Stage Lights for Function Band?

TeleMaster

We’re a pub band. A pretty good pub band. We’re now gonna move into functions. 

There’s a zillion sites with different ideas. Washing, backlighting etc. Does anyone know about this? Can anyone recommend some stuff?

It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, but we need something that is half decent. I have no idea of budget but a few hundred I guess?

We’re a 4 piece rock band doing rock covers and medleys with rocked up pop songs. 

TeleMaster

I swear I put this in Live... Please move mods.

Legionreturns

TeleMaster said:

I swear I put this in Live... Please move mods.

You can move it yourself! 

In answer to your question, a couple of t bar 4 fixture par things to the sides, and a couple of moving head spots on the floor at the back. 

Not much point worrying about lasers or anything, as most venues won't allow smoke, and they're shit without smoke. 

Roland

Considerations:
1. Spotlights on the singer. Old fashioned bulbs give a crisper light than LEDs The rest of the band can rely on the spill from the spots. Tip: wear white.
2. Wash lighting which moves with the mood and the pulse of the music. I hate those lights which flash on their own accord.
3. Lighting on your back drop, if you have one.

4. Unless you’ve got someone managing the desk and lights then you want something which requires little thought or manual input whilst you’re playing. I’ve seen some bands where the bass player selects lighting programmes with a couple of foot pedals. 

My set up is DMX controlled, and linked with ordinary XLR cables:

1. Two spot mounted on the top of the pa speakers, or on the side in the case of low ceilinged pubs. These are pointed diagonally across the “stage” at the singers’ chest.
2. Two led panels on the floor in front of the drummer. These pulse with the beat (A previous drummer had difficulty holding to tempo). The panels light up the drum kit, plus the back wall and ceiling.
3. Two of those four lamp led lighting bars, which also move with the music.
4. Control. I use DMXIS running on an old windows tablet, and managed from my Axe-FX and a couple of floor pedals.

Here’s an audience video of the movement:

 real colours are more like this:

ESBlonde

Make sure you light your faces from the front, too many dark shadows seem to occupy stages these days.
I've got a pair of those LED bars which are very versatile (don't buy the cheapest, et something quality). Bars can be stood on end, hung or at your feet. They can be just sequence/sound to light or be linked with DMX control as part of a more elaborate setup.
Our bass player has a couple of those cheap disco type half balls that spread light about like a glitter ball, they annoy me but they do have a half decent effect out front for a function event. Like so much stuff the digital/LED age provides light weight compact options that work and are affordable/easy to place. The need for heavy sturdy stands and thick heavy cables to power everything are largely a think of the past. That said a couple of old school incandescent spots or floods have a quality and feel that is not easily replicated by LEDs, the problem is they are single colour and need a lot of power/dimmers for much control.

maltingsaudio

A couple of bars with four led lamps on each running sound to light, KAM or Visage are cheap manufacturers to look for (others are available) and something to uplight the singer. I wouldn’t bother with moving heads unless you’ve got time to programme the whole lot to work together, otherwise the show will look like they’ve just turned the lights on and left them going! The lighting bars running sound to light at least look like they are working in time

stratman3142

I've got 4 of these (link below), which worked well for a 4 piece. They have various settings including fixed colour, sound to light and can be linked to change in sync. They can also be used with a controller, but I didn't use them in that way.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/stairville_led_flood_panel_150_40.htm

Musicwolf

Keep it simple.  The old bass player in one of my bands was really into lights and was forever adding to his arsenal.  He ran everything from an iPad and it was a bloody nightmare.  For starters the lights were taking up too much of the ‘stage’, there were cables everywhere, he had a fog machine which once went on and stayed on mid gig completely filling the room. and so on.  I have a set of LED pars on a tripod but, when we get out again, I’d be looking to get a couple of bars that can go on the floor at the front of the stage.  Set and forget.

Lights can really make a gig but if you don’t have someone competent, who is not part of the band, to run them then they can be more trouble than they’re worth.

TeleMaster

Thanks guys. I like the idea of a couple of Led Pars and some floor lights. I think fog machine and lasers are a bit much so don’t worry, we won’t go that far lol. 

Stratavarious

We have led multicolour spot strips (with various synch, static or auto modes) on the speaker stands cutting across diagonally.  Simple but effective for bar/golf club/hotel type places.
Some floor bars / uplighters for backdrop and some spinny glitter ball type things among the drum kit we try to avoid overusing

Stratavarious

stratman3142 said:

I've got 4 of these (link below), which worked well for a 4 piece. They have various settings including fixed colour, sound to light and can be linked to change in sync. They can also be used with a controller, but I didn't use them in that way.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/stairville_led_flood_panel_150_40.htm

Yep a row of those we use as up lighters at back. 

Roland

Those are what we use for the drum kit uplighters. They don’t have the colour density of the KAMs, but they’re cheap and stable.

stratman3142

Stratavarious said:

stratman3142 said:

I've got 4 of these (link below), which worked well for a 4 piece. They have various settings including fixed colour, sound to light and can be linked to change in sync. They can also be used with a controller, but I didn't use them in that way.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/stairville_led_flood_panel_150_40.htm

Yep a row of those we use as up lighters at back. 

I got a stand for the lights (links below)

https://www.thomann.de/gb/stairville_lst_310_pro_lighting_stand_s.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/stageworx_lstb_1_light_stand_bag.htm

But often there wasn't much space in the smaller pub gigs (and also for convenience) so I got some clamps (link below) to attach them to the side of PA speaker stands. I added some rubber just to stop the speaker stands being scratched as I didn't own those.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KFJHGPS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Jalapeno

Crikey things are cheaper with LEDs !!!!!  A few of those Stairville jobs (depends how many of you there are), and maybe a pair of Par cans for the back wash (Blue & Red natch) would be fine

We've got 2x 4 colour spot units with a DMX controller for SoundToLight etc, 2kw a unit and it's like being in a sauna.

shufflebeat

I thought someone had mentioned this but can't see it now.

Worth remembering that LED lights are not heavy and often can be attached to speakers by speaker fly-points with easily available bolts.

Save on ground space, no lighting stand. Use double mains lead and speaker and light run off one socket, LED lights are low current.