Atomic Color For Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour

With a nightly show set-up and staging so complex it is said to rival that of a permanent installation, Madonna’s current tour can be a challenge for a lighting designer on a number of levels. That complexity involves a densely packed rig (weight issues) and, not surprising for a Madonna show, lots of movement – namely, a 42-foot diameter turntable with two halves that can be raised and lowered independently, multiple lifts and even moving video screens. And did we mention time constraints?

Lighting Designer Roy Bennett successfully dealt with those issues and discovered an innovative strobe light along the way – Martin’s Atomic Colors, a specially designed head that fits onto the front of the Atomic 3000 DMX strobe that allows for projection of ten brightly colored strobe and blinder effects.

The video heavy Re-Invention show features a rig that includes 47 Atomic 3000 strobes and 44 Atomic Colors, along with 80 MAC 2000 Wash and other automated lighting all supplied by Fourth Phase (PRG).

It is the first time lighting designer Roy Bennett has used the Atomic Colors. “Strobes for me are a certain sound,” Roy says when explaining his use of strobe effects.  “I choose the color in the strobe depending on the colorization of the song.”

Roy has used color changers on strobes for years but this was the first time he used a color changer that fit onto the strobe light, which he described as “great”.

“What I did in the past was to double or quadruple stack strobes and put color in front of it. I chose the Atomics because I think they’re great lights. The Atomic Colors enabled me to do what I always do with strobes but in an easier fashion. It was more reliable because the changer is fitted to the size of the fixture.”

Roy also incorporated the white light Atomic 3000 strobes, as well as 80 MAC 2000 Wash as the only washlight on the show. “We use them throughout the show,” he stated. “I chose them because they are reliable and for the power.” 

Madonna’s Re-invention Tour sold out venues across the US earlier this summer and is currently in Europe for a string of shows through September.