UK - The first of Robe's new BMFL Spot fixtures to tour in the UK were specified by Boston based lighting designer Jeff Maker for the recent Gaslight Anthem tour - for which they were purchased by Leeds based rental company Zig Zag Lighting.

Jeff - whose CV includes imaginative lighting for several 'alternative' bands including All Time Low - presented his first lighting design for the US punk rockers who kicked off their Get Hurt album campaign. He was recommended for the gig for his creative flair by FOH sound engineer Joe Amato, who also mixes All Time Low.

Jeff has worked with Zig Zag on several previous occasions, and they are his rental company of choice for the UK and Europe.

Zig Zag's Neil Hunt says: "Essentially I needed a super-bright fixture to use on large spec shows that often have a high video or bright LED elements. Various fixtures appear on lighting plots - but BMFL is the first one that ticks all the boxes without compromise."

Jeff had seen BMFLs for the first time at the Boston launch event in September ... and decided to spec them for the tour.

He also utilised 18 x Pointes, 16 x LEDBeam 100s, six Robin 600E Spots, eight CycFX 8s and 12 x LEDWash 600s.

Jeff's idea for the trussing structure stemmed from the upside down heart of the album logo, and this translated into a 'shattered heart' of trussing pieces which included - in this UK variation - two straight trusses, two angled wing trusses and a V-shaped mid-truss, together with eight vertical sections on floor bases which added still more dynamics to the picture.

The upstage truss was loaded with eight BMFL Spots six LEDBeam 100s, four strobes and toned with LED PARs.

The mid truss featured 10 x Pointes, six LEDBeam 100s and four strobes, while the wing trusses each featured four BMFL Spots, three LEDBeam 100s and a single strobe per side.

On the front truss were 12 x LEDWash 600s, six Robe ROBIN 600E Spots and six 8-lite Moles used for blasting the audience.

On the eight vertical truss towers were a total of eight Pointes (on the tops), eight CycFX 8s which were ideal for beaming out and sweeping the audience, and eight strobes. The metalwork was again toned with LED PARs. Combined, the toners worked really well in highlighting the overall trussing structure.

A big, bold red backdrop of the upside-down heart completed the visual picture. There was no video and so all the emphasis was on Jeff's lighting to complement the power of the band.

From a rental company perspective, Neil Hunt is delighted with the BMFL purchase. "It's way brighter than any other fixture but not as heavy," he notes, adding that the MF - multi-functionality - is a great asset that allows it to be run as a spot, a profile, a wash, a beam or an 'ultra beam' which is brighter than the brightest dedicated beam unit.