01.04.2014 | Platinum Beam 5R Extreme Keeps Up with UK’s Heaven’s Basement

British hard rock band Heaven’s Basement has a reputation as one of the best live acts around. With a heavy touring schedule that saw them play 172 shows across Europe and the U.S. in 2013, and a debut single that reached #11 on the U.S. rock charts, 2014 has all the makings of a break out year.  

The band embarked on a 7-week headline tour of Europe in mid-March with lighting designer Trevor Fairclough turning to Elation’s Platinum Beam 5R Extreme for the punchy output and speed needed to keep up with the hard driving band.  

“Having a speedy pan and tilt really helps with the tempo of the band. Being able to run a tilt effect at 200bpm with no compromises in size really gets the crowd pumping,” commented LD Trevor Fairclough, who also handles programming and lighting operation for the band.

The Platinum Beam 5R Extreme houses speedy 3-phase motors for quick effect changes and extremely fast movement. Optically, an advanced lens system combines with an MSD Platinum 5R 189W lamp and remote focus to produce razor sharp, 3° beam angle projections while max power consumption is a low 350W.

“The amazing power output from the Platinum Beam Extreme’s lamp means that I can comfortably run all the beams and my LED units off a single 16a power and not have to worry about sourcing or splitting more power,” Trevor states. “Also, the fixture is small and compact, which is a huge benefit when touring with a trailer with weight and size restrictions.”

Not lost on Trevor is the Platinum Beam Extreme’s ability to create a range of effects from its 12 colors, 8 rotating gobos and 8-facet rotating prism. “I quite like the effects you can create with the 5R’s,” he says. “The rotating gobo with a static prism looks fantastic when you want to add some dynamics to an intimate piece without having to distract the audience too much, and being able to chase the prism or frost in and out looks great when you want to keep the units static.”

But it’s the Platinum Beam 5R Extreme’s wireless DMX that Trevor says has impressed him the most. “As simple as it sounds, it has been a huge time-saving option,” he says. “I don’t have to run meters of DMX to the stage. Just plug in my WDMX transceiver next to my console and I’ve got instant control to my fixtures. On top of that, I can take any of the 5-pin DMX out the back of any unit to my BB4’s and the 3-pin DMX to my Sunstrips. I’m the last to set up, but the first to finish.”

Trevor acknowledges Dom Martin from Blueboxx Creative who supplied all the lighting for the tour, as well as Alan Rayner from Elation UK, Heaven’s Basement’s Tour Manager Luke Bell,  and the lads from Heaven’s Basement themselves.

Photos:  Hannah Meadows