Aktuelle News & Schlagzeilen

Elation’s Proteus Excalibur and Proteus Maximus shape the look and feel of Wacken Open Air 2023

As many know, real Wacken fans don’t let the weather stop them. It’s not for nothing that “rain or shine” is the rallying cry of party-loving metal fans who travel to northern Germany from all corners of the world for Wacken Open Air (WOA). This year, metalheads had to be particularly strong.

Days of constant rain had so softened the “Holy Ground” of the festival site that a travel stop had to be imposed for the first time in the festival’s history. Anyone who made it onto the grounds though still got the full Wacken experience, including knee-deep mud. Lighting designer Jerry Appelt, who has been associated with the massive metal festival for twenty years, has also experienced a lot in Wacken. “I am emotionally attached to the festival”, he says, adding, “It was remarkable how the organizers dealt with the very difficult situation this year.”

Seventy-two Proteus Maximus and forty-eight Proteus Excalibur fixtures from Elation Professional were an integral part of the lighting design. Technically, Appelt, who designed the lighting for the two main stages, relied on a mix of new and tried-and-tested for WOA 2023. “For Wacken we always create an overall lighting architecture that works across the entire square”, he says. “That’s why we still use the good old searchlights here, which you can see from the motorway fifteen kilometers away.” The Proteus Excalibur “supplied the space with lighting architecture” on the stage wings and piano towers, he adds.

Appelt anchored the audience lighting using the Proteus Maximus, which he often uses at larger open-air events. “The festival shows on the main stages are now almost entirely broadcast via livestream”, he explains. “It is therefore important that you see the audience as a whole in the broadcast and not film it into a black hole. After all, Wacken is not only about the music but also about togetherness and the very special festival spirit that is created by the people.”

Alongside Jerry Appelt, Matthias Rau, Manfred Nikitser, Ole Güllich and Emmanuel Jörgner also waded through the sacred mud of Wacken 2023. Jonas Horney from Salty Dog Studios Hamburg handled lighting preprogramming.

(Photos: Manfred Nikitser)

www.elationlighting.com

© 1999 - 2024 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories