The recent upgrade, originally planned before the pandemic and delivered once the restrictions started being lifted … comprised 14 x ESPRITES, 8 x PAINTES, 16 x LEDBeam 350s, 8 x LEDBeam 150s and four T1 Profiles.

P3 has two music halls – of 850 and 350 capacity – and a theatre space that accommodates 130. The venue opened on April Fool’s Day 2006, and the now head of technical and production, Ferry Veenman has worked there for 17 years, the first six as a bartender, and one of the regular lighting technicians, Edo van Randen, has clocked up 18 years. In that time, they have seen a constant stream of great shows and superlative music.

Ferry now looks after all things technical in three live music halls plus five rehearsal rooms, one of which is a studio. The venue features a striking functional modern architecture look compete with a super-cool hydraulic entrance door and is a well-known regional creative hub.

At least two or three shows and events are hosted each week and P3 also produces its own, so it’s a busy and dynamic environment requiring flexible lighting.

When P3 opened nearly 19 years ago, some Robe 575 ColorSpot and ColorWash moving lights were in the main hall rig. At the time they were among the first installed in the Netherlands, and impressively, they were still working when recently removed and replaced!

In 2012 10 x Robe LEDWash 300s were purchased from Controllux, Robe’s Benelux distributor, and at the time, these were again among the first in the country in a fixed installation.

Like many venues in the Netherlands, P3 is local government-funded and run via a foundation. The discussion about revamping the lighting started during Covid, partly prompted by the requirement that all venues nationwide transition to LED lighting to be more sustainable and consume less power.

Ferry – who also works as a freelance LD – consulted his crew including P3’s most regular freelancers, plus the management board and some external lighting professionals. He wanted to get a clear understanding of people’s opinions on the best fixture combinations from all their different perspectives.

Naturally, they looked at other brands as well as Robe. However, a primary reason they chose Robe again was that those old ColorSpot 575s were still going 18 years later. “If you can get THAT long out of a fixture, it represents excellent value for money,” commented Ferry, “it’s really not rocket science!”

Robe’s TE lightsource in the ESPRITES and PAINTES reinforced this thinking. “I’ve seen firsthand the potential longevity of the Robe hardware,” Ferry noted, “so being able to replace the LED engine is a definite bonus.”

Another plus is the great relationship and support they enjoy with Controllux, so taking all these considerations together, Robe was a clear winner.

P3 has had Avolites consoles in house since 2008 – initially purchased on the recommendation of Maikel Sakkers who was working as a lighting tech and programmer at the time, and is now one of Controllux’s key account handlers for lighting.

Ninety-five per cent of the shows at P3 will be lit by Ferry and his team. He recalled that the sheer intensity of the new fixtures and raft of creativity they unlocked took a little acclimatisation, but the new lights are making a massive difference to how shows can be lit, boosting the production values for all involved including, importantly, the audience.

Ferry loves the “power, punch and incredible optics” of the ESPRITES, and the brightness of the PAINTES, especially for their small size, was slightly more than he anticipated, and he also notes that they are fast and make great blinders in addition to working exceptionally well in conjunction with the LEDBeam 350s where they are installed in the small room and make a perfect fit.

The LEDBeam 150s are part of a floor package together with four of the ESPRITES, and this can shift between the two spaces as needed, while the T1 Profiles are used for outstanding front and key lighting in the larger hall.

Photo Credit: Louise Stickland