TPi #279 - Jan/Feb 2024

LOUIS TOMLINSON Production crew hit the road with a ‘dirty nightclub’ inspired show design

FREYA RIDINGS The singer-songwriter’s team squeeze oranges to deliver a theatrical tour

U2 Could the band’s Sphere campaign be the future of live shows as we know it?

LITTLE SIMZ: NO THANK YOU TOUR From ‘London-born estate girl to international sensation’

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 • #279

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EDITOR’S LETTER

IT’S RESOLUTION TIME How many of us get to 1 January and have that feeling of shame that those resolutions we set the previous year didn’t quite work out? Perhaps we didn’t go to the gym as much as we planned or still didn’t quite nail that better work-life balance… But I think there is something to be said for the fact that 12 months just isn’t enough time to make wholesale changes to your life. Don’t think of it as a revolution, instead, more of an evolution.

The reason I bring this up is because back in January 2020, I had two main resolution goals for TPi – grow the team and expand our international coverage.

Here we are in 2024 and only now are these things coming to pass.

We were pleased to grow the TPi family in 2023 as we welcomed Alicia Pollitt, Sheelan Shah and Phil Tucker to the fold, and we’re also excited to see Matilda Matthews return from maternity leave very soon. As for the international coverage, you need only look at this issue to see the strides we’ve made with our coverage, from Las Vegas and U2’s jaw-dropping Sphere performance, to Jacob’s report from THE Conference: Live at Lititz along with an interview with the team behind Kim Petras’ latest US run.

Slightly closer to home, we bring coverage of Italy’s first ever hip-hop festival, Marrageddon, while Alicia speaks to the audio team of Baaspop XL Live in the Netherlands.

Also, in this issue, we visit the production teams working on The Chemical Brothers, Freya Ridings and Louis Tomlinson as they close out the 2023 arena touring season. We also do a deep dive into the creative minds behind Little Simz’s outstanding back-to-back headline shows at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace.

In addition to gig coverage, L-Acoustics highlight the major counterfeit issue facing the live events sector, following their Destruction Day in Florida – where the company seized and laid waste to 136 fake loudspeakers. It’s certainly a conversation that we’ll be hoping to continue with tradeshow season right around the corner. On that note, if you are attending either NAMM or ISE Show, be sure to drop us a line as we’ll be out in force at both shows.

And as we enter the two-month countdown for the TPi Awards, please turn to p10 to see all this year’s shortlisted nominees. We’re all very excited to reveal the winners at the event on 26 February.

Tickets are still available but get them quick to ensure you don’t miss out.

Happy New Year everyone, Stew Hume Editor

Issue #279 January/February 2024 Editor Stew Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk Assistant Editor Jacob Waite Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk Editoral Assistant Alicia Pollitt Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7508 441986 e-mail: a.pollitt@mondiale.co.uk Commercial Director Fran Begaj Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7852 336728 e-mail: f.begaj@mondiale.co.uk Account Manager Matilda Matthews Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7413 555978 e-mail: m.matthews@mondiale.co.uk Account Manager Phil Tucker Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7522 130473 e-mail: p.tucker@mondiale.co.uk Account Manager Sheelan Shah Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7401 690960 e-mail: s.shah@mondiale.co.uk Digital Content Manager James Robertson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7725 475819 e-mail: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk Marketing and Events Manager Alice Clarke Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7752 392465 e-mail: a.clarke@mondiale.co.uk Editorial Director Peter Iantorno Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637 e-mail: p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk Chief Executive Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk Accounts Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh Graphic Design & Production Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Jez Reid: j.reid@mondiale.co.uk Cover Photo Little Simz Photo: Phoebe Fox (@shotbyphox) Printed By Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk Annual subscriptions (including P&P): £42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW).

Subscription enquiries to: Subscriptions, Mondiale Media Limited, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580 Fax: +44 (0)161 476 0456 e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk www.tpimagazine.com www.tpiawards.com

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published 12 times a year by Mondiale Media Limited under licence. ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2023 Mondiale Media Limited. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Media Ltd, nor the Editor, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential loss or damage resulting from information published. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published 12 times a year by Mondiale Media Limited United Kingdom. The 2023 US annual subscription price is 117USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Media Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK.

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ITINERARY

ON THE COVER

CHECK OUT THE NEW 2024 AED CATALOGUE We’ve added more than 200 products and accessories to the AED rental portfolio. Our price list is only accessible to professionals in the AV industry.

LITTLE SIMZ An ‘extravagance in simplicity’ approach to the artist’s latest landmark live campaign

TPI AWARDS 2024 10 The shortlist for this year’s event.

EVENT FOCUS 12 Ricardo Rojas reflects a unique

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68 THE FUTURE OF LIVE EVENTS?

Behind the scenes of U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere.

28 Tim Hand extols the virtues of 32 Ombra Design curates visuals for

82 THE Conference: Live at Lititz

PRODUCTION PROFILE

86 Fly By Nite becomes a

a d&b Soundscape system.

a celebration of Italian hip hop.

The singer and his crew traverse the globe with a ‘nightclub in an arena’-inspired production.

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The performer’s team overcome logistical hurdles to present a stunning tour.

INTERVIEW 78 L-Acoustics steps up the fight

36 LOUIS TOMLINSON

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60 FREYA RIDINGS

50 CHEMICAL BROTHERS The electro-duo’s touring family discuss the group’s mammoth 2023 campaign.

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90 TAIT opens the doors to a new London base.

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PRODUCTION FUTURES 100 Angie Berwick becomes an Education Ambassador.

GEAR HEADS 102 L-Acoustics L Series.

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106 Vectorworks 2024.

108 Martin Professional MAC One. FEEDBACK 110 Equinox tackles the subject of private charter flights.

111 Fragomen on setting the stage for work permit free travel.

BACK CHAT 114 Rock-it Cargo Managing Director, Chris Palmer.

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THE 2024 SHORTLIST TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR

PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR

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ALICE JAMES ANDREW THORNTON CHRIS KANSY CHRIS PARKER JAKE BERRY JOSH BARNES

‘BIG AL’ MOUAT ADAM MORRIS DUNCAN LADKIN JACK DUNNETT PAUL TRAYNOR STEVE BLISS

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EVENT FOCUS

LIGHTING KIM PETRAS: FEED THE BEAST WORLD TOUR Lighting Designer, Ricardo Rojas reflects on an illuminating experience, curating the lighting design for a theatrical production where luxury fashion runway aesthetics meet Dante’s Inferno.

Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Shaun Llewellyn

Following the release of her surprise second studio album, Problématique, German singersongwriter – and the first openly transgender woman to win a GRAMMY Award – Kim Petras, and her touring team hit the road on 27 September in Austin, Texas to showcase the Feed the Beast World Tour campaign in all its glory. Split into five acts based on the story of Dante’s Inferno overseen by Show Director William Baker, Creative Director Eli Sheppard, and choreographers, Brian, and Scott Nicholson. The show spotlighted Petras’ discography with theatrical, bold, and immersive lighting devised by Ricardo Rojas.

Technical suppliers came in the shape of Solotech providing audio, lighting, and video alongside All Access Staging and Productions and Image SFX. “The creative brief was bold to say the least,” Rojas recalled. “William Baker had a clear vision for the live show, and he did a great job of communicating that. I knew what I wanted the lighting to feel like: theatrical, bold, intentional,

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and immersive.” According to Rojas, each act has its own “mood” and “energy”.

He elaborated: “I wanted the lighting to help tell this story and to take us to different worlds throughout the show. I knew immediately that key light would be the most important part of the lighting design. We wanted to build worlds that Kim and the audience could be transported to. I wanted her to be immersed in these worlds but also stand out,” he explained, referring to Petras as the ‘star’ of the show.

“People want to see her perform on stage, see what she’s wearing and feel what she is feeling. I wanted the stage to feel and look like a theatrical production and a luxury fashion runway at the same time.”

As is standard operating procedure, all of Rojas’ concepts begin with a pen and paper. “Once I have a basic idea of what the composition of the stage should be, I move to Vectorworks, where I audition a lot of my ideas.

Will my design fit on the stages we will be on?

Do I have coverage for all the different cues and

moments I want to hit during the show? I really dive into the details of the design during this stage,” he said.

Once Rojas consolidated his design drawings, he imported it into Syncronorm Depence. “This allows me to audition different types of lights and get a better sense of what it would feel like from the audience’s perspective.

I tweak the design until it is something that I am really excited about. Once we settle on a lighting design and it is approved by the artist, we do all lighting programming on Syncronorm Depence,” Rojas noted.

The lighting package included 24 Vari-Lite VL3600 PROFILE IP spotlights, 24 Robe Spiider washes, 12 Ayrton MagicBlade FX moving heads, 26 Elation CUEPIX Blinder WW2s, and a pair of BMFL RoboSpots.

“The Vari-Lite 3600s were used as the spot fixture on this show. We had 16 on the upstage trusses and eight on the downstage truss. They are very, very bright and have great optics.

We also used their framing blades a lot. The

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EVENT FOCUS

frames were used to really isolate and highlight different parts of the stage with the downstage truss,” he explained, further noting the usage of Spiiders as side light. “This really made the key light more dynamic. We wanted the show to have a theatrical look and the side light was essential to achieve that. They are also used overhead on a circle truss.”

The Ayrton MagicBlade FX units were dubbed by the LD as the ‘eye candy’ fixtures of the rig. “I wanted a fixture that could give us more traditional pop show looks and this fixture did a great job at it,” he remarked, adding that the Elation Blinders were used throughout the rig to add “punch” and “energy” to proceedings.

Rojas highlighted what he considered the most important fixture on the rider – RoboSpots. “The choreography was so good, I really wanted to make sure we would be able to flow with Kim’s movement. Sometimes when the blocking is very tight, it almost becomes rigid and leaves no room for improvisation. The

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RoboSpots allowed us to go with the flow of Kim’s movement each night, without worrying about her not being visible on stage. This freed the rest of the rig up to highlight other parts of the music and movement on stage.”

The lighting design was programmed and powered on an MA Lighting grandMA3 console, operating grandMA2 mode and each act had its own unique colour palette. “This really allowed us to dive deep into each act and allowed us to build different moods throughout each act,” Rojas commented.

Act I was full of fire; Act II was blues, pinks, and reds; Act III was pastel greens, purples, and moonlight; Act IV was all white; Act V was an ice world with alternating shades of blue and white, while the encore was full of pinks and purples.

“One of my favourite looks of the show is during the track, Castle in The Sky, which was the last song before the encore. I used the overhead Robe Spiiders to create a light cage for Kim to move inside of. I love how diverse

the whole show looks. There are so many cool and unique looks throughout the whole show,” Rojas commented. “I really wanted to create a lot of different moments in the show that feel special, and I think we achieved that,” he said.

Kim Petras will embark on the European leg of the Feed the Beast World Tour in February and March, playing shows in the United Kingdom and Europe. Reflecting on the success of the US campaign, Rojas concluded: “This project was wonderful to work on. It really felt more like lighting a play than a concert. It was so dynamic and a breath of fresh air. The show turned out so beautiful and balanced.

I made some new friends along the way; the whole team was great. I am proud of the work we did together!” www.kimpetras.com www.allaccessinc.com www.imagesfx.com www.ricardorojasdesigns.com www.solotech.com

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DESIGNING LITTLE SIMZ: NO THANK YOU TOUR Core members of Little Simz’s white shirt and black tie-clad road crew discuss the ‘extravagance in simplicity’ approach to the artist’s latest landmark live campaign…

Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Phoebe Fox 9@shotbyphox

Hot on the heels of a successful tour of the US and Europe, Little Simz and her production team headed to London’s Alexandra Palace for back-to-back, sold-out hometown shows – commemorating a successful 2023 on the touring circuit and signifying the artist’s steady rise to stardom, following the release of her fourth studio album, No Thank You. With the flight cases loaded-out and tour truck’s doors slammed firmly shut, TPi checked in with core members of the aptly white shirt and black tie-clad crew – a nod to the album’s iconography and now the de facto stage and audience attire.

“It’s been some journey,” recalled Production Manager, Eric ‘EZ’ Wade, who has been an integral cog in the Little Simz live touring machine since the early days, witnessing the artist’s live output evolve in scale, from headlining the small room at EartH Hackney through to headlining two back-to-back, sold-out dates at the Ally Pally in the space of four years. “The growth speaks for itself. Once you gain greater recognition, your capability to represent and creatively portray an artist is enhanced. We always step it up for hometown London shows.”

Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting and rigging infrastructure and crew, while 4Wall Entertainment provided video equipment and on-site support to fulfil the creative brief.

“Colour Sound Experiment and I have a longstanding history, all our artists go through them, depending on availability,” EZ explained. “I’ve

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been looking to work with 4Wall for a long time, but I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity, and they came through en force and went above and beyond to support the vision of the show.

“We wanted to do something bold and big, and both of our visual suppliers understood the brief and they came through swinging,” EZ added, citing the support of Account Handlers, Alex Ryan and Jordan Dormer at Colour Sound Experiment and 4Wall Account Handlers, Rhodri Shaw and Simon Barrington.

“Simz directs a lot of the show herself. She has a very loud and powerful voice when it comes to what kind of show she is looking for and is very hands-on with the execution, as well as the early stages of the project,” EZ said, retracing the creative process. “TANCK worked closely with Jeremy Cole to curate the visuals.”

The result was a theatrical and narrativedriven show that put Little Simz at the forefront of the design, displaying her artistry without any gags or unnecessary bells and whistles.

“We tried a different type of show to what people are used to this year. Simz has always toured with a live five-piece band with lighting more of a focus than visuals. This time around, we tried a different approach, stemming from Simz and how she wanted her show to look. We wanted to be more theatrical, without showing all our cards at once,” EZ explained.

“The main difference with this tour is scale,” added Tour Manager, Casey Elisha. “Ending with two sold-out shows at a venue like Alexandra

Palace is such a huge achievement and a statement. It shows Simz’s capabilities as an artist. Closing the tour in this way has been the icing on the cake for what’s been a great year.”

The “all-encompassing” LED screens provided a “strong” visual backdrop and “storytelling device” which complemented the intensity and ferocity of Simz’s bars, with monochromatic video content, which later burst into vivid colour, helping introduce elements of the show as it progresses – like the arrival of support acts or further band members for some tracks to keep the “energy” and “dynamism” of the show, according to EZ, who spends a large percentage of the show as animated as ever.

“I’m hands-on with any project I’m involved in. You will often find me at FOH during show time, so I can find ways to improve each show, whether that is from a creative or technical standpoint. I believe it’s important to fulfil that role, because ultimately, everybody in the team is doing their utmost to ensure things are perfect but sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to consider what may be needed elsewhere. The spreadsheets are still waiting for me once the show is done, but at the same time, you’ll never catch me sitting in the production office out of choice during the show.”

His unorthodox approach also came in useful when there was a medical emergency in the crowd. EZ was straight at the FOH barrier, shining a light into the crowd, successfully directing and guiding venue security to where they were

needed. “The production manager has a strong responsibility to make sure the people coming to a show have a safe and secure experience, which is of paramount importance,” he remarked, going on to share his ‘love-hate’ relationship with the venue.

“I respect and love what Ally Pally represents and means for an artist, but I understand the restrictions and pains of hosting a show in a venue not necessarily equipped to deal with the level of production associated with grandiose shows like ours. Regardless, I feel much older and wiser for doing these two shows and despite those headaches, it has been a joy from start to finish.”

In closing, the PM highlighted Protect My Energy as among his favourite looks of the show.

“It’s a type of song that sends a message – it is visually bold and colourful. Equally, the visuals for Woman are just as iconic – you can’t go wrong with the warm glow from a tungsten bulb. I regularly find myself shimmying along to the songs, despite seeing and hearing them a thousand times!”

On stage, one of Elisha’s favourite moments from the show was during the track, Gorilla. “The energy from the crowd for that track is second to none! The band play a Carlos Santana interlude

while she goes off stage for a couple of minutes before returning to a roaring crowd singing every lyric word for word. The lighting on this song is so simple but adds to the moment beautifully, creating a warm, energised feel in the room. It’s a feel-good moment that I always try to catch from FOH.” Elisha was pleased with the response to the Alexandra Palace shows. “I’ve received a lot of comments about how the shows have grown over the years and how effortlessly Simz is able to command a stage, so I think it’s safe to say the shows were a success. Our production and creative teams worked well to produce something special. It’s a great achievement for everyone involved. We have an awesome team of people dedicated to what they do, and it was fulfilling to see all our hard work pay off.”

‘SYNCHRONISING EMOTIONS’ Stage Manager, Archie Brewis-Lawes managed the load-in and -out as well as overall show logistics, overseeing the staging of the live shows and making sure all departments are operated at the highest level. “It’s been a pleasure to play a role in delivering these shows, working for an artist that I

love and seeing her stage presence grow over the course of the tour,” he enthused.

Scheduling the build and delivering in time for soundcheck was the main time-sensitive hurdle for the team. “The load-out was a total success; having created a plan, we managed to pack away safely ahead of schedule. All departments were a pleasure to work with throughout both shows.

I found it to be a pleasantly challenging project,” he said, attributing the relationship with video and lighting departments as key to the success of the show. “These departments go hand in hand in synchronising certain emotions relating to each track, successfully delivering the messages and emotions of the tracks and artist.”

Case in point, he said, was the show’s introduction, which he declared a ‘standout’ moment. “It built tension well to introduce the first track and set in general. The use of the backlit spot to introduce the track with the artist staring to the crowd in silence creates a great tension yet again,” he said, outlining the track, Venom as among his favourite looks. “The energy and lighting design go hand in hand for this track. The use of haze to create a mysterious look on stage with the high

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energy in the performance works very well. The overall show and messaging in the tracks are powerful, having witnessed first-hand how much this artist has an impact on crowds around the world, these are all the signs of an artist reaching new heights.”

‘EXTRAVAGANT IN SIMPLICITY’ Creative Director and Screen Designer, Jeremy Cole conceived, directed, and edited the onscreen content and developed the concept and look of the show with Little Simz and TANCK. “Simz and I have been working together for almost a decade, so we’re talking constantly about new ideas. This time around, we wanted to create a show that was centred around Little Simz’s performance. The idea was to be extravagant in simplicity, so Simz could command the entire stage,” he explained, praising Little Simz’s stage presence. “I’ve been lucky enough to witness Simz’s journey from 10 years ago when the venues and audiences were tiny, but the ambition was still huge. Every show she’s done has been a step into new territory and I love that she always wants to try something new. It’s easy to get complacent, especially when the reviews are good,” he noted.

For this show, the biggest difference was that the show was all about Simz, in front of a 10,000 audience, whereas previously she had a full band as opposed to two band members who

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joined her for half a set. “The space she had on stage, with nowhere to hide, proved for a stronger show where her presence is everything,” Cole said. “The one big change from me was because the screens were significantly wider, our screen designs had to do more. So, for some songs we shot with an orchestra who played the tracks live and we composited them into the designs.

Alexandra Palace was a special bookmark and it proved her ability to hold a huge crowd in the palm of her hand. The scary thing about that is you could multiply that audience by 10 and she would handle it just fine.”

‘A CINEMATIC APPROACH TO LIGHTING’ Tom Taylor, Lighting Designer for Little Simz, alongside TANCK’s Francis Clegg and James Washer, picked up the story. “This was the first time we’ve been using proper video content,” he explained. “Previously, we’ve done a lot of stuff with lighting spectrums and backdrops but this time the custom content created and sourced

by Jeremy helped us achieve a show that flows nicely with the desired narrative.”

Despite the onus on video, lighting plays an equally key role. “Around 70% of the show is Little Simz on stage, and she doesn’t need anyone else because she’s that talented, but we still want to elevate her performance, so the lighting underscores that with intricate programming, hitting cues to keep the energy flowing on stage.”

With the 90-minute setlist set in stone to timecode, the show starts monochrome and blossoms into colour as it progresses.

“Jeremy had this idea that the show is all about her, conducting this orchestra of monolithic silhouettes behind her,” Taylor described.

The show was split into several parts, beginning with a monochrome, fantasia-style opening of a silhouetted orchestra all seated before dropping into a deep red for the track, Heart on Fire. “We then have a clubby-section with classic Simz tracks like might bang, might not and 101 FM, along with a trancey number, before opening up for a multicoloured celebration with a choir and orchestra on the screens bursting into more vivid colour,” Taylor explained.

Having toured with a modest floor package and 12m by 5m video screen across Europe, making do with whatever was rigged in house, given the economy of space, the toolbox of toys brought along to the Ally Pally helped the production team elevate Little Simz in front of a raucous home crowd.

Two centre-rigged 10m diameter circles were stacked on top of each other, furnished with black drape to hide 12 ARRI SkyPanels S-60 C units, providing a “homogeneous hit of light” with the outer, circular lighting trusses spanning the circumference of the soft box. The flown left and right front trusses featured CHAUVET Professional STRIKE ARRAY 2, Maverick Storm 4

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Profile and Robe BMFL units. Further Maverick Storm 4 Profiles provided side light, while the circular truss spanning the ‘soft circle’ comprised Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 fixtures, chosen for their “multi control pixelling’ with the audience-facing side enhanced by the inclusion of Strike Array 2 units. A RoboSpot motion camera, the curved back wall of video was supplemented by GLP JDC Line 1000, flown directly above.

“We don’t have too many eye-candy, audience-facing lights, so having something that you could do intricate programming on was really useful,” Taylor said, praising HY B-EYE K25 fixtures. “They do a lot of the animation with the high hats, while the outer ring does the claps and pieces in between.”

The floor package also included Astera LED Hyperion Tubes, a back wall of CHAUVET Professional Colorado PXL Bar 16s, Chroma-Q Color Force IIs hidden behind a frosted perspex frontage of a custom light box on stage and left and right, Robe BMFL Spots and ARRI SkyPanels S60-C units to provide even and considered side lighting, as opposed to tight beam work.

Atmospherics came in the shape of Tour Hazer 2 units and AF-1 fans. “It was more about cinematic lighting rather than the live environment,” Taylor remarked on the importance of side light.

The stage risers and fascia featured a trim of Chroma-Q Color Force II units housed in an opal fronted light box, created by Hangman.

According to the LD, the COLORado PXL Bar 16 provided “extremely strong output” to correspond with the video. “GLP JDC Line 1000s were the only high-impact audience-facing lighting solutions. They are powerfully bright and perfect for halfway through the set, during the more ravey moments,” he noted. “It is a simple but effective lighting rig.”

Taylor praised Lighting Director, Will Kinnaird, who operated the show on an MA Lighting grandMA3 console running MA2 software. “He knows the shows back to front and has built up a rhythm and symbiotic relationship with Little Simz over the past two touring campaigns that he can read the room and light the audience as

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she throws it to them, despite it being largely to timecode,” he noted, citing the invaluable time spent by Lighting Programmer, Guy KnoxHolmes at Colour Sound Experiment and his house, finessing the show file. “He’s a wonderful programmer; we’re incredibly lucky to have such a strong lighting team.”

The dip into red before the classic, tungstenled lighting of Gorilla, through to the kaleidoscope of colourful content during Woman, Rollin Stone, and the huge, intense, green strobing of Venom were radical departures from the monochromatic first few and closing numbers of the set.

However, Taylor believed the muted introduction said it all. “We don’t need to create the talking points or impactful moments through lighting, staging or gags – just Simz delivering her verse is powerful enough.”

As alluded to by EZ, the team experienced some logistical challenges imposed by rigging a modern production in an historic venue. “Ally Pally is a beautiful venue, with over 100 years of history. However, it isn’t necessarily equipped to handle modern touring productions. There is a glass roof, so you can’t see any lighting until, luckily, 4.30pm in the middle of winter in the UK. There is also a protocol in place which means you can only put half as much weight in the roof as you would ideally want, in case it snows, so there are plenty of logistical challenges to doing a show there, not to mention the cost of the rigging, but it’s iconic. I like that everybody is on the same level from an audience perspective with a shared view of the show.”

Lighting Technicians, Alex Ryan, Chris Brown, Leo Tierney, James Walker, Liam Drewery, Ricardo Lorenzini and Chris Foot and Dimmer Technician, Al Johnstone made up the Colour Sound Experiment team. “The team is easy to get along with; I can’t praise them enough.”

‘A PLEASURE TO BE INVOLVED’ 4Wall supplied a 21.6m by 6m curved upstage screen along with two portrait IMAG screens made up of ROE Visual LED panels, along with a four-camera package and crew. “It was great to

work with Eric and his team on this project. We all worked together to achieve the end goal of fitting the biggest screen possible in Alexandra Palace,” 4Wall’s Rhodri Shaw said. “There were a few rigging-related hurdles with regards to weight loading and the placement of the screens, but together we got it to where it needed to be, and the result was fantastic.”

The team opted for ROE Visual CB5 MKII LED panels in lightweight mode, which enabled them to add a five degree curve every 1.2m.

4Wall also supplied two portrait CB5 MKII IMAG screens. The wider video team comprised: Vision Director, Anna Lucia Sadler; Engineer, Tom Westbrook; LED Crew Chief, Ben Sanderson; LED Technicians, Chris Kinrade and Iain Smalls; LED/ Camera Technician, Toby Molloy; LED/Camera Operator, Rocco Smith and Camera Operator, Sam Brown. “It was a pleasure to have been involved in this show,” Shaw concluded. “Vision Director, Anna Lucia Sadler, did a fantastic job on cutting the cameras. Having worked with the band in the past, Anna had a great feel for the music which was reflected in her work.”

The wider No Thank You Tour camp featured: Assistant Tour Manager, Nicole Wallace-White; FOH Engineer, Claudio Cueni; Monitor Engineers, Barny Peplow and James ‘Kedge’ Kerridge; Entec Audio Technician, Kevin Gill; System Technician, Matt Grounds; PA Technicians, JP Kearney, Olly Paisley, and Dan Scantlebury; Audio Project Manager, Tom Olorenshaw; Guitar Technicians, Freddie Nice and Matt Belton; Playback Technician, Max Truphet; Production Rigger, Liam Beech; Rigger, Benjamin White, and Hangman’s Martha Turville-Petre and Sue Harrison.

“The reception and the amount of praise we’ve had has been phenomenal, given the obstacles we came across in the lead up to these shows – seeing all the hard work and sleepless nights come to fruition was worth it,” EZ concluded. “If people didn’t know who Simz was before, they do now.” www.littlesimz.com www.coloursound.com europe.4wall.com

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HK AUDIO SOUNDS OUT BAASPOP XL LIVE HK Audio partners with Dutch rental and production company Music and Gig on the first-ever Baaspop XL Live, marking the German pro audio brand’s return to the live events industry.

Words: Alicia Pollitt Photos: Baaspop XL

HK Audio has an extensive history in concert sound, supporting names such as Westlife, Shakira, Rock Im Park festival and Daniel O’Donnell over the years. The company is now making moves to get back to its live music roots.

“Our history providing for these huge events is all the more reason to reconnect with the live events industry, especially after COVID-19,” commented HK Audio Sales Manager and Engineer, Marco Zeidler. “There is a strong restart feeling at HK Audio, and we are focussing on bringing our newer products to live events.”

Since its inception in 2017, Music and Gig has collaborated as a user and pro-dealer for the Dutch market with HK Audio, working closely with distributor Algam Benelux.

Working together on a series of festivals and gigs across the Netherlands, its recent soldout Baaspop XL event in Bodegraven is one of note, featured artists such as La Fuente, Mart Hoogkamer, and Marco Schuitmaker.

“The feeling and buzz around Baaspop especially in the local area is excitingly

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positive,” said owner of Music and Gig, Ferry Gieskes, discussing the October event. “People are still talking about it now.”

The HK Audio system for the festival comprised a main hang of two COSMO C 10s and eight COSMO C 8s per side. Delays came in the shape of four COSMO C 6s per side, three CONTOURX CX 8s as front fill and two CONTOUR X CX 12 for infill, along with two LINEAR 7 FA 112 for outfill, as well as two COSMO CS 218 and 16 COSMO CS 118 subwoofers. Four CONTOUR CX 8s, two COSMO Sub CS 118s and six COSMO C 8s were deployed for monitors, while a selection of Lab Gruppen PLM+ 12K44 and PLM+ 8K44 amplifiers were also supplied.

Acoustic simulation, processing, (FIR) filtering and design were handled using EASE Focus, Lake Processing and SMAART. “COSMO was the best choice for this,” Gieskes commented. “The system is designed so the natural sound of the cabinet was already more than acceptable for what we wanted so we could tune it in every direction we needed or wanted for the show.”

HK Audio products allow consumers to uplift its system when required, rather than purchasing an entirely new system. “The flexibility is very attractive to us,” Gieskes continued. “I can’t think of a touring system that is that easy to deploy and grow but is also within a reasonable budget.”

For many of the sound engineers at Baaspop XL, the festival was the first time they had used an HK Audio system – and Gieskes heard nothing but praise.

“Everybody was very positively surprised,” he commented. “The feedback was fantastic.

It wasn’t only those using the system who were impressed; we had professionals in the crowd who came to compliment us on the coverage and sound.”

“Saturday night was the highlight for me,” Gieskes added. “DJ La Fuente was enthusiastic about the whole setup and acted as the perfect closing for the whole festival, and the whole evening the atmosphere and crowd were superb!”

With another Baaspop XL event planned for October 2024, Gieskes is full of optimism. “We

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have a dot on the horizon of where we want to go – the sky’s the limit, and we want Baaspop XL to grow as a high-end festival experience,” he stated.

Reflecting on the year passed, Head of Marketing Communications at HK Audio, Gaby van der Blom noted: “We’ve had a great summer and a good season of shows with a broad selection of loudspeaker systems of our portfolio deployed, and we mean to follow on in 2024.”

As HK Audio returns to live events after a decade away, the company is looking to delve further into the industry in 2024. “It feels that step by step we’re going in the right direction and there is lots to come in 2024,” Zeidler proudly concluded. hkaudio.com www.baas-bodegraven.nl/baaspop/ www.musicandgig.com

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D&B SOUNDSCAPE ENHANCES EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL FOH Engineer, Tim Hand harnesses the immersive and ever-greater collaborative capabilities of a d&b Soundscape system for back-to-back performances by Yazz Ahmed, Hector Plimmer and Ralph Wyld at the cultural pulse of King’s Cross.

Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Monika S. Jakubowska

British-Bahraini trumpeter and composer, Yazz Ahmed, continued her exploration into electronic soundscapes in partnership with producer, composer and drummer, Hector Plimmer, and percussionist and vibraphonist, Ralph Wyld at EFG London Jazz Festival.

Following their collaboration on 2018s La Saboteuse Remixed, the collective presented an evening of improvisation and live sampling of each other’s music, mixed by Yazz Ahmed’s long-time FOH Engineer, Tim Hand – who explored the creative possibilities of King Place’s immersive d&b Soundscape system, situated in Hall Two. “One of the great things about Yazz is her collaborative approach and the fluid nature of the line-ups she performs with,” Hand recalled, discussing the genesis of this project.

“We had one outing with this trio with a typical, stereo setup but Kings Place have given

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us time to rehearse and experiment, which is hugely important for d&b Soundscape,” he commented, noting how the luxury of time affords him the space for creativity to blossom.

“I’ve done shows with Soundscape in the past, where I am replicating realistic positions on stage or adding ambience, but given the lead time on this project, I can make far more creative and responsive choices, improvising along with the band.”

The “relatively dry acoustics” of Kings Place also made it easier to hear and control what Hand was adding to the mix. He elaborated: “With a room of this size [around 200-capacity seated], the instruments are audible without amplification, so I use En-Space to generate a reverb as well as En-Scene to shift sources.”

He theorised that psychoacoustics play an interesting role in proceedings. “In some ways, Soundscape is too naturalistic for

certain circumstances. I had to do things with EQ because the positioning is so good,” he explained, noting the “creative sonic pallet” he had to work from with d&b Soundscape, enhanced due to the nature of the genre.

“I’m responding to the improvisation and improvising myself with space and the effect that has on an audience in a way I can’t do with a L–R system, so it opens a whole new world of collaboration with the artists.”

Hand set his d&b Soundscape mix up in a way which essentially allowed him to ‘busk’ each show. “I’ve worked with some stored scenes, but I’d much rather move the objects manually. Grouping the objects has been important, because I can only physically do one movement at a time,” he said, detailing his approach to mixing. “I’m feeding off what the artist is doing so Soundscape allows me to be part of the improvisation in a way

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I’ve not been able to before.” Yazz Ahmed shared her experience of d&b Soundscape from a performer’s standpoint: “The trumpet is a glorious instrument traditionally used in grandiose settings like churches, so it helps to perform in a room that projects that sound,” she explained.

“Although Room 2 is a cool space it doesn’t have enough reverb, Soundscape allows Tim to carry the sound and bring the best timbre out to everyone in the room.”

King Place’s d&b Soundscape system featured Y10P as the main loudspeakers of choice with E5 loudspeakers spanning the circumference of the room to amplify the spatial experience, along with B2 subwoofers and 45S loudspeakers, with the latter chosen as front fills.

Luca Rosa, a resident sound engineer at Kings Place, emphasised the collaborative approach of d&b Soundscape, encouraging visiting artists and sound engineers to

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“I’m responding to the improvisation and improvising myself with space and the effect that has on an audience in a way I can’t do with a L–R system, so it opens a whole new world of collaboration with the artists.”

Tim Hand, FOH Engineer

“embrace” and “experiment” with the system.

“We regularly train visiting sound engineers to understand the system properly and all

the artists get their time to play with it and experiment,” he remarked. Alternatively, what d&b Soundscape offers multi-art venues like

Kings Place is the flexibility to cater for different audience arrangements. While this show was in an end-on configuration, for in-theround shows, there is a flown cluster of E12-D loudspeakers with the B2 subwoofers situated beneath, all this requires is recalling the device scene from a DS100 Signal Engine.

“It’s been a great, fascinating and a creative process using Soundscape to improvise and respond to the music on the fly, something which is often unattainable in such a directly creative way for a sound engineer in the live environment,” Hand said, in closing.

Ahmed concluded: “Music is an emotional art form, and I would encourage other artists to experiment with Soundscape to connect with their audience.” www.dbsoundscape.com www.kingsplace.co.uk www.yazzahmed.com www.tim-hand-production.co.uk

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MARRAGEDDON FESTIVAL Ombra Design oversees a bombastic visual display for Italian rapper Marracash’s ground-breaking two-stop festival.

Words: Stew Hume Photos: Andrea Bianchera and Nicola Braga

It takes a special artist to use their fame and success to make a cultural change in their region. Take Italian hip-hop star Marracash, for example. Getting his start in the underground hip-hop scene in Milan, his career has gone from strength to strength. With his latest releases being more introspective than previous records, the artist has come to be known as the Italian ‘King of Rap’. Following a hugely successful arena tour in 2022, the cogs started turning for Marrageddon Festival. Taking place across two locations at the end of September 2023, this two-stop festival welcomed 85,000 and 55,000 attendees to Milan and Naples, respectively, and featured some of the country’s best-known artists, with each evening capped off with a stunning headline performance from Marracash himself.

Drafted in to provide the visual lead to the festival was Ombra Design. Despite being based in London, the company is headed up by Italian natives Lorenzo De Pascalis and Giulia De Paoli.

The duo jumped on a call with TPi to talk about the festivals and what it meant to bring such an epic production to their home country.

“We designed his arena tour last year which was very successful with five sold-out shows in Milan alone,” began De Pascalis – who took on the title of Creative Director and Set Design for Marrageddon Festival. “We started to hear about the idea of the festival in December but

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the designing really began in March. However, as to be expected, the bulk of the work ended up being quite last minute.”

De Paoli, who was Project Manager for the Show, explained how the show design aimed to delve into the history of Marracash as an artist.

“When we started working with him last year, he stated that this was very much the peak of his career so far and we were going to ‘do this together’,” she reminisced.

“It was very special to work with an artist on such a human level, especially on such an important event. We crafted the show on the use of many technologies that balanced very well, bringing to Italy something the public has never seen before. We also shaped the intros for each artist and Marracash’s headline set, with dancers, cameras, visuals, lights, and effects on all sides.”

The creative duo discussed the benefit of having one company at the centre of a creative team rather than multiple voices. “It certainly makes it efficient to have one company at the centre of the design process that can answer everyone’s questions.”

On the topic of efficiency, De Pascalis explained that Ombra’s ethos is a meticulous pre-production phase when it comes to show design. “I keep a constant overview of the show and production design,” he said. “My team helps with drafting show designs as well as our lighting designer, and our automation team keeps us involved in the conversation

constantly, so we have the clearest vision of the show. The more information you have ahead of time, the better the process is for everyone.”

To ensure that none of these spinning plates fell, the Ombra team made use of CuePilot – the software that enables all departments to have a digital timeline for the entire show, giving an overview of every cue.

“We originally used CuePilot for a project for Maserati. Although it seemed to be geared for the broadcast world, we found it was great for the project, especially when there was heavy use of AR. Then we started using it for live shows.” For the Marrageddon, the team used CuePilot with Director Christian Biodani and his GVNG-HO team mapping out everything from pyrotechnics, to lasers and video, which gave them a better idea of the timeline of the show.

“All the other departments also really benefitted from the setup. So many people have found it useful, from the stage manager to help with prop moves to fire marshals knowing when things are happening.” The technical suppliers for the festival included AGORA for audio, MOD for video, Mister X for lighting, and ArtechFX for flames, pyrotechnics, and lasers.

“Although we [Ombra] didn’t personally choose the suppliers, we’d worked with many of them and the technicians before,” stated De Pascalis, speaking enthusiastically about the team that was assembled for this project. “We also worked closely with Friends & Partners who acted as the agency for the festival along

with Big Picture Management.” De Pascalis went on to outline some of the lighting fixture choices on the show, which included the ROXX cluster S2 and Blinder, a relatively new lighting brand for the creative team. “The team at Mister X suggested it to us as a great strobing alternative that was also IP65-rated.” It turned out that the IP rating was the right choice with the extreme weather faced by the production during the project. “We were all walking around in plastic bags due to the rivers of water flowing between the catering and the dressing rooms,” he chuckled.

Keeping with the IP rated theme, the production also utilised the Ayrton Cobras and CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Bars. Also present were GLP JDC1, Robe iForte, BMFL, Claypaky Mythos2, Prolight Sunblast 3000 along with several Astra wash lighting solutions.

The lighting package included different looks and a festival truss that allowed other lighting designers to operate for their artists’ shows during the festival. It featured nine automation trusses, six vertical ladders to create grids, and many strobes on the side screens. The nine trusses moved in different positions, meaning the production could alter the look of the stage – from ‘low ceiling’ looks to huge staging shapes at different moments during the show.

With so many automated movements, not to mention Marracash taking to the sky himself at one point during the show, Ombra used a combination of WYSIWYG and Syncronorm Depence to preview all the automation moments in 3D. “From there, we could create cues with the MA Lighting grandMA that could then be transferred to vocal cues in the playback system provided by the company shortcuts, with Stefano Garotta as the Playback Engineer.”

The Kinesys APEX system, which undertook all the automotive looks, was supplied by IK Project; while the Operator and Programmer was Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Filograsso.

On the topic of the side screens and video in general, the team from Ombra explained how Marracash didn’t want to recycle material from previous runs. “From the first to last song in his set it was all new

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content, which we made in collaboration with our fantastic in-house artists and several freelancers,” commented De Pascalis.

The final piece of the visual feast was the special effects rig.

“Prior to the show I’d seen these flame bars from the team at ArtechFX and I’d asked if we could make the effect any bigger,” recalled De Pascalis.

“After some back and forth, we ended up having 22 of their units along the stage and when we turned them it created a crazy effect.”

Programmer Marco Malatesta created chases within the flames going from left to right. “During the song Cosplayer, we used a huge rectangle of metal grid decks around the artist with G-Flames and Bars to create a ‘ring’ of fire all around him,” commented De Pascalis, sharing one of his personal highlights from the show. The team at ArtechFX also supplied a laser solution including the KVANT Spectrum 34, which was used to great effect for the performance, the laser programming was created by Kevin De Been.

Although the Ombra team pride themselves on being involved in the whole visual look of any show, this project saw them break new ground as they even collaborated with the choreographers Ricky Benetazzo and Carlos Kamizele. “We’re real sticklers for details and want everything to sync,” commented De Paoli, providing her final thoughts on the show.

“We had people coming up to us after the show saying that the concert felt more like a theatre experience due to how intricate every part was.” www.marracash.it www.ombra.world/music

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

LOUIS TOMLINSON: FAITH IN THE FUTURE WORLD TOUR Louis Tomlinson and his tight-knit touring crew traverse the world in close to 80 shows, fulfilling a ‘dirty nightclub in an arena’ brief with a dynamic live campaign.

Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Justin De Souza and Oli Crump

PRODUCTION PROFILE

Following the success of his record-breaking Live From London livestream, which reportedly raised over £1m for touring and live events personnel and charitable organisations, Louis Tomlinson and his tight-knit crew have toured the world twice over. This time, visiting soldout arenas in Europe and the UK with a cleverly networked live production with abstract video and lighting and a ‘no frills’ approach to sound, which guaranteed that every ticket holder experienced the same show, regardless of where they stood, sat, or screamed (more on that later). With close to 80 shows under their belt, TPi visited London’s O2 arena ahead of the production’s penultimate date of 2023.

“A team effort is required to get this show off the ground,” explained Technical Manager, Sam ‘Kenny’ Kenyon, who has been a fixture of Louis Tomlinson’s live output since joining as Lighting Crew Chief in 2019. “This has been a complete redesign, and the production has expanded and gotten more complex, which requires different solutions to make it happen.”

Kenny and the team oversaw the deployment of an A and B rig. “We’ve been fortunate for the European stint that the venues we’ve toured have, mostly, been arenas.

The main difference between the A and B rig is the addition of IMAG and further lighting header trusses. Aside from that, the A rig fits everywhere. If anything, we’ve run into weight issues, which we can overcome swiftly by removing overhead trusses.”

For the first few shows, Riggers, Ian Bracewell, and Alex Walker incorporated load cells on trusses to get an accurate rate and account of the weight of the load of each truss. In the UK, The Brighton Centre had a particularly low-rate roof with weight limitations.

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Production Manager, Craig Sherwood and Tour Manager, Tom Allen’s vendors of choice included: Altour (travel), Beat the Street, BPM SFX, CSE Crosscom, Colour Sound Experiment (lighting, rigging, and video), Hangman UK, Boxcat Studio and Two Suns Creative (video content), LED Creative, Ox Event House (custom light housings), Sarah’s Kitchen, Seven 7 Management (artist management), Solotech (audio), Stardes Trucking, and TANCK (production design and video content).

There was no video director, as the show’s visuals were programmed and interspersed with live footage and triggered by a lighting console at FOH, thanks in part to an intricate network setup. “There’s a lot going on in racks that people never see, but it has been stable thanks to the quality of kit supplied by our vendors, who have invested heavily, and the team taking the time to programme the show,” Kenny noted.

Key to the success of the operation was the incorporation of Central Control software, which takes a signal from a lighting console, be it ACN or Art-Net, and translates it to talk to various products – in this case, video. “There is a giant brain that nobody knows exists other than those that have programmed it,” he added.

Additional crew members joined the tour in Europe to aid the video deployment and lead to far more efficient load-in an -outs. “We are close to 80 shows in and on days where we have access to multiple trucks, it comes out very quickly, which for a show of this scale is impressive and credit goes to the team,” enthused Kenny. “The biggest hurdle is when you’ve only got a two-truck dock.”

Prior to the tour, the team had five days of production rehearsals spent in Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun. “When we came to Europe a

week later, we had a week of re-prepping with a day of rehearsals at Hamburg’s Barclays Arena, the day before a show,” he described.

“It’s been a fun and long run,” added Stage Manager, Torin Arnold. “We’ve visited a good range of venues and countries – especially the Eastern European legs, visiting places you wouldn’t ordinarily tour and experiencing how they operate. This show is designed so it can be accomplished in any part of the world.”

Carpenter, Harry Reeves was also on hand to support the build.

The routing, however, was sometimes challenging with some late arrivals and difficult border crossings. “There were a few times in Eastern Europe where we were doing a ferry back-to-back to arrive at 11am, sitting at a difficult border crossing. We usually start with a 7am mark out, so knocking hours off your load-in is tough but everyone pulled together to overcome it,” Arnold explained, noting that touring without staging, and instead, using venue stages (particularly rolling stages), was a blessing during those late arrivals. “As with any tour, as dates progress you build a rhythm while maintaining the safety of the build,” he noted.

Arnold also highlighted the benefit of Lead Truck Driver, Neil Thornton and Truck Drivers, Matt Marlow, Ben Woods, Sarah Goldsmith, Bob Miles, Alam Minshall, Franco DeRosa, and Ollie Thornton who “speed up the process” and maintained a level of consistency.

The transitions between support acts before Louis hit the stage was equally seamless, with ample downstage space for the singersongwriter to traverse during his performance.

“Having a clean frontline means we have space to get the bands on and off,” he added. “Our vendors have also provided everything from

LOUIS TOMLINSON | TOURING EUROPE & UK 2023

WE ARE PROUD TO BE INVOLVED

Headoffice Austria: joerg@beatthestreet.net | klaus@beatthestreet.net | hannes@beatthestreet.net | andreas@beatthestreet.net Office UK: garry@beatthestreet.net | dan@beatthestreet.net Office Spain & France: tristan@beatthestreet.net Office UK Groundtransport: ian@beatthestreet.net | mark@beatthestreet.net | courtney@beatthestreet.net Office USA: tim.king@beatthestreet.us | john.aikin@beatthestreet.us www.beatthestreet.net | www.beatthestreet.us

PRODUCTION PROFILE

an audio package standpoint for support acts, which also speeds up the load-in and -out.”

Highlighting a ‘bucket list’ show at Hollywood Bowl, working closely with US union officials as a “fun” and “interesting” experience, Arnold reflected on the entire tour with crewmembers he now considers close friends.

“This is a close team and I’ve made some great memories and stories. It’s been a fun year!”

A DIRTY NIGHTCLUB IN AN ARENA Production Designer, Programmer and Director, Tom Taylor, and Francis Clegg of TANCK have worked with Louis Tomlinson ever since he made the leap to solo artist.

“The production design has evolved into an angular, grungy, asymmetrical setup, borne out of the ‘dirty nightclub in an arena setting’ creative brief I was given,” Taylor said, citing the creative influence of Matt Vines and Seven 7 Management. “Louis is a phenomenal performer, and the crowd is captivated the entire time. We started knocking ideas around, speaking to Louis about his inspirations and influences, which we then developed into a creative deck, which I sketched in Blender, and imported into WYSIWYG for visuals, to create stills and pre-visualise.”

Taylor spent 10 days programming the visuals at Colour Sound Experiment, a firm he shares a “longstanding” relationship with.

“They are always a call away regardless of the day or time. Their team is easy to get along with and I like their whole ‘production sphere’ – sometimes it’s nice to split lighting and video, but for a show like this, aligning those departments with one line of communication is ideal,” he said, underlining the support of Colour Sound Experiment Account Handler, Haydn Cruickshank.

With production rehearsals under their belt and recordings from Louis Tomlinson World Tour (2020–22), where TANCK piloted Central

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Control software, the creatives understood how the singer and his band moved on stage, developing a rhythm and consistency of when to implement visual cues and which camera angle fit best. This allowed the team to preprogramme the visual content to timecode.

Video content was made by a combination of TANCK, Two Suns Creative, and Boxcat Studio, with the latter creating 3D models and rendered content, all of which was broadcast across a unique set of video surfaces. “Having the abstract video columns on stage makes it much more interesting than your standard slab of LED at the back of the stage,” Taylor noted.

On stage boxes created by Ox Event House housed GLP JDC Line 1000 strobes with reflective panelling and fabric that were printed to look like heavy concrete slabs, ladened with custom LED Creative solutions. These boxes then moved up and down using Wahlberg Motion Design winches to provide a “low-level, clubby feel” to the set.

“The winches can only carry 50kg and the lights alone are 35kg, so we had to be careful not to overload them, but the result was cool.

We also have one single lightbulb on a winch which comes up and down above Louis to create a classic lighting moment,” Taylor said, further highlighting Ayrton Huracán’s prismatic colour wheel as a ‘fan favourite’.

The lighting design saw a wall of GLP impression X4 Bar 20s at the rear of the stage in 12 columns. Further lighting trusses over the stage carried the Wahlberg winches for several automated looks. The DMX winches were utilised for three or four songs, either statically or moving up and down, while JDC Line 1000s provided colour and strobe effects, to achieve varied looks, with a relatively minimal overhead lighting package.

Taylor elaborated: “There are some shutters for one specific track which go directly in-front of some of the GLP X4 Bars to get the aura of

the lights, instead of the lenses, which I really like the look of. Lighting and video complement each other during this show – there’s also a section with flickering fluorescent tubes on the video content with the X4 Bar 20s behind the LED screens flickering in a similar way.

Taylor was delighted with the performance of the crew. “Overall, it has been a great run, executed flawlessly,” he commented, citing the support of Lighting Crew Chief, James Box; Dimmer Technician, Rick Carr, and Lighting Technicians, Amy Barnett, and Kieran Hancox.

The wider lighting rig comprised Ayrton Eurus, CHAUVET Professional Strike Array 4, Claypaky Mini-B eLumen8 Endura 1Q120, and Robe BMFL fixtures with robo cameras, all fixed on various HOF MLT3, Litec QH40 and Thomas James Thomas Engineering Superstruss. The lighting riser featured Ayrton Huracan LT and GLP JDC1 fixtures.

Robe Spiider fixtures were situated on the up and downstage video trusses, with the floor package boasting the deployment of further Ayrton Eurus, LEDJ Spectra Flood Q15 and Chroma-Q Color Force 72 units, the latter chosen for key light. Atmospherics came in the shape of Smoke Factory Tour Hazer 2, Martin Professional JEM ZR45 and MDG Atmosphere ATMe hazers with TMB ProFans. “We had some challenging shows, implementing an arenascale design into sheds in the US, but it’s been good to return to Europe and witness the fans enjoying the show,” added Lighting Crew Chief, James Box, who pinpointed the use of the multicoloured glass gobo in Hurricanes as among his favourite looks.

“There is a lot of effort put in by TANCK to ensure we get the utmost from every fixture on the rig, which is great to see, when the team has gone to the effort of assembling the show each morning. Seeing the looks they achieve from the rig and the extra details, with each advanced cue within the show, is a pleasure.

PRODUCTION PROFILE

Almost every pixel on the JDC Line 1000 and X4 impression Bars are being used.”

Video Crew Chief, Dave Mallandain, formerly of Colour Sound Experiment, supervised the video build and the team of Video Technicians, Ed Driver, Frank Wlliams and Tim Curwen.

“Working with Colour Sound Experiment again, in a freelance capacity, certainly has its benefits,” he stated. “You get to know the workflows and personalities of the company.

There is an element of trust there and our relationship is stronger because of that.”

The 2.5m by 2.5m video screen, made up of Leyard CLM6 LED panels with Colorlight Z6 processing on the back end, was built in an abstract configuration – hung from varying size steel structures fixed on to lighting truss, spanning the entire stage, as opposed to a traditional backwall. “This setup requires us to build it quicker, so the backline can start building their world, but it’s very lightweight and easy to use, so once the local crew are up to speed, it flies up in no time,” he reported.

During the show, there was a lot of camera angles fed into a Blackmagic ATEM switcher, with content then fed into Resolume media servers which was processed and treated with video effects and filters to manipulate the content, monitored by the video team, and pre-programmed by Taylor via an MA Lighting grandMA3 console, operating in MA2 mode.

“The fan camera, which was one of Tom’s ideas, has evolved to the point where Frank and I are on stage during Out Of My System, pointing these cameras fabricated in an old VHS-style shell at Louis’ face in reference to the fisheye-lens inspired music video.”

A mixture of Marshall Electronics and Panasonic PTZ cameras ensured the wider on-stage action was captured. “While the visual content is the same, the shots differ based on

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the energy of the crowd from night to night,” he explained. “We have an overhead shot for the drums, and another behind Louis, which shoots over his shoulder to the crowd. We also have a PTZ camera on the ground in front of Louis which can rotate to capture crowd scans along with a little ‘bullet camera’ for each musician.

It’s been a fantastic tour; everyone on this team has been phenomenal.”

The special effects and pyrotechnics package supplied by BPM SFX included Galaxis PFC 10-way receivers running Galaxis, with a main and a backup controller, which ran through an MA Lighting grandMA2 console, to trigger MagicFX Stadium Shot IIs and a single shot of red streamers. The latter, a “signature of Louis Tomlinson live shows”, according to BPM SFX Technician, Jack Webber – who toured with a new custom control rack, with much of the hardware integrated in one rack.

BPM SFX Account Handler, Matt Heap and SFX Technicians, Blake Harward and Phillip Mathew also provided Webber with support.

“The one major change on this tour was putting the Stadium Shot IIs at the downstage edge, and adding lasers for the O2 arena show,” said Webber, who has been involved in past touring campaigns with the camp. “This is the first touring camp to take me to the US, so I feel incredibly privileged.”

Safety was paramount for the BPM SFX team, who implemented the safeguard of warning notices on-stage to ensure the band knew exactly when an effect was triggered.

In closing, Webber referenced the ‘rainbowinspired’ track, She Is Beauty We Are World Class, which demonstrated the strength of the special effects package. “There are about 22 rapid fire chase Comets all going off at the same time with a big lift, which differs in comparison to the other looks with eight units.”

MIXING IN A SEA OF SCREAMS FOH Engineer, John Delf mixed on an Avid S6L 32D console with onboard plug-ins. “I use the onboard plug-ins as much as possible because I want to keep it as simple as possible and know I’ve got a show out of the box without any added extras, which is particularly useful during fly-in gigs, where I have to use a house console or have limited time to set up,” he noted.

Delf also toured with some choice pieces of outboard gear including a Rupert Neve Designs 5045 primary source enhancer for vocals, an Empirical Labs Fatso two-channel compressor for drums, and further Distressors for the bass guitar group and vocals.

“The bulk of my mixing is riding the DCA control groups and the vocals, balancing between them, and when there is a lead guitar solo, I’ll jump to that. Most of the mix should stay where it is, and I shouldn’t have to think about it, but every day you make major tweaks and refinements based on how the musicians are performing. Most of the gig is turning the band up and down without affecting the vocals because I have DCAs for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, main vocal, backing vocals, and an ‘all’ DCA that includes everything but vocals,” he said, explaining his mixing wizardry modestly. “I also run snapshots in which I am changing the sub send amount for different songs, as well as reverb and delay times. If the band changes the set last minute, I have the desk synced to the timecode and that will trigger the snapshots.”

At the beginning of the set, the noise of the crowd can be between 112 to 116dB. “We have a little bit of headroom. When they are loud, I can push the mix, and when they are quieter, I can pull it back for the more introspective moments of the show,” he explained.

“My favourite section to mix is the transition

from a cover of Arctic Monkeys’ 505 into Back to You. When that kicks in, I push the “All” DCA up to +10. We’ve built the set up to that point, where I’m able to throw it to the top before the end of the set. The three songs in the encore are also fun songs to mix,” he enthused, accenting the support of Solotech Account Handler, David Shepherd.

“I’ve worked with Dave for years, while he was at BCS Audio (now part of Solotech). He’s been my go-to account handler for a very long time, and Solotech has inherited this gig from them, so there was a natural transition.”

System Engineer and Head of Audio, Oli Crump walked TPi through the PA system: “We’ve been using L-Acoustics, which is our preference, since the start of last year’s tour.

The main hang has been K1 with K2 downfill for both tours, however, we are touring with a much larger system this year with K2 on the sides instead of KARA-II. We’re flying subwoofers and carrying delays with us, which is also our preference in big arenas, like the O2 – it provides an even level of coverage across the audience,” the TPi Breakthrough Talent Award alumni said, explaining the thought process behind a larger sound system.

“The PA system is naturally bigger this year because we’re touring larger venues. The

crowd is very loud, and we need to be able to compete with that at points of the show. The window of dynamic range we have without it being too loud is compressed because the background level from the crowd is so high, so we need to be able to get our level as consistent as possible from front to back. This setup really helps overcome that.”

Out of ear shot from Crump, Delf extolled the virtues of his partner at FOH: “Oli and I work well together. Every day, regardless of the venue, I know the system is going to sound consistent. We deal with different venue acoustics each day but as soon as I run up my virtual soundcheck, I’ve got the mix back to where I want it because the PA is at the same level every day. I used to walk the room a lot during sound check, but it always sounded consistent, so I’ve stopped doing that because I trust him explicitly.”

The PA generally sat in a standard location for an arena PA, 10.5m off centre and no wider than that, using the same basic system design as Louis Tomlinson’s past touring campaign, which Crump worked on with Kenny to ensure it didn’t impede the production design. “The number of boxes we deploy varies from show to show, based on the venue. The worst-case scenario [visually] is that the PA needs to be a

little lower than usual and gets in the way of the IMAG screens slightly,” Crump detailed.

He designed the system using Soundvision, then imported his file into Network Manager, with a DirectOut Technologies PRODIGY.MP chosen for system processing. “I have visited many of the European arenas before so I’ve got fairly accurate plots, however, sometimes you will stumble across an error someone has made in building the models,” he continued.

“Madrid’s WiZink Center had different CAD drawings for each layer of the venue and one of the layers was accidentally scaled wrong, so the bottom floors were fine but as you went up everything was out. You get curveballs like that occasionally but that’s why it’s important to verify drawings.”

An audience also changes the acoustics of a room, generally for the better, but sometimes not, so Crump was on hand at FOH to make tweaks when required. “As rooms get larger, they generally get more difficult, reverb time will go up purely as a factor of the room size, regardless of how you treat it. The O2 is quite tall seating-wise, so you end up having to angle the PA up into the roof a lot,” Crump noted.

Over by the stage, Monitor Engineer, Barrie Pitt mixed the five-piece band and frontman using a DiGiCo Quantum 338 console. “Louis

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

and the band are good at verbalising what they want. They’ve been playing a long time, so it’s my job to translate those desires into the mix,” he explained. “DiGiCo has been my ‘go-to’ brand of console for the past 15 years. The 338 is an incredibly powerful console, which can do as much as any other on the market and more in a much less convoluted way. I know it like the back of my hand and how to get the best out of it and do the most complicated things at the push of a button. The Capture features are ridiculously powerful.”

Pitt oversaw 85 channels, 64 directly from stage, with additional channels for shouts, sends, returns, communications, and routing, among others. His outboard rack included a classic Lexicon PCM 91 digital reverberator for vocals. “The way I set up the communications and shout systems are the same across the board. For the layout, a lot of people have instruments on one side and vocal and effects on the other, however, I tend to adjust my banks of faders visually, how you would see it on stage, left to right, as a nod to my analogue mixing days. My second layer is usually tracks and any track content with reverbs next to the vocals, so they’re changed in unison.

Sometimes, I’ll do a custom layer of [drum or spill group, two lead guitar channels and vocal] the things I use most, particularly if it’s a busy show input-wise.”

Pitt referred to the basis of his mix as ‘static’ with minor changes. “Louis changes a fair bit between songs I’m running upwards of 60 scenes with a lot of songs having multiple scenes for verse and chorus or specific sections,” he explained. The Monitor Engineer is a big believer in unifying the in-ear monitors, so what he hears is the same as those on stage. “We use Shure PSM1000s, JH Audio

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Roxanne in-ear monitors for Louis and JH16s for everyone else, except for the drummer, who is using Ultimate Ears IEMs. Louis and the band are solid, and they keep their ears in from start to finish. Louis wants the rock star mix; he likes to feel the weight of the mix. It’s not an overpowering mix but it’s a full mix with his vocal on top with Neve 5045 primary source enhancers on all vocals. Everyone else has a standard band mix at moderate level with their instrument and vocals high. The drummer has the most straightforward mix with his drums and shouts layered on top.”

A further pair of subwoofers stage left, and right were situated under the stage risers, providing the weight of side fills without the top end. “It’s a big rock show with drums and guitars, so the less noise I can have flying about the stage, the better,” he said.

The microphone package included a Shure Axient Digital AD4D two-channel digital wireless receiver, a AD2 vocal microphone with a KSM9 capsule for vocals. Sennheiser MKH 60 and AKG C414 XLS microphones captured the ambient noise of the room. “We track everything, including the two sets of ambient microphones for recording and virtual soundcheck, in case the band decides to do anything with the live content,” he noted.

Having collaborated with Solotech and previously BCS Audio multiple times, Pitt was pleased to see the company on the tour sheet. “They are a solid choice and I know Dave Shepherd well. They fix any problems swiftly, and all their gear is well packaged and maintained,” he said. “The band and crew are lovely. It’s rare to come across a camp so friendly on a show of this size.” Pitt thanked Solotech Monitor and Stage Technician, Matt Coton. “He is fantastic. He takes all the second

Technical Manager, Sam ‘Kenny’ Kenyon; Stage Manager, Torin Arnold; Monitor Engineer, Barrie Pitt and FOH Engineer, John Delf.

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guessing out of my day and is so meticulous and thorough that I know everything will be as it should be from the get-go. When there are issues, he knows exactly what to do to remedy it. He’s been a joy to work and hang out with.”

Audio Technicians, Matt Coton, Tim Miller, Kim Watson, Elliott Clarke, James Coghlan, Matt Benton; Bassist and Keyboard Technician, Chris Freeman; Guitar Technician, Dan Ely and Playback Technician, Scotty Anderson made up the sound team.

CURATING A HOME AWAY FROM HOME Sarah Nicholas of Sarah’s Kitchen and Caterers, Rebecca Henderson, Helena Robertson, Chris Carter, Matty Pople and Tamsin Manvell provided band and crew catering, ensuring morale stayed high and stomachs were full on the road. Making a name for themselves as One Direction’s caterers, the outfit now cater for each of the band members’ individual tours and private functions, amassing a dedicated online following.

“I started catering for Louis and the rest of One Direction during their first theatre gig in Watford and I feel very privileged to have that connection. At dinner time, we perform a plate service, which I think is important – our reputation is not only built on really good food but the entire hospitality package, creating a nourishing environment away from home,” Nicholas said.

Sarah’s Kitchen provided a range of vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options. “We also provide disposable products and water coolers, and our runner regularly collects fresh, local produce from markets based on where we are in the world,” she explained.

The wider European crew featured Security, Kristian ‘Ches’, Ross Foster, Ben Major, and Gav Kerr; Merchandisers, Jon Ellis and Maddy

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Stephens; Bus Drivers, Aivaras Arminas, Frederico Antunes, Scott Pickering, Chris Grover; Entourage Bus Driver, Paul Roberts; Merchandise Truck Driver, Warren Dowey; BTS UK Account Handler, Garry Lewis; Stardes Account Handlers, Tyrone Reynolds, and Alam Minshall; CSE Crosscom Account Handler, Hannah Evans and Altour Travel Account Handler, Alexandra Gati.

Having wrapped up the best-selling livestream of 2020 – a lofty achievement given the proliferation of remote productions amid the grounding of live events with in-person crowds – Tomlinson shows no signs of slowing down post-pandemic, making the leap from sold-out theatres to arenas across the globe with his trusty crew in tow. “Live From London was great because the crew and I really needed it,” Delf said. “It gave us some muchneeded work amid the lockdown, and all the proceeds went directly to the crew, which was an incredibly honourable thing to do. To come back out on the other side of lockdown was great. It was a dark time back then for everyone, but to be back out on tour surrounded by friends, who feel more like family, it’s special.” www.louis-tomlinson.com www.altour.com www.beatthestreet.net www.boxcat.studio www.bpm-sfx.com www.csecrosscom.co.uk www.coloursound.com www.hangman.co.uk www.twosuns.agency www.led-creative.co.uk www.oxevents.co.uk www.seven7.management www.solotech.com www.stardes.co.uk www.tanck.co

The wider Faith In The Future World Tour camp at Red Rocks Amphitheatre; TANCK’s Tom Taylor and Francis Clegg; Video Engineer, Tim Curwen and Stage Technician, Matt Coton.

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THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS TPi catches up with the electro-duo’s touring family to discuss the group’s 2023 campaign and ever-evolving show design.

Words: Stew Hume Photos: Ray Baseley

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The last time we covered The Chemical Brothers arena show was TPi #265 – our last print release before the world started to get a bit… strange. “I remember back in 2020 when we were rehearsing in Fly By Nite Studios and hearing that the border to Australia, where I’m from, was going to close,” recalled The Chemical Brothers’ long-time Production Manager, Toby Dennis. After sweeping his desk into his bag and trying frantically to close the band’s production while on a stressful flight back to Australia, as lockdown began to take effect, Dennis and the rest of the Chemical Brothers family fell into the odd state of limbo, unsure of what was going to happen next. “We all waited and then some shows popped up for us in 2021, although they were hard gigs under all these new regulations,” he recalled. “Nobody really knew how they were going to work. We as a crew were rusty, as were the audiences, but we thought it was important to get out there.”

With 2023 being a much more ‘standard’ year for the team, with a busy festival season followed by a new arena tour, Dennis and the rest of the crew are glad to see those strange days disappearing in the rear-view mirror.

Much to the PM’s delight, despite the turbulent years, the entire touring family has returned to the project. “It’s such a cliché, but it really is a family on this tour,” he enthused.

“I’ve been with the band for 21 years, and many

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of the other key players have been here just as long.” However, despite his positivity at the return of the industry, Dennis was very realistic about some of the new challenges that facing touring productions of 2023.

“I’ve got this analogy when it comes to touring pre- and post-COVID,” mused the PM. “Prior to 2020, the touring world was a bit like an F1 race. There would be some bands out on tour making their way around the track while others would be in the pit lanes either writing an album or taking a break. We as crew members would then just be making our way around the track and there was almost a rhythm to the whole industry. Then COVID came and it was like a safety car putting a halt to everything. So, when we came back, everyone was trying to set off at the same time – hence the lack of crew and greater demand on the supply chain.”

He also alluded to how the hiking of prices for touring had notably affected the setup of this latest production. “Previously, we used to send 12 pallets for our long-haul shows, but now we’ve had to go down to six to make the show work financially. We’ve had to seriously rethink how we do these shows otherwise it simply wouldn’t work.”

One of the ways the production has tackled this is making use of their longstanding supply chain’s other offices in different territories. “ER Productions, for example, which is providing our lasers, has equipment all over the globe,

which is incredibly useful for us. Then we also have companies like Universal Pixels - where we have worked with Phil Mercer for a very long time. They have connections all over the world that have helped us recreate the show in different territories.”

On the topic of suppliers, the Production Manager was pleased to report that the roster of companies they had brought on had not changed for this run, with Skan PA Hire, Lite Alternative, Fly By Nite, Phoenix Bussing and Basic Monkey joining Universal Pixels, ER Productions and Global Motion.

EVOLUTION NOT REVOLUTION “We are always looking at ways to push the limits of our show,” stated the PM. “We were starting to reach the limits of load capacity in roofs on our past tour, whereas this time we’ve increased the width of our screen to 38m. In some of the venues we are ‘off the grid’ in terms of how wide we are going and have had to send in a pre-rig team to prepare for us coming in.

We’re able to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible thanks to our strong team.”

Discussing the creative evolution was Show Director, Adam Smith. In collaboration with business partner, Marcus Lyall, the duo once again oversaw the creative vision of the tour. “We always want to take the show to the next level and try something we’ve never done before,” he began, noting one of the key

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changes to this latest live iteration, which was very much hidden from the audience – a giant grid of Robe MegaPointes set out behind the screen. “It’s something we’ve looked at doing for a while and for songs such as Star Guitar we can fully integrate lighting and video.”

With the giant LED screen such a predominant element in any Chemical Brothers show, Smith explained how he and Lyall are always attempting to find new ways to utilise this enormous visual tool. “JC, our Lighting Designer, once remarked that the biggest ‘light fixture’ we have on this show was the LED screen,” recalled the Show Director. “With that in mind, for a new song called Goodbye, we wanted to use the screen like a strobe light to pulsate emotion.”

He continued to explain how using two actors Smith has worked with on a costume drama for the BBC, the content for the show played out a “love story gone wrong”, with the goal of creating a club-like vibe where the strobes were “almost discombobulating”.

The screen in question – provided by Universal Pixels – was made from ROE Visual Vanish 8T LED panels. “We moved from the Vanish 18 to the 8T because it’s more than double the resolution,” commented LED Crew Chief, Sam James. “It’s made a huge difference

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in what the audience sees and makes the content look even better. We also used the 8T due to its semi-transparency.”

Aiding James on the road was Liam Dowling and Pete Cross. “We also have James Cooksey from Basic Monkey, who is the most perfect example of a media server operator I’ve ever seen, as he’s always all over the screen loadin and -outs,” stated James. “We’ve been getting the screen in within three to four hours depending on the usual factors, then load-out takes one-and-a-half hours. When it came to Cooksey’s setup he used two Apple Mac Studios running TouchDesigner.

THOUGHTS FROM THE LIGHTING DESK Once again looking after the lighting for the show was Jean Christophe ‘JC’ Aubrée. “The goal was to play with details,” began the LD. “I’ve added a lot of small details that are usually not visible for our outdoor shows but are really nice when we’re in arenas and really push the narrative of Adam and Marcus’ visuals.”

On The Chemical Brothers’ previous run, the production utilised an elaborate Kinesys system to move fixtures behind the LED screen for some striking ‘blow-through’ lighting moments. “We don’t have that system for this

Production Manager, Toby Dennis; The video team; Show Designers, Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall; FOH Engineer, Shan Hira; The lighting team; Monitor Engineer, Ian Barton.

PRODUCTION PROFILE

run; instead, we’ve changed it for a lot more fixtures,” chuckled the LD, referring to the wall of 60 MegaPointes. “We needed something bigger that was also easier to set up,” he stated.

The team created a large static grid of lights behind the screen made up of 10 ladders – each adorned with six MegaPointes.

As for the rest of the rig, the LD pointed to the Robe Fortes as the main workhorse fixture.

“We have eight of them right behind the band.

That’s not a lot – especially when you compare it to the 60 MegaPointes behind the screen – but the Fortes balance everything visually for the shows and give so much perspective to the content on the screen.”

From the hyper-modern to retro, the LD was keen to mention one of his highlights for the show – the six 85Kw HungaroFLASH T-LIGHT strobes on his rig. “For one song, we have only used these strobes, which have been randomly cued to create a kind of ‘thunderstorm’ effect,” he commented. “The flash of a single one of those lights can make you feel a lot more than everything else on the rig flashing together.” For control, JC operated an MA Lighting grandMA3 in MA2 mode.

Also talking through the lighting rig was Lite Alternative’s Alex Johnson, taking up the mantle of Lighting Crew Chief for the run. Having

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worked with the band since 2015, he expressed to TPi that this was the only act he would still head out on the road for these days. “This is one of the few productions that has always come back and stuck together,” enthused Johnson as he explained why he always felt obligated to return to the tour.

On the topic of fixture choices, Johnson commented on the larger array of brands that were on the rig – specifically, Prolights and CHAUVET Professional. “Both CHAUVET and Prolights have upped their game; we are seeing them on a lot more specs and we’ve been very impressed with fixtures they’ve released recently.” On this rig were CHAUVET Professional MegaStrobes and Prolights LED 2, Lite Mole and Accent 1Q. Elsewhere were the GLP impression X4 Bar 20, Martin Professional Atomic 3000 and MAC Aura lighting solutions, along with Astera Titan Tubes.

LASERS FOCUS Giving the final thoughts on the visual aspect of the show was Laser Operator, Cory Newton.

One of the newer members of the team, Newton started with the production in August 2023.

“Everyone has been incredibly welcoming,” enthused Newton, as he explained what it was like to be brought into the visual fold. “The

timecode for this show is completely different to anything I’ve ever worked on before. It’s done via network all on CAT5 and is basically all done via MIDI. As these guys are mixing live, you see the timecode jump back and forth as they repeat certain elements and, according to the team, it’s a more stable way of working.”

Newton controlled the Phaenon system. “We have two downstage with another upstage on a central Wahlberg DMX lift,” he described. “We have a safety feature on one so it won’t output until the lift has reached its position.”

To ensure all the laser looks were as visually striking as possible, there were also MagicFX Swirlfan, Look Solutions Viper deLuxwe and Unique Hazer at Newton’s disposal.

ANALOGUE WORLD The audio duo of Shan Hira and Ian Barton once again looked after FOH and Monitor duties, respectively. “I’ve stayed with the Midas XL4 desk and made a couple of changes to my outboard racks from the last tour, but the majority of the units have remained intact,” began Hira as he talked through his FOH setup.

“As freight costs have gone up so much recently there was talk at the start of this run about moving over to a digital desk to save on costs, but we managed to lose some

PRODUCTION PROFILE

other boxes in order to be able to keep the current FOH setup.” Hira went on to explain the importance of having consistency in the control setup.

“You could say that both our monitor and FOH setups are almost part of the backline. It’s too intricate a setup with three outboard racks to pick up consoles locally. Getting ones in as good condition and as well maintained as the Skan ones would be impossible.”

The PA was designed by Skan’s Scott Essen. Hira explained that they had moved over from main hangs of d&b audiotechnik KSL to GSL for this run. “We have main hangs of GSL with KSL on the side and rear hangs, JSUBs are flown behind the main hangs with a further 15 SL-SUBs ground subs and eight V10s as front fills,” Hira described.

“The show is a loud, full-range experience with plenty of sub content, so it makes sense to fly some subs behind the main hangs to get some punch down the venue and not try and hit the whole audience from just the subs on the floor. It is important to ensure as consistent sub coverage as possible to achieve that the ground subs spread evenly between the width of the main hangs with enough front fills on top to ensure a pleasant and tonally balanced

experience for those at the front.” The engineer explained how the new system had altered his experience at FOH. “The GSL has made everything seem a bit cleaner and I find you can drive it a bit harder, and it doesn’t complain even at the louder volumes. The same goes for the JSUBs,” he noted.

Talking through the onstage mix, Barton explained that although his workflow had altered little from previous tours, he is becoming more conscious of onstage decibel levels. “As both the artists are not on IEMs, I’m conscious of their hearing health,” he stated.

In fact, to deal with this issue, the Monitor Engineer has implemented a “red light, green light,” system for the duo on stage. “If it’s getting too loud for them up there, they will fire the red light and I’ll make the change and send a green light to let them know it’s done.

This system is more for Tom [Rowland] as he remains in the central position for a lot more of the show while Ed [Simons] moves around a bit more, playing other instruments.”

Like Hira, Barton also utilised an analogue Midas XL4 console, having decided against the digital switchover. “We realised that we were not going to lose that much physical volume moving to digital,” he explained – clearly

happy to still be mixing on the traditional desk.

Providing audio support for the production was Skan PA Hire. “Skan has proudly been working with Shan, Ian and The Chemical Brothers production team since 2005, supplying audio equipment globally,” stated Chris Fitch, Skan PA Hire Director as he reflected on the tour.

“Skan Systems Engineer and Audio Crew Chief, Scott Essen, has toured extensively with this team, designing PA systems perfect for their needs and their audience’s expectations.

Not many tours request analogue consoles, but with Skan’s intimate knowledge of how to service and maintain Midas XL4 desks, we keep our inventory in pristine condition and ready for worldwide deployment.”

TO THE MOTHERSHIP Overseeing the duo’s spaceships of samplers and synthesisers was Backline Technician Matt Cox of Gravity Rigs. Cox expressed how even prior to the forced downtime of 2020, he and the group had toyed with the idea of a redesign of the backline setup as the previous major rejig had been way back in 2015.

“I had wanted to upgrade the MIDI side of the rig for a while and incorporate some networking technology to increase the signal

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transmission speed and help decrease festival changeover time when plugging in,” he commented. Between 2020 and 2021, Cox added some iConnectivity MIDI interfaces to the setup to allow MIDI signals to be routed from stage and playback worlds to pretty much anywhere else within the production.

“The view was to use MIDI triggering to trigger lighting and video content if required,” he explained. “The interfaces auto-connect over a network, so they just find each other when plugged in, which is super useful when doing festivals with minimal changeover times.

All MIDI data is transmitted reliably and with incredibly low latency, which is essential for us as clock signals are a huge part of the Chemical Brothers live setup. There are multiple drum machines and vintage sequencers that must stay tightly synced, so accurate MIDI data transmission on stage is a must.”

Cox was also keen to discuss the level of flexibility needed for the show, which has led him down the path of implementing looping techniques into the live setup.

“A Chemical Brothers show isn’t just a ‘press play’ scenario. There are improvised sections throughout, where arrangements and instrument combinations are completely

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different from one show to the next, decided by the band ‘in the moment’. Looping was a new step in this scenario, allowing the guys to stay in a particular song or section, go off on an improvised looping tangent and really play with the stage kit without any arrangement constraints. They could ‘jam’ around a section indefinitely before un-looping and carrying on with the show. It’s been a revelation and adds another layer of liveness to proceedings. This wouldn’t have been possible without the use of Ableton and Ableset, two essential Mac-based applications we now employ.”

KEEP ON ROLLING Ensuring the band and crew got to each venue on time were Fly By Nite, which once again provided trucking solutions for the production.

“It was great to continue our long-standing relationship with The Chemical Brothers in 2023,” commented Fly By Nite’s Matt Jackson.

“We looked after a lengthy festival run this summer, a large one-off show in Athens then finishing off with this UK arena tour. We also hosted them at FBN Studios for their preproduction days before the arena tour, so it was great to catch up with Toby and James while they were with us. We have worked with them

for a long time, and it is always a pleasure. They have regular, preferred drivers who we are more than happy to allocate for them to maintain familiarity and consistency which are key service traits for us.”

He added: “The regular drivers love working with the crew; there is always a great atmosphere and camaraderie on their tours.”

HOLD TIGHT With interviews completed, TPi headed out to the main bowl of Manchester’s AO Arena to see the show in action. As The Chemical Brothers made their way through their back catalogue of hits with a few new tracks thrown in for good measure, the electro icons and their formidable visual production once again delighted everyone in the room and continued to push the boundaries of what is possible with an LED-centric show design. www.thechemicalbrothers.com www.skanpa.co.uk www.lite-alternative.com www.universalpixels.com www.er-productions.com www.flybynite.co.uk www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.globalmotion.com

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

FREYA RIDINGS: BLOOD ORANGE TOUR The singer-songwriter’s team overcome logistical challenges and traverse multiple venues, squeezing oranges to deliver an impressive theatrical performance.

Words: Alicia Pollitt Photos: Luke Dyson

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After skyrocketing to success in 2018 with her platinum hit, Lost Without You, Freya Ridings is celebrating the citrus fruits of her labour with a UK and Ireland tour for her recent sophomore album, Blood Orange, concluding with a sold-out, hometown show at the Hammersmith Apollo. It’s rare when the musicians on stage outnumber the crew behind the scenes but for this tour, a hardworking team of six oversaw the production for seven multi-instrumentalists, Ridings herself, along with a hanging mirror ball and a Blood Orange tree-inspired set piece.

“The show is a credit to Freya; every night her voice and performance is right where we want it,” began Production Manager and FOH Engineer Jon Lewis, speaking to TPi on the evening of the final show.

With this current campaign marking Ridings first substantial tour in the past four years, the team had to be built from the ground up with the majority of the crew having not toured with Ridings before.

Lewis sought the backing of CSUK, FireSilx, Palm Brokers, GETHIRE, KB Event, Liteup, Siyan, and Stylus Productions on the road with SW19 used as a rehearsal space.

“It’s always enjoyable to work creatively and collaboratively with a production to ensure they get the best service from us and can maximise the use they get from the tools at their disposal,” Stylus Productions Managing Director, Sam Thomas said.

“Our suppliers have all been brilliant and extremely helpful,” Lewis added, reflecting on

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taking charge of duo roles on the five-week run.

“It has been intense but equally fun, you get a real macro-level picture of the whole show and operation as a production manager, which is very rewarding.”

An important task for Lewis was ensuring that the show had “consistency” despite visiting a range of venues on the tour, from 500-capacity theatres in Europe to the 5,000-capacity of the Hammersmith Apollo.

“Despite the transition from venue to venue we’ve managed to ensure the vision and sound of the show was cohesive across this entire run,” he stated, proudly.

The intention of an intimate and theatrical feel of the show came from Ridings, having been raised in a theatrical family. There were numerous tiny touches such as the curved risers for the band around Ridings’ central position to create a more homogenised look and helped the band interact with one another as it created an intimate studio environment that allowed lighting each section of the band cohesively. In keeping with the theatrical theme, and as a celebration of the final show of the tour, the team also implemented multiple theatrical elements at the Hammersmith Apollo, including a flyout gauze to reveal the Blood Orange tree at the start of the show, with the mirror ball also having various fly cues.

The tree, central to the show design, was provided by FireSilx for the smaller tour dates and had to be scaled up for the finale Hammersmith Apollo show with the addition of real branches from Palm Brokers. Jon Barker of NeonBlack was at the helm of the lighting

design on Blood Orange after being recruited

by Tour Manager, Lisa Tinley, “Freya is an absolute delight to work with and she already had some fantastic visual references when we first jumped on a call early in the planning. My role was to hone in on the important elements,” Barker explained.

The tree proved to be a logistical challenge for the team, as they tried to source one suitable for the size-ranging venues whilst also being inherently fire resistant, “It was tough, but we got there! Especially with the speed we had to put the show together, there wasn’t enough time to get a custom set made, but we made it work,” Barker added.

“The tree was constructed in our loading bay because of the sheer size of it. It was a first to have a tree in there, with the hard work that goes into putting together these amazing shows means it is always great to play a part,” noted Chloe Ward, General Manager for SW19.

Working from what the crew call a ‘1970s’ colour palette, the design was curated from the album theme and was conceptualised with CHAUVET DJ Festoons, artificial glowing oranges hanging from the tree as well as 50cm rose gold mirror ball.

Also on Barker’s rig were 23 Robe ESPRITEs, 10 Robe Spiiders, 14 GLP impression X4 Bar 20s, seven GLP JDC1s, and four Martin Professional Atomic 300 Xenon Strobes.

Further on his rider were six JEM A-F1 DMX Fans and six Smoke Factory Tour Hazer IIs. Baker’s desk of choice was an MA Lighting grandMA2, central to his workflow was REAPER Digital Audio Workstations, which he used

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to generate timecode for the show. Barker’s workflow centres around his preparation process which he said had taken years to perfect, utilising a combination of MA3D and Depence and with a quick turnaround for this show having his workflow in place allows for creative projects to be created quickly.

Blood Orange was the first time Barker had worked with Liteup and he was impressed.

“They have been fantastic,” he stated. “Shout out to Marc Callaghan, Luke Turnbuckle and the rest of the team at Liteup. I’ve known Marc for years, but this is my first time using Liteup as supplier and I’ve been very impressed by their attention to detail.”

The confetti at the climax of the show, was fired by Callaghan via DXM to close out the singer-songwriter’s ballad-heavy show. “From playing the smaller club shows and then seeing the show breathe into Hammersmith was magical,” stated Barker. “This was a wonderful tour. Freya is an incredible artist, very engaged in the process, her band are extremely talented, and all the crew are a skilled and lovely bunch. A highlight of 2023!”

Backline Technician, Rory Nelson was in charge of Keyboards and Guitars. Notably, the extensive keyboard rig of Musical Director Pete Watson and making sure the MIDI bass rig “behaved” from night to night.

“The very unique MIDI-powered bass rig can be complicated, and if something goes wrong there is a huge delay because the only person that makes them is based in Australia, it’s been a fun challenge and luckily it usually behaves!”

Nelson commented. “It’s a great team, I feel very valued in my role, and it’s been a good time with plenty of memories.”

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For playback, overseen by Dave Gane and Andy Gillan, a precautionary approach was taken when integrating digital elements into the show.

“In terms of musical parts, the playback is quite sparse, it is mainly for subtle embellishments complementing what the musicians on stage are doing, time code is also sent to the lighting console to keep the show looking slick and consistent” noted FOH Engineer Lewis.

At FOH, Lewis mixed on a DiGiCo Quantum 225 with HMA Optocore capabilities and an SD Mini Rack for outboard equipment I/O. With venues varying in size, the team utilised the inhouse PA systems for each venue.

“We’ve been touring with a control package and walking up to different PAs every day; each room of course has very different acoustic characteristics and requires a unique approach. It can be difficult because despite the information you get beforehand, you have no idea what you’re dealing with until you walk into the room. In many respects you’re always at the mercy of the room and how it reacts to a PA system,” Lewis explained.

With many moving parts and seven multiinstrumentalists on stage, Lewis shared how he chose certain moments in each song to highlight specific elements within his mix. “You can hear a pin drop in the audience at times, which is a dream as it allows you to build a real musical picture without battling crowd noise. But with that you have to be careful not to overwhelm the audience and pick your moments to push things”, he noted.

On the other end of Optocore, Monitor Engineer, Jonn Roscoe mixed on a DiGiCo SD12-96. “With DiGiCo you can always get the clinical sound and ability to do anything within

Backline Technician, Rory Nelson; Production Manager and FOH Engineer, Jon Lewis; Lighting Designer, Jon Barker; Monitor Engineer, Jonn Roscoe.

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the mix given the flexibility of the desk.”Roscoe also spoke of the collaborative process he and Lewis went through regarding the choice of microphones for the tour which resulted in selecting a Sennheiser MD 445 for Freya’s vocal.

Roscoe was particularly impressed with the microphone, stating: “When Freya walks around the stage you can close your eyes and hear where she is because the mic is like a beam. It’s a phenomenal mic and it just sounds so beautiful.”

Roscoe had inherited the gig from another engineer around the time of Glastonbury 2023. “The session had extensive Waves when I got to it, which I tend not to use for monitors, but Jon [Lewis] and I changed the input list completely to suit the new show, so we both started from scratch” he explained.

“We added drum triggers, a Portico 5045 to clean-up Freya’s mix and a Bricasti M7 for her reverb,” he continued. “As it stands we’re using all 56 inputs so we’re full on the SD rack and because there are seven musicians on stage the SD12 is almost at capacity too. I usually have one spare channel, but that is being used today by the TORS [Support Act] boys who are all singing around one mic with Freya,” Roscoe added.

Finalising a triumphant comeback tour, the driven and enthusiastic crew of Freya Riding’s Blood Orange campaign have staged a theatrical spectacle that compliments the musicality of the artist’s discography and felt intimate despite the size of the venue.

“It’s been brilliant, the team have been fantastic and what we have managed to achieve as a six-person crew is pretty amazing,” Lewis concluded. www.freyaridings.com www.sw19studios.com www.gethire.uk www.stylus-productions.com www.liteup.co.uk www.firesilx.com www.siyan.co.uk www.csuk.coach.com www.kbevent.com www.neonblack.design

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THE FUTURE OF LIVE EVENTS? Following U2’s headline grabbing performance at Las Vegas’ Sphere, several of the band’s long-standing creatives and crew members share how they approached what is fast becoming one the most talked about productions of the decade. TPi also poses the question – could this be the future of live touring as we know it?

Words: Stew Hume Photos: Rich Fury, Ross Andrew Stewart and Stufish Entertainment Architects

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It seemed fitting that U2 were the first band to take a swing at a live production in the monolithic Sphere. The band and their longstanding crew have been pioneers in the use of video, from 1992s Zoo TV straight through to 2015s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour. A band that pushes the outer limits of what a live show can be seemed like the perfect choice to test run a venue with seemingly endless creative possibilities.

With 160,000 sq ft of LED for show creatives to play with, not to mention a fully immersive audio system, the Sphere dangles that carrot for productions to fully immerse an audience within a live show. A prospect, which TPi discovers, the U2 camp were only too happy to explore.

TPi caught up with a number of those who have worked with the band for many years to see how they approached this intimidating project and if they thought the Sphere was a sign of things to come in the live events space.

WINDING THE CLOCKS BACK “I heard rumblings that a Sphere show was on the cards over a year ago,” began U2’s longstanding Production Manager, Jake Berry, reflecting on the roots of the ambitious project.

“U2 have always pushed the boundaries of video. Bono often looks at a video surface and questions: ‘How far can we push it?’ Edge was just as excited about the possibility of immersive audio.”

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Despite Berry’s expertise in making the “impossible, possible”, the team encountered a unique set of challenges, namely, creating a show for a venue that, at the time, had yet to exist. “When we finally got into the building; we had to work around the schedule of the builders and Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard From Earth film that was to be played on the days U2 were not performing,” explained Berry, highlighting how, unlike a traditional residency, the stage had to be moved during non-show days. “We designed the stage to be rollable and built in a second deck underneath for all the equipment from the video processing for the floor and as well as backline,” stated Berry. “It was not a huge load-out, and after a month of practice, we became increasingly time-efficient.”

Following the success of the first few shows, Berry reflected on the positive feedback of the wide touring industry. “I think it’s safe to say that there are many of us in the industry who can be a bit jaded when it comes to live shows.

You’ll invite friends out to see a performance then after the show and when asked how they found it you’ll get a muted ‘it was OK.’ Whereas, with this show, before I can even ask them, they have told me that they thought it was incredible and that they had never seen anything like this before!”

A VISUAL CHALLENGE U2’s Creative Director, Willie Williams, and his team at Treatment Studio in London, once

again took the visual lead for this production, in partnership with long-time collaborators, designer and Creative Consultant Es Devlin and Stage Designer Ric Lipson of Stufish Entertainment Architects. “I’ve worked with big visual surfaces for a long time but often the visual surface has been borne out of a creative suggestion as opposed to venue’s topography,” said Williams, citing the on-site support of Treatment Studio Technical Director, Brandon Kraemer as key to overcoming this. “He was instrumental in making this show a reality,” stated Williams. “There was a real challenge with everyone, including the Sphere’s in-house team, finding our feet on how to approach this show. We essentially began to work backwards and cut the massive video surface into 23 ‘zones’ each of which was run by a disguise gx 3 media server. This was one time when VR headsets were very useful as it was the only real way to visualise the space and the content, especially in the early days when the sphere wasn’t built.”

Although this was very much a cutting-edge production, Williams explained how he drew inspiration from and paid homage to the band’s past touring campaigns. “It’s funny looking back on creative ideas that we explored during those early campaigns that have now become industry standard,” mused Williams.

This thought led TPi to ask the natural question – is the Sphere and similar types of fully immersive shows going to become the

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new standard? “I’ve been asked multiple times since we launched, who I might think would be good to go into the Sphere next and honestly I’m glad it’s not my decision,” he laughed. “I think in many ways we made it look easy and the process for a show like this is almost invisible.

The possibilities are technically endless.”

He continued: “In some respects, it was like putting on a rock show on the XR stage in the ways we could immerse the band and audience.

This was one element of the show we felt almost obligated to explore as the whole idea of the Sphere is to be a venue for these immersive experiences. There have been numerous ‘immersive’ events around the world but there has never really been a show of this scale that also accompanied it with a live performance.

I think we’ve opened a door for a new type of show.”

and we wanted the video content to immerse the band and audience and we didn’t want the image to be obstructed.” The result was to effectively “maroon” the band on a central stage in front of the video wall on a stage that had one or two tricks up its sleeve. The stage design is based on Brian Eno’s ‘Turntable’, a luminous record player, itself also doubling as another video service which came into its own during the middle section of the show.

“As bright as the main LED surface of the Sphere is, we still had to find a way to backlight the band without installing a massive lighting rig,” explained Lipson. The solution that Willie and the team found was creating four crane-like structures installed across the back of the stage that could lower and pivot into various positions.

“They are completely automated so they can bow down and give us multiple looks.”

BUILDING THE STAGE It’s been years since U2 have performed on a ‘standard’ stage. Instead, the band have opted for in-the-round stages or in the case of iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour, a long runway. But for this show the production went in the opposite direction with the band playing on a relatively small stage. Walking through the creative journey was Ric Lipson of Stufish Entertainment Architects. “There are a few options within the Sphere when it comes to performance space with a section of the rear wall being able to be removed, effectively creating a proscenium,” explained Lipson. “The last thing you want to do is put U2 into a ‘box’

SOUNDING IT OUT “I got a call from Bono to go to HOLOPLOT’s HQ to hear the system for myself,” began FOH Engineer, Joe O’Herlihy. “I took a number of multitracks from The Joshua Tree Tour in 2019.” The first thing that hit O’Herlihy when he heard the system was the “intelligibility of Bono’s voice”. He elaborated: “It’s something I had never heard before. It was as if his voice was omnipresent. During this demo day, I also brought his microphone along with me and walked right up to the box with it and was shocked that there was no feedback. I found that with the system, the guitars and keyboards were not fighting each other for frequency

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location and the bottom end was warm and huge.” O’Herlihy was so impressed he ended up staying another week to learn as much as he could about the system.

The Sphere itself has a jaw dropping 1,600 permanently installed and 300 mobile HOLOPLOT X1 Matrix Array loudspeaker modules that are available for any incoming productions with 167,000 individually amplified loudspeaker drivers. The system utilises HOLOPLOT’s next-generation 3D AudioBeamforming and Wave Field Synthesis technology to transform how audio is delivered in large-scale venues. “It completely changes your understanding as to how you approach a mix for a show,” O’Herlihy said. He split his system into three main areas with the proscenium section above the stage which provides the “rock ’n’ roll” part of his mix, then above that again is what O’Herlihy dubbed the “immersive system”. Finally, there is the system at the top rear of the Sphere which the engineer dubbed the “surround” sound system. “In my 50 years of mixing I always had a similar mentality of putting the kick and bass in the centre of the middle of a system and fan out the stereo image left and right as far as I can. But with this system I can really allocate sections throughout the room,” he remarked.

The engineer used what the crew coined “The Edge Orchestra” as the best place they had utilised this capability. “He has one guitar effect called ‘shimmer’, which we have been able to put through the whole immersive system. We can turn it into what’s called a ‘special entity’

ry.de o t c a f e k o www.sm

PRODUCTION PROFILE

where it can move across the entire room.”

Despite having seemingly endless options at his disposal, the engineer’s goal was to deploy effects with a purpose. “Every song doesn’t need stuff flying around the room as that really defeats the purpose,” he stated. “It’s a fucking rock ‘n’ roll band after all.”

Despite mixing in a brand-new event space, the engineers relied on a tried-and-true DiGiCo rig. At FOH, O’Herlihy had two DiGiCo Quantum 7 mixing consoles at his disposal – a main and a backup. “I’ve got 128 inputs on the desk with 48 auxiliaries. Of those 48 I’m using 32 of those channels for my designate speaker locations around the building.” He said the mix was “two years in the making”, explaining: “We realised we could not just walk into the Sphere and make this show happen. The planning and mapping of the audio system was a very involved process, and we spent a great deal of time at MSG’s facility in Burbank to hone the show.”

In ‘monitor world’, it was very much business as usual for the team as they utilised their threedesk setup with a console for Bono, one for The Edge and a third for Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg (sitting in on drums for Larry Mullen Jr). “Despite this show being so different, all the

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band’s monitor engineers who mix for their IEM’s didn’t really change so much although the stage was particularly quiet with no amplifiers on stage and especially as Bram is behind plexiglass – leading to a much cleaner audio mix,” he explained.

THE FUTURE? Amid the COVID-19 induced lockdown of live shows, virtual events with cutting edge LED technology and video processing were commonplace – performers on a virtual stage could effectively be put into any surroundings.

One question TPi often posed to those involved was how these principles could be translated, or incorporated, in an in-person environment.

It seems U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere is one step closer to enveloping an audience in a seemingly virtual world.

Nevertheless, will this type of performance become the new norm for those touring at the highest level? It’s been well publicised that the MSG plans to build more of these venues around the world. However, at the time of writing, the proposed plans for a London Sphere have encountered its fair share of push back. “It would be great if there could be more than one Sphere venue around the world, so you could effectively ‘tour’ this performance,” mused Berry. “Although a one-off show like this is very different to creating a 40-date stadium run, I do think if there were more examples of spaces like the Sphere, it could become the future of live entertainment. That said, I don’t

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think it will ever replace the traditional touring circuit, as this type of show would not work for all acts.”

Lipson also expressed his interest to know what might come next for the Sphere. “It’s really exciting what the next production might do in there, as there are still many pieces of tech in the building that we didn’t use in the U2 show,” he stated. “Just as an example you are able to drop winches from the ceiling so we might see some more complex rig and handing elements for the next artist that takes on a show in there.”

As we enter this new era of a live show, there is still a great deal of learning that needs to happen on behalf of the audience, according to Williams. “We found during the show that the audience almost needed some guidance as to what to do during the show,” he explained. “During Where The Streets Have No Name, we have this daylight desert scene.

It’s gobsmacking but the audience response was muted as they didn’t know what they were ‘supposed to do’. Our solution was to add some lighting cues to give some visual signals that now was the time to react. Overall, it’s been such an interesting experiment how we combine these immersive experiences while giving the audience enough cue to know they are still at a rock show.” www.u2.com www.treatmentstudio.com www.stufish.com www.esdevlin.com www.thespherevegas.com

Ric Lipson of Stufish Entertainment Architects; Creative Director, Willie Williams; Sound Designer, Joe O’Herlihy.

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INTERVIEW

FIGHTING FAKES With counterfeit products becoming increasingly prevalent within the live events sector, L-Acoustics speaks to TPi about the damage these fake products can cause – not just on profit margins but on the safety of audiences at shows.

Words: Stew Hume Photos: Zack Whitman

The sound of splintering wood and hardware being shattered would usually strike fear in the hearts of any sound engineer or crew member. However, last year in Florida, the noise of sledge hammers smashing speakers was greeted with triumphant cheers, as L-Acoustics invited a selection of rental houses to take up arms and smash a pile of speakers to pieces before being recycled.

Why did the destruction of 136 speakers provoke such celebration? Well, despite their L-Acoustics branding, these particular products were in fact counterfeit.

Following a successful court case against a local Floridian rental house, L-Acoustics was awarded damages of $5m as well as being granted the right to destroy all the confiscated speakers. As well as providing an effective stress-relief exercise for all those present, the team at L-Acoustics decided to use the event as an opportunity to send a strong message to those breaking the law and flooding the market with these counterfeit products.

With images from what L-Acoustics dubbed as ‘Destruction Day’ flooding social media, counterfeit products are a hot topic, so we at TPi decided to delve deeper into the issue and find out about how the manufacturer is trying

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to tackle it and what customers and end users should be aware of. “Counterfeiting is a mass phenomenon that now involves all product types in all countries throughout the world,” commented Laurent Ostojski, L-Acoustics Senior Legal Counsel who has been spearheading the loudspeaker manufacturer’s efforts in this field. “The professional audio industry, as a niche market, was not seen as a main target for people looking to make easy money. However, people love live music and fans have been eager to get back to concerts and festivals since COVID-19. More shows are bringing in more people and those big shows require high-performance products. Those being expensive, counterfeiters are interested because there is money to be made.”

Despite the adage that imitation is the highest form of flattery, in this case, imitation comes with very real health risks to the audience. “Our biggest fear is the safety aspect,” commented Germain Simon, L-Acoustics Director of Product Management.

“At L-Acoustics we take health and safety factors into account when we develop a system. This is imperative as our systems are flown above the heads of people. We want to make sure it is robust and can withstand

extreme weather conditions. If something fails, such as a rigging pin, we know that the system has a failsafe. The same cannot be said for the counterfeit products and that’s the scary part.” Simon also stated that the fact that these systems have not gone under the same rigorous checks yet they falsely carry the L-Acoustics logo has the direct result of tarnishing the company’s reputation and undermining the hard work it has put into product development.

Ostojski continued by explaining some of the ways L-Acoustics had rallied against those creating and selling counterfeit products in the past. “Should you find fake products on a market, you’ll not only come across counterfeiters but also buyers,” he stated, outlining the vicious cycle. “Fake manufacturers only care about the money; if no one wants a replica of a specific brand or model, they won’t bother producing it. That means our first task is to educate users of audio products because some people still think counterfeits are made from the same subcomponents as genuine ones, or even come from the same factories.”

Another step L-Acoustics has made in recent years is to reduce “visibility of those fakes to potential customers”.

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INTERVIEW

Ostojski elaborated: “This involves monitoring online marketplaces and social media and, where possible, getting accounts closed.

In 2023, we removed over 1,500 posts and listings online. This process also includes formally warning infringers of their situation.

We regularly send cease-and-desist letters to stop identified users, distributors, or producers, all over the world. Our goal is not to sue everyone in search of money, but we want people to understand that we don’t tolerate counterfeiting. However, there are still people who either don’t care about the warnings or act so blatantly that our only recourse is to initiate a long and costly lawsuit. If that’s how they want to play, we clearly won’t give up.”

Clearly this is a subject that L-Acoustics takes very seriously and Ostojski stated that all the efforts often also involve close collaboration with national authorities such as Customs as well as numerous associations throughout the year. It seems that there has been a major industry wide uptick in not just discussion but action against those creating fake products. “For years, professional audio manufacturers have either been looking the other way, or, if they choose to act, they’ve

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“We wanted to show the entire industry that action can be taken. This scourge can be fought with success. We hope that in the near future we can communicate on a joint action as counterfeiters do not care about the brands, only about the money.”

Laurent Ostojski, L-Acoustics Senior Legal Counsel

been acting on their own,” stated Ostojski.

“We wanted to show the entire industry that action can be taken. This scourge can be fought with success. Following our firstactions in China, some brands contacted us on the subject. We hope that in the near future

we can communicate on a joint action as counterfeiters do not care about the brands, only about the money.”

There is also the chance that the intentions of a potential buyer are not malicious. To these people, Ostojski outlined some of the major

INTERVIEW

things that should be considered when shopping for their next sound system. “First, always check the price. When it seems too good to be true, it generally is. Then, customers should mainly rely on certified distributors, rental partners and integrators who are part of our official network which can be found online.”

Also giving her thoughts on the matter was L-Acoustics Director of Media Relations, Mary Beth Henson: “We’re making a big deal about this latest event as we think it’s important for other manufacturers in the industry to take the steps to protect themselves, artists, audiences, and the crew and unite the industry to fight against counterfeit products,” she stated. “By not highlighting it, it gives the counterfeiters free rein to continue stealing others’ intellectual property. They are frighteningly brazen about it on social media.”

This has not been the first major stand by a manufacturer to tackle this issue and it won’t be the last. As such, TPi is planning to continue to follow these stories as we move into the new year and as trade show season kicks into high gear.

Perhaps we’ll have to start bringing our own sledge hammer to events to play our part in this mission… www.l-acoustics.com

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INTERVIEW

THE CONFERENCE: LIVE AT LITITZ RETURNS The annual conference ‘for production people, by production people’ keeps the important conversations of sector-wide collaboration, growth, and mentorship going for industry professionals at all stages of their career.

TPi makes the transatlantic trip to witness the event first hand and hear from those responsible for its creation.

Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Paige Durborow

Following its successful debut event in 2022 [see TPi #273], THE Conference: Live at Lititz returned on the 6 to 8 December 2023. Far from a difficult second album, and in the words of co-founder, Charlie Hernandez at the Beat the Street speakeasy on night two: “This is more akin to Led Zeppelin II!” In partnership with the Rock Lititz community, CJMS (Charlie Hernandez, Jake Berry, Marty Hom, and Stuart Ross) continued their desire to encourage and facilitate sector-wide collaboration, growth, and mentorship at the second annual conference.

Trading the sunny West for the wintery East Coast – following three days at LDI Show in Las Vegas – I arrived three hours closer to Greenwich Mean Time at the Rock Lititz campus, which at the time doubled as something torn straight from the canvas of a Bob Ross winter scene.

Having left the conference feeling invigorated in 2022, I returned just as eager to discover some of the mindful and proactive ways the sector has responded to the success of the maiden event.

The 2023 conference featured over 900 attendees, as well as over 100 behind the scenes crew members, 40 sponsors and

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vendors, and 70 diverse speakers, with the staging designed by TAIT’s Adam Byrne.

With interactive panels, targeted meetups, town halls, interactive workshops, product demonstrations, company tours, and themed social events each night, the conference once again outlined the guiding principles that remained aligned with its mantra of ‘leave it better than we found it’.

On the opening day, Rock Lititz’ Andrea Shirk addressed the conference’s desire to present engaging and actionable content.

“We’ve really considered how to be thoughtful of delivering a variety of different conversations in environments and delivery methods for attendees, who can find experiences suitable for themselves, and also challenge each other to explore new topics of interest, learn something unique and enhance their passion for an industry which bonds all of us.”

Marty Hom expanded on the conference’s mission to showcase diverse voices and experiences: “We’ve been talking for 40 years; people don’t want to hear from us anymore.

They want to hear new, exciting voices. When I first started in this business, I couldn’t name one female or Asian tour manager that I knew of. Now there is an incredible breadth

of experiences and cultures in the sector, who were given the opportunity. For those starting in the business, I was in the speakers lounge before we hit the stage, and I was even impressed by the people attending this conference, who were all accessible. This conference is made to support the community and grow the careers of those within this ecosystem. From tour managers right through to publicists and tour photographers,” he said.

In a change of programming, the wider live entertainment ecosystem – including industry magazines – was represented. As an industry of storyteller, who has signed countless NDA agreements, the Telling Our Story: Marketing Backstage panel was a refreshing change of pace, where attendees could explore and engage with other journalists, manufacturers, and creatives about sharing the stories of those backstage.

Hom added: “What I want attendees to come away with is inspiration, knowledge, and the ability to take better care of crews and those on tour. I’m sure 900 of us will walk away from Lititz as a group, but we need to continue to drive home the things we’ve learned to make this a better industry to work in.” Ross underlined the conference’s mission to support words with

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actions, by considering the thought that goes into programming unique content, panels, and experiences – recognising that the bar and social elements are just as important as the relaxation rooms, fostering an environment for both introverts and extroverts.

“Our conference is different because we

don’t want to discuss how we do our job, but why we do our job. We want to take this to a 30,000ft level, instead of learning how to put numbers into boxes in Excel. Let’s talk about why those numbers are important. This conference is exactly what we wanted to see, a great and diverse opportunity for socialisation and discussion but not lecture. This is what all

of us thought were missing from this industry.

We don’t want to teach, we want to learn,” Ross added. “If there is something you think we could do better, get in-touch, because we want next year to be even greater.”

Hernandez highlighted the conference’s mission to provide personalised, inclusive, and

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accessible social opportunities for everyone by creating a welcoming, fun environment with no hierarchy. “One of the things we all learn very early in our careers is that there is no them – there is only us. We can only depend on each other, and if we give each other our word, it’s going to happen. It’s a strange old business we are in, and to echo Marty, I know there are people in this room whose lives have been saved by the work of non-for-profits like Music Cares. The most selfless thing you can do is help somebody else, the greatest thing you can do is to learn somebody’s story and take something from them.”

It was evident walking the halls, there was a noticeable change in demographic for the better. No longer was I one of the young faces in the room, privy to the pearls of wisdom imparted by veteran touring professionals.

Case and point, I became reacquainted with Austin Landis, a Lancaster County local, and one of the few young people in attendance

in 2022. One year on, he is now working and learning as a stagehand at Rock Labor with a desire to hit the road. “I’m grateful for the opportunities I have been given and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” he informed TPi. Hernandez further shared his desire to create and foster discourse with “kinder” and

“smarter” people, which he could learn from, and continue to improve.

“This conference affords that to us, we have

break out groups, round tables, non-for-profits, lifesavers, and these are all great stories to share – it’s not just about pushing flight cases,” he said, challenging the wider sector to reach out to younger people. “Bring them into your companies, and show them from the high school level forward, that this industry is a welcoming place for them to grow and thrive. I want to hear success stories.”

Realising the appetite for deep conversation, dynamic content, and connection, THE Conference: Live at

Lititz 2023 focussed on adding more new, unique perspectives to these important conversations. “As well as it being necessary to work hard in our business, there is also a need for accountability,” Jake Berry declared, praising the campus of choice. “Rock Lititz is the perfect environment, being able to travel around the campus’ various facilities, bump into people and attend sessions in a range of spaces and interactive formats, as opposed to a stuffy ballroom with no atmosphere, is what makes the difference.”

In 2022, Just A Bunch Of Roadies (JABOR) launched the John Campion and Lori Tierney Memorial Education Grant as well as partnering with attendees and Rock Lititz to operate a Christmas toy drive for the local community.

In closing, Hernandez said: “A simple act of kindness can change someone’s life. I was privileged to know Lori Tierney and John Campion, and last year, we financed a large chunk towards a scholarship for students over the next four years. We want to make a

permanent scholarship because even though Lori and John are no longer with us, their names will live on.”

With ample time spent conversing on email or video calls with touring production crew in the lead up to the conference, it was a privilege to spend a few days in the presence of those working tirelessly behind the scenes. Admittedly, after an evening of d&b audiotechnik pirate-inspired cocktails, mechanical bull riding with 4Wall, and a stint propped up at DiGiCo’s irish bar – I boarded my flight home slightly worse for wear but equally as encouraged and revitalised by the proactive steps taken and those who have committed to fostering an inclusive, open-armed, and sustainable industry; one which is founded by, and will be ultimately saved by, problem solvers.

THE Conference: Live at Lititz will return on 3 to 5 December 2024. Stay tuned for more details on THE Conference: Live at Lititz website and social media channels. www.theconferenceliveatlititz.com

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FLY BY NITE: OFFICIALLY CARBON NEUTRAL The trucking specialist welcomes TPi to its Redditch HQ to discuss its journey to becoming a Carbon Neutral Business as well as its three new bases in Ireland, the Netherlands and Romania.

Words: Stew Hume Photos: Fly By Nite

It seems apt while writing an article on Carbon Neutrality that COP28 is taking place in the UAE. As world leaders gather in the Middle East to find solutions for global climate change, TPi was hearing from Fly By Nite about how it was making its own changes to the company internally to lead towards a greener future.

After being picked up by Sales Manager, Matt Jackson in his company’s electric vehicle, we took a tour of Fly By Nite’s Redditch HQ. From the enormous rehearsal space that welcomes incoming productions as they prepare for their next stadium or arena campaign, through to the various warehouses that many bands and artists use for long-term

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storage of backline gear, it certainly is an impressive setup – and that’s before we even mention the impressive fleet of gleaming Fly

By Nite trucks ready to help productions get from A to B, alongside the team of hardworking mechanics and logistics experts responsible for keeping tours ‘on the road’.

As we walked by the uniform lines of green and blue trucks, we made our way to the company boardroom to shake hands with founder, David Coumbe, who proudly informed us that as of this year, Fly By Nite is officially a Carbon Neutral Business.

One of the first things that came to mind while speaking to David was that Fly

By Nite does not do things by halves. From

the resources devoted to ensuring that the company was legal to operate in the UK and Europe post-Brexit, to this end goal of being Carbon Neutral, it is clear that when Fly By Nite does something, it’s done properly.

“We have always been very independent and never worried so much about what others within the market are doing and focussed on our own business,” began the founder, as he walked through the company’s journey to this latest certification.

“We were starting to get comments from some of our blue-chip clients, explaining that to pitch for their jobs, we need to be a Carbon Neutral Company,” added Matt, who then explained how they set about finding a company that would be able to certify them as a business.

Enter Caspar Eccles-Williams of Carbon Neutral Britain. Formed by an amalgamation of environmental consultants, analysts, auditors and carbon traders, Carbon Neutral Britain offers businesses of any size the opportunity to achieve Carbon Neutrality. The process requires a full evaluation accounting for a company’s emissions and then, following those assessments, a carbon offsetting calculation is produced. “When we assess a company, audits are completed via the ISO 14064 and GHG Emissions Protocol Accounting Standards,” outlined Caspar.

Although Fly By Nite has made strides with moving to electric vehicles for its company cars, the FBN team explained that the incorporation of EV technology was unlikely to be incorporated into trucks in the future, with David musing that hydrogen was more likely to offer a solution in the future for large vehicles.

“For a company like Fly By Nite, where the use of diesel is essential, this is where the value of offsetting comes in,” stated Caspar. “Once all the emissions are accounted for, a carbon

emissions report is then produced. We at Carbon Neutral Britain adhere to the corporate accounting standards used by all businesses globally, so no matter where the trucks are being used, their carbon footprint will still be calculated and then offset correctly.”

The offsetting money is used to fund projects all over the world that are either preventing or directly absorbing carbon emissions. “Since Fly By Nite started working with us, their offsetting has been used to support four international projects,” explained Caspar.

The representative for Carbon Neutral Britain was quick to tackle the topic of ‘greenwashing’ and some of the pitfalls companies can fall into on this subject. “It’s not uncommon to see false or misleading statements made by businesses,” he explained. “The audit completed on Fly By Nite utilises the corporate standards used by all businesses - and is outlined in the carbon emissions report we produce. Very black and white, this accurately and transparently showcases how Carbon Neutral status has been achieved.”

When the audit process started, David explained how the company was more prepared than other businesses due to the level of tracking it does in terms of mileage and fuel used during any given tour. “We were able to give the team at Carbon

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INTERVIEW

Neutral Britain incredibly accurate data but even so, I was surprised how quick the entire process was.” Now Fly By Nite has started on this journey, the company will be audited on an annual basis.

In terms of what this will mean for the future, the entire FBN team hopes it sends a message to the industry of what needs to be done. “We recently got a request for a large tour this summer to send over all our transport data for the purpose of production wishing to explore offsetting options,” stated Matt who, although more than happy to share that information, also informed the production that Fly By Nite had already taken care of that cost.

BROADENING HORIZONS While chatting to the FBN team, it was clear that the latest certification was merely the icing on the cake in terms of the internal development that has been taking place behind closed doors since the turn of the decade. With its hand being forced due to Brexit, FBN had to change its business model drastically as it underwent the arduous task of re-registering vehicles, opening new offices and finding new people to join the business. “When COVID hit, we didn’t stop,” stated David. “As well as doing some general haulage work, we spent a lot of money and time setting up our Irish base and getting our fleet re-registered, so they were EU compliant.” At the same time, the company joined forces with Saan Trucking, a Europeanbased live entertainment trucking company.

The newly established company, Saan FBN Europe, now operates in Amsterdam and Tilburg in the Netherlands, along with another depot in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Despite these major changes within the company, David was keen to state that no matter what office you call, customers will still get the same Fly By Nite service. “We’ve just expanded but we’ve worked hard on our computer system so we can conduct our business from anywhere and assets are shared among the entire company. So, whether you speak to Rogier Lecluse who oversees Saan FBN Europe, Eddie Charlton who looks after Ireland or Matt Jackson in the UK; you’ll get the same answer and same quote.”

Rogier highlighted the advantages of this multi-base approach: “There are some companies that have argued that since Brexit certain things within the haulage world are not possible. However, we’ve proven that it can be done but it requires a great deal of organising and having the correctly registered trucks in the right place. For us, the only effect Brexit now really has on us in terms of the service we provide to customers is that border crossing takes more time.”

Also joining the conversation was Eddie Charlton, who runs FBN’s Irish base in Dublin.

“Our Irish base was originally established to adhere to all legislation that arrived as a result of Brexit – but as a result of having a base in Ireland, we have now picked up a great deal of local work in the country,” he enthused. “We’re

supplying equipment that just has not been readily available in the country before.”

David echoed this statement: “The Irish government has been very supportive of our work and the upshot is the local Irish entertainment market is doing really well, so there is a lot of work for us within the border.”

In fact, David mused about the idea of further expansion both in Ireland and the Netherlands – not for more depot space, but perhaps to replicate FBN Studios in those countries. “It’s something that a number of production managers have raised with us about needing a facility to do production rehearsals in both Ireland and Europe as there are very few options,” he stated.

It is always fascinating getting to spend time with businesses involved in the logistics side of live touring. It’s often easy to forget about the army of drivers and those working in the office that ensure that every lighting fixture, PA box and piece of truss makes it to the venue on time. Before we left, we took a look around some of the offices and stumbled across the company’s ‘control room’, in which a large TV screen showed a digital map of Europe with the trackers for all the Fly By Nite trucks scattered around the continent. The scope of the job to keep track of both vehicles and drivers was not lost on TPi, yet among all this, the company has found time to also do its bit to reduce its carbon footprint on the world and drive the change it wants to see. www.flybynite.co.uk

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INTERVIEW

TAIT: BUILDING ON SUCCESS As the live experiences specialist announces the launch of a new London base, TPi heads to Wakefield to speak to TAIT UK Managing Director, Ben Brooks about the various developments taking place this side of the Atlantic, as well hearing from TAIT’s scenic department about their recent endeavours with the likes of Sam Smith and The Prodigy.

Words: Stew Hume Photos: Sarah Womack and Jill Furmanovsky

Jumping off the train and taking the short walk towards TAIT’s Wakefield base, it was staggering just how much this industrial park has changed over the years. From Production Park and XPLOR’s new buildings to the number of international companies now having offices on the campus – including ROE Visual, 4Wall Entertainment, and of course, live experiences specialist TAIT following the acquisition of Brilliant Stages back in 2019 – the area has been completely transformed. Finding ourselves in the familiar reception area, we were greeted warmly by UK Managing Director of TAIT, Ben Brooks, along with VP Global Marketing, Jane Leah. Despite the familiar surroundings, as we were quick to learn, there had been some major changes within TAIT in the UK. TAIT has brought several businesses under its umbrella over the past ten years, including Stage Technologies, Delstar, Kinesys and Brilliant Stages, meaning that the group has also inherited several facilities up and down the country. “Now all these companies are under the TAIT brand, it makes sense to start sharing resources, especially with companies that work in similar fields,” explained Brooks.

“This is why we have consolidated part of the businesses and our UK locations now include our super-factories, equipped for entertainment engineering, in Wakefield and Haverhill in Suffolk, as well as our training and R&D facilities in Hampton”.

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This move meant that TAIT no longer had a presence in London, and while Brooks chuckled that he sometimes sees Wakefield as the “centre of the universe,” he conceded that for TAIT’s work within the live events industry, it made sense to also have a permanant footprint in capital. So, just before the end of 2023, the company announced the launch of a new office space in Tileyard London. Opening in Q1, Brooks believes this space is necessary to support TAIT’s current clients as well as breaking into new markets.

“We’re proud to be part of the live experience community, and this new space will support our work with partners across the globe,” he stated. “Locally, it means we have a central point for the UK’s talented design houses and celebrated theatres, especially in London’s West End. It’s also two hours from our sites in West Yorkshire and Suffolk.”

Although better known to TPi readers for its work fabricating the world’s biggest stages, TAIT’s UK division has also been focussing on the permanent installation market as well other sectors including theme parks.

“So much conversation around those fields happens in and around London, not to mention the number of theatre consultants who are based there,” Brooks stated, enthusing that having a base only a short walk from King’s Cross Station will be an invaluable asset.

Developing other sectors is now very much part of Brooks’ wider remit as he takes on the

mantle as Managing Director for TAIT in the UK. “I’m starting to look at the wider business rather than just focussing on the rock ’n’ roll touring side of things,” he commented.

There will be several full-time staff based at the new London base as well as members of the various TAIT sites making use of the space on a semi-temporary basis.

“It’s important to have a London base as our business continues to expand across live experience markets and global geographies,” commented Gemma Hodgson, TAIT Chief Commercial Officer, at the time of the new office announcement. “We have exciting plans for 2024 and we need to meet where our partners are. Having close links to Europe is also important for us, and so the link with King’s Cross St Pancras was an important factor in our decision to create this new space.”

Turning our focus back to Wakefield, we made our way from the main offices to the manufacturing facility where the hard-working warehouse team were busy working on the stage sets of tomorrow. One wing of the facility TPi was particularly keen to visit was the scenic department, where we met TAIT Art Director, Jacqui Pyle.

Prior to becoming a permanent member of the team, Pyle had an impressive resumé as a sculptor and set designer working with the likes of Roger Waters, Elton John, AC/DC and Metallica to name but a few. There is no doubt that in past few years there has been

INTERVIEW

an overwhelming increase in the amount of LED video used in stage designs, but that said in 2023 several shows brought back massive set pieces, including the likes of Sam Smith’s immense Gloria set piece as well Prodigy’s imposing RAYMAN figure that loomed over FOH during the band’s latest arena tour – both of which were crafted by Pyle and her hard-working team.

“Jacqui has been with the businesses for around eight years at this stage although prior to that, we’d collaborated with her on a number of projects,” stated Brooks, as we made our way into the Pyle’s workshop.

“It’s an interesting department as I feel we bridge the worlds of rock ’n’ roll and theatre,” mused Pyle, as she spoke of her early days of working in the theatre world before traversing into touring design. She commented on the latest upswing of interest in artists exploring set pieces for their live show. “There is a bit of a retro feel around set pieces,” she stated.

Although she fully accepted the advantage of modern set design techniques, Pyle enjoys harnessing the ‘cigarette-packet design’ mentality of years past. “Because of this ideology, this department tends to engage more with the end client than others at TAIT,” commented Brooks. “There is only so much that artists can engage in aluminium fabrication, but when they speak to Jacqui and her team, they know that they are among artists.”

Clearly an asset to TAIT’s wider offering, Pyle was quick to stress that the scenic department is very much a team effort, with her seven in-house staff coming from a variety of

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INTERVIEW

backgrounds, from illustrators to those studying set design. Two key members of this wider team were Jenny Arnold and Sarah ‘Baz’ Barry, who were both heavily involved in Sam Smith’s imposing set piece, which incorporated a 65ft by 20ft by 10ft gold structure that all those on stage could interact with during the show.

Arnold explained the process, which took Pyle’s original clay model to a CnC machine creating massive polystyrene sections that were held in place with magnets. From there, the team underwent numerous stages of coating to add structural integrity before adding a golden foil.

“We started in January and had to be completed for rehearsals in early March,” stated Arnold. As well helping create the set piece, Baz took the initiative to also create a training video for the touring team to help with any maintenance that might need to be done during the show.

With such a strong creative team in-house for TAIT, TPi was obligated to ask if this affects their relationship with freelance set designers and creative directors working with artists.

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“It’s true that we have blurred the line of being a vendor and a designer,” stated Brooks. “But having brought Jacqui in house, we’ve managed to mesh the two. I believe we’ve made various designers feel very comfortable. We’re not here to limit their work; Jacqui and her team want to embellish their ideas and bring it to life. We just want to channel the creativity.”

Leaving the scenic department to finish their day’s work, there was a genuine sense of excitement at what is to come for the tours in 2024. Learning exactly how these impressive sets come together and exploring the mechanics of how they eventually make it out on the road is fascinating, but as ever in this industry, the creative minds behind the technology is where the really exciting stories are found. With the immense skill and creativity on show throughout the team, there’s no doubt that we’ll be seeing much more of TAIT’s work in TPi over the next year. In fact, the company’s work on The Prodigy is already set for our next edition. www.taittowers.com

TAIT Art Director, Jacqui Pyle; TAIT UK Managing Director, Ben Brooks; TAIT’s scenic team in Wakefield, comprising Olivia Barkham, Sarah ‘Baz’ Barry, Liam Martin, Jacqui Pyle, Toby Del Grande, Jenny Arnold and Seanna Doonan.

IN PROFILE

SEPIA: A GAMECHANGING TOOL FOR ENGINEERS Karno Director, Adam Pierce discusses SEPIA – a brand-new solution that allows audio engineers to take their favourite pieces of outboard gear on the road with a stable, compact footprint.

Words: Stew Hume Photos: Karno

If you were to drop an audio engineer from the ’80s or early ’90s in front of a modern FOH or monitor setup, they would undoubtedly be surprised at what they saw, with their familiar giant real-estate of knobs and channel faders scaled down to a far more modest footprint of a digital console alongside numerous LED screens. There is no doubt that pro audio has come an incredibly long way since those days – from the PAs flown in the air to the tuning systems and mixing tools – but while systems have advanced massively, many engineers have been looking for a way of truly achieving the sounds and effects created by famed outboard equipment of yesteryear, in a stable and more compact setup.

However, with the launch of its first project, SEPIA, Karno aims to address that need.

Created in collaboration with the original outboard manufacturers, Karno’s mission statement is that SEPIA is “not emulation or recreation; it’s the real deal”. With SEPIA, the company has created a way to put the signal path of some of the most well used outboard

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and effects units into a compact, modular, digitally controllable package optimised for live, theatre and modern studio workflows.

Director and founding member of Karno, Adam Pierce met with TPi in central Manchester to walk through SEPIA and the benefits of this new solution for engineers. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response so far with the 150 or so engineers we’ve been showing prior to the launch,” he began.

The origin of Karno goes back several years while Pierce worked for DPA Microphones.

“There is no doubt that speaker and microphone technology has changed rapidly since the ’70s and, in all cases, we’re seeing improvements in sound and workflow. However, when I spoke to engineers while I was in DPA, I’d hear them say that they missed having their own consoles and while they could use outboard gear from the studio, they were not satisfied or confident in the stability or performance of the plug-in equipment.”

With productions increasingly wishing to keep the footprint at FOH streamlined to save

on truck space, engineers are often unable to bring racks upon racks of outboard gear. “The fact is that the years of sitting on a wheelie chair and sliding along a 300-fader long console are gone and having a digital workflow makes sense, but around a decade ago I started to think there was a need for a new workflow and started to investigate how small and compact we could make things.”

Very limited number of engineers touring with the biggest artists can still afford to bring out a fully analogue setup with their choice of specific outboard gear, for the majority with a tighter budget, a compromise is necessary.

However, according to Pierce, not only will the SEPIA option save on space, but it will also be a very cost-effective solution.

The key to the SEPIA package is palmsized SEPIA Modules, which are created by the original hardware manufacturers of the outboard effect, incorporating core tonal elements of currently available hardware as well as reviving sought-after extinct designs. SEPIA Modules are accommodated in a host unit.

IN PROFILE

A wide range of host units are in development, tailored for all workflows, with the first variant being the L6, a 1U unit aimed mainly at live touring and theatre markets.

The entire setup revolves around the SEPIA Mainframe, which contains SEPIA’s Universal Elements (UEs) and via a patent-pending bridging signal flow, connects the modules and host to recreate the original circuit. This gives engineers access and control of their favourite hardware brands in a new, smaller form factor.

There are a many SEPIA Modules already available including microphone preamps, equalisers, dynamics processors and effects as well as DSP units.

The system can be controlled via computer (Mac/Windows), tablet or phone (iOS/ Android) or DAW Plug-In, as well as consoles and other hardware control units due to the platform being agnostic to several industrystandard control protocols including HUI, EUCON and OSC. Alongside its control capabilities, the SEPIA control software is also capable of rendering brand-specific,

familiar GUI information seamlessly on all platforms, powered by what Karno refer to as the AEQUOREA engine. Deeper integration with selected console manufacturers is in development at the time of writing and will be announced later in the year.

With the system being mainly controlled via a digital interface, you’d be excused for asking exactly how SEPIA is different from the range of plug-in platforms on the market. “It’s true from a user interface side of things, interacting with SEPIA is very similar to that of a digital plug-in platform,” stated Pierce. “But what we think is really innovative is the hardware behind it.”

“We also have a feature called Creator, which is a new way of routing and instead of a typical XY axis, we have a far simpler ‘drag-and-drop’ interface,” he added. “With SEPIA, you can drop a module and split them apart as most modules will be splitable into two sections – an input stage and output stage – which has never been done before within hardware.”

Although Karno has produced a video to explain how the system works, the Director

proudly stated that they gave the system to 30 engineers to do a blind test without any direction and “they all managed to get their head around the workflow very quickly”.

The system will also be available offline so an engineer will be able to build a system while on a flight and then simply send the files to their rental house to build the rig.

Although originally designed with the live engineer in mind, Pierce explained that there had been great interest from the studio market.

“We were a little bit taken aback by this interest as during our launch our focus had been for the live and theatre industries, but we keep getting demands from the studio world as well as; we’re just trying to keep up with demand,” stated Pierce, making it clear that this was a “good problem to have”.

With a select number of working systems available to play with, the company is still in the process of building several demo systems to keep up with pre-launch demo demands.

Pierce believes that both rental houses and individual engineers will be customers in

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IN PROFILE

the early stages of the product’s rollout. “This could be seen as a boutique solution that an individual engineer wants to own and bring along with them to shows, but we also foresee rental houses having the system ready to send out with customers.”

With Pierce preparing for a busy year, he explained to TPi how he is looking to grow the business in the months ahead.

“Like most, we are struggling to recruit commercial staff. However, we have several people in mind. The goal will be to have representatives in Europe and the US. We’re also looking to have more engineers come on board as well as growing our manufacturing and marketing team.”

Pierce was also keen to state that SEPIA was just the first project for Karno with numerous offshoots possible once this solution is out in the marketplace. Key to all the developments moving forward is future-proofing every system the company releases.

“Not only does our software have to work – which we have worked on meticulously – but we want to be sure that it accepts all protocols,

so if a new solution was released tomorrow, it would take no time to integrate with it.”

Pierce and the entire Karno team all seemed excited for the year ahead and emphasised that there will continue to be updates throughout 2024 with new products releases along with announcing more collaborations with manufactures to put even more options into the hands of engineers. Be sure to check in on their website for further updates. www.karno.com

Director and founding member of Karno, Adam Pierce

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IN PROFILE

As STS Touring Productions becomes the UK’s largest backline supplier, Managing Director, Pete Dutton looks back on a landmark year for the company.

Manchester-based technical and logistical solution company STS Touring is coming off the back of a whirlwind year that saw it become the UK’s largest supplier of backline. “It’s something we have been working towards for a long time,” commented Managing Director, Pete Dutton, reflecting on the acquisition of Music Bank’s equipment following the company’s closure.

The purchase has increased STS Touring’s capacity significantly. “Buying the equipment from Music Bank has enabled us to stretch

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ourselves over more jobs simultaneously and means we can fulfil jobs from our stock rather than sub-hiring,” Dutton added. “It gives confidence to our clients that we can provide what they want.”

The Managing Director is keen to honour the legacy of Music Bank, which he described as a “great company with fantastic staff”.

He added: “The equipment we’ve acquired is faultless and first class. We intend to invest the equipment from Music Bank to fulfil all our contracts, which is a major plus for us.”

Despite almost four years having passed since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dutton, STS continues to face the challenge of understaffing, with many industry veterans choosing to move into different professions or retire. “We managed it in the end by employing extra warehouse staff to make sure all the jobs were prepared properly, leaving the backline technicians extra time to deliver, set up, operate and break down the gear at the venues and festivals,” he recalled.

While the company continues to grow, for Dutton, consolidation is just as important as growth. “The main focus now is to consolidate what we have,” he stated. “We have a big audio warehouse and storage facilities, so we need to ensure they are running at optimal levels and ensure that our clients wish to rebook with us.”

Looking ahead, Dutton isn’t ready to slow down yet: “I am now 65, so maybe I will retire in a few years, but I see a lot of my compatriots carrying on,” he said. “After all, what do we do, if not work in the music industry?”

After celebrating its 26th birthday in 2023, STS enters the new year with a wealth of stock, preparing its equipment to be checked and serviced ahead of a busy festival season with many tours headed out the door before that. www.ststouring.co.uk

Technology

PRODUCTION FUTURES

COLUMN POWERED BY

PRODUCTION FUTURES PARTNERS WITH CHESHIRE COLLEGE Angie Berwick, Programme Leader for Events and Technical Theatre at Cheshire College, becomes Production Futures Education Ambassador.

What first got you into education?

“My personal experience of training in technical theatre was in an FE college and I loved every minute. The teachers all worked in the industry and gave an insight that to this day has served me well and inspired me. So, when I had the opportunity to train others back at the college I had trained in I was honoured and from there I decided to make sure everyone’s journey was like mine and led to employment in the industry.”

Why is education so vital in forming careers?

“Live events as a whole is the most amazing industry to be in, it is exciting, innovative, diverse and requires resilience and the ability to deal with high pressure situations. Education provides a safe environment in which learners can harness and develop skills to cope with the demands of the industry, while comprehending the responsibilities and dynamics of the workplace and getting to grips with technology and systems. The other key area is familiarising learners with risk assessment and enabling them to become safe working practitioners

so that they can carry this into the industry.

Education should provide the wrap-around support to help learners grow and develop at their pace in safe spaces so that when ready they can enter the job market as well-rounded technicians who an employer can then continue to shape and develop.”

What is your priority stepping into the education ambassador role?

“Heightening the importance and real need at this time to resolve the skills shortage that has been intensified by COVID. There is no better time to open discussions with awarding bodies, funding agencies, colleges, universities and employers to create qualifications recognised by all that provide a robust standard for the industry. While sharing the voices of students past and present who have varied journeys to success is also paramount to understanding the needs of our future technicians.”

What advice would you offer to younger people wanting to enter the industry?

“As long as you have a strong desire and

enthusiasm to work in this industry even if you have no knowledge or skills go for it! Find a course, join a youth theatre, talk to people at gigs or events (or if you are not confident yet don’t worry – send an email to your local college and I am sure someone will get back to you) and most importantly kick start your journey.

All good courses work with employers to teach you everything you need to know, providing you with industry employment opportunities after completion, all you need is enthusiasm and passion – which no one can teach. As long as you bring these two things anything is possible.”

What are you looking forward to in 2024 for production futures?

“Opening conversation and raising awareness of the importance of this industry, the inherent skills gaps and staff shortages; to find solutions that will enable employers, education providers and awarding bodies to make positive changes that will strengthen the current offer. www.ccsw.ac.uk www.productionfutures.co.uk

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SIX YEARS IN THE MAKING: L-ACOUSTICS L SERIES L-Acoustics Director of Product Management, Loudspeakers, Germain Simon retraces – from ideation to realisation – the steps behind the creation of the L Series, providing insight on the loudspeaker range and what benefits it brings to the live touring sector.

Words: Jacob Waite Photos: L-Acoustics

Having debuted at the BRIT Awards with Britannia Row Productions, part of Clair Global; on tour with Helene Fischer with Solotech; at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with support from Rat Sound Systems; and with multiple pilot phase partners including Tokyo Sanko, Novelty, Winly and PRG, L-Acoustics L Series brings a host of benefits to those on the road. With the range becoming available on the market at the end of 2023, TPi checked in with L-Acoustics Director of Product Management, Loudspeakers, Germain Simon to discover more about the system.

Key to the creation of L Series is the pursuit of quality sound and capacity of the system.

“The goal is to elevate the experience of the listener, so the audience gets the best possible result out of the system. We wanted to push the boundaries of the existing audio technology, acoustic design, and manufacturing in the pursuit of getting as close as possible to the ideal line source, which was described by the WST criteria from 1992, and the first The Audio Engineering Society (AES) paper by Christian Heil, the founder of L-Acoustics,” Simon stated.

“The laws of physics are getting us increasingly closer to matching this criterion.”

The second goal, as has been adopted by most loudspeaker manufacturers in recent history, is immersive. “We want to make immersive events more possible. It took a long time to develop this system, we knew

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developing an immersive sound system amid the COVID-19 pandemic wouldn’t be an easy road. However, we wanted to build a system that was less visually obtrusive, while still providing the necessary coverage, SPL and clarity required,” Simon explained, adding that “matching the power density with the power control” was “a major step” for the company’s R&D team to overcome.

Simon highlighted sustainability, power density, energy efficiency and footprint as key factors in the design of L Series. “Also crucial to the thought process of the system has been trying to solve the obstacles and challenges of the industry, like setup or dismantal speed and complexity, and increasingly, the environmental impact of the tours. Being able to put the system up in a limited amount of time provides engineers more time to curate the sound, and more time for the crew to rest – as well as reducing and diminishing our climate impact on the overall industry, by reducing the weight, therefore, reducing space and weight required on trucks,” Simon said, pointing out that less raw material is required to build the L2 compared to standard line source systems.

“Our products are assembled in France and all our manufacturing is centralised in Europe, which allows us to reduce shipment during development, and to control our supply chain to maintain quality of the system. Our loudspeakers and electronics are extremely long lasting – there are still people working with

LA8s to this day, which we released in 2007.”

The K1, for instance, is over 15 years old and is still the reference touring speaker today for large live events [see pg.36]. “Combining this energy into a denser element also provides us with advantages in terms of use of material,” Simon remarked. In comparison to other ultraline sources on the market, L Series reportedly uses 60% less steel, 56% less paint, 30% less wood, and overall, 35% weight and 30% less volume, which makes a dramatic difference to L-Acoustics assembly lines.

“As we are using less material to assemble the system, we are shipping less from supply to manufacture, but also transporting less from one show to an other.” Case in point, the Helene Fischer: Live 2023 camp toured with one less audio truck, thanks to the smaller footprint of the L Series, and were able to implement the system in each venue in a third of the time of that they were used to.

“We’re increasingly using recycled material and components to design our solutions from electronics to loudspeakers and we will progress as newer sources of energy-efficient materials are developed.”

Following a series of pilot events like the BRIT Awards, Eurovision Song Contest, and Helene Fischer [see TPi #276], Simon and the team are discovering that the more engineers use the system, the more the developers learn from it. “We have learned a lot from this pilot phase and the feedback from end users,

which allows us to further improve the presets (the initial sound out of the box) from the loudspeaker, and the algorithm to make it more optimised, efficient, and even more consistent.”

As the system has shrunk in size, L-Acoustics has had to improve the overall control on the full bandwidth, finding ways to improve the focus of the energy on the audience by developing the electronic platforms and DSP algorithm to do that, which is the reason why it has released a range – LA7.16 and LA7.16i – and not just a loudspeaker to provide end users with the ability to control the energy across the entire vertical plane.

The sound, the efficiency and the ease-of-use of L Series are are conventions which Simon believes will make the biggest difference to the live touring industry.

“It took six years because we wanted to bring significant improvement on sound quality and energy control. We revised everything, built a new acoustic and mechanical loudspeaker design, shape, and electronic platform. We wanted to diminish the energy on stage,

the ceiling and behind the system. We are increasingly impacted, especially in the festival domain or venues which sit in the centre of a city, due to sound pollution,” he noted.

L Series strives to provide as much control as possible using Panflex for the medium and high frequencies and Integrated Cardioid for the low range. “This cardioid design took us over a year to build without compromising the front of the system, but now it is a patented technology. It ticks the boxes of better sound for the audience, less sound on stage for performing artists but also more acceptance on the field,” Simon reported.

The other element that has been improved and is useful for touring is the simplicity, how fast the system rigs.

“Like the K Series, the learning curve in deploying the system is extremely fast, leveraging the knowledge of past systems from the field,” Simon concluded. “There are no wrong angles using L Series, which makes it errorless, faster, and safer.” www.l-acoustics.com/loudspeakers/l-series

L-Acoustics Director of Product Management, Loudspeakers, Germain Simon

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UNIFYING CREATIVITY FOR DESIGNERS Gaining industry recognition at LDI Show 2023, the latest Vectorworks update includes advanced tools and a modern interface.

Words: Jacob Waite Photo: Vectorworks

In recent years, Vectorworks has undergone several software updates, refinements, and enhancements to benefit end users in the transient nature of the live entertainment sector – consolidating a new standard for computer-aided design (CAD).

At LDI Show 2023 in Las Vegas, TPi sat down with Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar, Chief Marketing Officer Jeremy Powell, and All Access Staging and Productions Technical Designer and Development Manager Joey Brennan, to discover more about the updated software. “It is the foundation of the software which needs to be enhanced to encourage innovation,” began Sarkar, speaking to TPi following the release of the 2024 version of its product line, which includes Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Design Suite, and Fundamentals, along with 2024 versions of ConnectCAD, Braceworks and Vision.

To save designers time, Vectorworks 2024 features an updated user interface that is more efficient and easier to customise. The reorganised View and Mode bars bring a wide range of tools to the forefront, so users can decide how to organise tools and shortcuts for easy access. “We have been enhancing and making refinements to the software for the past seven years, but I think we have come to a point where everything is paying off, and improvements have been much faster in recent years,” Sakar added. “We are gaining a lot of traction in the live entertainment market because end users can share plots and make changes simultaneously on the fly, making it a collaborative tool.”

Additionally, Project Sharing has been rebuilt to ensure project data and geometry are always current in a project file. Project Sharing+ tracks every change, every time, and improves reliability regardless of the team or project

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size. Designers will see productivity gain with the ability to save custom viewport settings as “styles,” making them easily transferable between viewports.

For production designers, the Equipment Lists feature brings automated solutions to manual, complex and repetitive tasks experienced by unifying the equipment and inventory tracking process. Equipment Lists streamline the preproduction process by providing the tools to plan and document the equipment needed by a show or production.

“We have an incredible set of products and features that start from design all the way up to production that touch on a lot of different roles in that process,” Powell acknowledged.

“From LD to console to scenic to audio, we cover a wide breadth. However, to cover all that, we must develop incredibly powerful software and typically people think that power means complexity, so we are increasingly conscious about taking the time and effort to analyse, make refinements based on market feedback and ensure quality, which enhances the overall user experience.”

Joey Brennan, Technical Designer and Development Manager at All Access Staging and Productions, explained how his company uses the software: “Vectorworks is our ‘workhorse’ CAD software. In 2022, roughly 1,400 rental shows went through our LA office and warehouse; around 35% of those went through our CAD department of eight full-time drafters. The bulk of their day is split between rental projects and custom projects and all those rental projects are built in Vectorworks.”

Brennan highlighted the importance of Cloud Services and Project Sharing capabilities built into the latest software iteration. “We can now send a website link, the end user doesn’t need a Vectorworks licence or program, and

they are able to open it on their mobile, or any compatible digital device with a web browser and review our work.”

This benefits internal teams and rental project managers who are going to be taking the equipment and loading it in on the floor, giving a preview and meaning they don’t have to wait until the paper is printed and, in their hands, like they used to, according to Brennan.

“The same goes for our fabrication teams, account managers, and clients – it allows people to see behind the scenes of what we do, and quite frankly, it is a useful and helpful way of operating because the more feedback we get – the quicker and smoother everything will go,” he explained.

As well as providing the tools for creation, Vectorworks also provides companies with the ability to catalogue and archive materials.

“We’ve been using CAD software for a longtime but now everything we do is about managing the volume of information. We add another 500 rental shows that have been built in Vectorworks every year; we have an archive spanning almost 30 years and as CAD team members come and go, we want new recruits to be able to access archive drawings and understand how we operate.”

At LDI Show 2023, Brennan hosted a talk which showcased how Vectorworks allows his company to standardise its back catalogue of production materials, meaning that a package built a decade ago in the software should, ideally, look like a package from today. “Things have changed within the software, but the printed PDFs will look consistent, so the people loading-in to the show understand which page to turn to every time, and you can’t ask for much more than that.” www.vectorworks.net www.allaccessinc.com

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Production Design by Jesse Lee Stout and Sooner Rae Photo Courtesy of Todd Moffses

GEAR HEADS

MARTIN PROFESSIONAL MAC ONE Wouter Verlinden, International Product Manager of Creative LED and Lighting at HARMAN International, details how Martin Professional’s latest lighting fixture will appeal to production designers.

Photos: HARMAN Professional Solutions

What were the initial goals of the MAC One when it came to designing the fixture?

“Our goal was to create an extremely compact and lightweight fixture that fits truly everywhere. and gives designers freedom to have a moving head in places typically not possible. We also wanted to create a fixture that can easily be used in large quantities, thanks to its weight, size and price-point. Development of the accessories (fourbar system and grid mount system) was also aimed at facilitating easy deployment in large quantities. it was crucial to have a fixture with an impressive narrow beam and usable wash output. There is no point in creating a compact light if it doesn’t deliver the output.”

What features of the MAC One do you think are going to really appeal to Lighting Designers?

“The size, weight and price-point should enable LDs to use more fixtures than before. The rigging accessories will enable large and easy to deploy rigs, even on productions where there is no budget for custom fabrication. The looks of the Fresnel lens will definitely excite LDs as well as the RedGreenBlueLime source creating a beautiful rendering of costumes, faces and décor and the extremely snappy pan, tilt and zoom movements will appeal to LDs.” What are some of the design elements that set it up to be a robust fixture for the rental market?

“The MAC One was designed as a versatile fixture offering wash, beam and eye-candy features: this should enable the fixture to be

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robust and not a one-trick-pony. Despite being compact and lightweight, the MAC One still went through the same rigorous testing and validation process as all of our Martin products which guarantees years of reliable life on the road. In terms of transport, the rental market was a key element with many fixtures being able to fit in a flightcase. Fixtures can then remain assembled on fourbar in flight cases.”

What are some of the ways you’ve been able to save weight on the fixture?

“Being lightweight seems to be one of the major selling points of the MAC One. For the yoke-chassis a composite material was used, which saved a lot of weight versus the traditionally used metal structure. The front lens is also a Fresnel lens, made out of plastic, which helps massively with fixture weight and the base is made out of a single cast aluminium shell. This removes the need for multiple heavy parts to be assembled and provides passive cooling.”

ideas with the Fourbar and Grid Mount System would resonate with the market, but both rental houses and LDs told us they absolutely love these accessories and will make them part of their fleet and designs. We were also honoured to receive the LDI Best Debuting Product Lighting award and based on the feedback we received at LDI alone, the MAC One is definitely off to a good start.” www.martin.com

Where do you see the MAC One sitting in the wider family of Martin Fixtures?

“The MAC One is definitely the smallest Martin moving head, so within the portfolio it sits at the bottom. It almost takes the place of the legacy MAC 101, but in a much more modern fashion with many more features.”

What responses did you get from those who got to see the fixture at LDI? “The response was overwhelmingly positive, designers really love to see a fixture with a Fresnel lens again. We were not sure if our

Wouter Verlinden, International Product Manager of Creative LED and Lighting at HARMAN International

FEEDBACK

EQUINOX: TRANSFORMING TOUR TRAVEL With tour planning more difficult now than ever, TPi catches up with the team at Equinox to discuss how they are revolutionising tour possibilities amid a challenging travel environment.

Words: Elliot Bottomley Photo: istock

“Live music touring is about that personable relationship and we’re here to provide that as a charter organisation,” Elliot Bottomley, Managing Director at Equinox Charter, began.

“Touring is back, heavier than ever – and we’re here to support it.”

Equinox staff have a wealth of experience within the live music industry, founders of both, Equinox Travel and Equinox Charter, have been involved in tour travel for the last 20-30 years.

Bottomley, who has previous experience in artist management for Carl Cox, emphasised client relationships, providing a cross-section of services, and the importance of working with suppliers that know the business: “What became apparent post-COVID was how many touring artists are relying on aircraft charter,” Bottomley commented. “With new commercial challenges and heavier touring schedules, it sometimes isn’t possible without the flexibility and versatility of chartering their own aircraft.

We’re often involved in more than moving the artist, providing larger aircraft to move crews and equipment.”

“Private aircraft charter is expensive and we’re not naïve to this, however, the luxury associated with private travel often goes out the window – we’re mostly called upon for critical movements. That said, the value of

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flexibility can outweigh the costs. Charters can be more economical than some realise. Larger private planes, with more passengers, can compete per seat against similar commercial business class tickets. It’s worth seeking a comparative quote for a challenging routing.”

Often an agent’s best friend, private travel can be used to unlock full touring potential, allowing an artist to perform multiple key shows over a weekend that wouldn’t be possible logistically otherwise.

Despite playing a role in how some artists and crews tour globally: sustainability and a wider ESG plan is at the top of Equinox’s priorities.

“As part of one of our main initiatives, ‘EESI’, we allow empowerment to our clients by choice of supplier beforehand, which contrasts with offsetting once the damage has been done,” Bottomley explained. “EESI - the ‘Equinox Enhanced Sustainability Initiative’ assesses air operators on their flight culture and other ESG credentials objectively.”

The initiative involves a three-tiered analysis of both private and commercial operators on, ‘Culture, Efforts and Procedures’ undertaken by Equinox’s own Sustainability Officer – Equinox is one of the first to create such a position to support its clients. A top-tier assessment includes an assessment of fuel burn, raw

material use and even noise considerations.

With more artists performing as diligently as possible in line with sustainability practices, clients can also request specific environmental travel assessments from Equinox.

“Sustainability remains on everyone’s tongue and now the dust is settling post-COVID, the steps that the business aviation sector is making towards cleaner travel is incredible and it is only going to grow,” Bottomley continued.

With the live touring industry bouncing back strongly after the pandemic, he is positive that the growth will continue into 2024. “I don’t see the demand continuing to grow quite like it has, but rather it will settle, and we will get used to the regularity of demand that touring provides us,” he stated. “There remain challenges of course, and we’re certainly not immune to them. There are so many factors that come into play that influence a flight. Our job is to ensure we undertake due diligence as thoroughly as we can and with this comes reliability.”

Bottomley concluded: “There is a real reliance on private travel for reliability, and we’re advocates for that. We take the magnitude of our responsibility very seriously, ensuring artists get to where they need to be, safely and on time.” www.equinox-charter.com

FEEDBACK

/ PANASONIC

SETTING THE STAGE FOR WORK PERMIT FREE TRAVEL Immigration and mobility continue to top UK headlines and the political agenda. But how might that change in 2024 with the prospect of a UK General Election and how might performance artists benefit?

PT-RQ35 4K

/ ROE

V8T TOURING LED

Words: Kasia Pinska Photo: Fragomen

/ BARCO E2 GEN 2 Performers, cast, and crew continue to face delays, frustrations and challenges when wishing to work across the EU. The promise of an EU performance visa failed to materialise leaving performers having to apply to each EU member country for work permits and work visas were applicable. It is complex, costly and time consuming.

The European immigration landscape is varied. Italy and Romania, for example, offer no or limited exemptions or waivers for cast or crew. Austria, on the other hand, offers a work permit exemption for artistic work that applies to stage, film, radio and television allowing individuals to work for up to eight weeks. Germany too will allow performers with ‘special artistic value’ to work for up to 90 days. Special artist value is often a high bar to reach, having to stand out in an international comparison to similar performances.

The Labour Party at its annual conference promised reform. It will look to explore with the EU ways to make it easier for UK performers to work across the EU. But what might that reform look like? The approach adopted by Spain and France would be a good starting point. France offers work permit exemptions for artists and accompanying

staff working in audio-visual productions in live performances, film and AV production and distribution, and sound recording allowing them to work for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day window. Importantly, France offers the same waiver to self-employed individuals, recognising it is commonplace in the creative sector. Spain too offers artists, AV technicians and professionals a work permit exemption for activity in front of audiences or activity to be recorded for dissemination by mass media.

Encouraging the EU or each member state individually to adopt a scheme that echoes the work permit waivers in France and Spain would be a good starting point for the next UK government, benefitting UK performers, crew, and audiences enormously.

However, those discussions cannot be one way. Reciprocity will be critical. The UK must offer EU countries the same work permit exemptions for European cast and crew. Only then will everyone benefit.

Kasia Pinska is a practice leader at the global immigration law firm Fragomen.

She works with artists, performers, and professionals in the creative industries. www.fragomen.com

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BACK CHAT

CHRIS PALMER Rock-it Cargo Managing Director, Chris Palmer, looks ahead as the company celebrates 45 years of business.

Why is Rock-it repositioning itself under its original name – Rock-it Cargo?

“Rock-it has spent the past 45 years creating a legacy brand for our employees and our clients and we have decided to mark this occasion by going back to our roots and re-embracing the original name of the company – Rock-it Cargo – and by relaunching a logo that so many employees and clients recognise as both iconic and nostalgic.”

What are some of your 2023 highlights?

“We had another incredible year in 2023.

We saw some of the world’s largest touring productions return to the stage and the Rock-it Cargo network of experts were trusted to move these productions via airfreight, ocean freight and chartered aircraft. We saw mega-pop stars like Madonna and Taylor Swift back on the touring circuit, we handled tours for Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles and P!nk, and we helped Elton John get his equipment to his final live shows. We also continued our rich tradition of working with up-and-coming acts with smaller budgets, helping them to navigate modern touring in a cost-effective way, and educating the new generation of tour and production managers, which we’ve thankfully seen emerge and blossom post-pandemic.”

Where can we expect to see Rock-it Cargo in the coming year?

“2024 promises to build on the success and growth of the past 12 months, and crucially, the past 45 years! We have a lot of exciting tours

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“2024 promises to build on the success and growth of the past 12 months, and 45 years!”

Chris Palmer, Managing Director at Rock-it Cargo

and projects to look forward to. We continue to see huge growth in many emerging markets and Rock-it Cargo remains best-placed to handle these logistical challenges with key staff members being assigned to territories all over the world and exciting partnerships being established to allow us to offer ever more complete solutions to the complex challenges our clients ask us for help with.”

How does it feel to return as the headline sponsor for TPi Awards 2024?

“We are excited to return as the headline sponsor for the 2024 edition of the TPi Awards!

There is no other event like this for the live touring industry and we are proud to be a part of this wonderful night, which celebrates the unbelievably hard work so many companies and individuals undertake to keep the show on the road. Furthermore, it’s a great opportunity for us to show the industry leaders who will all be under one roof that Rock-it Cargo is the original and still the best in the business – and for us all to celebrate another year of success with everyone. We’d like to wish every single one of the nominees good luck, and we look forward to seeing you all on 26 February!” www.rockit.global

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