UK - The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opened in late July, with 4,500 athletes and over a million spectators expected to travel from all over the world to compete in 286 sessions across 11 days of live sport. Sports Technology (ST) the ’official large video screens & audio services provider’ to the Games, is providing a full turnkey technical solution from the design, through to delivery and operation of all LED screens, projection, audio, sport presentation, and the provision of major signal distribution infrastructure across the 15 competition venues supporting 19 sports and eight paralympic sports. ST was established in the UK in 2010 in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics as a specialist business focused on delivering AV and associated technology services to major multi-sport events. The business is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Creative Technol
USA – Like some ancient deity of the underworld, Quintillian Speakers are shrouded in mystery. Even readers engrossed in the Vaxis 2 story, from which they sprang, know little about this ancient race of beings, other than that they are made of energy, and can turn up anywhere - even at this summer’s Coheed and Cambria tour across North America. The band’s frontman Claudio Sanchez conjured up these ‘enigmatic entities’ as part of The Amory Wars, an ongoing series of science fiction comic books and novels he created. His vision is brought to life on the group’s current tour, not just through its thematic music, but also by a commanding 27ft tall inflatable rendition of a Quintillian Speaker. Animating this impressive figure on the tour, and endowing it with a distinct persona, while also reflecting its power to transmit energy, is a bold and colourful
Thailand – As large-scale live shows begin to return to delight fans across Asia Pacific, one of the region’s biggest stars recently wrapped up two sold-out concerts and fan meets at Bangkok’s Impact Arena. California-born Mark Tuan made his mark on the K-Pop genre with superstar boyband Got7 and has since confirmed his place as a multidimensional celebrity recognised internationally as a rapper, singer, songwriter, and model. The multi-purpose Impact Arena - which includes a convention centre that can be used for sporting events, conferences, and concerts - was chosen for Mark Tuan to perform and meet with more than 10,000 fans over two nights. Bangkok-based 4nologue promoted the event. They turned to local audio-visual provider PM Center Co’s team of audio professionals to deploy pristine tour-level sound in the largest concert venue in Thailand. “Our first
USA - When Coldplay performed a sold-out show in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena last October, lighting designer Sooner Routhier of Sooner Rae Creative used 64 Claypaky Xtylos luminaires that dazzled the audience. The fixtures were the centrepiece of her design for the show that ringed a massive circular truss mounted over the stage. The stand-alone concert, presented by Amazon Music and live streamed worldwide on Amazon, was part of a global promotional tour of single shows in support of the band’s ninth studio album, Music of the Spheres. For the ambitious Seattle show, Routhier and her team “essentially created a full-size arena production for a 20-plus-camera, global live broadcast with three days on site and five days of previs,” she points out. “It really does come down to the team; it’s a massive collaborative effort to get something like that
Ireland - A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ireland (AC-ET Ireland) turned to Doughty Engineering when they were contracted by Dublin Business School (DBS) to deliver a new studio space to enhance its extensive suite of programmes. DBS has evolved over the years, expanding its offerings to meet the demands of various sectors, offering subjects in business, law, finance, computing, media, arts, psychology, and social science. To create a modern studio with the latest technologies, AC-ET Ireland specified and supplied a number of leading technology brands for the project, including Six-Track from Doughty Engineering. “Once we knew that track and drapes were part of the client’s brief, it was a no brainer for us to specify Doughty products,” explained Aaron Cripps, AC-ET Ireland’s managing director. “We know that Doughty kit is consistently reliable and that the t
UK - CPL co-ordinated and delivered staging, sound, video, lighting and other associated BTS (behind the scenes) infrastructure to Tropic Fest, a two-day festival style event staged in the grounds of the historic Chillington Hall in Staffordshire. CPL was working for production company Pandora Events and their end client, Tropic Skincare with a team led by Lee Gruszeckyj. They asked Star Events onboard to supply the 15m orbit stage on which all the performance action took place. The sound, lighting and video production design was based on the requirements of several artist riders from a lively line-up that included acts like Rob da Bank, Our Girl G, Queenz, Mr Motivator, Air Guitar Band, Magic of Marley, Twinnie, the Strictly Come Dancing Band with headliners Gok Wan, Bjorn Again and the Ministry of Sound Disco. This mixed line up meant that flexibility was essential
Europe - After hanging up his bass guitar from his time in bands like Kix and Wrathchild America, Brad Divens has been the Front of House engineer for a range of major artists, including Linkin Park, Cyndi Lauper, Garbage, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and Mötley Crüe. This summer he mixed major European shows for Enrique Iglesias where, since switching to a Yamaha Rivage PM digital mixing system, he was able to bid a final farewell to years of touring with outboard racks. Like all experienced engineers, Brad cut his teeth on analogue mixers. Since, he has used various digital systems, but it was when friend and fellow engineer Frank Scamalone recommended the Yamaha Rivage PM series that Brad properly took the plunge. “I knew that I wanted to do something different and Frank kept telling me ‘Look Brad, just plug an SM58 into it and listen to your voice, th
Columbia - Reggaeton superstar Maluma sold out Medellin’s Atanasio Girardot stadium for a homecoming show that was as spectacular as it was popular, complete with lightshow created by Alain Corthout using over 200 Robe moving lights. Alain is already working on the artist’s ongoing US & Latin American tour with runs until November 2022, so for this special concert complete with a 22-camera shoot streaming via Amazon Music, he substantially upscaled set and lighting. It was also the first time that Maluma has staged such a big show in his lively and significant hometown. Amplifying the touring set and lighting, Alain specified 125 x Robe MegaPointes, 80 x Spiider wash beams, 32 x Tetra2 LED battens, 28 x ColorStrobes and eight BMFL WashBeams for the in-the-round show. A massive ground supported roof / stage system with 23m of trim height was installed i
UK - The Smile embarked on their first ever UK and European tour with audio support from Britannia Row Productions. The band – comprised of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, and Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner – chose a selection of intimate venues for their debut tour, which meant that house PA systems were the order of the day, and the Brit Row control package would take on a lot of the heavy lifting. FOH Engineer Mikko Gordon has worked with The Smile’s frontman, Thom Yorke, for 10 years both live and in the studio, most recently serving as engineer for the band’s debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention. “It felt natural for me to be the one to take this show out into the world,” says Mikko. “We spent some time at Rak Studios for production rehearsals and this allowed me to create my mix in a controlled environment. I used
USA - Franklin Music Hall on Philadelphia’s North 7th Street first opened its doors in 1995 as Electric Factory, the second incarnation of a bygone local ’60s/’70s venue. The new 2,500-capacity venue quickly emerged as one of the city’s prime destinations for artists spanning genres from rock to punk to noise to dance, and its popularity sparked the warehouse-style music-venue trend, becoming the model for clubs across the nation. The venue was eventually acquired by AEG in September 2018 and took on its current moniker, with AEG’s regional partner The Bowery Presents producing shows there by artists like Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Greta Van Fleet, MGMT, and Matt and Kim. Now, Franklin Music Hall has turned yet another corner with its recent installation of an L-Acoustics K2 loudspeaker system, which has pumped up the volume for its most current raft of touring
USA - Built as a hotel in 1865, the Haywood House in Jefferson, Texas, has served as a grand hotel, a local history museum and a personal residence. Today, the historic Haywood House is an upscale Euro-American restaurant and cocktail bar. Owners Teresa and Alan Ponder purchased Haywood House in 2020 and have been updating and renovating the building's infrastructure, including the installation of a new state-of-the-art, facility-wide sound system from AtlasIED, featuring the company's Strategically Hidden Speakers and Atmosphere audio control platform. Michael Chism, account manager at Visual Techniques (VTI-TX), was the point person for the historical Haywood House sound system project. Based in Longview, Texas, VTI-TX is an AV systems integration firm providing a range of products and solutions, including high-quality audio and control systems, visual presentation a
UK - London’s 02 Intercontinental Hotel recently hosted the World Procurement Awards. Organisers of the event, which celebrates the achievements of companies and individuals involved in the procurement supply chain, wanted to endow it with a “rock vibe” to reflect the bold convention-challenging attitude that drives that industry. Helping to convey this mood was a dynamic production and lighting design by Pytch that emulated the look and feel of rock shows throughout the venue. The design team created one of the largest scale of productions the 02 has ever seen. This required a complex rigging system, incorporating a large mother grid and a kinesys based motor system to accommodate unique angled automated diamond LED wall. There were also over 400 panels of LED for the stage set. The size and scope of the production meant that load in and load out were challenging, wit
The Netherlands - The Nederlands Blazers Ensemble Nieuwjaarsconcert - performed on-stage before an audience and broadcasted by NPO 2 on New Year’s Day - is a pivotal event in the Dutch cultural calendar, ringing in the New Year for countless viewers. The 2022 edition marked the concert’s 50th iteration, which paid tribute to legendary singers Nina Simone and Maria Callas. To create immersive and riveting visuals suitable for such a milestone, veteran lighting designer Henk-Jan van Beek and the Light-H-Art team selected the Martin MAC Ultra Performance as the lighting fixture of choice. “I had already seen and played with the MAC Ultra Performance, and so I knew it was something I wanted to have,” said van Beek. “It’s since become my de-facto workhorse - it’s easy to set up, zooming into an iris effect is fast and elegant. Because it’s so bright, the fixture
UK - Sennheiser has been an essential part of Ed Sheeran’s touring inventory since the start of his career, with his long-time production company, Major Tom, providing Sennheiser’s flagship Digital 9000 system for him in recent years. Now on a tour that takes in some of the biggest venues in the world, including London’s Wembley Stadium, the Stade De France in Paris, the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, New Zealand’s Eden Park and Sydney’s Accor Stadium, and with a show that has expanded significantly from his ‘one man and a guitar days’, a switch has been made to Sennheiser’s Digital 6000. “Digital 6000 delivers the same sonic excellence, but with added flexibility,” says RF engineer Dave White. “The 9000 Series served us incredibly well, but with large shows on multiple nights with a band and the addition of guest artists, we needed some extra flexibility
China - Fujian Province’s new Pingtan International Performing Arts Center recently invested in a series of Green-GO digital intercom products to provide a much-needed scalable, high-quality sound and simple-to-use solution. The centre, which serves as a cultural hub in the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Area in northeast Jinjing Bay, is a vast building. It includes a 1,500-seat theatre, a 400-seat multi-function hall and a public centre for performance and art, covering almost 40,000 sq.m. Now open for business, it will be the home to a stage play directed by Chinese dancer YANG Liping called Pingtan Impression. Chinese AV solution provider EZPro was responsible for the audio system design and installation at the Centre. “The project needed an intercom system with a good quality of sound, which is easy to use and would be scalable. Therefore, we c
USA - There are many reasons why Dustin L. Derry always embraces the opportunity to light dance performances. High on this list is the opportunity it affords him to depart from the conventional use of colours and patterns. “What’s nice about dance, is you don’t have to think so literally about 'natural' lighting,” said the Chicago-based designer. “In dance, you can push deep into the surreal and express yourself in new ways to support the choreographer’s vision. You can focus on individual elements, like live musicians, and help blend them into the background, and then pull specific dancers or ideas into the foreground and vice versa depending on the needs of the moment. I don't think this presents any challenges, so much as it opens new doors for me creatively.” Derry stepped boldly through those doors recently, inventively using gobo patterns and coloured
USA - Bandit Lites has added more Robe fixtures to its inventory. Designer Dave Butzler has over 200 BMFL Spots, WashBeams, Robin 1200 LED Washes and BMFL Lightmaster Side Kits on the 2022 Garth Brooks Stadium tour. “Robe is obviously the heart of Dave’s massive design,” said Bandit Lites chair Michael T. Strickland. “Garth has gone where no other stadium act has gone before, selling out multiple shows in stadiums across the country. Garth did three nights sold out in Salt Lake City, two nights sold out in Edmonton, two nights sold out in Birmingham, and over 100,000 in each sold out show at LSU Stadium and at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Every show on the tour was a sellout. Garth closes the 2022 Stadium Tour in September with five sold out shows in Dublin, Ireland at Croke Park, over 400,000 people total!” Constant demand for the popular Robe FollowSpot wi
USA - Tears for Fears has wrapped the North American leg of their Tipping Point World Tour 2022 in support of the duo’s comeback album of the same name. Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal treated fans to favourites from their new album as well as classics from throughout the years in an amphitheatre tour with lighting design by Joe Cabrera II who chose 48 Ayrton MagicBlade R fixtures for effects lighting. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America. This leg of the Tipping Point World Tour 2022 kicked off at the end of May in Cincinnati and concluded a month later in New York’s Jones Beach. The duo’s eponymous album, their first since 2004’s Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, was released earlier this year. Cabrera, of Los Angeles-based Flash and Trash Works, served as lighting programmer on Tears for Fears’ previous two
UK - Last week, Alexander Stadium was brought to life for the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Engaged by Birmingham Ceremonies (a Joint venture between Gary Beestone Associates and Done and Dusted), Creative Technology provided LED display technology and playback services for the show, working closely with Total Fabrications for the structural elements and BAFTA award winning artist and creative director Tal Rosner for the content. Centre stage on the stadium floor the ‘Bullring’ was made from a specialist outdoor and waterproof LED, created measuring over 260m in circumference, incorporating ramps for vehicle access in several locations and a seamless removeable section allowing larger scenic access including the massive mechanical bull. At one end of the stadium a massive telescopic LED tower incorporating 250m2 of CT’s flag
Australia - Irish playwright, poet and author Oscar Wilde and his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray tells a provocative and dreamlike story of a young man living in a Victorian-era England who relinquishes his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Under the direction of Kip Williams, artistic director of Sydney Theatre Company (STC), actor Eryn Jean ‘EJ’ Norvill plays 26 separate roles capturing the audience’s attention throughout a two-hour performance. To bring each role to life, TDC – Technical Direction Company worked with the team at Sydney Theatre Company to develop an on-stage technical solution for five moving LED screens and media server technology. “The Picture of Dorian Gray uniquely uses live camera, pre-recorded and display technology as part of the stage design. The amazing stagecraft was developed by Sydney Theatre Compa
Vietnam - Phuc Giang recently supplied Xu Restaurant Lounge and Cocktail Bar with a JBL Professional distributed audio system. Established in 2005, Xu Restaurant Lounge and Cocktail Bar is a social gathering place located in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. In addition to its menu of cocktails and cuisine from Vietnam, Xu offers premium musical entertainment in the form of live bands and guest DJs. During the 2020 lockdowns, Xu took the downtime as an opportunity to upgrade their sound system with the help of Phuc Giang. To provide immersive musical experiences for guests, musicians and DJs alike, Phuc Giang installed a sound system using JBL EON powered speakers and subwoofers. Staff reported that Xu Restaurant Lounge and Cocktail Bar needed a seamless and easy-to-use sound system that would deliver clear and balanced audio in all areas of the restaurant, and that the
USA - Bob Harmon, CEO and president of Eggshell Light Company of Honolulu, has had success using his stable of Proteus Hybrid luminaires to light shows at the Waikiki Shell ever since he acquired the multi-functional weatherproof lights in 2017. Still going strong after five years, Elation’s IP65 moving heads are reliably weathering another season at Honolulu’s renowned outdoor venue. “I use a variety of manufacturers’ products but by far the most robust in holding up outdoors and dealing with heat and humidity are the Proteus Hybrids,” commented Harmon, noting that Eggshell has added more Proteus Hybrids to inventory since that first acquisition. “At the Waikiki Shell, they stay outside for four months at a time and work just flawlessly. They have been very reliable for us over the years.” Eggshell handles lighting for a large number of one-off shows at
USA - Popular Richmond, VA live music venue, The Broadberry, has taken delivery of a new Martin Audio Torus constant curvature array, supplied by locally based rental partner, Soundworks of Virginia. Soundworks has been working with the 550-capacity venue, owned by Lucas Fritz and Matt McDonald, providing sound for their outdoor concerts since the Spring of 2021. Explaining the rationale behind the venue upgrade, Fritz says they had been making do with the old system that was in the venue when they took over in 2014. “We were well overdue for a PA overhaul, especially given the calibre of artists we were continuously bringing to the market. We had been working with Soundworks and knew they wouldn’t lead us astray.” The venue’s production manager Justin Lewis confirms that the previous system had been poorly deployed - and he had a firm idea in mind for it
South Africa - Blond Productions supplies technical production for a slew of popular reality TV shows which have included several iterations of Big Brother over the years. There was much anticipation this year when the South African version – Big Brother Mzansi – returned for the first time since 2016 produced by Red Pepper and broadcast on Mzansi Magic. Blond’s Ryan Lombard (head of the show lighting department) designed and operated the lighting, working closely with a new set design created by Michael Gill, and several of his go-to Robe moving lights including Esprites, LEDWash 300s and six of Blond Productions’ new iSpiiders. Blond made this initial purchase of 12 x iSpiiders for I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here (Germany) which was shot in the South African bush for which they needed some hardy, weatherproof, LED wash fixtures
