Sam Tozer chooses Ayrton for Chase & Status Live Tour
Sam Tozer, lighting designer and creative director of Plymouth-based Vision Factory, created the lighting for the Chase & Status Live Tour using a combination of Ayrton’s Domino LT and, taking centre upstage, over 100 Ayrton Rivale Profiles. “Ayrton is one of my go-to manufacturers,” says Tozer. “Their fixture range consistently delivers when it comes to reliability, feature set, and output. I’ve used their products across multiple projects.”
For this run of six exclusive arena shows across major UK cities, Tozer needed a lightweight yet punchy hybrid fixture to meet the demands of Chase & Status’s eclectic sound: “The Rivale Profile offered speed, beam strength, and versatility to create dynamic layers of light and texture throughout the show acting as the backbone of the rig and matching the energy of the band,” he says.
Rigged in a large upstage grid formation, 114 Rivale Profiles worked in tandem with video and scenic elements, to form a layered visual stack providing a pulsating extension of the stage energy and content. “The intention was to bring an industrial, club-inspired atmosphere into large-scale arenas. This was achieved through depth and layering: a tracked vanish screen, then super truss towers and finally a wall of Rivale Profiles – the Rivales played a key role in creating an immersive environment of stage energy and content.
“We used them in nearly every track, they were the workhorse of the rig without ever looking repetitious. The closing track, ‘Program’ featured stark white beams ripping across the stage in fast, chaotic sweeps – the Rivales totally nailed the intensity. What stood out was the combination of speed and feature density. The show demanded fast pan/tilt movement for spatial precision, but also flexibility for beam shaping, texture, and mood shifts. We even made use of continuous tilt for one track, which was a fun bonus!”
20 Domino LTs were rigged right at the back of the stage as big powerful units that could break through the layers of set and video. “Dominos are great for this!” says Tozer.
The Chase & Status Live arena tour was a short but very demanding tour of back-to-back gigs, so reliability was key. “The fixtures were supplied by LCR – they were our first choice for this project,” confirms Tozer. “Given the complexity of the upstage stack, we needed everything prepped to perfection. All the Ayrton fixtures were really solid and held up brilliantly. Huge shoutout to Rob Watson for handling the account, and to Neil Johnson and the touring crew for delivering a rock-solid system on the road.”
“It was a joy to work with Sam and Mike Clegg (production manager) on this tour,” confirms LCR’s Rob Watson. “Sam and Oli Walker (programmer and touring director) utilised the Domino LTs and Rivale Profiles to great effect, especially with the infinite pan and tilt on the huge array on the back wall. It was our pleasure to facilitate and supply their design; a big thanks also to the crews that assisted at each venue, and everyone at LCR who made sure the tour went out without issue.”
Text: Julie Harper
Photos: © Luke Dyson, Courtesy of Vision Factory.
