Some of the new kit went directly out on the recent Mrs Brown’s Boys “D’Live Show - The Battle for Moore Street” tour, with lighting designed by Mike Summerfield, who was delighted to make use of two FORTES on the front truss controlled via two RoboSpot BaseStations positioned side stage by the racks.

“This is one of the best remote follow spot systems out there,” commented Adlib account manager Jordan Willis. “So far, our team has praised this system's additional flexibility. The set-up and operation are easy, so it makes sense that everyone is happy to see it on a rider or a specification,” he continued.

FORTE is currently Robe’s highest-powered LED moving light and features Robe’s unique and patented TRANSFERABLE ENGINETM (TE) LED technology, a hugely flexible concept with the option of fitting different and interchangeable LED engines in the same fixture hardware, which can be quickly changed / ‘transferred’ in 5 to 7 minutes.

Mike Summerfield has really enjoyed using the RoboSpot systems. “It removes the need for touring bulky follow spots that need carrying up to the ‘gods’, which saves so much time and hassle”, he noted, adding that several venues don’t have good ‘traditional’ follow spotting positions anyway, and if production has to rely on house spots, they are constantly an unknown quantity!

“Having this consistency and continuity for each show in exactly the right places is fantastic – the spot ops can also get into a good rhythm, and this shows up on stage!”

The FORTE follow spots were used to pick up the actors as they sang, highlighting and ensuring they stood out as the rest of the set morphed into different colours and the lighting shifted from stage washes to show light scenes with varying colours and movement. All the parameters of the FORTES were controlled via the BaseStations.

“Reliability is key,” Jordan concurred, adding that one of the reasons why he and the team chose Robe’s pairing for Adlib’s follow spot needs was the consistent level of performance that the luminaire and BaseStation could provide. “With a packed summer schedule that included everything from big stadium shows and festival runs to the arena comedy tours and one-off corporate events, we knew our new follow spot investment had to be capable of scaling up and down easily, no matter the artist or size of the venue.”

“After completing a successful summer run, I can see them being out all the time!” commented Adlib’s Head of Lighting & Video, Tom Edwards.

He also highlighted the importance of solid relationships in the technical production industry, “When investing in new equipment, besides an excellent product, you also need to see that there is technical support to back it up, and we get that with Robe UK. Our relationship is fantastic, and we feel confident enough to put their technology forward to our clients. We know that they'd have our backs instantly if things go south and we require their support. That’s why we continue adding their products to our lighting inventory.”

Robe UK’s head of marketing Theresa Gibson commented, “Adlib’s recent investment in FORTE and RoboSpot further compliments their Robe lighting inventory and the long-standing relationship we have enjoyed over many years with lighting rental and installation work. This key investment is testament to the popularity and growing demand for RoboSpot systems, coupled with being able to fulfil our customer needs with after sales and technical support.”

Photo Credit: Steve Sroka