CHARLI XCX & TROYE SIVAN
Co-headliners bring club culture to US arenas with the SWEAT tour
GLASS ANIMALS Indie rockers incorporate sci-fi aesthetic with their most ambitious tour to date
NIALL HORAN
The singer-songwriter embraces nostalgic theatre design on his latest run
BECKY HILL
The ubiquitous voice of dance music delivers her long-awaited arena tour
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BRAT WINTER
Back in 2019, I wrote an article with the design team behind Charli XCX while she was promoting her third studio album and an academy tour. Back then, the creative team described her as an avant-garde pop singer who was a force to be reckoned with and pushing the boundaries of her show. So, perhaps it should have come as no surprise the tidal wave of success Charli had this summer as she dominated the cultural zeitgeist. But among the viral music videos, Boiler Room sets, TikTok dances and even a presidential candidate using the album in their campaign, we at TPi were on the edge of our seat to see what she and her creative team would do in the live realm. Well, in this edition, we finally get our answer, as the artist joins forces with Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan for a co-headline tour that brings a warehouse club atmosphere to arenas throughout the US. We hear from those working on the visual side of the tour to get the inside scoop.
sights for a greater international presence. From across the pond, we also hear from Montreal’s Onedot to learn the origins of the turnkey creative house and its plans for the future.
Issue #284 November/December 2024
Editor Stew Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360
Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk
Deputy Editor Jacob Waite Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk
Staff Writer
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 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
Marketing and Events Assistant Charlie Moore c.mooore@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
Also in this issue, Alicia pulls double duty heading up to Glasgow to meet the team behind Becky Hill’s latest arena tour while also getting to see former One Direction star Niall Horan on one of the last legs of The Show Live On Tour
Meanwhile, Jacob gets the lowdown on Glass Animals’ latest sci-fi-inspirited production while the band make their way through Europe.
Not wanting to be left out, I pop along to catch up with Ben Hammond of Reel Production Group as the company provides its first 360 delivery for The Vamps’ 10-year anniversary tour of their debut album. I also speak to the audio team behind Porter Robinson to hear how they use Dante to create an intuitive networking setup. But it’s not all bright lights and backstage interviews. I also speak to Groupe Novelty’s Technical Director, Nicolas Savigny, to hear about the French juggernaut’s rebrand as it sets its
With this being the last edition of the year, it can only mean one thing: TPi Awards voting season. As I write this, I’m about to send the official forms to our esteemed TPi Academy – made up largely from the 2024 TPi Awards winners – who will be making their shortlist selections for all the individual categories as well as reviewing all the applications for the company awards. Then keep an eye out in December when the industry voting will open and you will get a chance to vote on your favourites.
This might be the last issue of the year but we’re certainly not taking a break as we’re already working on our Jan/Feb edition. The TPi team will also be at JTSE, THE Conference at Rock Lititz and LDI as well as numerous visits to the last few tours completing the autumn / winter runs.
See you out there.
Until next time
Stew Hume Editor
Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh
Graphic Design & Production Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk
Jez Reid: j.reid@mondiale.co.uk
Cover Photo
Charli XCX & Troye Sivan Photo: Steve Jennings
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ON THE COVER
CHARLI XCX & TROYE SIVAN: SWEAT TOURSWEAT TOUR
Following her summer-defining album, BRAT, Charli XCX teams up with Troye Sivan for a North American tour.
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EVENT FOCUS
14 Woodroffe Basset Design pulls out all the stops for AC/DC’s PWR UP Tour
18 Porter Robinson’s audio team adopt an innovative networking solution.
76 NIALL HORAN
The singer-songwriter returns to live performances with his loyal crew.
86 THE VAMPS
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22 We catch up with the team behind RTL 102.5 Power Hits Estate.
26 Hans Zimmer returns to touring with a design from Lightswitch.
30 Loto Audio and Music Live Mexico specify Funktion-One sound system.
PRODUCTION PROFILE
48 GL ASS ANIMALS
The band hits the road with an ambitious sci-fi-inspired production.
60 BECKY HILL
The familiar voice takes the stage, backed by an immense production.
Reel Production Group supplies a turnkey production solution as t he four-piece bring arena-level production to academy venues.
INTERVIEW
94 A look back at 2024 events that aimed to t ackle the ‘sustainability issue’.
IN PROFILE
100 NicLen’s Luke Merrilees discusses the company’s expansion into the UK.
102 TPi visits Onedot’s HQ in Montreal.
104 Groupe Novelty enters a new era.
110 ADJ Group reveals an expansion to its European base.
PRODUCTION FUTURES
112 Adlib produces a film to inspire the next generation.
GEAR HEADS
114 X-Laser’s Triton T Series.
116 Infinity’s Raccoon S420/4.
118 PixMob’s MVT Technology.
FEEDBACK
120 SRG reflects on the learnings taken from GTL Sessions.
122 L-Acoustics on adopting more sustainable practices.
124 Global Motion discusses navigating ocean freight.
126 Dealing with post-tour blues.
127 How to advocate for your rights as a freelancer.
BACK CHAT
130 Emily Cassidy reveals all about THE Conference 2024.
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4 - 7 Feb 2025
CONNECTION RESTORED
The world-renowned annual tech show is back. Time for virtually impossible experiences, to discover where show meets business, to uncover tomorrow’s tech today and develop our own knowledge. Time to be inspired, reconnect with each other and drive things forward. Time to switch it back on at ISE 2025.
AC/DC: PWR UP EUROPE 2024
Some of the creative team responsible for AC/DC’s long-awaited return to the stage reflect on a collaborative visual process eight years in the making…
AC/DC’s PWR UP Europe 2024 marked a monumental return to the circuit for the rock ’n’ roll titans, who performed in 17 cities and 10 countries across Europe. As the band’s 15th tour, this campaign required a production design befitting their storied history, delivering an electrifying experience, stripped of gimmicks, that put the energy of the band and the cross-generational crowd first.
The long-serving creative team included Creative Director, Patrick Woodroffe and Lighting Designer, Terry Cook of Woodroffe Basset Design (WBD); STUFISH Entertainment Architects (stage design), Wonder Works (technical design) and Lighting Director, Charlie ‘Cosmo’ Wilson with the touring campaign orchestrated by Production Director, Dale ‘Opie’ Skjerseth and Production Manager, Will Keating.
The technical suppliers included NEP Screenworks (video), Neg Earth Lights (lighting and rigging), STAGECO (stage structure), TAIT (scenic construction), and Clair Global (audio).
The briefing process started back in December 2023, over six months before the tour hit the road. However, this tour was several years in the making.
The priority was fan interaction, the music and the interaction between the artists and the fans. Central to the design were iconic stage elements like the band’s famed bell and cannons, revamped in line with modern
technology and practices, as well as three separate video screens – stage left, right, and up-stage centre – all of which tracked open to reveal columns of lighting fixtures, uniting to form one expansive display.
Based on sketches by STUFISH’s Ray Winkler, Wonder Works drafted technical 3D models, collaborating closely with WBD and the creative team to define the parameters of the production. “It’s a quite complex show, purposely designed to look otherwise. The unique angles of the lighting pods in line with the tracking screens and wings posed several engineering challenges, which Wonder Works were able to overcome,” Cook explained.
“Our goal with the PWR UP Europe 2024 was to create a stage design that didn’t just support AC/DC’s legendary performance but enhanced it. The video screens were a key element, allowing us to create a seamless, dynamic visual experience that evolves throughout the show. Seeing those screens track and merge into one expansive display was a real highlight – it brought a level of drama and cohesion that truly matched the band’s energy,” Wonder Works’ Jeremy Lloyd explained.
“As is often the case when you’re using a standard roof, getting to grips with the overall rigging loads for the show was our greatest challenge. Particularly when you’ve got tracking elements because the load is shifting
in the roof, requiring additional attention on calculating the dynamic load weight.”
In addition to the video screens, the tour featured lighting pods positioned above and at the sides of the stage, framed by ROE Visual CB5 LED panels used for the tracking screens. Neg Earth Lights made custom frames to mount the LED around the pods. “Seeing something come together as close to the initial sketches was incredibly rewarding,” Lloyd remarked, praising the ‘cohesion’ of the visuals.
Ironically, one of Cook’s favourite moments in the build-up to the show was not lightingrelated. “The first time you hear a guitar swell through their amps in a rehearsal room, it’s like being hit by a car, and that’s without PA. AC/DC have an iconic, raw sound that hits home like nothing else.”
‘THE LATEST AND GREATEST LIGHTS’
While Woodroffe oversaw the overall creative, Cook led on the light design with Cosmo tasked with delivering the lighting on the road.
“Cosmo has got such a rock ’n’ roll history and heritage. He’s worked up the ranks with the band and knows their shows like the back of his hand. There’s no timecode, it is 100% live, built across a cue list structure,” Cook explained.
To t his end, WBD provided a framework, building in flash buttons and effects. “We had a great deal of firepower with some of the latest
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: STUFISH Entertainment Architects and Neg Earth Lights
and greatest moving lights on the market, but they didn’t always move. Most of the time, the wash lights are purposely static to replicate a retro-inspired, parcan show.”
The creative team specified a reliable, LEDpowered, IP-rated lighting rig that could perform outdoors. “ We were one of t he first touring productions to use t he new GLP impression X5 IP Maxx and Robe iBOLT. We chose t hose punchy and powerful fi xtures to drive t hrough the t wilight of a European summer and a huge video surface behind the band, while providing a parcan feel to some of the band’s most iconic anthems,” Cook explained.
Ayrton Domino Profile IPs covered t he downstage, split across three trusses, for speed during the load-in and -out, and to account for the gigantic PA system required to deliver the band’s famed ‘wall of sound’. Cook selected CHAUVET Professional Strike 1s to replicate a line of parcans, which were situated end to end across the truss for a “dramatic look” which bathed the entire stadium in light.
Ayrton Perseo Profiles were used to add a glow to the operating video screens along with CHAUVET Professional Color Strike Ms, which came into their own towards the end of the shows. “The vertical lighting in between the seven screens provided a series of dramatic looks,” Cook noted.
Ay rton Khamsins were situated overhead and lined the front edge of the ‘chicken run’, where Angus Young ran across and stood on amid an impressive 17-minute guitar solo at t he end of a t wo-hour show. iBOLTS were located across
the ‘screamers’, stage and hidden completely upstage, behind the chicken run, to provide “huge beams and fingers” of light.
“You can’t do these types of epic shows without a strong programming team,” Cook said, citing t he influence of E arlybird V isual; Lighting Programmer, Joe Bay and Video Programmer, Michael ‘Hank’ Hankowsky.
“One of the most creative moments was also one of t he simplest. We added SGM P-3 Washes around Brian as uplight, with no followspots, to provide an interesting and theatrical moment amid a gargantuan, rock ’n’ roll stage environment, which only lasts for a matter of seconds. We also recreated the band’s iconic inflatable digitally for A W hole Lotta Rosie, which added a new dimension to the overall show.” The Neg Earth Lights-supplied r ig also included CHAUVET Professional Strike A rray 1s 2s and 4s; GLP impression X5 IP B ars; Robe FORTE LTXs and SGM P-3 Washes, P-10s and Q -10s. T he lighting vendor shares a longstanding relationship w ith WBD. “ It’s been a pleasure to bring the creative team’s vision to life,” commented Neg Earth Lights Director and AC/DC Project Manager, Sam Ridgway.
There was a focus on providing a young and f resh crew for t he tour. Project Coordinator, Henry Gardner and Crew Chief, Alan Fotheringhame maintained a high standard across the team, which included: Ben Tinniswood, Jim Mills, Lewis W illding, Fraiser Walker, Holly B rightman, Euan Odd, Z ac Saleh, Nicco G rigolato, and Charlie Strangeways. Alan has f reelanced for Neg Earth lights for nine
Opposite: Alan Fotheringhame, Ben Tinniswood, Jim Mills, Lewis Willding, Fraiser Walker, Holly Brightman, Charlie ‘Cosmo’ Wilson, Euan Odd, Zac Saleh, Nicco Grigolato, and Charlie Strangeways.
years, and we know this was one of his ‘career defining moments’ to be part of this tour,” Ridgway said.
“T his was a huge opportunity for the crew to be part of music history, but more importantly, being able to see the scale of a big European tour, as well as experiencing the challenges of large, outdoor events where the weather impacts the production setup.”
Constant solutions for complex lighting setups were consistently required. The team worked tirelessly to adapt and overcome logistical and technical challenges. “The collaboration of all of our departments that bring success to every project,” Sam Ridgway said, referencing the army of personnel involved.
“Participating in this tour was an incredible experience that exceeded our expectations. Neg Earth Lights was thrilled to contribute to a historic moment alongside the next generation of teams, crews, and fans. We’re especially grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Terry, whose contributions truly enhance our industry,” Ridgway concluded.
Likewise, Cook also wanted to praise the work of Neg on the production. “From the start till the end of the project they went above and beyond,” he enthused.
“We had a new, young crew on the road who were amazing and brought great energy to the overnight programming sessions and loadins and -outs. I really want to thank them for all they achieved on this tour. Patrick and I also wish to thank the other vendors for the endless hard work they all provided across the tour through, sun, wind, and rain. These shows really can’t happen without the army of people in the background.”
In closing, Cook said it was an “honour” to link back up with the AC/DC camp to create a spectacle for the band’s uniquely juxtaposed fanbase of hardened rockers to the next generation of gig-goers, inspired by the band’s soundtrack involvement in countless recent Marvel films.
www.acdc.com
www.negearth.co.uk
www.stufish.com
www.wonder.co.uk
www.woodroffebassett.com
www.screenworksnep.com
PORTER ROBINSON: SMILE! :D
The American artist’s innovative audio team adopts an elegant networking system – powered by Dante – to create a natural performance space for Porter Robinson and his band.
This isn’t the first time Porter Robinson has appeared in the pages of TPi, having covered his tour back in 2021 [see TPi #266]. One of the main things that struck us at the time was that although Robinson originally came from the world of EDM, he is an artist who is now very much a ‘live performer’ – playing multiple instruments as well as singing during his live performances. However, for this to work seamlessly, the artist’s audio team had to devise a way to network this complex hybrid model of playback and live instrumentation.
Speaking to TPi during t heir d ay-off,
Tour Director, Robert Dugan; Production
Manager A lex Feld; FOH Engineer, Chad B yrd; Playback Engineer, Jason Bentch and B ackline
Technician, Atticus Mulkey reflected on t he innerworkings of Porter Robinson’s latest SMILE! :D tour.
“Earlier t his year, we got a first glimpse of t he new record and t he first t hing we recognised was t hat we’d be bringing a band out w ith us ,” s aid Dugan, highlighting t he presence of multiple live instruments on t he new record.
It was t hen up to Bentch and t he w ider team to create a way for both t he electronic and live
elements to work alongside each other. I c all Jason t he ‘architect’,” chuckled Dugan. “ He came up w ith t he structure of t he w hole r ig t hat revolves around a cutting-edge Dante setup. He k nows how everything is routed and has figured out a way to do it w ith incredibly low latency w ith t his sophisticated Dante network.” W ith networking becoming an ever-present conversation w ithin t he live events space, TPi was keen to hear how Bentch had t ackled this problem. “ It was a no-brainier to reach for Dante w hen I was beginning to create t his system,” he explained.
“ It’s important to remember w ith t his show, that Jason is not just a playback engineer w ho hits t he space bar at t he start of t he song, and everyone plays on top of t he t rack,” B yrd st ated, explaining t he workflow. Everything on t his r ig goes t hrough A bleton – f rom guitars, bass, and keys to drums. T his creates a dilemma as you must do a lot of maths in the FOH and Monitor consoles to c alculate the latency of a t rack versus a playable drum tr igger versus a live vocal going t hrough a lot of processing and ensure everything lines up perfectly w ith t he live sidechaining inside of
Ableton. It’s been a challenge t hat I have yet to encounter on any other show.”
Bentch pointed at his approach to drums as an example of how t he c amp workshopped multiple options to help bring t he latency down. “ Porter’s drums are very electronic sounding, so t he way we approached t his was to have drum t riggers go straight into A bleton, which t hen t riggered t he note,” he explained. My predecessor and I pushed A bleton to t he limit in t he past, but we found t hat we were not able to bring t he latency low enough w ithout crashing t he system.”
However, after testing different options, the team deployed a Roland TD-50X drum module to host s amples, w hich brought down the collective latency. “ Sometimes it c an be tempting to overcomplicate t hings, but t his was a simple solution, w hich has brought down t he latency by t hree milliseconds.”
T he system’s Dante skeleton provided a great deal of reassurance for Bentch, specifically w hen it c ame to redundancy. He elaborated: When I inherited t his show, everything was r un on MADI although I didn’t have a redundant switcher, instead having to
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Chris Lavado
run everything through a DiGiCo SD12 and using a macro to switch outputs. The other issue with the previous iterations was the sheer amount of channel counts,” he commented. “Traditionally, you would bring elements from stage into Ableton, which required receiving everything on a console, creating channels and processing them in Ableton to send back to the console. When adding in a band, we found we’d quickly run into channel count issue.”
He underlined how Dante simplified t his entire process as everyone could “just pick what they need.” He detailed: “FOH doesn’t need to see everything that Monitors sees. I can take whatever I need from the stage without bothering them. We’ve fully utilised multicast flows to give greater flexibility.”
Bentch further stated how elements such as the acoustic guitar didn’t need to be processed through Ableton, and therefore, did not need to go through the same chain as other elements.
The way the team discussed the Dante system raised the discussion of increased ‘networking knowledge’ being required to make a show like Porter Robinson’s possible. “My Dante Level T hree Certification has certainly helped out with this project,” joked Bentch.
“T his Dante system has enabled us to do something very complex and create a simple solution,” added Backline Technician, Atticus Mulkey. “The connections are so simple it’s
just like running a couple of snakes on stage.”
The ‘tourability’ of the system was also a benefit utilised by B yrd at FOH: “At FOH, I am also providing timecode, talkbacks and in-ear mixes for our LD and VJ, w hich is all done v ia CAT5 compared to the traditional method of having very heavy c ables,” he explained. “ Not only is the CAT5 much lighter, it’s also easily replaceable throughout the world – an obvious benefit w hen going to new territories.”
ADDING AN ANALOGUE TOUCH
In addition to supplying the infrastructure for the tour’s networking requirements, Clair Global provided at Cohesion PA system, DiGiCo 225 Quantum console for FOH and a 338 Quantum for monitors.
“Clair has been supportive throughout, especially during production rehearsals when we were building up the system at Rock Lititz,” stated Dugan. “I think they were naturally hesitant w hen we explained how we were looking to have a completely interconnected system as people are not always the best prepared for what it means to run a whole system on Dante,” stated Bentch.
In closing, Byrd shared his thoughts on the Cohesion system: “It has all the horsepower in the world as long as you know how to tame it,” he commented. “ It’s a fantastic box and t he subs are almost unmatched.” Dugan concurred:
“It’s designed to fit in one t ruck, and w hen it comes down to the pricing of touring, which has r isen significantly in recent years, s aving on tr uck space is very beneficial.”
By rd also includes additional outboard elements at FOH: “I run everything through a network of Rupert Neve Designs, Shadow Hills, Chandler Limited, MAAG, Bettermaker, SPL and Empirical Labs, mainly for saturation and compression to provide an analogue feel to a predominantly digital mix,” he explained.
“T he main thing for me is that I’m not trying to ‘fix’ anything at FOH but more tonally shape which I would rather use outboard gear for. Plug-ins have their place, but I’ve just not felt the need to use them on this run with the availability of the Quantum features on the DiGiCo 225 such as the Spice Rack.”
Bentch added: “Porter will often go out to FOH during soundcheck and work on t he mix with Bryd and might say one stem needs to be 5dB higher for example. O ften, we t hen go into Ableton and make t hat exact change.”
Following his North A merica r un, t he Porter
Robinson team set their sights on a tour of Asia to round out the year before setting sail for Japan, Australia, and Europe in 2025. www.porterrobinson.com www.slushmanagement.com www.cassiuscreative.co.uk www.clairglobal.com
LIVE MUSIC MEETS INNOVATION
The production team behind RTL 102.5 Power Hits Estate and the Radio Zeta Future Hits Live reflect on showcasing top regional artists in an historic venue, pushing creative and technical boundaries with cutting-edge technology to deliver two immersive, sold-out shows.
Words: Jacob Waite
Considered by live entertainment industry musos as one of the most eagerly anticipated musical events of the summer season, RTL 102.5 Power Hits Estate and the Radio Zeta Future Hits Live returned in 2024, boasting performing artists who each took turns to face off against one another to be crowned the ‘song of the summer’ over the course of two nights at the historic, UNESCO-protected setting of the Arena di Verona. This year, the production team explored the limits of their creative and technical capabilities to push the boundaries of innovation, experimenting with new technologies and workflows to deliver an immersive, ‘in the round’ experience for the 13,000-strong audience.
The first evening s aw RTL 102.5 Power Hits Estate grace t he stage, followed by t he Radio Zeta Future Hits Live on t he second night – both powered by t he RTL 102.5 radio group. Given t hat everything went according to plan, perhaps it was not so surprising t hat the sophisticated team ironically experienced greater technical t roubles reflecting on t he feat during a Zoom c all w ith TPi.
“ We aim to deliver an entirely new show, and t his is reciprocated by t he audience. T he tickets were sold out w ithin 24 hours, even before t he line up was announced. People invest in t he Power Hits experience,” E xecutive
Producer, Fabio Marcantelli commented, talking of t he unique bond between t he show and its audience, once t he internet gods were on our side.
As has become customary as a key d ate on t he Italian live events c alendar, t he eighth edition of RTL 102.5 Power Hits Estate was presented by familiar faces in Paola Di Benedetto and Matteo Campese.
Behind t he scenes, an impressive roster of production personnel and live events specialists united on t he project, including: Executive Producer, Fabio Marcantelli; Production Manager, Luigi Vallario; Lighting and Production Designer and Director of Photography, Francesco De Cave; FOH Engineer, Cristiano G rassini; B roadcast Manager, Stefano Pretoni; Filming Director, Luigi A ntonini; Stage Manager, Daniele Baddaria; Head of Audio, Lighting, and V ideo, Emilio Lombardi; A rtist Coordinator, Jody Fouquè; RF Technician, Giacomo Cavallini; Executive PA, Adriana Robu; as well as Production Coordinators, Cristina Cavicchia and Fiona MacKay.
Striving to “simplify” production processes while “amplifying” t he crowd’s experience, t he production team began working around t he clock for eight months to prepare a spectacle which s aw a marching band, majorettes, and
over 30 performing artists perform on one st age, and oftentimes, in f ront of t he PA. With a d ynamic r ig and technical expertise required to meet t he creative v ision, t he team’s ability to build t he show was affected by conflicting programming schedules w ith an opera performing t he night before leaving t hem with just over a d ay to build t he production. Given t he ‘in t he round’ nature of t he staging design, Marcantelli reflected on t he importance of ensuring t hat every audience member, regardless of t heir seating, felt part of t he show, noting how even t hose w ith a restricted v iew were made to feel involved, w hich contributed to t he event’s overwhelming success: “ The presenters were f ully aware of having people behind t he usual sidelines, so t hey made sure those people were included. T ickets were sold as limited v isibility, but t he presenters ensured everyone was part of t he show, regardless of where t hey were seated.”
‘PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES’
Among t hose performing were some of It aly’s biggest and brightest stars – A nnalisa, Emma, BigMama, Capo Plaza, Geolier, Irama, Coma_Cose, Noemi, Sophie and t he Giants, Gigi D’Alessio, G uè, Francesco G abbani, A lfa, Rose V illain, G aia, A ngelina Mango, A lessandra Amoroso, Fedez, A rticolo 31, Boomdabash,
Photos: Alessandro Bremec and Cristina Checchetto
Mahmood, Bnkr44, Anna, Emis Killa, Tony Effe, Paola and Chiara, Elodie, Negramaro, Ghali, The Kolors and Tananai, among others.
Marcantelli emphasised the ‘family-like atmosphere’ created through collaboration with performers and their support teams, highlighting the close-knit relationships that contribute to the success of the production: “We enjoy all the performances. The opening was truly amazing, with a special exhibition on stage. We are closely connected to all the performing artists, as they are built in collaboration with the performing artists and their support teams. It feels like a big family. We relate to the performers and their teams; they are our friends. We are delighted to work on this collective project, and this ethos is key to the show’s success. We always prioritise the experience of the audience and the artists.”
Referring to vendors as ‘collaborators’ rather than ‘suppliers’, the production team enlisted the technical support and expertise of MOD SRL to provide a turnkey technical solution (audio, lighting and video) with additional support from ITALSTAGE SRL (staging), CME SRL (power generators), Flyage
(drones), Per Fare TV (cameras), M-Three Satcom (broadcast), and Bepix (mobile app for crowd lighting).
Each edition of RTL 102.5 Power Hits Estate challenges the team to push creative and technical boundaries, constantly exploring new technologies to improve the audience’s experience, according to Marcantelli.
“Every time we collaborate with our partners on this project, we push the boundaries of our creative and technical capabilities, experimenting with new technologies to deliver fresh and immersive experiences for the audience,” he stated.
Marcantelli pinpointed the two main areas of technological innovation explored for each RTL 102.5 Power Hits Estate edition – enhancing artistic performances and improving broadcast quality. He credited Filming Director, Luigi Antonini with leading the way by introducing groundbreaking technologies: “There are two areas of research into the new technologies we introduce each year. One focusses on technologies that enhance artistic performances, and the other is on camera positions and how the event is broadcast.
We were the first to use a drone to shoot the Arena di Verona, so it’s Luigi Antonini’s vision to introduce new and unseen broadcast technologies,” he commented.
Stefano Pretoni reflected on how his role has evolved over time, as he now focusses more on refining details and improving processes. He shared the lessons learned from his experience as a Broadcast Manager for the event: “My role has evolved in recent years, given the growing expertise across the board. Now, I can focus on the details and improve processes to create and deliver the best possible production as a team. As the Technical Manager of RTL 102.5, I work in the broadcast studio daily. However, in this scenario, I served as the interface between the technical partners and the project managers – so I learned a lot. The lessons we’ve gained from this event can be applied to future editions and projects. I’m happy to have enhanced my expertise.”
The Adamson Systems Engineering PA system featured E15, S10, S119, E219 and S7 loudspeakers. For the first time in the event’s history, a Wisycom wireless microphone system and a MTK82 Wideband
Dual Transmitter was implemented. “We were proud to pilot this revolutionary Italian brand on RTL Power Hits Estate 2024, their incredibly sophisticated and proficient solutions are often used on world tours, but very rarely in Italy – it was an incredibly efficient and ideal choice,” Marcantelli reported.
The lighting package housed on Eurotruss DWG truss or on various areas of the stage featured PROLIGHTS EclFresnels, EclPanel TWCs, Solars and SunBar 2000FCs; FOS Cyclone PRO D2 strobes; generic LED Smart Battens and Bars; Light Sky Acqua Pearl Pros, Robe iFORTE and iBOLT moving heads, Astera LED Titan Tubes and Dance Boxes, controlled by a High End Systems Hog 4 lighting console. The team also piloted Bepix’s bespoke mobile application to allow the crowd to illuminate the screens of their smartphones and coordinate them into a unified, colourful choreography as an extension of the lighting design.
“T his year we had two back-to-back events in this magnificent, historic, beautiful location, which also poses logistical challenges, such as huge distances and the ever-present risk of rain. These challenges are compounded by the short timeframe we must prepare for two very different musical events,” De Cave said.
“Perhaps our greatest task is swiftly changing the appearance of the stage without being able to physically change the lighting rig. We used sophisticated programming techniques to create a difference between the two events,” he commented. “Overall, I’m satisfied with the project, the photography of
the television show and the look we achieved as a collective.”
Marcantelli stressed the importance of staying calm under pressure and trusting the team to overcome technical challenges, which was key to the event’s success: “Extreme calmness in the face of adversity was essential to overcoming any technical or logistical challenges linked to this project,” he said. “Trust in the team to meet expectations and deliver was just as important.”
In closing, he further highlighted the complexities of working in an historic and iconic venue, highlighting the balance between adhering to preservation rules and delivering a memorable experience for the audience: “When you work in a unique monument, there are many rules imposed. The building must be preserved and respected. When you tally everything up at the end, all the hassle of dealing with a structure like that balances out by the time you’re finished. It’s part of working in one of the most distinctive venues in the world,” he concluded. “The audience reception was fantastic because they felt included. They had a privileged view, were immersed in , and an extension of what was happening on stage. This was all made possible by a talented production team.”
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Production Manager, Luigi Vallario; Broadcast Manager, Stefano Pretoni; Lighting and Production Designer and Director of Photography, Francesco De Cave; Executive Producer, Fabio Marcantelli.
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HANS ZIMMER LIVE
Catching up with design collective, Lightswitch, at the end of the music maestro’s US 2024 tour, TPi discovers the intricacies behind lighting the epic production of a legend in music and film.
Beginning his journey as a composer in the ’70s, Hans Zimmer continues his worldwide tour that has already traversed the world over the past two years and continues into 2025. Travelling through his discography of grand filmic scores – the maestro’s show features subtle nods to the colour palettes of his wide filmography from Inception through to The Lion King.
Catching up with father and daughter duo John Featherstone, Co Show-Designer, and Hailey Featherstone, Lighting Operator, TPi delves into the design that utilises exclusively Robe fixtures.
“T here are these familial threads through everything Hans does,” John began. “He liked what we did, and it resonated with him and because the show was originally going to start in 2021, we began designing in 2020 and when the tour got pushed to 2022, it meant that we had this two-year period where we were finetuning the design and finessing the full creative. “The extra time meant that we could really parse the design. The ability to step away
from something for a minute is very beneficial – it’s easy to get too close to something, but one thing I will always focus on is that for the audience it is immediate and visceral and taking that time to step away has improved our designs tenfold.”
With Lightswitch on board, the team took to the challenge with acclaimed Broadway designers Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini to create a design that blended the team’s creativity. “The entire creative team have a deeply musical background, so we use that as our north star and ask ourselves, ‘Does this serve the music?’ ‘Does it help connect every seat in a venue to the music, no matter how far away?’” John continued.
Praising colleague, Chris Herman, Lighting Programmer on the tour, Hailey discussed how the trio’s differing previous experience aided the striking lighting. “Chris is a wizard; he comes from a theatre and Broadway touring background, while John comes from fundamentally rock and roll and I have studied theatre design,” she explained. “It helps us pick
up on things that are important to all three of us or things we might not have noticed. It makes all the difference.”
The rig is made up exclusively of Robe fixtures, supplied by LMG Touring, including 168 MegaPointes, 22 BMFL WashBeams, nine BMFL Followspots, 26 Tetra1s, and 31 Tetra2s, all controlled through an MA Lighting grandMA3. “The MegaPointes are our workhorse fixture – they make up most of the rig, being both the whole top light and side lights on the show. We also have some of them on the low-angle side light from the floor,” Hailey added. “We then have front lights which are the BMFL WashBeams and with the Tetra1 and Tetra2s lined up around the various musicians on stage.”
Adding to the atmosphere were four MDG TheONE Hazers. “Haze is a big part of the show,” John commented. “We thought it might be a problem for the vocalists but after having spoken to some of our key performer’s ear, nose and throat doctors, they approved the atmospheric generators almost immediately.”
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Suzanne Teresa
The first conceptual designs for the tour were first done in SketchUp and as John said, the collective moved over to Unreal Engine for Zimmer. “Hans is highly visual, so we took the leap into Unreal Engine and modelled it in there to show him the design cinematically,” John explained. “Pre-visualisation is a very big part of the movie industry so he’s used to the vocabulary, which meant that once we got into a spot he liked, we could go back to our usual software, which is Vectorworks.”
Lighting Programmer, Herman, commented on the abundance of cues that worked on the tour. “We are often asked how many cues are on the show, and across the 14 suites there are approximately 2200 triggered cues
which doesn’t include the manuals that Hailey runs during the show while calling the nine FollowSpots,” Herman said. “There are also 140 focus presets that Hailey does an amazing job of keeping looking tight.”
Working together as a team of professionals, it can be easy for onlookers not to spot the familial tie. “We are always growing and figuring out new ways to collaborate while being respectful of each other as creative individuals,” Hailey said. “Being able to keep our integrity as individual designers is important to us and this process has proved that, but it is absolutely fabulous.”
“We’ve always been a family that takes pride in making things,” John added. “There’s
no better collaboration than that of family. It’s important that people understand that we’re independent professionals as well as being able to work together harmoniously.
“Everybody is fighting the good fight for the forces of creativity and to do that with your kids, there is nothing better,” he concluded.
Coming to the end of 2024, The Hans Zimmer Live team and its production concluded in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena in October but will return to the US and Asia in the New Year. The crew will then head to Europe and the UK next Autumn, with an entirely new design from Lightswitch… www.hanszimmerlive.com www.lightswitch.net
enablesustainablegrowth,whilealsostrengtheningourcommitmenttotalentandinnovationinthe audiovisualsector,"saysPedroMagalhães,CEOofEuropalco
KEINEMUSIK’S MEXICO CITY SHOW
Loto Audio and Music Live Mexico specify Funktion-One sound systems at Mexico City’s Bicentenario Park for Berlin electronic music label Keinemusik and its artists Adam Port and &ME.
Mexico City’s Bicentenario Park recently hosted Berlin electronic music label Keinemusik for a performance by its artists Adam Port and &ME. While the park’s natural, open-air venue Auditorio Bicentenario provided the perfect performance setting, its immediate proximity to a densely populated residential area meant that the audio team had its work cut out.
Funktion-One’s distributer for Mexico, Loto Audio, worked in conjunction with promoters Music Live Mexico to design a sound environment that delivered even coverage to the 15,000-strong audience, while providing the requisite control to meet the strict noise criteria set by the local authorities.
“One of Keinemusik’s goals is to foster inclusiveness and a deep connection between nature and people,” said Production Manager Arturo Ruiz Garcia. “Unlike most shows where the stage is positioned directly in front of the crowd, this one was designed to create a totally immersive experience. Although the venue was a full 360° auditorium on a flat surface, it required very precise audio control. You can’t rely on just any sound system for this; the fidelity and the clarity of Funktion-
One differentiates it from other loudspeaker systems. This system delivered on every level.”
Left and right hangs of 12 Vero vertically array-able elements formed the main audience PA, with two outfill hangs of Vero VX on either side of the stage for the VIP areas and a pair of Evo 7 for front fill. Low-frequency dispersion was tightly controlled using three stacks of five F221 configured in an end-fire arrangement at either side of the stage, ensuring impactful bass power and dynamics for the audience without violating any noise regulations.
With the main Vero system easily throwing beyond 80m, the two delay positions of three Res 5E and two F221 took advantage of the sizeable lighting towers to fill behind the structures and extend the audience area right to the back of the auditorium.
The backstage area was catered for by two hangs of four Vero VX, two stacks of six F124 subs and two Evo 6SH. On stage, artists Adam Port and &ME benefitted from a pair of PSM318 DJ Monitors.
“Vero was perfect for the main area where we needed to throw more than 80m and the Vero VX supplemented for the VIP wings at the outfill and helped create a huge sound
backstage,” said Ruiz Garcia. “We wanted a clean and powerful system.”
Garcia explained that the latest version of Funktion-One’s Projection design and prediction software made setup and planning with Keinemusik’s sound engineers straightforward, enabling both technical teams to collaborate in advance. With the ability to build 3D venues with planes, listener offsets, sources and microphones, Projection helps Funktion-One users to design and optimise arrays for consistent audience coverage, and it enabled the team to generate a complete kit list long before arrival on site.
“Projection is extremely accurate and it made the setup process a breeze,” explained Garcia. “It was easy to get everything working smoothly and the whole system was incredibly efficient in terms of mounting, weight and overall performance. For electronic music events like this, where the visuals and lighting are minimal, audio must be the focal point, you simply can’t achieve this level of quality with other brands. In our experience, the sound quality and full spectrum that Funktion-One provides is ideal for this.”
www.funktion-one.com
Photos: Funktion-One
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CHARLI XCX & TROYE SIVAN: SWEAT TOUR
Following her summer-defining album, Brat, Charli XCX teams up with Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan for a North American tour. TPi explores the visual mastery behind the production.
Words: Steve Jennings
Photos: Steve Jennings
Charli XCX and Troye Sivan joined forces for the SWEAT tour, where both artists played a large role in the overall look and feel of the tour’s design to create an enlightening, raw and powerful show each night. The industrialinspired stage design included two-storey scaffolding, catwalks, truss automation and video ‘billboard’ walls that all lent itself to the impactful lighting.
The tour was put together by Creative Director Imogene Strauss, Production and Lighting Designer Jonny Kingsbury of Cour Design, and the Tour Directors from Eighteentwentysix [1826].
TPi spoke with them and several other key talents about the tour’s production.
360
Production Director and Manager for the SWEAT tour was Mike Walker of 1826, who for almost 34 years has been working tours and events, projects ranging from theatres to arenas and stadiums.
“T his project was unique and involved us all at every level to pull this together. From the 1826 side, we were tasked with not only bringing together multiple entities, but making them come together as a unit, being on time and on budget,” he began.
“Charli [XCX] had an existing team led by Tour Manager Maarten Cobbaut, with the Troye [Sivan] team newer to each other, with Laura Pease as the Tour Manager. We pulled together a production team to support both artists and
execute the creative team brought about by Imogene Strauss and Jonny Kingsbury.”
1826 is a 360° production house, managing all aspects of live touring from logistics, budgeting, freighting, advancing, technical direction, staffing and visas from start to finish and customised to the clients needs.
“1826 is a premium service that prides itself on our clients getting the best value for money spent in touring – especially with the large- scale tours where our extensive experience also brings greater opportunities for cost effectiveness. Most importantly, we aim to produce the highest level of live event experiences,” Walker explained. “As well as directing the SWEAT tour, we also proudly work with Tyler, the Creator, Calvin Harris, Missy Elliott, Swedish House Mafia, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles and many more.”
For the 1826 side, Tour Director Matt Flyzik and Walker were led by Daniel Humphreys as Head of Touring, approaching the tour from a budget and equity perspective. “We tried to find a sweet spot as to how much production to carry, buses, trucks, et cetera, so that it didn’t compromise the creative and artist’s vision, but also stayed within budget parameters to ensure a good profit for the tour at the end. Maarten used some existing relationships to secure buses and trucks, which were helpful as we were engaged to get involved in the project only two months prior to kick off.”
Walker then turned his attention to vendor selection. As the creative was still evolving,
1826 opted to award what they could while other aspects developed.
“Clair was our go-to for all things audio. Jordan Kolenc is a long-time friend and has always taken care of us on our projects. Robert Achlimbari from All Access handled the staging and the scenic. They are always reliable. Then John Wiseman and Jason Winfree took very good care of us on all things lighting, video, and rigging,” Walker stated. “This tour has been a dream. It came together quickly, but everyone out here has been a complete pro. It’s been very workmanlike in that everyone has simply shown up and done their job daily. It’s been so smooth and the radios have been so quiet that the promoters even came in thinking their radios were broken at one point.”
Walker said coming into this project, two months prior to load-in for rehearsals they knew this was going to move fast. “Fortunately, the partnership we forged with Maarten was instrumental in the success of the project. We were able to have open dialogue between our office and management. We took the approach of the budget first and backed the creative inside of that. The goal wasn’t to have the budget dictate the creative but more to make it work together,” he stated
“I ’ll be sad to wrap up this project; many relationships were built,” he added. “The best compliments have been when the crew has said that this is the healthiest tour they have ever been on. We got all the work done and everyone felt seen, heard, and appreciated.”
YOU KNOW WHAT I NEED
For Creative Director Imogene Strauss, the design process for the SWEAT tour was to combine two artists’ worlds into one.
“The process involved conversations between Charli and I as well as with Gordon Von Steiner, Troye’s Creative Director, and Troye, regarding the elements we wanted to carry from our previous tours into this one,” she explained.
“Charli h ad t he idea to add billboards as IMAG screens and Troye really wanted to m aintain t he scaffolding f rom t he previous tour. T he biggest challenge was figuring out how these elements – as well as the B-stage, cage and catwalk –could all work together.”
Strauss noted t hat t he design is similar to t heir first d raft.
“We had to make changes in the value engineering stages, but Technical Director Matt Geasey, and Clear All Visuals really helped us to maintain the creative while being smarter about design to get it to a place t hat worked for everyone.”
With both Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s albums being dance records, Strauss wanted to turn t he arenas into clubs and really leant into the dark and industrial feel as opposed to making one huge bright set piece or relying too heavily on video content.
“We wanted it to be all about lighting and very specific c amera direction – as well as movement around the room in as many ways as possible. It’s like you can lose someone in a club but you find t hem again,” she commented.
“Charli, Jonny [Kingsbury] and I love strobes and making the whole arena feel like a rave. We specifically love strobing t he followspots so it feels like you’re losing Charli for a beat, but then you find her a moment l ater. It adds a lot of d ynamic for t he audience and m akes you lose yourself in t he moment. There
were definitely some obstacles but Matt [Geasey], Mike [Walker] and Stage Manager Jason Fearnley were all essential to helping us figure out these moments – how to get Charli up to the higher billboard for example when our stairs ended up not fitting. In the end, we used a scissor lift. There were lots of creative solutions for different challenges on this tour.”
St rauss said every tour is different but this one began with a napkin sketch of the billboards and how they could work with Troye’s scaffolding. “Then I went back and pulled references that could explain to everyone else what I wanted for the individual elements to look like scaffolding, cage and billboards,” she revealed. “Then Mike Kluge at Cour Design and I worked on the initial renders.”
St rauss had her hands and eyes on every aspect of the design. “Jonny and I have a really good flow, where we can discuss something and he knows what I like and I don’t have to be there for every second of the programming, which has been great for us as it allows me to focus on other aspects of the show such as staging and video and camera direction.”
Cour Design’s Production and Lighting Designer Jonny Kingsbury was back to design with Imogene Strauss for the SWEAT tour. Having designed for Charli XCX before, Kingsbury said it had been a dream come
“The overall look of the show was intended to feel like you’re in a club with the artists. It’s sweaty, sexy, loud, then bright and also dark
at the same time. ”
Production and Lighting Designer Jonny Kingsbury
true. “We [Cour] love working with Imogene on projects – it’s exciting. The overall look of the show was intended to feel like you’re in a club with the artists. It’s sweaty, sexy, loud, then bright and also dark at the same time. There were already two designs in place – one with the Troye show and one with Charli. We wanted to combine the best parts of both shows and create something new and singular
that stood on its own. Imogene did a great job of translating the two artists’ visions into a new concept. Both artists definitely had a lot of input and were hands-on with the process. They both were very collaborative and gave lighting notes and pushed us to go harder.”
Kingsbury highlighted the extensive use of strobing. “That is something that Charli wanted,” he noted. “We had a vision of it looking
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like a club and strobes naturally fit into the concept of a club. The industrial structural staging came from the Troye side and the two combined make it feel like SWEAT
“T he artists overlapping each other in the show is one of my absolute favourite parts,” he added. “Mitch Schneider, the Musical Director, did a great job of mashing the music together and creating these beautiful transitions that naturally lend themselves to one artist being in one place while the other artist is in another. I particularly love when Troye is exiting into the cage underneath the main stage while Charli is strutting down the catwalk overhead and we have them both on the billboard IMAG screens.”
Kingsbury loved working with the lighting vendor PRG as the company had everything he needed in one place and supported the show on a very tight timeline. “I’m really happy with the way everything came together. It’s been a pleasure working with Daniel Monnier and Scott Reiter over at PRG. They’ve provided great support across several shows with us this year and I look forward to more with them next year.”
Kingsbury said he’s obsessed with the ACME fixtures right now. “They have the most unique features and I like that they are bright
AF! Perfect for arena lighting that’s supposed to feel like club lighting. I have three different kinds of ACME fixtures on our automated trusses and they have become my go to for a lot of shows this year, especially the super Dot Lines. These have been such a great discovery; I love how many different looks I can get out of one fixture. I’ve got a strobe on the top, the bottom, and a beam in the middle with zoom. It’s really fun to program with. I’ve also been using the ACME Lightning, which is such an interesting strobe fixture, as it has a beam mode that looks so sick.”
Kingsbury said his favourite programmer, who he works with on pretty much every show, is Kai Colucci. “He did a great job of pulling all the unique features out of each fixture, making it feel like you didn’t know where each light was coming from,” he stated.
Kingsbury chose Colucci to work on the SWEAT tour because he did previous versions with Charli XCX. “He has such a vision and talent for making her shows go hard. He hits every single cue and bump in detail, and he is so locked into the timing of Charli’s music. I think that he recorded something like 20,000 timecode cues on this show, which is unbelievable. He’s so passionate.
“Quincy Stanton, who is our LD on this tour, did the previous Charli tour as well and he’s become an important asset to our workflow. He always gives it his all and consistently goes above and beyond. His attention to detail is crucial. Every time I see a show in a different city it’s got better. The fog is more dialled-in, the followspots are just right. It just keeps improving and I really appreciate his commitment to making the shows great.”
Lighting Programmer Kai Colucci has a lot of shows under his belt working with Jonny Kingsbury over the years. “I heard there was mention of a potential co-headline tour soon after Charli’s Brat tour run,” he begain, going on to explain his process.
“I always aim to have the show fully programmed by the start of rehearsals. I take recordings of pre-vis and get a full round of notes before we get to rehearsals so that nothing is a surprise when we start. Of course, things always change at rehearsals, but the setlist was mostly the same, besides needing to program or change songs for guest spots throughout the tour.”
The entire show is timecoded noted Colucci. “I believe there is one manual fade at the very end of the set and that’s it. I
programmed the show on the MA Lighting grandMA2. This tour’s Lighting Director Quincy Stanton and I have worked together on a bunch of shows as well, including the last Charli tour, and a 50 Cent run last year. He’s very familiar with my show file and the hand-off is virtually seamless at this point. The show is pretty well set, though some updates in the set have been made that Quincy has to make changes to on-site.”
On t he road as Lighting Director is Quincy ‘Q’ Stanton who talks about the lighting fixtures on the show. “We have a nice variety of fixtures on this one, but all with their specific uses. The overhead trusses are full of ACME SUPER DOTLINEs, GEMINIs, LIGHTNINGs, and GLP JDC-1s. The downstage, audience trusses and floor are lined with Robe BMFL Washbeams and JDC-1s. We have Martin Lighting Atomic 3000 LEDs and Astera Titan Tubes under the thrust and Chroma Q Color Force 48s. Then some Color Force 12s and Elation KL CYCs on the IMAG Billboards on both sides of the stage.”
St anton said working with this team for the past few years has been “really great”, finding a better rhythm every time they join forces for the next project. “It has been lots of late nights and early mornings, but I am always impressed with what they’re able to bring together,” he commented. This tour has been all about details – everyone works to make the best show we can every day. There are always small bits to improve, such as chasing the specifics for the amount of fog we put out during this show, which is always a good time... However, I’d like to give huge thanks to Scott Naef and the entire PRG lighting team for making the standard of production something we never had to worry about.”
Adele in Munich © Stufish
LOOKING LIKE AN ICON
Video Director Charles Woods is positioned backstage where he has a two-monitor setup using a Ross Touchdrive. It’s a two M/E cut all done live, to two different aspect ratio screens.
“It’s technically challenging but also good fun. We have eight cameras in total – two longlens cameras at FOH, two handheld in the pit, an overhead Robo, two Panasonic handycams and a Steadicam on a Sony F55. I send my two M/E cut downstream to Joe Vaughn, Media Programmer/Operator, controlling both IMAG surfaces via Pixera. Joe’s role has evolved, from the start programming and running Pixera to becoming co-director. For example, there are multiple hard cuts in and out of when the IMAG goes live, which Joe counts in and out to ensure we land right on cue every time. It’s been a strong collaborative process.”
Woods explained that Kingsbury and Strauss requested a very specific look. “The key word was ‘cinematic’,” he said. “It was then my job to translate that into reality, working carefully with PRG and production to ensure the correct cameras went where they needed to go and all creative expectations were not only fulfilled but surpassed whenever possible.”
Woods said touring a full film-style Steadicam rig has been a revelation. “The operator Nick Serabyn and his focus puller George Smith have adapted well to a new working environment and have delivered some
outstanding work. It was a technical challenge to get a film camera – a Sony F55 – to work via RF with paint and tally capability, but full credit must go to Tim Ivancic at PRG Nashville for coming through on that.
“O verall, it has been an enjoyable, technically demanding but also at the same time creatively rewarding IMAG production to work on,” he reflected. “We set out to try and achieve something higher than the ordinary and I feel we have achieved that, through a combination of technical competence and creative collaboration. Thanks must go to 1826 for running a smooth operation behind the scenes allowing us to do our jobs with ease and fulfilment each day.”
Joe Vaughn worked as the Media Programmer and Operator for the tour. The show has been programmed to mostly follow timecode along with lighting, and automation. “There are specific moments of programmed video blackouts timed to highlight a lighting moment. During the show, I’m on comms and count in the SteadiCam operator to make sure he has time to get into place and get his shot ready.”
Vaughn said the tour used two Rogue Servers with Pixera Software – one Rogue Server for Primary, and one for live backup in Multiuser Session. “Both Servers feed signal into a 12G-SDI router for easy one-button failover, but so far we have yet to need it.
12G-SDI is then sent to the LED processors, and the projectors.
“We have two LED screens, both are ROE Visual CB5w, on Brompton SX40 processors,” he described. “The stage left screen is seven panels wide by six panels tall while the stage right screen is 13 panels wide by three panels tall. The centre screen is a blow through projection scrim at 32ft wide by 36ft tall. We are projecting the image with four Barco UDX 40K laser projectors.”
The tour’s Technical Director was Matt Geasey from Clear All Visuals who were brought in by the Cour Design team to help produce the primary production drawings and organise technical-based meetings for all the teams on the project to stay on the same page in a technical aspect. “Our job is to help support Cour Design and the 1826 team to help ensure as many challenges are mitigated to the best of everyone’s ability in the pre-production process. We work with every department as needed to make sure all the data meshes nicely on the technical level.” www.charlixcx.com www.troyesivan.com www.eighteentwentysix.com www.courdesign.com www.prg.com www.allaccessinc.com www.sgpsshowrig.com www.clairglobal.com
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GLASS ANIMALS: TOUR OF EARTH 2024
No track, timecode, or click, and a whole lot of technical ingenuity and teamwork sees Glass Animals and their tight-knit team present the band’s most ambitious tour yet…
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Ed White (@edwhite.live) and Evan Woodrum (@evanwoodrum)
Having gained experience on both sides of the Atlantic over the past decade, Glass Animals and their long-standing production team now embark on their biggest and most ambitious touring campaign to date – A Tour of Earth, complete with lasers, a giant inflatable Saturn, and a purpose-built touring space station. If that wasn’t impressive enough, everything on stage is performed completely live, without any track, timecode, or click; the band builds their own backline and programmes their own Ableton sessions, fusing sounds from their self-produced records in the live environment. MIDI is so integrated into this setup that the show is just one button press away from coming to a shuddering halt, as TPi discovers.
From selling 153 tickets in Leeds to packing out arenas with a number one record, Tour Manager, Tom Allen has been involved in the band’s live output for over a decade – initially as a TM/splitter van driver, selling merchandise and setting up instruments. Now in a more organisational role, he shared the ingredients of what makes a Glass Animals show: “There’s always a theme and identity with corresponding colour palettes, this tour’s theme is space. We’ve been able to land on a unique and exciting production,” he stated. “We’ve assembled a pleasant and hardworking team the core of which return every tour. It has grown as the band has developed and progressed.” The suppliers entrusted to deliver for the tour included 80six (video), All Access Staging
(decking), Beat The Street (crew travel), Bite Tour Catering, Cassius Creative (production, set and lighting design), ER Productions (lasers), FRAY Studio (video design), Gravit-8 Travel (travel agent), KB Event (logistics), LED Creative (LED trim), LH2 Studio (production rehearsals), Neg Earth Lights (lighting and rigging), Ox Event House (set pieces), Rock-it Cargo (freighting), and Solotech (audio).
In t he US, Concert Stuff G roup (CSG) utilised its dynamic range of businesses to provide an end-to-end solution for the tour. CSG provided support through its companies SES, SET, and Musical Coaches. As a longtime vendor for the band, CSG provided audio, video, lighting and rigging gear for the tour along with trucking and buses. In addition, Nashville’s High End TV provided the camera package, PPU and engineering Support. Michael Brammer, CSO of Concert Stuff G roup, stated: “ The team are a pleasure to work with. They run an incredibly well-oiled machine and consistently create an environment on the road that everyone enjoys being a part of. It was wonderful to work with this imaginative group again.”
With no catering in the US, three members of the Bite Tour Catering team linked up with the crew in Europe, with an extra pair of hands joining in the UK. “The team are a pleasure to work with, super organised and incredibly helpful!” Bite Tour Catering’s Emily Cribley said.
The production was assembled at LH2 Studios, and later rebuilt at SES’ North Carolina
shop. The show was scaled down in Europe, with greater production value in the UK. “Freighting and scaling the production for a following tour of Australia will be a challenge, which we got to trial in Milan with a ‘club size’ show, while maintaining the overall design,” Allen acknowledged.
Following the success of the US tour, Production Manager and Monitor Engineer, Simon Lutkin reflected on his decade-long journey with the band: “Each time they hit the road, the production grows and is more ambitious. The band, especially Dave Bayley, are involved in formulating the show,” he said, praising the tour’s suppliers. “You can get gear anywhere but the ethos behind the company makes t he difference.”
A new face to the camp, Production Coordinator, Naomi Black dealt with everything backstage, including wardrobe, making the lives of those on the road easier. “I’ve never felt more welcome; I was made to feel like part of the team straight away,” she reported. “We have visited some iconic venues that I’ve never been to before. It’s been a great tour!”
EMBRACING ‘NEGATIVE SPACE’
With a space theme running through the band’s latest album artwork, naturally, the production was an extension of that. “The band created an extensive reference document that cited negative space, forced perspective, and Stanley Kubrick-inspired, 1970s sci-fi imagery,”
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Lutkin said, citing the guiding references for Cassius Creative and FRAY Studio.
Video was much more of a feature on this tour as a narrative device, and an extension of the set. “The corners of the screen and the lighting are hidden to achieve a theatrical and detailed ‘negative space’ concept,” Lutkin explained. “There is a lot of integration within the set pieces with video panels, lighting, and scenic LED married together. We landed on this flown hexagonal platform with the stage designed like a space station resplendent with bespoke control panels across the back.”
From the outset, the set pieces would have to tour the globe, so it was built by Ox Event House to ensure that they could fit on a standard, wide body aircraft, without compromising the creative vision. “Our suppliers came through and sent demo units to Ox Event House in Hull, for us to install in prototypes to ensure it worked and was malleable and tourable,” Lutkin recalled.
“Understanding each other’s workflows was fundamental to the success of this build, given the narrow lead time for such a demanding design that required custom fabrication. The collaboration among suppliers to be able to make the funnelling 70 lighting fixtures in a hanging system, while getting the timings right was no mean feat,” Ox Event House’s Ben Levitt said. “We were well supported by the team, who are all hands-on and detailed with their processes – from design to production.”
In t he air, Ox Event House created an 18m by 10m by 1m bespoke roof pod and 16 custom video brackets, and angled fascias to house ROE Visual CB5 LED panels – which
were built in 46 sections. On the floor, the scenic specialist created eight consoles with interactive buttons and base station, specified by the band, and further angled fascias, which rolled into place with the staging platforms. To finish, Ox made the downstage centre treads, with everything finished to the millimetre to account for the inclusion of custom LED lighting solutions by LED Creative.
Levitt highlighted the army involved in the complex build: “We had 13 fabricators, eight joiners, two riggers, four buyers, and 10 scenic finishers creating the buttons, as well as several project leaders and managers that liaised with the production team. It was so rewarding to see this unique build evolve.”
Ox Event House’s Fiona Levitt added: “The whole team from Ox, from accounts through to engineers, really enjoyed the process and are extremely proud of the end product.”
In addition to the grilled fascias housing LED, there was also a bright, ‘light box’ which spanned the perimeter of the stage, mirroring the flown header piece. Around 70 moving heads were housed in vac-formed tunnels with LED on the topside, emitting a space-age glow. The LED solution, along with all the LED for the on-stage consoles, was the handywork of LED Creative. The team further provided custom LED for the planetary ring on the circumference of the flown planet, which tracked down for two songs. Everything was driven wirelessly using the company’s patented Byte controllers.
LED Creative’s Brad Purse handled the planning and design, with three technicians tasked with pre-populating the set pieces ahead of time at Ox Event House and two
technicians working on the planetary ring at LED Creative and three technicians assisting at LH2 Studios. “The unique nature of this design posed challenges,” LED Creative’s Tim Rees explained. “It’s large and required a lot of cabling and drivers to meet the creative vision. Although it is a plug-and-play solution driven by our Byte controllers, there’s a lot of programming involved to make sure everything runs smoothly. While the large light box sounds straightforward, each line of LED differs, so the challenge was programming the drivers to allow the LED to run in time. Seeing it come together from concept to creation at LH2 Studios was impressive.”
Lead Carpenter, Ezra Salmine and Carpenter, Mason Maxwell were responsible for the daily assembling of the roof, stage deck, space station consoles, hologram, Saturn-ring around the inflatable planet, an elevator, in addition to the fascias and set pieces, including a small houseplant placed on the desk of the consoles daily – lovingly referred to as ‘ferniefully-loaded’ by the crew, in addition to any related repairs or modifications along the way.
“T he roof was the most challenging aspect of the build. It’s comprised of 15 rows of custom fab aluminium pods. These were assembled each day using hundreds of bolts – upstage to downstage as well as stage left to right. The centre has an open structure with circle LED where the planet drops in and three sides of the perimeter have aluminium fascia, which matches those surrounding the deck build,” Salmine explained, noting that organising the order in which to complete the assembling process was paramount,
as tightening any bolt prematurely in each place could result in a problem elsewhere.
“Particularly as venue stages aren’t always flat,” he pointed out.
Due to the size of the set piece, it was pertinent that pieces arrive from the trucks in a specific order to avoid a ‘bottleneck’, as curated by Stage Manager, Dora Gaskill. The team would then deploy two teams per side: bolt installers and bolt tighteners, securing and evaluating the set piece before moving on to the fascias. “We hit several ‘bucket-list’ venues on this run including MSG and Red Rocks but personally, The Gorge in Washington State is one of the most brilliant places to build a show,” Salmine recalled, citing the ‘inter-departmental’ collaboration. “There’s something pivotal that happens two weeks into a tour, wherein an awareness of the inter-departmental moving pieces is done on a subconscious level; at that point, the process takes on a bit of a magical flow. I’ve been touring for almost a decade and it’s still a satisfying experience.”
‘100% LIVE’
“Everything is played absolutely live. Considering the complexity of the music, this is quite an achievement. They are often playing multiple parts on a keyboard, then quickly switching to guitar or bass, while also still playing things with their feet. It’s genuinely amazing and I have no idea about how they do it!” FOH Engineer, Matthew Kettle enthused, citing the “dirty, sleazy” distortion of Take a Slice as “good fun” and declaring Wonderful Nothing as a “banger”.
Kettle’s setup is deliberately “simple” and “straightforward”. He explained: “I have a
DiGiCo Quantum 5, that doesn’t really have much plugged into it. When it comes to mixing, I’m a complete pragmatist, so I like a fast and flexible setup. I want something that sounds great and that I can get good results quickly and easily. The console sounds great, is incredibly flexible to use and I’ve always found it to be very reliable. The recent Quantum updates also bring new things to the table.”
Kettle harnessed a pair of Waves Audio server plug-ins via SuperRack. “I like the remote-control integration with the DiGiCo, so I’ve some of that going on. I also have a UAD x16 connected via Dante for some other bits of processing and effects, as well as additional native plug-in reverbs,” he explained. “We carefully manage the positioning of the sound system where we can minimise interaction with Dave’s microphone. I also employ some additional tools to try to minimise the background noise spill into his mic, the most recently successful being the UAD C-Vox plugin, which has made a tremendous difference.”
In Europe, an L-Acoustics K2 and Kara system was the PA of choice, with a mixture of K1, K2 and Kara loudspeakers chosen for the UK dates. “K1’s sound profile seems to suit the way I mix. I feel at home with it,” Kettle stated. “Despite the growth of the camp, a close-knit family vibe has remained; I feel very lucky to be part of this family.”
In ‘monitor world’, Lutkin mixed on a DiGiCo SD12 with Shure PSM 1000s. “I’ve used the same setup for a long time,” he said. “It gives us everything we need. We run snapshots with most of the input channels in the scope.”
The guitars and main vocal were on Shure Axient wireless systems. “We take the Dante
output from those and matrix with the MADI system in DAD Core 256 units, so once the signal hits the receiver it stays digital,” Lutkin added. JH Audio JH16v2 were the band’s in-ear monitors of choice. “JH’s products and service are great,” Lutkin said. “It’s a very quiet stage. The drummer has a Porter & Davies BC2 on his drum stool, but other than that, it’s just IEM.”
Handling Ableton and the MIDI on stage as well as the monitor package is a shared responsibility between Lutkin and Audio, Communications and RF Technician, Valentin James. Walking TPi through the comprehensive Ableton rig, James commented: “It’s hands-on; there are lots of MIDI and programming hours put in to make this work. We have an Ableton session per song, as opposed to one session for the whole show, like you would find on most tours. All the processing is done in Ableton or UAD and we use a lot of plugins.”
The team focussed on designing a rig to overcome latency, selecting “powerful” MacBook Pros M3 MAX and DAD Core 256 as the backbone of the system. When the crew couldn’t find things to do the job, they built it. “We couldn’t find MIDI guitar pedals that would exactly fit the bill, so the bassist Ed made a custom model running on Arduino. There are lots of custom-built items on this rig,” James remarked, going on to praise the support of Solotech. “The service, support and the attention to detail from our suppliers has made our lives easier.”
AN ‘IMAGINED NOSTALGIA’
With an element of rendered content, camera treatment and real-time graphics required,
the team called on FRAY Studio to devise an imagined, retro period befitting the spaceinspired aesthetic.
“T he content drew on the graphics of the late ’80s and the early ’90s, treated in a ’60s and ’70s filmic way, to make an ‘imagined nostalgia’ of a fictitious decade that has come before,” FRAY Studio’s Adam Young explained. “There were a lot of references to the BBC’s 1981 Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy television series, but the majority of the content was made from scratch, and there is a real mix of demographics within the team – from those who lived through the late ’80s and early ’90s who understood that as a reference point, to other members of the team born after the millennium, so it was interesting to merge those two camps to create visuals.”
Some of the content was made in Unreal Engine and Cinema4D and was composited using Adobe AfterEffects. Additional content was made in Notch and TouchDesigner, which was triggered in real-time during the show.
“Every instrument on stage produces a MIDI note, so [Media Server Technician] Ed White created a workflow where we could take every note and filter it down and pick out which one we want, to trigger video content. This is half operated by Ed manually, while a lot of the show is driven by the band on-stage,” Young explained, noting the 60/40 split between pre-
rendered and real-time content. “ Wonderful Nothing features oscilloscopes and the type of thing you can’t render, so it has to be a realtime effect, sampling audio, drawing on certain frequencies to generate those graphics.”
Wonde rful Nothing is one of the first moments during the show which drops to a single colour with the whole show bathed in green. “Although it looks easy, the processing of the audio and mapping them visually within Notch, is not an easy feat and it was very pleasing to see it work,” Young said, going on to reference the track, Show Pony, which saw a whole gamut of human emotion told through the perspective of an ‘emotion fish’. “It took the animator four weeks to make, it’s so wellcrafted, hard to render or make any changes to, but it’s one of the best bits of content in the show,” Young noted.
The FRAY team comprised Designers and Content Creators, Finn Ross, Adam Young, Letty Fox, Hanna Schrage, Norvydas Genys, Kira O’Brien, Grace Arnott-Hayes, Olly Venning, Rafael Vartanian, Charlie Smith, Dan Denton and Chris Homer and Studio Producer, Georgia Young. “This would not be possible without a team effort. I love the fact we can go from two pages of a .pdf document to a fully fleshed-out show in 10 weeks.”
Video Director, Ed Coleman cut the show using a Blackmagic Constellation ATEM 2ME
switcher with a 2M/E Advanced Panel 20. “This solution has been particularly impressive, as the show makes extensive use of 2M/Es. Given our limited resources, we have three manned cameras: one at FOH and two others downstage right and left. These placements give us great coverage of the band while keeping the stage clean, which is important given the intricate set design. Transparency with camera positions is key, as I prefer them to be as unobtrusive as possible,” he explained.
The camera setup included three Sony HDC-5500 cameras with Fujinon lenses, one UA107x8.4 long UHD zoom and two Fujinon UA46X9.5 zoom lenses; three Panasonic UE150s and one Blackmagic G2 4K with a LAOWA 12mm 2.8mm lens. “I also programme PTZ cameras for specific moments in the show. These allow us to capture dynamic shots without being intrusive. We adapt the camera plot daily due to the varying challenges of each venue from arena shows to amphitheatres,” Coleman added.
He praised the support of LED Crew Chief, Ben Gout, Zach Curtis, and Aurora Murphy for “going above and beyond” to deliver a great show each night. “Their dedication forged an amazing bond between us,” Coleman added. “High End TV stepped in to provide a well-built PPU and camera system, along with two great engineers, Minh Phan and Wheaton Bailey, who
split the run and helped us out in the US. After two decades in the video side of the music industry, I can honestly say this has been one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve ever worked on.”
Media Server Operator, Ed White utilised Notch and NVIDIA effects on the Disguise GX 3 media servers, and a custom built TouchDesigner server for real-time band-driven content and camera effects.
Songs were programmed in Disguise timelines and operated on an MA Lighting grandMA3 console. “The band are technically knowledgeable, and with the help of their wizard Technician, Valentin James, we were able to build tight MIDI and audio integrations to drive pre-rendered and real-time content that would be impossible any other way on a non-timecode show,” White said, citing collaboration as key. “Since stage, lighting and video are all sharing the same data, we required one big show network with many VLANs.”
White also referenced the track, Wonderful Nothing, which has 100% real-time generated content, as his favourite song on the setlist. “The 19 video surfaces on stage turn into beautifully glitchy, retro oscilloscopes and distorted square wave signal generators,” he commented.
“T hey are all rendered live in Notch and driven from audio feeds and MIDI drum triggers. Kira O’Brien from FRAY has done some incredible work programming all the Notch for this show,” he noted.
LIGHTING ‘A DARK SPACE OPERA’
“Part of the brief was to make it look like a ‘dark space opera’, so the lighting is focussed on darkness and shadow, making it look like the band are floating in space. We’ve been able to achieve this by using side light to create sculptural looks, or by removing or bringing the lighting down to single moments,” Lighting Director, Alex Noel detailed.
Cassius Creative used Vectorworks to design the show, plan the embryonic stages of the lighting rig, as well as create the scenic technical drawings for vendors, and Syncronorm Depence R3 software for concept renders and previsualisation, with everything programmed using MA Lighting grandMA3 software. “Due to the unique shape and spacing of this rig, MA3 software was key. Ed White, Cassius, and I programmed the show in just over a week’s time in London,” Noel explained. “Because everything is played live, it was a challenge to create lighting cues that looked complex, but were simple enough to be able to execute manually for each show.”
Seventy Ayrton Diablo moving heads – a “feature rich” smaller format fixture which “pack a lot of punch” – made up the bulk of the overhead lighting. “There’s a plastic formed cubby for each light that recesses it within the ceiling; they’re arranged in a pseudo hexagonal grid pattern, which is very unconventional and a different approach to your standard lighting rig,” Noel noted.
As well as custom LED, the space station control systems were embedded with several GLP JDC1 and JDC Line solutions, providing “brightness” and “interesting” pixel effects. Ayrton Dominos were situated behind the planet, providing a glow to add “depth” and “weight” as the planet loomed above. TMB Solaris Flares made up the floor package. Boras provided key light, with eight units either side of the stage for side light, while Perseos were specified as back light and followspots, parented by a Zactrack SMART followspot system.
To t his end, the band wore ‘tracking tags’, keeping them visible as they roamed the stage. “It’s the first time I’ve used the SMART system and I’m very impressed. The integration between Zactrack and MA3 is intuitive and makes it easy to forget about it this sophisticated tracking solution as just another layer in my console.”
Amid the track, Lost in the Ocean, Bayley enters a lift upstage, supplied by All Access Staging, which places him in the centre of the video wall; Noel harnesses direct light as he transcends the stage to provide the illusion that the singer is floating in space.
“T he existentialism of song’s lyrics in combination with the lighting and video content is one of my favourite looks,” he
Custom Designed LED Systems and Solutions
said, further citing Show Pony and Wonderful Nothing as among his others.
ER Productions provided six AT-30 units on the back of the stage on lifting columns with two Creeper fog machines providing stage atmospherics, implemented by Laser Technician, Nathan Jin in the US and Paolo Roselli in the UK and Ireland, triggered by Noel’s grandMA3 console.
“ Wonderful Nothing has a grungy and clubby bass track behind it, so, we opted for full green lasers, which is the first time lasers are seen during the show. The Other Side of Paradise and Tokyo Drifting are our other laser looks. The former features no video content which allows the lasers to really shine,” Noel said.
“T he lasers look fantastic,” ER Productions’ Ben Couch added. “There’s a part where the lasers are tied to the video content, with the screen extending their reach.”
The Neg Earth Lights team comprised Project Coordinator, Henry Gardner; Crew Chief, Craig Ralph; Lighting Technicians, Flo Schmitz and Holly Brightman; Automation Technicians, Josh Slade and Liam Beech.
“T his show has been a long time in development with production rehearsals taking place at LH2 in July,” Sam Ridgway, Neg Earth Lights Director and Project Manager for Glass Animals, commented. “It’s great for the shows to return to the UK as we get to see the project come together.”
Crew Chief, Troy Grubb echoed: “This is the most interesting and complex design of my
career. It’s taken a team of designers, creators, builders, engineers, and technicians to make it happen. It’s often said that touring crews are like family, and it’s true with this team,” he enthused giving a shotout to the wider team.
‘A SPECIAL SENSE OF PRIDE’
Beat The Street provided three Setra double deck buses, a 14-berth band bus driven by Mihail Rusu, and two, 16-berth crew buses driven by Kevin Watson and Lead Driver, Scott Pickering, who ensured the smooth transport of the crew from venue to venue.
KB Event provided five, 45ft Mega boxes in Europe and an additional eight, 45ft trucks for Ireland and the UK to transport the equipment from A to B. European tour planning often includes plenty of logistical challenges.
A key factor is arranging additional shunt drivers to comply with regulations, which can be particularly important for long-distance hauls that require strict rest periods for drivers.
Additionally, the European weekend and nighttime driving bans can restrict when trucks can be on the road, demanding even more precise scheduling to avoid delays and ensure all equipment arrives on time.
KB Event Managing Director, Richard Burnett commented: “There is a special sense of pride in seeing everything come together on stage, knowing we played a role in creating those unforgettable experiences for fans.
“It has been rewarding to see fans express genuine appreciation for the behind-the-
scenes efforts of logistics teams like ours,” he added. “They recognise the critical part we play in making those cherished memories with their favourite artists possible.”
Behind the scenes, Lutkin said the nicest moment of this tour was putting his neck on the line to “estimate the amount of people and time required to make it work, while staying in line with budgets, and seeing it all come together.”
Already well-established in the US, the progression of the band to selling out arenas in Europe, backed by tight-knit team has been equally rewarding on-stage.
“T here are quite a few people who will drop whatever they are doing to go on tour with Glass Animals, so to have them all united, working on the biggest tour in the band’s history is testament to the team’s expertise and ability.”
www.glassanimals.com www.80-six.com www.allaccessinc.com www.beatthestreet.net www.cassiuscreative.co.uk www.concertstuff.com www.er-productions.com www.fraystudio.co.uk www.highendtv.com www.kbevent.com www.led-creative.co.uk www.negearth.co.uk www.oxevents.co.uk www.rockitcargo.com www.solotech.com
BECKY HILL: BELIEVE ME NOW?
From dance hits to drum and bass to piano house, Becky Hill takes to the stage on a long-awaited arena tour, backed by a production that makes a 14,000-capacity venue feel like a nightclub…
62,66, 70,
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Luke Dyson (PG, 60,61,
72)and Oli Crump (PG, 66)
A decade after Becky Hill first topped the charts with her debut feature on Oliver Helden’s Gecko (Overdrive), three albums later and following a string of high-profile collaborations and solo successes, the dance stalwart finally embarked on her first UK and Ireland arena tour at the beginning of October. With the star known for her lively shows, for this sold-out arena run, the artist’s crew ramped up the production to another level, bringing fans even closer to the action with a club-like design and a revolving B-stage. TPi caught up with the crew at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro to get an insight into the hard work that goes into staging this ambitious show.
“T here’s a reason why we call her Becky ‘Fucking’ Hill,” Production Manager, Matty Roberts began. “She is an incredible EDM artist, the show is amazing and it’s great to be here and involved.”
Af ter taking a break from production managing in 2019, Roberts was convinced to take up the role by Tour Manager, Emily Holt. “I’m glad I had that time away from production management to focus on stage management instead – the reset was good for me,” Roberts enthused. “I didn’t commit to any artist until this tour. Emily convinced me to go back into production management and I’m glad she did.”
Roberts enlisted help from suppliers known to the camp, including Colour Sound Experiment, Vis-a-Vis Video, Adlib, Ox Event House, Fly By Nite, Phoenix Bussing, ER Productions, PixelMappers, Studio Moross and All Ten Fingers. “Everyone has slotted into the run so well,” Roberts reported. “They’ve been
working with us and our budgets and have been absolutely brilliant from the top to the bottom.”
Having worked with Colour Sound Experiment around 10 years ago, Roberts was pleased to reconnect. “It’s been brilliant working with them again; having Alex Ryan and Jordan Dormer along has been fantastic,” he praised, going on to shout out several other suppliers. “I had never worked with Adlib before, but it’s been great getting to know the team. Richard Nicholson has been flawless and we’ve felt well supported.
“Fly by Nite are bulletproof as always. I’ve worked with them for a long time and they are genuinely nice people who always go a great job,” Roberts continued.
Matt Jackson, Sales Manager at Fly By Nite, added: “We’ve toured and done festivals with Becky for a few years and it’s great to be involved. We had eight trucks out for this one, which is the biggest tour she’s ever done. I have worked with Matty and Emily for many years with various artists and its always a pleasure. They are both very professional and detailed in their approach, always making their requirements very clear, this helps us provide solutions and the best possible service.”
Roberts also praised the service from Phoenix Bussing. “We’ve had great Phoenix Bussing drivers; Andy [Gray] has been as good as gold,” he stated.
For Gray, it was great to be back onboard. “We have supplied five buses in total for the tour,” he reported. “Working with Matty and Emily on the summer shows has helped a lot as we know what to expect from each other, which
makes everything easier in terms of planning and logistics.”
Roberts also lauded the work of ER Productions’ Marc Webber – “he makes life very easy, and they’ve given us Milo and Michael who have been brilliant” – as well as the “unbelievable” performance of Ox Event House. “The support from the Ox Event House team has been great and working with Ben Levitt and Jason Norton so closely has been lovely,” Roberts commented.
Last but not least, Roberts rallied an unassailable crew, whom, alongside Holt, he takes pride in choosing. “When you live in proximity to one another, it’s important that people get on – you have to live together, right? You’re looking for people who can do their jobs very well – and this crew do that tenfold – but getting on with the other crew and finding the right fit is important. It helps when everyone has a jovial character, in particular our Stage Manager James Hayward and Production Coordinator Imogen Elmer who, as well as being incredible at their jobs, always keep everyone’s spirits high”
AFTERGLOW
When not stationed at FOH monitoring his sound system design, Oli Crump can be found zipping around venues with his camera in hand, shooting the show from every angle, as he checks how the PA sounds all over the venue.
“I have to walk around the venue anyway, so I started carrying my camera and it’s slowly built into this,” Crump commented. “A lot of what I do with PA design is so deterministic, so having
BELIEVE ME NOW TOUR
GOING THAT EXTRA MILE ...
photography alongside that as a hobby is a great creative outlet.”
With Crump set to begin a role with L-Acoustics following the 10-date run, he once again utilised a K1/K2 system with KS28 subs and A-Series fills running via a redundant AVB system from a DirectOut PRODIGY.MP processor. “I tend to do a PA design that works a bit differently to others. I position my main hangs and subs side-by-side and I also like to add a centre fill so that the central area doesn’t drop off underneath the PA,” he explained. “There’s a bit more low-end energy in this show because Becky is a drum and bass artist, and it needs to be a big energetic sound.”
Over at FOH was Anna Dahlin, TPi Awards 2024 FOH Engineer of the Year winner – also with a camera in hand, photographing the crew. “It’s a busy show to mix,” Dahlin began. “We have 88 channels in total, but it’s good fun.”
Working from a DiGiCo Quantum 338, the camp chose the popular desk due to its availability worldwide. “This show has travelled a lot; we have had to do a lot of conversions, so we’ve stuck with DiGiCo because we tend to be able to find one wherever we go,” Dahlin explained. “We are very happy with DiGiCo. They’re available all over the world, which
makes it possible for the show to travel. We’ve covered most continents, so we needed to be able to travel with our showfiles. However, the current version of the show would require a bit more than a conversion of a showfile. With nearly 90 channels, and six DiGiCo racks, it would require at least one preperation day before we could get the show up and running.”
Dahlin explained the challenges that come with playback being such an important part of the production. “Because playback is a third of what we do, it is so integrated in how we work,” she stated. “Without playback, there would be no timecode, and with no timecode, we don’t have a show.”
The FOH Engineer first met Hill when she was featured with Rudimental over a decade ago, and then ran into her at a festival a couple of years afterwards. “She ran over to me and told me she remembered me from that camp and that she wanted me to come out on the road with her and here we are,” Dahlin enthused. “We did an academy tour straight after lockdown; the show has gone through a bunch of configurations and now we’re in arenas. Her growth has been great to see.”
The new configuration saw 13 musicians on stage with a full string and brass section. “They
are such accomplished musicians,” Dahlin added. “They are all classically trained, and to have them come into a drum and bass show and be as professional as they are is great.”
For the complex orchestra, the sound on stage had to be suitable for the instrumentalists and with the Believe Me Now? show being as loud as you’d expect a drum and bass show to be, the audio had to adapt how sound was delivered to the brass and string sections and back to the crowd.
“It’s such a loud gig, we’ve had to make some adjustments to be able to use live strings,” she remarked. “We’ve added Schertler contact microphones for the strings. They pick up the vibrations of the instruments rather than the acoustic sound, which allows the relatively quiet string instruments to coexist on a stage with loud brass instruments and drums. For Becky, we use a DPA d:facto 4018 capsule, and the BVs are on SM58 capsules. For the brass, we use Beyerdynamic M88, except inside the sousaphone, where we tape an SM57.”
Supporting those on stage with their IEM mixes is Monitor Engineer, Robyn Hannah, who selected Shure PSM 1000 for the tour. “We have 21 IEM mixes on this run. We have 14 people on stage, and many tech mixes off
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stage so this can be a lot to look after” she commented. “The mixes vary a lot, too. For example, the strings have more sensitive requests for their ears. They are classically trained, their mixes are more musician based rather than lots of the drum and bass synths.”
With the show featuring a B-stage at FOH [more on that later…] the crew decided not to use the RF mic that they were using on the main stage but instead use the wired version of the DPA handheld.
“We agreed to use a wired mic up on the B-stage as it would stay out there during the whole set and we knew she wouldn’t be moving from that B-stage position so the microphone and stand could be screwed into the riser for when it lifted and rotated” Hannah commented. “I’m sure that the RF would’ve been fine but there are many reasons that I thought it’d be better to be safe. It’s just her and a piano up there so there’s nowhere to hide if something goes wrong.”
Due to the intricate stage design, Hannah’s monitor world is nestled side of stage where the crowd can’t see her, which subsequently means that she can’t see the B-stage.
“A nna and I work together during that part of the show; she acts as my eyes when Becky is up there, and we have a camera feed, too, so I can see any gestures the pianist or Becky does” Hannah enthused. “My favourite part of the show is when she gets back to the main stage as the complicated part is over, we have
a guest vocalist straight after too and that song always goes down well!”
Positioned next to Hannah is Chris Liggett, Playback Technician, with a setup of four laptops and a screen of what Dahlin names as ‘Lego’. “The show is less busy than it should be thanks mainly to Chris,” Dahlin stated. “He listens to our requests and fits it into what we describe as Lego. I don’t know what the Lego does, but he works his magic and it makes the show much more manageable.”
“T he show is running on a redundant Ableton set up across multiple machines. We’re using the DirectOut EXBOX.MD and a Ferrofish A32pro, which allows us to redundantly output Dante, Madi or analogue depending on the situation. It’s super flexible for editing and any musical changes I need to make, and it’s been rock solid all year,” Liggett elaborated. “I’m controlling the show and keeping everything in sync over a series of RTP networks using Iconnectivity interfaces and network switches – this means we can reliably use midi across much longer distances using network cable, which is helpful on the big arena stages.
“T here are now 31 channels of playback and a lot of things happening on stage in this show, so it’s become quite involved,” he continued. “I have several talkback mics so I can communicate with the band, crew and Becky throughout the show. The main playback channels are separated out more than usual to give Anna and Robyn more mixing flexibility and
the remainder are cues for band, pyro, staging, et cetera, and then a few channels of timecode for lights/video/lasers.”
Supplying the audio for the tour was Adlib. “Supporting the Becky Hill team under the stewardship of Emily and Matty has been a pleasure,” stated the company’s Account Manager, Richy Nicholson. “It’s fantastic to see how things have developed for the artist leading up to this tour. Robyn H and Anna D for audio along with Charlie R on the video side have been fantastic to work with, and I’m thankful to our touring guys for making it all happen out there each day.”
REMEMBER
Sticking to her clubbing background, the artist’s stage design and layout are reminiscent of a discotheque venue while having all the bells and whistles of a stupendous arena tour. Aries Moross and their design collective were at the forefront of the entire show direction, having crafted the narrative arc with Mike Lesirge, Musical Director, to collaborating with Matt Pitman and the entire technical team. TPi caught up with Moross to learn what it’s been like to grow alongside the artist from the 2024 BRIT awards through festival season, onto the arena tour.
“T his has been the dream crew to work with. We all care so deeply about our craft and ensuring a positive and warm environment from the top down,” Aries Moross, Show Director and
Director of Studio Moross, said. “This resonates for our entire production rehearsal period, right through to the tour – it’s been a joy to work with the team, from artist to management, technical crew to creative, we all work together to ensure the show is as good as we can make it.
“We focused on reworking the content as Becky’s shows often land at festivals with lots of screens and as my background is working with screens, it became the studio’s speciality,” Moross continued. “We wanted to achieve a very high level of finish for the content so it could stand out in the market and allow the show to stand up alongside other artists who also invest in their visuals.”
With album visuals inspired by the modern renaissance, Moross wanted to punctuate the show with references to the period, using a point perspective and classic architecture.
“We didn’t want to get too caught up in context; some songs were about creating content that matched its aesthetic,” Moross added. “Becky has been involved in the whole process, which is the best way to deliver a show that is authentic to the artist. Most of the development was done as a team with Mike Lesirge, who was integral to not only live versions of the tracks but directing and composing music for an ensemble of musicians.”
Summing up the experience, Moross elaborated: “Seeing almost a year’s worth of
work come to fruition is incredibly rewarding. Show Direction is hands down the most challenging part of my role but to have such a talented team ensuring we achieved our collective vision of the show paid off. I find satisfaction in delivering exactly what the artist and fans want and seeing the audience’s relentless energy and Becky’s smile on stage has been a milestone in my career.”
ER Productions aided the look of the show by providing four AT20 lasers lined up on the downstage edge, with four EX10 on the B-stage and 10 BB3/FB4 lasers in the lighting rig. “Working with the creative team on this is a pleasure. [Production Designer] Matt Pitman, especially, always allows Alex Oita’s programming to shine.”
DISCONNECT
Production and Lighting Designer, Matt Pitman of Pixelmappers worked with Programmer Olly Martin on the tour.
“T his tour feels like Becky’s well-deserved ascension into arenas. We’re really lucky to be a part of the show; Becky and her team have been incredibly welcoming and enthusiastic about us doing our thing, and in return we have made a show which feels like a proper representation of where she’s at,” Pitman commented Working closely with Moross and their design collective, Pitman and the studio
Robyn Hannah, Louis Grogan, Anna Dahlin, Oli Crump, Chris Leggitt, Marc Peers, and Marci Mezei; Ian Lidstone; Matty Roberts and Emily Holt; and Tom Bexton.
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created a show he described as “a space which supported Becky’s catalogue of everything from drama to drum and bass”.
The fi xtures t hat helped him achieve t his were ACME Gemini bar and strobe, which were configured into t wo large side ladders, Robe MegaPointe and iForte LTX, ChromaQ Colorforce II 48 and 72, CHAUVET Professional Color Strike M, Claypaky Sharpy, GLP JDC Line 1000, LEDJ Spectra Flood Q40, as well as Martin MAC Aura XIP and VDO Sceptron.
Colour Sound E xperiment also supplied t he camp with Wahlberg Motion Design winches for Ayrton MagicPanel Rs. “They became the show’s USP over the summer tour and we carried them over and into the arena design,” Pitman explained. “ We all love t hem, and I t hink they make the show look really dynamic.”
Other Ayrton fi xtures included Huracán
Profile S and Rivale, w hich t he LD has been using as a workhorse fi xture on his designs recently. “They are wonderful,” he noted.
Pitman praised Colour Sound E xperiment.
“We have a great working relationship – it’s collaborative, which is perfect for us at Pixelmappers,” he commented. “ That goes for all the team on the Becky Hill show. Aries and I have a wonderful way of making shows together and I treasure our collaborative work and friendship. We’ve had a lot of support from the production and management team. They’ve supported our ideas the whole way, which is why I think the show has been so successful.”
Olly Martin executes t he show on t he road and works from an MA Lighting grandMA3 in
MA3 mode. “Matt and Aries do the design but I’m very lucky in t hat I c an add my fl air, too. I get to add my ideas in there,” Martin said.
“I ’m going to miss this crew,” he added.
“Everyone is as excited about show as Becky is; the whole crew gets on so well with each other, I’ll be sad to see this one end. The lighting crew have been fantastic. They have a hard role on the road, and t hey’ve been brilliant. Tom Bexton has smashed it as Crew Chief.”
Bexton concurred w ith Martin: Everyone is collaborative and willing to help everyone, and that is so crucial to me when I think about what I look for in crew on the road,” he stated. “We’re doing long, hard days just like any other tour –it’s important to have that crew morale.”
Haydn Cruickshank, Managing Director at Colour Sound E xperiment, added his t houghts:
“It was fantastic to see the summer festival package evolve into a full-blown arena system and have it still looking clean and simple but hiding a good variety of lighting fi xtures, v ideo and automation,” he stated. “As ever with Matt Pitman, it’s a pleasure to watch the result of our technical endeavours. The programming and content did the rig justice.”
CRAZY WHAT LOVE CAN DO
Vis-A-Vis V ideo played a significant role in t he visuals of the tour. “We asked the wonderful Stu Merser at Vis-A-Vis Video to consult with us and supply the camera package for the show,” Pitman explained. “ Vis-A-Vis are masters in their field and another of t he reasons t hat the show feels so polished is that they did an
amazing job of supplying the best equipment and people to the show. Darren Montague is an excellent Director, and he brings his experience to t he camera direction of the show, facilitated by the master Marcus Lindsay on racks. The IMAG for t he show is first class.”
Andrew Shaw, Head of Operations at Vis-AVis V ideo, commented: We wanted to come up w ith some interesting ways of shooting the show. We wanted to bring the audience up onto the stage and v ice versa w ithout affecting t he integrity of the show.”
Video Director, Darren Montague took to the road as part of the Hill camp, directing Blackmagic URSA Broadcast cameras, one handheld, one on a BlackCam B60 remote system and a G2 Mini that was utilised for the B-stage.
“The B -stage is automated, so it was difficult to get cabling and certainly no way to get an operator up there,” Montague noted. “The small VaxisRF system t hat V is-A-Vis has deployed has been amazing; it’s t he first t ime I have used it and I’ve yet to see an RF system remain so stable in a packed arena where there is always outside interference. When I’m directing the reliability of the tech is always number one, and this camera stays crisp and solid throughout the show and looks absolutely amazing.”
“Matty and his pre-production have been so good,” Montague concluded. “Everything has been considered so there was no massive problem-solving on-site at rehearsals, because all t he hard work had been done.” Shaw added: “It’s been a pleasure to be on the tour. We love
working with Becky and her team and we’re very happy to be asked back.”
Leading the video crew was Crew Chief, Ian Lidstone, who was brought onto the tour by Colour Sound Experiment. “We’re using ROE Visual CB5 MarkII, which is lovely, vibrant, reliable and durable,” Lidstone commented.
“The colour content and light output compete well with the lighting. The kit provided by Colour Sound Experiment turned out fantastic – the reliability and the finished product is polished.”
As well as kit, Lidstone discussed his approach to taking care of his crew on the road and how crucial it is to make sure the team get enough rest.
“It boils down to communication. I like to have discussions about my plans to check if anyone can foresee any problems,” he commented.
“There are over 100 years of collective knowledge among the team, both young and old, it’s important to get to that point where you can all feel like you have an input.”
Media Server Operator and Programmer Charlie Rushton worked with two Disguise gx 2c servers from Adlib – one directing the show and the other acting as a backup.
“T he main part of my job is in rehearsals, programming everything to timecode because the show relies on it so heavily,” Rushton said. “During the show, I mainly focus on tweaking the brightness of the screens to make sure that the video and lighting look balanced in each song.
“Becky Hill is the first tour I’ve done where I actively listened to the artist before the tour. I’ve discovered so many great artists on the road, but Becky was a constant on my playlist and has been keeping me motivated with her upbeat
tunes for over a year, so it’s great to be a part of the tour,” Rushton commented.
I COULD GET USED TO THIS
In charge of fabricating the stage and the automation on the B-stage was Ox Event House. The company’s role on the tour has grown massively since it began its relationship with the artist on her first theatre show creating LED pixel tape frames. On this latest run, it created the B-stage revolve and a hydraulic lift mechanism, as well as gloss black fascia finishes, custom access treads and video frames to allow a streamlined process when building the show venue to venue.
“Working with Emily and Matty is a dream,” Ben Levitt, Technical Director at Ox Event House commented. “They both bend over backwards to support suppliers when decisions are made late in the day. They are a pleasure to work with.”
Ox Event House’s Jason Norton was recruited for the tour through a special request from Tour Manager Holt. “He is our Senior Set Carp and Operations Manager but was called up to be the Lift Technician on the tour,” Levitt added. “They requested him because he’d been on Becky’s summer tour last year and became good friends with Emily. It was hard to say no when a member of our team is valued that way.”
The B-stage revolve featured having a hydraulic lift on top of the revolve, which was an unfamiliar choice for Levitt. “We wouldn’t usually create a revolve on top of a lift. It provided some challenges, was quite quirky and unusual, but we’re glad it came out,” he said. “Because the B-stage area had to fit within FOH and not be imposing to lighting, video or sound, we had to
make it smaller than you’d expect, which meant we had to create a piano shell that was smaller. We love working with the Becky Hill team.Matty has been a new addition as Production Manager; he is so lovely, and the crew have been great.”
Tour Manager Emily Holt was full of praise of Ox Event House. “The B-stage became a thing at the last minute, and Ox Event House was incredible in making it happen,” she explained. “We had already sold everything out so the space at FOH was limited, but we did it and we are so glad we did, it really paid off.”
Beginning with Hill nearly two years ago, reaching this milestone has been a highlight for Holt. “To see the progression from then to now, never mind the start of her career, the extreme it has gone to is amazing. I’m so proud of her,” Holt noted. “I adore her and this crew; I’m biased, but I think we have the best crew in the world. Everyone is so hardworking and dedicated and you can see that in how good the show is.”
As the crew and Becky Hill approach the end of the year, the crew are steaming ahead into a busy winter period, descending on a US and Australia tour, wrapping up the year at Brisbane’s Wildland festival. www.beckyhill.com www.coloursound.com www.visavis.video www.adlib.co.uk www.oxevents.co.uk www.flybynite.co.uk www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.er-productions.com www.pixelmappers.com www.studiomoross.com www.alltenfingers.com
NIALL HORAN: THE SHOW LIVE ON TOUR
The singer-songwriter makes a triumphant return to live performances with a tour to celebrate his recent album, The Show. TPi goes behind the scenes at Manchester’s Co-Op Live to delve into the intricacies of the production…
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Christian Tierney
The last time TPi covered a Niall Horan show, the world was in the throes of a global lockdown, which meant that going to gigs was an experience we could only reminisce on. Back then, the singer-songwriter and his crew had decided to support the wider live events workforce by staging a live stream that fundraised for WE NEED CREW [See TPi #257]. Almost three years later and with the industry back to full strength, descending on Manchester’s Co-Op Live to witness a fullcapacity show with all the bells and whistles felt like a full-circle moment.
With the tour 73 dates into its 87-show run, Production Manager Andy Colby ruminated on the tour as it approached its curtain call. “It’s been a busy year. The guys and the girls on this tour have been amazing. It’s been a long slog, but everyone has really pulled together, and it’s been a great tour,” he began, reserving special praise for Stage Manager, Torin Arnold. “He, like all the crew, has worked so hard across this tour, and we’ve been lucky to have him.”
Colby mused over the live-streamed WE NEED CREW event and how support for crew has changed over the past four years, from coming out of the pandemic to being on the road again. “The Royal Albert Hall gig feels like a lifetime away,” he reflected. “I think COVID changed the industry; there is an increased awareness among roadies now and when we’re travelling the world, the support is available. Australia is certainly different – there is a person in every venue who you can go to talk to – and even in the US there are QR codes with access to online advice,” he explained.
“W hile I think the industry is making a step forward, I believe in the UK we’re behind on
making resources readily available and we need to do better,” he added.
Having been with the camp since 2017, Colby has worked with the suppliers on this run before, enlisting help from Lite Alternative, Solotech, Universal Pixels, TAIT, Ox Event House, CSUK and KB Event. “It’s a small world, isn’t it?” he laughed. “More importantly, it’s a small industry and the suppliers on this have been brilliant. They are all so supportive and reliable and I cannot fault them.”
One of the biggest challenges arose when it came to transporting kit. “Getting the gear around the world is always the biggest adversary, but Freight Minds has been amazing,” he reported. “Even before this run, Ant Carr, [Head of Production for smallbrownrobot Productions], has used Freight Minds religiously and they’ve been very good, on this side and in America.”
Andy Lovell, Director at Freight Minds, commented: “We were brought into the planning at a very early stage, beginning with helping Ant put together the Asian leg’s itinerary in a cost-effective and logistically achievable manner. This was then continued through the US and European shows, which resulted in us transporting 3,000kg worldwide, including the South American tour. The assistance and cooperation of both Andy and Ant has been great, it has been far from a hardship working with them.”
Contributing to the logistical feat was KB Event, which provided 12 Megacube Artics with an additional pre-rig truck for venues that had particularly tight deadlines. The tour routing ensured that transit routes were the most efficient and sustainable with trucking
space optimised to keep vehicle numbers low. “It is always a delight to work with Ant Carr and Andy Colby and the rest of the team,” Stuart McPherson, CEO of KB Event commented.
“A nt and Andy involve us from the early stages. This allows us to advise on if there are any unrealistic moves or whether it would make more sense in terms of cost or sustainability to route in a different way. These decisions must be made in conjunction with artist requirements and venue availability, but being involved from the very early days allows the tour to take advantage of our experience and expertise. It is very rewarding to be made to feel like a key part of the tour from start to finish.”
NICE TO MEET YA
The show’s opening saw draping by J&C Joel encompassing the set, with Peter Tilling, Media Server Operator, responsible for projection mapping the textured curtain that fills the stage. Universal Pixels supplied three Barco UDX 4k40s combined with two Epson EBPU2220Bs to display Shop’s content, which features ’80s-inspired typography that maps the draping with ‘Welcome to The Show’ followed by a starring credit section that namechecked the seven musicians on stage, including Horan and then the name of the hosting city.
“T he first design sketch I made had projection across a massive curtain that essentially functioned as a proscenium with the stage underneath; it felt very much like one of those huge movie palace cinemas from the 1940s and ’50s,” said Creative Director, Ben Chappell. “Once we got into properly designing something that would work for sight lines in
arenas it changed up a bit. We ended up with this large arched Austrian curtain system that had LED IMAG screens set into it so it felt like one structure. With the help of Phil and Mark at Universal Pixels, we learned a lot about how this could all work together. In the end, the projection really brought the show together.”
“From the beginning we wanted the whole show to feel warm and timeless,” Chappell continued. “Blending influences from bygone eras of stage and screen to create our own world. Once everything started to come together design-wise, we spent the bulk of our time homing in on making it all feel connected. We had a few different LED products in different rigging positions as well as projection and through a bit of work in the Disguise server we were able to dial in the looks and make it all feel cohesive, which was amazing to see.”
Delivering on the designs, Ox Event House created a flying roof pod that hung above the singer and band. Technical Director, Ben Levitt took up the story: “We wanted it to look like the underside of a theatre sign,” he commented, describing how he and the team fabricated an aluminium frame to the shape of a canopy roof.
The show also featured a piano on a stage lift, which represented one of Levitt’s biggest
challenges on this project. “The main challenge was ensuring the riser went to the right height for the rest of the stage when it was settled into position,” he continued.
“T hat was quite challenging, and then the structural engineering and design work for the fabricated roof pod to fly it safely was an incredible engineering feat for all involved, which includes the Ox Event’s team, the technical team and the touring team.”
“We were super excited when it worked. I think the final design looked amazing; it was a great design and looked a million dollars,” Levitt concluded. “It was a really nice project to work on and the team was great.”
That team involved Noah Roy, who was a set carp on the tour, alongside Harry Reeves and Jessie Silcock, with the department overseen by Head Carp, Nigel Dobson.
The draping was controlled through a TAIT Austrian automation system that unveiled the stage and started the show. “This is the first time we used TAIT Smart Winches with removable cartridges in the UK, which took some special collaboration with our US counterparts to really understand the system,” Holly Saul, Project Manager at TAIT commented. “We also worked closely with
J&C Joel to make sure our systems linked as seamlessly as possible.”
Saul described the Austrian drape as “a challenge”. She continued: “Initially, the drape was going to be split into three sections to achieve the independence that was required. However, after our tests, it became obvious this wasn’t going to work unless it was one drape.”
Austrian drapes typically require a weighted pipe added to the bottom to create the correct tension. However, the unique demands on the Niall Horan show curtain meant the weighted pipe wasn’t an option. “To overcome this, we added two tension lines on the offstage edges, which helped hold the tension across the entirety of the drape and enable us to create the smooth curve and unique shapes,” explained Saul.
For Saul, working on the show was a ‘pinchme’ moment, due to growing up with music from One Direction. “To be able to work with this camp was quite surreal,” she said. “They couldn’t have been more welcoming and embraced me having a love for the music. The tour was fantastic, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work that the whole TAIT team delivered.”
Universal Pixels supplied the 35k Barco Projectors that brought the ‘intro’ effects
across the curtain, along with 150 sq m of ROE V4ST and V8T LED for the screens bringing a sense of theatre to arenas and US sheds, inside and out, Disguise GX3 servers, Constellation PPU, Panasonic 4K Cameras, Custom LED distro carts, and a Theatrixx HDMI2 Fibre System.
“We began our work on this back in October 2023, carrying out the first of several tests to determine if required levels of projection brightness could be achieved on samples of the Austrian drape material using a projection package that was practical to tour and deliverable within the budget,” said Mark Strange, UP Project Manager for the tour.
“It was really satisfying to see that end result matching the initial renders from Ben (Chappell). Video Director Shelby Cude did a great job directing the cameras and getting the most out of the different screen destinations – 10 varied sized/shaped LED screens, venue to venue, and also projecting directly onto the Austrian.”
Tilling added: “With the draping, we thought we were going to have to tell the fans to turn their phone lights off so that the projection wouldn’t be affected by it. Then it came to the first show, and the audience had their phones out and on and it didn’t affect it at all.”
With much of the US leg taking place in outdoor amphitheatres, Tilling’s work comes highly praised by Video Director, Shelby Cude. “He’s been able to line-up projectors in broad daylight in the changeover from the support act to the show,” she enthused. “It’s usually one of
those moments where I’m like, ‘this shouldn’t work!’ Followed by, ‘how did you do that?’ He headed up the operation before I was brought onboard, and he has handled it amazingly.”
The textured surface of the draping could have been an obstacle for Tilling, but he didn’t let this become an issue, accommodating it so that the projectors were set back. “We designed it so that the projectors are quite far away, which flattens it a bit from the projector’s perspective. We’re not lining up into every single little crease,” he explained. “It’s a textured surface. It looks like a textured surface, and it always will. It’s a slightly different shape every day. We adjust for that in the Disguise GX3 servers.”
Further into the show, the Austrian automation lifts higher to unveil a marquee board made up of 11 ROE Visual Vanish V8T screens. Cude directed the on-screen content, blending it with IMAG content from the stage and the audience.
“I love the raw moments of this tour, and there is a part in This Town that focuses mainly on the crowd,” she noted, going on to explain how her goal was to find those “moments” in the crowd where a couple or even a mother and daughter were enjoying the show together. “I could tear up about it because it is just so sweet.”
BLACK AND WHITE
Having worked with the artist since the days of the One Direction tours, Paul Normandale was once again entrusted with overseeing the
and Peter Tilling.
Scott ‘Scotty’ Owen and Chris Taylor; Shelby Cude; Steve Sonnenberg and Dan Kent;
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production design. “Niall had a clear idea of the emphasis being on the live performance and visuals appearing sporadically to create a progressive show that almost features acts,” Normandale began.
Over at FOH was Lighting Director, Chris Taylor, who joined the camp in March. “We’re almost to the end after such a long stint in America. It’s nice to be back indoors in arenas to hide from the weather,” he laughed.
Taylor described the major looks of the show, including the first half of the performance, which follows a filmic design with the lights keeping to sepia, white, tungsten and splashes of blue until Horan plays Black And White where the video content and lighting fixtures come alive and display colourful swatches. “It creates this big reveal,” Taylor enthused. “There are so many options of white light and so many different ambers and tungstens that you can create within the monochromatic boundary.”
A lot of the design is scenic based. “There aren’t that many lighting trusses in here,” Taylor noted. “Niall wanted a theatrical show so there is not a lot of massive beam looks. There’s a massive lighting pod in the middle with 180 glass bulbs, and that is mirrored so a lot of the light bounces from that.”
Working from an MA Lighting grandMA3, Taylor walked TPi through the design and subsequently his favourite fixtures on the rig. “The Ayrton Perseo Profile S are really good; the Argo 6 FX are a great wash light as well and the Robe MegaPointes – you can’t
go wrong with Megapointes.” Other fixtures included Martin Professional MAC Aura XB and MAC Quantum Wash, CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Bar, TMB Solaris Flare, Claypaky Sharpy, GLP JDC1, Vari-Lite VL 3500 Wash FX, Prolights SUNRISE2IP, and Robe Robin Forte. Lined up on the outside of the stage and then subsequently the B-stage were clamshell casings for the footlights that added to the theatrical and scenic design.
Scott ‘Scotty’ Owen, Lighting Crew Chief, oversaw a team of six, including Kinesys operation. “My priority is making sure that my team have everything they need,” he explained. “I always try and make sure that they get as much time off as they can. We all know the days are long, but if the team can get a bit of time to themselves, I will always encourage it.”
The Manchester show was closest to home for Scotty, which meant he could bring his family along – resulting in a particularly heartwarming moment when he and his daughter were displayed on the video screens, which was met with loud cheers from the Manchester crowd.
With crew mental health being of utmost importance to Scotty, he tried to remain approachable to all the crew. “I want people to know that they can come and talk to me if they need to. It’s not just my lighting guys who I want to be approachable to, it’s everyone,” he explained, emphasising the importance of all departments working together.
“Having people like Sarah [Nicholas, of Sarah’s Kitchen] here really boosts morale. It
should never be underestimated how much catering matters; it makes a huge difference.”
Supplying the lighting package was Lite Alternative, which Scotty has been working with for the past 20 years. “The kit is always top notch,” he said of the company. “They’ve got a really good warehouse team, which makes things easier. The support has really been there from the word go.”
Andy Scott of Lite Alternative added: “We worked with Niall last year with a small festival system, so it was great to get the opportunity to take this up to an arena tour.” The company supplied the UK and European legs and then shipped most of the system to the USA for a 10-week summer tour, with support from Upstaging in Chicago. “This gave great continuity for everyone with the same crew covering all territories,” he commented.
“It’s a bold wide design that involved working closely with TAIT and Universal Pixels to make sure each aspect of the show flowed seamlessly. Coupled with a great relationship with Ant and Andy, it was a pleasure to be involved. Massive thanks go to the crew for their dedication and hard work on the tour.”
ON THE LOOSE
Solotech provided a d&b audiotechnik system for the UK and European run, comprising main hangs of up to 18 GSL per side flown left and right with side hangs of KSL. Some venues sold further seats and had a 270° footprint, requiring additional V-Series speakers to be brought in, with Y7P and Y10P deployed across the stage
apron as infill. Low-frequency reinforcement was via a combination of flown and groundstacked SL-SUBs. At 45° to the stage, six SL-SUBs per side were flown between the main and side hangs, with SL-GSUBs ground stacked in front of the stage.
“It was a pleasure to supply audio again for Niall Horan, whose performance at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of #WeNeedCrew was a highlight for us in the dark times of the pandemic,” commented Tom Bush, Senior Account Manager at Solotech. “The crew have been fantastic and Mark Littlewood and Dan Kent’s attention to detail and thoroughness have been invaluable when it comes to building and maintaining the package that has worked flawlessly for the team for the eight months around the UK and US.
“T he system design and deployment from Craig Burns (UK and EU run) and Jack Blenkinsopp (US and UK second leg) along with PA technicians John Lumsdon and Steve Sonnenberg has been grade A,” he continued. “The detail to the designs and delivery of the GSL/KSL is second to none and a perfect fit for the sold-out arenas on this run.
“Tom Horrobin has also been absolutely fantastic and I also want to extend my thanks to Ant Carr, Andy Colby, Torin and Ying.” Continuing the audio conversation, TPi spoke to Dan Kent, Monitor Engineer, who started with the camp in 2018 and was happy to return for this tour. “I was happy to come back as Niall is a lovely artist to work for,” Kent began. “Niall is very particular about his vocal sound. He is conscious of the acoustic environment
venue to venue and he soundchecks every day, so together we can compensate to ensure he is comfortable for every performance.”
Working on a DiGiCo SD7 Quantum, with Shure PSM 1000 with P10R+ Diversity bodypack receivers, Kent mixes the sevenpiece band through 104 analogue inputs. “We have multiple vocal positions for Niall and the band. I am automating the input routing on channels to enable me to keep the same processing on everyone,” Kent elaborated. “We have had special guests, and I have set up the console to enable them to soundcheck off stage while the show is happening.”
Kent brought in three Bricasti M7 reverbs with an M10 controller, Cedar DNS noise suppression and a BSS 901 dynamic equaliser with other processing through the DiGiCo console. “I’ve been using DiGiCo for a long time,” Kent said.
“T he flexibility, worldwide availability and excellent technical support from the manufacturer are the reasons I continue to use this console on every project I work on.”
Kent’s praise also extended to Solotech, having worked with Wigwam before the company joined Solotech in 2018. “The support has been fantastic as usual and the support in the USA demonstrated the benefits of using a global brand,” Kent reflected.
“T he crew have been stellar, and I’ve been fortunate to have Thomas Horrobin working with me on every show this year handling the stage patch and navigating the RF co-ordination, which has been especially challenging in the USA. We have had System
Engineers Craig Burns and Jack Blenkinsopp plus PA techs John Lumsdon and Steve Sonnenburg deploying a d&b audiotechnik GSL/KSL system in the USA, Europe and UK while we have picked up locally supplied systems in other territories.”
Shure Axient Digital wireless mics with SM58 capsules and instrument systems were deployed, as well as wired mics also from Shure, Milab, Beyerdynamic, DPA Microphones, Sennheiser, Electro-voice and Neumann.
Summing up the “great” tour, Kent concluded: “We have a lovely, united crew in all technical departments. Niall and his band are a pleasure to work for and I look forward to mixing many more tours for them in the future.”
Af ter the Co-Op Live show, Horan and the team completed a victory lap around other UK venues and then subsequently South America, where the tour wrapped up in Colombia.
Being on the road since February – hitting 87 stops along the way and touring the UK twice – The Show Live On Tour officially wraps up this era for the artist and his crew, having traversed its theatrical spectacle around the UK twice and further on around the world. www.niallhoran.com www.csuk.coach.com www.freightminds.com www.solotech.com www.lite-alternative.com www.taittowers.com www.kbevent.com www.oxevents.co.uk www.universalpixels.com www.smallbrownrobot.co.uk
MEET THE VAMPS ANNIVERSARY TOUR
York-based Reel Production Group hit the road with the four-piece, providing a turnkey solution that brings an arena-level production into academy venues up and down the UK.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Dean Sherwood
With 2024 marking the 10-year anniversary of The Vamps’ debut album, the four-piece set out on a UK tour that saw the group making a temporary home for multiple nights in smaller venues for a more intimate fan experience. The band has become accustomed to putting on arena-level shows over the past decade and in 2019 they set the record of being the first act to play The O2 arena for five years consecutively. However, with lead singer Bradley Simpson working on his solo career, the band wanted to put on one last tour for their fans before taking a break from road.
Having worked with the band for several years, FOH Engineer Ben Hammond was once again out with The Vamps, although this time also held the title of Production Manager. If this dual role wasn’t enough, Hammond’s rental house, Reel Production Group was providing a turnkey solution as the audio, lighting and video supplier – no mean feat for a company that only established itself during the lockdown. TPi popped along to the Manchester Apollo to chat with Hammond and the crew for their second consecutive night in the city.
As the band prepared for VIP soundcheck, Hammond welcomed TPi backstage and before going into the logistics of the current tour, gave a quick catch up on all things Reel Production Group. “I had owned a few consoles for several years that I’d been hiring out,” began Hammond giving the origins of Reel. “I’m based
in York, and I noticed there wasn’t any other local production companies and saw a bit of a gap in the market.”
While touring with the likes of The Vamps and Skunk Anansie, Hammond began to form what would become Reel Production Group. “The original goal was to be a small audio company providing for local events for the likes of York Minster and the University, but as soon as we began to purchase equipment, friends from the touring world began to send in requests and equipment would be sent out on the road.”
This led to a sizeable growth in a short time. Hammond and his co-founder Luke Bell due to the growth now have two warehouses that stock not only audio equipment but now a full lighting and video offering.
“To the best of our ability we always tried to buy equipment outright,” continued Hammond. “If we found ourselves sub-hiring a piece of equipment more than twice, we’d look to buy it ourselves.” It is this mindset that led Reel Production Group to expand outside the audio world and to invest in both lighting and video.
“It certainly was not the plan,” chuckled Hammond who proudly states that the only job he’s had since the age of 16 was as an audio engineer. “Neither Luke nor I are business guys, but we started to be contacted for more corporate work, which led us to invest in products such as projectors and TV screens.
We then began to invest in LED screen and lighting fixtures.”
This latest tour with The Vamps was the first time the company has looked after all three departments of a tour. It raises the question that in an industry that has seen such a great deal of acquisitions and merging of some big names within the rental market over the past decade, has this created opportunities for smaller companies in the market? “I think so,” mused Hammond. “Especially for those B- and C-level festivals and smaller tours that some of the bigger players would not be interested in, there seems to be an emerging sector for companies like Reel Production Group.”
A 10-YEAR CELEBRATION
Moving our conversation to the tour at hand, Hammond gave the origins of this current stage design. The main consideration from the team was that the show design packed the same impact as their arena shows into academy spaces. “There was no way we were going to tour with just a backdrop,” stated Hammond while introducing TPi to an integral part of The Vamps’ creative team, the band’s videographer, Dean Sherwood. Having worked with them previously, Sherwood crafted the visual narrative of the set using a mixture of graphical content, photos and film content.
“Our whole rehearsal was a three-pronged process,” explained Hammond. “We had the
band in rehearsals working on the setlist, then Dean working on content with the timecode we sent him which, in turn, he sent to our guys in the warehouse where we had a mock-up of the set to test the content.”
When standing back to take in the set, the standout element was the sheer amount of LED on stage for an academy show. In total, Reel Production provided 96 panels of the Gloshine LM4.81. All the content as well as the lighting for the show was handled out front by Lighting Designer, Aaron Lennon.
“T he design for the set was a collaboration between Reel and I,” stated Lennon, going on to explain that the foundation of the visual look was laid out by Sherwood’s content. “The show is heavily determined by video,” he continued. “I follow along a lot of the time with what the video is doing when it comes to colour palette. If there’s a particularly ‘strobey’ part of the content, I can hold back with my lighting rig. Similarly, in those moments when the content blacks out, it’s my time to shine.”
It was clear that Lennon saw the large LED surface as an extension of his lighting rig, constantly riding the parameters of the screen. “The panels are very bright and how hard we push them really depends on the size of venue,” he stated. “When we were in Bristol for example, the crowd were so close that I never went above 40% brightness.”
Although the parameters of the LED screen were controlled by Lennon, the content was all run to timecode. But when it came to his lighting rig, the LD still preferred to have manual
control. “There are certain moments of the set where the guys might go off-piste, so it’s good to be able to pull out the video and meld to what they are doing on stage.”
Lennon ran the show via an Avolites Diamond 9. Having worked with Reel numerous times, fixture selection was determined by what he knew the company had in stock. This included Claypaky Stormy CCs, Robe Robin 100s, Chauvet Professional COLORband PiX USB and Maverick MK2 II Spots and Washes. Also on the rig were Martin Professional Rush 1WW Blinders. “I’ve been impressed by the Martin fixtures,” enthused Lennon. “I’ve also been pleased with the COLORbands, which are on the risers just below the LED screens. We fed video content to the battens to better merge with the video content, which resulted in the look of the show having much more depth.”
Aiding Lennon in the day-to-day build was LED and Lighting Tech, Mark Robinson. The duo explained that during build days, with the aid of one extra person, the stage was usually set in three hours. “The build is quite handson with all the integrated LED elements and certainly not a show you can just leave for local crew to crack on with.”
On t his note, Lennon expressed the advantage of having Reel Production looking after the 360 for the tour. “The fact that we’re not dealing with three different suppliers is a real benefit. Not only that, but the fact that we also have Ben out with us means that if we must make any changes due to the venue for example, a decision can be made very quickly.”
Production Manager and FOH Engineer, Ben Hammond; Lighting Designer Aaron Lennon and Lighting Tech Mark Robinson, Monitor Engineer Dan Mizen; System Designer Connor Randle.
IN THE MIX
Just to the right of Lennon, we moved over to look at Hammond’s FOH setup. As will be no surprise to those who know him, the FOH Engineer was mixing on an Allen & Heath dLive S3000 – a desk he had a hand in developing. This was also replicated for Monitor Engineer, Dan Mizen. “Dan and I are doing a digital split,” stated Hammond. “We have worked together for multiple acts over the years and know how each other work. I’ve got no issue with him controlling gains on his end,” he added.
“My basic FOH setup has not changed too much in the past five years,” stated Hammond as he looked over the various pieces of outboard gear in his racks. “I’m a big fan of the SSL Bus+ as my compressor. I tend to mix quite ‘drum-heavy’ and I find the SSL gives me that one to two db reduction to give me something to push against.”
The production didn’t always bring in their own PA system on this run, opting instead to use the in-house PAs. “In these circumstances, I’ve really benefited from having the API SR24
EQ in the rack. It does a great job of ‘exciting’ old systems.” He also had his go-to of a Lab Gruppen Lake LM44 along with a Cranesong HEDD192 Quantum. “The Cranesong gives me worlds of head room,” he enthused.
A new addition for Hammond was how he approached recording for the show. “I’m using Harrison LiveTrax, which links with the dLive seamlessly. It’s been amazing – especially for virtual soundchecks. The Harrison software pulls your channel names from the dLive, and when recording, adds a marker whenever
“The new FlexPoint system has been like night and day. Bands have noticed the improvement and customers and engineers have been super happy. The headroom in the system, the size of the boxes and clarity are all absolutely amazing.
James Beck Head Engineer, Half Moon
I recall a scene on the console, so when it comes to virtual soundcheck, upon recalling a scene, playback automatically skips to that marker, making the process much simpler.”
When the team needed to bring in their own PA to certain venues – which included the Apollo in Manchester – an L-Acoustics setup was preferred. “We’ve gone for a fairly standard setup for this room,” reflected System Tech, Connor Randle. “We got 12 K2 per side with the high point in-line with the top of the audience with a slight drop in the first zone to avoid smashing into the balcony.” For PA control, Randle used a Smaart Suite Version 9 along with the L-Acoustics P1 AVB processor.
One of the biggest tasks that the audio team had to deal with was with the sheer volume of the noise generated by the crowd. “I remember my first show with the guys last year was in the Albert Hall and the average volume of the crowd was 117db,” stated Monitor Engineer, Dan Mizen to give an example of the level he and the team had to deal with.
To t ry and cut down the audience noise coming thought the vocal mics, he pointed out one of his favourite features of the dLive – the Primary Source Enhancer. “It is a gig saver for me,” he explained. “Brad [Simpson, lead singer] has got such a rich voice that he’s always
able to open the channel with the frequency I set, but cuts out a lot of crowd noise, which is extremely handy for the IEM mixes.”
Along with all the IEM mixes and several stage subs for drummer Tristan Evans, Mizen also oversaw the playback and timecode. The playback system was all designed around a REAPER system. “Tristan, our drummer, launches all the stems at the start of the songs via a foot switch that then goes into the REAPER. This also does all the timecode, which is used for the video as well as launches all the MIDI information, which changes the guitar effects for the Kemper Amps.”
The Monitor Engineer mused that he had considered if he could also utilise the timecode to also automatically launch all his mute channels as there is a great deal of instrument switching during the show with band members sharing acoustic guitars and basses through the set. “I want to keep some level of control in case there is a malfunction with the footswitch as well as give the guys a chance to noodle a bit more on some songs. You always want to give some room for some spontaneity.”
When it came to microphones there was a mixture of DPA and Telefunken. “For Brad’s lead vocal, we’ve got him on a DPA 2028,” stated Hammond. “It’s been my vocal mic of choice for
some time and Brad really likes the sound of it. It’s what he also uses for his solo shows.”
NEXT STEPS
Although being a smaller production than the band are used to, trucking specialist KB Event provided one 18-tonne box truck along with an additional 45ft truck for the London and Manchester shows. This was down to a previous relationship that Tour Manger Ryan Jenkinson had with the company.
“D riving on smaller tours feels like being part of a close-knit family,” said KB Event’s Lead Driver for the tour, Chris Warwick. “While you meet new faces at each venue, there’s a core group who know each other’s roles well. This shared understanding makes, what can be a high-pressure environment, enjoyable.”
This change in approach with The Vamps opting to play multiple nights in smaller venues created a different live experience and acted as a great case study of the option to step back from arena touring to a ‘temporary residency’ cycle. What’s more, it’s a type of touring that creates more opportunity for smaller operations like Reel Productions Group. www.thevamps.net www.reelproductiongroup.co.uk www.kbevent.com
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SUSTAINABILITY GOES MAINSTREAM
As we come to the end of 2024, TPi looks back at some of the events and individuals that have been pushing the boundaries of sustainability and the impact that live events have on the environment.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Showpower and Power Logistics.
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a predominant concern for touring musicians, which then passes to the production industry to find solutions to lower the environmental impact that tours, live shows and festivals have on the world. From our privileged position at TPi, we often get to speak to those enacting or paving the way for change, spotting trends as they develop.
In 2019, we began documenting the role of Greening Representatives like Lucy Clumpas on Mumford & Sons’ Delta Tour [see TPi #239] whose sole job is to ensure sustainability measures are taken backstage. “Touring, by its very nature, is not environmentally friendly,” she commented. “It’s not about a small number of people doing something perfectly – it’s about a million people doing it imperfectly. In other words, working with venues to educate them and demand they start changing the old habits of their waste disposal methods.”
Fi ve years on, there has been a marked increase of events striving for change. From Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour [see TPi #276] unveiling the results of their groundbreaking production to Massive Attack’s Act 1.5 Climate Action Accelerator, this year has seemingly moved the needle of the climate conversation even further. As such, we gathered some key voices in this field to get their opinion on the past 12 months of climate action in the sector.
HOPE SOLUTIONS
Luke Howell of Hope Solutions has been at the forefront of sector-specific sustainability for longer that most. His history with this side of the sector is a family affair with his parents creating
sustainable options for the industry stretching back to 1986, deploying solar- and batterypowered options for the Croissant Neuf stage at festivals as well as running their own events.
In recent years, Howell has been one of the key forces for sustainability within Coldplay’s touring camp and alongside running Hope Solutions, his role as the band’s Head of Sustainability allows him to oversee the entire tour’s sustainability programme, from energy efficiency with Paul Traynor and Zap Concepts to working with the newly formed Showpower collective as well as working closely with the Touring Production Manager, Chris Kansy, and other teams.
Despite decades of raising awareness, Howell has been cognisant of sustainability finally getting more airtime in 2024, which has been largely a cause for celebration although at times a little frustrating. “A few people are quite happy to run with the slightly false narrative that this is the first time sustainability in live events has ever been considered or implemented, and I find myself in a difficult position – I want to celebrate the fact that it’s finally now getting the recognition it deserves but I also don’t want to dishonour the fact that there are people out there who have been doing this sort of stuff for over 30 years, my parents included. In the same way we’ve always needed creatives and artists to push the boundaries, we’d be nowhere without those early sustainability pioneers!”
According to Howell, for many people, the “penny has finally dropped” that these solutions – such as battery-powered options –are achievable and a feasible option. “Coldplay really pushed the envelope and have been using the battery system to power an entire stadium
show across three years with over 50 shows in Europe and the US utilising the system so far, and we’ve had batteries on site at Glastonbury Festival for decades. However, for some reason, it feels like the sceptics have become aware of and seen enough real-world case studies to now make them consider sustainable options for their own projects,” he said, citing the involvement of big players such as Live Nation in recent years.
“Live Nation has been curious about batteries for a while and undertook a couple of trials in recent years on certain events. This expanded this year, and we saw some big successes with batteries at events like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits in the US. Historically promoters and event organisers have often put a lot of faith in what their power contractors think or recommend which for a long time was essentially ‘use more generators’, but now we are seeing that shift with event oranisers, PMs and even temporary power contractors starting to look at how non-fossilfuel-based power provision can be utilised.”
BATTERY REVOLUTION
One of the main talking points when it comes to these events where sustainability is at the forefront of the conversation has been the focus on batteries – which offer a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable power alternative to diesel generators.
There are several players in the market, offering various forms of standalone battery systems as well as fully integrated and managed battery-powered solutions. From Showpower, borne out of the Coldplay camp and having designed and manufactured its world-first
Our audio company Magic Kite, on the first deployment of L-Acoustics L-ISA for The North Star Production in Belfast's Telegraph Building
synchronised SmartGrid, to Atlas Copco, a collective whose standalone batteries have been used at several top festivals, including this year’s Primavera and Lollapalooza.
However, in order for productions to meet their sustainability targets, it requires more effort than just swapping one power source for another. Instead, it is essential for the crew to understand and be cognisant of their power and energy consumption. “We teach creatives about energy consumption, and why it is important to reduce energy consumption for a show,” stated Paul Schurink of Showpower. “Once they bought into this evaluation of their carbon footprint, the tour’s suppliers and crew sourced energy-efficient equipment and were able to reduce the production’s overall energy consumption with about 50% compared to the previous tour.”
Showpower created one of its renowned Smart Power Plans, which made a complete inventory of what was needed for the Music of the Spheres World Tour. “We also developed its own proprietary software to calculate data upfront, so we’re aware of the power requirements and energy consumption in advance. With this, we can help creatives reduce the energy consumption of the show, and because we’ve done this so many times, we are 100% confident that the energy projections are reliable, meaning it is much easier to know how much capacity is required.
“W ithout this preparation, teams can’t be confident that they have enough energy to run an entire show, meaning they could run into trouble or have to revert to running the generators in a panic,” Schurink commented.
Coldplay’s current SmartGrid battery system is managed and operated by Showpower but owned by the band, however it has recently been successfully deployed at the 2024 Global Citizen Festival in New York as an
example of its use and flexibility outside of the stadium touring environment.
“B ased on this incredibly successful 2024 where we powered 33 consecutive Coldplay stadium shows as well as the Global Citizen Festival in New York, we are ready to discuss more festival and stadium touring opportunities in 2025 and beyond with the V2 of the SmartGrid currently in development,” enthused Schurink.
At Primavera Sound, Morillo Energy Rent successfully implemented an innovative energy solution for the festival. Leveraging its expertise in energy management, the team introduce a combination of batterybased energy storage systems (ESS) and low-consumption Stage V power generators, depending on the specific needs and available resources. This strategic approach enabled the effective provision of energy across various areas of the event, including performance stages, catering, and production.
A key innovation in the project was the use of the recently released ZBP 120-120 and ZBC 250-575 energy storage systems from Atlas Copco in a hybrid solution with power generators, which were instrumental in achieving the project’s ambitious goals.
“T his strategic move signifies a leap towards more efficient and cost-effective operations.” stated Diego Moreno, Business Development Manager at Atlas Copco Power. “Our collaboration with Morillo has been instrumental in this endeavour, setting a new benchmark for excellence and partnership in the industry.”
Within the field of alternative battery solutions, Instagrid has created a portable power solution for some of the smaller yet imperative tasks required of festival sites like Shambala Festival – providing portable battery packs throughout the build, live
festival and break down to reduce the event’s environmental impact.
Instagrid ONE provided clean, reliable energy without the noise or fumes typical of combustion generators, aligning with Shambala’s ethos of environmental responsibility. The team behind the unique festival were able to reduce CO2 emissions significantly while maintaining the festival’s energy needs. With its lightweight and portable design, Instagrid ensured power access in even the most remote parts of the festival, making it an indispensable asset for impact-conscious events like Shambala.
The management team decided to have three units deployed at any one time and two on charge, so that they could be rotated with minimal disruption to the end users. At peak, during the live show, all five units were deployed briefly to necessitate power in remote areas.
Battery packs were charged from a mains grid connection, on a green tariff, provided by 100% renewable energy.
“T his is the type of product we really need onsite,” enthused Chris Johnson, CoFounder and Director of Shambala Festival.
“It’s a briefcase with power! If anyone needed to use power tools at a remote location, or power a cabin temporarily, or any emergency, they could just take an Instagrid ONE and get it sorted immediately. We have them on buggies ready to go.”
ACT 1.5 CLIMATE ACTION ACCELERATOR
In the same way that Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres camp came out the gates expressing how they hoped to tackle the topic of sustainability of every element of the production, Massive Attack’s Act 1.5 Climate Action Accelerator adopted an holistic approach. TPi took the time to speak to some of those involved in the project to hear
what they provided to the event. “We began looking at this gig as far back as 2021,” stated Power Logistics Senior Project Manager, Alex Cameron. “Our approach and reputation for delivering sustainable power solutions coupled with relationships with key stakeholders undoubtedly earned us a seat at the table.”
For t he project, Power Logistics specified and deployed the pioneering battery solution for the one-day event, including bars, infrastructure and site utilities. “This included collating all stakeholders’ requirements and entering them into our system, which was utilised to plan the site and where batteries would be positioned,” stated Jack Wills, Project and Asset Manager for Power Logistics.
“We then devised a plan and oversaw the charging of the various batteries involved, including those sent back to the Stroud site.”
The team also deployed its bespoke in-house energy monitoring site wide and provided realtime data throughout the entire build and show period,” he added.
When it came to power usage for the show, the entire production was powered by batteries charged by renewable energy ensuring no diesel or even HVO generators were required onsite. Ecotricity provided a 3MWh stage battery w hile Zenobē provided t he remainder of the batteries required on-site.
“T he batteries were topped up using other batteries on Volta electric trucks which in turn were charged up using solar and wind connection in Ecotricity’s site near Stroud. We also had smaller batteries that could be moved around site for smaller loads for the build and break power. The fact that there was zero diesel or even HVO burned powering the site is hugely
significant and lays strong marker for w hat c an be achieved,” stated Cameron.
“We’re committed to driving innovation in sustainable power solutions,” concluded Cameron. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve pioneered power monitoring, the use of HVO, battery storage, hydrogen power and using grid power. This was an opportunity to push the boundaries of what’s possible and work alongside likeminded people in our industry who are championing change. Ultimately, it will give us valuable data that we share with the industry, increasing awareness across the board when it comes to the options available to us to reduce power consumption and waste across all areas of site.”
On t he topic of HVO fuels, KB Event was also on site providing the production transport solutions. The team collaborates with Volta: Electric Trucks to efficiently t ransport t he batteries to their destination and minimise the use of diesel. KB didn’t just reduce its diesel usage but completely swapped it out, using 100% renewable energy and hydrogen for transportation using fully electric Volta trucks and Scania gas trucks. KB’s MD, Richard Burnett, and Project Manager, Howard Dearsley, collaborated closely with Massive Attack’s production team, as well as green electricity suppliers and gas and electric truck providers. Together, they developed a logistics schedule that ensured the site’s power demands were met from setup right through to show and de-rig.
THOUGHTS FOR THE FUTURE
Founded in 2015, V ision 2025, is a not-for-profit dr iven by a steering group of outdoor events industry associations and leaders in t he field
Luke Howell of Hope Solutions; Chris Johnson of Vision 2025; Paul Schurink of Showpower.
of sustainability in live events and the arts. Speaking from a Vision 2025 perspective, Chris Johnson outlined his thoughts on what had been a busy year for those working in the sustainability field in 2024.
“I c an’t speak for the entire industry as Vision 2025’s focus is on live outdoor events, but there certainly seems to be a sea change in people’s willingness to act,” he stated. “The industry feel likes it is maturing as we collectively consider the architecture of change. Previously, the discourse used to be quite siloed between each event, but now people are sharing more information.”
He also cited Massive Attack’s upcoming performance in Liverpool, where the organisers have looked at the city as a whole ecosystem and how transport and supply chains can all work together. “We increasingly have inspiring leadership across the industry, showing what is possible when it comes to sustainability solutions,” he said. “However, there is still a gulf between what is achievable for well-resourced events and artists, and the majority of the event market, which as small to medium-sized enterprises. They need support to transition to more green practices.
It appears collaboration and the sharing of ideas is key to the progression of sustainability in the sector. Moving forward, MIT ESI (Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Environmental Solutions Initiative) has announced the assembly of an advisory committee as it enters the next phase of its Assessment Report of Live Music and Climate Change in the US and the UK, supported by Coldplay, Warner Music Group (WMG), Live Nation, and Hope Solutions. This newly selected advisory committee is made up of over 50 members with assorted, specialised expertise in live music and the event industry, as well as academia.
With greater attention than ever before, it will be exciting to see how productions will mitigate the environmental impacts of touring and live events in the future.
www.hopesolutions.services
www.zapconcepts.com
www.showpower.com
www.atlascopco.com
www.powerlog.co.uk
www.kbevent.com
www.vision2025.org.uk
www.environmentalsolutions.mit.edu
THE STORY BEHIND NICLEN UK
Luke Merrilees, Managing Director at NicLen UK, discusses NicLen’s expansion into the UK market and what the future has in store for the dry hire company…
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Beginning its expansion into the UK in early 2020, NicLen UK has now become an important part of the NicLen family, alongside its headquarters in Germany and bases in the Netherlands, France and Switzerland. The UK operation recently moved into a new warehouse location, over five times the size of its previous space. Heading up the UK operation is Managing Director Luke Merrilees who gives TPi a brief history of the branch.
Having already worked in the dry hire business, Merrilees knew the team from NicLen in Germany and together decided to open a UK base for the business, spotting a gap in the market for a purely dry hire company that provides a large portfolio of lighting, audio, rigging and video equipment with a broad
range of brands and options available across all sectors, along with the stock levels to cover projects of all sizes.
Breaking ground early in 2020, the pandemic inevitably slowed growth, although Merrilees enthused how his partners in Germany stood by him. “It was a tough time to start a business but thankfully we were still a small team in the UK then. We were offered a few rentals in the height of COVID, but the prices were far lower than usual. Due to the support of the German base, we felt confident to say no, with the foresight that we wanted to protect the value of the products we’d invested in as well as our own customers investments.”
Post-pandemic and the boom in the UK events space that followed, meant that NicLen
UK was able to increase staffing levels and pull forward the need for more warehouse space. Merrilees added: “NicLen has been going for over 30 years in Europe, and always saw huge potential in the UK market so, with Brexit looming, it made sense to have a location and personnel in the UK.
“T he growth we’ve experienced over the past five years – even after COVID – is a testament to the hard work of our team and the outstanding support we’ve had from NicLen’s German office.”
Growing into the 25,000 sq ft warehouse at the tail end of last year, NicLen UK has no intention of slowing its development. “When we first viewed our new space, we were intimidated by how big it was but when our stock was
Photos: NicLen UK
put in, it filled up quickly so racking is next on the agenda,” he added. “We are planning to continue investing in new equipment and infrastructure and also want to get our name out there more. We’ve been lucky with those customers and suppliers that have long-lasting relationships with us – we really appreciate them.” NicLen now hires 10 staff in the UK, often taking on freelancers to cover its workload, but it aims to grow steadily and solidly.
Taking pride in stocking equipment from all the major and most popular manufacturers, as well as lesser-known or more budget-friendly options is important to NicLen UK. “We of course have the big brands, but we also aim to be as accessible as possible to customers of all sizes. The fact that we can access equipment from our German HQ means we have an even deeper and broader portfolio readily accessible for the UK market to use, making us very agile.
It was important to Merrilees that the growth also benefitted the UK. “We try to buy from UK distributors so that we can start to build a solid relationship with them,” He commented. “We have fantastic relationships in Europe, and we wanted to extend the support we’re receiving there to the UK.
“Buying in the UK and renting into the UK means that the money benefits the country’s economy while also supporting our local distributors,” Merrilees explained.
“It’s better for the environment, better for the economy and also better for the staff who
have been able to forge relationships important with those companies,” he added.
It is also worth noting that the NicLen family offers far more to its customers than just its dry hire services, with several other subsidiary companies under its umbrella. This includes publitec as a distribution partner and reseller; tecAID, which specialises in repair and maintenance of technology equipment; Rudi Deluxe for used equipment sales; and PRIME logistics, the group’s event trucking solution. “We also have the Creator’s Corner for some of our more unique or ‘funkier’ products that might not be to everyone’s taste but give designers a chance to experiment and create more unique designs for their projects.”
To close, Merrilees outlined what he hopes the future might hold for Niclen UK. “While we have major growth plans and some exciting things on the horizon, we are careful to make sure we do things right. Some people still don’t know who NicLen UK are and what we have to offer, so it is very important for us to increase brand awareness and really show off what we can do and how we can help the industry on a dry hire basis while ensuring longevity and real client relationships.
“We have also recently started our transport and logistics offering in the UK, which includes some free and subsidised solutions in the hope of making it easier for our customers to benefit from using NicLen UK as their dry hire partner.” www.niclen.de/en
Luke Merrilees, Managing Director at NicLen UK.
IN PROFILE: ONEDOT
TPi visits Onedot’s HQ in Montreal to learn the origins of the turnkey creative house and explore the varied offerings it has for the live events community.
While it’s only been in existence for five years, Canada-based Onedot has already made a name for itself as a multifaceted business working in the industry. As well as being able to create impressive stage designs, the company’s vast production experience also ensures each project is feasible, offering a turnkey solution to event producers in multiple sectors.
St arted by industry stalwarts JeanSébastien Guilmette and Mathieu Couture, currently 90% of Onedot’s work takes place within the Canadian borders, with the company also exploring more international options.
This year’s highlights have included numerous festivals coving a range of genres, such as Latin music festival Fuego Fuego, Escapade Festival, Unity Electro Fest, Artikfest and Pentapic.
The company also looks after several international touring acts including Jonathan Roy, Clay & Friends, and Sultan + Shepard. With Couture holding a project management
role in a well-renowned equipment rental company and Guilmette specialising in production design and lighting operation for major design studios, the duo joined forces with the goal of offering a high-quality, turnkey service and to manage large-scale projects.
They settled on the name Onedot to symbolise their desire to bring diverse talents together around a common goal. “We believe in the power of mutual support and collaboration, setting aside the egos that often exist in the creative sector,” said Guilmette. “At Onedot, every member is part of a united team, where competition gives way to a collective challenge: delivering the best projects together.”
Since the early days, Onedot wished to go after more ambitious projects providing turnkey solutions to event producers. One of the primary motivations for the founders was to offer its collaborators job and life stability in an often-precarious sector. “We firmly believe that it is possible to make a living from one’s passion while maintaining a balanced life,”
stated Couture. “Onedot aims to establish a true structure in an extremely demanding field, including benefits such as insurance and a healthy work environment.”
One of the earliest successes for the company in 2019 was its work on the Metro Metro Festival, Canada’s largest outdoor urban music event, which led to several other collaborations. At this time the company just had had five full-time employees and 15 freelancers. COVID inevitably slowed things up for the business, but from 2021 onwards it continued to expand its turnkey projects.
Following a move to a new office space in 2023, the following year saw the merging with Patrick Fortaich who brings 14 years of experience as the Production Operations Director of Canada’s largest independent producer, along with his expertise from his company, L1VE Events, adding a production dimension to the offering. Additionally, Onedot also expanded its services by becoming representatives for EPS, the supplier of crowd
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Onedot
control equipment and flooring. Today, Onedot now provides a service range that includes production, technical direction, and visual design, supported by 16 employees and around 30 recurring freelancers with over 75% of its projects delivered in a turnkey format.
Looking at the list of events, it’s clear that Onedot does not want to focus on one type of project. “Having a diverse range of events to manage allows us to better allocate our resources throughout the year,” commented Guilmette. “Each sector has its peak periods, which helps us diversify our revenue sources year-round. In the summer, we focus on festivals and sporting events. Then in winter, we concentrate on designing tours and corporate events. Also, throughout the year, we operate venues like New City Gas.”
The company is also a proponent of the full in-house solution as it simplifies the process for its clients. “It reduces the number of external stakeholders, which speeds up the project while minimising costs,” said Guilmette.
“Having this range of expertise allows us to produce designs that we know are feasible both technically and in terms of production.”
The team went on to use the Bet99 stage for Escapade as a good example of this. For the stage, the team deployed a massive video wall measuring 124ft wide by 10ft high, arranged in an accordion style, which required a high level of engineering. The Onedot team managed tight deadlines while integrating suitable technical solutions, such as choosing powerful fixtures that could make a significant impact alongside the video, addressing the specific challenges of the design.
Looking to the future, Onedot’s ambitions for 2025 include strengthening its foundations, particularly by improving its responsiveness and customer support. “We aim to attract larger projects while maintaining a high level of client satisfaction,” concluded Couture. “Our goal is to deliver more projects while upholding the quality standards that define us.” www.onedot.ca
Onedot’s Associates Jean-Sébastien Guilmette, Mathieu Couture and Patrick Fortaich.
A NEW ERA FOR THE EUROPEAN GIANT
Boasting one of the largest rental stocks in Europe, French juggernaut Groupe Novelty works in multiple sectors from live touring to large-scale events, fixed install, and many more. With the group recently undergoing a major rebrand to cater for its international expansion, TPi speaks to Technical Director, Nicolas Savigny, to find out more.
The term ‘360 supplier’ is one that often gets thrown around the live events space. At its most basic definition, 360 refers to a supplier that can provide the trifecta of audio, lighting and video. But some companies and groups take this definition further, being involved in every aspect of the entertainment sphere, from inception to completion.
Following a conversation with Groupe Novelty Technical Director Nicolas Savigny, it was clear that the group he represents very
much falls in the latter, much less crowded camp. As a collective, Groupe Novelty not only boasts one of the largest stocks of entertainment equipment in Europe but also offers a plethora of services to take an event from concept to reality including the R&D, fabrication of stages, backline, special effects and, naturally, all the PA, moving lights and LED needed to entertain audiences of all sizes.
If you’re scratching your head and wondering who Groupe Novelty are, don’t worry
– this is the new, rebranded name for NoveltyMagnum-Dushow. The group features several companies involved in numerous aspects of the live events sector.
Dushow is likely to be familiar with TPi readers as the rental house behind many French tours and events, last seen in our magazine leading the charge at Global Citizen’s Paris event in 2021 in front of the Eiffel Tower. More recently the company has handled several large arena and stadium shows, such as
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Your Wolf Agency (opening image), STUFISH and Groupe Novelty.
Dynamic and Engaging Live Event Sound
Funktion-One’s Vero VX is a highly efficient, sonically engaging live event sound system that is very easy to handle. Its advanced array rigging system, including the award-winning VX M-Beam, ensures fast and accurate deployment. Vero VX delivers full bodied audio with unprecedented dynamic range, dimension and fidelity for next level audience experiences.
singer Mylène Farmer, who recently performed three nights in the Stade de France.
A total of 15 companies fall under the group’s umbrella including Novelty, Magnum, Teamagine, On Stage, BBS Backline, De Préférence, Potar, Dushow, Alabama Média, Best Audio & Lighting, Nomad, C17 and Seven. All companies have their own niche and sector, from Novelty, which focuses on corporate and fashion events, to the group’s research and development division, Teamagine.
All the companies over the years have established a strong reputation within France but, with the group’s rebrand, Groupe Novelty hopes to further expand its presence on the international stage. With a simpler name and brand identity, the goal is to ensure that more of the global community understands the capabilities of the group.
To give an overview of the type of work Groupe Novelty is involved in, the company states that 72% of its turnover comes from events delivery with 9% from AV equipment rental and the remainder coming from a combination of engineering, sales, installation and maintenance of audiovisual equipment.
Although not making up a huge part of Groupe Novelty’s business, the company has completed some impressive install work, including the automated 17-tonne LED cube designed, manufactured and installed by Alabama Média at LDLC Arena, Lyon [see issue 34 of MONDO | STADIA].
The scale in which Groupe Novelty operates is truly incredible, being involved in over 15,000 events each year with an annual turnover of €370 million. Among the companies, there are 20 warehouses scattered throughout France with a further 12 in other territories including
London, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Milan, Monaco, Lisbon, Doha, Dubai, Dammam, Riyadh and Marrakech.
CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE GROUP
“My role within Groupe Novelty is to coordinate all the technical parts of the different brands and businesses within the group,” began Savigny, explaining how he acts as a gobetween to ensure consistency between all the brands within the group. “I oversee a lot of the investments made by the group at large. Despite being involved in different sectors, we try to ensure that each company invests in a similar type of products.”
He went on to explain how having identical brands and products across all companies and territories has multiple benefits including offering a consistency in service throughout the group. “For example, let’s say a company in the group puts on an event in the Middle East. They should be able to produce a similar standard of delivery as we would be able to in France,” he stated.
This means that any time Savigny is looking at a new investment, representatives from the major players in the Groupe Novelty will also be brought into the decision.
Savigny estimates that the group invests €30 million in new equipment annually. He explained that he has a close working relationship with many higher-ups of the leading manufacturers from the lighting, video and audio worlds, giving special mention to the likes of Robe, Chauvet Professional and L-Acoustics. As well as being a frequent visitor to all the large international tradeshows, Savigny revealed that a lot of his job involves trips to major manufacturing hotspots – such
Nike activation at the Pompidou Centre, Paris; Global Citizen Festival in Paris 2021 with technical oversight from Dushow; Groupe Novelty Technical Director, Nicolas Savigny.
as Asia – to speak to the manufacturers and ensure the product fits the requirements of the entire group. “We always like to be there from the beginning of a product’s life,” stated Savigny who used the L-Acoustics L2 release as an example of Groupe Novelty’s close involvement in product development, being one of the first companies to take stock of the new system.
While it’s key for the group to ensure it has a steady stream of the latest products, it is also vital for the group to have a channel to sell off any older gear to ensure that its warehouse does not fill up with redundant equipment – a task focused on by one of the companies within the family, Nomad.
Product development is a topic very close to Savigny’s heart, having been the founder of Groupe Novelty’s R&D company, Teamagine. “When it comes to this strand of the company, it’s all about ‘making the impossible, possible’,” he stated. The company’s role in the wider group is to support clients to find tailormade solutions. But on that note, Savigny asserted that there was a line that the group would not cross, and that was that Groupe Novelty are “not designers” but wish to facilitate the visions and ideas of creatives.
He went on to give an example of how the Teamagine team demonstrated this ‘solution-mindset’ with a Nike activation at the Pompidou Centre, Paris, which saw an installation of a 5,000 sq m LED screen on the side of the famed building. “Teamagine is currently involved in numerous projects including the development of new products for the lighting industry,” he stated. “We also have structural and mechanical engineers on hand to find solutions to complex
staging and instiallation ideas.” He went on to highlight some of the work for clients needing large LED setups, giving a nod to Alabama, the group’s LED specialist.
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE
The sheer number of services that Groupe Novelty offers clearly make it an appealing prospect to an international audience but, according to Savigny, there’s something else that makes the group special: “The French touch,” he chuckled . “As we’ve expanded our reach, especially in the Middle East, one of the first ways into this region has been due to our work in the fashion industry.” Known for being a market with high standards where everything must be 100% correct when it comes to events delivery, Savigny listed many of the clients he and his team have worked with, such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, as a marker of the level the group operates at.
Although fashion runways are not TPi’s usual habitat, it illustrates the point that Savigny and the wider Groupe Novelty are trying to make – that here is another option for events solutions that the wider industry should consider. But with more artists moving away from the ‘stage-end’ show design, opting instead for sets that extend out into the crowd, from Billy Eilish to Drake and Kendrick Lamar, perhaps live touring does have more in common with the fashion runway than you might initially think.
We’re excited to see what work comes from the group in the live events sphere post-rebrand, both with its French homegrown talent and international productions looking for another solution. www.groupe-novelty.com
ADJ GROUP UNVEILS HALL 4
ADJ Group reveals a sizeable expansion to its European base with the opening of Hall 4. TPi reports from the new wing of the state-of-the-art complex in Kerkrade, The Netherlands.
One of my first trips at TPi was visiting ADJ Group’s European base. Almost a decade on, it was incredible to see the transformation of the company’s industrial park in Kerkrade, The Netherlands. The Group – which includes ADJ, Acclaim Lighting, Duratruss, Elation and Obsidian Control Systems – invited customers and staff members to see Hall 4 in all its glory.
The latest addition for the Group’s premises has total space of 4,771 sq m over three floors, with room for further expansion. The bottom floor features a new state-of-the-art QC area with the upper floors featuring new R&D labs, a service area and an extensive spare parts department with a staggering 46,000 bins. The service area has room for up to 20 technicians and the spacious R&D and servicing rooms are all situated in the circumference of the building – providing workers a view of the picturesque Kerkrade countryside.
“T his was a significant project which we felt was essential to allow our brands to continue
to serve customers with the highest possible standard,” commented ADJ Group President, Toby Velazquez, who travelled from the US for the grand opening. “This investment shows our commitment to excellent customer service not just through words, but with actions – building a new infrastructure and investing in people to ensure we continue meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers.”
The new QC space, R&D labs and servicing facility will allow for improved workflows as the Group continues its expansion in Europe.
During the opening event, guests were invited to look around the sizeable QC area with its electric, height-adjustable work tables, giving all workers plenty of space to oversee products before sending them to customers –allowing the Group to process more orders in a shorter time frame as well as increasing the storage capacity.
“Ecstatic” about this new facility, Patrick Huntjens – who leads the QC team for ADJ
Group in Europe – provided an insight into the sustainability measures implemented in Hall 4. Some 424 solar panel with the ability to generate 214Kw of electricity at peak and 200MWh per year will allow ADJ Group to offset the production of 100 tonnes of carbon, annually. Huntjens shared that one of his jobs was to “keep an eye on” the warehouse’s power usage, while ensuring products are “rigorously tested” before leaving the warehouse.
Following the tour of the facility with Elation’s Larry Beck and ADJ’s Eddie Short, TPi was welcomed to the upper floor of the warehouse for a reception and presentation sharing details of the build process of the new space, demonstrating ADJ Group’s dedication to increasing its commitment to customers and the service it can provide in Europe as well as increasing the frequency at which the Group can process new orders. www.adj.eu www.elationlighting.eu
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: TPi Magazine
THE MAKING OF LIVE EVENTS
Live events specialists unite to launch a national campaign to educate young people about the range of career opportunities available.
In partnership with PLASA, The Power of Events, Production Futures and LIVE, Adlib has produced a 20-minute film which highlights the myriad of different jobs within a dynamic industry that is currently estimated to be worth over £70bn to the UK economy.
Adlib’s Andy Dockerty said: “The events industry is one of the largest sectors in the UK with many of its specialisms developing rapidly. Most elements of the delivery of Live Events are unknown outside of the events industry and consequently not made available as an option to young people.
“As an industry we need to be directly engaging with schools, colleges, universities, local authorities, and Government to enable us to get the message out there about the fantastic opportunities and careers in the Live Events industry which isn’t just about the performers. On completing the film, we were delighted that industry-established organisations were keen to work together to collectively ensure school children from 12
upwards have a far greater awareness of the live events industry.”
The film captures what goes into the staging of a major live music event and focusses on the various specialisms that are needed to deliver a successful project from the initial communication to the finished delivery.
Dockerty, who is also Vice-Chair of PLASA and a member of the Liverpool City Region Music Board, added: “On completing the film, we were delighted that industry-established organisations were keen to work together to collectively ensure school children from 12 upwards have a far greater awareness of the live events industry.”
The Power of Events’ Rick Stainton commented: “This brilliant video will add an additional invaluable layer of engagement and education to young people in our nationwide programme to encourage them to consider the UK Events Industry as a viable career –the insight into the huge range of jobs roles on offer will match their broad variety of
backgrounds and interests.”
Sophie Beasor, Head of Operations & Engagement at The Power of Events, added: “The Power of Events is thrilled to lend its unique cross-seven sector reach to The Making of Live Events campaign. The video and related content will help reaffirm the industry’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of event professionals across the UK as part of The Power of Events’ Schools Engagement Programme.”
Production Futures CEO, Hannah Eakins, stated: “Production Futures is excited to collaborate with Adlib, LIVE, PLASA and The Power of Events on this important mission to highlight all hidden job roles across the production industry. We can’t wait to share the video with our diverse community of young people, parents, teachers, tutors, career advisors and production newcomers.”
Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE, said: “Live music brings joy to millions and is economically significant. Delivering gigs, festivals and tours
needs a dedicated, expert team supporting the talent on stage. Raising awareness of the range of roles available, and the routes into those roles, can only strengthen our sector. Congratulations to Adlib for leading on this excellent initiative that will help foster the next generation of off-stage talent.”
Meanwhile, Andy Dockerty says PLASA will liaise directly with the industry to develop ‘Work Experience’ opportunities with sector members. Dockerty concluded: “This industry collaboration is a huge commitment from the
sector to inspire young people and to make them aware of the vast opportunities available to them across this incredible industry”. Adlib’s film (www.liveevents.careers) was launched at London’s PLASA Show from 1 to 3 September and will be showcased at events around the UK over the following 12 months. www.adlib.co.uk www.plasa.org www.powerofevents.org www.productionfutures.com www.livemusic.biz
27 NOVEMBER 2024
10AM UNTIL 3PM PRODUCTION PARK, WEST YORKSHIRE 4 MARCH 2025 10AM UNTIL 3PM ROUNDHOUSE, LONDON
Adlib’s Andy Dockerty, The Power of Events’ Rick Stainton and Production Futures’ Hannah Eakins at PLASA Show.
X-LASER TRITON T SERIES
X-Laser President and Owner, Adam Raugh reveals the innerworkings of the first IP64 lasers fully engineered and built in the US, programmable using any lighting console.
Did you face any challenges bringing this product to the market?
“The biggest challenge to starting fresh is just the time it takes. Normally, when incrementing an existing product it’s just a few months in development, however, the Triton series was 18 months in development as we created new supervisory systems, better sealing, a more compact integrated shutter and more.”
How did you ensure durability while keeping the unit compact and lightweight?
“By keeping the machining of all housing components in house, we’re able to keep tight control of tolerances to ensure all the panels fit together very well. Doing our own machining means that we can spend a little more time on operations like panel lightening that may be cost prohibitive if we were paying for time on someone else’s CNC machines.”
How is Triton designed for easy maintenance or servicing in the field?
“We try to decrease potential points of failure and make the areas users do frequently interact with very rugged. Our remote stop line and data stream are combined into a single EtherCON cable into our integrated EtherStop switch using Neutrik EtherCon TOP connectors. Instead of multiple cables, it’s just one cable and we use premium connectors. The connector interface doesn’t have the switch circuitry on it, so after years of regular use when the connectors do begin to wear, they can be replaced without having to replace the sensitive and expensive circuitry.”
What challenges did you encounter integrating laser control with traditional lighting control protocols?
“Our biggest challenge is the preconceived
notions out there of laser control. Some of our biggest advocates of the Mercury firmware were staunchly opposed to DMX control of lasers... until they tried it.
“Once a lghting designer understands that the profile operates just like a moving head, suddenly they’re able to use their skills and the tools of the lighting desk to produce amazing effects quickly, and the laser feels like it’s just another type of lighting fixture to them from the control standpoint.”
What feedback did you receive from lighting designers and end users?
“Our relationship with our users is built on trust and constructive criticism; we love when they tell us what they don’t like so we can improve it. The first Triton prototypes performed well in the field but the feedback we got was that they needed to be easier to handle and the yoke should be redesigned, so we went back to the drawing board on those items and the end result is a very refined product.”
What safety features have been built into the Triton T Series?
“The Triton Series is all built to be more than compliant with the IEC 60825-1 standard including a Class IV reset system, dual emission indicators, low-profile but visible and durable labelling and an integrated fail-safe shutter system.”
What steps were taken during the design and manufacturing to ensure sustainability?
“One of the huge advantages we have with direct injection diode lasers is they are inherently very low draw for huge impact. A 40W laser system is enough power for a stadium show, but only draws 1,000W at its peak. We take steps to make sure our
manufacturing process is as sustainable as possible; nearly the entire housing is made of aluminium and the chips made in the process of machining the housing are recycled.”
Where can we expect to see the Triton T Series in the coming months?
“The Triton Series will expand with new power levels and different housing accessories in the coming months. You can see us at LDI in Las Vegas this December (booth #1885) or visit x-laser.com/pro to learn more, request a demo and get pricing on our full production-grade line-up.”
www.x-laser.com
Photos: X-Laser
X-Laser President and Owner, Adam Raugh.
INFINITY RACCOON S420/4
Infinity launches a new addition to the Raccoon series, TPi chats to Senior Product Manager Ron Schiffelers to get an insight into the new addition...
What was the primary goal of expanding the Infinity Raccoon Series?
“From the outset, the primary goal of the Infinity Raccoon family has been to offer a diverse range of lighting products aimed at the professional lighting designer. The latest expansion is a logical addition to the Raccoon family and adds a powerful weapon to the portfolio. With a strobe output of over 72,000 lumens, operators are sure to wow the crowd!”
What feedback did you get from lighting designers that aided in the creation of the S420/4?
“Feedback from the field included the need for an extremely bright strobe mode, very good colour mixing capabilities in wash mode, a high CRI for TV/studio/theatre applications, excellent cooling capabilities without reducing its output in warm environments or with prolonged use, and very quiet operation for the aforementioned applications.”
What features set the Raccoon S420/4 apart from other lighting fixtures in the market?
“The Raccoon S420/4 has exceptional RGBW colour mixing capabilities and can produce
colours with a high CRI. The use of a black PCB contributes to a blacked out look when switched off. And there are plenty of additional accessories available to ‘tune’ the Raccoon S420/4 to your needs, such as barndoors, a top hat, an L-Bracket, several diffusers and cases with or without accessory compartments.”
What aspects of the S420/4 are going to be of particular interest to the live entertainment and rental market?
“Specifically for the rental market and live shows, we have equipped the Raccoon S420/4 with a DMX chart that is compatible with the most popular strobe on the market today. This makes the Raccoon S420/4 an ultraconvenient replacement that works instantly and is easy to use and clone in existing shows.”
Where can we expect to see the fixture in the coming months?
“With its impressive output and IP65-rated housing, we expect to see, and have already seen, the Raccoon S420/4 at major outdoor festivals and large events where high output is required.”
www.highlite.com/en/raccoon-series
Photos: Highlite International
Senior Product Manager, Ron Schiffelers.
PIXMOB INTRODUCES MOVING VISUAL TRANSMITTER TECHNOLOGY
PixMob chats to TPi about its patented Moving Visual Transmitter (MVT) technology and its array of possibilities after shining at the Olympic and Paralympic games...
Photos: PixMob
Would you be able to explain what MVT is?
“The PixMob MVT is a controller technology that casts advanced animations and graphic effects across crowds. Paired with our immersive LED products like wristbands, the MVT turns audiences into a human-resolution tv screen, projecting effects across the entire venue to immerse them in the live experience.”
How many MVT fixtures are required for a large stadium show and how long does the setup tend to take?
“It really depends on the effects we want to create. If you just want to have a shape (a heart or a moon), you can do that easily with one machine. We can adjust the lens that we use to be narrower or wider as well (similar to a video projector). To create multiple effects at the same time or a full stadium graphic animation then you need multiple MVTs.”
What software is required to create these moving graphics that are then beamed out via the MVT?
“We use a Video Control Kit with a Media server to interface with the MVT. The content is uploaded to the media server and the DMX Console is used to control the MVT. You can use the DMX console to point MVT in the right direction or map the whole stadium, as if your audience was one giant video screen.”
The MVT fixtures were used at this year’s Olympics and Paralympics Games. What were some of your highlights from that show and what was the feedback from the organisers?
“For the Olympics closing ceremony, we activated our MVT tech to transform 70,000 fans into a massive human-resolution TV screen. Each fan wore our high-powered X4 LED Wristbands, becoming a ‘pixel’ in a canvas of animated effects.
“T he MVT then projected animations across the crowd that illustrated the long and epic history of the Olympics, from ancient chariot riders to a modern animation of the Olympic rings. These animations were designed using graphics from ancient Greek pottery, to bring Olympic tradition to life from past to future.
“Beyond the use of our MVT, we deployed our other technology at various Paris Games events; such as the Paralympics closing ceremony, where we lit up 60,000 fans with our X4 wristbands at their techno-fuelled dance party. PixMob’s LED technology was also featured in events including the women’s 200m and men’s 100m, as well as both women’s and men’s volleyball, and the paralympics rugby and basketball.”
Where are we likely to see the MTV next? “We plan to deploy this tech at more and more large-scale live events around the world. The
bigger the venue, the more space there is to design and play with the typically unlit, unused crowd space. We hope to see more major events and artists implement this tech into their shows; both to bring their artistic visions to a new dimension, and bring fans directly into the live experience in new ways.
“Coldplay, who is already using our MVT tech, is a great example of how the technology can be used to completely revolutionise the fan experience. We can’t wait to see how Coldplay pushes the tech to create even more effects and more magic for their fans in 2025!” www.pixmob.com
MVT technology was used for the Paralympics Closing Ceremony.
BRINGING BALANCE BACK TO THE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Following on from GTL Sessions, Client Director of SRG, Gary Brooks discusses how the industry can support freelancers with better cancellation policies...
Words: Gary Brooks
Image: SRG
Working for a professional services company that serves the live entertainment industry, the awards and exhibition season is always a useful opportunity to catch up with the people you’ve been working with over the previous 12 months. When I say professional services, I mean the likes of accountants, lawyers and, of course, my lot – insurance advisors.
This year’s GTL Sessions was one such opportunity that we at SRG (Specialist Risk Group) certainly made the most of. As soon as I saw the launch of GTL Sessions and in particular the Speed + Sync sessions, I thought this was the perfect forum for our experienced team to go and talk about our new venture.
I did a lot of work in esports previously and these types of events were very successful for suppliers and people who represented the performers, too. Suffice to say that it worked.
Considering the stretched-out format, and the fact that the TMs weren’t on the clock, we had plenty of time to convey the points that we wanted. It was clear that people got a lot of value by being able to listen to us without limitations across the whole event.
At some point early on, the penny dropped. I’d spent my time prepping for the event,
selfishly considering the one-way flow of information to those representing the industry. Surprise then followed that it’s what we’ve learned and consequently taken away from the event that could make the biggest difference.
Paul Jones’ presentation of the LIVE Freelancer Survey was an eye-opener for providing a look into the future of the industry from the perspective of those who prop it up and make it work. There were themes that came out from it that provoked interesting conversation throughout the days and crucially made me sit up and think.
It ’s not for me to offer a view on the state of the industry as it is today. However, I can say that the survey highlighted some worrying trends, with symptoms of an industry that looks to have been healthier in the past, and it makes you think what can we do to help?
I took great interest in what was said about contracts, cancellations and payments, and I empathised with how the rising costs of event cancellation insurance is a major challenge to promoters. In particular by causing organisers to run an event without cancellation insurance or for the cost to contribute to a decision not to run the event at all. These scenarios can
negatively impact the freelancer community. Aside from the work that can be done on cancellation insurance, I think there is greater scope for an improved insurance offering to freelancers which will do something to help make things a little easier.
Innovation in this area has tended to be limited to making products available online, but when that removes the personal service and advice aspect, it’s not an improvement.
Over the next few months, our team will reflect on the feedback from the LIVE Freelancer Survey and much of the feedback received during GTL Sessions.
By listening to our customer base, we will scope out a freelancer insurance offering that not only provides easy access to the covers that are commonly required, but also contains an element of business services support, too.
The survey makes clear that there is work to be done to bring a certain balance back to the live music industry and foster new talent and variety – be that in the form of freelancers, artists, or indeed promoters. What we learned at GTL Sessions has inspired us to do what we can in our space to help bring that about.
www.specialistrisk.com
SOUNDING OUT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
A year into her role at L-Acoustics, Françoise Cardoso, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, discusses how she is implementing a framework for better sustainable practices at the company.
Words: Stew Hume
Photo: L-Acoustics
Following over a decade-and-a-half working in the food industry and specialising in sustainability, Françoise Cardoso made the move into the live events market – specifically to L-Acoustics to take up the role of Director of Corporate Social Responsibility. Her remit: to formalise a sustainable strategy that could then be implemented company wide.
“Sustainability has been deeply woven into the L-Acoustics’ strategy for 40 years,” began Cardoso when she sat down with TPi to explain her role at the company. “I’m here to valorise this rich heritage of sustainable practices and formalise a comprehensive strategy moving forward, while engaging employees across the company. I report to our CEO, Hervé Guillaume, showing that this topic is of great importance to the company.”
In a short space of time, the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility has already enacted some impressive feats such as bringing in a third-party consultant, ekodev, to conduct a full analysis of L-Acoustics’ carbon footprint assessment. This extensive assessment incorporated everything from how staff travel to work, to the footprint of its products and how they are delivered.
“W hen it comes to assessing what a company can do, it’s important to always have a baseline of facts,” she commented. “To our knowledge, we are the only audio manufacturer to have completed and publicly communicated such a comprehensive evaluation,” she added.
“Following the report, we are now in the process of creating a roadmap of where we would like to be in the next five years, setting a trajectory and targets to follow-up and monitor progress.” When it comes to enacting these
goals, one of the main methods is conducting workshops – which are run by Cardoso’s colleague Allison Sarrazin.
“T he goal of these workshops is to educate the wider team and give them the scientific facts as to why we are enacting these changes,” stated Cardoso .
But as well as education, Cardoso also works alongside all the heads of departments including Industry, R&D and Product Management. “This means I can align my road map with theirs, ensuring that sustainability is ingrained into everything we work on.”
She went on to express how she’d had great interactions with the R&D teams for instance. “The R&D team looks at integrating sustainability as an opportunity for new ways of thinking and often come up with great ideas.”
The solutions that have come from this collaboration include everything from identifying new materials that the speakers are made from to optimising power consumption of amplifiers. She’s also working with the Industry team to improve sustainability in the supply chain by improving production modes and making inclusion and diversity a priority.
One product that already has the hallmarks of having a ‘sustainable’ focus is the L Series – the construction of which requires 56% less paint, 30% less wood and 60% less steel. The end result is 30% less volume and 25% less weight, which allows productions to cut truck space and therefore the footprint the products have on the road.
Away from individual productions, the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility gave a wider view of the discussion around large company changes that in turn would
lower the environmental impact of L-Acoustics. Earlier this year the company announced the opening of a new regional distribution centre in Singapore in collaboration with leading global logistics provider, GEODIS.
As well as being an indicator of the company’s commitment to growth in the APAC region, she explained that this would enable L-Acoustics to be more strategic with its distribution. Rather than making oneoff shipments to individual customers, the new Singapore operation is able to predict demand and therefore allow L-Acoustics to ship products in bulk via more environmentally friendly methods like sea, rather than airfreight, which would be a huge carbon saver.
“W hile working in the food industry several years ago, there was a notable ‘food revolution’ against sugars and additives, which contributed to both the health of consumers and the planets,” she mused. “I think that the events industry is undergoing a similar change where we are really debating how to make things better.”
According to the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, the only way this will reap real rewards is down to communication.
“W hen I joined L-Acoustics, I also joined the Music Sustainability Alliance (MSA), which was created to bring organisations together to tackle the climate crisis,” she commented.
Cardoso also pointed to A Greener Future and Earth Percent as examples of industry leaders collaborating to improve the sustainability of events and tours – two resources she strongly recommends others working in the field investigate.
www.l-acoustics.com
NAVIGATING OCEAN FREIGHT
Global Motion’s Senior Project Manager John Corr shares the challenges facing Ocean Freight and the innovative, sustainable solutions the team are implementing to maintain their record.
Words: John Corr
Photos: Global Motion
Working in freight and logistics, we’ve always had to monitor geopolitical shifts closely, from 9/11 to the Iraq War, each event triggers a ripple effect. But, no past event compares to the widespread and lasting disruption caused by COVID-19. The pandemic reshaped almost every facet of global logistics, forcing us to adapt to unprecedented changes in demand, operational hurdles, and other constraints.
Post-pandemic, the live music industry has thankfully rebounded, but Covid’s legacy remains - a significant increase in supply chain disruptions, and high inflation (touring costs are estimated to have risen by as much as 30%).
The perennial question for us is, “Can we get from a show here on this date to a show there on that date?” Once we’ve confirmed we can, we ask “can we do it economically?” and “can we minimise our environmental impact?”
We actively seek ways to shift moves to less fuel-intensive modes of transport, and as a team we’ve reduced the need for aircraft charters by combining road and ocean freight. Ocean freight generates significantly less CO₂
emissions than air freight - up to 47 times less per ton of cargo transported - we have also found that by utilising alternative ports, we minimise transit times and bring cargo closer to its final destination.
There’s a common misconception that Ocean Freight is less secure than other modes of transport, we apply the same principles to ocean containers as we would when loading tour trucks: ensure the load is balanced and securely strapped.
We’re very hands-on and issue a best practice document for container loading, which minimises equipment risk and ensures compliance with international maritime laws,
We’ve also challenged the traditional “return to base” approach by securely storing equipment across regions for extended periods until the tour returns, allowing more flexibility for planning and logistics.
Ocean Freight is notoriously less reliable than air freight, and its dependability has significantly declined since COVID. As a logistics company, we’ve always planned
ahead, but this level of unreliablity has prompted a thorough assessment of ocean routes to eliminate any we deem as risky. From the moment they’re selected, our team tracks suitable routes closely. Vessels are monitored in the weeks leading up to loading and continuously from departure to arrival, allowing for timely interventions. This involves using various tracking tools and insights from shipping experts.
For instance, during the Red Sea crisis, we were removing containers within 36 hours before shipping lines fully decided to boycott routes through the Suez Canal and Red Sea. If t he team had waited for clearer information, vessels would have taken longer routes around South Africa, risking stadium show cancellations and potentially disrupting the entire regional tour. Our touring clients rely on us for exactly this blend of forward-thinking and deep industry expertise.
For instance, during Ed Sheeran’s tour we encountered issues with an ocean freight service that included multiple stops, so we
chartered our own vessel to ensure control over arrival date and consolidating shipments.
There are many variables in our industry, and many things that can and will go wrong, but I can proudly say, Global Motion turns 21 this month, and we’ve never missed a show.
We’re a people-led organisation, over the last 12 months, we’ve prioritised investments in developing future talent and education within the freight sector, highlighting the diverse opportunities our industry offers. Global Motion has also committed heavily to educational projects, independently and via
the government backed ‘Generation Logistics’ programme. Some of this work includes delivering sessions on STEM in secondary schools, actively promoting interest to freight forwarding as a viable career.
Celebrating over two decades in the industry, we pride ourselves on nurturing talent, promoting industry awareness and investing in innovative solutions. In a rapidly evolving world, Global Motion’s commitment to adaptability, sustainability and education keeps us at the forefront of logistics for the touring sector. www.globalmotion.com
Global Motion’s UK offices.
POST-TOUR RECOVERY
The Roadie Clinic’s Courtney Klimson and Lainey Wilson’s Head Rigger, Brandon Fitzgerald share coping mechanisms for adjusting to life post-tour.
US-based Brandon Fitzgerald began working in live events as a 20-year-old IATSE Local 22 stagehand. Fast-forward a decade and having toured most recently as Head Rigger for Lainey Wilson and SZA’s respective tours, he has experienced the highs and lows of life on the road.
“Coming off the road is an adjustment. When you think about the nature of our industry, time management and logistics immediately spring to mind. We are such an adaptable group of people, used to working under pressure. Where the transition becomes difficult is the lack of hard schedules and deadlines, which we are so accustomed to on the road, are no longer there when we are off it,” Fitzgerald said.
“Your adrenaline drops, and it can become difficult to adjust to and navigate everyday life, which can cause a rift in relationships and friendships. You find yourself wanting to go back because that organised chaos of work is a comfort, which provides structure and purpose,” Fitzgerald explained.
“It can be hard to see the warning signs. Families back home want to bring you back into life and catch you up on everything you’ve missed, which can be challenging without preloading,” The Roadie Clinic’s Courtney Klimson said, referencing personal coping mechanisms and additional post-tour tips drawn from Tamsin Embleton’s Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual (Chapter 30, p573)
“A lthough this varies on the individual and their circumstances, it is suggested to avoid making plans with friends or family for
at least the first 48 hours to allow yourself to get grounded again and figure out what that baseline is outside of the chaos, energy and adrenaline of a show day,” Klimson noted.
The first thing Fitzgerald does when he returns from a tour is rest. “After that, I try to get my life into some semblance of structure. A lot of people I tour with are friends and colleagues, so we check-in with each other, and we’ve created a support system to help keep us mentally afloat as we transition into our next project,” he said, referencing the compounding anxiety associated with being a private contractor. “Unless you have something immediately lined up, following the end of a tour, the anxiety of where your next pay cheque is coming from kicks in.”
Protecting your professional brand, building a vast network, while also making good financial choices on the road are ideal ways of overcoming the anxiety of waiting for your next gig, according to Klimson, who pointed to helpful resources such as Giggs, a professional career platform for live event production personnel, and financial advisors, Life’s Jam.
“I would also venture that more than half of roadies are on the neurodivergent scale, so it’s a case of educating friends and families on how best to support those coming off the road, safely,” Klimson remarked.
Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, one of the things that prevents Fitzgerald from burnout is adequate sleep. “I’m usually the first person in and the last to leave a venue. However, there are moments throughout the day where I will find ways to
recentre – meditate, do yoga, take a nap, and make sure I’m eating and hydrating to account for the lack of sleep. I always find a way to decompress to keep myself in a good headspace because the job is very demanding, and if you don’t take care of yourself, you can break,” he explained.
Moving forward, Fitzgerald believes the industry can do better to support its workforce. “If you’re working on a complex show that is on the road for a long time, there is no option to not turn up to work if you are sick or in pain, so I think tours should be more mindful of creating spaces and incorporating nuances to make the crew’s lives more pleasant because that’s how you retain crew. If they are protected, they will always want to come back, but if they are being treated like a commodity and not a human, they will leave – not only a production, but the sector,” he said.
The more that we are aware and are educating touring personnel and their support teams, the greater shift we will see in attitudes and working conditions. “I have seen the evolution over the past decade,” Klimson noted. “We now have wellness practitioners and mental health providers like Amber Health touring with artists. There’s more hope with artists entering the touring circuit and supporting their workforces. Contrarily, on smaller tours, it’s about remembering the humanity and putting human-centred leadership at the forefront.”
For more information about The Roadie Clinic’s services and resources, visit: www.theroadieclinic.com
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: The Roadie Clinic and Brandon Fitzgerald
The Roadie Clinic’s Courtney Klimson and Lainey Wilson’s Head Rigger, Brandon Fitzgerald.
FREELANCERS: ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF
Following the launch of NOWIE 2.0, Director of Electric Cat Productions and NOWIE, Cat Kevern, and freelance marketing specialist in the live events industry Megan Johnstone-Mackie discuss the importance of advocating for yourself.
Words: Alicia Pollitt
In the fast-paced, unpredictable world of freelancing, it can be easy to get caught up and push beyond the usual limits. To discuss this issue further, TPi caught up with Cat Kevern, Director of Electric Cat Productions and NOWIE (The Network of Women in Events) along with Megan Johnstone-Mackie, Marketing specialist within the events sector, to discuss how freelancers might advocate for themselves and what strategies they can adopt to champion themselves as they move through the industry.
NOWIE 2.0 offers a f ull rebrand for t he organisation, seeing it become invested more in community interest t han ever before and specialising in gender equality and opportunities for women in t he events industry. With a report f rom LIVE (Live Music Industry Venues & Entertainment) seeing 87% of its respondents reporting t hat f reelancing provides t heir primary income, it is no secret that t he industry relies on f reelancers to continue to t hrive. Freelancers are estimated to make up at least 72% of workers in t he music industry, w hich is w hy t he conversation around ad vocating for yourself is so crucial. “Every industry relies heavily on f reelancers, especially t he live events space, and it’s
so important to make sure t hat t hey’re looking after t hemselves properly,” Kevern commented. “ I believe in t he industry and life in general you get out w hat you put in, but t hat shouldn’t mean t hat you’re exploited for your hard work or overworked.”
W hen posed t he question ‘ What c an freelancers do to advocate for t hemselves?’ both women emphasised t he importance of community, w ith it being NOWIE’s number one pillar. “ Building t hat support system around you is crucial,” Johnstone-Mackie commented.
“Speaking to your contemporaries, t hose w ho work in t he s ame industry, gives such a clear vision of w hat is expected of you and your employer – ensuring no grey area.”
“Confidence is probably t he backbone of ad vocacy for yourself,” Kevern commented. “Not only in yourself but your abilities and morals. If you work for and w ith people w ith the s ame values as you, it doesn’t matter w hat obstacles you come across because you c an overcome t hem w ith communication.”
T he LIVE survey also discovered areas freelancers believe could be improved, including financial security, better pay, flexibility and work-life balance – all topics both Johnstone-Mackie and Kevern have been
vocal about. “ There has definitely been a level of uncertainty surrounding pay rates in t he industry for t he past couple of years, and as an industry we need much better t ransparency surrounding pay,” Kevern commented. “ That includes advertising your rates early in t he hiring process and paying invoices w ithin a good timeframe.”
“Another big factor for me is k nowing w hat boundaries and expectations an employer has in mind for me,” Johnstone-Mackie explained.
“W hat are t he r ules if somebody doesn’t turn up to a meeting? W hat are t he r ules if somebody cancels on you at t he last minute? It would benefit so many f reelancers if t his was made clear before starting each role – or if it was a st andard industry-wide.”
“Advocacy begins w ith yourself,” Kevern told TPi. “ This includes shouting about individual wins, instead of brushing t hem off. I t hink it’s al ways going to be hard to advocate for yourself and t here is a line between boasting and championing yourself, but w hen you are open and able to t alk about your experience, people appreciate it. People want to hear good things, so don’t be afraid of shouting about milestones in your c areer!” www.electriccat.co
Cat Kevern and Megan Johnstone-Mackie.
MYCONIAN COLLECTION • MYKONOS • 6 - 9 MAY 25
World exclusive event designed for Tour Managers and Tour Service Suppliers to build long lasting industry connections
Register your interest here:
ROYAL
EMILY CASSIDY
TPi chats to Director of Conferences at Rock Lititz to get an insight into this year’s event and what attendees can expect...
What is your role for THE Conference, and how has the past year been since the past event?
“I have had the privilege to work as THE Conference Director since our launch in 2022. Each year, we have been blown away by the interest and engagement from across the live event industry, and that was absolutely the case this year. This December, we are welcoming almost 80 sponsors and partners to campus as well as growing the audience to over 1,000 attendees. We look forward to welcoming everyone back, showcasing some new experiences, and maintaining the connectivity among our attendees that defined the past two years.”
What can attendees expect from the 2024 version of the event?
“We know that many attendees come in a day early, so this year we will be offering training, round tables, and activities on 3 December before the Welcome Party.
“We are also doing less content in the big studio and increasing the number of deep dives and activity-based sessions throughout THE Conference based on feedback from attendees at last year’s event.
“Attendees can continue to expect inclusive social events, diverse voices, and an emphasis on making the industry better for the next generation in live. There have also been some big changes on the Rock Lititz Campus. Since last year’s conference, the Academy of Live Technology has opened on campus.
“Attendees can expect to attend sessions and social events in that brand-new space as well as interact with some of the students’ projects. There will also be content held in the new Studio 3, a medium-sized rehearsal space that opened this year. Additionally, the campus has gone through a revamp to improve parking and traffic. Walking through campus between each session will be faster and easier. “
“We have a large number of new speaker voices joining THE Conference this year. I am really proud of the content that the team, led by Rachel Hales, is putting forward this year and the speakers who have agreed to be a part of it.”
Emily Cassidy, Director of Conferences at Rock Lititz
Are there any suggestions from attendees from the previous two years that you are enacting for the 2024 event?
“We take our attendees’ feedback very seriously and work each year to integrate it into planning. At the forefront of a lot of our attendees feedback was making sure that we continue to strike a balance between our vendor and production voices. We instituted a new ticket policy this year to try and stay true to that promise. We also increased the number of activities, increased the amount of time between sessions, and added more healthy, plant-based options to the menu.”
What are some of the aims of the Advisory Board that you announced earlier this year?
“THE Conference Advisory Board members worked with us throughout the year to add new insight into the planning and execution of the event. From content to speaker suggestions, we had them take a front seat in the planning process to ensure that we continue to grow
and innovate. We are so excited to have Jason Danter, Angie Warner, Malcolm Weldon, Giovanni Vargas, Jerome Crooks, and Andrea Espinoza on this inaugural board.”
Lastly, what are you most looking forward to for the 2024 edition?
“We have a large number of new speaker voices joining THE Conference this year. I am really proud of the content that the team, led by Rachel Hales, is putting forward this year and the speakers who have agreed to be a part of it.
“T here is such a wide variety of perspectives that I think will foster some truly important conversations. But if I am being honest, it is likely the moment my team turns on Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You at the very end of the finale party and sings at the top of their lungs. It’s silly, but it means we pulled off another successful year for this amazing industry.”
www.theconferenceliveatlititz.com www.rocklititz.com
ADAMSON CONTINUES TO DRIVE THE EVOLUTION OF SOUND REINFORCEMENT WITH UNRIVALED POWER AND CLARITY.
adamson40.ai
Adamson Systems Engineering proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of innovations in sound reinforcement.
Founded by Brock Adamson, the company has consistently redefined audio technology with numerous patents and iconic products. From the legendary MH225 to the latest VGt Line Array, Adamson's loudspeakers have become the trusted choice for top touring engineers and prestigious venues worldwide.
The company’s dedication to in-house manufacturing ensures that every component meets the highest standards of quality and durability. As part of its ongoing evolution, Adamson has invested in advanced manufacturing technologies, including a $4 million electronics facility, to enhance production capacity and meet growing demand.
With a legacy built on passion and innovation, Adamson Systems Engineering is excited to shape the future of audio technology and reinforce its commitment to excellence as it embarks on the next chapter of its journey.