China - The work and creativity of one of the best known and most significant impressionist painters, Claude Monet, will attract all elements of art lovers in a new gallery concept presented in a special temporary venue erected at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon District. This is thanks to some genius imagineering and teamwork between international video mapping, immersive experience and digital art creative studio, Dirty Monitor, and ChillHoYeah Hong Kong, a new company with a passion for art, technology, and experimentalism. This collaboration was commissioned by exhibition organisers ChillHoYeah, a co-promoter with Dirty Monitor for En Voyage with Claude Monet which will run for three months at this site. This is the first full scale project by D-Mines, Dirty Monitor’s brand-new creative content production management division headed up
USA - The much anticipated Twenty One Pilots Icy tour hit the road this summer, offering lighting designer Tyler ‘Shap’ Shapard the chance to produce an elegant and imaginative lighting design based on atmospherically engineering the mood and vibes. A cornerstone of this design was 80 x Robe MegaPointes explained Shap who collaborated closely on this tour with co-designer and programmer Dayne DeHaven. Their creative process involved Shap producing the essential looks and building blocks for each number and Dayne completing the ‘nuts and bolts’ programming which they finessed together. Shap was also on the road running lighting day-to-day. MegaPointes are a personal favourite fixture of Shap’s and they have featured on the last two Twenty One Pilots tour cycles which included the immediately post Covid Takeover tour earlier in 2022, where the band played four
Belgium - TV and music personality Bart Peeters has recently concluded a series of 26 sold-out concerts at Antwerp’s 8,000 capacity Lotto Arena, selecting DiGiCo’s Q338 console as the centrepiece. A prolific touring artist, Peeters regularly performs in venues across the country and further afield in The Netherlands. The artist’s enhanced show, entitled Bart Peeters Deluxe - Live in the Lotte Arena, was devised to be located in one larger capacity venue to accommodate a more elaborate programme, delivered in several shorter runs over a year-long period, and recorded for a live album production. “I have been working with Bart since 2007, first as his monitor engineer, and from 2014 as FOH engineer,” explains engineer, Roel Snellebrand. “For the smaller shows and theatre venues, we use two SD12 96 consoles, one at FOH and one for monitors, which gives
Belgium - International show, visual and production design studio Painting with Light has enjoyed a busy summer and autumn back to full speed working on a wide range of projects and events embracing theatre, television, and live broadcast. The company is headed by Luc Peumans, who comments, “It was fantastic for our team and all our clients to be back doing live shows with real audiences after two years of pandemic restrictions. While this ‘dark’ period forced us to be imaginative and inventive in creating entertainment and engagement, there is nothing like feeling the buzz and excitement of shows packed with crowds, anticipation, and real human experience.” Tien Om Te Zien, a popular Sunday night VTM music show ran from 1989 – 2008 and was then rebooted in 2014 and 2021. The 2021 was such a success that the broadcaster revived the concept once again to run
Lithuania - Kaunas State Musical Theatre has been under reconstruction. UAB Sonus exsertus in cooperation with AB Light were responsible for the architectural lighting solution for the building's façade. Sonus exsertus deployed a range of the Italian-based DTS Lighting projects for this project. According to the concept designer Arvydas Buinauskas the client's goal was to give liveliness to the theatre and make it more playful during the dark hours of the day. Artistic lighting was designed with the aim of transforming the building to the theme of a certain event. One of the challenges for the designer was to first give the very idea of how lighting a building must be done, highlighting the unique elements of the façade in pastel colours, so that it would not be annoying and that it could blend into the urban landscape environment. With such a structure located in t
Portugal - The new cultural district in Porto, known as World of Wine (WOW), comprises a cluster of museums, restaurants, and bars that form an immersive journey through the region’s port production heritage. WOW’s management team decided they wanted to install a comprehensive, premium audio system to guide people through the various exhibits and deliver the immersive soundscapes that help make the venue different. Genelec loudspeakers were chosen for studio-quality sound, flexibility, and reliability. Over 400 Genelec loudspeakers are utilised across all the spaces. The brief was simple; to build an interactive experience that would attract, entertain, and educate tourists on various aspects of Portugal’s cultural history. Local Genelec distributor Garrett Audiovisuais secured the contract and specified an extensive list of Genelec equipment, working in tandem
Thailand - Standing more than 40 stories above the bustling city of Bangkok is Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok rooftop bar, equipped with ethereal gardens, live DJs and stunning views. The rooftop bar, Bar.Yard, mirrors the beauty of the city through futuristic designs and technology. With an abundance of ambient noise from the lively city below, the needs of DJs to foster an entertaining space for guests and the threat of inclement weather, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok relied on Renkus-Heinz sound solutions to meet its needs while not distracting guests from the architectural beauty of the space. Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok is named for the maa-lai flower bouquet, a traditional gift given to guests in Thai culture. Working with Bangkok-based AV integration firm Vichai Trading 1983 and AV consultant Atkrist Co., Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok upgraded the rooftop bar’s audio, visual and con
UK - The Chai Wallahs stage has proved popular with up-and-coming acts as it tours around UK festivals. With a self-contained setup and its own roster of artists, Chai Wallahs has built its reputation around a quality experience for both bands and crew. The sound system has played a major role in developing this reputation, with sound engineer and system designer, Harry Bishop central to this process for nearly 15 years. “The stage is quite famed for its audio,” says Bishop. “The big feedback from the audience and from the bands has always been the quality of the sound.” Bishop had been using a solution from one manufacturer since the independent stage first hit the festival scene. However, he had grown increasingly disillusioned with the sound quality he was getting and started to explore different options. During this process he was introduced to TW Audio.
USA - Surrounded by the scenic views of Alamogordo, the 800-seat Christ Community Church was struggling to provide quality audio with their aging and original PA. With the decision made to upgrade their system, the task of finding a modern solution capable of delivering great sound evenly to every seat was given to technical director Jacob Pierce. With a big assist from industry experts Michael Garrison Associates (MGA), Pierce found the solution he was looking for with a custom Anna and Otto ADAPTive system from Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW). The new EAW upgrade consists of a total of 12 Anna loudspeaker arrays, four Otto subwoofers and eight EAW JF8 2-way loudspeakers. The eight JF8’s are used as front-fill speakers and are spread out evenly from the back of the platform in a trapezoidal pattern. The new EAW ADAPTive PA system is run through an Allen & Heath dLive con
USA - Nate Haber of Extraterrestrial Visuals believes in serving the client. “I think it’s important to note that design and programming are part of a service industry,” Haber says, in the middle of working with Lorna Shore on their national The Pain Remains Tour. “My main goal is to align my vision with that of my client. They know what they like and don’t like. Of course, on this tour, it helps that my design preferences line up with their vision. “This is a metal band, and an extremely heavy one at that,” said Haber. “So yes, our show is dark and moody, but in the age of social media, it’s also important that fans be able to see the band, especially one that’s as well-known to them as Lorna Shore. It’s also important that they be able to take good photos and videos. So, I try to strike a balance and add a higher level of light at different moments.
USA - The ambience, smells, tastes and cultural whiffs of traditional Italy and its Tuscany region can be sampled by diners delving into the cuisine offered at the Romanza restaurant in Reno, Nevada, USA. Part of the Peppermill Resort Hotel & Spa property, the whole Romanza eating experience is now newly intensified with an Anolis interior architectural LED lighting installation that has brought extra life and vibrance to this foodie hot spot. The new lighting scheme – comprising Anolis Eminere and ArcSource 4MC luminaires – was designed and specified by John Priebe, production lighting lead for the whole Peppermill complex, who co-ordinates lighting for all areas with color changing luminaires installed in addition to lighting the numerous events and conventions that are staged in the complex. The Anolis fixtures replace an older lighting scheme that
France - Parc de la Villette is both a park - the third largest in Paris - and a focal point for art, music, and culture, housing the city’s largest concentration of cultural venues, including the Philharmonie de Paris and Cité de la Musique. It’s also home to the physically and psychologically imposing Grand Halle de la Villette. A stunning example of 19th century cast iron and glass architecture, designed famous French architect Victor Baltard, the venue was originally an abattoir and was transformed into a multi-use space in 1985. The Grand Halle hosts diverse events including exhibitions, concerts, theatre shows and festivals. The annual Jazz à La Villette festival, hosted here, attracts more than 30,000 jazz enthusiasts every September. The Grande Halle, which includes the 5,000 capacity Grand Halle, the Salle Charlie Parker and the Nave, was one of the firs
UAE - The UAEFA President’s Cup took place at the Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on 21 October 2022. Creative Technology delivered a spectacular projection which was mapped across the football pitch for the opening ceremony and distributed sitewide show communication for the annual tournament. One of the key highlights from the evening was the projection show that covered a 1200 sqm area. CT supplied four double-stacked Panasonic PT-RQ50K projectors, to achieve 600 lux projection, installed in a bespoke purpose-built structure that was fully enclosed and temperature-controlled. Projection was integrated on a fully redundant network ring controlled from FOH and utilised CT’s new 1G and 10G fibre networking solutions. Playback was powered by Disguise VX4 Suite and full 4k signal distribution. Carlos Aguilar, deputy head of video commented, “It's always a
UK - Coyote Ugly, the successful nightlife franchise that started in New York City’s East Village, has come to the UK, opening a new location in Camden, London. In order to emulate the well-known culture of the Coyote Ugly brand and energize the eager crowds, the venue turned to Renkus-Heinz for the sound solution to match the high energy of the bar known for its bartop dancing. For nearly 30 years, Coyote Ugly has been a source of entertainment in person and on screen. From the original New York Saloon to the cult classic of the same name, Coyote Ugly serves a wide following. Cardiff-based AV integrator Spartan AV and UK-based AV distributor CUK Group worked to specify and install a complete sound system. "Coyote Ugly's brand and its guest experience are both founded on music. Fans remember the songs that helped to make Coyote Ugly an iconic name," said James Lawfor
Ukraine - Emily Resort is a premium multifunctional complex offering a wide choice of recreational facilities, including a 166-room hotel, a wellness and spa area, and a medical centre and all-season pistes for skiing. Close to the historic centre of Lviv with picturesque views of the Vynnykivs’ke Lake, the flagship of the venue’s extensive list of offerings is the Emily Event Hall. It’s the largest concert hall in Western Ukraine, featuring the country’s most complex permanent 3D mapping projection weaved into the venue’s undulating indoor mesh wall, as well as the country’s first L-Acoustics K3 audio system, installed by L-Acoustics official distributor for Ukraine and Moldova, RealMusic. The 1,500m² event space has everything necessary to host world-class events, including a large stage with high-quality sound and lighting equipment, a well-organised ba
Germany - Munich’s traditional weekend of classical music, Klassik am Odeonsplatz, by Pro Events Veranstaltungs GmbH, which is held in the historic city-centre square named after the former concert hall on its north-western side, took place in mid-July 2022. Over two sold-out nights the event hosted a programme of classical music from the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra on the first night, conducted by Daniel Harding, and an evening of movie theme music played by the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle ahead of his three-year residency as conductor of the Munich Philharmonic next year. The performances were enjoyed each night by an audience of 8000 people and broadcast live to 1.5million viewers on Germany’s premier ARD television station. Assistant lighting designer in charge of programming and key lighting, Nick Schmitt, jo
UK – The summer season at Warwick Castle presented back-to-back challenges for Full Production, called upon by event producer Pixel Artworks to provide lighting, crew and expertise for the historic venue’s two big visitor attractions – Dragon Slayer and Sundown Spectacular. Warwick Castle, owned by Merlin Entertainments, hosted the two family-fun attractions in the spacious castle courtyard, just a few days apart in August. Pixel Artworks brought in Full Production having worked with them on a number of previous projects. Full Production’s director of live events and touring, Marc Thornton, served as lighting designer and led the company’s team under the guidance of Pixel Artworks’ production manager, Joe Kelly. The first show, Dragon Slayer, had two acts: the first - a live action extravaganza complete with knights on horseback battlin
USA - Martin Audio partner Soundworks of Virginia equipped the five main stages of the long-running Richmond Folk Festival, an annual celebration of American culture and roots music, with the manufacturer’s optimisable Wavefront Precision line array speakers. Promoted by Venture Richmond, a non-profit organization, this three-day free festival, with which Soundworks have been involved for more than a decade, is held annually in the city’s downtown Riverfront Plaza area - spanning an area of almost 20 acres. An offshoot of the National Folk Festival, it is one of the largest events in Virginia, drawing around 200,000 visitors from across the country and featuring more than 30 global artists. Some 130 Martin Audio components were specified across the site, and Soundworks’ founder and CEO, Steve Payne, notes that this exhausted all 124 available channels of their 31
The Netherlands – Event and broadcast comms specialist Green-GO is celebrating sales of its Wireless Belt-Pack X (WBPX) reaching the golden number of 10,000 – just as its wired counterpart, the BPX, had already done. To mark this milestone, the manufacturer, ELC, kept aside the WBPX unit with serial number 10000 – had it gold-plated, just as it had done with the 10,000th BPX - and presented it to ELC founder and Green-GO inventor, Joost van Eenbergen. The WBPX units with serial numbers either side of 10000 were dispatched as usual to Green-GO’s global customer network. As chance would have it, the shipment went about as far as it could go, to Green-GO’s distributor for Australia & New Zealand, Sydney-based Event Communications Australia. Opening the package was sales and marketing manager Rod McKinnon. “With that particular shipment,” he recalls, “
South Africa - Located in the heart of Sandton, Johannesburg, Zioux is a fusion of food, drinks and music with a funky lounge vibe and interior design inspired by South African wildlife. Zioux manager Dino Constantinou is into technology and knew lighting would be integral to creating the right ambience in the restaurant. He was delighted when DWR specified 18 x Robe moving lights – 12 x LEDBeam 150s and six Spotes fitted with wide angle lenses – to help make the atmosphere extra special. Johnny Scholtz headed the project for DWR. Dino already had ideas about what he wanted, which was lighting to create subtle effects and texturing around the room for general dining, which could be ramped up to generate excitement and hustle for the later evenings and live DJ sets at the weekends. The venue is also used for events which have different and additional lighting requi
USA - A festival celebrating the earliest form of aviation was complemented by the very latest in aviation technology, when drone show specialist Verge Aero flew a series of spectacular light shows for the 50th anniversary Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF) in New Mexico. Known as “the most photographed event in the world”, the AIBF is a celebration of the oldest human aviation technique, the hot-air balloon, pioneered by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783 and capturing imaginations ever since. This year, the spectacle attracted around 900,000 visitors over its eight-day run in October – and the organisers were, as ever, pushing the boundaries of entertainment for their awe-struck audiences. “We’ve been interested in drones since we first saw them a number of years ago at Superbowl Half-Time,” says AIBF executive director Paul Smith. “The cost
USA - Panic! at the Disco kickstarted their Viva Las Vengeance arena tour at Austin’s Moody Center in September, with a 70s and 80s rock-influenced high-octane show. Conjuring up rich colours and sharp beams were 128 VL2600 Profile luminaires from Vari-Lite. Celebrated production designer Sooner Routhier worked closely with the band and their management to design and build the show, collaborating with Alex Specht as associate lighting designer/lighting director and André Petrus as associate production designer/lighting programmer. Together, they created a design that would take the audience back to the early days of large arena rock productions, as the band played their new album in its entirety in Act II of the show. (Acts I and III saw the group treat fans to their biggest hits.) “We resurrected pods of lights seen in vintage rock productions and added a
Portugal - Rock In Rio is a long-established part of the international festival circuit and one of the world’s largest, hosting around 100,000 fans each day across the 16 performance spaces at the city’s Cidade do Rock (City of Rock), originally built for the first Rock In Rio in 1985. The Brazilian version is the festival’s flagship event, a sister production staged periodically in Lisbon, Portugal. This year’s event was held over the first two weekends in September and featured a typically diverse range of headliners from heavy metal to pop and dance. Sao Paulo-based Gabisom Audio Equipment continued their long association with the event in 2022 and once again deployed part of their Outline Newton inventory to manage their sound systems. Freelance sound engineer / system technician Ewerton Leandro Manca was working with the Newtons throughout the event and c
USA - Big concert tours were back in a big way this past summer and The Weeknd’s ambitious After Hours til Dawn outing is perhaps the best example. Lighting designer Jason Baeri is using over 450 Elation Proteus Hybrid and Proteus Excalibur moving head luminaires as workhorse fixtures on the tour, an elaborate, visually striking show that has been selling out major stadiums across North America since July. The first leg of the all-stadium tour kicked off on 14 July at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and concludes on 27 November at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The tour is also scheduled to visit South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. After Hours til Dawn is a monumental show that reflects the artist’s status as one of the world's best-selling music artists and is his most ambitious production to date. The conceptual show,
