Avolites: Why did you choose AVO?
Ali Pike: I have always preferred Avo desks.
I like having everything laid out in front of me, especially with a show like this as you never know when they’re suddenly going to ask for something daft halfway through a show, such as ‘Ali can you turn the wombats red?’.

Avolites: How did you get to work with the Wombats?
Ali: I met the band when I was working in-house at the Carling Academy in Liverpool.
They were supporting someone else in Academy 2, and we just got chatting.

Avolites: Which challenges have you encountered?
Ali: We’ve had a few issues with clearance, and we weren’t sure if the giant Sunstrip W was going to fit into the Barrowlands today but it’s been fine.

Avolites: What is your favourite feature?
Ali: That’s a tough question.
I absolutely love the 21 Sunstrips, but you can’t really beat color changing our plastic Wombats figurines, can you?
The light up wombats came from a dream that the lead singer had.
We had 6 white plastic model wombats made by JSM Model Makers.
They were designed with bases which would fit perfectly onto a JTE Pixel Par 90, in place of where the frost filter would normally be clipped on.
The Wombats could then be color mixed, strobed, chased etc.
The design of them was based on the band's AWOL mascot Cherub, and our little wombats were quickly christened 'The Ghosts of Cherub'.

Avolites: What is your favourite lighting instrument?
Ali: Christmas tree lights, the white traditional sort.
You just can’t beat that lovely warm glow.
They have been a Wombats staple from the start.

Avolites: How many lights have you used during the show?
Ali: All of them, usually all at once!
I’m touring 9x Mac 700s, 10x Atomics, 4x pixel lines for lighting the backdrop, 8x JTE Pixel Par 90s, 2 as truss warmers and 6 for the Plastic Wombats, 4x Mac 250 washes for front colour along with 6x Source 4s, and a mighty 21 Sun strips, running in full 10 channel DMX mode, 6x 2 way moles, some pars, and 6 micro Es.

Avolites: How do you find touring with the Wombats?
Ali: It’s fantastic.
We’ve all known each other for years now, and I know it’s a cliché but we really are a big happy family.
The gigs are always fun because that’s just the nature of what we’re doing.
Days off are quite often a big day out, including go karting, theme parks and swimming, whatever seems like the funniest thing to do wherever we are.
Oh and lots of BBQs in the summer.

Avolites: Anything unusual while working with them?
Ali: Don’t know where to start with this one!
So much crazy stuff has happened you wouldn’t believe it.
We had an 18 foot high inflatable wombat called Bert all last year; he was the cause of many incidents, including knocking out ceiling panels, inflating in completely the wrong direction and falling off the stage.
Then there was the Wombar at Radio 1 Big Weekend last year, look that one up on Youtube for a full explanation.

Avolites: What can you tell us about them?
Ali: Wombats try to kill things that attack them, by sitting on them.
They’re vicious sods in their own little way.

Avolites: Anything else you wish to add?
Ali: All lighting is supplied by Adlib and has been from the start, from a couple of specials to full production UK tours and the Echo Arena.
They have been fantastic right from the beginning, not only supplying all the ‘normal’ stuff but also sourcing glitter curtain, disco balls and fairy lights.