MAC 700 Profiles for Jethro Tull

One of rock’s most recognizable and cutting edge bands over the years, Jethro Tull, is out on the road beneath a MAC rig that features MAC 700 Profiles.

Lighting Designer James Anderson, who has worked with the band for three years as Production Manager and Promoter, has been handling the lights for about 18 months. The band’s Brazil concert was the first time he used moving lights and is the reason why Martin is on his specification list. As he explains, “Not only were they the first intelligent light I programmed, but you can get them virtually anywhere you are in the world, and they are really reliable.”

Entec Sound & Light is supplying all the gear for the UK tour. Anderson likes the MAC 700 Profiles and is using them for the first time on this tour, six on the rear truss and four on the front. He also has four MAC 600 washlights on the front truss. He particularly likes the animation wheels on the 700 Profiles and makes much use of them for creating swirling, floating backdrop projections. Anderson explains, “The animation wheel means you can have a gobo in and do something like add a prism which completely changes the effect. They are great lights – smaller and lighter than the MAC 2000 Profiles and ideal for the sort of shows we do. The projection looks are created with four MAC 700 Profiles, depending on the gobo.”

Anderson uses the MAC 600’s for color washes. He comments that they are very flexible and exactly the right size of fixture for the stages they usually play.

Conventionals are located at the back and on the upstage floor for effects in the second half of the show which is more rock ‘n’ roll. The first half is more folk with some acoustic, which requires the lighting to be flexible enough to cover a whole range of music and dynamics.