Gunther Hecker Relies on GLP X5 for PUR's Anniversary Shows

	"For me, the X5 is THE LED washlight right now," he says. "The color mixing, output and zoom range are simply outstanding," says Hecker.

Lighting designer Gunther Hecker once again relies on GLP's X5 color mixing for the German pop band PUR's anniversary shows.

With two major anniversary shows on September 5 and 6, 2025, PUR celebrated the 30th anniversary of their multi-platinum album Abenteuerland at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. For the eighth edition of PUR and Friends, a complex 360-degree stage design had been created, featuring a central main stage and three expansive catwalks -- illuminated by an extensive lighting system, featuring more than 140 GLP impression X5 fixtures.

As is tradition with PUR and Friends, the band did not take the stage alone: guests including Nik Kershaw, Heinz Rudolf Kunze, Eva Briegel (Juli) and Nicholas Muller (Jupiter Jones) joined the show, broadening the evening's musical spectrum.

Hecker, who has been working with PUR since 2018, once again deliberately chose the impression X5: "For me, the X5 is THE LED washlight right now," he says. "The color mixing, output and zoom range are simply outstanding. Visually, it holds its own even alongside very powerful spots. I've had excellent experiences with the X5 on Herbert Gronemeyer's shows -- and it performed flawlessly here once again."

The square main stage (16m-by-16m) formed the heart of the show. Three catwalks extended into the audience -- two measuring 12m each and one 20m long. Above the stage, four tapering trusses arranged in an octagonal layout created the show's distinctive 360-degree structure.

"With 360-degree shows, everything has to work from every angle. The lighting rig was huge-several hundred fixtures in total. It really helps to have a washlight that performs reliably across all parameters," the designer emphasizes.

The more than 140 GLP impression X5 fixtures were integrated across multiple levels of the setup. The largest share was installed on the trusses: 72 impression X5 units were mounted on the outermost of the four octagonal truss rings above the audience area, with an additional 16 on the next smaller octagon directly above the stage.

The impression X5 also played a key role in the floor package. Along the square main stage, five fixtures per side were positioned along the front edges. Each of the two 12m catwalks featured ten X5 units, while a total of 18 were used on the 20m catwalk.

A decisive factor in Hecker's choice was the X5's color quality. The intelligent color mixing system expands and optimizes the fixture's usable color gamut, enabling exceptionally precise control of saturated colors and calibrated white tones. iQ.Gamut ensures accurate color temperatures, consistent white points and vibrant effects -- providing the color stability and repeatability that are essential for large-scale arena productions.

The technical service provider for the production was TDA Clair. Timo Martens served as lighting operator for the shows. Simon Zimanda was responsible for video switching, with video content supplied by Clubkind.