SM Lighting First in Scotland with BMFL Spots

	Belle & Sebastian in concert. Photo: Louise Stickland

Scottish lighting rental operation, Glasgow-based SM Lighting, is the first investor north of the border in Robe BMFL Spots.

The 24 BMFL Spot fixtures were delivered by Robe UK to Scott Munro and his team, who the company says is the preferred lighting supplier for most music promoters in Scotland and regularly deliver equipment for a wide variety of music-based shows and events.

The company reports SM wanted to replace their existing stock of large arena / outdoor stage moving spot fixtures with something that was new, of the moment, and with a good future lifespan, and after narrowing down the options to a choice of two premium brands, they chose Robe and the BMFL Spot.

With Robe ROBIN 600E Spots, LEDWash 600s, and LEDBeam 100s already in stock, Munro says he and his crew all knew that Robe's reliability factor and build-quality was excellent.

Munro comments that the Scottish market is generally tougher and less buoyant than south of the border, so any ROI takes longer, and purchases are carefully considered and based on what's affordable to the company and what the local market can realistically support, all criteria reinforcing the decision to go with the BMFL Spot.

"With the BMFL introduced to the market just over six months ago, we also felt we were purchasing the newest fixture on the market with a good future life-expectancy," states Munro, adding that he and his team also recently visited the Robe factory in the Czech Republic, where they were well impressed with the set up and ethos of the manufacturer.

As for the BMFL Spot itself, "We were all blown-away by the output ... it really is incredibly bright" he affirms, "Added to that, we appreciated the smooth and elegant dimming curve over slow fades which has great advantages for theatre and TV applications together with the excellent CTO wheels."

They also liked the potential of the dual graphic wheels to produce "stunning" textures that can be projected onto assorted surfaces plus great split-air effects, and the speed of the zoom / focus and the pan / tilt movement.

With the compact size and expedient weight, they felt it was an "all-round a very good fixture."

Shortly after delivery, the BMFL Spots went straight on tour with acclaimed Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, part of a lighting scheme designed by Brian Livingstone. Six BMFL Spots were positioned on the back truss and four on the floor, used to great effect in a highly visual show that reinforced the quirkiness and imaginative dynamics of the band.

Also on the Belle & Sebastian rig were 12 LEDBeam 100s and 12 LEDWash 600s. The other 14 of SM Lighting's BMFL Spots were added for Glasgow's SSE Hydro Arena show, all adding to the visual impact of a well received performance.

The immediate demand for BMFL Spots meant SM Lighting had to disappoint BBC Scotland ... who wanted them to grace their general election broadcast studio.