Finland - Finnish singer Suvi Teräsniska relies on Allen & Heath’s dLive for FOH and monitors at over 100 concerts every year. During her 10-year career Teräsniska has released eight platinum-selling albums, supported by constant touring, and attracts huge audiences in Finland’s biggest venues. Simo Aalto, Teräsniska’s lead sound engineer, finds dLive’s extensive built-in processing invaluable for the production. “The FX Rack, especially the reverbs are great. Even though I have an option for third-party plugins, I haven’t found any need to use them so far,” he says. Aalto also finds the Dyn8 dynamics processor an essential tool for getting optimal results with Teräsniska’s distinctive vocals. “I’m a fan of the Dyn8 processing. Suvi is an excellent singer and her deep-toned voice has a rich variety of dynamics during the show. With Dyn
Slovenia - Philips Lighting LED studio lighting fixtures have been chosen to provide professional quality, low-energy lighting solutions for Slovenia's leading commercial television studio, POP TV. After testing lighting solutions from several manufacturers, lighting director Nebojsa Gazdic specified the Philips Strand 200F LED Fresnel fixture, from the Philips Entertainment Lighting portfolio. His choice was based on its broadcast-grade light quality as well as its low energy consumption, compact size and silent operation. Gazdic says, "In the larger news studio we wanted to move from tungsten lamps to daylight sources, increasing the colour temperature to 5600K, and the Philips Strand LED fresnels have enabled us to do that. We wanted reliable fixtures, with high-quality light output and consistent colour temperature." He adds, "During our test period, we found
Europe - Kasabian are rated one of the best live acts in the UK. A cursory glance reveals a tight little four-piece rock band with an insatiable appetite for musical exploration. Sounds simple: far from it. “Kasabian are one of those bands who, on the face of it, appear to be just a straight forward rock band. But once you start to look more closely, when you start exploring how the arrangements are put together, then you find there is a lot of detail in there.” Ben Findlay, the band’s FOH engineer talking just before their first UK show. The band have just completed an intense trawl through Europe culminating in a dozen arena shows around the British Isles. Britannia Row Productions provided an L-Acoustics K1 system with Findlay using an SSL Live out front. “Part of the challenge with Kasabian is to make that detail apparent,” he continued. “That’s why
USA - AWS re: Invent is an event, held annually by Amazon Web Services. It is the biggest event of the year for Amazon's cloud division, when customers and developers descend on Las Vegas. More than 30,000 delegates attended the event, held at The Sands Expo and Convention Centre at the end of 2017 to hear Amazon Web Services executives announce new tools and share the stage with representatives from big companies touting their AWS usage. For 2017, Amazon wanted a 400ft high-resolution LED wall suspended as their primary design and backdrop. Production company ZED Ink knew that with LED dimensions like these, the weight quickly adds up, so they brought Cassidyrig on board to assist with the project and monitor the loads. The Sands Convention Centre is historically known as a weight restrictive venue, despite being the second largest convention centre in the wor
UK - St Pancras Renaissance Hotel at London’s St Pancras International station - that Gothic Revival masterpiece of the great Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott - reopened in 2011 as the glamorous St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. Gilbert Scott has been immortalised in the restaurant that bears his name, as part of renowned British chef, Marcus Wareing’s stable of restaurants. Also helping to ensure a successful rebirth of this iconic space, formerly the original’s hotel’s Dining & Coffee Room, has been loudspeaker manufacturer JBL, and sound installation specialists, Evolve Install, led by Elliot Patterson. Evolve were awarded the contract following a successful site meeting with Marcus Wareing Restaurants’ Group operations manager, Lise Mabon. Elliot Patterson recalls the restrictions of working in a Grade I-listed building. “Other c
UK - Newry Town Hall in Ireland has undergone a dramatic refurbishment to make the venue more usable for the entertainment industry. Newry District and Mourne Council brought consultant John Gallagher from Lumiere Productions on board to specify the technical facilities in the venue, with Doughty Engineering's Irish and Northern Irish distributor Production Services Ireland (PSI) being awarded the specialist theatrical install. Brian Reilly, director, PSI said: "As part of this prestigious project to transform this historic venue into a space that works well for hosting entertainment events, we were enlisted to supply Newry Town Hall with all its theatrical requirements including lighting, dimming and flying system as well as IWBs and facility panels from Doughty. Working with Peter Tweed, PSI's service and install manager, we took the outline from the consultant and the di
UK - When club owners Matthew Dimmack and Cleto Capetta took over the former Lola-Lo club site in Brighton, they wasted little time in approaching Penguin Media Solutions as they set out to convert it to the Bau Wow Club. As company director Dylan Thompson emphasises, “We already had a good relationship with Matt after working with him on other venues over the years, and so we were invited to tender.” The integrators went up against a handful of other companies, but their attention to detail won the owners over, as well as their ability to provide a live Martin Audio demonstration of the proposed system via sister company Penguin Media Hire, which holds extensive stock. “Key to the system was its flexibility,” Thompson recalls, “as the venue needed to be used for live shows as well as club nights - and this had to be taken into account.” As the 170-ca
UK - Bourbon, Edinburgh is a three-room basement space that includes a bar/lounge, restaurant and nightclub. Having taken over the space from a previous nightclub, the management team invested in renovating and updating the venue aesthetically and technically. To meet the high standard of the overall re-fit an audio system of equal quality was required to attract big-name DJ’s and audiences to the new venue. KV2 Audio were invited to demonstrate products to the venue in situ, following which there was no doubt that KV2 products would be the ultimate fit. Each area was subsequently equipped with a range of KV2 products selected for their sonic quality, clarity and output. The primary Club Room features KV2’s SL 4.12 and SL 2.15 wide-dispersion, slim-line mid/hi and bass enclosures powered by the dedicated SL 3000 amplification and control unit. Low frequency o
UK - Rag’n’Bone Man headlined Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Concert in the Gardens, the best New Year celebration in the UK, if not the world. Edinburgh's Hogmanay was the place to be to send off the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh as the festival city and kicked off 2018 in style. At the sold-out Concert in the Gardens, Edinburgh’s own Nina Nesbitt kicked off the night sharing stories with the capacity crowd in Princes Street Gardens. Nina was followed by BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year Declan McKenna who wowed the crowd with his eloquent, upbeat indie set. The audience in the gardens lit up for Rag’n’Bone Man’s powerful set with the crowd going mad for anthems Human and Skin and his finisher Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones. This year’s spectacular Midnight Moment was, for the first time, choreographed to a speciall
USA - On Volvo’s booth at this year’s LA Auto Show, Creative Technology’s Chris Wasilauskas used Elation Professional’s new exhibit-optimised Fuze Wash 575 white-light LED luminaire to light the Swedish auto manufacturer’s newest vehicles and concept cars, the same light he used on the Kia booth to great effect. “They are an excellent fixture for lighting vehicles,” the lighting designer and technical director (lighting division) at the global production house said of the cool-white LED PAR moving head. “The high colour temperature and high CRI shows off the paint color of the vehicles quite well.” Held 1-10 December at the LA Convention Centre, the LA Auto Show is one of the most influential auto shows in the world and especially high demands are placed on the lighting. Creative Technology has used Elation Design PAR 575 opti par moving heads on auto
UK - As fine a reputation in edgy relevance as you could wish for, Kasabian continue to confront their fans with an ever-evolving musical output. “It’s a totally different dynamic,” said their long-time director of video, Paul Eggy Eggerton. And well he might; while other bands join the expanding club of content-driven video backdrops, Kasabian take the braver route, relying on their live stage energy to carry the crowd. “So often a lot of content tends to be stock graphics or just splodge,” continued Eggerton. “For these guys we have big side screens in portrait orientation.” The two six-metre tall 7mm LED screens and a four camera PPU are supplied by Video Design. “With that screen format, there is no standard mid-shot - it just doesn’t work, you’d end up with lots of either limbs or instruments missing. So you are constantly having to keep it wid
USA - New York-based lighting designer Cory Pattak never ceases to be awed by the sunsets over Manhattan. “You find yourself swearing ‘this can’t be real,’” said he says. “All those pinks, oranges and purples that can only exist in an Instagram filter, right? But your eyes don’t lie. This is how days often end in Manhattan. I used to be afraid that if I put those colours on stage, it would look too unreal.” Pattak set aside this concern recently when he lit a fall production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award winning musical In The Heights at the historic Olney Theatre. Using a collection of Ovation, Rogue and Maverick fixtures from Chauvet Professional, he supported the production with vivid displays of colour, including one during the song Champagne that captures the surreal beauty of a Manhattan sunset. Elaborating on the role of his
Sweden - LD Fredrik Stormby has been making prolific use of GLP’s new JDC1 hybrid strobe on tour with Gothenburg-based heavy metal band, In Flames, on their European arena tour with co-headliners, 5-Finger Death Punch (FFDP). Having been operating lightshows for the Gothenburg-based In Flames since 2011 (and been designing their sets since 2014) Stormby wanted to focus on the artwork that the band had been developing for the current European tour. “I wanted to use a lot of video and set elements,” he said. “There is a lot of artwork and figures/elements to look at and my idea was to create an atmosphere and style that really represents the band; you should be able to see a picture and immediately tell that this is an In Flames show.” No fewer than 65 JDC1 hybrid strobes have been helping him in his quest, with Soundforce supplying all the In Flames gea
UK - CPL, working for event producers Bright, supplied lighting, sound and video equipment for Bristol Vision 2017, a networking event held at the University of Bristol Students’ Union building and organised by Bristol Media for individuals and companies engaged in media and communications sectors. Mike Radford project-managed for CPL, working with a crew of four and closely with Bright’s production manager Fleur Saynor. The team covered several different areas including a main plenary space, associated break-out rooms in the Pegg Theatre and AR Bar, reception / check-in and a café / open / meeting space complete with a number of exhibition display booths. It was a busy day for the 200 delegates who could catch 18 keynote speakers and engage in a range of digital and media-related commercial and business activities. In the main plenary room, CPL rigg
UK - Lighting designer Tom Campbell utilised 37 x Robe MegaPointe moving lights for the recent UK tour by indie rockers The Hunna. Lighting and lasers for the tour were supplied by Colour Sound Experiment. They were among the first UK companies to invest in MegaPointes immediately after the product’s launch in September 2017. Tom, who joined at the end of last year, evolved the look and feel of this first production tour in close collaboration with guitarists Dan Dorney and Ryan Potter. He originally saw MegaPointe in action at the PLASA Show in London just after its launch and was impressed. As a result, 19 MegaPointes were rigged on 12ft drop bars allowing them - trim permitting - to fly the mid truss out of view so the lights appeared to be floating in space. The rest were all on the floor where they provided a dynamic balance in the beams. Eight were
Malaysia - This summer saw the completion of the first phase of the transformation of Malaysia’s Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex into one of Asia’s top sporting venues, KL Sports City. This ambitious project included the installation of an L‑Acoustics loudspeaker system into the 85,000-seater National Stadium, now considered the biggest stadium in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, which needed to be ready in time for August’s SEA Games and 9th ASEAN Para Games. Sennheiser Electronics Asia, L‑Acoustics certified distributor for Malaysia and provider of the system, was first introduced to the KL Sports City concept in 2015. Shortly after, the company was invited to tender for the project, which had to satisfy exacting requirements for coverage and sound quality, while also adhering to strict limitations on structural weight loadings. “Sennheiser supporte
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd. (AC-ET) has supplied a Nexo Geo M6 main house PA system to the Victoria Theatre, Halifax, to provide high quality audio reproduction during its diverse programme of live shows and events. Built in 1901, the 1,512-seater venue provides a sensational theatre experience and caters for everyone; from no-holds-barred rock 'n' roll, chart-topping pop, sumptuous ballet and opera, to cutting-edge comedy, fantastic family shows, musicals and not forgetting the annual pantomime. The theatre was looking to replace its existing PA system, which had been in the venue some 15 to 20 years and was in need of an upgrade. They required something more flexible and modern, like a line array system that would cover all bases, providing clear and articulate vocal reproduction for touring theatre and comedy shows, yet also being more than capable
Zimbabwe - The Jabula New Life Covenant Church’s Open Sunday held at the Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre featured a lighting rig that utilised Chauvet Professional fixtures. A crowd of 4,500 people filled the centre’s auditorium on 14 January for the uplifting service intended to inspire congregation members and reach out to new worshippers. Providing a stirring background for the service was a dynamic lightshow that featured vivid colours, subtle stage washes, crisscrossing beams and engaging audience sweeps. Events Evolution created the impressive panorama, despite a short setup time, thanks to a simple but powerful rig it created that utilised Chauvet Professional Rogue and COLORado fixtures, as well as Intimidator and SlimPAR lights from Chauvet DJ, all of which were supplied by Audiosure. The setup was “basically simple,” accordin
UK - S+H Technical, specialists for LED visual effects, drapes and starcloths, supplied an array of high profile television shows including Strictly Come Dancing, Children in Need and the final of X Factor UK 2017. S+H’s Terry Murtha comments: “It was great to be working again with many of our regular clients like Strictly and Children In Need, and also with some exciting new ones – it was the first time we have supplied anything to X-Factor, so we were delighted to be offered the opportunity”. S+H again supplied starcloth for the main hub of the BBC’s 2017 Children in Need live telethon at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. The broadcast was directed by John L Spencer and was the culmination of an action-packed year of fundraising activities. Production designer Alex Craig utilised 350sq.m of S+H animati
UK - The Bristol Hippodrome is one of Britain’s top provincial theatres, catering for the widest possible variety of tastes with its programme of musicals, ballet, opera, concerts, comedians and pantomime. A Grade II listed building designed by leading theatre architect Frank Matcham, the Hippodrome opened for business in 1912. Last year, having reached the venerable age of 105 years old, Bristol Hippodrome, grand old dame that it is, was due a facelift, part of which was to replace its tungsten house light system with a modern, sustainable LED alternative. Key to the entire project was the requirement to ensure that none of the theatre’s splendid Edwardian look and atmosphere was compromised during the upgrade. Whilst it doubtlessly comprised an out-dated and inefficient system, the existing tungsten illumination could not be faulted for the quality of its light -
India - The Kankaria Carnival 2017, which took place in the Indian city of Ahmedabad (Gujarat), between 25-31 December, was brought to life by PR XR330 Beams throughout the seven days. Local event production company Ananta Stagecraft updated their inventory with 100 XR330 Beams in time for the event. A special timecoded show was designed for the celebrations of Ahmedabad, which was declared India’s first Heritage City. The show’s highlight was the XR330. Some 40 units were used in the show along with various other fixtures. According to designer, Jay Joshi, the fixture has great abilities, with silent operation and great stability. The colours are extremely bright and their split gel functions impressive, while the Prisms and Gobo wheels were utilised to the maximum. The fixture also delivered an unfocused spot look which was used creatively in the show. Bein
UK - Illumination specialists LED Creative provided their Alpha 60 RGB LED system as part of the recent upgrade to the Sky Sports Studios at the broadcaster’s West London Headquarters. Working closely with scenic designer Peter Aston for Jago Design, LED Creative’s project manager Ges Smith and on-site team leader Tony Mayor assisted in the successful deployment of the company’s Alpha RGB, which has been used extensively throughout the re-launched Studios One, Two and Three. Featuring the work of lighting directors Richard Bowles, Andrew Louca and Malcom Reed, all three studios have a highly polished, smart, modern feel which can be easily adapted to a suit a broad variety of moods. The end-result is a suite of flexible spaces that can be tailored to reflect the nature of the broadcast content. Studio One the largest of the three is the all-important football hub
USA - Vail may mean skiing, snow and outdoor activities to most people but the area is known for its educational and cultural opportunities as well. Take Vail Mountain School (VMS) as an example. The independent K-12 school has a reputation for excellence and an important part of their challenging academic curriculum is fine art, music, and the performing arts. VMS puts on its own productions in a 384-seat, state-of-the-art theatre. In order to maintain its high standards and offer students the latest in cutting-edge entertainment lighting technology, in 2017 the school replaced its standard conventional lighting rig of discharge-based fixtures with an automated Elation Professional LED-based rig of intelligent spot, wash and batten luminaires. . Media production company THD Productions, Inc. of Leadville, Colorado, was called on to complete the install while freelance
USA - The stars truly unite for Dead & Company, the celebrated group featuring original Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir alongside singer/guitarist John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. Reflecting the stature and profile of the band, the first gigs of their recent tour were two sold out nights at Madison Square Garden for which LD Chris Ragan of Raygun Design created a fresh and spectacular lighting scheme utilizing 24 of Robe’s new MegaPointes, 36 x Spiiders, 37 BMFL Spots and six BMFL Blades, all of which are at the core of the rig. The tour followed a series of summer stadium shows where Chris’s rig included 70 x Spiiders and 60 x BMFL WashBeams, also supplied by Upstaging, the lighting vendor for the tour. The tour trussing configuration comprised
