USA - Metalcore band August Burns Red’s fast-paced, aggressive sound keeps listeners on the edge of their seats, a dynamic style of breakneck metal that has endeared them to their fans for the past 15 years. Needing a compact yet powerful narrow-beam fixture that could keep up with the band on their 2019 Dangerous tour, which kicked off 24 January in Lexington, Kentucky, lighting designer David Summers chose 12 Elation DARTZ 360 fixtures, supplied by Squeek Lights, as the bread and butter of his design. “It takes a lot to keep up with a band this fast,” says Summers, who’s been with the band just over a year and describes his lighting design as fast-paced, precise and large. “We needed a light that could move fast with a good mix of colour and effects options.” Using 12 of the 3-degree RGB DARTZ fixtures grouped across four towers of 5ft pipe in a
USA - California-based lighting designer Michael Berger recently took on the unusual commission of lighting a special musical stage production of the Love Actually movie using a number of fixtures from the GLP portfolio. Although a long-time member of the Full Flood lighting design consortium, the commission came through Berger’s own independent operation, Innovative Intensity - the latest in a multi-year collaboration with Los Angeles-based production company For The Record Live, which specialises in musical presentations based on the canon of a film director. In December 2017 they were approached by The Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills to put together a show for their black box theatre space, The Sorting Room. “We took the music / script for Love Actually and basically performed the film in its entirety with about four hours’ rehearsal. The succ
Germany - HK Audio has released three turnkey Linear 3 system packages for bands and DJs who want to take control of their own live sound. The German pro audio manufacturer has had considerable success with system packages in its Linear 5 family, and the concept has now been carried over to the Linear 3 line. Each of the competitively priced Linear 3 system packages offers a combination of various individual Linear 3 family components for either bands or DJs who regularly play gigs of a certain size. The L3 Compact Venue Pack offers enough power for bands who perform at small clubs or youth centres. The high performance pack has enough juice to rock venues for up to 500 people, while the L3 Bass Power Pack is designed for DJs who play bass-heavy music for crowds of up to 250 people. All three packs offer a plug-and-play solution for artists who have no tech
Sweden - Dataton unveiled the WATCHPAX 60 series of media servers at ISE. With the latest processor technology under the hood, robust exterior and redundant power supply as standard, the new rack-friendly series is suitable for demanding applications such as live events, attractions and broadcast installations. “We gathered feedback from key users during the design process to produce a plug-and-play media server series that would not only meet, but exceed, requirements for the toughest show environment,” says Lars Sandlund, Dataton CEO. “The dual power supply, range of models, SDI bi-directional connector options and fastest discs in the market all ensure that even the most complex shows are delivered flawlessly.” The new 2U media server will be available in three models offering from four up to 12 outputs and support for uncompressed video playback. Each model
China - Shantou University in Guangdong features a 52,000sq.m sports stadium complex, the Shantou University Sports Park. It includes an international competition-standard gymnasium complete with basketball courts, multipurpose halls, swimming pools and VIP boxes. This year, the stadium played host to the university’s 2018 graduation commencement emboldened by the retirement farewell ceremony for Shing - complete with a substantial, and mobile, Clair Brothers C12 and C8 loudspeaker system. After several close inspection reviews of top brands, DMT, the Clair Brothers distributor in China presented the powers that be with a demo of components. “It was obvious,” explains Chris Fish, technical director at DMT, “that the Clair Brothers gear was making a real impression compared to the other systems.” The final equipment list at the venue consists of a 32
UK - The BAFTAs welcomed film stars and royalty to London’s Royal Albert Hall in February, as the industry honoured those making waves on the big screen. The all-important red carpet - where the paparazzi anxiously awaited famous faces - was flanked by a rigging and lighting solution designed and delivered by TSL Lighting. The British weather proved to be another well-known guest at the proceedings, with high winds and heavy rain in the run-up to, and on, the big night. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined a who’s who of the global film industry for the ceremony, which was broadcast live. TSL's Neil Harvey, worked alongside colleagues Ali Morris and Rory Mackay to realise the challenging and prestigious project, working to a brief from event designer and producer Lucy Smail, of WD&P. The red-carpet arrival area required the construction of 12 TSL custom-des
Hungary - Budapest’s Thalia Theatre is a renowned producing and receiving house, presenting around 600 different productions per year. It’s one of Hungary’s best-known venues for staging musical comedy shows on its busy three stages, the largest of which has a 520-seat auditorium. The theatre has recently invested in Robe’s DL7S LED Profiles and Spiider LED wash lights - which are the first to be installed in a Hungarian theatre venue. The luminaires were chosen by head of lighting Karoly Bodon and his team, and delivered by Robe’s Hungarian distributor, AVL Trade. The new fixtures are currently all in use on the main stage, and there are another six DL4S profiles on order which will be utilised for the second stage when its current refurbishment is complete. The theatre is operated by the city of Budapest, but the new investment was financed by a combi
UK - Dinosaurs come to life in an updated version of the theatrical event, Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular (see LSi November for a production report). Originating in Australia in 2007, and on the road for many years, the production is a $20m-dollar production which recently received a massive technological update in mechatronics, visuals, lighting, and the latest in realtime tracking. The high-tech upgrades are provided and managed by UK-based company, Sonalyst, owned by Rory Madden. Sonalyst provides all the lighting, rigging, sound and communications. They also provide their technical expertise to be sure to use the appropriate equipment needed to solve any issues and improve the performance of the s
UK - AED’s Luxibel Expo Tools range makes its UK debut at the AED Customer Night events this week, alongside a spread of new kit covering sound, lighting, rigging, display and accessories. The AED UK Customer Nights will be held on Wednesday, 20 and Thursday, 21 February at the company’s UK office, from 4pm onwards. On both nights, visitors can enjoy the best local brew and curry whilst experiencing Luxibel’s Expo Tools. The Prolyte range, the new Show Lift AED-SL18 - an automated motorised tower lift that can be controlled by DMX - and the AV Stumpfl Pixera range will also be on show. “In this fast-paced industry, it’s important for us to inform our customers about the latest products, technologies and services,” says AED commercial manager, David Baker. “It’s a great occasion for our customers to meet the AED team in person and to discover our A
Italy - A dBTechnologies VIO line array system powered the most famous music festival in Italy at the Ariston Theatre in Sanremo. For Sanremo 2019, the 69th edition of the Festival of Italian Song, the RAI (Italian national public broadcasting company) technical team relied on dBTechnologies to guarantee quality sound coverage for one of the most awaited and popular events among Italian TV shows. The Sanremo Festival brings together artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti, Renato Zero, Laura Pausini and Nek, alongside international stars such as Queen, Eminem, Robbie Williams, Luis Fonsi and many others. The versatility of VIO L210 allowed an articulated and complex composition that took into account the particular architectural features of the venue, including galleries and corridors and the ‘red carpet’ area. The PA c
Belgium - At the annual Zoute Grand Prix event on the Belgian coast, some of the world’s most exclusive vintage cars transform the seaside town into a prestigious spectacle. Stow International, one of the main sponsors of the event, installed an industrial piece of art on the dyke, showing what they do, industrial racking, and serving as pitlane for the participating cars. For this year’s edition, the Stow racking construction was even higher, including two lanes for the technical scrutineering and control to highlight the Zoute Pitlane. Stow commissioned event agency Bevas Events for a lighting concept that includes 280 Chauvet Professional ÉPIX Strip IP fixtures. The lighting transformed the pitlane construction into a lattice of linear geometric illumination so that the Stow racking was highlighted from both sides of the dyke. In order to transform the
UK - Attracting over 1000 attendees, the Women in Data conference features addresses from high-profile speakers plus a range of supporting events. Held within the grand surroundings of Central Hall Westminster, London, the event included presentations, development sessions and an exhibition, designed to inspire the WiD community. Technical production specialists LFPS collaborated closely with the client and production manager Dave Parker to design the look and feel of the entire event. Providing a complete production package covering both equipment and logistics, LFPS supplied lighting, audio, video, rigging and staging. Working to precise schedules beginning with a 6pm time slot for overnight load-in and build, the team were ready for rehearsal at 6am, with everything in place ready for doors open at 9am. Commenting on working with LFPS, WiD co-founder Roisin Mc
USA - Led by Pastor Jeff Crook, Christ Place Church in Flowery Branch, Georgia, has been serving the community since 1955 by providing a safe place for everyone to come together in worship. The church recently finished construction on their new sanctuary, designed to use the latest in technology to reach a growing congregation. Requiring a theatrical lighting design that could create the ideal worship environment and front light for their high-definition video capabilities, the church worked with the AVL integration specialists PRODUCTION/co who designed a new lighting system using PHX 250W LED profile luminaires from Altman Lighting. “We’ve worked with the church on everything from student camps to smaller jobs, so when they began with the construction of their new sanctuary, we were brought on board to oversee the complete audio, video and lighting integration,
Saudi Arabia - Golf’s European Tour made history this year when it took its tournament to Saudi Arabi for the first time in its 47 years. The event took place at the Royal Greens golf course in King Abdullah Economic City on 31 January and ran until 3 February. Creative Technology (CT) were on hand to deliver all video aspects of this event on behalf of clients European Tour and IMG. CT’s head of sport, Steven Purkess explains: “CT was contracted to design, engineer and fabricate eight bespoke LED structures, a big departure from the standard scaffold support structures traditionally used at golf events. “The complete design and engineering service provided by CT not only included the design for each LED structure but also the foundations. The physical structure fabrication process was split across the CT group, and once delivered to site CT also instal
Germany - The roots of Rock gegen Rechts (Rock Against the Right) go back to the rise of Britain’s Rock Against Racism movement in in the mid-1970s. The 30 April,1978, Rock Against Racism concert in Victoria Park in East London was a seminal event that, by 1979, had inspired the first Rock gegen Rechts festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Thirty-nine years later, Rock gegen Rechts was once again heard in downtown Frankfurt, in a one-day festival staged in the city’s famed Opernplatz. The audience enjoyed the advances in live sound since the 1970s as they listened to the day’s music and messages delivered with power and clarity by Linea Research amplifiers. Nearly 90 organisations were involved in the event. Its patrons included vice presidents of the Bundestag Claudia Roth and Petra Pau, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt Peter Feldmann, and other city officials. Thirteen musica
USA - Prolyte’s Verto Truss system was used by Creative Technologies (CT) at three separate stands during the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show in December. During the show, CT installed 3,200 linear feet of black powder-coated Verto truss to create booths for the new Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia automobiles. Prolyte’s Verto truss low self-weight allowed for more creative lighting options and flexibility in designing the stands. The Verto truss quick assembly, silent connection, and low self-weight also translated into a significant savings of at least 50% on drayage and labour costs. In addition to the LA Auto Show, CT also relied on Prolyte’s Verto truss for a Volvo product launch at the new US plant in the Carolinas. CT built a stage inside the warehousing facilities to release a new car model for Volvo’s Worldwide management team. Ian Dobson, project manager/
South Africa - With the breath-taking eastern foot of Table Mountain as a backdrop, British indie rockers James performed at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. The full technical was supplied by Audio Engineering, who used their new MA dot2 to run the spectacular show. “What an excellent production,” says Marcel Bezuidenhout, owner of Audio Engineering based in Cape Town. “James rocked it out at the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts playing favourite hits like Lose Control, Sit Down and material from their 15th studio album, Living in Extraordinary Times.” Associated with the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts for the past 20 years, Marcel has been pleased to watch the annual event take off as his company has steadily built up a retinue of professional gear, the latest being the investment of a MA Lighting dot2 console purchase
Austria - The Vienna Metropol Theatre is one of the most tradition-rich venues in the Austrian capital. Today, the Metropol provides a stage for national and international music acts, cabaret and theatre productions. The Vienna Metropol has three stages. The main stage with the big hall has an audience capacity of 700 standing or 550 seated. The stage is open on three sides and the hall has a comparatively low ceiling height. The audience sits around the stage in a 270° angle, which further complicates the sound reinforcement situation. The room acoustics are also unusual; It is characterised by a short reverberation time with pronounced diffusivity in the empty space. In short: a demanding task for every sound system. After various modernisations were carried out in recent years, it was the sound system’s turn in 2018. The Austrian distribution partner of Alcons Au
USA - Global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks has announced its fourth annual Vectorworks Design Scholarship is now open for entries. The scholarship enables undergraduate students and recent graduates to gain professional recognition by sharing their work and win up to $10,000. “The Vectorworks Design Scholarship is an incredible opportunity for up-and-coming designers to promote their work and win funds to support their future endeavours,” comments Alice Lowy, marketing programmes director at Vectorworks. “We look forward to seeing what these up-and-coming designers think up next.” To apply, eligible students must submit their best individual or group project and answer three questions. A panel of judges will evaluate submissions based on design integrity, originality, the effective use of computer technology and communication of
UK - London’s Ministry of Sound (MoS) has upgraded its lighting control with Avolites Arena and Quartz consoles. The South East London nightclub has been at the heart of the capital’s scene for almost 30 years. Household name DJs and performers are a mainstay of its offering, backed by serious sound and uplifting lighting. International technical event production company Bigabox drew on its longstanding relationship with MoS to realise the enhancement of lighting control options in the club’s two main rooms - The 103 and The Box. “It was my recommendation the MoS team got Avolites consoles for their largest-capacity spaces and that’s precisely what they did,” says Bigabox Productions’ director, Dean Graves. “The guys at Avolites are helpful, informative, passionate and incredible people to work with. It was imperative their products were in the M
The Netherlands - Pro Display completed a major project in partnership with Integrated Systems Europe, LANG AG, Panasonic, Tenfeet and Green Hippo to bring the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel to life. Pro Display supplied 392 pieces of its Projection Mapping Film which were installed across 25 storeys of the hotel’s glass façade. Throughout ISE 2019 the film was used as a canvas alongside Panasonic’s powerful PT-RZ31K projectors to advertise exhibition highlights and the potential of projection mapping technology. The impressive 25-storey hotel boasts 650 rooms and was developed following a tender process by the City of Amsterdam and the RAI that began in 2014. This ambitious display required input from a range of experts in order to successfully complete the project which was managed by LANG, hire and production specialists. They called on 14 of Panasonic’s PT-R
UK - White Light recently supplied the lighting equipment for Disney’s Broadway hit musical Newsies which recently had its UK premiere at ArtsEd. Set in turn-of-the-century New York, Newsies tells the story of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenage ‘newsies’. When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies the newsies together against the unfair conditions to fight for what’s right. The show was a smash when it played on Broadway and the lighting designer for the UK premiere is Nic Farman. Nic comments: “I hadn’t seen the original Broadway production but the moment I read the script and listened to the score, I knew it was going to be a great show to work on. The key for the creative team was creating a production that had the high production values associated with a show on a l
Taiwan - The third floor of Taipei’s Nan Shan Plaza - the second tallest skyscraper in Taipei after Taipei 101 - has been created as a vast and open exhibition space. With ceilings at an impressive 8.5m in height, the venue occupies a total of 56sq.m, but features no beams or support columns, creating a challenge to any sound design proposal. With the prestigious space earmarked by Taipei City Government to host an event cooperative to the New Year fireworks countdown, the challenging space required a sound system that was compact and stable, offering excellent sound performance, which to audio installation company, Imagepro System Technology Corp., Ltd., signalled Powersoft amplification. Working hand-in-hand with Imagepro’s Yung-Chin Hsu and the Plaza’s project leader Wen-Shan Tseng, Victor Shih of Powersoft’s distributor in Taiwan, Seapower Technology Co L
UK - December saw the newly restored Alexandra Theatre at Alexandra Palace open its doors after 80 years of darkness to reveal not only a stunning space that has undergone the most sympathetic of restorations, but a comprehensive technical infrastructure that includes audio system that delivers purity of sound and capabilities that will satisfy any visiting production. At its core is a DiGiCo SD12 mixing console supplied and installed by HD Pro Audio. The Alexandra Theatre was originally opened in 1875 and hosted pantomime, opera, drama and ballet. However, it struggled to compete with the might of the West End and its use as a theatre ended. Subsequently it was used as a cinema, a chapel, home of music hall stars and, more latterly, as a BBC prop store and workshop. In 2012 the decision was made to restore it to its former glory and with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fun
