South Africa - DWR Distribution has announced the 2018 Prolyte Rigging Course, in conjunction with Prolyte and Rhino Rigs, to be held in Johannesburg from 29 January to 3 February 2018. The internationally recognised five-day course will once again be presented by Rinus Bakker. On the sixth day, delegates will enjoy a practical hands-on session presented by DWR’s Robert Izzett. Interested delegates must be competent in mathematics. Delegates who pass the course will receive certification and 48 SACIA CPD Points. The cost is R9 500, and a 50% non-refundable deposit will secure your booking as seats are limited. The course will be held at DWR Distribution, Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark Honeydew. Bookings can be made on-line. Visit: http://dwrdistribution.co.za/register/prolyterigging2018/ (Jim Evans)
Malaysia - Mahajak Trio Electronics recently supplied a complete Harman audio system at Open Union Church, a Korean ministry church located in Malaysia. Established in 1988, Open Union Church recently relocated from its old building located in Ampang Jaya to a newly renovated 4,000sq.ft building in Kuala Lumpur and a new sound system was specified as part of the renovation. The church had used with JBL, Crown and AKG solutions at its previous facility and chose a Harman system again. “The reliability and performance of our solutions impressed the church management when it was time for them to upgrade,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM Harman Professional Solutions, APAC. “The church had been using Harman Professional products since their inception, and this carried through at the new building. We are pleased to see our customers coming back to us with c
UK - Audio specialist tube uk supplied the sound system for A Blessing, a public performance produced by outdoor arts company Walk the Plank as part of Manchester’s Dashehra Diwali Mela 2017 celebrations. The show story was structured and directed by Walk the Plank’s Nick Clarke with words and scripting by Louise Wallwein, with tube’s Adam Taylor designing the sound. Positioned on a small stage in Albert Square the Mahishasura, played by actor Sagar Arya ,took to the stage in Albert Square while a 10ft high mechanical tiger puppet took its position opposite. The most important thing for the sound system was to be highly directional, so the actors, exchanges and sound effects came from their respective stages. tube positioned two ground stacks of d&b V-Series PA speakers either side of the Buffalo stage on the Town Hall side of the site, whi
Middle East - Elation Professional has appointed Venutech Audiovisual & Lighting Systems as its exclusive distributor in the Middle East. Venuetech has been a providing professional products and services to the entertainment industry in the Middle East since 2003. Headed by one of the Middle East market’s most experienced operators, Nour Assafiri, Venuetech’s team of industry professionals is focused on all aspects of the audio, video and lighting market, from sales to technical support. “The major target has always been to be able to provide a complete solution for our clientele, therefore we see Elation as the missing piece of the puzzle,” says Assafiri. “We believe that our experience in entertainment lighting along with Elation’s strength and reputation, as well as their continuous production of innovative products, will open doors for a strong re
Austria - AV technology manufacturer AV Stumpfl will present a projection screen accessory prototype, a line-up of projection screens and media server products at this year’s LDI exhibition in Las Vegas. The T-32 Shift projection screen leg allows an easy adjustment of the height of a a mobile projection screen without the need of disassembly. T-32 Shift is compatible with all AV Stumpfl 32mm projection screen frames. It will be officially released at the beginning of 2018, but LDI visitors have the opportunity to experience the latest prototype hands-on at the AV Stumpfl booth. The company will also present their latest media server hardware and software products, including Wings Vioso RX 2.0, which will feature the Hot-Backup option, allowing users to specify hot backup clients for multiple playout clients. The Wings Engine RAW 8K server will also be shown a
UK - East London venue Troxy was crowned Best London Event Venue – 500 to 1,000 attendees at the London Venue Awards, 20 October 2017. Celebrating the best of London’s venues, suppliers and partner organisations, the London Venue Awards took place at The Brewery and recognised excellence and exceptional quality from venues across the capital. Daniel Smith, Troxy’s head of sales & events reports: “London is spoilt with an array of amazing venues and events professionals who work around the clock to bring incredible events to the capital. We’re honoured to have taken home such a prestigious accolade at this year’s London Venue Awards and to have been in a room with so many inspiring individuals celebrating and recognising each other’s success and achievements. Congratulations to all the winners.” (Jim Evans)
Canada - Audiovisual specialist Creativ Nation used the SGM IP65-rated P-5 LED to illuminate a construction crane used to build a 30-storey tower. Creativ Nation’s Martin Berthiaume says: “My client wanted to put promotional emphasis on his new real estate project under construction - a 30-story retirement tower, the highest in Canada.” The company faced extensive challenges to illuminate the structures without hindering the construction and SGM’s wireless DMX technology provided versatility without compromising the functionality of the wash light. Berthiaume explained: “Our first challenge was to limit the installation of wiring so as not to obstruct the various mechanisms of the crane from a height of 200ft. With the help of the wireless DMX technology of SGM, we were able to carry out this mandate with brilliance.” Power consumption and ou
Denmark - A Kinesys automation system with Vector control is a key player in the production of Green Day’s American Idiot staged in Copenhagen at Den Grå Hal (The Grey Hall). Benjamin La Cour’s acclaimed raw, stark scenography features three large scenic ‘slabs’ of concrete which lift, tilt and elevate to change the shape and architecture of the stage throughout the performance. They form a floor, a ceiling and several other shapes and spaces as the punky attitudinal sung-through action unfolds. In terms of visuality, these three set pieces fundamentally define the look and feel of the piece directed and choreographed by Tim Zimmerman. The three slabs each measure 8 x 4m and are suspended by four half-tonne Liftket vari-speed hoists fitted with Kinesys Elevation 1+ drives - capable of running up to 24 metres-a-minute. Each piece weighs around 900
Denmark - Capital Sound handled sound reinforcement for Ricky Gervais’ Humanity world tour shows at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark and at the Oslo Spektrum in Norway. Sound designer Chris Whybrow approached the London-based production company knowing it had the Martin Audio MLA. Whybrow recalls, “I knew on paper that we should achieve a more controlled environment onstage from this system; however I didn’t quite expect the experience of standing on stage, in a 15,000-seat empty arena, with an omnidirectional microphone turned on, to hear the arena so precisely controlled.” He added that achieving minimal reflection back onto the stage had been their main focus. Capital Sound and MLA has pedigree when it comes to comedy, having handled numerous tours for the likes of Michael Macintyre, Lee Evans and Kevin Bridges. The challenge for comedy in
Italy - Street festival of light art RGB Light Experience – Roma Glocal Brightness is back in Rome this week. The event, which attracted 60,000 visitors last year, is spanning across a 4km stretch from Pigneto to Torpignattara. From 27-29 October, public and private spaces will be lit through 19 original and site-specific artworks realised by important and emerging artists under the artistic direction of Diego Labonia and the technical supervision of Chiara Martinelli. The artists involved are: S+C Studio, Maria Saggese and Children of Darklight, Gianluca Del Gobbo/FLxER, Andrea Daly and Federico Cecchi, Simone Palma and Diego Labonia, Fulminate, Massimo Rizzuto, MediaMash Studio, Vj Alice, Tommaso Rinaldi/High Files, Marco Amedani, RGB Light Experience/CNR, Massimo Desiato, La mia paura è Bianca, Elisa Mancini. Those involved with the workshops and me
USA - Marc Wasserman has been having a rollicking good time lighting red-hot comedian Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out tour. The New York-based designer is also getting an up-close look at the talented stars from the tour’s namesake hit MTV programme. “The show is fantastic,” said Wasserman, the owner of 3 With 1 Grab Productions. “We have comedians like Rip Michaels, Emmanuel Hudson, DC Young Fly, Conceited, Matt Rife, Justina Valentine, Karlous Miller and Chico Bean. Plus, I get to work with some of the best hip-hop artists around.” Wasserman is working with his tried-and-true Rogue R2 Spot fixtures from Chauvet Professional on the tour, something that he feels has been key to keeping his good times rolling. “My Rogue R2 Spots are my go-to moving light,” he said. “I can’t say enough good things about these versatile movers. Some of mine have bee
South Africa - Absen LED has appointed DWR Distribution as its new distributor in South Africa. With subsidiaries in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Russia, UAE and Hong Kong, DWR is confident that Absen LED Display Applications will provide clients with a wide range of quality and affordable products. Shenzhen Absen Optoelectronic was founded in 2001 as an integrated service provider and manufacturer within the Optoelectronics industry, focusing on premium quality turnkey LED display solutions. Since this time, Absen products have been shipped off to over 120 countries, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa included, and used in over 30 000 projects. From the design of each product until its completion on the production line, strict quality control is put in place. “From the very beginning we carefully select the material used for each product and only work with the highe
USA - College Football Hall of Famer Eddie Robinson holds the record for the second-most victories of any college football coach while leading the Grambling State University Tigers in over 50 seasons of play, from the 1940s to 1997. Robinson coached over two-hundred players who went on to the professional AFL, CFL, and NFL leagues, and in any discussion about who was the best football coach of all time, Robinson is always in the running. Indeed, many pundits put him at the top. Thus, the small, historically-black Grambling State University is indebted to Robinson for elevating the school’s exposure and reputation. When the school constructed a new 20,000-seat stadium in 1983, it named the stadium in his honour. Recently, Eddie Robinson Stadium underwent scoreboard and sound system renovations, and a new, powerful, simple Danley Sound Labs Jericho Horn and BC-subwoofer syst
USA - On a crisp autumn morning in Bloomsburg, it’s a day of worship at Columbia-Montour LCBC church as friends and new arrivals gather for what they wish to be, a life changing experience. But this is no ordinary church. LCBC Columbia-Montour is a satellite campus, a sister church if you will, one of many in Pennsylvania that are part of a growing congregation born from the original LCBC in Manheim, Pennsylvania. People enter the impressive and welcoming lobby of the church, gathering with anticipation and shared knowledge that something exciting is about to happen. Seats are taken in the sanctuary, lights are lowered, and music begins. A live band is on stage, teasing forth deep bass notes with a kick drum beat designed to move a crowd. Electric guitar and keyboard interplay build around the beat, creating a sound that is the pillar of the LCBC brand and the reason
USA - The Global Leadership Summit is a live HD broadcast that is simulcast to more than 600 satellite locations around the globe. On 10-11 August, Relevant Audio Visual provided production for a Global Leadership Summit satellite site in Wichita, Kansas, the third largest satellite site in the country, and turned to inspirational lighting from Elation Professional to liven up the environment. “In past years, there’s been little thought put into lighting this satellite location,” explains Brandon Deibler, creative director and project designer at Relevant Audio Visual (RAV). “Traditionally, there’s been a very flat, non-dimensional look to the room. It needed a more energetic, inspiring look to complement their message so we freshened it up with effects and colour from Elation lighting.” It didn’t help that the
USA - The light show at the Nightchaser Stage at the 2017 Burning Man Festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert was controlled with the ChamSys MagicQ MQ40. The stage was radiantly covered in multi-colored light, courtesy of LD Bryce Cherpelis. “My ChamSys desk and I both stood up to some harsh elements here in the middle of the desert, but it was well worth it,” said Cherpelis, who used four universes in his show. “I loved the looks we were able to create. We played with a lot of different colors and intensity levels to set a very free flowing feeling for the performances. The FX generator in my MQ40 was essential in this regard. Between intensity FX, Position FX and color FX, it was always there for me. Whenever I wanted to push the boundaries of the show, my console was ready for more.” Not surprisingly, busking was the order of the day for
USA/Europe - Experienced LD Cosmo Wilson has been lighting Aerosmith’s shows since 2012 and was at the helm of the band’s farewell tour Aero-Vederci Baby. Cosmo first started thinking about the latest set design while the band were in South America back in 2016, and when it came to speccing the equipment he decided to go big into GLP’s impression X4 LED moving head portfolio, commandeering 272 fixtures as a direct replacement for the classic Par can. “I wanted to create a design that was reminiscent of Aerosmith’s earlier tours, back in the 70’s and 80’, with the enormous Par can rigs and ‘finger’ style trusses,” he explained. “The big difference is the video wall which is definitely not 70’s or 80’s, but I helped to create some of the content that is at least reminiscent of the band in that era.” The LD has been using the impre
USA - New York-based public relations agency CP Communications has purchased 17 DiGiCo S21 compact digital consoles to support its ongoing work with Fox Sports’ and CBS Sports. The gear will primarily be used as effects submixers during broadcasts of NFL and college football games, with additional sports-broadcast applications expected in the future. The consoles are assembled into flight-pack configurations for use in a variety of sports venue environments, taking full advantage of the S21’s compact form factor and the console’s exceptional processing power - based around its FPGA core and new ARM QuadCore RISC processor - allowing the S21 to be deployed in virtually any broadcast location and environment. These 17 new DiGiCo S21 desks join the more than half-dozen DiGiCo SD10B broadcast consoles already in CP Communications’ inventory, being used in remote-pr
UK - Robbie Williams’ long-term audio supplier Britannia Row Productions (Brit Row) brought a combination of L-Acoustics K1 and K2 loudspeaker system for the pop star’s tour in support of his album Heavy Entertainment Show. Brit Row has been deploying L-Acoustics K1 for Robbie for the past five years and each tour has seen developments in the system the company carries as new products become available. In 2014, they switched to K2 for rear-hangs and down-fill cabinets, this year they have updated amplification to the latest LA12X amplified controllers. “Updating to running the whole system on the new LA12X amplifiers is our big step forward this year,” says Brit Row’s Josh Lloyd. “Not only have we seen an improvement in how the system sounds, but the LA12X also provides the incredibly helpful Load Checker feature that measures the attached loudspeake
UK - Quested has announced the appointment of Sound Network as its UK distributor. Sound Network has already started an extensive demo programme for Quested monitors, with support available through the Sound Network team and its dealer network throughout the UK. Stuart Down, director of Quested, says: “Sound Network has earnt a fantastic reputation as one of the best distributors in the UK, and one that only partners to brands and products it truly believes in. After initial meetings with the team and witnessing the way they operate, I felt immediately at home and could see the value they would bring to our growing user base.” Adam Pierce, sales & marketing director for Sound Network, adds: “We only want to be associated with the brands that deliver extremely high quality and we think Quested firmly fits in this c
Exit Stage Left - Lucy Woollatt has announced she will stand down as executive director of the Young Vic in December. Woollatt's departure comes as artistic director David Lan also prepares to leave the London theatre, in February 2018, to be replaced by Kwame Kwei-Armah. Speaking about her departure, Woollatt said: "My decade at the Young Vic has been the most rewarding of my career to date. I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved night after night at the Young Vic, on tour and in the West End." Interval Act - Justin Timberlake is to headline next year's Super Bowl half-time show, 14 years after his role in Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction". The US pop star revealed the news on his Twitter feed - with a little help from talk show host Jimmy Fallon. Timberlake sang at the 20
UK - Cheshire-based event production company, dBS Solutions, has just invested in a significant dBTechnologies self-powered VIO line array system to keep pace with their expanding order book and the increase in demand to service large events. dBS opted for VIO after two convincing demos: the first at Manchester’s international concert venue, the Bridgewater Hall, and the second at the Morecambe Carnival where the VIO system was put through its paces on the Bay radio live stage. dBS managing director, Chris Bogg, says: “We’ve been impressed by the build quality of other dBTechnologies products, having added the multi-purpose DVX range to our hire stock a few years ago,” he explained. “When VIO was released last year, I really liked the integrated networking, the ease of the prediction software and the touring packaging. “The “plug-and-play” aspect
Europe - Rammstein live tour lighting directors Bertil Mark and Faren Matern used four TimeCore units from the Dutch manufacturer Visual Productions. The TimeCore is a modern timecode toolbox capable of generating, converting and displaying timecode. It supports and converts between SMPTE, MTC and Art-Net timecode and can convert between different frame rates. The TimeCore also handles various non-timecode protocols: MIDI. MMC, MSC, RTP-MIDI, sACN, Art-Net, OSC, UDP, TCP and HTTP. This allows the unit to be triggered by many external signals and devices. TimeCore can be configured as a timecode master and in this case generates a stable timecode signal. Alternatively, it can also be used as a timecode slave. The LCD display shows the current running timecode in real time and the two push buttons are user-configurable. "We use TimeCore at the key points of our ex
Spain - Robert Juliat added some French flavour to the celebrated Spanish music festival at Cap Roig, Girona this summer. Local rental company ABS Entertainment Service supplied two Robert Juliat Merlin 2500W and two Robert Juliat Aramis 2500W followspots as front of house support for the duration of the two-week event. The festival originated in 1927 when it began as an art and architectural and music show. This, the sixth edition of the festival in its present form, ran from 7 July to 22 August 2017 in a site spread over 17 hectares of gardens, complete with castle. The line-up of singers and bands included Anastacia, Passenger, Silvia Pérez Cruz, Norah Jones, Wilco, Woody Allen, Els Amics de les Arts and The Pretenders. Merlin and Aramis are two of Robert Juliat’s most popular followspots and the team from ABS rigged two of each on front of house towers fo
