Mumford & Sons follow Delta Route with Kinesys posted: 16/06/2019
Talented UK alt-folk rock band Mumford & Sons are midway through a world tour promoting their fourth studio album, Delta, which dropped at the end of 2018. The live show features a stunning and highly creative lighting design by long term LD Ed Warren and Phil Kaikoura which includes an extensive Kinesys automation system.
The Kinesys Apex System being used on the tour was chosen and invested in by UK-based Brilliant Stages who designed and provided the mothergrid system. Also in use are a series of bespoke spine trusses designed to span under venue score boards. The Kinesys motors are mounted inside Brilliant's own custom truss sections, with two motors per section of truss that are then attached to the mothergrid spines through connection plates.
The lighting design started with Ed and Phil receiving a brief from the band containing -amongst other things - some cryptic statements about what Delta meant to them, which was followed by several months of back-and-forth, with set / video designers Stufish, Ed and Phil all throwing different ideas and proposals into the mix to see what stuck.
Show designer Ric Lipson from Stufish always planned an in-the-round show which brought many physical challenges for lighting - restricted positions for overhead trussing, sightlines, the band being able to move freely around the space, etc. Setup and rigging time were another major consideration as the dates were booked before the production was finalised!
All of this led to the essence of the lighting design being based on a series of moving pods. These could be varied according to the size and shape of the venues and followed Ed and Phil's original concept, which was to fill that over-stage void - common to in-the-round stage designs - with practical production elements.
Often, this space might be filled with LED screens, but Ed and Phil explained that the band have never been keen on big LED video looks, so they instead produced a solution to transform the space that could build and change throughout the show and also offer a level of inclusion' for the audience.
The flat 5ft high stage in the centre of the arena measures 12 by 7.5 metres, and above this are the 14 lighting pods - trusses connected by a special cradle - and each one is picked up by the two Kinesys 500kg Apex motors.
The pods were designed to be more sculptural than utilitarian. The shape came loosely from the classic Mumford wings with a slight copper powdered coating reflecting the lights from above when the pods are lowered.
The construction of the pods is designed so they simply split in the middle with a few catches. From the dolly, it only takes a couple of crew to clip each end of the pods together, before they are attached to the Kinesys Apex motor and flown up in a matter of minutes.
The pods are each loaded with four Portman P2s, a single Martin MAC Aura XB and a GLP JDC1 LED strobe and they move into different positions and looks.
There are also six lighting trusses, with the four centremost also each on two Kinesys motors making up a total of 36 Kinesys points.
Ed had previously used Kinesys on the band's last Wilder Mind tour, but it soon became clear that Delta would be a whole new level in terms of automation complexity and sophistication.
As the design developed and started to involve a huge number of live' moves happening above the band and the stage space right in the centre of the arena, they wanted a super safe automation product and the new Apex system ticked this box with its almost endless list of safety protocols and protection, explained Ed.
On a design note, he adds that it was also capable of creating the very fluid and elegant moves and subtleties we needed for the different pod scenes.
A series of shapes are created throughout the set combining the fourteen pods and four lighting trusses, varying from asymmetric and a sloping low ceiling over the stage, to pointing the pods out to face the crowd, creating a wall of light.
This shifting architecture provides a fantastically dynamic environment for the performance.
The pods also move in a wave formation during a couple of songs and a slow corkscrew motion on others bringing an additional energy to the show.
For the big pyro moment during Darkness Visible all three of the lighting trusses fly in as low as possible to the stage - around 7ft - just above the band's heads, with pyro comets shooting up into the rig creating a super dramatic look.
In addition, there is a ring of lighting trusses around the stage with Zactrack controlled Claypaky Scenius Unicos which are mapped seamlessly so they fade between zones around the space for key lighting.
Automation proved a perfect visual solution for this scenario where Ed and Phil needed to get as much variation as possible in a technically challenging in-the-round format, stated Ed.
With no backlight and working only with lighting from directly above the band, they had to be imaginative and think out-of-the-box to get the best effects.
The 36 Apex motors are being controlled by Luke Williams operating a Kinesys Vector PC based controller - part of Brilliant's purchase which was masterminded for them by Ben Brooks.
During the production rehearsal period at Fly by Nite's studios in Redditch, Luke, Ed and Phil created around 30 different and unique pod looks including an all-important V formation - a nod to the classic Mumford wings', and the aforementioned eye-catching continuous corkscrew movement.
At the top of the set, the pods start in a homed' flat position. A few numbers in, some pods - still in the flat position - sneak down to their mid' height flown positions as the first moves start to unfold.
As the set builds, more interesting looks are introduced, in
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
01/10/2026
Vital TV antenna replaced at SudburyHelicopter and broadcast engineers work together to upgrade TV services for 1.5M in the East
--
Share to Linkedin
Octobe...
01/10/2026
Arqiva appoints Simon Duffy as ChairSimon Duffy joins as Chair effective 01 October 2026
--
Share to Linkedin
October 1, 2026
Press Office
01 October 2026...
01/10/2026
Season 4 of the multi-award-winning hit entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back, serving up another round of unpredictable laughs, unforg...
01/10/2026
New season begins Sunday, 4 October at 6pm on RT lyric fm and RT Listen
RT lyric fm's arts and culture documentary series The Lyric Feature returns on S...
01/10/2026
RT is proud to continue its commitment to supporting and celebrating the arts across Ireland this October, highlighting a vibrant programme of theatre, music, ...
30/09/2026
Add an envelope generator to any plug-in
Sync Audio's latest creation is a handy utility plug-in that can be used to combine and modulate other effects ...
30/09/2026
All-analogue tape-style drive joins Series A
Strymon's reputation was built on their digital knowhow, so many were surprised (and intrigued) when they a...
30/09/2026
Two new expansion packs released
Sonuscore have just introduced two new expansion packs for The Pulse, its production engine instrument for modern cinematic...
30/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
30/09/2026
New Solution Expands Harmonic's Network Intelligence Portfolio and Brings Comcast-Developed Fiber Monitoring Technology to Broadband Operators, Providing Re...
30/09/2026
How to Shop Well Now starts Monday at 9.35pm
on RT One and RT Player
On the...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
EQ plug-in can now be played via MIDI
Scaler Music have recently released a new and improved version of their patented musical EQ plug-in, kitting it out wi...
28/09/2026
New synth developed in collaboration with philterSoup
Boutique effects pedal and Eurorack manufacturer Animal Factory Amps have announced that the new compa...
28/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FS...
28/09/2026
Monday 28 September 2026
Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes
Sky has launched a new Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps product, rolling out from today, gi...
28/09/2026
Arvato Systems Highlights It's Role for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers
TISAX
Arvato Systems has successfully completed the TISAX Level 3 assess...
28/09/2026
Crimecall, presented by Carla O'Brien, returns tonight for a brand new series at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player.
In tonight's episode, alongside appe...
28/09/2026
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AT THE HEART OF NEW IRISH WRITING
LIVE FROM POETRY IRELAND, DUBLIN AND ON RT RADIO 1 FROM 7PM
DETAILS: www.rte.ie/writing | FOLLOW: #r...
27/09/2026
New compact pedal packs in 120 effects
The latest multi-effects pedal from Boss is a compact unit that promises to give any pedalboard a massive boost in s...
26/09/2026
Launched alongside three new expansion packs
In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Native Instruments have released a major update for their Maschine 3 ...
25/09/2026
Algorithm update & new DVA vibrato-detection engine
A new flagship version of Antares' iconic pitch-correction software has arrived, and along with a co...
25/09/2026
New flagship unit to arrive in early 2027
Two notes Audio Engineering have revealed that a new and improved version of their hugely popular reactive load bo...
25/09/2026
AI-free mixing tool gets an upgrade
Launched in October 2025, Tim Exiles Finalist is an algorithmic mixing tool that's been designed for those who don&#...
25/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Test Summit 2026 puts the spotlight on 6G - registrations...
25/09/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on IBC 2026 and considers the main learnings against an industry that saw AI finally coming out of the labs and into pr...
25/09/2026
Friday 25 September 2026
How to watch an unmissable weekend of women's football on Sky Sports and NOW
Sky Sports and NOW will broadcast seven live games f...
25/09/2026
Friday 25 September 2026
YAGA trailer released, coming exclusively to Sky and N...
25/09/2026
Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media. Arqiva has submitted its response to the Governments Green Paper on the future of television distribut...
25/09/2026
Want to be part of this year's Late Late Toy Show?
Final call for applications in search for this year's stars
The most wonderful night of the year is...
24/09/2026
The next generation of multitrack recording for live sound
The latest version of Waves' dedicated live multitrack recording software delivers an array ...
24/09/2026
An idea machine for musicians
Described as an idea machine for musicians , the latest addition to Polyend's growing collection of guitar pedals combin...
24/09/2026
Alignment tool gains multitrack layout
Synchro Arts have just launched the latest version of their renowned time-alignment plug-in, and it's said to be ...
24/09/2026
Synth gains DAW Control & Ctrl-e integration
Expressive E have just released a major firmware update that brings some interesting new features to the Osmose...
24/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz expands its system amplifier portfolio with the R&S SAM200 for a...
24/09/2026
September 24, 2026
The Hitachi Startup Challenge FY26 invites innovative startu...
24/09/2026
Download Now!
To receive a short case study showcasing NHK Technologies, Inc. (NT) s audio setup, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* Fir...
24/09/2026
LUXEMBOURG, September 24, 2026 - SES, a space solutions company, has commenced construction of a new satellite manufacturing facility in Kockelscheuer, Luxembou...
24/09/2026
Thursday 24 September 2026
Sky Mobile named Best MVNO at the Mobile Industry Aw...
Mumford & Sons follow Delta Route with Kinesys posted: 16/06/2019 
