Sound, lights, emotion.

Published on 01 November 2023

I’ve been to many great gigs in my time. But while certain gigs are memorable for their scale or the famous artist on stage, other more intimate performances stick out further in one’s memory banks, due to their mesmerising combination of lights, visuals and sound. I watched Gotye play at 2011/12 Woodford Folk Festival beneath a backdrop of films for certain songs that synched perfectly with the music – so much so that he had to restart one song to get the timing right. It was an unforgettable event.

If listening to music ever made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, these frissons of emotion are due to the triggering of connections between the sound and emotional processing portions of the brain. Similarly, there are photoreceptor cells in the eye connected to non-visual centres of the brain that, according to studies, make us feel alert and allow us to think clearly – hence our biological clock function – we are more mentally active during daylight.

While scientists attempt to explain the mechanisms involved, most of us probably have some strong memories created in that moment of total immersion in an audio-visual experience that makes us suddenly feel part of something bigger. Generating these emotions in an audience is what audio and lighting engineers strive for, and to achieve great results, it helps to have a decent array of equipment on hand.

The increase in audio-visual functionality achieved as part of the Memorial Hall refurbishment is truly impressive and a great asset to the Bellingen community – kudos to Craig Richardson of Inspired AV, the contractor responsible for the install. Both the multi-purpose Studio and Main Hall spaces have plug-and-play capability which basically means you can turn each venue into a cinema, a meeting room or  theatre set in a matter of minutes.

Bluetooth technology allows you to fill the hall with music using your mobile phone. Our state-of-the-art lighting rig can be programmed to allow regular hall users to create immersive effects without the need for experienced technicians. And our latest acquisition, a projector rigged above the stage, can transform the rear wall into a three-dimensional backdrop, as witnessed in last month’s superb performances of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Next time you bring your eyes and ears to a live performance, take a moment to gauge your emotional reactions to the sound and lights – your most memorable gig ever may be still to come.