How do you choose the locations for the concerts and what are the characteristics of this Sports Arena?:

The locations are chosen depending on the availability of the premises. Depending on whether it's a sports arena, a theatre or an open-air stage, they have certain qualities that make us choose them for some technical reasons rather than others. For example, the sports arena can provide a wider array of lights than in a theatre, so the show is even more captivating from this point of view.

As for the lights, let's talk about Astroscan, the new Clay Paky projector:

Astroscan is a spectacular effect that can create soft and relaxing atmospheres or powerful flashes of light. It can be positioned on the stage or up on the trusses, and covers the entire intermediate area thanks to a  pyramid head which oscillates at the speed and angle desired and creates a diffusion of the light beam on several axes at 360°.
As well as providing an effect that blends in perfectly with the rest of the lights, Astroscan gave us the opportunity to light up the audience in a creative way, encircling it completely and making it an active part of the show.
The interaction between the public and the artists is fundamental, and even more so if it's Pooh, as they've always concentrated on this aspect. And let's not forget that both young people and longstanding fans come to Pooh's concerts: making them protagonists is also a way of thanking them for the emotions that they've always conveyed.
The stage covers a surface of about 16x12 metres. A system of fork-lift trucks opens and closes at different levels, making, for example, Roby?s piano appear at the start of a slow number. The curtain surrounding the stage is a large white piece of canvas that serves as a maxi screen used in different ways, for instance: for the spectacular entrance on stage of the artists, whose huge silhouette is retro-projected onto the closed curtain, for projecting mega slides (thanks to a Pani projector in the director?s cabin), which accompany the band?s ''celebrated'' numbers, or for various graphic effect projections and retro-projections.

This seems to be something more than just a concert?:

Pooh have been around for thirty years because they?ve always been able to renew their image, yet keep their own style. We always need to propose something new in terms of music and show production. For this occasion, we wanted to give the concert a theatrical element that creates a certain intimacy with the public. Tricks like the huge curtain-screen as well as the brand-new and inspiring effects of Astroscan have been specifically designed for captivating the audience.

Now let's hear from Giancarlo Tosani, Lighting Designer of the concert,
who has been a part of Pooh's entourage since 1980.

Could we turn to the lighting design? What was the idea behind it? How was it done?:

A lighting design is created by first assessing the material that the service gives you. I must say that Xenon provided me with everything I wanted and also Renato Neri and I are absolutely convinced that Clay Paky projectors outshine all their competitors. I installed the Super Scan Zooms on the central truss above the stage together with the Stage Color 1200 for basic lighting. A lot of Stage Zooms 1200 were placed on the upper truss, on those perpendicular to the stage and on the floor, while the Astroscans, the brand-new Clay Paky projectors, were arranged on the stage and ceiling.

What do Pooh ask for?:

Pooh trust me a lot and give me free rein to choose the effects that I prefer, even if we all then judge the final result of the show that I have produced. They are all very skilled and professional on this matter and often make very useful suggestions. The album "Cento di queste vite" is very varied so I could make the most of the colours.

Do you have different phases and methods in the lighting design of this show?:

Yes. The first part of the concert consists of pieces from the new album. Often the public can?t relate to them, so the Lighting Designer tries to give a colour and an identity to these pieces. Yet things are different when they start singing the "celebrated" numbers: the public already knows them all and sings along with the artists, so the lights dim and become less intrusive to enhance this intimate atmosphere.

As in all jobs, at certain levels, the professional proposes his own style and character. What is your most important trait?:

I always try to give the stage a sense of grandeur, combining all the projectors I?ve got at hand. My lighting designs always have a form of their own if observed all together, but can take on different forms if observed separately, breaking up the various parts. I don?t like mixing more than two colours on stage, to avoid losing the colour?s intensity. I use bright colours and generally avoid "dark" atmospheres. For this tour, the Clay Paky projectors helped me realise a lighting design exactly as I had in mind.

How important is the availability of lights for the success of a light show?:

It?s fundamental: a Lighting Designer can provide all his professionalism and talent, but must always need to have the adequate means available to realise this. It?s essential that he can use instruments which make him feel completely at ease, fulfil his ideas and adapt to the musicality of the artists.

How do you combine the Clay Paky Astroscan beams in the economy of the concert?:

Astroscan is an innovative lighting effect, as it can produce 10 light beams using numerous effects - rotating gobos, colours, iris, stop, strobe, dimmer - and project them in any direction and at any speed. I used them to captivate the audience and interact with the Stage Zoom 1200 and Super Scan Zoom beams. It's definitely a fascinating product, and not only for concerts, which depends on the reliability and power of Golden Scan, the origin of this projector.
 

Technical sheet:

Sound and lighting service: Xenon of Renato Neri
Production Director: Bruno Emiliozzi
Stage Director: Carlo Pallieri
Lighting Designer: Giancarlo Toscani
Sound Engineer: Renato Cantele
Stage Sound Engineer: Valerio Kot
Clay Paky Lighting: Stage Color 1200, Stage Zoom 1200, Super Scan Zoom and Astroscan
Sound system: EAW