UK - Version 2 Lights supported LD Oli Richards with the return of The Generation Game, the classic game show which was originally hosted by Sir Bruce Forsyth, and later by Larry Grayson and Jim Davidson. Recorded at BBC Elstree Studio D, the show returned for 2018, this time presented by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. The first episode of the returning format was broadcast on Easter Sunday evening on BBC One. Reinventing a classic for 2018 was set designer Patrick Doherty who brought a fresh and vibrant feel to the studio. The set compromised of screen technology from Creative Technology which was fed by media servers from the lighting team. Scenic LED supplied by Light Initiative further enhanced the mood of the set, with scenic rigging being handled by DLM Events. Richards’ design complimented the set, with multiple lamps contouring the shapely outli
USA - Every evening, a half hour before the curtain went up on ONCE during its January to March run at the John W. Engeman Theatre in Northport NY, the audience was welcome to step on stage for drinks at the “bar” that’s at the centre of this Tony Award-winning musical. That was only the beginning of the immersive experience that awaited them. With an enchanting, impressionistic set and actors who not only sang, but also played musical instruments on stage, the show invited theatre goers to set aside their normal expectations of a musical and embark on an engaging journey. Critical to creating this captivating imagery was a richly coloured and subtly textured lighting design by Cory Pattak that featured Chauvet Professional Ovation E-910FC and Rogue R2 Wash fixtures from the theatre’s house rig. The New York City-based designer drew on the output and colour re
Europe - Alt-rock outfit Paramore is amidst a whirlwind of a world tour supporting their latest release, After Laughter. For the third and fourth of five major tour legs, which saw them moving from outdoor festivals and amphitheatres to major arenas in Europe and Australia, the band selected an Adamson E-Series and S-Series audio system supplied by Eighth Day Sound Systems. The lengthy run began in Dublin, Ireland in June 2017, hitting a wide range of venues across multiple continents. Regardless of where they’re playing, though, Paramore aims to deliver a high-energy, high-impact show for a ravenous fan base every time they hit the stage, and precise, pristine, and powerful sound is critical to that mission. “Paramore is very much a vocal- and guitar-driven band, and the Adamson system’s low-mid performance and intelligibility made it easy to bring those
Portugal - A new sound reinforcement system has been designed and installed at Capitolio Theatre in Lisbon by Audiomatrix. Capitolio is a well-known space located in the centre of the city of Portuguese capital which hosts a variety of events including live concerts and corporate events as well as theatre activities. Capitolio was looking for a new sound system that could offer high sound fidelity throughout the venue for the 1500 people capacity. The system was specified by Audiomatrix technical director and FOH engineer Marco Esteves. They chose the NEXT-proaudio solution due to “a combination of its versatility, clear sound, coverage capabilities, and the easy tuning using Soundware software”. Marco Esteves used the manufacturer support to design the set-up, which comprised 12 LA122A, 2 LAs118A, as well as six ground-stacked LAs418 subwoofers as the
USA - Dallas, Texas-based Bock Technologies was recently tapped to upgrade the sound reinforcement system at the Main Arena of the Somervell County Expo Centre in Glen Rose, Texas. The Expo centre is the premier location for equestrian events and cattle futurities, industry tradeshows and award-winning performances in the region. “The existing system was worn out and just didn’t provide the coverage the multi-purpose venue required,” explains Pedro Salas, vice president of Bock Technologies. “We knew an EAW QX distributed loudspeaker system would blanket the seating areas while upgrading intelligibility and audio quality considerably. It would be more than capable of handling any event they had.” The Main Arena of the centre is a highly reverberant space, approximately 130 x 254 feet with a seating capacity up to 3,050. The space is used for rodeos, animal e
USA - Fans of US rapper A$AP Ferg are treated to dynamic live footage and effects on his current Mad Man tour, through a slick stage design that features custom-built onstage robot cameras and a large HD video wall powered by Avolites Ai RX8 Servers. Lighting designer, video director and programmer for the tour is Michael Smalley of Twin Designs, who in the past has worked with artists including Pitbull, Shakira and Bassnectar. Smalley collaborated closely with production design company Vita Motus and LA-based technology design firm VT Pro Design to deliver the show. "The artist wanted a clean, runway look, like a high-end music video shoot," explains Smalley. "The cameras on the robot arms capture intimate and close-up shots so the audience can really see every moment on the big screen. This is mixed in with high impact effects to give a dynamic range to the sh
World - Currently touring their fifth studio album, Wonderful Wonderful, The Killers are travelling the world with an Americana-inspired show design, lit by long-term lighting designer Steven Douglas, who selected the Claypaky's Scenius Unico as the production's workhorse lighting fixture. From the start, the band, Douglas and the rest of the creative team decided against a fixed creative brief for this production. Instead they worked on growing the show design organically during the recording of the Wonderful Wonderful album. The resulting production features The Killers' idiosyncratic Vegas styling, alongside theatrical small-town Americana set-pieces, inspired by the nature and feel of the album's music. "Building the show whilst the album was still being recorded felt more natural, as the songs influenced the design process," says Douglas, who worked
Spain - An invitation-only masquerade ball takes place each year in the Liceu Theatre within the historically ornate ballroom known as Sala dels Miralls. Live musicians perform while attendees dance and drink and laugh, each person a mysterious character for the evening. Unfortunately, in the past, because of the mirrored and marbled room’s highly reflective sound quality, the details of the music and the vocals were often equally mysterious. So, in its third year in 2018, the promoters of the Círculo del Liceo Masquerade Ball decided to fix the issue once and for all - with Clair Brothers. VTècnics, Clair Brothers distribution partner in Spain, recommended using the new C12 speaker system to combat the daunting acoustical challenge. Explains Josep Maria Serra, VTècnics production manager, “An event that caters to high-society elite is expected to have everyth
USA - The Richard E. Berry Educational Support Centre in Houston, Texas recently completed a major update to its AV systems featuring seven Allen & Heath dLive S Class Digital Mixing Systems and an ME Personal Mixing System. Serving the Cypress Fairbanks Integrated School District, as well as the Houston area at large, the Berry Centre hosts 4000 yearly events in its five multi-purpose venues (arena, conference centre, theatre, and two stadiums). Ford Audio Video Systems provided the Berry Centre’s new AV systems. David Shriver, Ford AV’s Houston Division job centre manager says, “Our big goal in all of this was flexibility because the centre defines ‘multi-use facility’.” Ford AV installed an Allen & Heath gigaACE network and a second Dante network to supplement the existing Dante network. Together, the three networks allow several of the dLi
USA - Esports Arena Las Vegas, which celebrated its grand-opening on 22 March at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, features a Harman Professional installation. The new Esports Arena Las Vegas is a 30,000sq.ft multi-level arena with a competition stage, telescopic seating, daily gaming stations, VIP room, two bars, and state-of-the-art streaming and production studios. The facility also features an interactive area known as The Dome that includes retro games, and a front lobby equipped with gaming stations, a streaming booth and a virtual reality station. Harman Professional Solutions provided a custom audio, lighting, and control solution made up of JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers, BSS audio processors, AMX control systems and Martin lighting fixtures. “Esports Arena Las Vegas is the flagship location of our growing global network of Esports propert
UK - After over half a century of memorable theatrical productions, education programmes and workshops dedicated to upholding the art form of puppetry, it’s perhaps little wonder that the Little Angel Theatre in Islington, London, was championed by Time Out in 2016 as "nothing less than an icon of north London childhood”. For the theatre’s latest show - a puppet adaptation of the children’s picture book, The Singing Mermaid - LD Sherry Coenen incorporated Chauvet DJ’s Festoon fixture into her lighting concept to provide dynamic looks. Coenen utilised the fully pixel mappable LED Festoon to provide visual support for the lyrical picture book adaptation, which tells the story of a singing mermaid who is tempted away from her home at Silversands to join the circus. “The theatre required a solution which would give us a great deal of flex
UK - Alan Ayckbourn’s The Divide, staged at London’s Old Vic theatre features sound design by Bobby Aitken, who declares, “The sound design was defined by the use of TiMax. We could never have produced that without TiMax.” Directed by Annabelle Bolton with the score composed by Chris Nightingale, Aitken recognised the potential for an immersive spatial sound design. The music is delivered via a 40-piece choir and five-piece music ensemble comprised of woodwind, strings, piano and electronics. In addition to the score, the piece is supported by the extensive use of immersive sound effects. Out Board director Robin Whittaker provided design and programming support on-site to help Aitken realise his spatial vision. Aitken was able to use TiMax to strategically create space within the music for the actors’ voices to be heard clearly. Instead of rais
Croatia - The Zagreb Festival, the oldest entertainment music festival in Croatia, was modelled on the famous Sanremo Festival and is a significant event on the calendar for composers and songwriters and attracts a wide range of national and local singing talent. Lighting, set and visuals were designed this year by Miro Hrg, with the full production technical package - including a complete Robe moving light rig - supplied by one of the top Croatian rental companies, Promo Logistika. The show was broadcast live on Croatia’s National TV station, HRT (Hrvatska Radiotelevizija). Miro worked closely with their lighting director / designer Vesna Gregurević to create a stunning looking show that thrilled both a live audience in the Conference Hall at the Plaza Event Centre, Zagreb and engaged hundreds of thousands of TV viewers. They had two full days of rehearsals
Denmark - On 23 December 2017 and throughout this January, the 18km long fixed link between East and West Denmark was illuminated in BroBizz’s logo-coloured green to mark the beginning of a lower bridge toll. At the same time, the eye-catching installation on the world’s third largest suspension bridge was an experiment with energy-reducing LED fixtures. The lighting for the occasion was designed by ÅF Lighting for client Sund og Bælt, the owner of the bridge. “We wanted to create a professional architectural façade lighting, with beautiful even lighting from the roadway and all the way up to the top of the pylon, while leaving out unwanted highlights. The pylons are 254m high and the luminaires was placed next to the roadway at 68m height, which resulted in an approximately 186m vertical structure to light up,” said ÅF Lighting’s electrical and lighting
UK - Blackmagic Design reports that IMAG projection for the 2018 X Factor Lve arena tour was produced with a PPU, built around an ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K with ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel. Live acquisition was delivered by an HD multicam set up which included the URSA Broadcast. The tour, produced by live specialist, PRG XL Video, took the talent show’s winners to 15 cities across the UK in just three weeks. Vis a Vis Video’s Stuart Merser led on all video production for the tour and collaborated with X Factor’s studio director, Diccon Ramsey, to ensure the live set up matched the format and feel of the popular television series. “The live set-up is similar to the Saturday night show, with a presenter and acts performing for the audience’s vote each night, so Diccon was responsible for editorial consistency between broadcast and arena content,
UK - The transformation of the vacant former Bradford Odeon cinema into a 4,000-capacity live music, entertainment and events venue has been further bolstered with an extra £4m confirmed from the Government’s Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund. The funding has been secured by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership. The 1930s cinema has been vacant since 2000. The redevelopment will be one of the biggest of its type in the country outside of London and will bring Bradford back on the national touring circuit. The venue, due to be run by NEC Group International, will aim to put on around 225 events to more than 270,000 people every year, creating 50 jobs in the city. The project is being led by a not-for-profit social enterprise, Bradford Live, assisted by Bradford Council. Programme manager, Kirsten Branston from Bradford Live, said: “We would like t
UK - Video Illusions won the Festival Supplier Award 2018 for Best Screen Supplier, impressing judges with the scale of the installation and the technology deployed at Boomtown. The Festival Supplier Awards, held on 25 January at London’s Hurlingham Club, recognise the achievements, hard work and dedication of outdoor event and festival suppliers. The award categories cover a multitude of outdoor event essentials, from staging, crowd management, temporary structures and crewing to crowd barriers, toilets, power, technology and screens. There are also specific awards for the green supplier and production teams. Submissions for the 2019 edition of the awards run from 3 September to 31 October, with The Festival Supplier Awards 2019 set to return to London’s Hurlingham Club on Thursday 31 January 2019. (Jim Evans)
USA - Eastern Acoustic Work’s (EAW) MicroWedge stage monitors continue to take the spotlight at live sound venues throughout Chicago. T.C. Furlong, president of TC Furlong Inc, reports recent sales to Lincoln Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Green Mill. “These are marquee clients that represent some of the more notable live venues in the metropolitan area,” explains Furlong. “The popularity of the MicroWedge does not seem to diminish. The small footprint is ideal for crowded stages and their high output makes them useful for any act that needs stage monitors. Plus, they are rider friendly - everyone that uses them loves them.” Furlong notes that Lincoln Hall increased their inventory by nine MW15, Old Town School Of Folk Music by eight MW12, Lyric Opera of Chicago added six MW12 while The Green Mill invested in two additional
UK - A.C. Special Projects (AC-SP) has assisted Madame Tussauds London in a full LED upgrade of its popular Spirit of London ride to the latest energy-efficient ProLights lighting solutions. Madame Tussauds London gives guests the chance to get up close to over 300 lifelike figures of some of the world's most famous stars, ranging from Hollywood to Bollywood, and The Royal Family to ‘Rock Royalty’. In addition to the nine themed areas and a 4D cinema experience, the attraction's Spirit of London ride provides an exciting and nostalgic black cab journey through London's history. Guests are transported in near darkness from Tudor England to the 20th century, travelling through scenes featuring figures of some of London's best-known characters. From the golden age of Queen Elizabeth I to the Great Plague and Fire of London, to Christopher Wren's re-building of the Cap
UK - Located in the heart of London’s Westminster, the Emmanuel Centre is a trans-denominational church serving the broad Christian community in the area. The 1,000-capacity venue - a Grade II listed building with a glass dome auditorium, marble columns, high-arched windows and oak panelled walls and seating - presented a sound reinforcement challenge. The reverberation time in the main auditorium measured around three seconds, a significant obstacle to speech intelligibility, and the building’s listed status meant drilling into the structure was forbidden, ruling out the installation of flying points. To bring the increasingly multi-purpose Centre up to date, Elvis Uriona, head of sound at the Emmanuel Centre, approached long-term sound system partner Autograph Sales & Installations. Peppe Mallozzi, who led the system design for Autograph, was fam
USA - The new wedding and reception chapel on Free Chapel's McEver Road site in Gainesville, Georgia received a sound system from Danley. Local AV company dB Integrations designed and installed the system for the Chapel on McEver and its outbuildings using Danley Sound Labs SBH-20 column form-factor, point-source loudspeakers, SM-100 synergy horns, weatherized GO-2-8CX loudspeakers, and TH-mini15 subwoofers. "The Chapel on McEver is a beautiful setting for a wedding, but its aesthetic also makes for some challenging acoustic conditions," explains Paul Lynch, inside sales associate at dB Integrations. "There's imported marble tile everywhere plus lots of glass and highly reverberant wooden pews. To compound the challenge, the church put off some acoustical treatments we recommended while also requesting that the sound system be 'invisible'. They don't want to see techn
UK - Harman Professional Solutions is supporting Teenage Cancer Trust’s 18th annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall with a complete Martin by Harman lighting solution. Conceived and curated by TCT patron Roger Daltrey CBE, frontman of The Who, this year’s line-up includes Daltrey, UB40, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Corteneers, Kasabian, Def Leppard as well as an evening of comedy hosted by Russell Howard. As part of a long-standing pledge to support Teenage Cancer Trust, Harman, along with partners PRG and Fineline Lighting, is supplying a complete Martin lighting rig to provide a premium visual display for the performances. "Teenage Cancer Trust is extremely grateful to Harman Professional Solutions for all their support at our Royal Albert Hall shows,” says Jane Ashton, head of music and entertainment, Teenage Cancer Trust. “The Martin lighting solutio
Poland - The Christian Exodus Festival took place at Gdańsk's 15,000-capacity Ergo Arena in February, featuring inspirational effects lighting controlled by an Avolites Sapphire Touch console, supplied by Prolight. LD Tom Jones created vibrant and uplifting lighting for the four-day conference and festival, which featured talks as well as live performances. To achieve his challenging and ambitious design, Jones programmed and controlled the lighting for all events using the Sapphire Touch, powered by Avolites' effects-focused Titan 10.1 interface. "Despite some elements of the show being programmed using cue lists, such as the opener and some guest artists, most control was made on the fly as worship is a dynamic environment," says Jones. "Thankfully, the Sapphire Touch has an intuitive layout, which makes busking extremely fast and simple. Motorised faders and on-scr
USA - The Denver Centre Theatre Company (DCTC) is a busy troupe. Noting its 412 productions, 159 readings of new works, 138 world premieres and 27 commissions, it likes to say, “After 35 seasons, we’re just getting warmed up”. The production company primarily uses the four theatres of the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex housed at the massive 12-acre Denver Performing Arts Complex, itself home to 10 theatres and 10,000 seats. So, the compact and flexible DiGiCo SD10T, which was acquired through Colorado Springs’ Second Opinion Audio was an appropriate choice for the peripatetic ensemble, whose performances will move between the complex’s four theatre spaces and, sometimes, beyond. “We’ve had the console in all of the theatres we use regularly so far and it’s been very successful,” says director of sound Craig Breitenbach, sound designer for many of the c
