IN BRIEF

Famous Amsterdam venue

Melkweg gets a major lighting upgrade with 52 new Ayrton Diablo units

With four spaces under one roof, Melkweg is one of the busiest music venues in Amsterdam, and its variety of performers and audience has earned it a global reputation.

The site of a former dairy, Melkweg recently upgraded its lighting grids with the addition of 52 Ayrton Diablo profile fixtures to its inventory, supplied by full-service consultant Airlight of Utrecht, headed by Ruud Pouwels.

Pouwels, with his rich experience as lighting engineer, has for many years served as a lighting consultant for theatres and clubs, and provides a full package of lighting services that includes 24/7 technical backup.

Assisting his customers in the selection, commissioning and servicing of equipment, Pouwels explains his choice of the Diablo for Melkweg. “Besides Diablo’s obvious build quality, output and features, we faced two other important criteria: the fixture should be internationally accepted and rider-friendly, and, since the fixtures are hung on a fixed grid, they had to be so light that they can be handled by a single engineer using a manlift,” said Pouwels.

“They ticked all the boxes, and so far they have been a real dream to work with in terms of lighting quality and reliability. That’s good news for the Melkweg, and obviously also for me as a full-service consultant!”

Supplied by Dutch distributor Ampco Flashlight Sales, the Diablo fixtures have now found their way to multiple venues in the Netherlands. The Airlight / Ampo Flashlight cooperation goes beyond this as Pouwels added: “Ampco Flashlight not only serves as a very well-informed distributor for its brands, but its very professional rental department provides me with a valuable backup for extra services to my customers.” www.ayrton.eu