USA - Since he signed with Warner Music Nashville in 2021, Wyoming native Ian Munsick’s star has risen rapidly. He’s earned more than 100m global streams and been named one of Spotify’s inaugural Hot Country Artists to Watch. This year, his rapid rise is reflected in his tour itinerary, which has taken him from a western honky-tonk bar one night to opening for Morgan Wallen in a stadium the next before headlining his own arena shows. You can also see that narrative written in how his tour sound has evolved. Beginning this year, Munsick’s sound team was bolstered by the addition of a dedicated monitor engineer, after they transitioned to a pair of DiGiCo Quantum225 consoles, supplied by Clair Global. Seth Hewson was Munsick’s initial front-of-house engineer when the artist’s burgeoning career was still using what Hewson describes as a “Clair ‘band-in-a-
USA - Antonio Herrera Pérez, better known to the world as Mexican music superstar Junior H has released eight studio albums, four of which have reached the Top Ten on the Billboard charts. Junior H’s talents are on full display on his current Sad Boys USA tour. Supporting his passionate blend of music is a lively and dynamic light show by Arturo Sanchez. Working for JCA PRO, its CEO Ignacio (nacho) Zamudio, and his son Josh Estrada, along with lighting tech Luis Fernando Marins, Sanchez has created a show that reflects the inspired style and stage presence of his gifted client. Like the music of Junior H, the stage production is bold and engaging with immersive 3D video walls accented by bright colourful lighting. Contributing to the latter are over 100 Chauvet Professional fixtures. Included in this group are 24 Color Strike M motorised strobe/blinders, 24 Maverick
Denmark - The historic Østre Gasværk Theatre in Copenhagen is the first theatre in the world to secure the rights to produce, conceptualise and perform Another Brick in The Walls - Part 5 as a piece of musical theatre. Based on the Pink Floyd double album of 1979 - which is still the third largest grossing album in the US, almost 45 years after its release - Another Brick in The Wall, Part 5 is an extension of the three original album tracks - Part 1, 2, 3 - and Part 4 that was enacted as an opera in Montreal in 2017. Having premiered to great acclaim in Copenhagen on Friday 22 September 2023, the new Danish staging is an ambitious one with a large cast of singers, dancers, musicians and aerial artists. The production will also be staged in Musikhuset Aarhus, with a premiere slated for 5 January 2024. Lighting designer, Jeppe Lawaetz, cho
South Africa - Playing a dual role as a lighting designer and programmer for shows such as Idols, The Voice, RMB Starlight Classics and countless others, South African Andre Siebrits recently acquired an Ultimate Ears UE Comm, specifically the Ultimate Ears 11 Pro model, from DWR Distribution. The decision has been pivotal for him, particularly considering his concern for the long-term health of his ears. Andre first became curious about Ultimate Ears Comm in 2017, starting the conversation with many people including Jaco Beukes from DWR. UE Comm is the result of a collaboration between UE and In-House Sound with features like noise-isolating in-ear monitors with a purpose-built microphone, guaranteeing crystal-clear communication in any production environment. “Ultimate Ears are reputed for their outstanding sound quality, at least that's what I
USA - The first ever Power Trip music festival was considered epic before it even took place. Six of the world’s best known heavy metal and hard rock bands gathered to play on one stage, and 4Wall, Paradox and Elation had the honour of lighting the event. Metallica, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Tool (subbing for Ozzy Osbourne) all played at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California, 6-8 October, where up to 80,000 fans gathered each day. Power Trip marked the first concert in seven years from AC/DC. Some 80 Proteus Maximus, 18 Proteus Excalibur, 84 DTW Blinder 700 IP and 80 DTW Blinder 350 IP luminaires from Elation, were all used by the lighting design team at Paradox Production and Design and 4Wall Entertainment, led by 4Wall account executive and production manager Dallas Gaspar. 4Wall also supplied additional lighting packages for the I
Hungary - Robe moving lights were used in three major locations for the massive 2023 St. Stephen's Day celebrations in Budapest, a public holiday celebrating the foundation of the Hungarian state more than 1000 years ago, which this year attracted over 1.5m spectators to the banks of the Danube watch the main large format projection and drone show. Multiple events were staged throughout the country’s vibrant and beautiful capital city on the day, with technical production - lighting sound, visuals, staging - for the 2023 event co-ordinated and delivered by the Visual Europe Group (VEG), working with 12 sub-companies. The three main areas in which Robe fixtures were used were the riverside Road Movie Live concert stage with an all-action line up of top Hungarian artists running over three days of the holiday weekend; The Parliament Building, where Robe Fortes support
USA/Europe - Ireland-based lighting and production designer Steven Douglas selected Claypaky Volero Wave fixtures and the Panify solution for Hozier’s Unreal Unearth tour, whose North American leg wrapped this month. The bluesy rocker’s 27-date schedule kicked off in September in support of his new EP Eat Your Young and upcoming album Unreal Unearth. The tour moves to Europe and the UK for the rest of the year with more dates to follow in 2024. Douglas took on his current role with Hozier for the artist’s previous album cycle. He was given a lot of creative latitude with the new show although Hozier was “heavily involved in how it looks since he’s quite artistic himself”, says Douglas. The album’s theme is based around Dante’s nine circles of Hell, he notes, which the show references. “We knew we wanted a moment in the show where
Europe - Designed by Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier and the first of its kind, Artexplorer is soon to set sail. As a project that encompasses both culture and environment, it aims to raise awareness of contemporary issues by utilising a revolutionary LED tunnel, made possible by visualisation technology specialists, Leyard Europe. Since its inception in 1995, Leyard Europe has collaborated on many innovative and transformative assignments. However, Artexplorer presented the company with an opportunity to be a part of something different. Artexplorer is a one-of-kind work of art, featuring Leyard Europe’s LED tunnel as the main event. At 46m long, it is currently the largest sailing catamaran in the world and built to the highest environmental standards. Enlisted by Guy Butterati, Co-Founder of AV-IT systems integrator Akumendo, which spearheaded the t
Romania - The FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023, hosted at the Constanța Masters in the City Park Mall, was illuminated by a lighting setup composed of Prolights products. For its inauguration in Romania, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour attracted 16 top-level teams from around the world who competed for the championship title. In addition to the basketball matches, the event offered a variety of engaging activities, including a dunk contest hosted by the Dunk Elite team, a 2-point shooting competition, and a series of entertainment performances such as sports dances, street dance performances, majorette shows, and circus acts. The diversity of the event required a lighting system capable of meeting various show needs. The FIBA 3x3 organisation relied on Audiovision, which provided a lighting setup consisting of 58 Prolights solutions: EclPanel TWC and EclFresnel 2KVW for variable CCT
Lithuania - Christie RGB pure laser projection and Vive Audio technology deliver powerful cinematic experiences at Apollo Kinas, a new premium multiplex at Vilnius Outlet shopping centre. Christie partner BMK installed a Christie CP4425-RGB and five CP2415-RGB Real|Laser illumination technology, each accompanied by a Christie Vive Audio sound system, to immerse audiences in its six screens. “This cinema is fully equipped with many innovations to elevate the theatre experience for Vilnius moviegoers, including three chair selections in each auditorium, comfortable recliners, food delivery, self-serve shop, and most importantly top-notch laser projection and immersive audio system,” says Donatas Ivoška, head of Lithuania marketing department, Apollo Kinas. “We are very happy that we chose Christie and BMK as our partners. They completed everything on time and the
France - Bière à Lille, a week-long festival in Lille celebrates beer and brewing with dozens of special events and samplings from over 80 different breweries. Among the highlights off the festival this year was Nuit du BAL, an electro pop show headlined by Martin Solveig, along with Upsilone, Miel de Montagne and Victor Flash. These artists performed on Friday night 22 September before a packed house at the Zénith de Lille, adding electricity to the atmosphere for their shows was a dynamic fast-moving lighting design by Valentin Lemarquier. Drawing on the intense output of 60 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by the Alive Group, Lemarquier created bold looks that reflected the music and personality of each artist. Among the fixtures in his rig were 14 STRIKE Array 2 blinders that provided dramatic exclamation points of light throughout the evening. “Wi
UK - Virtual production facility Racquet Studios has partnered with Video Screen Services (VSS) to offer dynamic solutions for virtual productions of all types and of all sizes Having launched in June 2023 and located in Eastbourne’s Devonshire Quarter, , Racquet Studios has been rapidly evolving to cater for a range of traditional and virtual productions across its facilities. Racquet Studios has been developed to support existing businesses and production companies through technical innovation to produce world-class creative content while creating a progressive creative economy, bringing investment, education and skilled year-round jobs to the region. Having delivered market-leading solutions for films including The Batman, Barbie and The Marvels, VSS also provides installations for TV productions including Strictly Come Dancing and
Lithuania - The renowned state puppet theatre has undergone a largescale technical refurbishment valuing over 2.2m euros in its Grand Hall, selecting a DiGiCo mixing console to sit at the centre of a new audio system, with the aim of enabling more complex and high-profile productions. Situated in the capital of Vilnius, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lėlė Puppet Theatre was established in 1977 in the restored house of the distinguished Duke Oginsky. The theatre’s main performance space required an overhaul of its stage, lighting and sound equipment, so the venue approached Sonus Exsertus, stage technology design and integration company, with the brief to install an industry leading system, which swiftly let to the selection of the compact, feature-filled DiGiCo SD12 at FOH. “Installing new technology in the main hall wi
USA - Nashville-based PTP Live has invested in 60 Ayrton Argo 6 FX lights for its live production work for music, festival and corporate clients and to bolster its rental inventory of lighting and video equipment. The new Argo 6 FX lights expand PTP Live’s roster of Ayrton fixtures, which already includes Ayrton Khamsin S and MagicPanel 602 units. “We’re doing a lot of shopping this year, adding a lot of new inventory,” says president Andrew Sparks. “We were looking for a fixture that was super bright, versatile and for outdoor use, and had great eye candy effects as well as general wash capabilities. We saw several different brands of fixtures, and the Argo 6 FX lights filled the bill.” The Argo 6 FX is a versatile, fully-equipped luminaire designed for a multitude of applications. It offers all the features of a wash light and can generate many co
USA - Nashville-based band Big Daddy Weave has been raising the roof and bringing down the house on their ongoing 2023 Heaven Changes Everything Tour. The Dove Award winners - including founding members Mike Weaver, Joe Shirk, and Jeremy Redmon, who met at the University of Mobile and formed the band in 1998, along with the newer rhythm section of Brian Beihl and Raul Jose Alfonso - have long been popular and enduring staples of the contemporary Christian music universe. They’re also extremely conscious of the role that technology plays in their sound, so this tour saw the addition of a pair of DiGiCo Quantum225 consoles, used for both front of house and monitors. In fact, they liked what the Quantum desks did so much that they bought them, rather than renting them for the duration of a tour as is common. They made an investment in DiGiCo technology because of the long-ter
Mexico - Xcaret is one of Mexico’s leading tourist attractions. At the end of 2021, the park’s technical team upgraded a problematic projector-based video system in its main Tlachco Theatre with ADJ LED video panels. The new setup not only improved the clarity of the video content shown as part of the venue’s resident production but has also proven to be far more reliable than the previous system, following over a year of continuous use across daily shows. Opened in 1990, Xcaret is a visitor attraction on the Riviera Maya that celebrates Mexico’s present and rich past. Located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, 5km south of Playa del Carmen and 75km south of Cancún, the park showcases an area of natural beauty. Beneath a jungle canopy are a network of underground rivers and cenotes (flooded sinkholes) as well as ancient Mayan buildings, while on the coast is
USA - Christie MicroTiles LED took the stage with Something Corporate during the band’s headlining reunion show at Las Vegas’ House of Blues on 20 October and their main stage performances at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on 21-22 October as part of the When We Were Young festival. Vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon performed on a piano fully wrapped in Christie MicroTiles LED, which displayed images and lyrics from the band’s catalogue. Kevin ‘Clutch’ Page, principal, Procraft Media, who is also the bassist in Something Corporate, led the integration of this one-of-a-kind project. Something Corporate returned to the stage after a 13-year hiatus. The performances also marked their first shows in 20 years with the band’s original line-up. Bassist Clutch recalls the history of the band, and how they vinyl-wrapped McMahon’s piano with album artwork
Italy - Vivitek reports that its DU8395Z, DU9800Z and DU9900Z projectors have been chosen for use in immersive projection experiences created by Playartmultimedia. The scenographic project has been enlivening events ranging from private wedding events to public town activities in over 150 venues across Italy. Immersive projection experiences are much in demand, thrilling audiences with their fusion of colour, vivid images and punchy soundtracks. As with many modern artistic endeavours, the immersive rooms – or ‘Sala Immersiva’ - marries a labour of love with the latest in AV and IT technology to bring the visual extravaganza to life. The driving force behind Sala Immersiva is Giuseppe Casciello, art director, Playartmultimedia. Commenting on the concept, he said: “My inspiration is spurred by the necessary and continuous evolution of this wonderful art form. F
The Netherlands - Prolights' Jet Wash7 illuminated the Urban Garden room of the Vibes complex in Eindhoven. From a sports centre to a location for corporate and private events, Vibes is a concept location based on technology, innovation, knowledge and design and unfolds in various multifunctional rooms designed to host any type of event. The Vibes team turned to Hoevenaars for the lighting of the Urban Garden room, a modern space based on the aesthetics of the urban jungle, with a surface area of 360m2 the room can accommodate up to 700 people, meeting the needs of events other than corporate ones, including live music. For the lighting setup, the room was fully equipped with a selection of 16 Prolights Jet Wash7s, supplied by Full AVL, Prolights distributor in the Netherlands. “We chose the Prolights Jet Wash7 for their versatility and adaptability" explained
The Netherlands - Clear-Com and The Crew BV come together to bring the latest OB van technology to take on their variety of programmes and set locations. Based in Nederhorst den Berg, close to the broadcasting centre of the Netherlands in Hilversum, The Crew BV has a refreshing view on broadcasting. Focused on the skills and talent of their people, they seek out the best equipment and tools to accomplish their wide variety of work. Their programming runs the gamut, from live sporting events to gameshows, talent shows to national fundraisers, from reporting to biographies, cooking shows to concerts. These wide-ranging programmes are set in studios, theatres, clubs and the outdoors. Catering to their technical needs are two modern OB vans and a flexible mobile set that they have labelled ‘Flight Pack’. The flagship of the fleet is their new OBV2, a van that can proce
UK - LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French and Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Mayfair, recently upgraded their audio system to 1 Sound. Leonardo Dani, sales executive from 1 Sound, approached Middlesex Sound & Lighting Limited (MSL) looking for a UK installation partner to work on this project, which would mark the first 1 Sound installation in the UK. 1 Sound had previously been installed in LPM’s Miami restaurant location. The design challenge was to create evenly distributed audio where the main dining area is an unusually triangular shape. MSL deployed 16 Cannon C5i’s for a premium audio experience. These 5-inch coaxial point sources were mounted and aimed using the C5’s C-Clamp accessory. The C5i’s were combined with 1 Sound’s ultra compact and discreet FSUB45’s. Six Floor subwoofers were distributed under existing banquet seating throughout all t
Indonesia - Argo Visual, a multimedia equipment rental company based in Jakarta, is a long-time user of Brompton Technology LED processing. Since its inception in 2007, Argo Visual has achieved many milestones, including adding LED screens to its inventory in 2012. A significant breakthrough in 2018 saw it also take on big video mapping projects, including the Asian Para Games opening ceremony and 2022 G20 gala dinner. Argo Visual’s favoured combination is Tessera SX40 4K LED processors powering its AOTO LED video wall. “Many of the projects we work on are seen on the world stage, so it’s absolutely vital that we provide the highest quality equipment,” says Alvin Antono, the company’s owner. As a company, Argo Visual works directly and very close with other leading manufacturers in the industry such as Panasonic, Christie Digital, and disguise. A prime examp
Denmark - The Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen has invested in 80 Robe Forte luminaires in a package featuring 32 x Forte Profiles, 34 x Forte Fresnels, four Forte FollowSpots and 10 x iForte (IP rated) moving lights, as part of a technical upgrade. Chief LX Sune Schou has worked at the Copenhagen Opera House for five years. The venue is one of the most modern such facilities in the world and is located on the island of Holmen in central Copenhagen. Sune is one of three chief LXs based there and is involved with all aspects of lighting production across all the Opera House’s performance spaces. Designed by Henning Larsen and opened amid an international fanfare in 2005, an average of 12 world-class productions are staged annually, a mix of new and revival works all running in repertoire. The quest for new moving lights started two years ago. There were moving
USA - Guns N’ Roses have been touring the world this year, delivering hard-hitting shows throughout North America after having played in Europe and the Middle East over the summer. With them on tour is front of house engineer Dave Natale, who has used Austrian Audio mics for two of the most recent Rolling Stones tours. For the world tour, Natale has employed Austrian Audio OC18 precision microphones for overheads and CC8 true condenser microphones on the hi hat, ride cymbal and cowbell on drummer Frank Ferrer’s kit. Not only are these Vienna, Austria-made mics delivering on the drums, but Richard Fortus, Guns N’ Roses guitarist, also liked what he hears: “Dave put the Austrian Audio mics on my amps when he started with us. I have been so impressed with the sound of the OC18 on my Magnatone amps live that I had to try them in my studio as well. I’m blown away
