“It’s great to have something you can trust”: grandMA2 Travels the US with Fleetwood Mac

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The iconic rock band Fleetwood Mac never stops thinking about tomorrow – and planning their next tour to delight fans. For their current “On With the Show” tour a grandMA2 full-size console has been specified by lighting designer/production designer Paul “Arlo” Guthrie.

The band launched the 40-city North American tour September 30th and, after playing to packed houses, added at least 28 more dates in a second leg, which will begin in January 2015. “On With the Show” marks the first full-member tour for Fleetwood Mac since 1997.

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“Designing for Fleetwood Mac is always a challenge since you’re dealing with five different personalities,” said Guthrie. He began by giving them “the biggest, cleanest, most open stage set up I could, so every single seat in the house gets a clear view of the stage. I made sure to remove clutter so everyone can see the band members.”

Guthrie opted for a grandMA2 full-size console to run all the lights, media servers - even a heater for drummer Mick Fleetwood. “The whole show is cue-to-cue, no timecode,” he reports. “The grandMA2 is a nice stable and familiar work surface. It’s great to have something you can trust. While this is a straightforward show, it’s still important to have a system you can rely on. The grandMA2’s networking capabilities are also awesome; they enabled me and lighting director Chris Lose, who is touring with the band, to program simultaneously.”

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Guthrie opted for a grandMA2 full-size console to run all the lights, media servers - even a heater for drummer Mick Fleetwood. “The whole show is cue-to-cue, no timecode,” he reports. “The grandMA2 is a nice stable and familiar work surface. It’s great to have something you can trust. While this is a straightforward show, it’s still important to have a system you can rely on. The grandMA2’s networking capabilities are also awesome; they enabled me and lighting director Chris Lose, who is touring with the band, to program simultaneously.”

Lose adds: “Simultaneously programming with Arlo on the grandMA2 is very easy. His vision was made very clear when he could dial up a look he wanted on his desk and then I could implement his looks into the show in a way that worked with the cue stack.”

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PRG supplied the Clay Paky fixtures and the grandMA2 for the tour