Hadley vs. Fry & ABC (starring 1980's superstars Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet and Peter Fry from ABC) are using Robe ColorSpot 250 XTs on their four month UK theatre tour which kicked off last week. The fixtures were specified and highly recommended by lighting designer Dave Gibbon, who also used them on last year's marathon Hadley Vs. Cox (Go West) tour.

"Robe is the most reliable and value-for-money moving light on the market" he states, "I've used Robe fixtures on numerous occasions - both on tour and on one-offs and special events, and they have always just worked and worked whatever the conditions and however hard". He adds that when it came to specifying kit for the Hadley vs Fry tour, he had no hesitation in again choosing Robe.

Gibbon is using the eight Robe ColorSpot250 XT's on the tour as his main ‘specials'. Each day they are rigged on the house over-stage LX bars or trussing, and mixed in with a selection of house fixtures according to what's available at each venue. Gibbon is also touring an Avolites Pearl console, a smoke machine and a large burgundy upstage drape.

The XT250s form the core of his show, and all other lighting is dovetailed to fit in with his key moving light looks.

The brand new 250 XTs arrived direct from Robe's factory in the Czech Republic and were delivered to the first gig at Oxford Apollo. "We took them out of the boxes, hung them up and they all fired up first time" declares Gibbon, "Just as I would expect from Robe".

The XT 250's are incredibly bright for their small and tidy dimensions and light weight. The Hadley vs. Fry & ABC show features a full mix of up-tempo anthems, moody moments and great hits from the 80's - with originated material from both artists plus an eclectic selection of covers.

Gibbon says that the XT 250's offers him plenty of options and creative scope needed for making this constantly changing show look different for its 2 hour set. He maximises the XT's numerous functions - including colour changing, gobo mixing and rotation, prisms and very fast movement - in a lively mix of ‘beam technology' and upstage effects projections.

Gibbon's next lighting design project is for Natasha Beddingfield, for which he is also specifying Robe fixtures.