Vari-Lite is a Bright Idea for Marillion’s orchestral spectacular

For Marillion’s orchestral UK tour dates in November, lighting designer Yenz Nyholm chose the remarkable light output and colour mixing ability of the VL2600 Wash fixture from Vari-Lite.

The ‘Marillion With Friends From The Orchestra’ tour saw the band joined by string quartet, In Praise Of Folly, plus Emma Halnan on flute and Sam Morris on French horn. Culminating in two nights at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, the tour coincided with the British band’s 40th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of Steve Hogarth as its lead singer.

Nyholm’s challenge was to deliver the required level of spectacle for the celebratory shows. “My brief called firstly for ‘big’, and then for ‘bright’,” he said. To achieve this, he chose the new, LED-based VL2600 Wash luminaire, supplied by Siyan Ltd. “My main priority was output,” said Nyholm. “Plus, we needed to match the colours of the video content to the lighting, so we wanted a wash that could go from subtle to bright, saturated colours, without losing output.”

The VL2600 Wash met Nyholm’s needs on every front. “Their output and colour is amazing,” he said. “The colour really stands out, from the deepest blue to the brightest yellow. And it’s very even . . . The consistency is remarkable across my whole rig.”

Asked if he plans to make use of the VL2600 Wash fixture again, Nyholm replied, “Oh yeah! Their brightness, and their ability to match any color from the video content with ease, were the biggest benefits of all.”