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Rigging / Staging

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UK - Following last year's innovative stage branding for Lovebox London Weekender, Sunbaba once again delivered for the 2009 event.

The vibrant London festival was held in Victoria Park on the 18 and 19 July and was headlined by founders Groove Armada alongside Doves, Florence and the Machine and Duran Duran, whose set featured a special guest appearance from Mark Ronson.

Sunbaba produced 125 lightbox panels made from backlit PVC for the Relentless Dance Area. The company worked alongside Lovebox set designers and Spacial, the set builders, to create the panels which spanned from the stage to five surrounding tower blocks. This illuminated the area and created a 'rave environment' at dusk.

To keep costs low and waste to a minimum Sunbaba produced each of the 125 panels separately, instead of covering the whole of each structure. Each of the panels was coded so that th

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South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa, via its various companies, supplied design services and full technical production and crew for two recent high profile Nelson Mandela events in Johannesburg.

A 91st Birthday celebration party was staged in Mary Fitzgerald Square, with an eclectic line up of performers, attended by 16,000 people.

The previous week, Gearhouse SA supplied staging, lighting, sound and AV for the Nelson Mandela Foundation Lecture in Johannesburg City Hall. Professor Muhammed Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Grameen Bank addressed this annual landmark.

A strong party atmosphere pervaded Mary Fitzgerald Square, where the Gearhouse team was co-ordinated by project manager Bonni Meyer, working closely with show producers Out of The Box for the South African Music Promoters Association (SAMPA).

Gearhouse Structures built the scaffo

Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

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UK - HSL designed and built two special stage sets including DJ booths - complete with inbuilt digital and conventional lighting - for DJs Steve Angello (from the Swedish House Mafia) and Eric Prydz, who played the main stage at the 2009 Global Gathering event on 25 July.

HSL was approached by Duncan Holmes from BPM Special Effects just 10 days before the event staged at Long Marsden Airfield in Warwickshire, and asked if they could create and build a special visual concept for both artists. They wanted something to add impact, excitement and atmosphere to both their performances - which took place in bright daylight and touching dusk.

HSL's Mike Docksey project managed the mission. Overnight, he came up with a design for Angello, whilst HSL's Mike Oates produced one for Prydz. These were drawn up, presented to the artists and given the green light - with now just a week to go

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The Netherlands - Mojo Barriers has made a rounded contribution to the 2009 U2 360º tour as the Dutch company underlines its international capabilities by supplying 700m of curved aluminium barrier system for the world tour.

Having been contracted to supply the touring crowd barrier system in late 2008, Mojo Barriers' project team was thorough in preparing the largest, most complex touring barrier system the company has ever designed. As the footprint of the gigantic stage spans the width of the stadium pitches, both the central stage and concentric 'B-stage' are closely surrounded by live audiences.

Safety was at the top of all concerned parties' priorities list in designing the barrier configuration, which used all elements of the Mojo Barriers system plus some custom-built elements. The challenge was managed using all Mojo Barriers' experience and flexibility.

Mojo's man

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UK - PLASA 2008 saw the successful launch of Litestructures LiteConsole. DJ, Paul Oakenfold, commissioned Litestructures, in association with partners Pioneer and Anolis, to design and manufacture a special touring console to highlight Oakenfold's stage presence.

The system (3m wide, 1.5m high and 1.2m deep) is lightweight, modular, easy to assemble, accommodates two 50' plasma screens at the front and has Oakenfold's name laser cut on the front fascia along with the Perfecto label branding on side panels.

Oakenfold's LiteConsole has toured the globe, supporting Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour and Lenny Kravitz.

The DJ comments: "I have been very impressed with the level of professional support and advice received from the Litestructures team, I am delighted with the beautiful piece of staging technology that has been produced. It made sense to custom design my o

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UK - For the eighth year running Hawthorns has supplied Walk the Walk's MoonWalk and SunWalk power walk challenges in aid of Breast Cancer charities.

As well as supplying the London MoonWalk held in Hyde Park, Hawthorns has also supplied the Edinburgh MoonWalk, and also the Bristol and Newcastle SunWalks.For the two MoonWalks and over 27,000 walkers, Hawthorns provided lighting, sound, staging, rigging and power distribution which was installed into De Boer's massive 'pink palace', a 150m x 60m Galaxy structure.

Three artics of lighting, sound, rigging, power distro and site services made their way to Hyde Park for the main structure and nine smaller ancillary marquees. Hawthorns used six main generators and over 10 miles of cable to supply the marquees, 280 toilets and numerous catering wagons with power.

Hawthorns also introduced t

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UK - Organisers praised Showsec following a successful Camp Bestival this July. In the event's second year, audience numbers increased by 50% from 10,000 to 15,000.

Loud Sound's event director Jim King commented: "We were very happy with the operation undertaken by Showsec at Camp Bestival. They had the right staff with the right attitude for the show and helped make it a pleasant and relaxed experience for all concerned."

Showsec supplied over 250 SIA licensed event security professionals to Camp Bestival, a new style of family oriented festival sited at Lulworth Castle on the Dorset coastline. The festival is the brainchild of promoter Rob da Bank, produced in collaboration with Loud Sound, and its standing results from it setting out from the start to cater for families, rather than adding feature areas for children as an afterthought. The sit

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UK - 5 Star Cases will once again be displaying a selection of its 'standard' flightcase ranges available from the wide range of case styles and specifications, as well as highlighting its custom design and build capabilities.

A recent addition is the Touring Production Rack. Aimed at lighting, sound and theatre technicians, this foam-suspended rack system features a fold away TFT monitor and a keyboard drawer plus various 19" rack-bays. Primarily designed to house a Mac Pro, it can also be built to accommodate a range of PC system cabinets.

Also on display will be 5 Star's newly launched Arena range of general purpose road trunks. Arena trunks are available in three sizes, the Arena 600, 900 and 1200 from stock (black only) or to order in 5 Star's standard range of colours. All are finished with the standard Penn-Elcom hardware.

5 Star's Tour Grade is another popular p

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UK - Richmond Theatre was built in 1899 as the Theatre Royal and Opera House. In June 2008 Maltbury were invited by Tim Foster architects to submit a proposal for the orchestra pit in-fill. This was part of a bigger project at the theatre and the deadline was very tight.

To simplify the changeover Maltbury strengthened the walls of the pit and created a load-bearing 'shelf' around the inside face. Decks were kept to a maximum of 2ft wide so they were easy to handle as they dropped into place on the ledge. No legs were needed. Maltbury also took on other specialist carpentry work on the site at short notice.

(Jim Evans)

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USA - Gerriets' new dance floor tape applicator G-TR allows for taping of dance floors and carpets in an upright position. The ergonomically designed tool reduces much stress on back and knees. The precise engineering of the applicator makes laying long distances very easy and comfortable, says the company. "Just start, roll, tape, cut and start the next panel."

According to Gerriets, the lightweight (11lbs) tool allows for 3 to 4 times faster operation than working by hand. The cutting mechanism on the handle provides easy and comfortable operation. A storage bar for two spare rolls allows for taping long distances without any breaks.

(Claire Beeson)

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South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa's Durban and Johannesburg branches combined resources and skills to provide all technical production - including rigging, sound, lighting, AV and sets - required for the high profile launch of Emirates Airline's new non-stop service between Durban and Dubai.

The show was produced by Emirates with support from The Event Production Company and staged at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban. It was project managed for GHSA by Durban branch operations manager, Stuart Andrews, who comments, "Emirates is a six star client and extremely precise in their requirements. Our local knowledge of the venue coupled with the fact that we could draw on expertise from other areas in the company to supply elements like the bespoke staging, enabled us to deliver these exacting standards."

The event was divided into thr

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USA - Pharos Architectural Controls has announced the appointment of Thomas Ladd as its product manager for North America. Based in Boston, Ladd will provide support and training for Pharos users and be a point of contact for our distribution partners and key specifiers.

Managing director, Richard Mead, said: "The time was definitely right to establish a direct Pharos presence in North America. It is so important to us to provide great support to all our customers from beginning to end of their projects and having Thomas on the team will help us do just that."

Ladd received his introduction to lighting control while at Production Arts in New York City in 1999. Two years later he joined the New York Office of Electronic Theatre Controls. His position as field project coordinator for ETC paved the way for him to expand his controls knowledge and programming skills in t

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UK - In June this year the screen-to-stage musical Sister Act - premièred at the London Palladium. The original 1992 film grossed over $200 million worldwide. The theatre adaptation transfers the story to 1970s Philadelphia and the cast includes Patina Miller as Deloris Van Cartier, Sheila Hancock as the Mother Superior and Ian Lavender as Monsignor Howard.

Delstar Engineering kitted out the Palladium with a modular floor 15 years ago and was invited back again to enhance the engineering capabilities of the theatre for this fresh and exuberant show.

The installation includes a walkway and an arrangement of over 40 dedicated working winches that drive a variety of effects ranging from small flown pieces to heavy scenic walls. Delstar also installed a complex show deck, incorporating an inner and outer revolve that can raise and lower lifts while rotating as a central fo

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UK - With little more than a month to go until the PLASA Show, organiser PLASA Events has confirmed over 40 exhibitors new to this year's event, as pre-registrations look set to match 2008's record levels. Pre-registration for PLASA09 is still open, with a 50% discount for online bookings (see website below).

New & Returning Exhibitors
Exhibitors new or returning to the show include Adam Hall, A.T. Industries, All Access Staging & Productions, Ambient Lighting, Artistic Licence, Avid Technology, Bestlight, Bison Produkter, Coemar S.p.A, Entertainment Equipment Supplies, Flying by Foy, Gerriets, Indu-Electric Gerber, Klotz Audio Interface Systems, Laserworld (Switzerland), LumenRadio, MediaLas Laserproducts, NEXO, Picturall, Prism Media Products, Promoberg, Pyrotechnology, R K Sound Engineering, ShowCAD Control S

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UK - JR Clancy, the US-based manufacturer of theatre rigging systems, is gearing up to exhibit at the PLASA Show at London's Earls Court for the first time this year, providing information on the company's range of products, including SceneControl and the newly enhanced PowerLift.

SceneControl is an automated control system which comes in three models - anything from a simple push button controller with start/stop, to a wall or pedestal mounted computer providing top of the range motion control, complete with a 3D visualisation of your performance space.

The new PowerLift hoist comes with electric braking - replacing the Weston style brake previously fitted - and the entry level model now comes with SceneControl 50 as standard. This means that even the most budget-conscious can afford a system which incorporates four user programmable and changeable presets.

Charles Shatzkin

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UK - Manufactured by the Youngman Group, the new aluminium front of stage Barrier was designed by Maltbury Staging's Jason Tucker, a man with long experience of barrier design and the demands of live shows. It is manufactured by Youngman Group, the UK's leading supplier of aluminium access equipment.

Youngman's involvement brings with it two major advantages: an unrivalled experience of manufacturing quality aluminium products; and the ability to offer the barrier at a competitive price.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Walking with Dinosaurs, the award-winning BBC TV series, has come to life in a stunning theatrical event, with 20 life-sized dinosaurs touring the country in what promises to be one of the most groundbreaking arena shows seen in the UK. Integral to this is the set, which has been built by Stage One.

Stage One, who were brought in by The Creature Production Company, creators of the animatronic dinosaurs, were asked to provide several scenic elements, consisting of an automated representation of the Pangaea (the super continent that began splitting up 200 million years ago), several sections of bespoke truss and extensive ground row. They also supplied extensive pre-tour rehearsal space at their North Yorkshire base, in a former aircraft hangar.

"Our extensive workshop facilities and skill base means that we are able to offer all manner of manufacturing techniqu

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UK - Showsec reports that it has been selected as finalists in four categories of the Security Excellence Awards, taking place at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, London this October.

Showsec's managing director Mark Harding said: "We are delighted to have reached the final stages of all four categories we entered. This array of security awards demonstrates the range and quality of services the company provides and is testimony to the professionalism of our management teams and staff."

The categories are Event Team of the Year (for work done within UK Arenas), International Achievement Award (for B'estfest in Romania), Training Initiative of the Year (for the Showsec Academy) and Contract Security Manager of the Year (for operations director Simon Battersby).

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Mojo Barriers UK office has reached a landmark 25,000m of stage barriers installed at events this summer. The barrier supplier has played a key part in maintaining safety over a busy summer of music since starting at the Radio 1 One Big weekend in May, through to providing all of the barriers at Sonisphere.

This new two-day rock festival for 60,000 held at Hertfordshire's Knebworth House on 1 and 2 August was promoted by Monsters of Rock founder Stuart Galbraith's new company Kilimanjaro. With four stages, headliners Metallica, Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails topped an expansive bill of rock acts.

Mojo Barriers director Jim Gaffney worked closely with site manager Steve Hill in creating a barrier layout that was safe for the audience, artists and security teams, installing 600m of Mojo Barrier protection around all four stages

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UK - The introduction of Antari's W-Series transforms digital wireless controlling of stage effect machine navigation into a simple, natural control of the hand, says the company.

"We have been always exploring new concepts and applications for fog machines and this has become Antari's signature. After numerous of testings, we believe that W-Series will become the first choice when thinking about fog machines."

This premium-performance series is specially upgraded for professional users who require true 'Plug-In and Play' operation for stage fog machines.

There are five models in the W-Series. For Fog machines, models W-508, W-510, W-515, and W-530, ranging from 800W to 3000W. One small bubble machine, W-101, is also available. The precision lies with opto liquid sensor, where they are being installed to W-510 and model numbers above. When sensing there's insuffici

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UK - The organisers of the PLASA Show (13-16 September 2009, Earls Court, London) have announced the final shortlist of nominees for this year's prestigious Gottelier Award, which will be presented at the PLASA Show on Monday 14 September.

This will be the third Gottelier Award - named in memory of the former designer, developer and commentator Tony Gottelier, who died in 2006. The Award (sponsored by Lighting&Sound International magazine for which Tony Gottelier was a regular contributor for many years), aims to recognise those who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the development of entertainment technology. Former winners are Tony Andrews of Funktion One (2007) and John Stadius of Soundtracs/DiGiCo (2008).

The seven nominees this year include four notable figures from the lighting world and three from pro audio. This year's nominees are, in alphabetical

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UK - Le Mark will introduce its latest product offering at the PLASA Show (13-16 September, Earls Court, London). The custom-printed roll-out vinyl stage flooring allows any design or graphic to be reproduced at Le Mark's Cambridgeshire base, the company says.

"Now you can 'walk on water', grass or rocks, play snakes and ladders or even Twister on your own custom printed roll out vinyl show floor," says Le Mark's Stuart Gibbons.

The company uses only Tuchler super compact Consor or Event vinyl dance and stage floors. The flooring comes in 2m wide sections, is fire rated to DIN 4102 class B1 and is safe to use in both interior and exterior applications.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Causing the biggest stir for many years amongst audiences and industry professionals alike with the sheer scale of its design and construction is U2's current 360° Tour.

The now-famous 'Claw', designed by the combined talents of show architect Mark Fisher and long-time U2 collaborator, show designer/director, Willie Williams, forms a 28m high canopy over one of the largest stages ever toured.

Pivotal to the 'Claw' is a central spire or pylon, 50m high and loaded with 34 PRG Icon 2 'Bad Boy' moving lights and two 600mm mirror balls, which has been developed and fabricated by UK staging company, Brilliant Stages.

"Working with Jeremy Lloyd of Stufish to Mark Fisher's design, we devised a construction that would withstand the rigours of a 44-date, international tour of outdoor arenas and stadia, yet which would also be easy to erect and transport," exp

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UK - Litestructures has announced the appointment of Nippy Industries as a new hire partner. Industry rigging Guru Steven Williams, managing director of Nippy Industries has been involved in many high profile events during his 23 year span in the industry, including The Rolling Stones and Madonna tours.

Nippy Industries has chosen Litestructures to increase their staging by taking a stock of 60 LiteDeck. Williams comments: "We have chosen Litestructures staging due to its versatility and ease of installation. This is rapidly becoming an industry standard product and our association with Litestructures not only gives us flexibility of stock but also compliments our outdoor roofing structures. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Litestructures over the coming months and years."

(Jim Evans)

  1. Tomcat USA introduces Edge
  2. AP Security at Henley Festival
  3. Maltbury packages for Glasgow schools
  4. Cooper Controls to distribute State Automation
  5. Youngman to distribute Staging Concepts
  6. PLASA09: Milos features full stage range
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