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YOUNG FATHERS Following the release of their third album, Cocoa Sugar, the critically acclaimed Scottish powerhouse set off on a year of extensive touring, rolling out their own production for the first time. TPi checked in with Young Father’s lighting department to speak about their visual approach.
Shooting into the mainstream following their Mercury Prize-winning debut, Dead, Young Fathers – known to their friends as Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole, and Graham ‘G’ Hastings – have since been on a steady rise to success. Last year saw the band take a notable leap in their career following the release of Cocoa Sugar. The group marked the hit by hitting the road with their first full production to execute their unique aesthetic vision. After an extensive year of touring, Young Fathers’ 2018 ended with a sold-out show at London’s Brixton Academy. The visual duo behind Young Fathers’ latest live offering was Phil Kaikoura and Andrés ‘Argy’ Atkinson. Kaikoura was responsible for the overall design concept, but the duo co-designed the lighting. While Argy set to work on the programming and time-coding for Young Fathers, Kaikoura turned his attention simultaneously to Mumford & Sons, with whom he is currently touring.
The design drew inspiration from the band’s iconic Roundhouse show in March, with its massive 24 x 15ft fast fold screen forming the backdrop. The co-designers clad four sides in sail cloth to create a cubic, forced perspective concept, in which the three members themselves performed on the stage apron. The key was to create stark contrasts, Kaikoura began, explaining the decision to choose a set centred on plain sails and big surfaces. He continued: “The 4-sided cube was based on a distilled version of the big surfaces we used at the Roundhouse.” “I think we confused a lot of local crew members when we set up the projections screen so close to the back wall we left no room for a projector,” laughed Argy. “These surfaces were simply used to project colour to produce a really impressive backdrop.” The Brixton show took the look from the rest of the tour and inflated the 08
