Brainstorm with Follow-Me on tour in Latvia

Formed at the end of the 80’s by college friends, the Latvian Rock band Brainstorm has gone on to be one of the most successful Latvian bands and a regular guest across the European festival scene.  In 2000 Brainstorm came third in the Eurovision Song Contest and in 2013, they were the first Baltic band to play at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival.  This summer Follow-Me 3D SIX system has been on tour with Brainstorm enjoying touring Latvia with the aptly named “A Year Without a Calendar” tour, reflecting on the last few years without festivals and touring.

Lighting Designer Ainārs Pastars chose to use Follow-Me 3D SIX system for his follow-spot operation taking advantage of the control flexibility: “we can assign any fixture to any target on-the-fly and even get full control from the lighting desk for pre-sets of the key light scenes”. 

Ainārs went on to explain why his choice for Follow-Me proved to be ideal for this tour: “Ease of setup - fixture refinement works amazingly well, we don’t even need to measure anything, just enter approximate fixture coordinates and calibration takes care of the rest!”

For the final show they took advantage of the scalability and flexibility of the system adding some extra fixtures making a total of 17 VL2600 which are all controlled by the Follow-Me 3D SIX system.

The Follow-Me 3D system was supplied by Latvian rental company Company NA.  Valters Bērziņš was the Follow-Me Tech for the tour also operating the system alongside, Armands Kurgans as the main Frontlight operator.

Genesis The Last Domino Tour

From NYC through North America and Europe to London: Follow-Me 3D systems recently toured internationally with Woodroffe Bassett Design and Roland Greil for The Last Domino Genesis tour. An inspirational, emotional journey with 47 shows around the world, an opportunity for fans to enjoy and celebrate Genesis, one of the worlds best-selling music artists, live for the first time in 13 years. 

Due to WBD’s previous positive experience with Follow-Me 3D Systems on tours such as Rammstein, it was an easy choice to make: “The system gives the possibility to integrate an unlimited number of manufacturer independent light fixtures and has been proven to be very reliable”.

Read the full review in news

Rammstein

Follow-Me was used on Rammstein's European Stadium Tour 2019, which started with a bang in Gelsenkirchen on May 27, 2019. Read the system review of Roland Greil (from Woodroffe Bassett Design) and Eoghan Tansey (from Neg Earth Lights) here.

Scorpions

Austrian Manfred Nikitser has been accompanying the internationally successful band Scorpions as lighting designer since 2016. In addition to the lighting design, Manfred also created the complete show design (stage set and video) for both the Sin City Nights Residency in Las Vegas and for the subsequent tour. Insuring the band members are cleanly lit at all times, Manfred selected to use the remote follow-spot system from Dutch manufacturer Follow-Me: Follow-Me 3D SIX.  

Click here to read the full review. 

Eurovision Song Contest 2021

One Follow-Me 3D SIX remote tracking system (as part of the lighting specification delivered by the official technical supplier, Ampco Flashlight) was used to keep the Eurovision performers in the spotlight, wherever they went on stage. Read all the details on Follow-Me used at the Eurovision Song Contest in this news post.

AMA Awards New Zealand 2020

In 2020, Follow-Me was used on the AMA Awards in New Zealand.

Thanks to Jason Steel and his company Negative Space for these images of their Follow-Me 3D SIX system in use at the NZ AMA Awards. Jason required presenter pick-ups from his Follow-Me system in an area covering 50 x 40 meters comprising of 7 satellite stages:

“The 48 BMFL Blades used as the main front-light all mapped in follow me worked really well as was I able to call up any number of the BMFLs from the grandMA and map them to any target I needed.

It was also great having local control of zoom for moment when larger groups joined into the presenter areas. The ability to create zoom and iris calibrations we were able to keep a consistent light level throughout the arena”.
www.negativespace.co.nz

Rapper MATA, Poland

The Follow-Me 3D manual tracking system was used at the live concert from Polish Rap artist MATA. The outdoor event was staged at the Lotnisko Bemowo airport in Warsaw withan audience of 40,000.

Follow our news for the full story! 

Fall Out Boy

Follow-Me was used on a variety of Fall Out Boy shows.

"...The most recent implementation was an arena end stage, thrust and two FOH stages. Follow me was able to transition seamlessly from end to end of the arena and accomplish this coverage with 3 operators and 40 fixtures! Sweet! ..."

~ Robb Jibson, Production Designer

Justin Timberlake

“The Follow-Me system is fantastic, and the support has been world class. It’s the best follow-spot tool I know of that’s fast, accurate and flexible. It’s easy to control any light in the rig at any time and makes lighting JT in this complicated show and large environment easy. I know its saved JT’s Lighting Director Brian Vaughn hours of time daily which is essential on a show of this size.” commented Nick Whitehouse. 

A.C.Lighting News

ZODIAC Musical

In 2021, we saw the opening of the stunning musical ZODIAC de musical. A story about the future of planet earth at the iconic former prison building De Koepel in the Dutch city of Breda.

Events Light supplied a Follow-Me TraXYZ hybrid auto-tracking system controlling multiple fixtures any or all of which could all be called upon to autonomously track performers on this creative in-the round production.

Special thanks to LD Marc Heinz and Jeroen Frijters at Events Light for specifying & supplying the TraXYZ system. Technical production was in the very capable hands of Michiel van der Zijde & Jeffrey Kranen on behalf of Unlimited Productions.

Rea Garvey

Follow-Me has been used on a large amount of Rae Garvey shows, under the lead of Lighting Designer Christian Glatthor:

"Only the fact that you can use any moving light as a follow-spot, makes Follow-Me a very interesting system. At a festival, for example, you can simply patch a couple moving lights into the Follow-Me system and use them as a follow-spot, without much effort. I can also imagine me using Follow-Me in the future for touring since the complete setup is very compact, it fits into a normal pelicase."

~ Christian Glatthor, 2019

The Masked Singer

Early 2020 Belgian lighting supplier supplier ID2Q supplied the TV production The Masked Singer with a single multi target Follow-Me system.

The stunning lighting design by Michiel Milbou consisted of 70 fixtures that ran through the Follow-Me system. Any (or all) of the 70 fixtures could be assigned from the lighting console for follow spot duty offering Michiel creative flexibility to choose which fixture he wanted on which performer whenever he wanted.

The Follow-Me system also integrated with the production’s Cyberhoist motion control system to maintain follow spot control of the fixtures at varied heights, again offering design flexibility.

Follow-Me Fixtures: 27x Chauvet MK3 profile, 10x Chauvet MK3 wash & 33x Chauvet MK1 hybrid

Controls: 1x Follow-Me 3D SIX, 2x Follow-Me Mouse Console, 2x Follow-Me Fader Console, 1x GrandMA2 Fullsize & 1x GrandMA2 Light
Light Operators: Niels Huybrechts, Cedric Eestermans
Follow-Me setup: Dimi Theuwissen, Cedric Eestermans
Television company: VTM
Video production service: Fremante Belgium
Media group: DPG Media België

Def Leppard

"...Another break from conventions of the past were seen in the follow spots, with the lighting crew opting to utilise Follow-Me’s remote spots system. Controlling a rig of 10 Robe BMFLs were four Follow-Me terminals assigned to two fixtures in the rig. The operators controlled the pan/tilt parameters of the spot movement, with two BMFLs assigned to each band member. Meanwhile, Ohashi had control of iris, colour, and dimmer, through his MA Lighting grandMA2 console which was running multiple protocols including MANet and SACN as well as ArtNet for the Follow-Me system."

“It’s a great system,” commented Kevin Cassidy. “It gives Kenji at FOH so many more options to do more effects than you would ever be able to do with conventional spots from strobes to colours. Not to mention, all the blackouts are now super crisp as one source is controlling them simultaneously..."

~ Kevin Cassidy, 2019

TPI Feb 2019

Starmania 2021

Follow-Me on Starmania 2021 with Lighting Designer Roland Greil.

Roland’s stunning lighting design saw a whopping 194 fixtures in the patch of Follow-Me, all or any of which could be called upon for follow-spot control.

Roland Greil - Lighting Designer:

"Once again we had the pleasure to implement a Follow Me system for Starmania 2021 in Vienna. The flexibility and creative options the system were a perfect fit for the needs in terms of flexibility. Florian Wieder designed a modern and contemporary set, which incorporated the lighting from the beginning. From the lighting design point of view, it was crucial to create a very versatile system, as we had to light a big number of very different songs. Furthermore for me it was important to create looks, which feel different to the ones you mostly see on TV in our days. A more theatrical and concert style approach was very important for Florian as well as my self.“

"Thanks to a great support from Follow Me the implementation was painless and easy for us as well as the on site Follow-Me tech Florian Bauer, who did an amazing job making Marc's and my life easy."

Lighting Designer - Roland Greil, Production Designer - Florian Wieder, Associate LD, Programmer and lighting director - Marc Brunkhardt, 2nd Programmer - Daniela Schmitt, Mediaserver Programmer - Juan Contreras, ORF Gaffer - Thomas Kruder, LX Crew Chief & Follow Me Tech - Florian Bauer, Production Design - Florian Wieder, Director - Kurt Pongratz

Marco Borsato

Follow-Me was used on the spectacular Marco Borsato show in the Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, May 2019. Multiple moving heads were used to keep Marco in the spotlight at all times throughout the show.

Ozzy Osbourne

'...Also in use is the Follow-Me automated spot system, distributed by AC Lighting. “We made a conscious decision not to put followspots on the show,” Cook says. “When you listen to the music, you hear these great moments of a drum solo into a guitar solo back to a drum solo and we didn’t want to tell Zakk [Wylde], our guitarist, that he had to stand in a certain place for a certain moment. So, the entire rig is calibrated to Follow-Me, and we do fantastic moments where we have 72 lights on the drum kit, and they stagger on and off; it’s literally a two-Paul Simon tour and Rock in Rio Las Vegas...'

LSA Nov 2018

Stereophonics

Follow-Me was successfully used on Stereophonics innovative show in 2018.

"A total of 6 octagonal Chroma-Q Space Forces on Kinesys - including 2 in the scoreboard truss above the end of the catwalk - descended at various points to close down the space for more intimate moments, such as the acoustic sections of the show. Also in the scoreboard truss were more moles and 6 Robe BMFL Spots. Used in conjunction with a Follow- Me system, these tracked 4 targets that changed during the evening, for example when the guest saxophonist is on stage, or when the drummer strolls back from his solo stint out on the thrust." 

~ Brett Clark, Lighting Designer 

TPI April 2018

Suede

In 2013 the first version of Follow-Me was used by British band Suede to utilize moving heads remotely to follow their lead singer on request of their LD Jip Nipius. Since this date, it has been used on subsequent Suede tours and is currently touring with Follow-me. This has led to amazing looking scenes in which the main performers are always in the spotlight.

Read the review of Follow-Me on Suede by lighting designer Jip Nipius here.

The Killers

Steven Douglas successfully used Follow-Me on The Killers Wonderful Wonderful tour.

"Since I first heard about the system, and the idea that it could be used on any fixture, I have been really intrigued by Follow-Me,” stated the LD. “I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and it’s showing itself to be a great bit of kit with some exciting possibilities." Read all about it in the link below.

TPI Magazine

Sarah Connor

Read more on Follow-Me used in the awesome looking Sarah Connor Germany tour here.