Radiohead’s staunch commitment to environmental responsibility hasn’t just netted them Green kudos. It has also resulted in their making significant cost-savings on their promotional tours.
Thom Yorke and Radiohead have been at the forefront of environmental activism since the band’s debut album Pablo Honey gave the band a universal platform from which to vocalise. So, it came as no surprise that they piped up as energy saving trailblazers when, for the set of the promotional tour of their 2007 album In Rainbows, they unveiled all LED stage lighting.
Their Green standard setting LED based lighting solutions, contributed massively to the huge reduction in their energy consumption on the tour, proving that energy efficient solutions aren’t just environmentally friendly. They can also provide significant cost-savings as well as making a big (visual) impact, as was the case with Radiohead’s lighting technology. Who said energy efficient lighting was ineffectual or visually sub-standard?
Living up to musical expectations is a full time job for most bands. So, it’s even more laudable that a band as big as Radiohead have continued to immerse themselves in all things Green, climate change and environmental conservation.
From openly supporting Green mandates on social media to playing fundraisers for free, the five band members have never been shy about their commitment to the Green cause. Closer to home, they have come up with simple yet effective in-house ideas such as issuing all their entourage with aluminium water bottles to reduce plastic consumption. In addition, they continue to encourage their concert going fans to car-share when travelling to see them on tour.
From plastic through fuel to lighting, Radiohead continue to review all aspects of ‘their business’ to reduce the impact of its carbon emissions. Speaking of the decision to go LED, Andi Watson, creative director for the visual extravaganza that was the In Rainbows tour explained:-
“Doing away with conventional lighting on set was a massive leap of faith for us. Of course our concerts are all about delivering the music but the fans expect a visual spectacle as well. At the same time, we can’t just pollute the atmosphere merely for effect.”
Never ones to shy away from a wow-inducing production (as anyone who witnessed their most recent Dublin show will attest), Radiohead aren’t known for compromise, either musically or ethically. Therefore, it was vital that the lighting technology used was of a visual quality such that could still achieve stunning results without compromising their Green values. Their choice of a revolutionary LED solution was quite inspired if brave, as Watson noted:
“Having put the LED equipment through its paces we were convinced it was the right way to go. To be honest, not having a single discharge or incandescent lamp in the design has set a new benchmark for us.”
The LED lighting technology they used had an amazing output, projecting a whopping 5,000 lumens of light over 500 feet. To ensure the lighting fixtures were securely positioned, the modules were supported within custom made aluminium ‘yokes’ and attached to the front truss.
To add to the sense of on-stage drama, multi purpose LED based strands of ‘cool beam’ light were used to edge light pods (as can be witnessed in the above photo). These LED fixtures provide incredibly natural-looking white light that is simultaneously high visual impact.
In addition, LEDs don’t project as much heat as other types of lighting. This resulted in the band being more comfortable during their live performance than they otherwise might have been given the amount of light shining down on them.
Energy efficient, cost-saving LED lighting that also had the benefit of providing a more dramatic yet comfortable environment for both band and fans! For sure, the In Rainbows tour is the perfect music industry example of how committing to a green approach, can achieve results without compromising on production or job/customer satisfaction.
You can watch the full In Rainbows 2008 concert live in Milan here. To get started with ISO 50001 or discuss how Energy Management might benefit your ‘band’ contact CG Business Consulting on 01 620 4121 to chat with one of our team.
