressure calm down

    Cheers

    Jem
    Quote: "There is a theory which states that if ever, for any reason, anyone discovers what exactly the Universe is for and why it is here it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another that states that this has already happened.”... Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

  3. #3
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    Default

    Jem - careful or you will need a new gasket!

    As for classical spectacular it will be at the MEN in Manchesta in i think Nov and is gonna be back at L'pool Echo arena in March next year - So look out for dates near you

    Rob
    If you need to ask the question 'whats so good about a laser' - you won't understand the answer.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Laserists do it by the nanometre.

    Stanwax Laser is a Corporate Member of Ilda

    Stanwax Laser main distributor of First Contact in UK - like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FirstContactPolymerCleaner
    www.photoniccleaning.co.uk

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by stanwax View Post
    Jem - careful or you will need a new gasket!

    As for classical spectacular it will be at the MEN in Manchesta in i think Nov and is gonna be back at L'pool Echo arena in March next year - So look out for dates near you

    Rob
    It's o.k., i've calmed down now, i've just been on the UPS website to track my replacement blue laser and it should be delivered tommorrow. I might have my projector back in action next weekend

    I just need my 'spare' Maxyz dual back now and I can start work on projector number 2

    Cheers

    Jem
    Quote: "There is a theory which states that if ever, for any reason, anyone discovers what exactly the Universe is for and why it is here it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another that states that this has already happened.”... Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

  5. #5
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    I went to see that at the Albert Halls a few weeks back, I have to admit I went for the lasers!

    Not bad, there are so few produced laser shows going on in the UK, it was interesting to see a professional show setup.

    I noticed the laser op was first out on that occasion as well!

  6. #6
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    Yeah Rob I went for the lasers too - would like to have seen and heard it in AH.
    That laser op had the pc shutting down and the lasershow performer console disconnected before the hous lights went up! Must have much to do to pack up

    Rob
    If you need to ask the question 'whats so good about a laser' - you won't understand the answer.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Laserists do it by the nanometre.

    Stanwax Laser is a Corporate Member of Ilda

    Stanwax Laser main distributor of First Contact in UK - like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FirstContactPolymerCleaner
    www.photoniccleaning.co.uk

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by stanwax View Post
    The Echo Arena is a nice venue - it should be being brand new - They should however have tested the fire alarms - which were set off by the smoke at the rousing climax of the show when the guns and fireworks were firing! Rob
    Cant add much to what Rob has said....really great to hear and see quality professionals at work. Lasers were superb, if a little limited but great to see.
    I believe from a coleague at work who went with the Arena Manager that the alarms went off because people left early (dont understand why people pay good money to leave before the end of a show!!!) opening the doors to the foyer were the alarms were fully functional....oh well lets hope they get it sorted...
    As for the parking...who knows...the planners dont!
    Kev
    Move toward the light!

  8. #8
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    Hi Kev

    reading your last comment im putting 2 and 2 together ...

    i guessing people who know how crap the car parks were and how long it takes to exit wanted a head start before the mad rush


    all the best ... Karl

  9. #9
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    Aye up Mexico!

    I think you are right Karl - I, like Kev cannot understand paying for a ticket to leave before it finishes or to spend half the performance wandering round the venue or chatting!!! Why dont they just stay at home!

    Rob
    If you need to ask the question 'whats so good about a laser' - you won't understand the answer.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Laserists do it by the nanometre.

    Stanwax Laser is a Corporate Member of Ilda

    Stanwax Laser main distributor of First Contact in UK - like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FirstContactPolymerCleaner
    www.photoniccleaning.co.uk

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