Tom Hannes & The Moonlovers Bring Bowie’s Legacy to Life with ADJ Lighting

Touring cultural centers and venues across Flanders throughout 2026 and 2027, Many Returns of the Day is a striking live production from Tom Hannes & The Moonlovers, created to mark the tenth anniversary of David Bowie’s passing. Blending musical performance with theatrical storytelling, the show demands a lighting design that is both expressive and adaptable – delivering atmosphere, movement, and visual impact in a wide variety of venues.

Lighting for the tour is supplied by ROARR Light Support, with lighting design by Ruark Parmentier. The production makes use of ADJ’s versatile Focus Flex moving heads alongside the retro-inspired Mini Dekker effect fixtures, combining modern flexibility with classic visual flair.

Ruark’s relationship with the band began organically in 2023. “Our collaboration started quite by coincidence, as is often the case,” he explains. “Gijsbrecht Moeyersons, the FOH sound engineer, and I already knew each other from the PA sector. One beautiful summer evening, he asked me if I would handle the lighting for this great group. At that time, it was for their Nick Cave tribute program. That’s how it all began.”

For the Bowie tribute production, Ruark selected the Focus Flex as the core fixture for his lighting rig, drawn by its versatility and performance in intimate settings. “I had noticed the Focus Flex in other productions,” he recalls. “I first used it during an album release show for the band Sonder, and now also for this Bowie project. It is a wash fixture I really enjoy using in theaters and other smaller settings. With its excellent zoom and color optics, it adds real value to both live music performances and theatrical productions.”

Compact, quick, and punchy, the Focus Flex is a powerful LED-powered moving head luminaire designed for maximum creative flexibility. Featuring seven independently controllable 40-Watt RGBW LEDs, it allows for a huge range of colors and effects, while its motorized zoom enables seamless transitions from wide washes to tight beams.
In practice, the fixture delivered exactly what the production required. “The Focus Flex performed exactly as it should,” says Ruark. “It is very pleasant to use, offering both a wide zoom and a very tight beam when needed. The pan and tilt speed is also very precise. There is a tilt effect in one of the Bowie show songs that needs to move quite quickly, and the Focus Flex handles this without any issues. The color optics and dimming curves are also perfectly suited to the type of shows I run.”

To complement the dynamic capabilities of the moving heads, Ruark introduced a more unconventional element: ADJ’s Mini Dekker effect fixture. Originally released over a decade ago, the Mini Dekker brings a retro aesthetic with a modern twist, projecting a galaxy of vibrant RGBW beams through its 48 lenses.

“Many Returns of the Day marks the tenth anniversary of Bowie’s passing, and Tom Hannes & The Moonlovers honor this beautifully,” explains Ruark. “I wanted this project to truly shine. I was looking for a glitter-style backdrop to add some magic, and from a lighting perspective, I wanted a mirror ball effect. However, mirror balls are fragile and require additional lighting fixtures. The Mini Dekker is far more practical in use. By coincidence, while working on the lighting design, I saw the Mini Dekker in another production. Once I realized it could be perfectly controlled via DMX, I was immediately convinced. When the band saw the effect during the first rehearsal, they were instantly on board as well. It became a beautiful addition to both the music and the show.”

Despite its unconventional role in a touring setup, the Mini Dekker has become a key creative tool for the production. “Although it’s not something you would typically find in touring setups, it has proven to be a real asset for our Bowie project,” Ruark adds. “The LEDs do compete somewhat with the PARs and wash fixtures, but that actually makes it more interesting creatively. It allows for a wide range of possibilities using color, dimming chases, strobe effects, and shapes.”

Together, the Focus Flex and Mini Dekker fixtures enable a lighting design that reflects the spirit of Bowie – bold, dynamic, and unafraid to blend styles and eras. The result is a visually rich production that enhances the emotional depth of the performance while remaining flexible enough to adapt to a diverse range of venues.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Ruark emphasizes the importance of trust and teamwork. “I would like to thank Tom Hannes & The Moonlovers, as well as sound engineer Gijs, for their trust in the ideas I presented to them. It is a great group to work with. Everything is done based on mutual trust and agreement. At the start of each project, we communicate openly about the best approach, which makes it incredibly rewarding to create lighting for this team.”

As Many Returns of the Day continues its tour across Flanders, ADJ lighting remains central to delivering a show that celebrates Bowie’s legacy with creativity, precision, and a touch of magic.

Tour
Many Returns of the Day (David Bowie Tribute)

Band
Tom Hannes & The Moonlovers

Lighting Designer
Ruark Parmentier

Lighting Vendor
RROARR Light Support

ADJ Lighting
16 x Focus Flex
8 x Mini Dekker