Roadies prefer blue lights?

Factual Questions
1

Tesla was performing at the California State Fair last Friday night. There was an area cordoned off behind the stage where the roadies and other concert crew were hanging out before the show. There were dressing trailers and picnic tables set up, that kind of thing.

For some reason, this area had several blue floodlights lighting it. Why blue? Are roadies sensitive to fuller spectrum light?

This area was in the space between a pair of two-story buildings and a big ramp leading to the second floor. So, although it was sectioned off, the public could still look down on the roadies from the suspended walkway. Perhaps the blue lights were to keep things dark enough to frustrate photographers and gawkers?

2

There are no lights that produce ‘white’ light, every type of lightbulb has its own ‘color’ or ‘temperature’.

My WAG is that the lights you saw were a very different ‘temperature’ compared to the area you were in. Creating the illusion of ‘blue’ light.

3

I’m not talking about whitish lights with a blue cast. I mean blue lights. Like this one for an effect like this.

4

I’ve spent a lot of time backstage over the years. Anywhere close to stage you run blue because it doesn’t bleed the way red does. It doesn’t reflect as well and bleed through set pieces and scrims and whatnots.

It’s also easier on the eyes to focus using blue light than deep red light, which is an utter bitch to work in. If the workspace you saw was completely away from back stage and outside, then it’s likely they ran whatever units were not being used on the show just as some work lights, and perhaps ( if those units were par cans with gels cut and in the frames already ), they threw up some blue lights.

One does not run white light backstage.

And yes, yes, we all know that light has different parts of the spectrum, etc. etc. We’re not having a Kelvin discussion here. It’s a question about the PERCEIVED color of a light source, not of the true color temperature of said light source. So, when I say red light bleeds and blue light is usually used backstage and nobody uses white light backstage, I am referring to the apparent colors one sees when being in the environment where the light is.

Cartooniverse

5

Thanks, Cartooniverse! Blue light being stealthy is probably it. These guys were well away from the stage, but it would be perfectly reasonable for them to pack blue lights for the crew area if they are usually right behind the performance.

Neat!