France - The Romanian Embassy was installed in the Palais de Béhague in Paris in 1939. Within its walls is a theatre, built in 1898, called the Byzantine Room, because of its largely Byzantine style decoration. This room can accommodate a variety of different events such as conferences, shows, parades, musical performances or theatre. When Luca Luculescu the current ambassador, decided to give a second life to this abandoned theatre, he discussed options with Sébastien Collin, co-founder of DID Technology. The goal was to revive the theatre whilst modernising the facilities and developing a versatile solution that could adapt to any type of event that was organised. For the stage element, eight Prolights Eclipse Fresnel units were selected in variable white along with eight Eclipse HD RGBA / Lime / Royal Blue. The floor lighting concept incorporated eight Proli
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has provided Scottish Opera with a new surtitling system, utilising AlphaPIX2 by Prolights LED video panels. Founded in 1962, Scottish Opera is Scotland’s national opera company and largest performing arts organisation. With a diverse annual season of productions embracing opera’s unique blend of music, singing and theatre, it is committed to making the art form available to the widest possible audience. As well as performing its productions in mainstage and other venues across the country, Scottish Opera’s home is the Theatre Royal Glasgow, which last year celebrated its 150th year. Recently the Theatre Royal’s surtitling system was in need of an upgrade after 11 years of service. Alex Reedijk, general director of Scottish Opera approached AC-ET to discuss alternatives. Chris Beardwell, technical sales execut
USA - The team at WorldStage prides themselves in being “technology specialists at heart” and they have the track record to prove it, being among the earliest adapters of a long series of breakthroughs like moving LED fixtures. This summer, the innovative company took another step toward the future, when it added 50 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK3 Profile fixtures to its inventory. “This is a new technology fixture,” said Terry Jackson, vice president, director of lighting at WorldStage. “We have been searching for a large LED fixture to upgrade some of the older 3K range units we own, and this is it. This will definitely replace several fixtures in our inventory, so we can continue to grow and deliver a better experience to our customers. “We have already used these fixtures on the DRL/Formula E Kick-Off Party, and we have them ready for additional high
UK - As the contract for the Hyde Park festival site comes up for renewal, all involved in the production of Barclaycard presents British Summer Time can reflect on seven glorious years at a location that had previously been considered unworkable and unviable. That promoters AEG Live have proven otherwise is due in no small part to the role of their technical contractors, including Capital Sound - whose deployment of the Martin Audio MLA multicellular loudspeaker array technology had proven under test conditions its ability to meet required propagation thresholds, both inside the bowl and beyond the perimeter. Monitored by acoustics consultants Vanguardia, as it has been every year, MLA - optimised using Martin Audio’s proprietary advanced DISPLAY software - was equal to a wide range of performance over the two weekends - extending from Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion
USA - The Who are currently between legs of their 2019 Moving On! Tour, which finds them joined by a local orchestra in each city to present different takes on classics and deep cuts from their extensive catalogue. The Who are carrying a sizeable Adamson E-Series system provided by Cleveland, OH’s Eighth Day Sound. Chris ‘Chopper’ Morrison, who shares FOH duties with The Who’s long-time engineer, Robert Collins, says that while this is the band’s first full outing to carry an Adamson system, the choice was informed by previous experiences with the E-Series on one-off and festival dates. “We’ve done a few festivals in Europe the last few years and took note that, if it was an Adamson E-Series rig, it always sounded great. We never had to fiddle with the EQ or anything too much and Robert was always really happy,” the engineer reports. “I knew it would
Belgium – The highly anticipated Eric Prydz EPIC 6.0 Holosphere debuted at Belgium’s Tomorrowland Festival last weekend, with Eric performing inside a giant video-mapped, 3D transparent LED sphere. The production was the latest in Prydz’s EPIC (Eric Prydz In Concert) series of visual spectaculars, realised by dream team, long term collaborators Liam Tomaszewski (Punkette), Ross Chapple (RCLD), Mark Calvert and Dave Green (RES) and Bryn Williams (Light Initiative) with the eight-metre-high Holosphere forming the centrepiece of the new design. “EPIC 6.0 has been two years in the making, starting with conceptual sketches, through to putting together exactly the right team with the skills, know-how and passion to get the project off the ground, and now successfully delivering the show at Tomorrowland,” says Calvert, who has been working with Eric Prydz on the EPI
UK - Lighting and video rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment supplied stage and architectural lighting and LED screen to the 2019 Hampton Court Palace Festival, staged in the Tudor Courtyard of Hampton Court Palace in Richmond, Surrey. A star-studded line-up for the 2019 season included Kylie Minogue, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Tears for Fears, The Jacksons, Jools Holland and many more. The event was enjoyed by thousands who flocked to this unique venue to enjoy summer evenings picketing in the gardens and grounds before taking their seats for the evening concerts which ran over a three-week period in June. Ensuring that everything ran like clockwork onstage was Jonny Gaskell, production manager and production lighting designer, who has worked for the festival for the last seven years. Jonny provides a production design for the stage and lights selected archi
USA - Like a scene from Star Wars or Blade Runner set in the middle of Brooklyn, Jupiter Disco is a refuge for intergalactic bounty hunters, replicants, and thirsty, trend-setting New Yorkers. Celebrated mixologists Maks Pazuniak and Al Sotack opened Jupiter Disco with inspiration drawn from their mutual love of dystopian science fiction. Danny Taylor, from House Under Magic, designed the sound system for Jupiter Disco, relying on his long history with Danley Sound Labs’ technologies to give the bar impactful, detailed sound with a “grills-off” aesthetic that fits the theme. “This is Maks and Al’s passion project in a scene filled with taste-makers who are very enthusiastic, but also very critical,” explained Taylor. “Sure, they had to put money into it to pull it off, but the real key to Jupiter Disco’s success is their genuine passion. T
Switzerland - Each August for the past 73 years, the Romanesque Piazza Grande is transformed into the world’s largest open air movie theatre. Flanked by detailed buildings, the piazza provides an enchanting setting for screenings at the Locarno International Film Festival, an event that draws the likes of Harrison Ford, Ethan Hawke and other Hollywood A-listers to this ancient town on the Italian-Swiss border. Earlier in the summer, this venerable site, which traces its origins back to Roman times, undergoes another transformation, as it is turned into an urban nightclub for the Connection Festival. For two days in June, the sounds or rap, pop, and electronic music resonate off the pastel walls of its buildings, accompanied by intensely bright light from over 40 Chauvet Professional Maverick fixtures, supplied and set up by Fumasoli Audio & Lights Rental. Enrico
Poland - The mercury hit record highs in Warsaw, while theatre-goers visiting the Stanisław Witkiewicz Studio Theatre were treated to a performance of Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables staged by the Śródmiejski Teatr Muzyczny. The company - made up from school pupils aspiring to be acting / performance professionals - produces an annual musical which was lit by LD Michal Piskorski who has also lit the previous two such productions, 2017’s Footloose and the Monty Python’s Spamalot. He worked closely with programmer Krzysztof Gantner from the show’s technical sponsor, Prolight, on the spectacle which was directed by Antoniusz Dietzius who also designed the set. Six Robe T1 Profile moving lights were utilised, provided by Warsaw-based lighting and technical sales specialist Prolight. Also, part of this ‘specials’ package were five R
Malaysia - Malaysiato’s new Fo Guang Shan Hsing Ma Buddhist Temple recently opened in its southernmost city of Johor Bahru. At its core is a soaring Main Shrine Hall, capable of accommodating more than 1,000 people. The Fo Guang Shan Chinese International Buddhist monastic order is well-known for its use of world-class technology in its temples across the world, including New Zealand, Canada and the UK, and the new Johor Bahru branch is no exception. Its size, shape and materials presented acoustic challenges, leading the technology team to a permanently installed d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker and amplification solution. Kuala Lumpur-based Chan Lee Sound and Light was first on the scene to identify a system that would fit the bill. Having served as Fo Guang Shan’s rental contractor for a number of years, Chan Lee Sound has used d&b systems on several of the
UK - Theatre lighting specialist Howard Hudson has deployed GLP’s new RGBY version of its best-selling impression X4 on the West End production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ -The Musical. The adaptation of Sue Townsend’s best-selling book recently transferred to the Ambassadors Theatre. Hudson had first worked on the production back in 2015 when it was at The Curve in Leicester. He had previously collaborated with the director, Luke Sheppard and designer, Tom Rogers on various projects prior to this and we were all put together for that first production. The show was then produced at the Menier Chocolate Factory before transferring to the Ambassadors Theatre. In terms of how the show should be lit, much of the musical is written from Adrian’s point of view, with a lot of his sections of the piece as direct address to the audience. “Theref
UK - Audio Light Systems called upon the expertise of Doughty Engineering to help deliver a new media studio at Edinburgh University's Argyle House. The University which has a fast-developing programme of Distance Learning at Scale, had an existing media studio but was struggling to fully support the programme of media production required. Audio Light Systems was brought on board to assist with the creation of a new TV studio and gallery on floor D of Argyle house as Neil McLucas, Audio Light Systems' senior technician explains: "The TV studio already had a space prepared with new wiring and decoration. Our task was to develop the gallery, housed in an existing acoustic sound booth adjacent to the studio. The specification was for the supply and installation of sound, video, studio lighting curtain and tracks and so we got in touch with Doughty Engineering to supply
Hungary - One of Hungary's biggest music festivals, attracting over 100,000 music-lovers over its five days, VOLT Festival has been taking place annually in Sopron (near the Austrian border) since 1993. It is one of three festivals, including Balaton Sound, falling under the banner of the mighty Sziget Festival, promoted by Sziget Cultural Management. All have for many years been serviced successfully by Capital Sound, with their Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker array. VOLT presents a multi-genre line-up featuring artists for electronic, rock, pop, jazz, and urban genres as well as theatre performances, visual art exhibitions, film screenings, sporting events and more. Capital Sound again received local support from Hungarian MLA partner, BG Event Kft in the form of Balázs Szentiványi, and were further assisted by the expertise of the ever-present Marci Mezei. This
USA - Production designers Robert Long and Sooner Routhier of SRae Productions, along with associate designer Ashley Zapar, specified the Vari-Lite VL6000 Beam luminaire to add a bold and dynamic presence to their show design for the farewell tour by KISS. The band’s End of the Road world tour, which continues through 2019, features all the rock and roll theatrics that fans expect of a classic KISS show (described by Long as “equal parts of fire, lasers, metal, leather, and controlled chaos”) but with a modern edge. “KISS requires an old school light show with simple cuing that accents the music but isn’t overly embellished,” says Long, discussing the KISS show style and their choice of lighting fixtures. “The music is simple, four on the floor, rock and roll with heavy guitar riffs. We need lights that reflect that, but in a modern, elevated way.
Australia - Riverside Theatres is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Parramatta CBD in the western suburbs of Sydney. Opened in 1988, its various venues include the 761-seat proscenium arch Riverside Theatre, the 213 capacity Lennox Theatre, and the Raffety's Theatre which can accommodate an audience of 88. In the last year, the Riverside has invested in Robe DL4S Profiles and LEDWash 300 moving lights for the main venue. These are the first moving lights they have owned and the second batch of LED lights to be installed in the space, part of a programme that will transition the entire complex to more sustainable light sources. The timing of the purchase was also designed to reduce the need for external sub hires of LED fixtures which had accelerated during the previous season. Technical co-ordinator Sean Clarke and his colleagues Mike Brew and Josh Stringe
Mauritius - The 26th annual World Travel Awards recently took place on the island nation of Mauritius and the tropical surroundings were made even more enticing with a dress of Elation dynamic lighting designed and delivered by Seven Amps. Seven Amps, a Mauritian gear rental and integrated systems provider, provided all the technical equipment for the event, which included outdoor lighting for the venue’s stately Manor House and cocktail area, as well as lighting for the awards ceremony at the indoor marquee. The company also handled decorative and branding elements for the awards event. Held on 1 June at the Sugar Beach Hotel in Flic-en-Flac, Seven Amps chose an array of Elation lighting fixtures for the awards event, along with lighting from sister company ADJ, as well as Duratruss. “We needed an IP-rated LED Par light and wash panel for the outdoor ligh
Ireland - Croke Park Stadium in Dublin has completed its programme of design and installation of a permanent PA/VA sound system, supplied by French manufacturer Nexo. This sporting venue is the national stadium of Ireland and home to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The 82,300 capacity stadium has been at the heart of Irish sporting life for over 100 years and is the third largest in Europe behind Camp Nou in Barcelona and Wembley in London. Less well-known is the fact that Croke Park is also the widest, its 88m-wide pitch (nearly twice the size of a football pitch) is designed to accommodate the Gaelic sports of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie. Mongey Communications, full-service AV and communications provider from Kildare, has been involved with Croke Park for nearly 15 years. This year, the Mongey team finished its extensive upgrade of the audio f
Samoa - This year, Samoa plays host to the sixteenth edition of the Pacific Games which sees over 4000 athletes competing in 27 different sports. It is also home to DAWG Professional Audio whose success with their KV2 Audio inventory was sufficient to win the audio tender for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2019 Pacific Games. DAWG is owned by Corey Keil who also owns Samoa’s Radio Polynesia and TV3. Passionate about sound, Keil’s love affair with KV2 began when he heard a pair of KV2 SL412s running with four double 21” subs on the demo stage at ProLight & Sound. “I was literally blown away,” he recalls. “I just couldn’t believe what was coming out of two such small boxes! I walked straight onto the KV2 stand where I met sales director, Dave Croxton, and said, ‘I want the system you have outside.’” Since then Keil’s invento
France - All eyes were on the pitch at the Stade de France even after the finals of the French National Rugby League’s Top 14 concluded on 15 June. French hip-hop brother duo Bigflo & Oli closed the event playing to packed stands as a large complement of Claypaky fixtures illuminated their set. The Top 14 competition has been played in France since 1892 and features 14 participating teams, hence its name. Lighting designer Damien Dufaitre deployed Claypaky Sharpy Plus, Sharpy and HY B-EYE K25 LED wash lights provided by Regietek for the brothers’ performance. He positioned 19 K25s at the ground around the edge of the field. “The power of the fixtures’ projector allowed me to alternately coat the lawn with solid colors or play their powerful beams tight in the bottom,” says Dufaitre. “Even at 40m, they did the job.” Sharpys, located at the
UK - Viewers around the world enjoyed premium audio while watching Wimbledon 2019 with NEP UK deploying 15 Calrec consoles at the South West London tennis venue, alongside extensive Calrec networking and routing technology and I/O boxes. An additional three Calrec consoles were used in NEP OB trucks that covered Centre Court, Court One and Court Two. “We have worked extensively with Calrec over the years; the networking flexibility and easy scalability of their technology were central to the success of this Wimbledon 2019 project,” says Jimmy Parkin, sound engineer, NEP Broadcast Services. “We needed audio operators to be able to easily access any source from any court without having to move anything or plug anything in; any console can ‘talk’ with any other console on the network. “We also needed to integrate IP networks with Calrec’s Hydra 2 networking
Denmark - In June, Meyer Sound returned to Denmark as the exclusive sound provider for the Roskilde Festival, Northern Europe’s largest and longest-running music festival. The event marked the second year of a five-year partnership between Meyer and the festival. The Roskilde Festival, now in its 49th year, took place over eight days from 29 June to 6 July and showcased nearly 180 acts on eight stages, from big-name headliners Cardi B, Bob Dylan, Travis Scott, Janelle Monáe, Robert Plant, and Wu-Tang Clan to Scandinavian superstars Robyn and MØ, to emerging regional artists, performing to daily crowds topping 130,000. The festival, which operates as a non-profit foundation, is a celebration of community and solidarity, ideals fostered year-round through support of humanitarian and cultural organisations in Denmark and beyond. (Since its inception, the Roskilde Fest
USA - Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth was one of three bands that opened up for Slayer this past spring on the metal rockers’ extended farewell tour. Martin Müller has been designing lighting and serving as lighting operator on Amon Amarth shows since 2016 and for the 16-date trek across the southern US and east coast chose to reinforce the band’s melodic guitars and growling vocals using Elation Smarty Hybrid moving heads as contre-jour lighting effects. With lyrical themes that deal with Norse mythology and history, the opportunity for interesting supporting visuals on Amon Amarth shows, such as a centre stage Viking ship, is great. “On an Amon Amarth tour, we have a lot of stage props, fabrics and other shushu that needs to be lit up in a tasty way so that the audience will always be able to discover something new when they look on stage,” Müller s
China - Hangzhou is the capital of the Zhejiang province on China’s eastern seaboard, and considered one of the country’s most prosperous areas. Its diverse nightlife scene has just been further enriched with the opening of a new One Third club destination, another of the NOA’s Arc Group’s premium entertainment ventures. At the heart of the lighting and visuals associated with the One Third identity is creative director Daan Oomen and his team from Netherlands-based Live Legends. They specified nearly 250 Robe moving lights to ensure One Third Hangzhou stands out in a competitive marketplace. Live Legends delivered all creative elements from concept to execution, including show production, interior and technical design which included co-ordinating all the visual disciplines and optimising the guest experience. Having a ‘named’ European manufacturer as
