One of the most talked about events last summer was Coldplay’s performance at Glastonbury. Yes, the band were amazing but it was the LED wristbands worn by the crowd that really got everyone talking. Creating waves of coloured light, the wristbands are synched to a radio transmitter which can allow them to be manipulated in response to the music.
The idea has now been developed and Xylobands have been used at various occasions helping bring events to life and are now available for private events, so you too can bring your own unexpected light show to the evening.
We caught up with Xylobands inventor, Jason Regler, to find out more about them.
Describe Xylobands in three words.
I can’t put Xylobands into 3 words, but my favourite quote was from the NME who said “The tapestry of light they cast across the entire venue was far and away the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen in live music.” I like that quote a lot.
How long have you been running?
We have been running as a business for 5 years. Our first show was Coldplay unstaged on October 26th 2011.
What sparked the idea of creating Xylobands?
The idea came from Glastonbury 2005. I was watching Coldplay and ‘Fix You’ had just come on the TV. The song has a special place for me as I always say that’s where “it” all started. To be able to have the wristbands light up during ‘Fix You’ this year at Glastonbury was magical.
How do they work?
They are Radio LED Wristbands controlled by a radio transmitter. The transmitters we use for Coldplay has a range of 800 metres, which is great for stadiums and arenas. We have a HTX controller that people hire for their own personal events also.
How can an event company use your wrist band to change the energy of an event?
It’s amazing to see people get handed the wristband because you get different reactions. Some people know who we are and know our product and get really excited as soon as they are handed a wristband. Others don’t know what we do and love to ask questions about how they work and what they do. The first reaction when the wristbands light up is always special; a mixture of surprise and emancipation. People tend to let go of everything at our events, they focus on having fun and not worrying about what they have to do for the rest of the week.
What is the best event you have ever worked on?
We’ve done a lot of events ranging from festivals to weddings. All of the events we have done have been so much fun but the one that will always stick in my head has to be this year’s Glastonbury. Purely because that festival was what sparked the idea. It was an amazing weekend overall, made even better by the fact that 100,000 people were wearing and talking about our product!
What other exciting products to you have?
We are currently working on a mini controller that will go on sale very soon. The idea is to give people the opportunity to create their own light show wherever they are. We are looking at launching party packs for people who want multiple wristbands with a controller. We’re also looking at doing that with the wristbands people already have acquired from Coldplay Concerts.
Evolve Events team have over seventeen years’ experience in producing events. The team is headed up by Gary Peters who has been voted as one of the most influential people in the events industry, listed on Event Magazine’s Top 100 Club. Our event services including venue finding, set design and build, AV and lighting, stage management and sourcing entertainment and catering solutions. If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you produce your awards show then please get in touch and we can chat through your requirements.
At Evolve we regularly share news about latest venues, styles and events on our blog and social media. You can visit our blog here and follow us at @evolveevents.
To get more ideas or help with your event talk to the team on 020 7610 2808 or email info@evolve-events.com
For more information about Xylobands visit their website here.