TPi December 2013 - Issue 172 by Mondiale Media

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

W W W.TPIAWARDS.COM

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2013

ISSUE 172

LIVE EVENT DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY • DECEMBER 2013 • ISSUE 172

JESSIE J

THE BRITISH SINGER STUNS WITH SPECIAL EFFECTS ON HER LATEST ARENA OUTING

SL20

UNITY - A CONCERT FOR STEPHEN LAWRENCE • IN PROFILE: KINESYS • IN THE SPOTLIGHT: CLAY PAKY • BRYAN FERRY • JAY-Z • ROCK IN RIO • SUB FOCUS • BUSSING AND TRUCKING MARKET FOCUS

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PRELUDE

SL20 As the end of the year draws to a close at Mondiale Publishing, it’s amazing to look back at what we’ve been lucky enough to be a part of this year. I had my first ever Glastonbury experience and discovered that Girl Guides had in fact taught me absolutely nothing about camping. I travelled to Texas for an inner city, multi venue festival for possibly the most prestigious live music showcase in the world, SXSW, and aside from talking to the engineers and operators in a multitude of settings, I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting several companies at their own premises, including Robe which hosted an incredible Showlight conference in Prague last May. In this, our final issue of 2013, I hope we’ve delivered another magazine worthy of a good read in your catering and bus areas, offices and mixing stations. We’ve had reporters out on the road capturing the likes of Brazil’s Rock in Rio, Sub Focus’ academy-sized run which proved capable of obtaining a spectacular production, Bryan Ferry in a stripped down affair and cover star, Jessie J, who wowed with golden pyrotechnic water as one of her visually enticing backdrops. However, I’d like to draw your thoughts to a very special gig which took place at London’s O2 Arena. Unity - A Concert For Stephen Lawrence was brought to our attention by event producer, AEG Live. This production was a celebration of Stephen’s life for a cause which raised a significant amount for The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, a foundation which funds and promotes educational opportunities for young people. I also spoke with automation solutions company, Kinesys, about its 10th anniversary. If you don’t know what this company does already, you can check out its achievements and learn about its success story on p. 58. There’s not much left to say, other than as you read this, the TPi crew will be in America for more company visits and trade show reportage from LDI. From everyone at TPi, we wish you a very happy Christmas and an amazing New Year celebration. As always, if you have any projects you’d like to feature in TPi, get in touch with your news. So here’s to a 2014 full of technical innovation, creative challenges and live productions worthy of a worldwide audience.

“This production was a celebration of Stephen’s life for a cause which raised a significant amount for The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust...”

Kelly Murray Editor

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Editor Kelly Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk

EVENT FOCUS 6

14 International Advertising & Sponsorship Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk Advertising Sales Kieren Gardens Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7733 113284 e-mail: k.gardens@mondiale.co.uk

PRODUCTION PROFILE 28

Issue 172 / December 2013

E SPOTLIGHT

Sub Focus A fusion of drum ‘n’ bass, house and dubstep creates an immersive EDM event.

Bryan Ferry TPi sees the Roxy Music icon in his native North East.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 56

Clay Paky The innovative Italian manufacturer introduces the new Aleda B-Eye.

IN PROFILE 58 Kinesys Exploring the history of Kinesys in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

PSA 70

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited under licence. ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2013 Mondiale Publishing Limited. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Publishing Ltd, nor the Editor, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential loss or damage resulting from information published. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited United Kingdom. The 2013 US annual subscription price is 117USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Publishing Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK.

Jessie J Pop sensation Jessie J hits UK arenas for an action packed show entitled Alive.

Contributors Sarah Rushton-Read, Simon Duff

Annual subscriptions (including P&P): £42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW). Subscription enquiries to: Subscriptions, Mondiale Publishing Limited, Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, UK; Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580; Fax: +44 (0)161 476 0456; e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk

Depeche Mode The band prove they’ve still got it, 33-years and still going strong.

Printed by Buxton Press

Jay-Z The US superstar tours for the first time in four years with the help of UK-based LS-Live.

Intern Luca Furio

Ed Sheeran The British singer-songwriter and his acoustic guitar take to the stage in New York City.

General Manager Justin Gawne

Cover Photography Jessie J by Emily Hutching

Poppy Appeal Concert A concert in remembrance of the World War One armistice.

www.tpimagazine.com • www.tpiawards.com

Rock In Rio DiGiCo rocks at one of Latin America’s most historic and influencial large-scale musical events.

Graphic Design & Production Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Mel Robinson: m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk

Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh

Unity AEG Live delivers A Concert for Stephen Lawrence, commemorating the tragic event 20 year on.

The Bigger Picture Andy Lenthall talks us through the ups and the downs of fall arrest technology.

MARKET FOCUS 72

Bussing and Trucking We bring you the touring world’s bussing and trucking services.

MOVERS & SHAKERS 78

Appointments The latest industry job news.

VITAL STATS 82

Lee Moro Meyer Sound’s Lee Moro faces our questions. 05

EVENT FOCUS: Unity

UNITY A CONCERT FOR STEPHEN LAWRENCE On April 22 1993, a tragic event took place in London, UK, that would not only take one life away, but destroy the lives of an entire family and shake the nation. On that night, over 20 years ago in South East London, 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence was murdered in an unprovoked racist assault. The aspiring architect was unknown to his killers and to this day it’s thought that not all those responsible have been brought to justice. The significance of this mindless crime has resonated with the British public ever since. The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was set up in 2000 to honour his memory and to inspire and support other young hopefuls. In 2008, The Stephen Lawrence Centre opened in Deptford, South East London, allowing more young people than ever before an opportunity to nurture their future potential. And this year, the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, it was decided that The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust would put on an event in remembrance of Stephen’s life. 06

Straightaway, award-winning British singer Emeli Sandé agreed to perform at Unity: A Concert For Stephen Lawrence. This led to the trust contacting Simon Jones, Sandé’s promoter at AEG Live, about the company staging the production. Hosted by Nick Grimshaw and Reggie Yates, the concert was part of the SL20 Campaign, which is celebrating Stephen’s life with a series of awareness-raising events. Funds raised from the show will go to The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, to help create a brighter future for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. PRODUCTION AEG Live Event Producer, Keith Wood, was joined by Kahren Williams - who explained: “It was a very worthy cause to mark the tragic event that occurred 20 years ago and to celebrate Stephen’s life and his legacy for the future. Unity received incredible support from UK Music industry as a whole - from record labels to artists, management and the

EVENT FOCUS: Unity

Opposite: The concert for Stephen Lawrence was part of the SL20 campaign, which is celebrating Stephen’s life through a series of awareness-raising events. Below: Emeli Sandé and Jessie J were among the artists to perform on the night.

media - who came together with the spirit of cooperation needed to make this event happen. They all wanted to participate and help out in any way they could.” Before the technicalities and logistics could get underway, a music committee was formed, under Chairman David Joseph from Universal Music, featuring Managing Directors from other major record labels, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Stephen’s mother, and The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, The artist management teams and Rob Hallett, Keith Wood and Kahren Williams from AEG Live all worked together within the committee in order to turn this noble idea into a fully-functioning, dynamic reality. London’s O2 Arena was chosen as the concert’s venue and AEG Live was tasked with a variety of duties on top of event production, marketing, staff, appointing the creative and technical teams, hiring additional crew and working out rehearsal needs for the acts, among them. Wood continued: “The very nature of this

type of event - which saw 15 artists performing two songs each - meant there was a very quick change over time, as little as two minutes, between acts. From the start, the production team opted for a house band on stage (directed by Kojo Samuels) for live instrumental, but performers were also given the option to play ‘unplugged’.” Alongside Emeli Sandé, the line up featured Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Plan B, Rizzle Kicks, Rudimental, Jamie Cullum, Rita Ora, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Beverly Knight, Labrinth, Dizzie Rascal, and the London Community Gospel Choir. With such short change overs, and big artists in tow, another challenge for AEG Live was enabling each to have a different look for the broadcast elements of the gig. Both BBC1 and BBC3 showed the performances and a live album was being recorded, the proceeds of which would again raise funds for the charitable fund. As for the production suppliers, Wood had a clear idea of who he was going to trust for

the job: “We knew from several years of doing similar multi artist events at both the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium that the audio team were going to be under pressure, so we went with Liverpool-based Adlib who we have worked with many times now. We used Neg Earth and XL Video because we they both know this format from some of our previous events and we trust them to deliver what’s needed. “After the event was announced we were approached by several major suppliers offering assistance or equipment,” Wood added. “We were very grateful, and we brought some on board where we could. For example, Inner Sanctum provided all of the dressing room equipment, red carpet arrivals and dressing based on the most fantastic deal due to the charitable status of the event.” During pre-production, ably handled by Amanda Crane coming on board to advance Artist logistics, Music Bank’s Jimmy Mac was in charge of rehearsal space and backline potential for the show. He commented: “We

EVENT FOCUS: Unity

Below: Labrinth performed his two songs.

set them up in the North Studio which has an arena size stage. Time was very tight as you can imagine, getting so many high profile artists together isn’t very easy!” Music Bank also provided a Yamaha S6 premium piano and the house band’s entire backline, rolling risers and equipment transport. “Once Kahren Williams had visited, I dealt with Artist Liaison Manager, Anna Golden and it was a pleasure to work with my old friend Kojo, MD for the house band, along with Stage Manager Mike Grove. It was basically a joy to be involved with Unity. The show ran like clockwork and the fact that it was to support such a great cause was the icing on the cake.” VISUALS Wood and Williams handpicked the creative team, with Set and Lighting Designer, Peter Barnes and Video Content Producer, Richard Shipman, at the helm. “They worked together to form a seamless and evocative background in sympathy with the theme of the show,” Williams enthused. Said Shipman: “I tried to keep the visual style reminiscent of the ‘90s, to reflect Stephen’s image being ‘frozen in time’.” The visuals were also arranged to complement several artists’ own song themes, creating a modern contrast to the atmosphere. Shipman designed and produced all the screen visuals and during the show, delivered screen content and cut cameras 08

CTV The OB facilities company Video supplier, XL Video, had a team on site coordinated by Project Manager, Gareth Jeanne. Barnes conceived the screen design with input from XL Video. It consisted of a six metre wide by 4.3-metre deep Pixled F12 LED screen upstage, with three pairs of Stealth legs flanking the stage. The legs were all 1.6-metres wide, with the front pair taller and the back pair lower, to give a shrinking perspective.

show was programmed on the media servers and then triggered by an MA Lighting grandMA Command Wing.” The d3’s were all the latest hardware versions, running R11 software that has improved video capture. Although the d3’s and the rest of the video equipment was supplied by XL Video, the grandMA Command Wing came from Light Technik. Shipman also cut the camera mix using one of XL’s brand new Grass Valley K-Frame

“We knew from several years of doing similar multi artist events at both the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium that the audio team were going to be under pressure, so we went with Liverpool-based Adlib who we have worked with many times now.”

XL also supplied two 20ft by 11ft screens for left and right IMAG projection, each fed by a rear projecting Barco 20K projector. The Stealth and the Pixled screens received creative content stored on d3 servers programmed and run by Shipman. d3 Programmer, Luke Collins, used two d3 4U V2.5 machines for the media server set up; one on full duty and one as a live backup. Said Collins: “We chose d3’s because of their ability to treat multiple different screen types and resolutions as a single canvas. The

switchers running GV’s Karrera software platform. VTs were played into the system from an EVS machine in the broadcast truck outside the venue to the rear screen; IMAG appeared on the side screens while playback content and ambient visuals for the live performances were sent from the d3 servers to the LED screen and the three sets of legs. XL also supplied a substantial amount of infrastructure including switching, distribution, cable management and plasma relay screens.

EVENT FOCUS: Unity

Below: XL Video was in charge of all the visual displays for the concert, the on site team was headed up by Project Manager, Gareth Jeanne.

“Working with Kahren, Keith and Holly Sanderman (AEG Live’s Project Manager for the event) is always great. Of course we’ve all been under stress together before, so there are no surprises anymore! And working with Pete Barnes is always a joy too,” concluded Shipman. XL’s five-strong crew was completed by Engineer Gerry Corry, Projectionist Mark Cranham and LED Techs Matt Gourd and Steve Grinceri. Jeanne commented: “We were all very proud to be involved with so many respected

industry specialists and creative talent for such a high profile show to help highlight the excellent work of The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.” Peter Barnes, who previously worked with AEG Live on the likes on Capital FM’s Summertime and Jingle Bell Balls, is used to the O2 Arena as a canvas for his designs. He told TPi: “Originally, Unity was designed as a vibrant pop show as I had no idea which bands would be involved, but as the acts were confirmed it

took on more of an urban feel. On the creative side, we wanted to make sure the video content and the lighting worked in unison.” It took around five months from Kahren Williams’ initial phone call inviting Barnes to join the Unity team, for the entire pre-production to be completed. “Being a one-off show with the main goal being to raise as much money as possible for The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, we looked at adapting existing set pieces [created by Production North] as opposed to

EVENT FOCUS: Unity

Below: Monitor Engineer Ben Booker; Video Content Producer, Richard Shipman; AEG Live Event Producer, Kahren Williams; and TPi’s Production Manager of the Year, Keith Wood.

building a stage set from scratch. So it took a little while to work out a look that everyone was happy with, but it looked great in the end,” Barnes said. “As it was being shown on TV, the lighting side is more of a challenge. You always need some lights in the rear of shot or the picture looks too flat. From a punter’s point of view, they are generally looking from the same angle for the whole show, but the broadcast cameras are looking at the stage from every angle.” The lighting fixtures from Neg Earth comprised 53 Clay Paky Sharpys, two Clay Paky

Professional MAC Viper Profiles. The lighting desk of choice was a High End Systems Hog Full Boar with Wing. “I used quite a few Sharpys in the show as their tight ‘pencil beams’ always work very well on TV and show up against the brightness of the LED screens,” noted Barnes. Visual effects were further enhanced by Dan Mott and Steve Britton of Pyrojunkies, the duo were on-hand to provide red, white and blue confetti during the concert’s closure. Blizzard style confetti was also fired during the end of Sandé’s hit record Next To Me.

“It was an honour, a challenge and a unique show to have worked on with such an amazing and accommodating team of dedicated people backstage... and the TV broadcasts attracted one million viewers, reaffirming the powerful memory.”

Stadium Hazers, 16 Martin Professional 3000 DMX Atomic strobes, 24 Showtec Sunstrip Active DMX battens, 42 Martin Professional MAC 2000 Beams, 10 Martin Professional MAC Viper Profile moving heads and 42 Philips Varilite VL3500 Spot moving heads. Additionally, lighting for the TV requirements included Robert Juliat Flo 1800W followspots and four Martin 10

AUDIO Audio supplier Adlib was signed up by AEG Live following the success of similar events at the O2, such as the Capital FM Jinglebell Ball. Adlib’s Audio Manager, Phil Stoker, explained: “The loudspeaker system design had to be able to deliver the demands of a sold out pop show, yet be as discreet as possible so that it didn’t

interfere with the aesthetics of the set for what is primarily a live TV show rather than a ‘gig’.” System Tech Tony Szabo chose an L-Acoustics K1 system (eight hangs in total) with K1SB and SB28 subwoofers, complete with Kara and ARCs for fills all powered by L-Acoustics LA8 amplified controllers. The system was controlled by Lake LM44 loudspeaker management units. The monitors comprised 32 Adlib 15-inch and two-inch MP4 bi-amplified wedges on 12 mixes and a wealth of IEM systems. Two Adlib 15-inch MP4 subwoofer were also utilised and amplification was handled by six Lab.gruppen PLM 10000Q’s. At FOH, two Avid Venue Profile mixing consoles were used, with two Soundcraft Vi6’s in monitor world, all running 96 channels. Monitor Engineer, Ben Booker also employed an Allen & Heath Qu-16 compact digital mixer to sub mix eight channels of keys for several artists. “The Qu-16 gave me an option to run each song as a different scene, so levels, EQ and compression could be changed per artist,” Booker explained. “I also used the QuPad app to remotely mix the keyboard levels and adjust compression and HPF on channels in rehearsals.” Concluded Stoker: “These shows can be terrifying to administer from an audio point of view, but as with any gig like this, it’s all about the team you are able to put in place. Once again, the Adlib regulars did us proud and

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EVENT FOCUS: Unity

Below: The concert raised a significant sum of money for The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which works to create a brighter future for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

we were very glad to be involved with such a worthwhile event.” The audio crew were led by Marc Peers, with Ian Nelson as FOH Engineer, Michael Flaherty as Patch Hero, Tommy Bradshaw as Stage Patch and Simon Lawson as RF Management. Mark Saunders and Andy Lillywhite of Sennheiser provided much valued on-site assistance with the complexities RF demands. Microphones specified for individual artist preference were as follows: Rita Ora used an SKM 2000 with 935 head, Emeli Sandé chose an SKM 5200 with 5235 head, Ed Sheeran sang with an SKM 2000 and 865 head, Rudimental used the SKM 2000 Series with 935 heads, as did Tinie Tempah and Dizzee Rascal, and last but not least, Sennheiser provided Jessie J with the SKM 5200 with MD 5235 head. All IEMs were the Sennheiser 2000 Series and the concert’s presenters used SKM 5200’s with KK 105 heads. OUTSIDE BROADCAST Special consideration for the outside broadcast elements meant that two 96-channel line systems were split into separate broadcast trucks and constant communication between both was vital. 12

Red TX was commissioned to handle the broadcast audio by Paul Dugdale, who was directing the project on behalf of TV. Dugdale previously worked with Red TX during the summer when the company recorded another AEG Live event - The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park. For Unity, Red TX used its main Red 1 outside broadcast vehicle, with engineers Tim Summerhayes and Ollie Nesham at the controls. “We knew the event was going to be challenging due to a tight schedule and the sheer amount of artists and tracks,” Dugdale said. “As a director, it’s such a blessing having someone like Tim involved, not only because I know he’s great in those high pressure situations, but the finished product will come out sounding amazing too.” Summerhayes added: “We recorded the concert as live because we had enough time to create snapshots during the soundcheck. We also had some time the following day to tidy up the audio before delivering it to The Farm where it was dubbed and made ready for broadcast on the evening of Tuesday 1 October. Although there were a large number of artists involved, it was a relatively straightforward project and we were all really pleased with the results.”

AN HONOUR AND A CHALLENGE The Unity concert raised public awareness about that tragic event 20 years ago, especially among those too young to have known about the incident at the time, who may still benefit from the legacy of Stephen Lawrence’s life, pioneered by his loving mother. The last word goes to AEG Live’s, Kahren Williams who concluded: “It was an honour, a challenge and a unique show to have worked on with such an amazing and accommodating team of dedicated people backstage, that we’re hoping to establish the show as an annual event. The TV broadcasts attracted one million viewers, reaffirming the powerful memory. “Unity also raised a significant sum for The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, allowing continued funding for its students, further education bursaries and social and educational programmes.” TPi Photos: Scott Davies, Des Willie www.stephenlawrence.org.uk www.unity.net www.aeglive.co.uk www.adlib.co.uk, www.negearth.co.uk www.xlvideo.tv, www.red-tx.com

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EVENT FOCUS: Rock in Rio

BRAZIL’S ROCK IN RIO ESTABLISHED IN 1985 AND STILL GOING STRONG, ROCK IN RIO IS ONE OF SOUTH AMERICA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL LIVE EVENTS. WITH ITS EXPANSION NOW CAPTIVATING SPAIN AND PORTUGAL TOO, TPi HEADS TO BRAZIL TO SEE WHERE THIS MULIT-CONTINENT FESTIVAL BEGAN. A Brazilian military dictatorship ruled the South American country for more than 20 years in the last century. Upon its transition into a democracy in 1985, the country was the first in its territory to host a large-scale musical event, known then and still to this day, as Rock in Rio. The first edition of the festival - which welcomed 28 artists including the likes of Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and AC/DC - marked a point in musical history for Brazil. The festival progressed somewhat slowly in the beginning with the second edition not taking place until 1991 and the third a decade later in 2001. The latter breathed new life into the festival. After establishing itself in Brazil, organisers decided to branch out into Europe and spread the success. The first event in Lisbon, Portugal took place in 2004, followed 14

by Madrid, Spain in 2008. By the year of 2011, a decade after the last Rock in Rio had taken place in Brazil, the festival returned. From that year forward it was decided that the location would switch between Latin America and Europe. This year’s festival took place at the City of Rock, a specially built venue on the site where the Olympic Village will be located for the 2016 Summer Olympics and ran over two weekends in September and attracted approximately 600,000 fans in total. It welcomed guests as diverse as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen and headlining on the closing night was iconic British metal band, Iron Maiden. Long-time supporter of the gig, rental house Gabisom supplied the audio equipment for the 11th year running. Gabisom deployed a massive live PA system, featuring a total of 152 JBL VTX

V25 full size line array elements, 46 JBL VTX S28 arrayable subwoofers and 24 JBL G28 groundstacked subwoofers. Powering the system were 122 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amplifiers. The system was managed with JBL HiQnet Performance Manager software. “We have enjoyed tremendous success with JBL VerTec line arrays at previous Rock in Rio festivals and we saw this year’s festival as an opportunity to capitalise on the increased power and controllability of the VTX line arrays with Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers,” said Peter Racy, Chief Engineer of Gabisom. “The system performed exceptionally and we are confident that our Harman products will continue to accommodate the needs of the audience and performers as Rock in Rio continues to grow each year.” For mixing requirements, there was primary set-up at FOH, however, most visiting engineers

EVENT FOCUS: Rock in Rio

Opposite: The main stage, Palco Mundo at Rock in Rio. Below: Peter Racy, Chief Engineer of Gabisom; Iron Maiden FOH Engineer, Martin Walker.

put in special requests for additional equipment. Iron Maiden FOH Engineer, Martin Walker, added two DiGiCo SD7’s to the line-up - one for FOH and one for monitors. These would have been supplied from the Gabisom rental stock but as it happened, Iron Maiden were travelling with them anyway. Racy said: “We try to have everything and anything in our rental stock that people might ask for. People looking for high-end products generally ask for DiGiCo. We were one of the first to carry the brand in Brazil and it’s been going from strength to strength ever since. “In my experience, fans of DiGiCo desks like them because of their sound quality, robustness, ease of use and the amount of features they offer. It’s simply a great control package,” he continued. Walker has been working on an SD7 whilst being on tour with Iron Maiden since May this year, finishing up in Chile just the day

before Rock in Rio, so he certainly knows his way around the desk. He furthered: “It’s a desk designed and built by boffins but from an operator’s point of view.” Iron Maiden had around 40 inputs from the stage and the SD7 easily took care of that. Walker commented: “The sound in the field (i.e. not broadcast) at Rock in Rio for me was great, the two systems per hang idea is a very brave one to present in a festival situation, and to be honest, I was a little nervous about jumping in feet first with a band like Iron Maiden headlining such a big show. But I’m glad I did and I found the results very pleasing, the separation one can achieve with that set up is nothing short of amazing. It’s an idea I am seriously considering for future Maiden stadium shows.” On monitor duty was engineer, Michael P. Mule. He has been working on DiGiCo consoles since 2003 when he used a D5 for A Perfect Circle. He too uses an SD7 with 40 inputs and

28 outputs, including all three guitar players on IEMs as well as stage wedges and side fills for the band - Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain. Mule said of the DiGiCo desks: “They have always afforded me the luxury of adding mixes, copying channels, and moving things around on the fly with ease. They have great EQ and onboard effects and I use the tube emulators quite a bit as well. “Since Janick Gers, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray have moved to in-ears they love the quality of sound the console provides. In using all the old Iron Maiden turbo wedges and side fills, the console delivers a great sound without compromising on the boxes that Steve and Bruce like!” TPi

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SPEARHEADING STAGING EVOLUTION www.stageline.com

EVENT FOCUS: Poppy Appeal

POPPY APPEAL CONCERT AIMING TO RAISE AN AMAZING £37 MILLION IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY AND ARMISTICE DAY, THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL 2013 WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED WITH A CONCERT FOR ARMED FORCES FAMILIES AT RAF NORTHOLT ON 24 OCTOBER. Hosted by television presenter Gethin Jones, the show featured The Saturdays, X Factor’s Union J, up and coming pop star Tich, Britain’s Got Talent finalists Luminites and The Poppy Girls - five girls aged between 10 and 17 who are daughters of serving armed forces men - who performed the official Poppy Appeal 2013 single, The Call (No Need to Say Goodbye). Production services company SW19 took on the challenge of producing the concert. The company’s Charles Ellery is no stranger to such events, having worked on a number of them for the Royal British Legion over the last few years. “Charles and I first worked together on the Poppy Appeal in 2010, when we staged a concert at Colchester’s Melville Barracks,” Becky Warren, PR Manager for the Royal British Legion, said ahead of the show. “The Appeal itself has constantly developed since then. Now, we put on this style of ‘pop up’ Poppy Appeal pop concert for the armed forces and their families, which really brings it up to date. This year, it’s all about supporting the families who, in essence, serve alongside those that are serving.” RAF Northolt was this year’s perfect location, being one of the places that the Legion delivers its welfare service, but the invitation was 16

extended to other bases, including the Navy in Portsmouth and Army barracks in London and Aldershot. So 3,000 armed forces personnel and their families came together to enjoy the evening. “We wanted it to be a brilliant experience for the families,” Warren continued, “but we need the wider public to know that the Poppy Appeal has launched and by doing something like this, with such popular acts, we are sure it will draw the media’s attention.” SW19 brought in Capital Sound to provide audio requirements, STL Lighting, Creative Technology for video hardware and Star Hire for the stage and grandstands. Raw Productions provided all the video content and Zest supplied cameras and recorded the show, which has been archived for future playback and internal use. SFM Security ensured that all artists were well taken care of. “To put on this event, we have to deal with all of the requirements, all the different entities, from The Royal British Legion through to the contractors, and we needed to make it happen on a secure, active military base,” explained Squadron Leader Richard Willis, Station Media and Communications Officer and Project Officer for The Poppy Appeal launch. “Everything from access for contractors to the fire requirements

has to be taken care of.” “The Legion is a wonderful client,” said Ellery. “They are patient and they trust me to put together what they want as a finished product. The time schedule this year was pretty tight and we also handled the Armistice Day event in Trafalgar Square on 11 November, so I cleared my desk of everything else for the duration to concentrate on those two projects.” With the concert held in the hanger that used to house Winston Churchill’s personal aircraft, a Grade II listed building, particular care and attention was needed. “The hangar is an empty structure, so we had to bring absolutely everything in,” Ellery explained. “As it’s listed, we couldn’t hang anything from the building itself, it all had to be free-standing. I needed a team I knew I could rely on, so I chose each company because of their experience and expertise.” Alongside Ellery was Stage / Production Manager, Jem Melluish, who he has worked with on previous Legion projects. “He’s great,” Ellery smiled. “He just makes the stage happen, which means I don’t have to think about it, allowing me to concentrate on the bigger picture.” Production Assistant, Dina Van Der Elst worked alongside Warren on artist and press liaison, while SW19’s Lisa Santos and Leila

EVENT FOCUS: Poppy Appeal

Opposite: The Poppy Appeal Concert is held in aid of raising funds for the Royal British Legion chairty, which provides care and support to serving member of the armed forces, veterans and their families. Below: The Saturdays and The Poppy Girls performed at the concert, which was hosted by Gethin Jones.

Farhangi-Farrell provided vital support back at the SW19 office. “SW19 is a professional company that does things like this all the time. It’s been really good because they’ve scoped the site out, they know what’s required, they just get on with it and we don’t have to worry,” continued

Squadron Leader Willis. “Working with Charles in particular, who has done this many times and knows exactly what he’s doing, has been really easy. The whole thing ran very smoothly. The military have a can-do attitude anyway, even when there are last minute requests we try to just make it happen. But our need to do that

was very much the margins, as the bulk of it was done by SW19 and the contractors.” Capital Sound supplied a Martin Audio W8LC line array, with Martin Audio S218 subwoofers, powered by Lab.gruppen amplifiers for the front of house system, with Martin Audio LE1500 wedges for stage monitoring. Yamaha PM5D

EVENT FOCUS: Poppy Appeal

Below: X Factor’s Union J and newcomer Tich took to the stage at RAF Norholt where fans of all ages enjoyed the show which was produced by SW19.

digital mixers provided control at both ends. “It’s a great combination,” said FOH Engineer Kevin Smith, who, along with Monitor Engineer Fabrice Quirin, mixed all bands other than The Saturdays, who brought their own engineers. “It just works,” he added. “It’s easy to rig, so it flies up quickly, and it’s punchy and versatile.” “We used six Sennheiser 500 Series radio mics for singers,” added Quirin, “plus two for presenters, along with six sets of G3 in-ears one for me, the other five for artists. We also had wedges on stage for anyone that wasn’t using in-ears.” STL Lighting provided a creative package, complementing the strong graphics on Creative Technology’s screens, which comprised a Flyer 12 LED screen at the back of the stage, two projection screens for IMAG positioned either side of the stage, plus projection onto the rear wall of the hanger. “We were given a pretty free hand,” said STL Project Manager Phil Parsons. “Charles’ brief was that he wanted the LED screen at the back of the stage to be as big as possible, so we kept the back clear and produced an atmospheric look. Because the show was being filmed, we made sure there was a good level of front light for the cameras.” To achieve this, a combination of STL’s new Robe Pointe moving lights, along with DTS Nick NRG 2101 moving head projectors, DTS Titan LED projectors for scrim washes, Thomas 4 Cell and 2 Cell DWE Molefays and LDR Canto 1200 18

followspots were used, as well as Showtec Sunstrip Active DMX battens to give a bit of a rock ‘n’ roll feel, with control via an Avolites Pearl Expert desk running Titan software. John ‘Spoons’ Clark, another CSE veteran, manned lighting FOH, handling requirements for all bands except The Saturdays, who again brought in their own LD. “I pre-programmed a few looks and chases, but I also mixed as we went along,” said Clark. “I had to look after the cameras as well the live audience and try not to blast them out. We also had to take care that none of the lights shone directly out of the hanger doors, as that would have caused a big issue for air traffic control.” Working with The Legion throughout the year to provide all of its video needs is Raw Productions, which gave this year’s event a very up-to-date look and feel with its graphical representation of the iconic poppy. “We had four live cameras, which we were cutting to the outer screens, mixed with VTs that were played back within the programme,” said Raw’s Ryan Wilkins. “We produced all the VTs, some of which have been released throughout the year and some, such as the story of the Poppy Girls, were bespoke for this show. There were four VTs in total, spaced throughout the show. We also created all the graphics, including the new poppy motif. “We wanted to give the show a slightly X-Factor look, as The Legion wants to appeal to a younger audience these days, so a lot of the

VTs reflect that. For example, there’s one we did on base jumping in Switzerland.” “It was really important that the station personnel were there, but equally so that they were able to bring their families,” said Squadron Leader Willis. “One of the things that the Poppy Appeal wanted was lots of service people in all their different uniforms. This has visual impact, of course, but service personnel being able to bring their children widens it out to the next generation. “It’s a great free event with some super acts, but it also means that the Poppy Appeal message gets out to the wider community and will carry on for years to come, which is our ultimate aim.” TPi www.britishlegion.org.uk www.sw-19.net www.capital-sound.co.uk www.stlproductiongroup.co.uk www.stareventsgroup.com www.rawproductions.tv www.uk.ct-group.com www.evetrakway.co.uk www.q-sfx.com www.stagemiracles.com www.btconnecthosting.com/sfmltd www.gldproductions.com www.thepowerline.co.uk www.blackout-ltd.com, www.surfhire.net www.globalinfusiongroup.com

EVENT FOCUS: Ed Sheeran

ED SHEERAN THIS AUTUMN, SINGER-SONGWRITER ED SHEERAN PLAYED THREE SOLO SHOWS AT NEW YORK CITY’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. PERFORMING TO NEARLY 20,000 SCREAMING FANS, SHEERAN AND HIS ACOUSTIC GUITAR WERE SUPPORTED BY A POWERFUL AND TRANSPARENT MEYER SOUND LEO LINEAR LARGE-SCALE SOUND REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM THAT KEPT THE SHOWS CLOSE, DESPITE THE ARENA’S SIZE. According to Chris Marsh, Sheeran’s FOH Engineer and Production Manager, it was important to maintain a personal connection between the artist and his legion of adoring fans. “That feeling of immediate presence is crucial,” he said. “It helps everybody feel that Ed is up close playing an intimate show, despite that fact that he may be 80-metres away. With Meyer Sound’s LEO, we’ve managed to make the transition from clubs and small theatres into arenas without losing that atmosphere.” Raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, Sheeran moved to London in 2008 to pursue music full-time. There, he independently released his first EP entitled No. 5 Collaborations Project, which featured appearances from local grime artists, including the proclaimed godfather of the genre, Wiley. Since then, Sheeran has been steadily building his reputation as a varied live performer. In April 2010 he bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, US, where he performed at open mic nights all over the city and caught the attention of actor and musician Jamie Foxx. Foxx was so impressed by Sheeran’s songwriting skills he allowed him exclusive use of his Hollywood recording studio. 2011 saw the release of his debut album 20

entitled ‘+,’ which reached the Top 10 in seven different countries and included hit singles The A Team and You Need Me, I Don’t Need You. The A Team recently received a nomination for song of the year at the 2013 Grammy Awards and has sold over 57,000 copies. Having just finished 64 dates at arenas and stadiums across North America as the opening act for Taylor Swift’s Red Tour, Sheeran’s no stranger to an American audience or a high capacity venue. So he should be up for the challenge of Madison Square’s huge 18,200 capacity. Provided by UK-based Major Tom, the Meyer Sound LEO system was built around dual line array hangs, 12 LEO-Ms and four MICAs. Side hangs comprised a 16 per-side MILO line array, while six UPA-1Ps provided fill. A total of 10 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements were flown in cardioid arrays using MAS-1100 array spacers, with an additional six 1100-LFC loudspeakers stacked on the ground. The onstage mix was fed to Sheeran with six MJF-212A stage monitors and four 600-HP subwoofers. A Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system featuring two Galileo Callisto 616 array processors and two Galileo 616 processors supplied drive and optimisation for both FOH and stage systems. “LEO is an incredibly open-sounding rig,”

said Marsh. “Although Ed performs solo with acoustic guitar, the harmonies he builds with his loop pedal can be deep and complex, and no other system has handled them as well. I hear every part in the harmonies with superb separation, and the vocal sits effortlessly on top of the mix.” LEO was chosen for the New York shows based on prior experience in Ireland. “We had done five arena shows with LEO in Dublin and Belfast,” Marsh recalled. “In a production meeting with Ed and his management, we all agreed those were the best-sounding shows we’d done in two years. Basically, Ed said he wanted the sound system from Ireland for New York.” Marsh mixed the New York shows with a DiGiCo SD11 console, while a Sennheiser 2000 Series wireless system with an 865 capsule was used for Sheeran’s vocal. The pickup in his Martin LXE1 acoustic guitar was connected via an Avalon U5 direct box. Sheeran’s New York run featured special guests Snow Patrol for the first show and Taylor Swift for the second. TPi www.edsheeran.com www.meyersound.com

EVENT FOCUS: Jay-Z

JAY-Z’S MAGNA CARTA TOUR IS ON SOLID GROUND WITH LS-LIVE STAGE, SET AND STUDIO RENTAL COMPANY LS-LIVE IS BEHIND THE LOOK OF US SUPERSTAR JAY-Z’S CURRENT MAGNA CARTER WORLD TOUR, HIS FIRST HEADLINE OUTING IN ALMOST FOUR YEARS. THE EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN TOUR KICKED OFF IN MANCHESTER ON 2 OCTOBER, MAKING THE WAKEFIELD-BASED PRODUCTION REHEARSAL COMPLEX A CONVENIENT FIRST STOP ON THE SCHEDULE. Jay-Z’s Production Manager Bobby Schneider had worked with LS-Live on the successful production of the rapper’s one-off show for the BBC Radio One Hackney Weekend in the summer of 2012, so knew it would be the perfect choice for a rehearsal venue, stage set design and build. And he booked all the studio facilities for over a week in late October. Under the direction of Lighting Designer, Jesse Blevins and Designer, Willo Perron, LS-Live started work on what was to become its biggest project of 2013 - the creation of a full-scale stage set of internally lit cubes, functioning as both a dynamic performance platform for the artist and band, and a visual spectacular encompassing integrated lighting and LED panels. Cube structures form the basis of 22

two eight inch high, lit up runways in a ‘T’ formation for Jay-Z’s entrance and performance, with additional risers for him and the band at different levels; a pattern that is directly mirrored in the flown system overhead. The effect is a stripped back monochrome environment of flickering light, not too far removed from the look of New York’s industrial warehouse raves. It is also a progression of the symmetrical, multitiered structure LS-Live helped create in the studio for the Radio One Hackney Weekend performance. Said LS-Live Director, Ben Brooks: “There were two big challenges with this set, one was designing it so that it all packs down into as few trucks as possible, the other was to permanently integrate the LED strips and panels into the cubes for quick builds and de-

EVENT FOCUS: Jay-Z

Opposite: Jay-Z sold out arena dates throughout the UK. Below: Cube structures form the basis of two eight-inch high, lit up runways in a ‘T’ formation for Jay-Z’s entrance and performance, with additional risers for him and his band at different levels a pattern that is directly mirrored in the flown system overhead.

rigs on site while ensuring they could withstand the rigors of touring. “When the design first came through, we looked at the various options of how we could build the cubes. One possibility was to create individual cubes stacked on top of one another, but we realised that was not going to be practical to build or transport, so we set about making custom aluminium frames that flat packed and pinned together.” During this process, LS-Live estimated the whole set would pack into five arctic trailers, including its 2.2-inch high rolling house stage, which forms the base of the set, hidden beneath a series of mirrors to maintain the look of the cube set above. Encompassing 17km of aluminium in 2-inch

by 2-inch box sections - manufactured on site at Prolyte Products UK - the cubes are fitted with VER’s vertical and horizontal LED blade strips inside, with 400 Pulsar LED ChromaPanels attached under a makralon surface to provide a lit walkway for the performers. “When we first looked at the project these tiles were going to be video panels, but because they wanted to use them for single blocks of colour I suggested they use the Pulsar ChromaPanel [fixture], which I’m familiar with because we have these in our rental stock as a dancefloor,” continued Brooks. “VER purchased the ChromaPanel product to rent to the tour, along with the LED blade strips.” VER also provided chainhoists to attach to LS-Live’s rigging brackets on the flown pieces.

LS-Live introduced a labelling system for the cube structures to enable crew to quickly locate and build the set in the correct configuration on site. Every single piece is colour coded to a certain area, then numbered to indicate its exact position. Jay-Z’s riser pieces were blue and numbered one to four, each displaying whether it was the upstage edge, or upright, and so on. “We came up with the idea of creating branded panels for the side of each dolly we provided to follow this system through to the storage of all the pieces,” said Brooks. “Every dolly panel indicates the tour dates, our branding and a colour code - showing which area it goes in - with a drawing of the set in 2D showing where each particular piece goes. It also tells you exactly what’s stored on the dolly

EVENT FOCUS: Jay-Z

Below: LS-Live GM Mark Blount; Backstage Academy graduate Gareth Edwards worked on the Jay-Z tour as a set carpenter; LS-Live’s dance studio was used as the FOH programming room.

so you should never need to look for anything.” The 10-strong team of touring set carpenters includes Gareth Edwards, who graduated from the FdA Live Events Production course at Backstage Academy - LS-Live’s on site skills centre - in 2013. Brooks put Edwards forward for a position on the tour, having been so impressed with his talent and attitude throughout the course, and the work experience he had undertaken in the studio.

which was used for FOH programming - and the rehearsal room, which the band used for three days, we even provided chauffeurs for the team.” Commenting on the experience, Blevins said: “This gig was unique in that the timeframe that everything happened in was unbelievably short. Ben and his entire team went above and beyond. Anything we needed they were there for. Being able to tech and rehearse at

“This gig was unique in that the timeframe that everything happened in was unbelievably short.”

The Jay-Z production crew arrived with 15 trucks of equipment and rehearsals were in full flow at LS-Live from 24 September, where crew took over all the facilities in the building. “Every room in the studio was in use while they were here,” said Brooks. “All 14 en-suite bedrooms, two production offices, catering area, gym, green room, dressing rooms, dance studio 24

their facility proved invaluable. Any changes or modifications that we needed could be addressed immediately. “The private bedrooms were very convenient and comfortable as well. Being able to go from FOH right upstairs to bed in five-minutes was awesome, it maximised the little time we had.” They also took advantage of Load Cell

Rental’s tour weighing service as part of the LSLive package. Rather than relying on estimates of the weight loads of their flown equipment, they obtained an independent report including the calibration certificates of all the cells, which were set up and assessed. The crew loaded out at midnight on 1 October and arrived at Manchester Arena the next day, ready for the first gig on 3 October. “It’s been fantastic working with Bobby,” said Brooks, “it’s not been without its challenges, no set of this size ever is as there’s so much going on. It was 28 August that Bobby called me to say we’d won the set build and to be there five weeks later, with it built, was a great achievement and a real team effort. “Everyone has worked really hard and there’s been a lot of communication and time spent on getting the detail right at the start of the project, which has paid off because everyone loves it. Bobby loves it, Jay loves it, Willo loves it, and it fits in with Bobby’s budget.” TPi Photos: Livepix www.ls-live.com

EVENT FOCUS: Depeche Mode

DEPECHE MODE XL VIDEO RENEWS ITS LONGSTANDING WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH DEPECHE MODE, SUPPLYING CAMERAS, CONTROL, LED SCREENS AND CREW TO THE BAND’S DELTA MACHINE WORLD TOUR. Depeche Mode’s incredible 33-year career has seen the band sell over 100 million records worldwide. Hugely influential and constantly innovating, the band has managed to stay relevant, proving time and again that they can produce some of the very best live performances on the planet. Frontman Dave Gahan is as charismatic and flamboyant as ever and Depeche Mode remain in their element, performing in front of large audiences in all corners of the globe. Acclaimed for constantly being at the cutting edge of live performance visuals, video has played a defining role in their stage shows over the years through the influence of their inspirational Artistic Director, Anton Corbijn. He designed the look of the Delta Machine show in close collaboration with Lighting Designer, Paul Normandale, a cerebral creative fusion that has brought another thoughtprovoking space for the band’s edgy, raw and emotionally charged performance to be enjoyed in. It’s the second tour on which Video Director, Jon Shrimpton has worked with Depeche Mode in this role and his third for them overall. 26

He describes Delta Machine as “witty, dark and bluesy” and he has aimed to bring these elements into an interesting camera mix. In addition to the IMAG, Corbijn has produced eight beautifully sculpted minimovies, which are interspersed throughout the performance - each specific, detailed and intelligent. XL Video’s Project Manager, Phil Mercer commented: “Depeche Mode shows always push the technical and creative boundaries and they have unquestionably set standards for several decades, in terms of live music video production.” The LED screen surfaces are XL Video’s Pixled F-12’s, a particular favourite of Normandale who was the first visual designer to use the product when it was launched last year and he has specified it on many projects since. He likes its high resolution, light weight and general versatility. The 17.4-metres wide by eight metres high upstage F-12 screen is mapped as five interlocking triangles in the Catalyst media server used to playback Corbijn’s films. When this happens, it has a massive impact on the

stage and the mood of the whole room. The fronts of the two most prominent onstage risers are also clad with custom-sized Pixled F-12 panels, and there is a V-shaped truss border of F-12 above the centre stage area. The two IMAG side screens each comprise 18 by eight tiles of the same surface. The cameras are all HD, with four operated Sony HXC-100’s, two at FOH and two in the pit on track-and-dolly. This standard set-up was chosen because it is straightforward and easy to transpose. Shrimpton used five Bradley Cam-Ball 2 cameras, which he originally used on Sigur Ros last year. They are positioned downstage right for the guitar, mid-stage right for keyboards, drums and singer posing area, plus one stage centre behind the drums to catch some dramatic reverse shots. The fourth is downstage left, again for the drums and keyboards, and the final one sits at the end of the stage thrust. The Bradley Cam-Ball 2’s have some interesting effects, including night vision, and Shrimpton operates them himself as well as directing the four Sony’s. He has a few bespoke gizmos to hand, lovingly built from a range of

EVENT FOCUS: Depeche Mode

Opposite: The Delta Machine show incorporates video elements designed by Anton Corbijn with Lighting Designer, Paul Normandale. Below: The show’s cerebral creative fusion has brought a thought-provoking space for the band’s edgy, raw and emotionally charged performance.

vintage tube paraphernalia, which enable him to produce some unique bits of ‘magic’, like a claustrophobic feel during Barrel of a Gun. All the cameras are fed into a Grass Valley Kayak mixer, one of his “favourite pieces of kit in the whole world”, which he uses to apply multiple colouring and grading effects. From there, six feeds are sent to Catalyst Operator, Ben Miles, who outputs them to the rear screen, the truss borders and the riser fronts.

The IMAG is sent to the side screens direct from the Kayak. The nine-way camera cut keeps Shrimpton busy during the show and his biggest aesthetic challenge is trying to balance all the different shots. He uses a Harris Predator multi-viewing screen and two 47-inch Barco flat screens for some serious monitoring. XL Video’s crew out on the tour includes

John Steel, Systems Engineer, Al Bolland, Crew Chief, Jim Bolland and Joe Makein are the LED Screen Technicians with Darren Montague as Head of Cameras. The onstage LED, camera / PPU package is being provided worldwide by XL Video. TPi www.depechemode.com www.xlvideo.tv

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J

JESSIE J THE BRITISH POP STAR COVERS ALL BASES ON HER ALIVE TOUR, WHICH INCLUDES SHOWERS OF PYROTECHNICS, LED VIDEO SCREENS AND A COMPLEX AUDIO MIX. SARAH RUSHTON-READ REPORTS FOR TPi. In pop sensation Jessie J’s fast-paced UK arena show Alive, every beat is packed with stunning lighting, video, special effects and heart pumping sound. Working in synchronicity with the singer, the visual artistry of Vince Foster’s sleek set and lighting design, Show Director Paul Caslin’s clever mix of video production and FOH Engineer Karl ‘Snake’ Newton’s kicking audio ensure that Alive is continuously stimulating and hugely uplifting. Like Jessie J herself, the scale of the show is reassuringly ambitious. Inspired technical solutions have come from Creative Technology, Canegreen and Neg Earth among others, while John Pryer and Andrew Thornton of 24-7 Productions take care of production management. The super-wide 72ft set features a curved runway, which cleverly splits the audience into VIP and the rest. However, Jessie plays to everyone with equal gusto. Foster’s ‘widescreen’ style platform design comprises three portrait-hung LED screens positioned up-stage centre, while the rest 28

of the set is visually sculpted using 600 horizontally positioned Barco MiStrips. Either side, two IMAGs deliver live camera feeds and pulling it all together, centered above the stage, are two curved frames of vertical MiStrip, which create a significant anchor for the whole look. Caslin’s pre-recorded video content is mixed with live camera feeds, directed by Steven Price, as the whole galloping gamut serves to deliver Jessie J’s audience inspiring messages of self-belief and love - Foster explained: “The concept is built around the letters of Alive, Jessie’s latest album title. Paul’s idea was to name each section of the show after each letter in the word. The first being ‘Awake’, the second ‘Love’, the third ‘Instinct’ the fourth ‘Value’ and the final ‘Energy’. Each has its own colour, video and light theme.” LIGHTING Complementing Jessie J’s considerable stage presence, Foster’s set and lighting design is a vivid mix of lighting looks, video effects and pyrotechnics.

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J

Opposite: Every beat of Jessie J’s UK arena show was packed with mesmerising visual, lighting and special effects and a heart-pumping sound. Below: Creative Techonology provided the video control and LED screens.

“There’s a lot of black in the first part of the show,” said Foster. “For me it’s as much about what’s left out as it is about what’s included.” Certainly, the black space gives a sense of perspective and presents an opportunity for Foster to layer even more beat-sharp impact into the mix. “We use Barco MiStrips in a number of ways, sometimes to transform the stage into one huge video image and at others to create various lighting effects. We add to the overall video canvas with Flexi-LED strips on the edges and steps of the thrust stage.” In terms of actual luminaires, Foster has been economical, opting for fixtures that fulfill a multiplicity of roles: “The majority of the rig comprises Martin Professional MAC III AirFX, which are amazingly versatile. They can be a washlight or a profile,” he said. “I also specified Clay Paky’s Sharpy Washes, because they’re bright and they’re lightweight. We also use Clay Paky Sharpys and a tonne of Martin Professional 3000 DMX Atomic strobes for effects.” For control, Foster uses a High End Systems Whole Hog 4 console: “It solves a lot of the issues the Hog 3 presented. For one, it’s much better at handling the LED, it has plenty of USB ports, much bigger screens and it’s stable - I love it.” Pryer and Thornton are in charge of the production design and they have, as always, delivered a spectacular, working closely with Foster and Caslin.

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J

Below: Barco MiStrips transformed the stage, they were utilised to create either one huge video image or a number of other lighting effects.

VISUALS Creative Technology provided the video control system, LED screens package, crew and preprogramming services. Caslin’s content is mixed with live camera feeds, the result of which is then broadcast across three portrait hung Flyer 12 touring LED screens centre stage. Two portrait IMAG screens, also Flyer 12, hung either side of the stage, deliver live camera close-ups. The diversity of LED resolutions used, including the Barco MiStrip and Flexi-LED, creates a spectacular backdrop that delivers some unique looks for the five different sections of the show. Kicking off with moody, widestage monochromatic looks, Foster’s design then launches into bright dance states and 30

climaxes with a glittering champagne gold finale, replete with confetti. Although rich and varied to watch, the beauty of the show is in its determined simplicity. Using intelligent video mapping, programmed on Avolites Media’ Ai Media Servers, Creative Technology’s Will Harkin and Rob Currie in association with consultant video programmer Nick Clark-Lowe have enabled innumerable, multi-dimensional video and lighting looks to be generated from a single image layer. “What made the media server particularly useful was the 3D desktop visualiser,” explained Creative Technology’s Director of Business Development, Adrian Offord. “It allowed the

creative team to see content working in the virtual world, while the set was still being built. For two weeks prior to rehearsals Nick worked in our studios programming and time coding the content.” In addition, four live cameras, directed and mixed by Price, feed into the look. The set up comprises a small custom-built PPU frame controlled by a Panasonic 450 mixing system with a multi-viewer output. This simplicity further extends to the prerecorded content, as Offord explained: “We’re using a single 1080 video image across all the screens to deliver the entire pre-created content for the show. The video strip in the floor, the 600 pieces of MiStrip and all five of the LED

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J

Below: Monitor Engineer, Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson; FOH Engineer, Karl ‘Snake’ Newton; LED / Media Engineers, Jonny Hunt and Arkadiusz Wegrzyn with LED Technician, Jamie Thomson Video / Racks Engineer; Lighting Designer, Vince Foster; Video Director, Steven Price.

screens are fed a single 1080 image mapped to the hardware using the Ai servers.” In terms of live camera content, Price has control over four cameras and the output level of the screens. In order to achieve as low a delay as possible, the system has been designed to allow him to manage the Ai graphics card direct, without going through the server’s engine. Price commented: “Working with Creative Technology and Nick Clarke-Lowe is always a joy. They understand that my role is to create the look and that I have limited technical skills. They always ensure that the systems are set up so I can get on with the job without concerning myself with technical detail. I have had plenty of helpful support from racks engineer Jamie Thomson along with nonstop back-up service from CT’s Project Manager for the tour, Nic Maag.” AUDIO For Karl ‘Snake’ Newton, Jessie’s show presents a complex mix musically: “The sound has to be a true hybrid between the recorded versions and a live band. “My primary focus is Jessie’s vocal talent, but the way she interacts with the backing singers is also key,” he explained. “Jessie will throw a whole verse to a backing vocalist without 32

warning and I have to be ready for that. The challenge is to keep vocal clarity over a powerful mix.” Snake’s choice of PA is an L-Acoustics K1 system, supplied and designed for the tour by Canegreen. “The main challenge was the 72ft wide stage,” Project Manager for the company, Luther Edmonds, explained. “The B-stage thrust, which contains the VIP ‘golden circle’, had to be covered well but the brief was to keep the stage itself clear. So we designed a system of fills within the main stage as well as a centre cluster firing down into the VIP space. We had limited the floor space available for groundstacked subs and this led to us using an end on design for the SB28’s.” In charge for Canegreen on tour is Pete Hughes: “The PA comprises two main hangs of L-Acoustic K1’s and L-Acoustic Kara downfills with an array of ground end-fired subs,” he explained. “Side hangs are V-DOSCs and dVDOSCS. The K1-SBs are rigged behind the flown K1-array system either side of the stage, the reason being we needed a lot of low end and if we had put them in the K1 cluster we would have lost height. This is a visual show so we were concerned about sight lines. Putting them behind meant we could get height and easily fit those elements into the sound picture. We then

have clusters of L-Acoustics KARAs mid stage doing fill as well as some KIVA Lip fills getting the sound to the front VIP area.” In order to reduce distortion the team organised the sub-stacks into an end-fire arrangement, each stack at one-metre intervals from the next, creating a cardioid pattern for the bass sound, which gives a really good low-end throw toward the audience without killing the front row.” Snake chooses to use an Avid console: “I’m a plugin user and for this show it’s all about the plugin integration. I mix to groups a lot - the old school way - and I compress and EQ groups as well as individual channels. I’m using two TC Electronic DBMax units for external processing, one on Jessie and one on the mix, plus various plugins. I’ll use pretty much anything that runs on the Avid with one notable exception, AutoTune! Jessie, flanked by top backing vocalists, has no need for that particular abomination.” For the first time, Snake is using a UAD Apollo 16 as an outboard effects unit. “The UAD plugins are great but only when run on their own hardware, and the Apollo 16 allows me to use them on any mixing platform.” “When it comes to the show, every song is treated as a separate entity. The only thing that’s safe from automation is Jessie’s channel strip

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J

Below: Clay Paky’s signature Sharpys beamed out across the stage.

(keyboards) plus a few other bits and bobs has me using up to 64 inputs,” he said. “The bits and bobs include a talk matrix so the band and I can communicate during the gig. In total this DiGiCo desk offers around 124 faders and I believe - in my usual style - that I’ve used all but six.” For Baggy, the DiGiCo SD5 is the only choice: “DiGiCo consoles sound the best and are the most flexible. I love the SD5 for its intuitive layout and compact size. The fact that I can sit down and still reach all the controls, including the macro buttons, which I use a lot, is great.” Baggy is also using a DiGiGrid MGB box to record the show so that he can tweak as he goes. There are no wedges or side fills, instead Baggy uses 12 sets of Sennheiser 2000 Series IEMs with 24 packs comprising a mix of Ultimate Ears UE11, JH Audio JH16 and Westone UM2. “Sennheiser’s IEM system is the best for RF and sound quality,” he said. “The

and the mains,” Snake continued. “I use snapshots as I would in the studio. It’s a powerful way of working but dangerous too. If you don’t know what you’re doing this approach can kill your show at the touch of a button.” For local monitoring, Snake uses the Neumann KH310 active studio monitors. “I read a review and had to try them,” he explained. “We got them in on demo and I didn’t let them go. The three way un-ported design means they go right down in the bottom end very accurately. The mid-range is sweet and the low end extension is really true and translates well to the PA.” At the other end of the arena, Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson takes care of monitors on his DiGiCo SD5. “Providing monitors for a show of such high calibre is extremely rewarding,” he said. “The line up of Jessie, Phebe (BV), Louise (BV), Kelli (BV), Jonathan ‘Ginger’ Hamilton (drums), his brother Mike ‘Smoove Groove’ Hamilton (bass), Lewis Allen (guitar) and Hannah Vasanth

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J

Below: Special effects were provided by Quantum and were designed to create a variety of different pyrotechnic looks throughout the show.

engineer mode features are great, as is the Wireless System Manager. It’s a real time saver, allowing me to remotely monitor and control the whole system from one place. I can set up and coordinate the frequencies of microphones and personal monitors and see the most important parameters of each on a single screen.” Wireless System Manager is also good for pre-planning. “Theo Holloway does our frequency management,” said Baggy. “He sent me five sets of frequencies at the beginning of the tour and a list detailing which to use in which venue. I wirelessly and remotely pre-programme the receivers as opposed to programming each one individually. The support

from Sennheiser is second to none. Tim Sherratt was brilliant throughout production rehearsals and Mark Saunders ensures we get everything we ever need in a hurry and fixes everything we break within 24 hours.” Jessie, the backing singers and guest artists all use Sennheiser 5235 microphones. In fact 90% of the microphones are Sennheiser, with some Neumann and a smattering of Shure thrown in. “Sennheiser have got the best RF,” added Snake. “Jessie’s vocal is really dynamic, from a whisper to a scream, sometimes in three seconds flat. They are the closest things to a cable microphone in RF world.”

To keep the audio sharp, SSE uses a Lab. gruppen Lake system with Dante protocols. “It means we have a fully digital signal chain straight from the mic to the amplifiers where it’s converted back to analogue,” explained System Engineer Perrtu Korteniemi. “This ensures that there’s no buzz or hiss to waste time chasing.” SPECIAL EFFECTS The show is punctuated by Quantum Special Effects, in the shape of fog from two LSGs, CO² jets and G Flames, which are predominantly used in Do It Like A Dude. Quantum sent Dan Ivory-Castile out as Crew Chief with Jackson Wheeler, Technician, who

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J

Below: The shows sold out across UK arenas, which were adorned with fans; Jessie J and her entire touring crew.

explained. “My brief was to use them in the whole song but as with many effects I went for the ‘less is more’, choosing certain points throughout the song like a guitar scale riff of nine notes where I use the flames to do a chase across the stage with a flame a note.” As the guitar breaks into a solo, there is a hit of three flames for a one second burn and ahead of various other points on the number that are accented with flames. To open the show, Quantum was tasked with creating a powerful atmosphere for the singer. During Thunder, the lights come up to a silhouette with thick fog from the LSGs. These are intermittent through the following songs to keep some movement on stage, while maintaining a powerful ambiance. Breath has four CO² jets on on the main stage and 14 on the thrust. The latter chase into the middle, where Jessie sings with hits on the word ‘breath’, the other four start a chase sequence as a backdrop for the singer. The highlight comes at the finale, during the song Gold, as a gold pyro waterfall, controlled by the Galaxis firing system, runs along the 38

back of the stage for approximately 30 seconds. Other effects for the song include four confetti blowers firing 5kg of gold confetti from each machine. Two are at FOH, one stage left and the other stage right to get the best crowd coverage possible, submerging the audience in the party atmosphere. Elsewhere within the special effects department, ER Productions supplied lasers to the live shows, allowing for another dimension to be found in the tour’s visual design. As a very last minute addition to the technical rider, ER Productions was able to come onboard at the eleventh hour and join the rest of the crew without delay. Lasers supplied included two 21W white light lasers rigged on an upstage tunnel riser, two 5W gold 577mm lasers rigged high up on the lighting truss to project down at the extended stage section thus creating a gold backdrop. Additionally, two 12W green lasers either side of the stage were deployed to widen the look of the lasers. All lasers were controlled by Pangolin Showtime. ER Productions also supplied two Look Solutions Unique Hazers.

Said ER Productions’ Marc Webber: “We jumped into action and were able to deliver the following day with a respectable 76W of laser power! All health and safety paperwork was submitted and signed off in due course.” The tour’s Laser Programmer was Ryan Hagan, who worked alongside Laser Operator, Michael O’Driscol. Eat to the Beat provided tour catering, while Stardes and Phoenix supplied trucks and buses respectively. All in all this show was a stunner, every element combining to deliver a beautifully tuned, fun packed performance that looked and sounded spectacular, wherever you were watching or listening from. TPi Photos: Sarah James, Sarah Ruston-Read, Jenny Potter and Emily Hutching www.24-7productions.co.uk http://uk.ct-group.com www.negearth.co.uk www.canegreen.com, www.q-sfx.com www.er-productions.com, www.stardes.co.uk www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.globalinfusiongroup.com

LS-Live sets the stage for Jay-Z

From CONCEPT to CONSTRUCTION & SHOW REHEARSALS. LS-Live was proud to provide a touring set rental package to Jay-Z and the team. Congratulations to all on a sell-out tour. FAVOURITE REHEARSAL FACILITY

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T +44 (0) 01977 659 888 E sales@ls-live.com Main Image: ÂŠ Livepix

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Sub Focus

SUB FOCUS SUB FOCUS DELIVERED IMMERSIVE ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC AT LONDON’S ROUNDHOUSE. THE GIG FEATURED A CUSTOM-BUILT LED STAGE DESIGNED BY LONDON-BASED IMMERSIVE AND SHOW DESIGNER, GIANI FABRICIO AT THE HEART OF THE VISUAL SET-UP. THE TOUR IS IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW ALBUM TORUS AND TPi SENT SIMON DUFF TO EXPERIENCE THE 90-MINUTE DRUM ‘N’ BASS, HOUSE AND DUBSTEP CELEBRATION. “Having a real-time live element that links what the audience is hearing to what it is seeing, is the key to everything that is happening at that moment with this kind of dance music experience,” said Tom ShealsBarrett, Tour and Production Manager for Sub Focus. “It’s a small crew but a complex show. We tour with one 45ft artic and one 14-metres sleeper bus that carry crew and artists. So in terms of logistics it is reasonably easy.” Touring is very much in Sheals-Barrett’s family. His parents run Star Events and he began his own career aged 17, rigging for Italian pop superstar, Eros Ramazzotti. Quickly progressing through the ranks he has become a tour manager, clients include Echo and the Bunnymen, 65 Days of Static, Eagles of Death Metal - a side project of Queens of The Stone Age - with a great deal of festival work and a role at the London 2012 Torch Relay. Mark Calvert, Managing Director and Co40

founder of Immersive brought Sheals-Barrett into the Sub Focus (aka Nick Douwma) family in February, with the first festival shows in May culminating in a headline set on Glastonbury’s Dance Stage. Prior to the festivals, a lot of work was done on the design of the show, for both visual and audio departments. Early on in planning for the 2013 tour, Calvert and ShealsBarrett brought in Matt Cox - recommended by friend Ben Adams, Pendulum keyboard tech - to work on Douwma’s stage audio set up. Sheals-Barrett explained: “Matt works with The Chemical Brothers, as well as Snow Patrol and Air on their stage audio computer systems, and I wanted Nick to have that level of expertise. The backline and the way Ableton Live works in the show is very innovative. On stage Nick has got motion sensors that are all linked by Midi to what is happening on the LED visuals and it looks incredible. This show is a live experience and Matt has been instrumental in making that happen.”

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Sub Focus

Opposite and below: The audio line-up included a Midas PRO6 console and an L-Acoustics V-DOSC line array supplied by Britannia Row. In the lighting department a ChamSys MagicQ MQ100 lighting console was supplied by Neg Earth along with all touring fixtures; Clay Paky Alpha Beam 1500 moving light fixtures were placed on the floor at increasing heights.

Just off stage right, Cox runs an A/B playback system with auto switching and Midi clock sync that connects to stage via a Cat5 umbilical, providing power, USB and Midi signals to the stage equipment. Sub Focus tours with a set that features a combination of custom built video LED surfaces and traditional lighting fixtures. The show includes three concentric circular structures, made up of interconnecting LED video panels supported by truss and frames, the biggest of which is tilted forward at a 45° angle. The rear part of the installation features four horizontal lines of 12 LED battens, mounted on four truss towers that also host strobes and moles fitted in between the LEDs. There are 10 moving

light fixtures placed on the floor at increasing heights. A series of bespoke platforms and risers support the artist performance area, which features a custom built desk hosting all the musical and audio processing equipment. Set design was a team effort between Giani Fabricio, Nick Douwma and Zak Norman, Ai Media Server Technician and Content Director for Immersive, who is touring with the show, as well as George Hill, Lighting Director for Sub Focus. Calvert explained the thinking behind the design: “The brief was to create a visual instrument. The visuals were to be made so that the show creatively uses the structure as a 3D space, playing with its many layers and form, experimenting with perspective, minimalist

graphics and a challenging low-resolution display. The end result is a combination between a traditional video screen and a perfectly synchronised light show, using LED video as the source light. “Immersive is one of the world’s leading studios for designing digital show content for unusual shapes and technologies so we were able to easily manage the work flow from stage concept to digital media production and playback,” continued Calvert. “The design and project management was led by Giani Fabricio, working at the time with Immersive.” Immersive was founded in 2009 and has very quickly gained a global reputation as a leading production design agency for both live music

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Sub Focus

Below: George Hill, Lighting Director; Matteo Chiochetta, FOH Sound Engineer mixed on a Midas PRO6 supplied by Britannia Row; Sub Focus delivered an immersive electronic dance gig with the help of a custom-built LED stage designed by Immersive.

touring and corporate events. Recent clients include Bon Jovi, The Script, Chase & Status, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as work for BMW, National Lottery and Stand Up To Cancer. Calvert is keen to point out that the company’s motivation is to always challenge and look for new things in a brief and create original, innovative treatments for each project. “At Immersive there is no ‘house-style’ so the design solutions are always bespoke to each client,” said Calvert. “One of our main strengths is the merging of creative and technical disciplines, as Immersive’s designers, technicians, programmers, producers, production managers and animators are all based in the same studio. “We worked with Nick in 2009 on the first ever Sub Focus production tour and designed the show using a unique LED module called Hexmod. We designed and fabricated the installation, which supported Pendulum’s 2009 UK tour - which we also designed. Nick’s tour continued for two years and it gradually grew into the new show concept.” The Sub Focus set design combined advances in LED technology, supplied and integrated by LED Poison, with Simon Deary a noticeable driving force behind the installation and the show’s ongoing success. He designed 42

the PCB and metal work and was instrumental on the Ai Media Server, supplied by Immersive and manufactured by Avolites Media, which uses custom Midi interfaced software design to integrate with Douwma’s live set up. Zac Norman commented: “The Ai servers are networked to Sub Focus’s Ableton project through Cat5 cable. We have two show machines for audio and two video servers that

more sculptural and higher resolution - enabling designers and artists to explore much more dynamic forms. He said: “The integration between video, lighting, lasers and special effects is in its infancy and we are excited to be at the forefront of that technology. Shows that are pushing this envelope include Arcadia Spectacular, EPIC 2.0 and some of our corporate campaigns.”

“Immersive is one of the world’s leading studios for designing digital show content for unusual shapes and technologies.”

are permanently linked this way, so we can run a live, hot swappable backup of both the audio and visual sides of the project. We are also looking to add more machines into the network and bring other features into the show, such as a Max MSP interface and a two-way messaging system between stage right, FOH and Sub Focus on stage.” Future LED design, Calvert believes, will be

Lighting Director, George Hill, began his career at Entec and Neg Earth, before going freelance. Recent assignments include AC/DC’s Black Ice tour, then Deadmau5 in America and Europe, as well as a recent tour with Lawson. His first show with Sub Focus was at Global Gathering in 2010 and his duties included programming, operating and all fixture choices. Included in the hire list from Neg Earth for

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Sub Focus

Below: Matt Cox, Music Computer Backline; Zac Norman, Video Server Operator and Content Director at Immersive; Tommy Sheals-Barrett Tour / Production Manager; The tour was a visual feast.

the Sub Focus tour are 17 Martin Professional Atomic 3000 DMX strobes, 16 James Thomas Engineering Par 36 2 Lite (Molefay) units, commonly known as audience blinders, two Par 16 Birdies and 10 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 1500 luminaires, placed on the floor of the stage. “For most people, [the Alphas] would be a bit too large and bulky to be a floor fixture, traditionally they are a stadium light. I have had quite a few raised eyebrows when I have said where they are going. But I love what I can achieve with them. They give me a different look and at festivals they work so well in night sky,” Hill said. He cuts his mix on a ChamSys MagicQ MQ100 console that he likes for its ease of use and ability to programme quickly. “I have a lot of creative freedom with Sub Focus,” Hill added. “Each song has a totally different feel and atmosphere. There are very bright moments then at other times I bring the lighting right down to give the audience moments of contrast. Nick has been very encouraging, allowing me to achieve what we want.” Matteo Chiochetta is the sound engineer for the tour, with each venue responsible for providing PA and consoles. At the Roundhouse, Britannia Row supplied an L-Acoustics V-DOSC line array and a Midas PRO6 mixing desk FOH, Chiochetta’s preferred console. He said: “For 44

me one of the biggest challenges on the tour is working with a different PA and desk each night while keeping the sound consistent. I have been working on the Midas PRO6 for a few years now and it really is my console of choice. Midas did a great deal of work on the design of the EQ. When you sweep EQ on a digital board it goes through a series of definitive steps. That doesn’t happen on analogue. In effect you are blurring what you have left behind. That tail actually really helps the human brain very quickly settle on the spot that they want. A lot of sound engineers have had problems with digital in finding that, because it is so sharp. Midas worked this out so they wrote the algorithms to simulate that analogue tail. So it is sweeping like analogue.” In order to keep the monitor sound consistent for Douwma and his MC Chris Hill, d&b audiotechnik monitors are on stage each night and carried with the tour, hired in from Manchester-based hire company Audile, who Sheals-Barrett works with a lot, together with d&b audiotechnik Q subwoofers and d&b audiotechnik D12 amplifiers. At the Roundhouse, Sub Focus delivered an inspiring set of eclectic drum n’ bass house atmospheres to an adoring, capacity audience. Chiochetta delivered a faithful mix

with exceptional clarity and punch in the bass frequencies. Hill’s lighting mix drove the experience - recalling the heady days of the early rave scene with much artistic interpretation of the music, derived from a clear love of dance music, while Immersive’s LED design and content delivered the wow factor. Last word to Sheals-Barrett: “Working with Nick is a breeze. He is very easy going and knows what he wants. He can have very good conversations with any technical department. Artistically this show has a great wow factor. The key thing is the bespoke element that creates that kind of experience. While the technology advances and makes all sorts of things possible, for me it is still about the original design and realising that into a format that you can tour. Immersive has really achieved that.” TPi Photos: Simon Duff www.freshtodeath.com www.subfocus.com www.audile.co.uk www.britanniarow.com www.immersive.eu www.ledpoison.co.uk/splash/ www.negearth.co.uk

I am

Come and get Me

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Bryan Ferry

BRYAN FERRY’S JAZZ AGE BRYAN FERRY’S THE JAZZ AGE TOUR SERVES AS A DELIGHTFUL, YET HUMBLING REMINDER THAT TALENT IS TALENT AND EXPERT PRODUCTION IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT MASKING OR CHANGING WHAT’S THERE, BUT ABOUT BRINGING IT OUT INTO THE LIGHT... The Sage Gateshead was the perfect venue to catch the Bryan Ferry Jazz Age Tour. Not only is Ferry a local boy but the venue itself has wonderfully warm acoustics, perfect for the mix of music he presented. For those who grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Ferry was one of the most enigmatic musicians on the circuit. The ideal combination of mystery man and rock star, who was coveted and embraced by those in the worlds of art, alternative music and fashion. Basically Bryan Ferry was - and remains - the absolute epitome of super-cool. Ferry, or BF as his production team likes to call him, is currently blazing through the UK on a sell out tour, trailed by a host of outstanding reviews. Impressively the 68-year-old is selling out venues in UK towns, two nights in a row. Uncluttered and unfettered, FOH Engineer Nick Warren’s crystal-clear amplification ensures that each individual, skillfully played instrument is heard with polished glass clarity. 46

Sound is complemented by Rod Clay’s flattering and restrained lighting palette, which, as the show opens conjures up the atmosphere of an intimate, smokey jazz club and then, without warning, segues beautifully into dynamic concert style lighting, bright video imagery, colour and pattern. The show is a two and a half hour journey through Ferry’s musical mind and comprises up to 35 songs (including the encores). It’s certainly a value for money ticket. For the production team this show is quite a marathon! Production Manager for the tour is Des Jabir who has been with Ferry for a good few years: “Every one of the people on this tour is chosen for their calm professionalism and skill. Many of us have worked together for years. We have a core of 13-16 crew members. The biggest challenge from the outset has been the sheer difference in sizes of venues we deal with, from London’s huge Royal Albert Hall to the very intimate Southend Cliffs Pavilion.

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Bryan Ferry

Opposite and below: At 68 years old, Bryan Ferry is still one of Britain’s most respected performers; The musicianship and backing performances enhanced the simple show which was designed to let the music shine through.

“This means that set and lighting have to be supremely scalable. This is hinged on getting the layout of the video screen designs right, which took a bit of time. However after some tweaking by Bryan and LD Rod Clay the show will happily scale to fit any venue, give or take a screen!” New boy on this production is technical production specialist OneBigStar, which supplies lighting, rigging and video screens. According to Jabir the company has been true to its name throughout: “Rod brought OneBigStar in to supply the lighting, video and some rigging

equipment along with three technicians and they’ve all been great, really supportive. I’ve been more than happy to welcome them aboard. Sound is supplied by ML Executives, trucking is Redburns and catering is Eat to the Beat.” LIGHTING AND SHOW DESIGN Like Jabir, Show and Lighting Designer, Rod Clay, has worked with Ferry for some years now and is well versed in the singers slick production style - a mix of old-school glamour and burnished rock ‘n’ roll.

The show’s design is strikingly simple, uncluttered with some bold colour change and, as Clay puts it, ‘a few whizzes and bangs’ for the rock numbers! “Bryan is an elegant fella so the design needed to relate to his sense of style,” explained Clay. “It’s clean cut, no trusses flying around. Six Showtec Sunstrip Active DMX’s mask the six small pieces of truss we do use to support the LED screens. Apart from these we’re only using four different flavours of light, keeping the palettes clean and simple.” Clay’s palette comprises Robe MMX Spots, LEDWash 600’s and LEDBeam100’s; Philips

PROUD SUPPLIER OF LIGHTING, VIDEO & RIGGING TO THE BRYAN FERRY 2013 TOUR LIGHT · SOUND · VIDEO · POWER · RIGGING · STAGE · SET BUILD WWW.ONEBIGSTAR.COM · 0845 009 9449 · !ONEBIGSTAR

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Bryan Ferry

Below: Showtec Sunstrip battens adorned the side of the stage for subtle, classy lighting effects.

Vari-lite VLX3’s, Philips Selecon Rama fresnels and Showtec Sunstrips. For the first seven songs, performed by the Bryan Ferry Orchestra, the lighting is stripped back to Selecon Rama side lighting, some saturated backlight washes from the Robe fixtures and cross lighting from the Sunstrips rigged vertically onto the Rama lighting stands on the floor. Clay discussed: “We wanted a tungsten / jazzy feel for the opening of the show so that’s why we went with Philips Selecon Rama fresnels as side lighting. This kept it really simple and works in some old-school glamour. “We use 26 Robe 600 LEDWashes and 17 Robe MMX Spots for patterns and effects,” said Clay. “Also new for me are the 12 of the new Philips VLX3’s, which provide key, face and front light.” However, as the gig gathers pace and Ferry comes on the moving heads warm up and the show morphs into an altogether more dynamic animal. Clay’s console of choice is the MA Lighting grandMA2. He not only uses it to control the lighting but to trigger the shows video content from the Catalyst Media Server: “MA is definitely my console of choice. It’s reliable, quick, fast and easy to program, it’s been bullet 48

proof throughout.” The challenge for Clay is that Ferry is partial to changing the set list without warning. “The MA has allowed me to program a lighting-state ‘page’ for each song,” added Clay. “All together there are now 58 pages. If Bryan suddenly changes something I can simply bring up that particular page in the system, and quickly, without fuss, cue it in.”

considerable investment in Robe and Vari-Lite kit to keep me happy!” said Clay. From OneBigStar’s perspective, the new Robe and Vari-Lite equipment are welcome additions to its inventory. Operations Director, Steve Yeardsley said: “What drives the decisions we make when it comes to buying new kit is the diversity of the projects we work on everything from corporate launchesand events

“We wanted a tungsten / jazzy feel for the opening of the show so that’s why we went with Philips Selecon Rama fresnels.”

When Clay first joined the tour he began with just a floor package from his local suppliers, OneBigStar. This then segued into a slightly larger festival version and, for this autumn / winter tour, the full production package. “OneBigStar has been with me all the way. In fact the company has made quite a

to rock ‘n’ roll touring. The kit we buy has to be as useful on one as it is on the other. We made a conscious decision to have Robe as our primary moving light stock. The LEDWash 600 is a staple element on many of our lighting projects and with plenty available in the rental market, they’re also ideal for cross hiring.

Light to make you look... To learn more about how Philips Entertainment can help you create unique and engaging experiences for your audience or visitors: seleconlight.com, strandlighting.com, philips.com/showline and vari-lite.com

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Bryan Ferry

Below: The show TPi saw took place at the Sage in Gateshead, a town local to where the Roxy Music legend grew up.

“In terms of the Vari-Lite VLX3’s these are also relatively small for a moving head, they have fantastic output and the colour rendering is so good that they can be used for front face and key light. They’re LED, but super bright and touring them means less dimmers, less power used and less cabling and weight so they are a win, win all round,” added Yeardsley. Indeed, the smaller dimensions and weight of all the fixtures Clay uses means lighting fits into half a truck. All of this is great news for Jabir as the production easily fits into two trucks. VIDEO In keeping with the theme of sophisticated simplicity, the productions video element is relatively modest yet a sharply chic affair. Six Chauvet Professional 7mm PVP LED screens are used to show some eye popping, yet stylish visual content, designed and created by Anna Boburg. “The screens are each made up of six modular LED panels. All are carefully numbered, which saves re-mapping them at each new 50

venue,” explained Video Tech for OneBigStar, Tom Edwards. “Mostly the tour is visiting medium sized venues,” continued Simon Taylor, Commercial Director of OneBigStar. “In many of the venues the technological elements on stage are in close

The content design works really well: “Anna Boburg has worked it so the resolution of the content matches that of the LED screen,” added Edwards. “This has reduced the amount of data we’re processing and also given us a great, bespoke picture.

“Every one of the people on this tour is chosen for their calm professionalism and skill.”

proximity to the front row of the audience at many there can be just eight-metres between them and the video screens. That’s why we suggested the 7mm pitch Chauvet screens, as even in a really tight space the image is still super-crisp. At times I have been amazed, Rod puts a lot of light across them but the image still comes out crisp and bright.”

“Powering the visuals is a Catalyst Media Server, triggered by Rod’s grandMA2. “In terms of video mapping, I decided to map it all as a single layer image then split up across the six individual screens, he explained. “This makes it much easier for Rod to tweak the show visuals using Catalyst on his laptop.” Trim heights have also proved to be a

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Bryan Ferry

Below: Rod Clay and the OneBigStar crew; ML Executives provided the audio rental for the tour; For vocals, Ferry uses an Audio-Technica microphone.

challenge for the video team: “We have used special steels so that height can be adjusted venue to venue explained Steve Yeardsley, Operations Director at OneBigStar. “For example in somewhere like the Royal Albert Hall trim heights are not a problem but we’re also touring places like the Lowry and Southend Cliffs Pavilion, which are considerably smaller. Then trim can drop by five meters. Sometimes this means loosing the bottom screen but most of the time it’s just about good positioning.” FOH FOH Engineer Nick Warren is a man who likes to keep things simple. Using an Avid Venue 48 channel package with Venue Pack PRO and Waves 9, he discussed his part in the show: “I have been using the Avid for a long time now, probably about 10 years. For Bryan every show has to be archived and the Avid’s HD Native box means we can pop a thunderbolt cable out of the desk and straight in to the laptop and record all 64 channels at our leisure.” In terms of the show, the audio is split in to two sections. “In the first the Bryan Ferry Orchestra do their Jazz numbers and I keep the level at around 88dB,” explained Warren. 52

“When the show goes to the rock part there’s this huge shift in the sound and it goes up to about 102dB. The jazz stuff obviously has no bass, electric guitars or drums - so when they kick in it really hits the audience.” For Warren the focus of the audio is not to wow with overly clever processing but to simply amplify what’s there: “We have about 15 musicians, two drum kits, a five piece brass section and two guitars, all on around 30 open microphones, which as you can imagine is a challenge,” laughed Warren. “There is a lot of mixing going on, bringing microphones up and dipping them down at exactly the right time. It can quite easily go mad, there is a lot of people on the stage and a lot of instruments.” And then there is Bryan himself: “His attention to detail is second to none,” explained Warren. “He spends a lot of time changing songs around, asking if I can change the BPM by a notch or two, it’s fantastic being around someone who’s that creative and who cares so much about what he is giving people.” The show’s PA is supplied long-term supporter of the Ferry and Roxy Music machine, ML Executives. “The PA is d&b audiotechnik V-Series and comprises a main hang of V8’s and

V12’s,” explained system tech Mike Hackman. “J-SUBs are also flown, taking the energy away from the floor.” “The V-Series sounds fantastic,” enthused Warren. “I can fly more PA it’s a great mid-size box and I can get more distance between it and the audience. This means every person in every venue, regardless of size or how it is split up, is getting the same sound, which is excellent.” MONITORS Steve May has been Monitor Engineer for Bryan Ferry since 1999 and despite living in Australia makes sure it’s the one gig he makes time to do “Bryan is incredible,” smiled May. “He is 68 years old and he never stops getting involved. Because he still cares so much about what he does it makes us all care.” Controlling the productions on-stage acoustic is a precision job, May furthered: “This is not a production that relies on effect. I did the PA for the Roxy 2001 reunion tour and I remember starting with gates, compressors and a lot of reverb. By the time I had finished setting it up I was down to one reverb and three gates. On this tour there is not even any gates, it really is a show that’s all about the music, about the

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Bryan Ferry

Below: FOH Engineer, Nick Warren with his Avid Venue desk; Lighting Designer, Rod Clay with his MA Lighting grandMA2; Monitor Engineer, Steve May, has been with Bryan Ferry for 14 years, despite living in Australia.

quality of sound these musicians make and about tuning in to that.” Like Warren, May doesn’t use any plugins or effects. “We can’t give the musicians a false sense of what they are playing. They have to hear precisely what they are doing in order to get it right. If I had loads of plugins on everything it would make it harder for Nick FOH, as the musicians wouldn’t be able to work to the correct levels. It’s basic, I control the foldback and they sort out their own levels.” In terms of the man himself Bryan, unsurprisingly, likes to have his sound delivered old-school and that means no IEMs: “I have been taking care of Bryan for 14 years and trust me when I say, you will not get that man on in-ears,” laughed May. “Bryan likes to see the 54

wires, the speakers, the boxes, he likes the fact it looks like a gig, because at the end of the day that is exactly what it is.” In terms of the onstage equipment the wedges are L-Acoustics: “They are the original 115FM wedges complemented by some L-Acoustic ARCS sidefills. We have Lab.gurppen amplifiers and XTA processing. Bryan owns eight of the 115FMs himself and with better amplification and better crossover settings we’ve got them sounding pretty good.” The advantage of using the wedges over the in ear system is that Bryan can have control over his own sound simply by positioning himself strategically on stage. “The way I have mixed it is to only feed the vocal through the back wedges and have the full band mix in the front.

So if there is not enough vocal in the front he will just move backwards and blend it himself. The man has been doing it for so long he likes it a certain way,” said May. For vocals, Ferry uses an Audio-Technica microphone. Of course the result has been a hugely successful show that has garnered excellent reviews and sell out audiences everywhere it has been. This perhaps serves as a poignant reminder to us all that sometimes less really can be so much more and that by stripping something right back to it’s natural state, we can reveal something quite wonderful. TPi Photography: Sarah Rushton-Read www.onebigstar.com www.mlexecutives.org

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Clay Paky

CLAY PAKY LAUNCHED AT PLASA 2013, CLAY PAKY’S NEWEST ADDITION TO THE ALEDA LED WASH FAMILY, THE ALEDA B-EYE IS CAPABLE OF SOME VERY UNIQUE LIGHTING EFFECTS AND IS HIGHLY VERTASILTILE, TWO POSSIBLE REASONS FOR ITS PLASA AWARD FOR INNOVATION. TPi SPOKE TO CLAY PAKY’S CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, PIO NAHUM, TO FIND OUT MORE DETAILS OF THE FIXTURE, WHICH HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS HAVING THE ‘WOW’ FACTOR. Clay Paky has combined elements of oldschool classic fixtures with a modern twist to produce the Aleda B-Eye, a product that was developed in line with customer demands. Its launch in London was closely followed by appearances in Moscow and Las Vegas, meaning the Aleda B-Eye is certainly getting plenty of international exposure, letting people of the lighting industry know, it has arrived! Pio Nahum talked TPi through the criteria that guided the design for the Aleda B-Eye: “We had requests to narrow the minimum beam aperture; lighting designers expressing their dislike of the black gap which exists between LED sources in most LED washes; and the fact that we wanted to create better value out of the graphic and eye-candy possibilities made 56

available by the individual LED control featured in our luminaires. “All this brought us to redesign completely the optical system using our own optical design know-how. The result is fantastic, because the zoom range we achieved goes far beyond our target; the minimum aperture can be closed to as little as 4º therefore switching the light from a wash diffusion into a narrow and parallel beam.” The transition from wash to beam allows for superb aerial effects and produces a series of micro-beams, each of which are individually controllable in a variety of colours and shades. “Furthermore our new secondary lenses provide a perfectly even light distribution on the fixture’s front lens, so LED sources are no longer discernible,” continued Nahum. Aleda B-Eye is also

capable of generating countless kaleidoscopic projections and patterns, a new optical feature, which has never been seen before in an LED fixture. In light of which, two new patents have been applied for to cover the device providing the unique kaleidoscopic projection and the new optical system. Designed entirely by Clay Paky’s in-house R&D team, and making use of several new technology solutions, both in hardware and firmware, the Aleda B-Eye is the result of multi-disciplined know-how in the fields of electronics, optics and precision micro-mechanics. “The latter is very relevant as, since LEDs have been introduced in our industry, mechanical features have become less important, while they are a key element of differentiation for manufacturers of arc-lamp luminaires. Our new B-Eye has been

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Clay Paky

Opposite: The Aleda B-Eye was a talking point on the Ambersphere booth at PLASA 2013. Below: The Aleda B-Eye showing off its parallel beams; the fixture received great feedback from the show; Chief Commercial Officer, Pio Nahum received the PLASA Award for Innovation on behalf of the company’s new product; the fixture can produce kaleido effects.

enriched with many sophisticated mechanical features, used for optics and special effects, and that’s why it stands up in a market scenario were LED washlights are rather un-differentiated,” said Nahum. There are two products within the Aleda B-Eye range. Firstly the B-Eye K10, which by combining its LED washlight features and beam operation mode makes it ideal for stage applications. While the B-Eye K20 is aimed more towards the touring and TV markets thanks to its original effects design. Both products received a warm reception from their PLASA launch pad, each showcased its capabilities during the hourly pre-programmed presentations. Lighting designers have already started travelling to the Bergamo too - Clay Paky HQ - to see for themselves just what these fixtures have to offer and how they might fit into the latest lighting designs. A number of rental companies have also expressed interest in the Aleda B-Eye, so with orders already on the books, it seems the LED fixture is well on its way to supersede the Sharpy suc-

cess, something which has always been a key aim for the company. The PLASA Award for Innovation put the cherry on top of the unveiling cake, particularly because Clay Paky was actually quite a late adopter of LED technology, its first range using the eco-friendly light source was released just two years ago with the original Aleda family. Nahum said: “Winning an award for innovation for a LED-based luminaire is a significant achievement as it means that Clay Paky is now mastering this technology and can bring LED fixtures to the market with the added-value of our optical and mechanical knowhow.” The lighting market is a competitive one as it moves fasts and on a global scale so competition is fierce. Timing can be vital for a product launch but Clay Paky is confident of this one. Nahum concluded: “Innovation is what people expect from Clay Paky and, once again, we have delivered what the lighting community was waiting for.” TPi www.claypaky.it 57

IN PROFILE: Kinesys

IN PROFILE: KINESYS AS AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS COMPANY, KINESYS, CELEBRATED ITS 10TH YEAR, ITS KEY PLAYERS TALKED TO TPi’S KELLY MURRAY ABOUT HOW ITS SUCCESSFUL IDEAS DEVELOPED AND WHERE THIS PARTICULAR ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY SECTOR COULD BE HEADED IN THE NEAR FUTURE... A little over 10 years ago, a chance meeting between two driven engineers formed the basis of a company that a decade later, has truly made its mark in the global touring industry and created some of the most iconic concert features in recent times. Co-Founders Dave Weatherhead and Andy Cave Managing Director and Technical Director respectively, got together during the 2002 Rolling Stones Licks tour and developed a working relationship that would cement not only their own careers, but progress their vision on where the automation sector could be headed with the right people, products and ethos in tow. “Andy asked me to provide software for the Licks tour on which he was providing the automation control hardware. We spent a few weeks working closely together, and at the end of it thought ‘You know what, we can do this!’” stated Weatherhead, during 58

our chat at the Kinesys HQ in Hampton, London. “We looked around at what else was out there and felt that we really had something unique in terms of delivering a modular approach. We started out with the idea of making these building block modules that we could produce and sell. In turn, the blocks could be used on one show but if the customer wanted more, they could add to their stock without reconfiguring everything else they had. At that time, that was quite a rare way of implementing automation technology. “Andy and I also had very similar ideas in terms of design and ethos and how we should present the company and its products. From the get-go it was always about producing quality equipment, putting it together properly, delivering it on time and looking after the operators once they’d got the kit. That’s something we’ve maintained the whole way through,” he added.

IN PROFILE: Kinesys

Opposite: Kinesys worked in conjunction with Brilliant Stages to create the magnificent OM robot figure used on That Take’s Progress tour; The Kinesys showroom. Below: For U2’s 360º tour Kinesys built a system of 40 Evo zero-speed chain hoists and eight winches all controlled by the K2 3D software package.

THE BIG BREAK So just how exactly did a two-man team break into the industry, and on what scale could they make an initial impact? Weatherhead continued: “Just a month or so into starting the company we got a phone call from Tomcat in America, which went along the lines of ‘we’ve got a show that we need six chain hoists for, but we need them to be able to go slowly and quickly so they’ll need to be variable speed, is that something you think you guys can do?’ Andy had worked with Brilliant Stages, at the time owned by Tomcat on various other projects, which is how they made the connection. We said yes straight away! “The original equipment has recently been serviced, and is still going strong. To this day,

what was created for that show is still our bestselling product, the Elevation 1+,” explained Weatherhead. In the same year, (2003) Bon Jovi’s Bounce tour and Robbie Williams’ Weekends of Mass Distraction tour, would call upon the services of Kinesys. Weatherhead continued: “At one stage Robbie Williams played to crowds of over half a million people over the course of one weekend at Knebworth Park. We had been given an amazing opportunity and we couldn’t have asked for a better advert for showing the world who we were and what we could do.” Since starting in March 2003 - it has become a pioneering outfit. A decade later this milestone clearly means a lot to the two founders, yet it’s obvious that this close-knit team is a very

dedicated and proud one, all round. Martin Honeywill, Director of Training and Support, joined in 2005 and since then the company has grown steadily to incorporate manufacturing, R&D and marketing departments. In 2011 Cristiano Giavedoni came on board as Marketing & Business Director. Said Giavedoni: “As soon as Dave and I started talking we realised that we had very similar ideas about the market place. We shared the same vision about the future of automation in the live entertainment industry.” From its UK HQ, Kinesys has become a global company with 75% of its turnover made outside of the UK. To further expand the company’s global reach Steve Fowler joined the team as Product

IN PROFILE: Kinesys

Robbie Williams (2003) For Robbie Williams’ Weekends of Mass Distraction tour, eight huge columns of LED video screen formed the centrepiece of the show. To complement the video footage, especially created for the show by BDH Creative Director, Lee Lodge, each of the screens was able to move in three different directions. Rotate mechanism allowed the audience to see 98 Philips Vari-Lite fixtures, which adorned the back of the screens. Brilliant Stages managed the mechanical aspects, while Kinesys provided the control products and expertise to drive the screens. 5kW AC servomotors connected to Velocity drives were used to drive eight custom-built tugs around an I-Beam track. A pinion attached to the motor / gearbox combination engaged with the rack to provide a positive mechanical drive system. The system had a maximum speed of over 500mm-a-second and Model LL Lodestar chain hoists lifted the screens up and down. The conversion to fully variable speed chain hoists involved fitting dual, silent, dc brakes, new limit switches and an encoder. A single channel Elevation 1+ controller connected to the tug and allowed it to be run to any position.

Take That (2006) The Take That 2006 tour reunited many of the production team that worked with the band in the ‘90s, including Production Manager Chris Vaughan, Lighting Director Simon Tutchener, and Artistic Director Kim Gavin and Summit’s Jon Bray. “Take That were the first band to use a large moving bridge over the audience” said Bray, “it was good to see that trick back in the show.” The set for the tour was designed by Bill Lazlett and included several moving pieces. The most technically challenging was the very elegant ‘halo’, a 17-metre diameter circular piece of trussing scenery weighing five tonnes. This moved around throughout the show, positioning two water effects - a rain bar and a water screen - in exactly the right place for the finale. It also formed a walkway for the band to access the catwalk by flying in over the audience. The ‘halo’ was rigged on eight LL Lodestar motors, and along with the rest of the set, was made by Total Fabrications. The ‘halo’ can be flown, tracked or revolved by the K2 system. “K2 was easily the most flexible option, it’s 3D-ability is invaluable” said Bray.

Below: Co-Founder, Dave Weatherhead, is a hands-on Director at the company, which is based in Hampton, London.

Marketing Specialist, further creating brand awareness for the company. “We needed to get our message out on digital media platforms, so we got Steve onboard; someone dedicated to our Facebook and Twitter feeds, our LinkedIn account and our website,” said Weatherhead. New recruit Fowler explained: “I was new to the entertainment technology industry before joining Kinesys, but I’ve learnt so much. I know that we can deliver what people want as a motion control company for the entertainment industry, covering anything from concerts to TV shows to theatre houses and installations. We’re a solutions company and customers approach us with an idea of what they want to achieve and we work out how to give them what they’re looking for.” Giavedoni added: “The key strength of the company is to plan our steps with foresight yet without losing the flexibility to accommodate and follow today’s demands. We are very focused on understanding the customer’s needs and making sure that they get what they need and expect, we work hard to ensure that we do not ‘promise the moon and deliver a lantern’. “I constantly monitor the company’s performances and the status of our business development plans. Our business approach is not only driven by numbers and calculations however; we have a clear mission and strong values too,” he explained. COMPANY GROWTH Repeat business has also been a key factor in the growth of Kinesys. And word of mouth has been a vital asset in terms of marketing. Said Weatherhead: “Neg Earth were one of the first lighting rental companies who invested in Kinesys products, for Duran Duran many

years ago, and they are still one of our great customers.” As far as getting standard products out into the market from a reseller perspective Kinesys is also very focussed on what such partnerships should entail. “For us, it is very important that the companies and individuals that represent us understand what we do, and the world of rigging or staging,” stated Weatherhead. “Quite often a potential customer will start the conversation with ‘I’ve got an object and I want to fly it, what do I need?’ For us and our representatives we invest a lot of time in understanding the application and what the customer ultimately wants to achieve with their effect. Only then can we get to the point of saying, ‘here’s a list of the things you will need and it will cost this much’.” A similar importance on such education is also ingrained into the R&D developments at Kinesys. Honeywill told TPi: “Whenever we design a product, we’re thinking about how it’s going to be used and how can we make the product’s use as easy as possible. It’s all about packaging and making the equipment really simple, really intuitive, really easy to plug together.” Weatherhead added: “It is easy to get caught in a reactive way of working, developing products as a consequence of the next project that comes along and that’s a very stressful way to work because by definition, you have no time. The more complex the systems get the more complicated it becomes. This is something we have addressed and while there will always be that unique project that requires you to address things never previously considered the more you can anticipate future requirements and be prepared for them the better your products and the systems as a whole become.”

Merry Christmas and a rockin’ New Year to everyone we’ve worked with in 2013

IN PROFILE: Kinesys

Below: The Kinesys team, L-R: Lluis Diaz-Guerra, Head of Software, Product Marketing Specialist, Steve Fowler, Cristiano Giavendoni, Marketing & Bussiness Director, Andy Cave, Technical Director, Dave Weatherhead, Managing Director and Bart Gawlas, Head of Hardware Product Design; Martin Honeywill, Director of Training and Support; Kinesys EVOs, precision variable speed chain hoist controllers.

Genesis (2007) Kinesys supplied seven custom G2 winches to the acclaimed Genesis world tour, which were used to lift lighting pods on architectural ribs positioned upstage. It also supplied 16 Liftket 250kg chain hoists controlled by Elevation 1+ variable speed controllers, run on the same Vector control system as the winches. They lifted eight cargo nets - embedded with over 500 egg strobes - which filled the gaps between the ribs. The G2 winch was custom designed by Mike Barnett as no suitable alternative was already available. The seven G2 winches lifted 800kg at one-metre a second and were controlled by 11kW Velocity drives. Each lighting pod was loaded with two 4.5kW Big Lites, four Martin Professional Atomic 3000 DMX strobes and 12 individually circuited PAR cans. One of the tourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three sets of ribs, steelwork and wire ropes was rigged at each gig by the A or B advance teams. On show day, the winch carts were attached to the base steel, and then the steel wire ropes for the lighting pods and cargo nets were attached.

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IN PROFILE: Kinesys

Below: The Robbie Williams 2013 tour.

TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT As head honcho for Kinesys’ training programmes, Honeywill naturally feels that health and safety is of the utmost importance. “I give the customers who come to our training centre an overview of automation. What they get from coming to the course [there is typically one a month, advertised on the Kinesys website for any interested readers] is not only an understanding of Kinesys systems, but an understanding of the process and what the implications are of automation. Generally speaking, attendees are people in the business wanting to learn more about automation.” Giavedoni furthered: “We put a lot of effort into the educational side of our work because automation is used mainly for scenic movements which always involve a level of risk. Projects involving complex automation were typically a luxury reserved for iconic productions that had the budget and resources to accommodate it but during the last 5-10 years, the request for automation systems in the entertainment industry has increased dramatically, however 64

the need to move objects and performers is intimately connected with safety regulations, and they vary from country to country. “This can create a lot of confusion and a lot of uncertainty with respect to which is the correct system to specify for a particular job. The educational aspect, the internal competence and the straightforward system design approaches are key to success. For Kinesys I’m a member of the British Standards Institute, Technical Committee MHE3/13, Lifting Equipment for performance, broadcast and similar applications, and a member of CWA 25 - CEN, a workshop for lifting and loadbearing equipment for stages and other production areas within the entertainment industry.” This combined internal knowledge which is evident throughout the Kinesys DNA means that on the road technical support is also an integral part of being a total solution company. Honeywill noted: “Generally, our bigger customers have people that they employ regularly and they’ve been using our equipment for years, so they know it inside out, but even with that we’re always there as backup. They always know

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IN PROFILE: Kinesys

U2 (2009)

Below: Martin Honeywill showed TPi the Kinesys Loadcell equipment; Radiohead toured last year with a stunning stage set including moving video screens, enabled by Kinesys’ technology; The Muse tour in 2013 featured a pyramid of moving video screens.

For U2’s 360º tour Kinesys built a system of 40 Evo zero-speed chain hoists and eight winches, all controlled by the K2 3D software package. “This was the heaviest, most complex and interconnected system we have undertook to date,” said Dave Weatherhead. “With 48 motors following unique motion profiles to allow the deployment of over 52 tonnes of video screen.” The screen was originally conceived by Willie Williams and Mark Fisher, long term creative collaborators on U2 shows. New York-based designers / architects Hoberman Associates assisted Innovative Designs in engineering the centre-piece for the show, consisting of 888 hexagonal panels supporting 500,000 Barco LED pixels. The structure stretched from a seven-metre compressed height to over 22-metres at full extension. The screen hung in the middle of a giant claw structure that sat central in the stadium, allowing the audience to surround it and offering sightlines from all angles. It weighed 52 tonnes including the supporting trussing. Kinesys worked closely with Nick Evans, Live Nation, and Jeremy Lloyd, Stufish, to ensure seamless integration of the automation element.

Robbie Williams (2013) A bespoke automation system was designed by Kinesys to control two set doors on Robbie Williams’ Take The Crown tour. The doors were seven-metres high by six-metres wide and opened to allow trucks with giant heads of the singer to enter the stage. Kinesys was contacted by the tour’s Production Manager, Wob Roberts and Head Rigger, Jerry Hough, and asked to come up with a solution for opening and closing the doors quickly and smoothly. The movement system was designed and engineered by Andy Cave and incorporated a counterweight pulley system. The wall itself was constructed from LED-integrated polycarbonate panels incorporating 18,000 pixel tablets and built by TAIT. With the doors downstage, a series of cables were fed over a pulley header system and pulled down by two Liftket hoists, this opened the doors. When the hoists were run out, the doors closed. The hoists were capable of running up to 16-metres a minute, and it took 25 seconds to open or close the doors. On the road, riggers Jules Grommers and Colin Raby operated.

we are there for support.” It’s these personal relationships which have gained Kinesys a solid reputation for support. “We have good relationships with the operators using our equipment. Some of the key operators are out there all day and every day, they know us personally and they get in touch to give us feedback as much as they do to ask questions,” Weatherhead said. “Fatigue and the hours that people have to work is a big issue in the industry. Especially when you’re involved in the rigging and automation side of it, there are serious consequences to getting things wrong” he added. “While those issues may be out of our hands directly we want the people at the sharp end to know that we are there for them, even for the basics because when you are tired it can be the simple things that can catch you out”. The sentiment was echoed by Honeywill: “It’s an industry where support really matters because it’s not a 9-5. We try and differentiate ourselves as a company and go that extra mile for our customers and end users.” THE FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT AUTOMATION As all the vital feedback from the road is being

reported back, the future of the automation industry is becoming clearer. “The load cell side of things is a growing market for us. Not many companies own load cells and today there are more and more requirements for them,” said Honeywill. “With all the increased regulations

Handle Without Care “As a vocal microphone for rock bands the AE6100 is phenomenal. It’s got a super high output, brilliant feedback rejection and no matter how brutal you are with them they still sound great...” Ben Hammond (The Blackout, Skindred, Deaf Havana) AE6100 Artist Series

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IN PROFILE: Kinesys

Below: The centre-piece for U2’s 360º tour consisted of 888 hexagonal panels supporting 500,000 Barco LED pixels.

and risk related paperwork becoming standard, having real load data available at any time will become more commonplace. That’s not a bad place to be; but it’s a more sophisticated place to be, for these extra levels of security, your automation operators are going to have to be more skilled in other areas so the more levels of protection and safety you’re putting in place, the better the results for the whole control system become.” Weatherhead also noted, reaffirming what Giavedoni said that more tours than ever are employing the use of automation equipment in their show designs. “When we started 10 years ago, only the biggest shows could afford it and now all kinds of tours want it. Movement can add a big wow factor to a show from an audience’s point of view, you can end up at an academy sized venue with just a couple of trusses, but if those trusses then move for example, the audience’s experience can be enhanced without it costing the production that much money.” Indeed, with gig tickets for arena productions alone costing anywhere between £50 and £80 these days, the paying public is certainly an expectant one too. Continued Weatherhead: “If you’re going to charge that much money for a show, while fans may be 68

devoted to their favourite band, they will increasingly have an expectation of the type of show they will see and automation is another tool that the show designers now have to create a memorable experience for both the artist and the audience.” PROUDLY INDEPENDENT Over the last six months there has been some interesting news reported and acquisitions taking place, but prior to that, the landscape of the automation sector was largely untouched. Being an independent company in such a climate has worked in Kinesys’ favour. Weatherhead explained: “One of the pros for us is that all the shareholders work in the company. We’re our own bosses and we can react fast to changing trends. We have the ability to make those decisions.” Giavedoni agreed: “We are a relatively small company but each individual is part of a team and we all walk toward a unique direction. This gives us a great strength but also enough flexibility to not follow market trends at their speed, but to anticipate customer demands and desires. Automation in the entertainment industry is a growing demand but the way to answer to this demand varies a lot. “I like to use this Italian analogy: everybody

can cook pasta with tomato sauce, but to cook it in a way that stands out amongst other restaurants, you must firstly have your own recipe. At Kinesys, we care not only about the quality of the pasta and the taste of the sauce, for us even the water and salt are crucial ingredients. And of course, cooking requires its own time and method too. One of our company values is that ‘the show must go on, but not at any costs’, in the moment it is all too easy to think we must do anything to make it happen but when the consequences of getting it wrong can be so serious you need to be confident enough to say ‘no, not at any cost’. For these reasons amongst many others integrity of our products and the quality of our service is extremely important for us,” he concluded. As Kinesys enters its second decade, it’s exciting to debate what the thinkers behind this company’s success could deliver to our industry’s wants and needs in the future. From engineering to health and safety, the artistic visions of show designers and requirements from production managers across the globe are being enabled by a company that simply started with two engineers on a rock ‘n’ roll tour… TPi www.kinesys.co.uk

THE BIGGER PICTURE

THE PSA BUSINESS SUPPORT HELPLINE IS KINDLY SPONSORED BY

THE BIGGER PICTURE FALLING: WHAT’S STOPPING YOU? I was told a story a few years ago, about the role a roll of wallpaper played in the development of truss. If memory serves me well, it involved the principals of a lighting company, back in the day, unrolling wallpaper across the floor and crawling along it on hands and knees. This exercise was part of a decision making process that would lead to it manufacturing its own truss. Of course, said truss would have to be wide enough to crawl along, and wallpaper seemed wide enough so, decision made, that’s how wide it should be. Then came the rest, the engineering, the maths and the manufacturing now there's tonnes of the stuff, everywhere.

What’s interesting is that a major consideration was how a person could move along the truss. That’s how it had to be lights get rigged, truss goes up, lights get focussed. There’s stuff to be done up there so someone has to go up there and do stuff. Naturally, one of the things you don’t want to do when you’re up there is fall off. And if you do fall, it’s nice to stop somewhere short of the floor or other hard, inanimate objects, so fall arrest became widely utilised. All good, right? Well, kind of, because in this crazy world ruled by officious gits who walk around trying to prevent people from dying, there are things you are obliged to do before you chuck a harness at the problem. There’s a hierarchy. It is said, in the rules that govern these things, that the first thing you should do is avoid working at height altogether. I’m going to go out on a limb now and suggest that the advent of intelligent moving lights led to a decrease in the need to climb onto a truss and crawl along. I’m not saying it removed the practice, but, in 70

theory, a flown rig of movers can achieve the desired effect. Let’s also throw in the fact that there are more ways to get high than the wire ladder - flying carpets, pickers, towers - all stuff that can be used to get up there if required and, in the hierarchy, to be used before the fall arrest option. Sometimes by accident, sometimes by design, people started complying with regulations. Back to the truss and a very current challenge. Earlier this year, our friends that enforce the whole not getting injured thing had a quiet word about the not-so-commonbut-still-evident practice of clipping fall arrest kit onto truss and the fact that not all truss is rated to take the load of a falling person. They’d probably go so far as to say that the majority of truss is not rated for such use. We have no record of it ever happening, but it is entirely possible that, should a person fall when clipped onto truss, they could bring the whole kit down with them. Of course, there will be arguments for and against. A common solution is to send someone

that knows what they’re doing, who won’t fall, great in theory, but a very shaky defence in the event of a fall and it’s probably best for us to say that we absolutely don’t recommend this. Again, leaps and bounds have been taken in the venue market. Many major rooms have lines installed for the sole purpose of fall arrest attachment. These are designed for purpose and hopefully subjected to a suitable and sufficient testing regime. Then there are temporary systems, lines attached between motors, or to ends of truss, perhaps with extra shock absorption. All of these have their limitations, in some situations and somewhat ironically, lack of height is the issue, not enough space for a shock absorbing lanyard to deploy before the rapid deceleration event caused by a person meeting the deck. There’s the money thing too. Every system installed, every innovation, it all costs, but those that spend the money do so because they realise the potential cost of not doing so. It was refreshing to hear recently of a company’s investment in some cutting edge climb assist

www.psa.org.uk

are other elements to consider, but thought provocation is the aim. Designers should consider work at height at the earliest possible opportunity, venues need to advise on what is or isn’t available, people need to take responsibility for their own actions. Much of it is about what people provide, but there needs to be education about what individuals should expect. There’s a world of difference between ‘have you brought your harness?’ and ‘do I need one?’ It’s a relatively short period of time between deciding how to make a truss suitable for working on and

and fall arrest technology. The head of the operation knew it wouldn’t make money, but did it because it was the right thing to do. Probably didn’t score points with the artist’s management either. Enforcers have a few options and organisations like the PSA are there to help them spread the message they can, well, enforce. A physical presence and some wise words, coupled with official notices (there are charges involved) is an option, but they can’t be everywhere. Of course, after an accident, they will be all over the place, investigating, inspecting and perhaps prosecuting. They’d rather it didn’t get that far, so a reminder, in the shape of guidance, is on the way. Nothing too long winded, nothing that special, just a note about what you should do and in which order, the hierarchy we talked about. Remove the need for work at height, the big number one, first thing you should do. I’d like to know if set and lighting designers have ever

designing a truss that can take a fall. In the meantime, there have been developments that have removed the need for certain practices. Technology, planning, training and design have played their part. Progress has been made, perfection may never be achieved, opinions will differ and safeties will always mean someone has to get up there to replace that broken fixture. Just be sure you know what to expect when asked to do the job and make sure you get it. TPi www.psa.org.uk

thought of a ‘no climb design’. Is this a common consideration? Temporary structures too, roof systems are being designed with height work as a consideration. Lines can be installed, but some older systems actually have no safe anchor points, yet. Remove the hazard, simple; provide safe access like catwalks with rails, provide powered access equipment. So many things to do before you get to a harness and fall arrest. One thing is for sure, the further down the hierarchy you get, the more complicated the solution. Designing, testing and maintaining arrest systems is complex. When we talk about arrest systems, we’re not talking about getting your harness checked, we’re talking about any element you attach to, as soon as you hook up to something, it’s part of the system. Not so much ‘this’ll do’ as ‘is it rated?’ Yes, there’s idealism in some of these views and this is in no way an advisory note. There will be debate and disagreement, there 71

MARKET FOCUS: Bussing and Trucking

BUSSING AND TRUCKING BEAT THE STREET

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Beat The Street is constantly updating its fleet of 45ft star, band and crew buses with newer, more ecofriendly vehicles built to include state-of-the-art entertainment systems and the highest levels of comfort. Alongside the buses, Beat The Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ground Transport division is providing Mercedes cars, vans and buses for all types of day travel across the whole of Europe ranging from one off transfers, artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cars and vans supporting sleeper buses on long tours.

FLY BY NITE

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Fly By Nite provides specialist transport and warehousing to the entertainment industry, servicing the music, corporate, eventsand exhibition sectors. Operating a fleet of over 100 vehicles from its eight acre site in the central location of Redditch, UK. The FBN complex incorporates specialist backline storage cages and large set storage areas. FBN carefully plans your tour logistics to ensure your equipment arrives at each venue on time, every time with expert knowledge and experience ensuring to provide a first class service at a competitive price.

JANCO

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Janco Transportation provides high quality equipment while still being boutique in size to give that personal attention needed around the clock. Janco is currently operating a 125-truck fleet and has offices in New Jersey, Tennessee and California. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, it is the original provider of Broadway touring carriers, and attributes its success to its diversity in television, film and sports marketing.

JUMBOCRUISER

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Jumbocruiser provides single and double decker sleeper coaches for UK and European tours. It provides new coaches and older ones for budget conscious tours. It can also provide a luxury 42ft RV with slideouts where a star or family is travelling. All coaches have the usual facilities including internet, memory foam mattresses, local heating, aircon, and multimedia. Jumbocruiser can invoice in Sterling Pounds or Euros and its coaches are the prestigious Ayats brand, which are individually crafted rather than produced on a production line.

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KB EVENT

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KB Event work on all the major UK festivals, and provide full production and staging trucking for two of Europe’s largest festivals. KB Event’s tours this year have included Rod Stewart, Sub Focus and The 1975 as well as Wiz Khalifa and the Stereophonics. In addition to 24-hour, seven-days-a-week availability, KB supplies any transport requirement; whether that be a one day project with a sprinter van, or a full production tour with a fleet of mega cubes. It has experienced on-site teams available to coordinate larger or complicated moves, and extensive worldwide air and sea freight networks.

LUCKINGS

www.luckings.co.uk

Luckings runs a large and varied fleet, ranging from vans to mega cube trailers. Its 70-trailer fleet come fitted with load lock, LED lighting and have underslung ramps. All of its drivers will actively assist with the loading and unloading process. All of its vehicles are tracked allowing accurate ETA’s on all moves. It has recently assisted on projects for Lady Gaga, Muse and Robbie Williams and covered the tours of Katie Melua, Beach House and Rudimental.

MM BAND

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Based in the UK port of Hull, Yorkshire, MM Band has good links to Belgium, Holland, Norway and Denmark. Its all-inclusive pricing means that when budgeting for a European tour, there are no hidden costs. Its purpose-built fleet caters for budget buses for artists doing smaller gigs, through to a new fleet of extra long crew and band buses, both double and single deckers, specialising in long distance and European Tours. Specialist Star buses have double beds. MM Band services brand new fleet of trailers will take care of backline needs, but for larger tours MM will recommend a preferred trucking supplier. MM has serviced Lil Wayne, Shakira, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Foo Fighters to name a few.

PHOENIX

www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk

Having celebrated its 25th year in 2013, Phoenix Bussing anticipates yet another incredibly busy year in 2014. Its fleet is set to expand by another four double-decker buses in the new year, allowing for a thoroughly modern fleet of 45 single and double-deckers for hire. Phoenix vehicles now offer a veritable cornucopia of nine, 10, 12, 14 and 16 berth sleeper buses.

MARKET FOCUS: Bussing and Trucking

REDBURN TRANSFER

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Redburn Transfer has established itself as one of the market leaders in music transportation throughout its time and although it has not always had the biggest fleet, when compared to several of its competitors, it has been the provider of trucking services to some of the biggest tours to the elite of rock ‘n’ roll acts, including Pink Floyd, Genesis, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder.

STAGETRUCK

www.stagetruck.com

Stagetruck has been trading for over 30 years and specialises in the concert touring, music and conference sector of the haulage industry. The company operates over 70 vehicles of varying types, including 30ft trailers, 45ft mega cubes and double deck trailers, tautliners, 18 tonne and smaller rigid vehicles. The majority of the fleet is Euro 5 rated to be the most economical and environmentally friendly, and Stagetruck will soon be running Euro 6 vehicles. Stagetruck’s fully qualified personnel carry out all vehicle maintenance.

STARDES

www.stardes.co.uk

Stardes is a family-run transportation business, with over 33-years of service to the entertainment industry. It utilises some of the best vehicles available today, constantly updates, services in-house beyond manufacturers recommendations and equips the latest technology. It also has a 24 / 7, 365-days-a-year on-call service. It has vehicles in it’s fleet to suit all needs, from large multi-venue European tours and theatre productions, to corporate clients and exhibitions.

WICKED

www.wickedtransport.co.uk

North East England based Wicked provides specialist transport services to the live entertainment and events industry. They operate across the UK and Europe, touring with live music concerts, theatre tours, festival productions, exhibitions and conferences. Wicked’s vehicles range from 3.5 tonne vans and 18 tonne trucks to 44 tonne articulated trucks. With a decade of experience in the industry, Wicked’s expertise extends to all areas of production. It also offers trailer and production storage, crew and project management services.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Sascha Kempter has joined the Laserworld Team in Lengwil, Switzerland, as Multimedia Marketing Manager. He is responsible for parts of the online media management, the digital media approach for the subsidiaries and the parent company. “Sascha’s knowledge of analytics, graphics and design tools and his online media skills make him a perfect fit for our team,” said Norbert Stangl, Sales and Marketing Director at Laserworld. Adamson has promoted James Oliver to the position of Director of Marketing and Sales. “James brings a unique skill set to the table that spans beyond pro audio,” said founder Brock Adamson. “We saw tremendous growth last year and our goal is to add expertise in all aspects of our business.” Oliver will be responsible for the growth of Adamson’s sales worldwide with focus on the North American market, defining global brand strategy, offering tour and application support, spearheading product training programs and overseeing all marketing efforts. At the same time, Adamson Europe has expanded Martin Schlockwerder’s role. Hired as a Business Development Manager two years ago, his brief now includes acquiring new distributors in Europe and assisting with key accounts in Germany. Schlockwerder will also handle the press relations for all German speaking countries including campaigns, events and brand awareness. Metropolis Studios has appointed Nina Jackson to manage its recording studios and engineer roster. Her 20 years of professional experience covers all aspects of the industry, from music engineering and publishing to studio / tour booking and festival production. After working for a wealth of companies including Protocol Studios, Asgard Agency, Bella Union, Setanta Records and Glastonbury Festival - Jackson started running her own live agency and producer management company 78

before using her knowledge to help develop the hugely successful annual Oxjam Festival. JBL has made several new appointments within its Tour Sound division, including Paul Bauman (Associate Director), Eric Friedlander (Product Manager) and George Georgallis (Technical Support Lead). “Paul Bauman has driven the development and adoption of VTX line arrays across the globe since the product’s introduction in January 2012, while also growing JBL’s VerTec customer base,” said Brian Divine, Director of Marketing. “Now, with the appointments of Eric Friedlander and George Georgallis, Paul has a team in place that is equipped to continue pushing the technological envelope with new loudspeaker technologies.” Bauman has been a key member of the JBL team for the past seven years, having spent the past two as Senior Manager, Tour Sound. He has also held the positions of Director, Tour Sound Product and Application Engineering, and Senior Manager, Product Development. He has more than 29 years of professional audio and global touring industry experience, including key positions at L-Acoustics, Maryland Sound International and Adamson. Eric Friedlander joins JBL from Crown, where he served as Business Developer, Tour Sound, for more than three years, responsible for supporting sales in the tour sound market and working closely with the customer base to provide tailored solutions to meet specific needs. In his new position, Friedlander will participate in product development of JBL’s high-end live sound loudspeaker products and support of JBL’s market-leading VTX and VerTec line array. After three successful years in the role of Sales Manager, Production Sound, Nick Pemberton has been appointed to Market Development Manager for Sennheiser, tasked with strategic development of the company’s markets. “Sennheiser and Neumann are

currently creating new products for sectors within which we are not traditionally known,” said Gerry Forde, Director of Sales, Integrated Systems and MI Divisions. “These include the government, corporate and IT markets, to name a few. “Nick’s new position requires a high level of audio knowledge across a broad range of applications, as well as strong commercial experience.” Pemberton will be working closely with product and account managers to create opportunities, launch new products and maximise opportunities for the Sennheiser and Neumann brands. Creative Technology has introduced a new ingredient to its London business. The Media Solutions team will focus on managing the increasing demand for specialist media management and delivery systems. It will also be responsible for the development and promotion of ideas and innovation while enabling the company to engage further with clients and creative partners in a more pro-active manner at the earlier stages of project development. The team will be mainly comprised of existing personnel that already have a rich experience and skill-set in media technology and services. Creative Technology has also appointed David Mulcahy as Media Consultant, Mulcahy who joins the company this month, brings a weight of experience with him, having worked with a number of clients and creative teams in the media and visual world. His background is in theatre, corporate and music events and he has been involved in a number of pioneering projects, most recently developing interactive technologies. Tim Volker, Creative Technology’s Media Solutions Director said: “Using a team of existing staff with these specific skills enables us to concentrate and capitalise on their experience and understanding of this area of the business. With a clear focus and direction

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Opposite: Laserworld has announced the appointment of Sascha Kempter to the position of Multimedia Marketing Manager; JBL has made new appointments within Tour Sound division; including Paul Bauman, Eric Friedlander and George Georgallis; Creative Technology has appointed David Mulcahy as Media Consultant. Below: Adamson Europe has promoted Martin Schlockwerder to Marketing and Business Development, Europe; Metropolis Studios has appointed Nina Jackson to manage its recording studios and award-winning engineer roster; UKbased flight case expert, John O’Neill has recently formed Amp Pack Cases.

on technological and software advancements, Media Solutions can provide media handling, management, incorporation and integration - a full offering.” Utilising his 30 years of industry experience, flight case expert John O’Neill has launched his own company, Amp Pack Cases, aiming to “make the very best of British manufacturing, with the promise of better flight cases for all budgets”.

O’Neill’s career as a carpenter began in 1975. He went on to serve as sound engineer for local blues band The Motivators, eventually joining as a tenor saxophone player, before becoming Managing Director at Packhorse Cases. In 1999, after being asked by lighting console manufacturer Avolites to design and manufacture cases, O’Neill partnered with Amptown to build them.

O’Neill credits John Mosley, ex-drummer and percussionist for Cat Stevens, with having “taught him everything about flight cases”, after meeting him at a small pub gig in Peterborough, UK. He was then lucky enough to work with some of the biggest bands in the world, from Alice Cooper and the Rolling Stones to Rod Stewart and AC/DC. TPi www.tpimagazine.com/jobs

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VITAL STATS

VITAL STATS 153 Lee Moro Profession: FOH Engineer, Production Manager and Touring Liaison, Meyer Sound Date & place of birth: March 13, 1972, Windsor, Canada

How did your career in pro audio begin? I was a drummer as a teenager, and my brother worked in theatre lighting and staging, so I was exposed to live sound early on. The first established band I mixed using professional audio equipment was Canadian prog rockers The Tea Party, who actually got back together in 2011 and are still active today. What training did you receive? I attended the Fanshawe School in London, Ontario for a year. I was drawn to it because one of the head teachers worked with Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Pink Floyd. Most of my training came from mixing and doing shows in the field, including the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. It was a great educational experience because I was supporting such a wide variety of materials, from jazz to opera, from its smaller indoor venues to its amphitheatres. Did you have a mentor of sorts? Many, one of them being Jon Ericksson who did sound for Rush. He taught me to become open to new technology and to learn as much as I could while on the road. This eventually led me to trying Meyer Sound’s concert loudspeakers, which I toured with for many years. And now, my work is to interface with Meyer Sound users on their support needs and help the Meyer Sound rental network to connect and collaborate on projects. What advice would you offer to upcoming engineers getting into the industry now? When I first started, I was inexperienced and lacked the scientific foundation to fully understand the consequences of the decisions I made as a mixer. Much of my trial and error would have been eliminated if today’s audio education opportunities were available. I encourage all upcoming engineers to take advantage of these opportunities, such as those from the Meyer Sound education program. Understanding the science of sound can make your job much more efficient, and a lot more fun. It’s always interesting to see how surprised people get to hear a system sounding better and louder by having fewer loudspeakers, which is counterintuitive. It’s also important to have a great time on the job. We’re very fortunate to be doing something that helps create memories for people. I remember that every day, especially at stressful moments. It’s a great career and can last a long time if you keep your head afloat. How has the pro audio industry evolved since your own career began? The consistency of products has improved significantly. Back in the ‘90s, proprietary loudspeakers were commonplace, and most manufacturers’ 82

“I certainly have seen fans going up to FOH to congratulate and thank the engineer for a great show.” boxes were mixed with different amplifiers. There was a lot of guesswork. In hindsight, I’m shocked we got the results that we got back then. Today, the quality of equipment is a lot higher. Technology like self-powered systems provides a much more powerful, compact, consistent, and tourfriendly solution for productions. With better sounding shows, people’s expectations are higher and so is the pressure on the engineers. I see this is as a great thing, as there is more respect for the sound team’s work. I certainly have seen more fans going up to FOH to congratulate and thank the engineer for a great show. What makes Meyer Sound a technically innovative company to work for? Meyer Sound is a unique company that seeks complete solutions with the entire audio chain in mind, even if the answers go against what people are used to. The fact that it pioneered self-powered systems is a great example. When I first toured with Norah Jones using the Meyer Sound MILO, I would get all sorts of questions: ‘How do you know you can trust self-powered systems?’ ‘What if an amplifier fails?’ These questions don’t come up as often anymore because the technology has proven itself. And Meyer Sound has since introduced more powerful and more compact self-powered systems, from the smaller MINA to the large-scale LEO line array systems. You’ve done FOH duties for some high profile acts, what has been the most valuable lesson for life on the road? Stay healthy. Be positive. And have a life outside of touring. What will you be focussing on in 2014? Following its launch in 2012, the Meyer Sound LEO has shown the industry what a highly powerful and linear system can do in large concerts and festivals. In fact, this system has opened up opportunities with many engineers who are using Meyer Sound for the first time, and this is very exciting. We’re now ready to expand this proven technology to more users. You can expect a lot of momentum from Meyer Sound in 2014.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Corke, mcorke@prg.com, +1 758 4347

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