Follow-Me 3D sheds light on The Darkness UK Tour

British rock band, The Darkness, known for their flamboyant stage presence, falsetto vocals, and chart-topping hits like I Believe in a Thing Called Love, has implemented a Follow-Me 3D remote follow-spot system on their UK tour this Spring.

Formed in 2000, The Darkness gained widespread acclaim with their debut album Permission to Land in 2003, and have since built a reputation for theatrical, high-energy live shows that blend classic rock sensibilities with over-the-top performance elements.

The Follow-Me 3D SIX system, supplied by CEG and deployed by Zigzag Lighting, has reportedly become an integral element of the band's stage production, enhancing the visibility of frontman Justin Hawkins' signature acrobatic performances and audience interactions.

Follow-Me 3D is an automated performer tracking solution that transforms standard lighting fixtures into precision follow-spots without dedicated operators at each light. Unlike traditional follow-spots, Follow-Me 3D allows designers to dynamically assign any of the fixtures in the rig at any time, to follow performers in real-time.

David Garcia, lighting designer for The Darkness, and production designer/video director Eric Cathcart, both of Bigtime Lighting Design, have integrated the Follow-Me 3D system as a foundational component of the tour, with Tom Rawlinson serving as crew chief and Follow-Me technician. Other lighting crew members on the tour include Gareth Lonsdale, Louis Thornton, and John Richardson.

"On this tour we definitely wanted to go with a more theatrical feel, which is why we added the Follow-Me system," explained Garcia. "We follow the lead singer the whole time, and it was important to keep him lit because he does interact with the audience a lot. He's all over the stage, doing aerial tricks off the drum kit, and handstands on the drum kit. We wanted to make sure he was lit so you could see all his facial expressions."

"Being able to use the system with any fixture and fitting it all in one case is what really sold me on it," Garcia added. "Anything else would've taken up too much room, and space is at a premium. Follow-Me is crucial to the show, so it's always with us even when we're not flying our full tour rig."

Cathcart shared his enthusiasm: "As a designer, I used Follow-Me on The Black Keys Let's Rock tour right before the pandemic hit. That was my first time using any kind of automated follow-spot system, and I fell in love with it instantly. The control system has a much smaller footprint compared to other systems."

The system's versatility is said to have enabled the lighting team to create dynamic lighting effects that respond to the band's energetic performance style. "All the programming is on the console with me, which has made things really easy," said Garcia. "The front lights are always engaged on a particular band member. We have three band members and occasionally we'll switch to the fourth one who is the drummer, because he comes down and does songs as well. We switch which lights we use for different solos and use different combinations, so we're able to achieve different looks using the Follow-Me system in that way."

Cathcart added, "If our stage right guitar player has a solo, we've got five fixtures on Follow-me on the upstage truss all focusing on him, and then after the solo they'll break up and go back to their individual band members. I like that you can change targets seamlessly - it makes it so flexible when it comes to workflow."

The efficiency of the Follow-Me 3D system has reportedly proven invaluable for the tour's tight schedule. "The calibration of the system is pretty quick. I think our crew chief gets it done in about 20 minutes, which is important because we have VIPs, soundcheck, pictures and Q&As which just eat into the whole day," Garcia explains.

Neil Hunt from Zigzag Lighting also has a clear opinion about what Follow-Me adds to the tour: “Follow-Me 3D is so much more powerful than being a remote follow-spot system only,” he says. “It provides a means to constantly aim any combination of integrated fixtures of different brands in a variety of "scenes" or configurations throughout the show as the most impressive feature, making it a hugely powerful tool. The multiple combinations coupled with "normal" use of the fixtures created some striking looks, all seamlessly integrated into the show, and it brings a new dimension for imaginative LDs to use as creatively as they wish. Follow-Me seem responsive to constructive feedback and with the constant improvements that can continue to bring, they are on to a truly world-leading product. The follow-spot operators reported the system was easy to use, and, it hardly takes up any truck space.”

Technical support from Follow-Me has ensured a smooth implementation. "We had Luke Edwards (designer relations UK at Follow-Me) come out and set up the initial system with us," said Garcia. "Having him there was awesome because it was our crew chief's first time using the system as well. He received training before the show started which was super important. I got a login to all the training videos, too, which was great."

Garcia concluded, "We're really happy with it and couldn't have asked for a better system. It really is the golden child of our rig right now."

Following the reported success of the UK tour, Garcia will be taking the Follow-Me 3D system on The Darkness's upcoming US tour, where he will personally serve as the Follow-Me technician.

"We're thrilled to see the Follow-Me 3D system enhancing The Darkness tour,” said Luke Edwards. “The Darkness’ performances demand precision tracking for their dynamic stage presence, and it's rewarding to see designers pushing our system's capabilities while maintaining a compact touring footprint. This partnership shows how technology and creative vision can transform the live music experience."

Image credit: Gareth Parker