Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - ABTT (27 May - 5 June)

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France - Traveling through France for a two-month tour, singer, songwriter, musician and producer Benjamin Biolay entertains thousands of fans every night, lit up with the help of nearly 2,000 Harman Martin VC-Dot LED's for a stunning backdrop.

For this fast-moving tour, Barcelona-based Dushow and Alabama lighting companies developed a video and lighting system, designed to be quickly installed for efficient execution. Using strings of Martin VC-Dot 9's for backdrop lighting, the product's versatility allows for the use of various lighting arrangements for each number. More than 1,700 VC-Dot 9's shine behind the stage to accentuate Biolay's performance.

VC-Dot 9 is a lightweight string made up of individually controllable LED pixels, designed to create LED video solutions with m

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UK - Electra Partners has announced the acquisition of mixing console manufacturer, Allen & Heath, from D&M Holdings. £43m of equity and debt has been provided by Electra Private Equity PLC and Allen & Heath's management.

Founded in 1969, Allen & Heath designs and manufactures audio mixing consoles for live sound, such as concerts, theatres and houses of worship. With an experienced management team and an extensive global distribution network, the company holds a leading market position and has consistently achieved strong revenue growth for over twenty years. Allen & Heath's existing team and distribution networks will remain in place.

Commenting on this acquisition, Alex Fortescue, chief investment partner at Electra Partners said, "The ability to invest across the capital structure, in this case funding both the equity and debt instruments, is a great example of

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UK - More than 70 substandard or even illegal LED-based products have had to be withdrawn from sale in the four years since Europe began phasing out incandescent light bulbs in favour of higher quality and more sustainable light-emitting diodes (LEDs), reveals lighting firm Osram.

These products, many of them substandard imports, range from individual LED bulbs to complete lighting solutions for industrial, professional and consumer use. They were removed as a precautionary measure by the European Commission (EC) to protect buyers from potential risks including electric shock, burns or even fire.

"LED lighting products have transformed the lighting industry. Genuine, high-quality LED products are up to 90 per cent more energy-efficient and offer lower total cost of ownership," says Jason Ford, UK controls manager at Osram. "However, it can be difficult for custo

Doughty - Banner - ABTT (27 May - 5 June)

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USA - The Dave Matthews Band hits the road for an extensive national tour with Clay Paky lighting along for the ride.

The band commenced its 45-date cross-country swing in mid-May and wraps after Labour Day. They will be supporting last year's hit LP, Away From The World.

Theatrical Media Services is providing the lighting gear and consoles for design company and video vendor Filiment Productions. Fenton Williams is the production designer and lighting designer for the tour; Aaron Stinebrink is the lighting programmer and designer.

"The overall concept is to continually augment the look of the show as the evening progresses," says Stinebrink. "Everything is mounted on automated curved trusses that can move around during the show. We also have a large curved LED videowall upstage."

Twelve Clay Paky Sharpy Wash lights hang from the sub grid and shi

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Czech Republic - Robe lighting's CEO Josef Valchar and staff at the company's HQ in Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic, have mobilised to help contribute to humanitarian aid relief in the wake of the worst floods to hit the country in a decade.

The floods which affected vast swaths of the Czech Republic and other central European countries including Germany and Austria, claimed several lives and caused chaos as tens of thousands were evacuated from their homes.

One of the areas affected in CZ was ?eský Krumlov, host to the recent 2013 Showlight conference. Many houses were flooded due to the surging water levels of the Vltava river - normally a small unobtrusive creek which became a raging torrent - with possessions destroyed by the surging waters.

Robe, based in Moravia which luckily escaped the flooding, has formed a close link with ?eský Krumlov in the four years run up

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ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

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UK - CUK Audio is pleased to announce the appointment of Carl Tomkins to the position of Sales Manager, with special responsibility for AV Integrator sales and support.

Tomkins former career has included sales roles with Reflex, Pro AV (formally Asysco) and AMX. He joins CUK Audio from Audio Logic where he held the position of business development/ account manager.

"With a world-class range of pro-audio brands, we need to ensure a high calibre of specialist staff to support each vertical market", said CUK Audio's MD, Stuart Thomson. "Carl brings with him valuable experience in several sectors, particularly AV integration. He also has the enthusiasm and consistent attitude to customer support that is fundamental to CUK Audio. I'm sure he'll fit in well and do a great job for our company and customers."

Tomkins comments: "I have followed the rise of CU

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China - Behringer product and applications experts descended on the PALM Show in Beijing recently to host training seminars on the company's Eurocom installed sound products as well as the growing family of X32 Digital Mixers. Staged at the new Beijing Exhibition Centre and attended by dealers and integrators from across China, the event included seminar presentations as well as critical listening tests of the entire Eurocom speaker range.

"The Chinese market is home to over 3,000 Music Group employees so we have a real affinity for this country's people and culture," noted senior vice president of marketing Costa Lakoumentas. "This opportunity to showcase some of our most recent developments, especially the cutting edge design and class-leading efficiency of our EUROCOM range, underscores our commitment to the dealers and integrators in this market."

Train

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Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

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UK - Tring-based rental and technical solution specialist Universal Event Productions (UEP) has invested in 12 of Robe's new Pointe moving lights together with another 10sq.m of Glux-12 LED screen.

This adds to its already substantial stock of Robe moving lights, bringing the total to around 100 fixtures, and to its existing stock of Glux, bringing the current total to 60sq.m.

The Pointes will make their debut on the two-day 2013 Chilfest music festival staged in Tring on 5 and 6 July. The production design will also feature 60sq.m of Glux, which UEP first had designed and built last year.

Chilfest, the first UK music festival to be promoted by an industry rental company, sees UEP celebrate its 15th birthday in style, with two nights of action packed entertainment and fun for the capacity audience of 7,000 people.

UEP has been buying Robe moving lights for the last 10 year

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South Africa - After training and product orientation, the SABC crew were pleased to use their new lighting gear, including Robins, Sharpys, Tiger Touch and Prolyte trussing, on the second season of the television game show, Fan Base.

"This was the very first time they used the equipment they recently bought," said Kagiso Tiro Moima from Blackmotion, who helped specify and supply the gear to the SABC. On this occasion Moima notably wore different hats. As a lighting designer and operator for Fan Base he simultaneously managed to instruct staff on how to rig, patch, operate and safely hang lights.

"I love training," explained Moima. "The more people we have in lighting the better. I don't just want to get a cheque from the SABC for work done. For me it's nice to share knowledge so that the team can sustain themselves and build their own skills.&q

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UK - "The client was really surprised about how we totally transformed the room using just six Alpha Spot QWO 800s and four A.leda Wash K10s," comments Presentation Rentals' director, Justin Hammond. "At our very first outing with the new Clay Paky stock we knew that the decision to purchase from Ambersphere Solutions was the right one. The event was The Evening Standard Film Awards and the venue was The London Film Museum so this was a high profile show with a knowing audience in terms of theatricality. The Clay Pakys definitely didn't disappoint."

Presentation Rentals services the ever expanding corporate market from their base in South East London and have recently chosen to invest significantly in the Clay Paky brand as Hammond explains, "A lot of clients and freelance designers are already very familiar with the Clay Paky brand and love worki

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UK - Harlequin Reversible has brought long-lasting quality to the dance floor for Colne Bank School of Dancing. Despite being used for tap dancing, the style of dance that usually causes the most damage to flooring, Jenny Overton who runs the school is delighted to see that the vinyl flooring has not been damaged in the slightest.

Back in 1996, when Jenny Overton purchased Harlequin Reversible, she did not expect to enjoy such longevity. To make matters all the more impressive, Colne Bank School of Dancing only uses one side of the two-sided dance floor and it is still as functional and attractive as the day they took it home.

"We have a school of approximately 250 students doing ballet, modern theatre, tap and jazz from three years up to and including advanced. The 3m x 15m rolls have been rolled out, swept, stuck down, used and rolled away again, 5 days a week for the l

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USA - For more than 170 years, North Carolina's State Capitol building has served proudly as a centrepiece of the city of Raleigh, and a focal point of state government. This classic architectural masterpiece, its majestic columns evoking ancient Greek temples like the Parthenon, has been a gathering place for generations of events, both large and small.

With this grand building as a backdrop, Pat McCrory was recently sworn in as the 74th Governor of North Carolina. Despite the familiar setting, McCrory's inauguration was the first to take place on the Capitol's South Lawn, with the stage looking out down Fayetteville Street, a vibrant thoroughfare that serves as Raleigh's ceremonial centre.

With highly reflective marble buildings lining both sides of the street, the setting presented some daunting obstacles to speech intelligibility. "We were really concerned about the l

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India - Pune- based wedding and event specialists Wadhwa Decorators has opened a new lighting division and invested in Robe moving lights - Robin 1200 LEDWashes, MMX Spots and 300 Beams - in order to offer a premium service to their many high profile clients.

The company operates Laxmi Lawns, a large wedding and celebration / party venue in central Pune comprising a selection of different buildings, gardens and exterior spaces with the capacity to stage events with up to 10,000 guests. There is a constant stream of celebrations taking place throughout the year including around 40 weddings and 15 - 20 other events.

Wadhwa Decorators is a well-established and very successful business providing designs ideas and infrastructure for a diversity of productions. With the demands becoming ever more complex, and wanting to be able to offer the best services, it made commercial sense to

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USA - Free registration is now open for the PLASA Focus: Austin 2013 Professional Development Programme, a two-day programme of free educational seminars and workshops, running alongside PLASA Focus: Austin, at the Palmer Events Centre, Texas on 10-11 September 2013.

Still in the early stages of development, the programme already includes talks from some of the industry's leading talents who will discuss the latest trends, technologies and techniques, and is a unique opportunity for visitors to further develop their industry knowledge and take part in the discussions.

Lighting designer and programmer Eric Wade will present Designing AND Programming - Life is Good. Currently working as Usher's lighting designer, something he describes as "kinda a full-time gig", Wade has developed his skills over three decades and has become the favourite programmer and lightin

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UK / Czech Republic - Last year the Milos Group became the world's largest manufacturer of modular aluminium truss and staging systems with the simultaneous acquisitions of TomCat in the USA and Litec in Italy.

The company now announces another recent addition to the Group - with the purchase of UK lighting / speaker stand and truss lift manufacturer Mobil Tech International.

For many years Mobil Tech has worked in close partnership with Milos in the distribution of OEM products within the entertainment industry, including the popular PAD, PAX & PAZ trussing ranges and accessories.

At present, Milos is in the process of transferring operations from Letchworth, Hertfordshire to be fully integrated within Milos UK's Design & Distribution Centre in Cambridgeshire.

The Mobil Tech range will be supplied as part of Milos's extensive portfolio, and it is planned that design and p

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USA - Clay Paky lighting fixtures were out in force at the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which honoured inductees such as Aerosmith, The Doors, James Taylor, Albert King, Donna Summer, Rush and Quincy Jones at a gala event at LA's Nokia Theatre.

The celebrity-filled ceremony, which was taped for broadcast on HBO, featured 40 Clay Paky Sharpy Wash lights, 28 Sharpys and 7 Alpha Profile 700s controlled by two grandMA2 lights and one grandMA2 full system, all supplied by Atomic Lighting of Lititz, Pennsylvania.

"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame usually focuses on six or seven performances in the multi-camera show, and the tone was very vibey, not overly glammy," says Kevin Lawson who programmed the lighting with Felix Peralta. Lawson handled the key lights and audience lights for lighting designer Allen Branton while Peralta programmed the scenic lig

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South Aftrica - The first ever Vectorworks course for the entertainment industry in South Africa was presented by Francois van der Merwe from Wizardry Group on the 30 and 31 May at DWR Distribution, Johannesburg. Even though this was a basic introduction to Vectorworks Spotlight, the demand and interest was overwhelming and it was an eye-opener for all who attended.

"The industry has changed so much that we can't just do drawings on the back of a match box," said presenter Francois van der Merwe. "Health and Safety is imperative and from the Wizardry Group side, we believe in skills and the big need to transfer skills to the younger guys."

Van der Merwe has worked on Vectorworks since Version 9 - some years ago - and has become an expert as he daily uses the software design programme. "This was not a course with accreditation," he explained. "

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UK - Mixing the Pet Shop Boys' current Electric world tour, the band's long term sound engineers, Holger Schwark (front-of-house), and Seamus Fenton (monitors) have been relying on an Optocore 'multicore' system to transfer signals, and keep the sound within the digital domain.

Holger has been carrying two Optocore DD4ME MADI converters in his compact FOH side rack for some time, with a third DD4ME at the monitor desk. Providing production on this tour is Capital Sound Hire - who themselves invested in an Optocore system for last year's Take That stadium shows.

Both Holger and Seamus have chosen the compact DiGiCo SD10-24 consoles, along with a DiGiCo SD-Rack at the monitor desk. While these consoles come equipped with an optical loop interface, they decided instead to run Optocore as an entirely independent network, giving them greater flexibility to patch signals between the

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London Calling - Punk pioneers The Clash are to be given an honorary award recognising their contribution to the music industry at the Silver Clef Awards next week. Mick Jones, the guitarist and co-frontman of the group which split up almost 30 years ago, said it was a "real honour" to receive the award..

David Munns, chairman of music charity Nordoff Robbins, which organises the awards, said, "The Clash's music has just as much influence today as it did when they first came onto the music scene in 1976." Other award winners to be honoured at the event in London on 28 June include Coldplay, Labrinth, Alison Moyet and Barry Gibb. The winner of the best live act prize will be announced on the day. The Kinks' Ray Davies will get an ambassador of rock award. New York band Vampire Weekend will also receive the international award.

Glastonbury Live - The B

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Australia - Wildfire, one of the leading waterfront restaurants in Sydney, has gained an enviable reputation over the years for fine dining, fine wine, all with a stunning view. Recently, owner Ton?i Farac decided it was time to give their fine establishment an audio makeover calling in the experts at Compact Monitor Systems.

"The client also wanted to expand the audio to several zones and include areas that haven't previously been covered whilst redoing those that had with a more complete sound system," explained Bill Richardson, managing director of Compact Monitor Systems.

Compact Monitor Systems completely dismantled the existing audio system and replaced all of the processing with BSS BLU, all amplifiers to Crown Audio and added a wide range of JBL speakers. The venue already had a dozen JBL Control 25AV speakers which were redistributed into areas that were not

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UK - On 15 June, the ladies of Delta Sound and Sound By Design pulled on their hiking boots and windbreakers to make the 245 mile trip to climb the highest peak in England and Wales, Mount Snowdon. Leaving behind the warmth and safety of their office in Surrey were Emma, Emily, Ruth and Sarah who braved fierce winds, lashing rain and freezing temperatures as they trekked to the 3,560ft summit to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The idea for the expedition began back in January when Sarah chirped up with an idea of mountainous proportions. "I want to climb a mountain, who's with me?" she said. Just half an hour later the team was assembled, a plan formed and the all-important team name chosen. The MountainEARS, were going to climb Snowdon in the middle of June in the beautiful Summer sunshine. It was foolproof....

Fast forward to 4am on 15 June as the pierci

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