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Red Rover delivers adaptable Elation rig for Faouzia tour

Upon completing a string of European performances in July 2022, Faouzia began preparations for a fall North American tour that saw the Moroccan-Canadian singer playing dates across the U.S. and Canada. Jon Stanners of entertainment production company Red Rover Entertainment of Winnipeg designed lighting for the outing and specified an Elation rig of Fuze SFX moving heads, SixBar 500 linear bars, and SixPar 200 6-color PAR lights.

Both Faouzia and Stanners have roots in Winnipeg’s French community and the designer says he has been familiar with the singer since she was a young artist. Stanners lit one of her music videos years ago and has done several one-off shows with her. Faouzia’s fall “Citizens” tour, which ran from October 15 to November 17, was Stanners and Red Rover’s first chance to work with her on a tour.

“For her older songs, which are more intimate piano numbers, I often put the focus solely on her”, Stanners describes his design. “But for her newer material, which is more Moroccan-influenced with offbeat rhythms, I’ll use more layered looks.” The show also features a number of pop numbers. Stanners says he also likes to work with Faouzia musical director David Steinmetz “to better understand what his intention is and how I can complement that”.

Lighting operator on the tour was James Moore from Red Rover Entertainment. Red Rover supplied the lighting for the “Citizens” tour with Stanners handling lighting design and programming. The tour played anywhere from 400-capacity venues in smaller markets to 2000-capacity venues in larger markets and the design, Stanners says, had to fit into both.

“I wanted a rig that could hold its own in venues where there was very little house lighting”, the designer comments. “Most of my tours go out without some kind of side light so if the venue’s front house lighting was inadequate, it was still taken care of. For eye candy on this tour, I used Elation’s Fuze SFX to create the moods using anything from gobo looks to tight beams.” Red Rover took delivery of new Fuze SFX fixtures in the early fall, just in time to send them out on the tour. Stanners placed four units atop pipes with custom-built tops. A further three units worked from a floor position.

Another creative design element involved fifteen floor-positioned SixBar 500 color-changing battens in a semi-circle behind the singer for color and eye candy looks. Stanners explains the idea behind the look: “I wanted to create a play area for her to move in where there are no other musicians or cables, an area that was clean visually. No matter what size the venue, that was her space.” Additional to the rig were seven SixPar 200 color-changing PAR lights, two per side as sidelight and one for a ‘halo’ behind each musician.

(Photos: David Milejszo/Mike Thomas)

www.elationlighting.com

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