EntecLive Lights Up Lynyrd Skynyrd’s UK Tour with Macula Followspot Control

When US rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd brought their European tour to the UK this summer celebrating 50 years of their debut album ‘Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd’, the band’s Lighting Designer & Production Manager Jonny ‘Tosser’ Tosarello turned to long-term European lighting partner Entec Live to supply a robust and flexible lighting package. Part of the lighting package was a followspot system that would keep the spotlight firmly on the band.

Producing a show for a group of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s stature presents a unique challenge. Their music is woven into rock history, and audiences arrive with expectations for a performance that looks as good as it sounds.

That meant the lighting needed to be consistent across multiple UK venues which varied in size and layout from Birmingham Symphony Hall - modelled on the great symphony halls of Europe - to the 21,000-capacity AO Arena in Manchester.

To meet these demands, Entec Live supplied the tour with six Macula followspot control systems, integrated with six Martin MAC Ultra Performances.

Four Macula systems each controlled a single MAC Ultra, spotlighting the 8-piece band as they solo’d and moved around the stage, with a fifth controlled a pair of dedicated to frontman Johnny Van Zant.

Patch Cleaver, EntecLive’s Assistant Head of Lighting made the decision to specify Macula, after conversations with the Lighting Team at Live Technology, Macula’s UK distributor. “We have been following with interest the development of Macula. The fact that it is an open source to any moving head fixture gives great versatility in choice for a lighting designer or rental house. The layout of the operating system and sleek design makes it easy and intuitive for spot ops to control”

While the Macula system is brand-agnostic and has a control library of fixtures from a growing number of brands, the Martin MAC Ultra Performance’s immense 46,500-lumen LED output made it an ideal choice for the tour, easily cutting through Toserello’s strong, colour-forward lighting design.

“Tosser needed a strong powerful fixture to punch through and pickup the band,” said Cleaver “and knowing how much of a fan Tosser has been of Martin profile fixtures from previous tours, it seemed natural to offer the Ultra Performance.

The combination of Macula control and MAC Ultra output delivered a followspot solution that was both technically reliable and visually impactful. Audiences enjoyed crystal-clear spot coverage throughout the UK dates, while the lighting team praised the accuracy, brightness, and ease of use.

The system proved particularly valuable in adapting to the different venues on the UK run, providing consistent results night after night. EntecLive’s support and expertise ensured smooth delivery and operation from start to finish.

Macula allows any moving-head fixture to be controlled remotely. A high resolution fluid head replicates the organic feel of a traditional followspot, with adjustable resistance to suit the operator’s preference.  A simple yet powerful interface with touchscreen and two motorised handlebars provides instant access to essential parameters such as dimming, iris and colour, with presets recalled by a 15-button pad.

An NDI camera can be mounted to the lighting fixture, or Macula offer the option of a remote MoveVision Motion camera for applications where multiple fixtures are controlled in a lighting rig by one or more interfaces.