Vari-Lite's VL2600 Wash is a Bright Idea for Marillion's Orchestral Spectacular

	Long-serving Marillion lighting designer Yenz Nyholm praised the output, colors and consistency of Vari-Lite's LED-based VL2600 Wash fixture. Photo: Alison Toon

For Marillion's orchestral UK tour dates in November, lighting designer Yenz Nyholm chose the remarkable light output and color mixing ability of the VL2600 Wash fixture from Vari-Lite.

The Marillion With Friends From The Orchestra tour saw the band joined by string quartet, In Praise Of Folly, plus Emma Halnan on flute and Sam Morris on French horn. Culminating in two nights at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall, the tour coincided with the British band's 40th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of Steve Hogarth as its lead singer.

Nyholm's challenge was to deliver the required level of spectacle for the celebratory shows. "My brief called firstly for 'big,' and then for 'bright,'" he says. To achieve this, he chose the new, LED-based VL2600 Wash luminaire, supplied by Siyan Ltd. "My main priority was output," says Nyholm. "Plus, we needed to match the colors of the video content to the lighting, so we wanted a wash that could go from subtle to bright, saturated colors without losing output."

The VL2600 Wash met Nyholm's needs on every front. "Their output and color is amazing," he says. "The color really stands out, from the deepest blue to the brightest yellow. And it's very even . . . The consistency is remarkable across my whole rig."

Asked if he plans to make use of the VL2600 Wash fixture again, Nyholm says, "Oh yeah! Their brightness and their ability to match any color from the video content with ease were the biggest benefits of all."