Lenny Kravitz World Tour 2002

June 17, 2002

One of America’s premiere entertainers, rock renaissance man Lenny Kravitz, has hit the road under a Jon Pollak designed lighting rig that includes electronic ballast Martin MAC 2000s. Touring for the first time in 3 years, the Lenny Live world tour kicked off at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in early May after weeks of rehearsals in Florida.

On the road in support of his 6th studio and highly acclaimed album, Lenny, the tour quickly jumped the Atlantic for a string of European shows, the first at a sold out Forum in Copenhagen on May 22 where we caught up with Lighting Designer Jon Pollak.

An evolving show

Jon started working on the project in January, creating a variety of song specific lighting looks for the many top ten hits the rocker has had over the years. “The sum of the parts really makes the whole in the show,” he explained. "Yet it’s an evolving show. Lenny is quite involved in the design and adds and changes things frequently. He maintains quite a bit of control of the visual element and the result is an interesting departure visually.” 

MAC 2000Es and Jem smoke

Jon uses 12 MAC 2000Es as key lighting, front lighting and effect lighting from behind with gobo morphing, iris and fades used as effect elements. He originally wanted 24 MAC 2000s and Martin Atomic strobes for the rig but budget concerns slashed that to 12 electronic ballast MAC 2000s. “The MACs have been great so far,” he commented. “They are the best moving yoke out there.”

Lighting and video

Video plays an important part in the stage design. Seven truss arms are lined with automated lights with video clips rear-projected onto screens between each arm. “We wanted punch from the combination of projection screens and lighting. Much of the lighting is based on the lighting elements from the various video clips. Kevin Campbell produced the videos and did an excellent job.”

Jem smoke products also get into the act with 4 Jem ZR33 smoke machines providing the mid-air projection haze in combination with 4 AF-1 fans.

Lenny Kravitz tours Europe through June 22nd then returns to the US for a string of summer shows before kicking off in Japan in late September. European production is by UK based Lite Alternative with Upstaging covering the US tour.

Lighting Designer: Jon Pollak
Lighting Technicians:  Jon Gallagher and Ed Jackson

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