Gavin DeGraw and David Cook take a grandMA2 light on US Tour

Lighting designer/director Scott Warner is responsible for maximising a limited lighting rig

Singer-songwriters Gavin DeGraw and David Cook, the latter an “American Idol” winner, are co-headlining a US Tour and a grandMA2 light is going along for the ride. DeGraw and Cook plan to visit 22 cities on a continental swing. DeGraw is performing songs from his fourth album, “Sweeter,” and Cook appears in support of his most recent album, “This Loud Morning.”

Lighting designer/director Scott Warner is responsible for maximising a limited lighting rig so all the bands appearing with DeGraw and Cook have a unique look. He also serves as the programmer and operator for the tour bands.

Warner is also a first-time grandMA2 user. He’s using the console to control not only Clay Paky Sharpys but also an array of Robe REDWash, Martin 700, Atomic Strobes and Lowel Omni lights.

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“I saw the grandMA2 light at LDI and loved the look – it’s a great-looking console and people come up to me to say how cool it is. It’s also very fast; I don’t have to wait for anything. I like the touch control and bump buttons. It feels good running the show, more fun – like sitting at a Mac computer.” He also likes having access to more DMX universes on the grandMA2 light.

Instead of using conventional vertical trusses, Warner opted to create a three-level wall of truss at the back of the stage. “With three levels it looks like I have three layers of light,” he explains. “It gives me a nice wall of lights. On the top level I have nine Sharpy, and I frame the bands with them.

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“The Clay Paky Sharpy is a fantastic light, and I love that I can instantly move them around so if something is sounding cool on stage, I can go to it,” he continues. “I’ve never used Clay Paky lights before, so the Sharpys are a great introduction. The bands love them too – during sound checks everyone comments on them. They call them ‘lasers’!”

A.C.T Lighting is the North American distributor of MA Lighting.