"It's with some sadness I have to update this thread so soon with the news that the project has fallen through. Although a press release had just gone out confirming the Burning Man trip, sadly it wasn't quite as nailed-on as was thought.
Here's the low down. The Arcadia Afterburner is coming to NYC for a new festival there. So far so good. It's a paid gig, and like many artists Arcadia aren't wealthy and are dependent on patronage to make things happen.
The shipping costs from NYC > BRC were going to be biiig. Twice the cost of UK > NYC. To make it work they were banking on a West Coast paid event. This deal hasn't come off, and so the Afterburner, this year at least, won't get further than New York.
The project to bring the rig to the desert had been a year in the making, but sometimes the best laid plans...
It's been heartening to see such a warm reaction, and I'm sure their work will make it to the Playa ona day.
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I feel very proud, as a fellow Brit, to be able to confirm that Arcadia are bringing over one of their rigs to BRC for the first time this year. Last year they made their first exploratory trip, and came back with new friends and great ideas.
Burning Man really is their natural home in many ways. They make stuff from scrap, love doing things with gas and have a penchant for underground dance music.
They also like collaborating with other artists, and this year - as a sweeeet cultural exchange - are bringing Nate Smith's incredible Fire Tornado & Mushroom cloud fireballs back to us here in Europe. I can't wait.
I've had the privilege of doing photography for them for a few years now, and to get the idea, here's a few pics from my collection.
Welcome to the Afterburner. It's not their biggest rig, but hey, it all has to come by ship, via the Panama canal no doubt!
Playing with fire
Lasers, of course
Behind the scenes...
Gas gas gas!
Oontz oontz oontz... Their usual PA is the rather sweet Funktion One.
Orbital, playing on Arcadia's biggest rig, last year:
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