Ed Sheeran Lighting

Last Friday while checking the call time to the Saturday Ed Sheeran show I couldn’t help but wonder the amount of equipment that was being brought. Our usual call time of 1 or 3pm was substituted by a 10am call with a Showtime of 7:30pm, I had a feeling this was going to be the day I got inaugurated as a stagehand. Upon arrival I was struck with the news that this was the first show on the U.S leg of the tour and being new to all of this I didn’t know that the first day was the worst day as it is the day people learn how to actually pack their truck for this tour. Load in wasn’t terrible as all the gear was lighting equipment. First up was a set piece that was divided in 3 parts. Two “L” shaped pieces and a center section, together they created a structure that would hold LED panels and Martin Mac fixtures. Being a solo acoustic act not a lot of front light was needed and a proper amount was provided, enough to do video.

Most of the looks seemed intimate as broad washes lit up the artist from behind with tones of blues and red with images of shooting stars being displayed on the LED panels.  When animated songs would come up, the use of sets of what looked like strip lights with no color, were bumped along with the beat of the music.

Running video one of my pet peeves was a light that was directly behind the artist at about waste level. When he stood infront of it a great effect was created where all you could really see was his shadow and the background in whatever color the LD had chosen but as soon as he drifted to one side or another all I got was glare and contrary to what most people would think acoustic acts aren’t always sitting on a stool hardly moving.