Germany - Wireless LED lighting manufacturer Astera has announced the appointment of Thor-Andre who joins the after-sales technical support team based at the company’s HQ in Munich. “This is a fantastic and hugely exciting chance to work directly with one of the world’s leading entertainment LED lighting manufacturers,” stated Thor. He will be engaging directly with key customers and companies worldwide offering after-sales support and be working with gaffers, DoPs, lighting and set designers, rental and production companies, combining his first-class communications skills with his love of geekery. He will also be travelling extensively as well as attending all the major international trade shows once they get up to speed post-pandemic. “Astera’s growth has been extremely strong even through this very difficult pandemic period, and that’s a testam
UK - The Maverick Silens 2 Profile doesn’t attract attention to itself because of its sound; the 100% convection cooled LED PCB fixture operates in virtual silence. However, the versatile 560W luminaire did make waves recently when it was honoured with a 2021 PLASA Award For Innovation. The only moving fixture (and one of two lighting products) to earn this recognition at the PLASA show, the Maverick Silens 2 Profile was singled out for its “near silent operation,” being described by the independent panel of judges as “the sound engineer’s favourite light.” Without making a sound, the Maverick Silens 2 Profile wowed judges with its impressive visual performance, thanks to features like CMY+CTO colour mixing with CRI, R9, CQS, and TLCI all between 91 and 97 (depending on the colour temperature mixed). Other features that speak volumes about this silent powe
UK - Copper Candle won three separate PLASA Innovation Awards during September’s PLASA Show 2021, held at London’s Olympia. The winning products - Copper Stream, Bone Stream and Cue29 - were chosen by a panel of industry experts and have been created to optimise the real time design, broadcast and audience engagement of live music, theatre shows and events in the virtual environment. The PLASA Innovation Awards judging panel said: "The judges have chosen to award a suite of products from this boundary-pushing software developer. They felt the group of products shared the same innovative approach to merging gaming technologies into a framework engineered for the live events industry. The judges believe these products are at the forefront of the move towards virtual production in events." Following 18 months of a global pandemic on the live entertainment sect
UK - Yesterday morning, Chauvet’s Sam Bowden departed from Stratford Upon Avon to embark on day one of his 101-mile walk to the National Theatre on London’s Southbank. Staged over five days, the fundraising event will raise money for the ALPD’s 2021 Lumière scheme and industry charity Backup. Members of the ALPD’s executive committee and other members of the Lumière scheme working group, including Lucy Carter, Charlotte Burton and Tamykha Patterson are completing the walk remotely, racking up the mileage around existing work commitments to raise funds for two great causes. Charlotte Burton explains: “We have taken on this almighty test of endurance because we believe that the work achieved through the Lumière Scheme and by Backup is vital and worth the sore feet!” Looking forward to a pint to refresh his legs at the end of day one, Sam Bowden added
Norway - Nobody can deny that the last 18 months have been difficult and challenging, especially for our people-orientated industry. Limitations on work, movement and contacts have been hard on everyone. But as restrictions started to ease and the industry begins to open up, LiteNordic, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for Norway, Sweden and Denmark, came up with an ingenious way to reconnect with their customers and lighting designers in a safe, fun way after a near two-year hiatus. They hired a camper van, threw in a bunch of IP65 rated lighting fixtures, including Ayrton’s Perseo Profile and Perseo Beam, and took them out on a camping road trip. They set up camp in forests outside Norway’s three main cities: Stavanger, Oslo and Bergen where they invited lighting designers, rental companies, sales companies and other of their colleagues and clients to join them for a b
USA - In the past month, the West Coast welcomed the opening of Main Light West in Las Vegas, the second location of Main Light, LLC. “Main Light is pleased to have expanded our market reach by opening a West Coast location, which we know has been a wish of many of our customers for some time,” states Randy Mullican, general manager of Main Light, LLC., for both Main Light East and West. “Whether on the East Coast or the West Coast, clients can be confident of finding a trusted partner in Main Light and receiving the same reliable service and equipment. “We are here, now on both coasts, ready to respond efficiently and effectively to the needs of the industry when they are looking for additional equipment support to supply their clients’ requirements.” The 40,000sq.ft Las Vegas facility’s day-to-day operations is handled by operations manager, Mike
The Netherlands - Lighting designer Bas van der Poel from design practice Light Image used Robe’s new LEDBeam 350 moving light fixtures for the recording of a new series of German games show 99 - Eine:r schlägt sie alle! (99 - One Beats Them All!), which was recorded in the Netherlands at the circular Westergas venue - part of a former gasworks now sustainably reimagined as a popular event and cultural space - in central Amsterdam. The 32 LEDBeam 350s - the first to arrive in the Netherlands - were delivered to lighting rental company Eventec which specialises in supplying lighting for the television and broadcast sector by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux. Eventec works regularly with the show’s production company, Fabiola BV, and was asked to supply lighting and rigging for the series’ three-week shooting period at Westergas. The show a
UK - As part of this summer’s Theatre on Kew programme, The Australian Shakespeare Company staged an open-air production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, within the botanical surroundings of Kew Gardens. As an approved supplier at the venue, White Light (WL) was chosen to provide all lighting and audio equipment for the project. Each performance during the four-week run began at twilight, to take full advantage of staging the Shakespearean favourite beneath the stars and canopy of Kew Gardens’ heritage trees. To enhance the play’s woodland setting and achieve lighting designer Peter Amesbury’s vision, WL specified a range of different lighting fixtures, all controlled by the HES Road Hog 4 console. The rig included Elation SIXPAR 200IPs and Chauvet Ovation E-910FC IPs, as well as SGM G-Spot Turbos. Look Solutions Unique hazers were utilised, to add to the sense
UK - The family of Mike Jarvis, lighting designer and projects manager, are sad to report that Mike passed away 9 August at the age of 65. Mike grew up in south Birmingham in a loving home, with his parents Douglas and Peggy and his brother Paul. Music was very important to Mike, especially when it was live. Growing up in Birmingham meant that he saw bands in small clubs before they went on to become rock legends. He attended Harborne primary school, followed by Lordswood boys school. His foundation year at Fazely street in Birmingham studying art was a happy one, experimenting with sculpture and design which led him to the Theatre Design course at the City of Birmingham Polytechnic in the mid-1970s. Joanna was one of his fellow students on the course and they quickly developed a strong friendship. At the end of the three years that friendship developed into th
USA - About 10 years ago, Cullman native Mason Felps got the chance to work his first major festival when he joined the crew at Rock The South. This August, he returned to his northern Alabama hometown as the festival’s production manager and lighting designer. For Felps, who earlier this summer toured with Alan Jackson, the two-day festival brought back great memories. “Rock The South has a special place in my heart,” he said. “Our crew powered through a monsoon to put on this show. Yet, despite the storms, we wanted to do our best to make this festival special for the bands and the fans.” Helping Felps and the production team make good on this goal was an impressive lighting rig supplied by Bandit Lites that featured 32 Chauvet Professional Rogue R2X Wash fixtures. “We had a 60’ by 40’ stage with a steel roof,” said Felps. “Its height gave u
UK - Martin Dudley and collaborator Malcolm Garrett created the lightshow for Heaven 17’s shows at the City Hall in the band’s hometown of Sheffield, and the Roundhouse in London. Having worked with Heaven 17 for five years, Dudley was eager to light these shows, which would have the band perform in full the two albums that Heaven 17 founder Martyn Ware wrote and recorded with the Human League. He also appreciated how their evocative sound lent itself to rich imagery. Then there was also the opportunity to play his lights off against the video images created by Garrett, who was responsible for the original sleeve artwork for the two albums in 1979 and 1980, as well as many other LP sleeves of the era. “I had been listening to the two Human League albums that made up this show for some time, but there was no time or budget for extensive pre-programming,” said Du
UK - The seventh annual Outcider Festival, a summer weekend event in Compton Martin in the West Country brought together a blend of over 30 different bands, artisans, food purveyors, and a generous selection of locally brewed scrumpy cider. Although the main stage setting was decidedly rustic (the festival took place on a farm), the lighting kit supporting the high-energy performances was strictly up-to-date, featuring Chauvet Professional LED fixtures supplied by BH Sound & Lighting Hire. James Marshall of BH joined with Finlay Wort in designing the lighting rig. Their focus in this collaboration was on versatility, as they knew they’d have to support a diverse mix of acts from polka punk act The Dreadnoughts and ska bands, to Sunday morning ’cider-obics’ and rock sing-alongs. “Fixture positioning and keeping plenty of options open on the console wer
France - Lighting designer Mathieu Cabanes discovered the new possibilities offered by Robert Juliat's latest 800W LED followspot, Arthur, on Les Folies Broadway, a large symphonic show performed this summer at the Domaine D'O in Montpellier. "I use Robert Juliat followspots very often. I particularly appreciate the artistic touch that a followspot can bring to a live show,” says Mathieu Cabanes. “New products and technologies are offered to us every year and I like to study these and their functions and make sure I use the right tool for each application. "I first used LED followspots on a Robert Wilson show in Indonesia, I La Galigo. They were Japanese models and the result was quite disappointing because the power was supposed to match a Robert Juliat Cyrano followspot, but in fact they were weaker than a Robert Juliat 710 profile with iris. The colour al
USA - Justin Kitchenman of Align Design Group is using some favourite Elation lights on five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan’s Proud To Be Right Here Tour scheduled through 16 October with 35+ shows. Kitchenman had just got the Cole Swindell Down To Earth tour design out the door when Covid hit in 2020, then spent a year working on livestreams and other smaller projects. When he got the call in April that long-time client Luke Bryan was planning a 2021 tour, he was understandably ecstatic. The LD, who has been designing for Bryan for a decade, had a design in place from last summer’s cancelled tour, a show he thought he’d never see realized. When the decision was made to pick up from where they left off in 2020, however, the design was back on the table. “I had come to terms last summer that that design was dead,” he said, “so I was thrilled when it
USA - Partech Lighting recently completed an installation package of 12 High End Systems SolaSpot 3000 luminaires in the Andrew Brady ICON Music Centre, a new music venue on Cincinnati's riverfront. The venue features one main floor and two balcony levels overlooking the inside stage. Based in Cincinnati since 1988, Partech’s focus is entertainment lighting production as well as LED video walls, media servers, and related services. Their history with High End Systems goes back 30 years with use of products such as Intellabeam, Studio Spot and Studio Color, Cyberlight, and DL2s. They’ve also enjoyed a long and successful relationship with their client MEMI Music & Event Management Inc., supplying services for multiple venues throughout the Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio areas. Partech developed a system specification for The Andrew Brady ICON Music Centre that the
USA - NAB has announced the cancellation of the upcoming NAB Show 2021, which was due to take place in Las Vegas from 9-13 October. The annual convention/exhibition, which in 2019 reported attendance of 91,000, is one of the largest events on the calendar for broadcasters and their technology providers. In recent weeks, the show had suffered exhibitor withdrawals - including Sony and Canon - due to the spread of the delta variant of COVID in the US, with the organisers opting to scrap the in-person event in favour of offering select virtual sessions through its Amplify portal. “For more than a year, we have worked tirelessly to bring our industry together safely in Las Vegas at NAB Show," say the organisers in a statement. "Unfortunately, the pandemic and surge of the delta variant has presented unexpected and insurmountable challenges for our global community. “As
UK - Moving and LED lighting manufacturer Robe enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm of industry professionals reconnecting in person at the 2021 PLASA Show in London Olympia last week. Robe took the opportunity to showcase a raft of recently-launched products, returning to the show as the headline sponsor as in previous years. This underlined the brand’s confidence in the UK market moving forward and ramping up generally, and in PLASA Show as a strategic point of convergence for key players. The Robe stand comprised a large meeting area out front and a substantial demo area ‘back-of-house’ proved a streamlined hub for meeting, networking, and in-depth product-related discussions and demonstrations. A timecoded lightshow utilising the newest products was based on a mixtape of West End production numbers. There was a heavy emphasis on the previewed T11 Profile fixtur
UK - The Ford Ranger has been used in virtually every conceivable application since it first appeared in 1983, especially when modified into the more muscular ‘Ironhide’ variety. Now it can add another item to its list of incarnations: DJ stand. Capitalising on the growing popularity of this American vehicle in the UK (its sales there increased by 76-percent between 2015 and 2020), Welsh performer DJ Weekesey joined forces with ASG Audio Visual to shoot a promotional video from the back of a black modified Ranger Ironhide. Laying down the signature mixes that have made him one of the region’s top club artists, Weekesey put on a dynamic four-minute show, using the truck itself as a stand. “It was a 4.5- ton DJ booth,” says ASG’s director Scott Cooper. “The video not only served to highlight Weekesey’s talent, it also drew on the image of the Ironhide to
USA – One of the newest and brightest hubs for Houston’s performing arts scene, The Gordy, has equipped its three theatre spaces with stage lighting technology from Vari-Lite and Strand. Designed by architects Gensler and theatre consultants Charcoalblue, The Gordy is named for philanthropists Russell and Glenda Gordy, and home to performing arts producer Stages. Its three intimate theatre spaces - the 252-seat Sterling Stage, the 220-seat Lester and Sue Smith Stage, and the 134-seat Rochelle and Max Levit Stage - provide settings for a variety of live theatre experiences. “For lighting, flexibility was key, alongside quality of light output, a deep colour range and smooth dimming resolution,” said The Gordy’s technical director, Joel Burkholder, who chose over 300 Vari-Lite and Strand fixtures, including 200 tungsten-source SPX ellipsoidals. “We love
France - Ayrton has appointed Fabian de Brücker to its sales team. De Brücker joins Ayrton as regional sales manager for all French-speaking countries and regions with effect from 1 September 2021. Brücker’s new role includes responsibility for maintaining a high level of designer relations, as well as promoting and supporting the Ayrton brand across these regions. Fabian brings a wealth of industry experience having worked with many major lighting brands for over 25 years. He has built an extensive network among lighting professionals, but has developed a particularly close relationship with Ayrton. “Fabian has always been a great advocate of the Ayrton brand since his days working with Axente, so his joining us is a huge bonus,” says Ayrton’s global sales director, Michael Althaus. “His years of experience means Fabian has super-strong designer relation
UK - Astera’s PixelBrick won a 2021 PLASA Award for Innovation – one of two lighting products out of the six 2021 winners selected from 29 entries – as the PLASA entertainment technology trade show returned to Olympia after a pandemic forced absence in 2020. The judges commented, “this is not just another battery uplighter, but a well-engineered and thought-out lighting system augmented with a wide set of accessories.” They felt it would allow designers a greater degree of creativity in an assortment of lighting applications. PixelBrick has been carefully crafted by Astera’s R ‘n’ D team and is designed for concerts, events, filming, or broadcast scenarios. It can also be utilised as a compact, light (1.1kg) and exceptionally handy up-lighter or hung anywhere and become a universal light for accenting and texturing buildings or facades. For exterior us
USA - It may well go down as one of the most moving live music moments never seen. At the conclusion of the We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert, after a bountiful feast of big looks, New York’s own Paul Simon was to take the stage to sing The Boxer, lit only by a soft tungsten glow. It would have been a very special scene, notes Tom Kenny, lighting designer for the start-studded Central Park show, one that he, like some 80m TV viewers who tuned into the concert, would have loved to have seen had the show not been called off early due to lighting strikes associated with the approaching tropical storm Henri. In addition to cancelling Simon’s performance, the weather washed out appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Cynthia Erivo, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Maluma and The Killers among others. Still, there was much about the evening to celebrate. Over hal
The Netherlands - Schouwburg Kunstmin is a theatre and performing arts venue in the Dordrecht, which has invested in Robe’s T1 Profile LED moving lights. The sale - delivered by Robe’s Benelux distributor Controllux - was just before the pandemic shut down the industry in March 2020, and with re-opening now on the horizon, the theatre is looking to add more T1s to the inventory to replace their aging 2Ks on the FOH bridge with an LED source. Head of lighting Bart Meester and head of technical and facilities Martijn Lohuis were both involved in this latest Robe investment. Bart has been head of lighting at the venue for 15 years. It followed another set of T1s, LEDWash 300+s and LEDBeam 150s purchased in 2019 for M3, a fully flexible ‘bare floor’ performance space just up the road at Energiehuis, a reimagined old power station building now dedicated to cul
UK - The PLASA Show returned to Olympia London from 5-7 September, receiving high acclaim and marking a return to normality following the 18-month closure of the live events sector. As the first entertainment technology tradeshow in two years, the PLASA Show 2021 co-located with the ABTT Theatre Show and succeeded in reuniting the industry for three high-spirited and productive days in Olympia’s Grand Hall. Even though the number of attendees was reduced this year, they remained top quality and similar to previous years: 2/10 were company owners or directors and half were specifiers or final decision-makers. Theatre and touring were most prominent with one third of those attending working in production or venues. Anticipation was high as the doors opened, with a steady stream of visitors keen to check out the next generation of products and catch up with colle
