Franz Ferdinand, headliners at this year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals, delighted fans with a “model” performance by eight synchronized dancing mannequins provided by Specialz*.

Photo by Robin Wain.

The “dancing girls” were commissioned by the band as a special surprise to festival-goers. Hidden behind several backdrops, the mannequins saved their star performance until later in the show and proved to be a real crowd pleaser. When revealed they were dressed in stunning red costumes had VL5 Arc lights for heads.

Specialz also provided the dramatic 10’ high “Franz” sign, and the show was lit by Cormac Jackson. Says Jackson, “A lot of the time you are tying to create a design that doesn’t exist, but my client had a very clear idea of what they wanted. Specialz were able to bring those very obscure ideas to life and now that’s why we have 10’ high female mannequins that move, have legs that kick, are dressed in bespoke costumes, and have a moving light as a head. The wealth of experience and knowledge that Specialz* to any project is always a bonus, that’s what you get be it electrical, mechanical, electronic, stage design, stage lighting and more importantly common sense.”