Spain - The Love the 90s festival staged three ‘extravaganza’ shows in 2019 in Madrid, Seville and Valencia. Lighting and show designer Eduardo Valverde from Madrid-based creative specialist Pixelmap Studios was this year’s creative director, and his brief included imagineering the stage layout, set architecture including LED screens and the lighting. Prominent on his lighting plot were around 150 Robe moving lights including Pointes, MegaPointes, LEDBeam 150s and LEDWash 800s, complete with three RoboSpot systems run with BMFL Spots, all supplied by rental company Fluge. Due to the different venues, the rig design varied slightly for all of the shows, but the Robes were right at the heart of the aesthetics for each of the one-day hi-energy, all-action concerts featuring a dynamic multi-artist line-up with Dr Alban, La Bouche, Sonique and many more classic
USA - After three sold-out performances at Amsterdam's Eye Filmmuseum, which saw Cosmos Within Us win a VR Days Halo award, the Future of StoryTelling will present the theatrical preview of Tupac Martir’s mixed reality performance piece at New York Live Arts on 2 December (Monday). A co-production between Satore Studio, a_BAHN, and Satore Tech, Cosmos Within Us ‘turns the solitary experience of virtual reality into a multisensory performance piece for an audience of 100-150 people, creating an entirely new artform’. It features 13 live performers, including five musicians, voiceover artists, live digital animations, two dancers, a conductor, and one ‘interactor’. Director Tupac Martir comments: “Performing at the Eye was very special. Being able to take our piece outside of the film festival circuit and show it to over 100 people per screenin
USA - Keeping pace with Don Broco on their first North American tour this autumn was a fast-moving Steve Kosiba lighting design that featured Chauvet Professional Rogue fixtures from Squeek Lights. “The show is very high energy,” explains Kosiba. “Don Broco has a big sound with lots of changes. The band is like a force of nature on stage. I wanted to reflect that with the lighting. One way we did this was to get very detailed with the cueing, as this was a timecoded show. We had 256 cues in one particular song.” Kosiba also reflected the flavour of his client’s stage presence by directing light in multiple directions, often changing the orientation of beams quickly and dramatically to accent different moments. “Different positions keep the show visually interesting,” he said. “This is something I always try to do. I want to change up positions as much
USA - Mark Carver, lead designer at Nashville-based Carver Lighting Design, turned to Elation’s compact Smarty Hybrid moving head to help the GMA Dove Awards celebrate their 50th anniversary. Presented by the Gospel Music Association and aired exclusively on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the Dove Awards have honoured excellence in Christian and Gospel Music since 1969. The 50th anniversary show was held 15 October at Nashville's Lipscomb University. With multiple awards to hand out and 20 performances to light across both a main and satellite stage, Carver says diversity in looks was essential. “The Smarty Hybrids were definitely the main workhorse fixture on the show,” states Carver, who has lit the awards show for the last few years. “This isn’t the type of show where we had a lot of different fixtures to choose from so we really relied on the Smarty
UK - Stage Engage has invested in Luxibel B Blinded1 fixtures for its growing film premiere and product launch events. The pro AV and staging company, based in London and Exeter, was looking for an IP-rated, LED stage blinder solution for high profile projects such as the BBC Peaky Blinders season 6 world premiere, which took place in Birmingham. “We were looking for a multi-purpose, high brightness, IP-rated fixture that we could use for a variety of corporate events, film premieres and product launches,” says Cameron Baker, operations manager at Stage Engage. “The quality of the Blinded1 is very good and they have been super reliable. The connectors are great, the display makes sense and the quality of the materials is very good. Investing in them was a no-brainer.” Created as the little brother of the B Blinded, the 110W B Blinded1 has the same functi
South Africa - Newzroom Afrika, a channel on Multi-Choice’s DStv satellite pay-TV service, went live earlier this year in time for the South African elections. The set, based at their new premises in Linden, was designed by Michael Gill Designs, built by Sets Drapes Screens (SDS), part of the Gearhouse Group of Companies and features Absen DW 2.9 LED panels, Green Hippo Boreal+ and dot2 lighting console supplied by DWR Distribution. “The project was very exciting,” says Michael Gill of MGD. “I can honestly say that Thokozani Nkosi and Thabile Ngwato, the television producers and entrepreneurs, are the two most forward-thinking individuals I have ever worked with. Their way of thinking is so youthful, fresh and digital. The mindset behind Newzroom Afrika is that news breaks on your telephone these days and not always on TV. With an emphasis on social media platforms l
Germany - A live concert featuring the stars of German TV show Sing meinen Song was recently mixed with two Allen & Heath dLive systems at FOH and monitors. Sing meinen Song - das Tauschkonzert, produced by German broadcaster Vox, is one of the most successful TV formats in recent years and has just completed its sixth season, with the accompanying album releases always hitting the top of the German album charts. For the first time ever, the 2019 season closed with a live concert in Berlin where all the artists involved reunited for one big final live show. The venue chosen for the event, Berlin’s Waldbühne amphitheatre, is one of Germany’s biggest open-air stages with a unique architecture and atmosphere. The concert was mixed by Daniel Lauer (FOH) and Sascha Kohl (monitors), who have been working with dLive systems for several years. “The
Poland - Teatr Narodowy (National Theatre) in Warsaw has invested in 40 Robe DL7S Profile moving lights which are part of a lighting upgrade to replace over 100 halogens and gel-scrollers in their rig with new LED light sources, a graduated process taking place across all three of the theatre’s performance spaces. In addition to modernising their house lighting systems - including some previous moving lights that had been in place for nearly 20 years - they were essentially looking for quieter fixtures, stated head of lighting, Zbigniew Szulim. They considered all the options, and apart from the silent running of the DL7S, also liked the colour rendering and the smoothness of its dimming. They also wanted a luminaire that could replicate the effect of halogen lamps. The National Theatre Warsaw, one of five in Poland, each associated with a major city, stages ne
Ireland - D. Reilly of Dandy’s Lighting utilised Kodaline’s logo in designing the band’s lighting for their European tour. After conferring with the band, he used the logo lettering as the inspiration to create geometric diamond-shaped set-pieces for their touring rig. To make this design element work, he outlined these pieces in vivid colour with Chauvet Professional ÉPIX Strip Tour fixtures supplied by Reynolds of Raphoe. Flown over mid-stage as three large ‘diamonds, and mounted on two stage left and two stage right truss columns, the geometric patterns are creating a powerful, consistent and easily identifiable look for the band on their tour. “There is a level of subliminal branding with the patterns, since it mirrors the logo,” says Reilly. “Mostly though, it’s something very attractive and engaging to look at. It captures attention and draws ey
UK - 3D beamforming and wave field synthesis technology from Holoplot were an integral part of a recent showcase organised by White Light at the Science Museum in London. Held in the Level 1 exhibition space, the three-day event It’s Virtually Reality: The Future of Technology attracted more than 300 people keen to find out about the application of augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies to the broadcast, education and events markets. Sound Technology, Holoplot partner in the UK, supplied and installed the loudspeaker array for the event. The It’s Virtually Reality: The Future of Technology showcase provided an opportunity for Holoplot to demonstrate the new dimension it has brought to installed audio. According to White Light, “Guests were blown away by the impact of this directional sound capability and the personalized experience that i
China - Grace is a national chain of bar/restaurants with live entertainment. The latest venue is in Yangjiang city, Guangdong province, where an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon system has overcome architectural challenges to serve up an appetising audio menu. Grace in Yangjiang has a 400sq.m main area and a 100sq.m mezzanine, with internal architecture that created significant acoustic challenges. Its classical Chinese style features a tiled roof decoration with varying heights, producing multiple reflections. Additionally, a tall decorative column was likely to cause issues with sound coverage from one side of the stage. The live performances feature vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, drums and have a wide dynamic range. Guangzhou-based EAD was asked to design and install a sound reinforcement system that would make sure diners throughout the venue enjoyed high quality sound.
UK/Jordan - On Friday, 22 November, Coldplay performed two Sunrise and Sunset sets at Amman’s Citadel, Jordan, both of which were streamed live on YouTube to celebrate the release of the band’s new album, Everyday Life. Following Coldplay’s decision not to tour Everyday Life for environmental reasons, the band came up with an alternative for achieving maximum impact: “We wanted to pick somewhere in the middle of the world where we normally don’t get to play,” Chris Martin, Coldplay’s frontman, told the BBC. A few days before the Amman performances, Coldplay’s management announced the addition of a one-off live show on 25 November at London’s Natural History Museum. Selected songs of this performance will be available on radio and social media, and the proceeds will be donated to an environmental charity. As always, wh
Spain - Since 1997, Britannia Row has deployed audio requirements to MTV’s Europe Music Awards. This year’s winners included Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, who were honoured in a live televised ceremony staged in the Andalusian capital of Seville. MTV has trusted Brit Row to supply the event for over two decades, creating a strong level of trust and reassurance during planning, pre-production and the live show. Supplying an L-Acoustics PA rig, Sennheiser mics and IEMs, and a plethora of DiGiCo SD7s (monitors), SD5s (FOH) and SD12s for presentations, the 14-strong Brit Row crew delivered once again. “They’re the best in the business; a lot of artists feel comforted when they come to perform and see they’re in the hands of Brit Row. For 22 years, they’ve never let us down,” comments Andy Derbyshire, production executive, MTV EMAs. “This is MTV’s bigg
USA - Audience members had no idea what they were in for as they entered the UNO Lakefront Arena of The University of New Orleans for the first of Widespread Panic’s three-night performance. Coupled with the Halloween tradition of the band playing songs that have never graced their stage before, everyone involved is on their toes, and none more so than long-time lighting designer Paul Hoffman. “The band’s dynamic range is broad spanning hard rock to emotive ballads and stops at every station in between - so I need to be able to serve all those needs - often taking a more theatrical approach to the emotionally heavier music,” Hoffman says. “Because of the breadth here, flexibility and dynamic versatility are my best friends.” For this year’s iteration where the stage was outfitted in an Andy Kaufman theme, complete with miniature wrestling ring, New York
UK - This month saw the 10th anniversary of Lumiere - the UK’s largest light festival - take place in Durham. The event, run by Artichoke, has been transforming cities across the UK since 2009, with each Lumiere festival inviting local and international artists to create works that reimagine familiar buildings and public spaces, changing the way we experience our urban surroundings. Over the 10 years since the first Lumiere, Unusual Rigging has been a key supplier in the delivery of specialist rigging and engineering for the festival in Durham. Engineers, riggers and technicians work with Artichoke’s production teams to design solutions to the most challenging projects, from working in delicate heritage environments such as Durham Cathedral to rigging artworks over the river Wear or across the historic medieval streets. Kate Harvey, senior producer for Artichoke co
UK - Xerocon London 2019 returned to ExCel London on 13-14 November, bringing together accountants, bookkeepers, ecosystem partners and industry leaders. Over 3,500 delegates gathered to find out the latest news and updates from cloud-based accounting software company Xero. Creative technical production expert Hawthorn was chosen by agency Taylor Bennett Partners to deliver the full technical design and production for the two-day event. Led by Pete Harding, Hawthorn’s head of creative technical, the company was tasked to bring Taylor Bennett’s vision to life, delivering full technical production for the main conference plenary, exhibition space, break-out sessions and evening party. The event featured a mammoth LED screen, an impressive lightbox installation and a village green complete with a cricket pitch and projection-mapped pond. The main stage played hos
Europe - Skunk Anansie have recently wrapped up their 25th anniversary tour along with an Allen & Heath dLive mixing system at FOH. With a string of European festival and headline shows, the milestone tour followed the release of Skunk Anansie’s new live album, 25live@25 and finished with a run of UK performances. Long-time Allen & Heath user and FOH engineer Ben Hammond comments: “dLive is just the perfect console for me. I’m able to lay out each show file the same way so the shows are always consistent, whether it’s an outdoor amphitheatre or large indoor arena.” The full set-up (owned by Hammond) features a dLive DM64 MixRack and dLive S5000 surface fitted with a Dante card for virtual soundcheck and multi-track recording, and an AES 10 out card, which feeds Hammond’s speaker management processor. Rather than using external ha
South Africa - The popularity of d&b audiotechnik systems for live events has been highlighted by the number of rental companies that won business supplying a pair of major festivals in South Africa. Rocking the Daisies in Cape Town and In the City in Johannesburg both called on the skills of Bad Weather, which opted for an all d&b solution. The music festivals saw the likes of The 1975, Russ and Tash Sultana deliver crowd-pleasing performances with the same sonic signature on every stage. This was thanks to the popularity that the German manufacturer’s solutions have found in South Africa through the support of its local distributor, Stage Audio Works. This was highlighted by the number of companies involved in the festivals. Eastern Acoustics, Ampere and ULTRA all supplied d&b equipment for Rocking the Daisies, while Blue Array did the same for In the City.
Romania - Lighting and stage design studio M3 Studio in Bucharest selected a large complement of Claypaky fixtures for the latest tour by Andra, the best-selling Romanian pop and folk artist. Claypaky SharBars, Alpha Spot 800 QWOs, A.leda Wash K10s and Sharpys helped illuminate Andra’s 10 dates from April to September across Romania. M3 Studio, known for providing visual creativity for bands, clubs and shows, was charged with designing a compact show that would be easy to rig in the short time intervals available at each stop on the tour. A mobile stage was chosen for fast deployment on the road. “I opted for Claypaky fixtures because I’ve always been pleased with their optical systems and colour mixing,” says lighting designer Petrus Rogojinschi. Ten SharBars, in pairs, were attached to the roof of the stage; another 14 were placed in pairs on the floor
USA - Event production company Genetic Productions is out with Morgan Wallen as the rising country music star opens as direct support on Luke Combs’ Beer Never Broke My Heart tour, a North American stretch that wraps in mid-December with shows at the 20,000-capacity Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Genetic has again supplied an Elation rig for the singer after having supplied Wallen’s inaugural headlining tour, Up Down, last year. Genetic serves as the lighting and video vendor for the outing, working closely with designer Zac Coren. The lighting rig includes 3° beams from Elation DARTZ 360 LED moving heads energizing the atmosphere while immersing the stage and crowd in colour and effect. Zac Coren, who serves as lead LD, says the DARTZ are the main focal point of his design. “They provide a lot of dynamic looks and have a great feature set to accomplish
Switzerland - In the summer of 2019, the Béjart Ballet Lausanne gave new performances of Dixit, the ‘cinema-ballet-theatre’ show written and directed by Marc Hollogne, in tribute to its founder, Maurice Béjart. To embark the audience on the choreographer's story and work, the company relied on Modulo Kinetic and its real-time tracking module, KineMotion. To pay tribute to its creator, the Béjart Ballet Lausanne worked with Marc Hollogne to write and direct Dixit, a show that combines dance, acting and video projection to tell the story of Maurice Béjart's life and work. To bring this show to life, the Béjart Ballet Lausanne used Modulo Kinetic, Modulo Pi's media server solution, as well as KineMotion, its real-time tracking plug-in. Lucas Borgeaud, technical director of Béjart Ballet Lausanne, explains: “We had already used video in s
Australia - Two ARX MSX-32 Mic/Line Splitters were specified by Melbourne based audio contractor Intavent to provide reliable and agile broadcast mic splits for the broadcast box at the Flemington Racecourse. The ARX MSX-32’s were required to be installed in time for the annual Spring Racing Carnival - of which the Melbourne Cup is the jewel in the crown - and where the eyes and ears of the horse racing world would be focussed. Australians refer to the Melbourne Cup as the race that stops a nation. In fact, its reach extends well beyond Australian shores to Europe, USA, South Africa, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and beyond. The first link of the audio signal chain is a vital one and the Victoria Racing Club (owners and operators of Flemington racecourse) chose the two ARX MSX-32 to provide the primary feeds to send Hills race call around the racetrack, around
Switzerland - For nearly four weeks this past summer, the Swiss town of Vevey on Lake Geneva came alive when one million visitors participated in the 12th Winegrowers’ Festival. The Fête des Vignerons takes place once in a generation and pays homage to century old traditions of wine-growing. Recognised by UNESCO on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the celebration unites an entire region of winegrowers with the local community. The highlight of the festival is Le Spectacle, a three-hour show performed in a temporary arena featuring 5,500 amateur actors in costume, 1,000 choral singers, and hundreds of musicians. To ensure a flawless performance, the audio team selected the Shure Axient Digital wireless system and PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring system to power the 20,000-seat venue. A total of 324 channels of Axient Digital and 40 channels of
Cambodia - ABA Bank head office recently acquired Martin lighting equipment from Harman Professional Solutions, in collaboration with Bright & Eternity Co, to achieve maximum visibility and enhance the architectural features of the building. Located in the centre of the capital city, Phnom Penh, along one of the busiest roads - Preah Sihanouk Boulevard, ABA Bank’s head office witnesses thousands of people pass through every day. The bank and the head office building has overseen a major phase of growth and development, comprising of several rented buildings, a mix of back and front-line offices, and exclusive executive spaces for the top-management. Also, contributing to the landscape of the city is the bank’s contemporary façade made of a mixture of vertical louvers and corrugated box panels. “The challenge at the ABA Bank’s head office was to highlight a
