Steve McCracken and Mac-Events Power Rainbow for K Pop Forever! Tour with ChamSys Les Sables-d’Olonne, France – Scientists tell us that the human eye can see up to 10 million different colors. Steve McCracken of Mac-Events didn’t use all of them when lighting the popular K-Pop Forever! tour… but he made a pretty good dent in the list.
Working with the Colour Picker feature of his ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M, the designer and owner of Mac-Events conjured up a vast rainbow for the two-part, 90-minute show that features a variety of artists celebrating this rapidly-growing musical genre. Turquoise, violet, tangerine, lemon yellow… McCracken and his team gleefully blended these and all sorts of other hues into a beautifully balanced mix that reflect the upbeat, unconventional vibe of K-Pop. Being that this is a high energy show, I needed to recreate that energy visually, he said.
The songs in this show demanded that you do something to make them stand out from the ordinary. Coming up with bold color mixes was the best way to do that. The ChamSys MQ250M ‘s Colour Picker was very handy, continued McCracken. This feature made it quick to produce some of the distinctive colours we needed. This was much more efficient that having to wind color flags in and out. It was also very quick to tweak when morphing into different rigs and fixtures.
For saving time, I also like the new feature in the patch for saving modes on fixtures. In addition to its free-flowing colors, McCracken’s show, which was produced by Taylor Entertainment, relied on high energy motions and sheer speed to convey the essence of K-Pop on stage. Like the performers it supporting, the lighting never seemed to idle for long. There were always fast-moving patterns of aerial effects.
Chase sequences along the upstage panel fixtures and an array of compelling images flashing across the vertically oriented video panels that formed the backdrop. McCracken relied on his console to help him keep pace with the action. This show had a slight element of busking, he said. I have on cue stacks — then within that, we have macros triggering FX on separate playbacks. Again, this makes it easier when we have to change anything on the fly.
So, for example, I have bump buttons on my ChamSys for strobes, blinders then key lights on additional faders to pull in and out when required. In practical terms, McCracken reports that his MQ250’s compact size helps keep pace on this busy global tour. As a lot of the dates on the tour are fly dates the ability to have the 250 in a peli which can be checked in on a plane is crucial, he said.
Also, since you can’t always rely on having the correct desk with correct firmware when you arrive at different venues, the Morph Clone and Offset Patching are invaluable. They allow me to adapt to a venue’s rig in minutes while keeping my groups and grids intact. Having a console that is a good traveling companion in critically important when working with K-Pop Forever noted McCracken. The band is booked for more tours in 2026 – and given the way they are touching fans; the best is still to come. # # #
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