UK - At the end of 2017, Pete Tong, Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra, treated UK fans to a live production of his acclaimed album, Ibiza Classics. Such was the reception that dates for the outing in the run up to Christmas 2018 were booked almost immediately. While the essential elements of last December’s tour remain the same, changes have been made. “For me, what has made it different this time around is the change of musicians, with different players in the orchestra; their physical technique affects how it looks and feels and consequently where I place the cameras,” explains video director Mark Davies, pointing to one area that has been refreshed. “That’s a subtle distinction but when you get to an instrument the size of a cello posture and playing technique has a big influence.” Paddy Hocken Productions are once again using the services of Vi
USA - With a nod to Game of Thrones, the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team now enters the ice through a 20ft, 2,375-pound medieval jousting helmet accented with 60m of FloppyFlex Digital LED neon. Originally conceived for the Stanley Cup, the team’s entrance is now a standard feature for all home games at the T-Mobile Arena. Designed and built by Water FX, the large helmet features lighting by Sean Guarino, with the FloppyFlex provided by PRG Las Vegas. “Outlining the helmet to create a portal worthy of the team required something cooler than conventional LED tape,” says Golden Knights LD, Sean Guarino. “I wanted this to pop, and Tim Brennan of PRG suggested FloppyFlex Digital, which exceeded my expectations. Using the pixelated Digital RGB version, I can create spectacular multi-colour chases. The colours are bright, vibrant and warm, and installation wa
Mexico - Lighting designer Pablo Gutierrez utilised 52 of Robe’s Pointe multi-functional moving lights for the launch of Mexican singer Fey’s new Desnuda (Nude) tour. The tour kicked off in full-on style at the 18,000 capacity Arena Ciudad de México (Mexico City Arena) in the country’s vibrant metropolis. Fey is a multi-talented Latin Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, designer, dancer, record producer, director and actress who has recorded seven successful studio albums and was massive in the 1990s following the release of her first album Fey in 1995. The proactive celebrity wanted to make maximum impact for her singing and live touring comeback, so her management team asked Gutierrez to create a suitably high impact production design for the show. As well as being spectacular, the design had to be scalable for an arena tour which follows
UK - S+H Technical, specialists for LED visual effects, drapes and starcloths, supplied around 350sq.m of its LED Animation cloth and 450sq.m of standard RGB starcloth drape for the BBC’s 2018 Children in Need telethon, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two. Featuring a star-studded line-up, the event raised over £50m for the 2018 appeal in what was the crescendo of this year’s fundraising activities for disadvantaged children and young people in communities across the UK. The telethon production design was created by Alex Craig - working on his 10th Children in Need - and this new look for 2018 featured some threads from the previous design to keep a strand of continuity, together with some spectacular new elements including lots of LED and a large upstage LED wall, 14m wide by 5m high, which split in the middle and opened for performer entrances and exits.
UK - London-based LD Dan Saggars had the opportunity to put Elation’s new Artiste Picasso LED profile to the test on the new Park Theatre drama, Distance in September. Saggars required a flexible light that could both wash wide to cover the stage and isolate for dramatic specials and placed the units in overhead and side positions to achieve the desired result. “I was able to get massive coverage with the overhead units,” the designer states, “and then extremely specific specials from the sidelights that were able to perfectly isolate areas, people, even body parts.” Distance, which played 5-29 September in the theatre’s intimate Park 90 space, is a powerful examination of the trials and tribulations of mental illness. Male suicide provides the context for the play, an intense dramatic experience played out on an express train and through a s
France - Pirates Paradise, a pirate-themed restaurant in Lille, offers more than an array of delectable dishes as well as an interior complete with shipwrecks, treasure chests, mysterious coves, and live shows. Lending colour and excitement to this immersive spectacle is a Jocelyn Morel lighting design that features Chauvet DJ Intimidator, COREPar and EVE fixtures. Morel, whose impressive body of work includes the renowned Au Bonheur des Dames cabaret, was contacted by Grégory Devilder, the CEO of Public Address, the company that owns the 500-seat venue, to create a versatile lighting design that would enhance the restaurant’s shows as well as its unique themed flourishes. “I know Grégory quite well and understood what he was looking for from the lighting design,” explains Jocelyn. “The lighting system here must do more than merely illuminate the room
USA - The Bellamy Brothers play over 150 shows, large and small, annually. Several years ago, pro audio veteran Tim Thomas stepped up as act’s production manager via his production company, ShowPro, LLC. With the help of just two Danley SM80F loudspeakers and a Danley DNA 20k4 Pro amplifier (with integrated DSP), Thomas works his magic to give the brothers consistent sound regardless of the circumstances or venue. “Apart from some big festivals where the PA is provided, the Bellamys typically play shows for between 500 and 3,000 people,” explained Thomas, who, in addition to all things live-sound, has headed ShowPro, LLC. his full production and installation company, for over two decades. “House systems are always hit or miss depending on the venue. We were traveling with our own system, but as they started to get more outdoor dates, I knew we needed something that
USA - The 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Show, held on 15 November at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and broadcast live on Univision, brought together Latin music’s future and past. What they all had in common was the audio, thanks to the deployment of four DiGiCo consoles for the show. Comprising two SD7 FOH desks, two SD10 consoles for monitors and eight SD-Racks, the equipment was supplied by Firehouse Productions whose VP Mark Dittmar and system technician David Crawford designed the event’s sound system, with Luis Espinal serving as a system tech. FOH music mixer Ron Reaves and production mixer Andrew ‘Fletch’ Fletcher both used SD7 consoles, while monitor mixers Mike Parker and Mike Bove used the SD10 desks. “The DiGiCo consoles are a very powerful platform to work from on shows like this, where the engineers are potentially confronted with co
USA - Microphones and wireless systems from Audio-Technica were employed at the Country Music Association’s CMA Country Christmas broadcast event, shown on ABC on 10 December. Audio-Technica’s third-generation 5000 Series frequency-agile true-diversity UHF wireless system powered the vocals for the event: Dustin Lynch sang through an A-T ATW-C6100 capsule, and Michael W. Smith and The Isaacs both used the A-T ATW-C5400 capsule. The show, which was taped on 27 September, also used an assortment of wired A-T microphones, including eight A-T AT4050 large-diaphragm condenser microphones used on the choir, an AT4050ST large-diaphragm stereo condenser microphone used for the backline grand piano, and an AT5045P cardioid condenser microphones (stereo pair) on Diana Krall’s piano. Clean Wireless Audio Owner Jason Glass, the wireless RF coordinator for the CMA on t
USA - Evanescence’s latest album Synthesis is a dramatic, orchestral-backed reworking of many of the band’s most beloved songs, plus a few new ones thrown in for good measure. To properly preserve the atmosphere of the recordings on a live tour supporting the release, the band performed its shows accompanied by orchestra members that were hand-picked in each city and brought together by the tour’s conductor, Susie Seiter. Furthermore, fans of the group got a special treat on the most recent second North American leg when violinist Lindsey Stirling joined as a co-headliner, featuring songs from her album, Brave Enough, and acted as an electrifying extra member of Evanescence for specific songs like Hi-Lo. LMG Touring of Orlando has worked with Stirling extensively in the past and served as the full-service audio, video, and lighting provider f
South Africa - Comic-Con Africa, a three-day event showcasing comic books, science fiction/fantasy related film and TV, as well as similar popular arts, was hosted for the very first time in South Africa at the Kyalami International Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. MGG was appointed as the main technical supplier for the sold-out event, enjoyed by over 45 000 superheroes, villains and sidekicks. Geeks, gamers and superheroes were spoilt for choice with an enormous exhibition area and were enthralled by gaming panel discussions, cosplay contests and a chance to rub shoulders with celebrities like Travis Fimmel of Vikings fame. MGG meticulously executed the technical setup for Comic-Con Africa, that included a main stage, four pre-screening rooms, two VS gaming areas, kids’ entertainment area, an MTN outdoor stage which included a VIP and screening area, an
Indonesia - The Indonesian Choice Awards 5.0 NET, presented by the NET TV Network, aimed at families and youth audiences, is one of the leading entertainment events in the country. “For an entertainment and music event of this magnitude and size,” explains Sadat Effendy, technical director at Total Audio, the company that produced the show, “there is only one sound system we had to consider. That’s Clair Brothers. The Indonesian market loves Clair Brothers speakers because they always deliver.” This event always coincides with, and marks the anniversary of, the NET TV Network. This year is its fifth anniversary and the Indonesian Choice Awards show did not disappoint. Performing for an audience of 9,000, local and international musical acts filled out the evening of awards and tributes for the best in movies and music. Effendy says: “An event of this p
USA - Located in Melborne, Florida, Church at Viera holds four modern worship services in two different venues each week using Allen & Heath dLive, GLD and SQ Series mixers for FOH and streaming broadcast and a ME-1 Personal Mixing System for monitoring. Production director Eli Higginbotham, alongside technical director Brock West, leads Church at Viera’s production team. “We had an older digital mixer with reliability issues,” says Brock. “So, when I came on board, I looked for a replacement. We considered several brands but there wasn’t another console in the same class and price range as the dLive.” The church has standardised on Allen & Heath digital mixers for FOH, broadcast and their Youth Centre. “The architecture is very similar so it’s easy to train a volunteer to mix in one space and then move them to another,” says Eli. Churc
USA - On Sunday 30 September at Pine Trails Park, the Actions for Change Food and Music Festival Fundraiser took place. Born out of the tragedy of the 14 February Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland, FL, its goals were to provide healing by bringing love, light, and hope through the arts, register people to vote, raise national awareness about gun violence, and raise funds for organizations committed to helping all our nation’s youth. There was a good mix of speeches in addition to both live and recorded music to keep the action going and, to ensure the best audio performance, a loudspeaker system drawn from the Aero Series 2, Action, Road, and UX catalogues of DAS Audio was utilised. Dynamic Productions USA of Orangeburg, NY, a full-service events production company, was contracted to handle the sound reinforcement requirements for the festival. Brian Rosenblum, t
USA - E-sports - the world of competitive video gaming - has become an international phenomenon, with millions of fans watching both in person and on Internet livestreams, rooting for players that might take home millions of dollars in winnings. Where better to build a premium Esports venue than in the gaming capital of the world - Las Vegas? That’s what Allied Esports International set out to do, with a new venue in the Luxor Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. “Our mission was to build a turnkey infrastructure to do many different live events, as well as produce content in a style and quality that meets or exceeds current broadcast standards,” says Drew Ohlmeyer, head of content, Allied Esports International and Esports Arena Las Vegas. To repurpose a former nightclub space, Allied hired CBT Systems to design and build an A/V system tailored for high-availability streaming
UK - With the festive season now upon us, theatre stages up and down the country are being filled with dames, beanstalks, flying carpets and glass slippers. White Light is once again suppyling a range of pantomimes this Christmas. Pantomimes are many venues’ biggest production of the year, with these classic childhood stories often starring household names. An all-time favourite is Aladdin and, this year, WL is supplying several versions of the show, including one at Hackney Empire which is lit by David Howe. He comments: “Hackney Empire’s Aladdin evolved a lot in the rehearsal process, with a lot new music being written specifically for this production. My brief, as ever, was to enhance the whole look of the show and help the audience focus on each story-telling moment.” WL is also supplying Aladdin in Cambridge, Crawley, Norwich, Yeovil and Swin
UK - For International Day of Persons with Disabilities, also known as #Purplelightup, installation company CSR Lighting illuminated various of Microsoft’s UK internal offices as well as the exterior of their Reading office. For these eye-catching purple illuminations, CSR Lighting decided to use SGM fixtures. “We have continued to invest and specify SGM products as they work for us in every environment we visit,” says Gary Willn from CSR Lighting. “To allow the client to get the most from the #Purplelightup, we used SGM’s G-Profile Turbo to frame the client’s logo on the front of the building in the pure white available from the Turbo. We have had G-Profiles in hire since their launch and it made total sense to go with the new Turbo version of the fixture to have the extra light output from the same sized fixture,” says Willn. “The building was lit ove
Kuwait - In a move that has significantly enhanced the meeting and conferencing experience of its corporate customers, the Sheraton Kuwait has upgraded to the latest wireless conferencing system from Sennheiser. Implemented across the property’s two large ballroom-style conference facilities as well as its many meeting rooms of varied sizes, the audio specialist’s ADN-W system delivers crystal clear audio conferencing with the convenience of flexible and secure wireless connectivity. Intuitiveness and customer satisfaction were priorities as Eng. Mohamed Monieb, maintenance manager at Sheraton Kuwait explains: “Our hotel’s world-class facilities meet the needs of very large to extremely intimate gatherings and the wireless conferencing system allows the equipment to also be ‘right-sized’ exactly as per customer requirements.” Beneficial for Eng. Mo
UK - River Audio has installed a new Martin Audio WPM line array in the main hall at Plymouth University. The university wanted to replace its small vocal PA in this location with an upgraded system that would be suitable not only for speech but also music and drama performance. When a delegation of the University’s AV technicians attended a live sound training course with the local Base Sound, to improve their mixing capabilities, they were introduced to Martin Audio’s signature sound, and were immediately impressed. After reviewing various systems they opted for the WPM line array and chose Base Sound sister company, River Audio, to supply and install six of the WPM tops, flown each side of the proscenium, with and a pair of WX218 subs on the ground, all running from a pair of Martin Audio iKon 8-channel amps. As the two clusters are trimmed around 6m from
UK - Adlib was back on the road with pop rockers 5 Seconds of Summer - fresh from winning the 2018 ARIA Award for ‘Best Australian Live Act’ - supplying a Coda sound system, monitors and an Adlib crew to work alongside the band’s engineers Phil Gornell (FOH) and Pavan Grewall (monitors). Richy Nicholson project managed for Adlib, Sam Proctor was the systems engineer on the road and he worked alongside Marc Peers - another talented Adlib engineer - who co-ordinated all things in monitor world. Phil and Adlib have worked together before on several previous tours including All Time Low and Bring Me The Horizon; the Liverpool based company has been his preferred equipment supplier for the UK and Europe since around 2010. The decision to spec Coda was a joint one made by Phil, Richy and the Adlib team. Adlib has used it very successfully on numerous tours, even
UK - The festive season is well underway and Triple E has gone underwater to provide a magical window display in the centre of the West End. You wouldn’t usually associate Shaftesbury Avenue with a yacht-chandler, but Arthur Beale has been situated here for over 400 years. Traditionally known for manufacturing ropes for ships, climbers and explorers the company often takes advantage of their central London location to supply the local West End theatres with specialist rigging. Under the leadership of Alasdair Flint, a theatrical chandler who also has a passion for sailing, the company has revived itself in recent years to provide rigging and ropes to the theatre sector alongside their more traditional sailing business. And each Christmas the company draws on this theatrical side and puts on a window display to rival any other shop in Bloomsbury or the West End!
USA - While many churches struggle to attract new members or keep current ones, Cascade Hills Church in Columbus, Georgia, has found success by keeping things fresh and presenting church as more than just an hour-a-week event to endure. With the knowledge that AV and dynamic lighting systems can positively impact the overall worship experience, Cascade Hills chose a flexible Elation stage lighting system to raise its profile and help grow its ministry. Cascade Hills personnel called on local Columbus-based Absolute Audio Systems for a lighting solution that would enhance both the live and broadcast aspects of their worship services. “Cascade Hills is an active church that was in need of a lighting upgrade so they could improve the look of their weekly services and TV broadcasts, as well as special events like musical performances,” explains Todd Buckner, owner of Absolu
UK - Finnish bluegrass rockers Steve ‘N’ Seagulls, have recently hit the UK for a series of shows supporting their third studio album Grainsville - released earlier this year - while accompanied by an Allen & Heath dLive Wings system. The band’s set-up comprises a dLive C1500 surface (fitted with a Waves V3 card, which is used for multitrack recording, virtual soundchecks and running plug-ins during live shows), an IP8 remote controller and a CDM32 MixRack. The Wings set-up was chosen due to the customisation options and its size - which is perfect for flying. FOH engineer, Antti Laitila, explains: “Steve ‘n’ Seagulls tour around the world all the time, so I was looking for a compact and good sounding console for fly-dates. I’d heard a lot of great things about the dLive-series from my colleagues, so I decided to give it a try. “Pete Ka
USA - Completed in 1915, St Paul, Minnesota's massive Cathedral of St Paul is the country's largest church outside of New York and Washington, D.C. Its Saint Cloud granite exterior walls are matched in grandeur by the American Travertine marble coating the 3,000-capacity interior, which reaches 175ft up to a dome nearly 100ft in diameter. It's a big, reverberant space. "If you took the Statue of Liberty off its pedestal and set it in here, it would fit under the dome," observes Randy Keeley of St Paul AV systems integrator Metro Sound & Lighting. "And everything within this space is very reflective: Travertine marble all over the walls and floors, hardwood pews, different angles, glass-you've got sound literally going everywhere." These are not friendly acoustics for any kind of amplified sound, yet a sound system is the only way every worshipper can hear what is being
