TPi November 2014 - Issue 183 by Mondiale Media

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

www.tpiawards.com

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER 2014

ISSUE 183

LIVE EVENT DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY • NOVEMBER 2014 • ISSUE 183

PHARRELL WILLIAMS WHAT CAN WE DO? WE’RE HELPLESS ROMANTICS...

HAPPY DAYS: THE SEVEN TIME GRAMMY WINNER ON HIS FIRST ARENA TOUR

LAB.GRUPPEN’S PLM+ • KYLIE • ON BLACKHEATH FESTIVAL • LIGHTBORNE INTERVIEW • SUMMER SONIC INVICTUS GAMES CLOSING CONCERT • KOI WINNERS • GLP TURNS 20 • VIDEO PROJECTION MARKET FOCUS

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PRODUCTION NOTES Keylines do not print INK: 4/c STOCK: magazine

Close Date 3/25/14

Revision #

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Everything in one Space For 24 years we have been distributing the finest brands of Commercial & Pro Audio, Lighting, Video & Special Effects to the Trade. You can now also browse and order on-line, using your trade pricing login. So whether you are an Integrator, Installer, Re-seller, Hire or Events Company, let us become an asset to your business.

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PRELUDE

PROTOUCH STAGEOPERATOR

8,4“ Colour Touchscreen

SOBER OCTOBER AND OTHER ADVENTURES I’m not going to lie to you. I haven’t had a ‘dry’ month since I was a teenager. Amongst others, a nickname that has - accurately - found its way into my social circle is ‘Murray Measures’. If you’re reading this and we’ve had a night out during my time at this publication, you’ll know I’m not the kind of girl who opts for a shandy. Or a half. Or a single. Ever. But then, I can’t say any of you lot do either… Alcohol is more often than not a part of life in this industry; there’s always an event, a launch or a dinner at which to celebrate, well, anything. So when mondo*dr Editor, Rachael and I undertook the challenge of Sober October for MacMillan Cancer Support, even we had our doubts. However, as the tradeshows and concerts unfolded, our willpower did not. We were spurred on by acts of kindness such as our Finance Director, Amanda Giles who offered up £100. Her message read, “You should save at least that on your bar bills.” She was correct, obviously. Then there was the “but avoiding wine in France is practically a criminal act” revelation from he who shall not be named. I didn’t get arrested but I wasn’t half parched. Alas, we made it. I’d like to say a massive extended thank you to everyone who supported us this month. We set out to raise £500 in the hope that some of you might have faith in our ability to resist our nectar of choice (I think it’s called ALL) and I’m delighted to tell you that at the time of going to print our booze-banished total is an incredible £1,080. DiGiCo even sent us a bottle of champers each in celebration of completing the challenge. It was delicious! (Don’t tell them but even a can of shandy would have had me smiling for days at that point!) Back to the present and this issue should make for an interesting read. I was lucky enough to hear “If you’re wondering if Nexo’s STM M28 and GEO M6 in Shakespeare’s you’ll be the lucky owner backyard - Warwickshire - a couple of weeks ago, and I left impressed. You can find the latest on of a TPi-crafted box, this double launch on P. 14. fret not guys; Besides the mighty array of live event I was totally sober...” technology in action from the crews behind cover star Pharrell Williams and Aussie stage queen Kylie. We also have features on the delights of Ibizan boat parties, first time festivals and breaking news on PRG’s recent acquisition of Gearhouse L.L.C in Dubai on P. 8. We have some insightful tradeshow news too. On P. 66 you can take a look inside the PRO show and read the conclusions of those who exhibited and attended. We dissect the new UK-based expo - held at Birmingham’s NEC - and ask what the future may now hold for the British tradeshow climate. Elsewhere Patrick enjoyed another trip to his beloved Germany, this time to visit GLP. The lighting fixture manufacturer is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and continues to make headway in the US market thanks to Mark Ravenhill’s expertise. Also this month I visited Paris with mondo*dr Advertising Sales beauty, Laura Iles, for a two-day jaunt (and around 37 macaroons). We can be seen in the photo above putting some genuine craftwork into an L-Acoustics K2 line source array loudspeaker system. If you’re wondering if you’ll be the lucky owner of a TPi-crafted box, fret not guys; I was totally sober! Kelly Murray Editor

• Linkable Motor Distributions • Integrated Software for System Configuration • Password Management • Group-Shutdown Functions • Displaying of Positions and Destination Runs • Load-Measuring with integrated Shutdown Functions for Over- and Underload • Displaying each Drive Status Position, Load and Errors • 15“ Touchscreen as Option • Network-Based System Configurations avaialable on request CHAIN HOISTS • CONTROL SYSTEMS • SOLUTIONS

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ITINERARY

EVENT FOCUS 08 PRG in Gearhouse Acquisition

CREW

PRG acquires Gearhouse L.L.C in Dubai, UAE.

a member of

Editor Kelly Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk Assistant Editor Patrick McCumiskey Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Mobile: +44 (0)7929 249169 e-mail: p.mccumiskey@mondiale.co.uk 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 Charlotte Goodlass Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)788 0208 226 e-mail: c.goodlass@mondiale.co.uk Graphic Design & Production Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Mel Robinson: m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk

10 Knight Of Illuminations

A round up of the 2014 winners.

14 NEXO Launch

We attend Nexo’s double launch and demo.

16 Round the world with Lady Gaga

APA in South Korea, Stageco in Belgium and eclipse in Dubai supply the Queen of Pop’s gigs.

22 Summer Sonic

We look at the Audio-Technica sponsored festival in Japan.

24 Urban Bubble KeyTeq invests in Chauvet Professional lighting.

26 Carl Cox Boat Party

Pioneer Pro Audio and Pioneer DJ float a boat (party) in Ibiza.

28 A Day To Remember

We follow Elation Professional’s Sniper on tour.

PRODUCTION PROFILE 30 Pharrell Williams Simon Duff hears Adamson’s Energia PA system. 40 Kylie Sarah Rushton-Read tackles the Australian pop

General Manager Justin Gawne

Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh

50 Invictus Games Closing Concert TPi goes behind the scenes at the Foo Fighter’s

www.tpimagazine.com • www.tpiawards.com

Cover Photography Simon Duff

58 On Blackheath Paul Watson reports on the first year of Harvey

Contributors Simon Duff, Sarah Rushton-Read, Paul Watson Editorial Intern Usama Anjum

Printed by Buxton Press 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

66 PRO PRO: we ask for your verdict on this new expo.

Issue 183 / November 2014 TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited under licence. ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2014 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 2014 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.

star’s latest tour, Kiss Me Once.

headline show.

Goldsmith’s new London festival.

EXPO

INTERVIEW 74 Ben Nicholson of Lightborne talks to Kelly about

the landscape of content creation.

CLOCKING OFF 76 SSE’s John and Alex Penn complete The Great

North Run in aid of Alzheimers Society.

COMPANY PROFILE 78 Patrick visits GLP’s German HQ.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 82 Lab.gruppen’s PLM+ is uncovered.

MARKET FOCUS 84 The latest in Video Projection tech & live events.

PSA

92 The speed of live production & DiGiCo’s secret...

MOVERS & SHAKERS 94 The latest industry appointments.

VITAL STATS 98 Nick Valdez of Siyan Lighting talks shop.

EVENT FOCUS: PRG & Gearhouse

EXPANDED RESOURCES IN THE GULF PRG’S ACQUISITION OF GEARHOUSE LLC BOOSTS EVENT PRODUCTION IN THE UAE In one of the most groundbreaking industry moves of recent times, New Yorkheadquartered Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology, is acquiring Dubai-based Gearhouse, L.L.C., the largest provider of turnkey event production services across the Gulf Region. For PRG’s worldwide clients this acquisition means that they will now have access to a complete range of technical expertise and production solutions when working in the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Region. PRG can now ensure that their clients can be confident in the quality of product, production expertise and professionalism when working in this important and quickly expanding event location. “By acquiring Gearhouse, we will be able to significantly increase our local support for our many customers that produce events and shows in Dubai and the Gulf Region”, said PRG’s Harris, who jointly announced the acquisition with Peter McCann, the Managing Director of Gearhouse, L.L.C. “Now we can offer them the same high level of customer service and 08

innovative, reliable technical solutions as our clients expect, wherever they are producing an event.” With immediate effect, Gearhouse, L.L.C. will be rebranded PRG Gearhouse as its Dubai headquarters joins PRG’s network of over 40 locations in key cities across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Switzerland, China, Australia, Argentina and Japan. Tom Van Hemelryck, PRG’s Vice President, Global Special Events, commented: “Gearhouse is a tremendous addition to PRG’s global team. With their talent, knowledge, expertise and existing client base, Gearhouse will allow PRG to unlock significant potential in this fast growing market. I’m personally delighted to be playing a significant role in this new venture and look forward to the obvious advantages of having people and equipment on the ground when servicing our existing global clients who have become increasingly attracted to delivering events in this region.” “We have a market here that is rapidly maturing and I regard the creation of PRG

Gearhouse as a significant milestone in that process,” commented Peter McCann, who co-founded Gearhouse, L.L.C, currently located at Dubai Investment Park. “Over the last 20 years, we have established a client base that has become more sophisticated in their expectations of the standard of delivery and of what production really means. As PRG Gearhouse we will be able to exceed their expectations as we will undoubtedly attract the best levels of talent to our region because PRG’s reputation is second to none.” McCann’s long-term vision for Gearhouse was to be part of a like-minded global organisation. “Aside from organisational synergies, we felt PRG shared our highest level of customer service and operational best practices in how we deliver production solutions to our clients and our role in driving internationally recognised health and safety standards in this region. PRG shares my belief that there is a significant opportunity to extend Gearhouse from a regional leader to part of a global organisation that will allow us to further differentiate ourselves from regional

EVENT FOCUS: PRG & Gearhouse

Opposite: PRG’s acquisition of Dubai-based Gearhouse, L.L.C will undoubtedly attribute to grwoth in the Event production market in the Gulf. Below: Jeremiah Harris, PRG; Peter McCann, Managing Director of Gearhouse, L.L.C.; Tom van Hemelryck, Vice President of PRG.

competition and strengthen our ability to service our customers.” Leading a workforce of more than 100 full-time employees, McCann’s management team - Bruce MacLean, General Manager; Lee Price, Director of Planning; Dave Emery, Director of Operations; and Harriet Stewart, Area Sales Manager - share the excitement of merging the skills of their existing staff and technical inventory with those of PRG’s global assets. One of the key benefits of the acquisition will be the way PRG Gearhouse will be able to interact with its European and UK colleagues to strategically utilise resources throughout the entire year. “Our summer normally equates to three and a half months of quiet business, and because of temperatures of around 50°C [112°F], it is impossible to stage outdoor events,” said McCann. “Meanwhile, we have an expansive inventory of premium LED stock [Martin Professional, Chroma-Q, Thomas], moving lights [Philips Vari-Lite, Martin, Clay Paky], rigging [Lodestar], automation [Kinesys], backline and audio systems including L-Acoustics’ K2 line arrays sitting idle. That will no longer be the case because we’re delivering at a level that absolutely matches what PRG offers in Europe

during the festival season. “As a consequence, our own people are now able to add to their career development by playing a valuable part in those European festivals at a different level than any other company in this market can offer. Conversely, the Dubai office will now have greater access to human and technical resources in our busy season between October and April.” Short and long-term exchanges of staff between PRG Gearhouse and other territories within the PRG group are expected in the future, providing what Peter McCann regards as an “idyllic opportunity” to cross-train, pool market intelligence and broaden cultural experience. “As an employer, the ability to present to the current staff the prospect of them working for the largest production services provider in the world is one of the most exciting moments in my career,” commented McCann. “Moreover, this market likes to do business with proven players and our clients are now working with the biggest of them all along with the level of technology and quality of execution that they have seen on the Olympic Games and other seriously high profile global events,” McCann said. “Our government clients

are just as excited because they know this is a great brand builder for the region, so there is an enormous amount of confidence out here right now. “Expo 2020 is on the horizon here in Dubai as a supplier, we played a part in the successful bid process - and it is contributing to an allround greater confidence as a destination for corporations, concert tours and semi-permanent theatre productions. It represents a golden period in the making but this can only get better as part of PRG and the wider talent pool that this will bring.” “I look forward to working closely with Gearhouse, who know this region so well,” said PRG’s Harris. On the many opportunities to support existing and new clients, he concluded: “PRG and Gearhouse are extremely well matched as both companies provide a multidisciplined, integrated product. I am impressed with what Peter and his team have built at Gearhouse, and I am confident that the joining of our two companies will be to the benefit of our clients, which is our top priority.” The closing of the acquisition was effective from October 31, 2014. TPi www.prg.com

EVENT FOCUS: Knight of Illumination Awards

SEVENTH KNIGHT OF ILLUMINATION AWARDS WINNERS THE SEVENTH KNIGHT OF ILLUMINATION AWARDS (KOI) WAS HELD ON SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER IN LONDON, UK, TO A SPARKLING SUCCESS. This year, London’s glamorous art deco Troxy venue saw representatives from the professional entertainment lighting and video industry come together to celebrate the creative achievements of lighting and video professionals working on shows across the UK. The ever-popular awards, organised by The Society of Television & Lighting Design (STLD), The Association of Lighting Designers (ALD), Clay Paky and Ambersphere Solutions, was established to offer public recognition for outstanding achievements in touring, television and theatre lighting, and video design. Hosted by prolific and popular lighting designer for the theatre, opera and ballet, Mark Jonathan, the winners for each category were announced as follows: THEATRE: Dance: Paul Keogan, No Man’s Land, English 10

National Ballet, The Barbican Opera: Joachim Klein, Bluebeard’s Castle, Opera Frankfurt, Edinburgh Festival Theatre Play: Andy Purves, The Believers, The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth and touring Musicals: Adam Silverman, Urinetown, St. James Theatre Projection Design: Ethan Wang, Rice, Cloud Gate Theatre Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Sadler’s Wells. TELEVISION: Drama: David Higgs, The Escape Artist Light Entertainment: Chris Rigby, Alan Carr Chatty Man Small Studio: Hugh French, Channel 4 News Events: Ben Cracknell, The Olivier Awards Video Graphic Display: Luke Halls, Don Giovanni CONCERT TOURING AND EVENTS: Concert Touring Stage: Will Potts, Disclosure Concert Touring Arena: Andy Hurst, The Prodigy

Live Events: Matt Button, Castrol Video Graphic Display: Paul ‘Pablo’ Beckett, Blue Leach and Cate Carter, Elbow As is tradition, in addition to the TV, Theatre and Concert Touring and Events Awards, the Enrico Caironi Award For Lifetime Recognition was presented to an individual whom the KOI committee feels has made an outstanding impact on the industry. This year, the coveted award was presented to Brian Croft who is perhaps best known for his work in Rock ‘n’ Roll, notably with ESP Lighting, RFA Electrosound, Theatre Projects, Samuelson’s, Eagle Trust and Vari-Lite productions but who is also a dedicated supporter of the National Youth Theatre since he began his career as a stage manager on its inaugural production in 1956. Previous winners of this award include Lighting Designer Richard Pilbrow in 2011,

EVENT FOCUS: Knight of Illumination Awards

Opposite: The seventh Knight of Illumination Awards was held this year at London’s popular art deco venue, Troxy.

Bryan Leitch in 2012 and Ian Dow in 2013. The category is named in recognition of former Clay Paky Commercial Director Enrico Caironi (1947 - 2011), whose inspiration and enthusiasm created and subsequently shaped the Knight Of Illumination Awards. The Knight Of Illumination Awards has seen main sponsors Ayrton, Hawthorn, MA Lighting, Osram, Robert Juliat, and XL Video all share in KOI’s determination to forge closer ties between the world of lighting design and the lighting industry as a whole. In addition, the wider industry’s support for Knight Of Illumination continues to flourish and KOI was delighted to welcome table sponsors from every sector including: AC Entertainment, Avolites, Chauvet Professional, Creative Technology, d3 Technologies, ETC, Fix8, Gallowglass, Gearsource, Green Hippo, HSL, Martin Professional, Philips Entertainment, Pharos, PLASA, PRG, Rosco, Stage Electrics, TMB, TSL and Wireless Solutions.

Lighting Designer Durham Marenghi who co-ordinates the Awards along with his wife Jennie had this to say of the evening: “What a fantastic celebration of lighting design, video and projection design and this year supported by so many companies in the lighting and projection world. Although saddened by the passing of Clay Paky’s founder Pasquale Quadri the event that he so passionately supported is now recognised as the most prestigious and wide ranging lighting design awards in the UK and the evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended” KOI is supported by: The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT); ET Now; Lighting and Sound America; Lighting and Sound International; PLASA; The Theatres Trust and TPi Magazine. TPi

www.knight-of-illumination.com

The beneficiary of this year’s Gottelier Award, presented during the 2014 PLASA Awards ceremony, was Founder and Managing Director of Clay Paky, Pasquale ‘Paky’ Quadri. The Award, which recognises members of the industry who have made significant and sustained contributions to the advancement of event, entertainment or installation technology, was given posthumously as, very sadly, Paky passed away on September 6. Following his death and as a testament to the huge respect ‘Paky’ had garnered over the years, the remaining Gottelier Award nominees, Richard Belliveau, David Cunningham and Dr Christian Heil, unanimously agreed to withdraw from the running. Coming from humble origins the young entrepreneur Pasquale Quadri grew up in an extremely creative environment. The son of a magician he was raised in a small provincial Italian town. ‘Paky’ established Clay Paky in 1976 and in just under 40 years his contribution to cutting-edge and superior quality lighting has been immense. Clay Paky’s Chief Commercial Officer, Pio Nahum, graciously accepted the award on behalf of his very close friend and colleague and said: “Receiving the Gottelier award on behalf of Paky fills me with pride and gratitude. Paky was a charismatic leader we all knew we could count on. Under his guidance we achieved significant goals and, above all, we gained the respect and trust of many customers and partners throughout the world. The expressions of admiration and sympathy that we have received following Paky’s passing have been considerable and I would like to thank everyone who has shared their condolences and thoughts.”

seeing is believing.

visit us at LDI Las Vegas, 21-23 Nov, booth 1275. www.d3technologies.com

EVENT FOCUS: Knight of Illumination Awards

Below: Lighting Designer Rick Fisher was presented with a charitable donation from Clay Paky’s Pio Nahum.

CLAY PAKY DONATES TO BEHIND THE SCENES CHARITY AT KNIGHT OF ILLUMINATION AWARDS Behind the Scenes - the new charity which supports entertainment technology professionals in times of need - received a kick-start to its fundraising efforts at the Knight of Illumination Awards thanks to a donation from Clay Paky. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Pio Nahum presented a cheque to Lighting Designer Rick Fisher for Behind the Scenes UK, explaining to the audience that one of the last things approved by the late Pasquale Quadri was this generous contribution to the new charity. “As an industry, regardless of sector, we all come together to ensure the success of the shows we work on,” he said. “We work closely together and our colleagues can’t help but become our friends. This camaraderie stays with us through the good and bad times and it’s only natural that, when our friends fall upon times of hardship through no fault of their own, we want to do anything and everything we can to help them. We are pleased and proud to offer this support through the Behind the Scenes charity.” Behind the Scenes UK is fundraising tirelessly 12

to bring funds up to a level whereby it is possible to start the granting process. Grants will be made to assist with basic living costs, medical related expenses, transport, retraining and in the worst case, funeral expenses. Theatre lighting designer Rick Fisher, who sits on the UK charity’s board of trustees and accepted the cheque from Nahum, said:

to use its existing funds to provide assistance to the lighting community, but now there are many more people who will benefit from our experience. Our colleagues in North America have been assisted by Behind the Scenes since the charity launched eight years ago, but it’s still early days for us in the UK, and without donations

“As an industry, regardless of sector, we all come together to ensure the success of the shows we work on. We work closely together and our colleagues can’t help but become our friends.”

“My fellow Trustees of Light Relief and I have long talked about how we could extend the charity’s work to other areas of the entertainment technology industry, and we are delighted to welcome our sister charity, Behind the Scenes, to the UK. Light Relief will continue

we can’t donate. What you put in is what your colleagues will get out should the worst happen. Having to refuse someone on the grounds of insufficient funds is simply not an option for us.” http://behindthescenescharity.org

EVENT FOCUS: Nexo Product Launch

NEXO GEO M6/STM M28 LAUNCH FRENCH LOUDSPEAKER MANUFACTURER, NEXO, WELCOMED A GATHERING OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS TO THE DALLAS BURSTON POLO CLUB IN WARWICKSHIRE, UK, FOR THE LAUNCH OF TWO NEW PRODUCTS, THE GEO M6 AND STM M28 LINE ARRAY SYSTEMS. NEXO R&D ENGINEER MATHIEU POBEDA, UK SALES MANAGER GATHER COLLYER, AND CONCERT SOUND REPRESENTATIVE AND FOH LEGEND STUART KERRISON PRESENTED A CLOSE LOOK AT WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH THE NEW PRODUCTS. TPi WAS IN ATTENDANCE... As the global dilemma over the standard tradeshow model continues, and whether each and every one is holding its value, we’re seeing more and more companies organising their own events to launch or showcase their latest product offerings. French audio manufacturer, Nexo, did just that recently at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Warwickshire, UK, inviting rental houses, dealers, installers and members of the press to get up close and personal with Nexo’s new GEO M6 and STM M28 line array systems. The day began with Nexo R&D Engineer, Mathieu Pobeda - who played an integral part in the development of the M6 - introducing the technical features and capabilities of the system. One M6 - measuring just 191mm by 373mm by 260mm and weighing under 10kg - can be used as a standalone loudspeaker or as an element within a super-compact line-source system. The cabinet’s built-in NEXOSkeleton, an internal steel rigging system 14

makes mounting for each of the configuration options an easy and straightforward task. For the demonstration at the Polo Club, Pobeda deployed two arrays of six modules flown from a truss above the front of the stage, with low-frequency reinforcement provided by four LS18 subwoofers. This tiny system easily delivered intelligible speech, ample low-end and extremely musical playback to even the furthest corners. In addition to the main system, two arrays of three M6 modules were mounted on poles on top of LS18 subwoofers. The third configuration, was simply the 12 polemounted M6’s - without the subwoofers - which delivered perfectly natural speech reproduction seamlessly across the room with ease. Power and processing for the systems was provided by just three Nexo NXAMP powered controllers, one for the flown set of 12 M6 enclosures, a second for the LS18 subwoofers

a third for the pole mounted set-up. Meaning that whatever the configuration, it is extremely space-effective and also very cost-effective in terms of purchasing, transport and storage. This was all explained on the day by UK Sales Manager, Gareth Collyer. The M6 system is well suited to a variety of applications. For example, production companies working with corporate audiovisual clients whose natural habitat is venues such as the Polo Club, and also for permanent installations because of the Well thoughtout range of mounting accessories which accompany it. It is available in the full range of RAL colours which allows the already-discreet audio reinforcement system to blend nearinvisibly into the décor of any room. Concert Sound Representative and FOH veteran, Stuart Kerrison was next to take to the stage to present the new STM M28 line array. Nexo’s STM (Scale Through Modularity) system is well-established and Kerrison’s

EVENT FOCUS: Nexo Product Launch

Opposite: The STM M28 made quite an impression. Below: The outdoor demo of the M28 in the English countryside; Concert Sound Technical Support, Val Gilbert talking the audience through the GEO M6.

presentation reinforced the fundamental concept behind it. The new M28 module is a more compact cabinet - two-thirds the height of the M46 and 22kg lighter - but it’s only 4dB down from its larger sibling in terms of maximum SPL. Like the M46, it can be deployed in numerous ways, flown, groundstacked, placed on top of S118 subwoofers and / or B112 bass modules or used as an individual loudspeaker for delays or lip-fills. The same as the M6, the M28 was treated to two different demonstrations. Firstly, indoors where the system comprised two small groundstacks each comprising a single S118 subwoofer, a B112 bass module and three M28’s on top. Once again the large space was covered seamlessly by very little equipment, but this time the power and headroom available was instantly apparent as was the common voicing with the M6 system; first class intelligibility and a very balanced, musical and natural reproduction of playback material. Outside, the M28 was used as a main PA. Here, the system comprised 12 M28’s per side - flown from portable towers with a lower trim height of approximately four metres supplemented by 12 S118’s arranged in pairs. Using Rage Against The Machine’s Fistful Of Steel track with its brutal dynamics and gut

stretching vocals really showcased the M28’s ability to deliver serious levels at distance with finesse and accuracy. In attendance on the day were several audio rental companies looking at potential inventory investments. Jon Berry of RG Jones Sound Engineering stated: “The M6 is an impressive little box. It produces a very even, and surprisingly large sound from a very compact form factor. The M28 array delivered even coverage to the furthest point in the field even under the gusty conditions we were listening in.” This is due in part to Nexo’s new loudspeakers using advanced injectionmoulding technology. As Kerrison explained further: “We’ve been using an injectionmoulding specialist in the south of France for some years with great results, but with products like the new M28 the real benefits started to become apparent. Using polyurethane composite gives any cabinet instant advantages right out of the box weather proofing as standard for a start, as this material is virtually impervious to moisture and big changes in temperature. It’s also very light compared with a wooden enclosure, and is so tough that it will handle road use far better than any comparable product made out of traditional materials.

“With the STM M46 and M28 however, we’ve pushed the design envelope to create products that punch far above their weight in terms of size-to-output ratio. This has partly been achieved by our own transducers and how they are arranged within the cabinet but a huge part of the achievement is in the internal architecture of the box, which is simply too complex to be made in wood. Further, the B112 bass module produces so much output that a wooden cabinet could not withstand the stresses placed upon it - we know because we tried and blew it to pieces! Only our composite material can provide the structural integrity needed to handle that design. “Being freed from the design constraints of wood, and having access to the kind of moulding techniques that we do, also makes big differences to the external architecture of the cabinets. In particular it allows us to build sophisticated, flexible rigging systems that are entirely integral to the enclosure but which are still simple and quick to use - including unique features like PistonRig and REDLock that contribute to the core efficiency of these products is totally facilitated by using modern composite material production techniques.” TPi www.nexo-sa.com

EVENT FOCUS: Lady Gaga

ROUND THE WORLD WITH LADY GAGA THIS MONTH SEES THE MULTIPLE GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SINGER SONGWRITER LADY GAGA WRAP UP THE FINAL LEG OF HER HEADLINING STADIUM TOUR ARTRAVE: THE ARTPOP BALL IN SUPPORT OF HER THIRD STUDIO ALBUM, ARTPOP. IN THIS SPECIAL FEATURE, TPi FOLLOWS GAGA’S PRODUCTION ACROSS THREE DIFFERENT CONTINENTS TO BRING YOU THREE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF ARTRAVE: THE ARTPOP BALL. Lady Gaga appeared as the headliner on the second day of the AIA Real Life: NOW Festival in Seoul, South Korea this summer, The festival itself was arranged by AIA Life, following the successful sponsorship of Justin Bieber’s first live concert in Korea in 2013. According to Dan Costello, CEO of AIA Life Korea, the insurer was thrilled to present such a unique Gaga music experience in South Korea. “We want to use music to communicate with our customers, so we’re bringing something special to Korea. We hope people have fun interacting with some of the finest global music talent in the heart of Seoul.” Alpha Sound, a recent Adamson Energia partner, provided the Adamson System for the event. Both Sun Kim, Technical Support Manager for Sound Solutions, Adamson’s South Korean distributor and David 16

Dohrmann, Technical Director Asia-Pacific (Adamson), were on site to assist with system design, set-up and tuning of the Adamson PA at the 70,000 capacity Jamsil Olympic Stadium. For the AIA Real Life: NOW Festival, the stadium was played sideways, ie. the stage was placed at the wide end of the stadium. Seating was on the field and also available in lower stadium tiers and seats that were located behind the stage were not used for the event. Using Adamson’s Blueprint AV 3D modeling software, Dohrmann recreated the stadium and then placed Adamson system component, virtually, in the computer generated design. The program shows how the system will act in the venue, allowing the designer to determine ideal placement and quantity of components necessary to meet system

EVENT FOCUS: Lady Gaga

Opposite: Alpha Sound provided the Adamson PA system for the 70,000 capacity Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea.

requirements. “The stadium layout required a throw of 120-metres distance and seven metre elevation to cover all of the seating areas,” explained Kim. “The goal was to achieve roughly 105dBA average SPL with a dynamic live music program throughout the listening spectrum without any gain reduction from the system limiters.” “I was pleased with how much headroom I had with the Adamson rig,” added Chris Rabold, FOH Engineer for Lady Gaga. The system also required a strong low end to drive the various musical genres that performed throughout the two-day festival. To assist with this, two hanging columns of 12 Adamson E218 subwoofers flanked the E15 / E12 arrays. There were Adamson T21 subs ground stacked beneath each E15 array with eight E219 subs deployed to deliver the heart-pounding beat the audience wants. To complete the system, two additional line arrays - this time comprised of 16 Adamson Y18 enclosures - were added to handle out fill duties. Front fill was taken care of by eight stacks of TW Audio VERA36 vertical array enclosures (stacked three high) distributed across the length of the stage. The entire system was driven by racks

of Lab.gruppen PLM amplifiers with Lake Processing. The main line arrays were powered by 16 PLM 2000Q amplifiers, another 12 PLM 20000Q drove both the flown E218’s (six per amp), the ground E219s (four per amp) and some of the T21 subwoofers (two per amp). The PLM 20000Q integrates a four-channel amplifier with the capabilities of the Lake Processing Platform. Three Lake LM44’s, located at FOH, handled matrixing and signal distribution between FOH and the amplifiers via a dual redundant DANTE network. Adamson’s proprietary firmware for the CISCO network switches that come bundled with each Energia system ensured safe network operation and quick setup. Lab.gruppen’s FP Series amplifiers filled in to power the out fill arrays as well as the rest of the T21’s. “The power behind the system was incredible,” enthused Rabold. “There was no way I could have run the system to its limit and not have been running for cover myself.” Three Avid Profile digital consoles were provided to meet general FOH needs throughout the festival. The compact Profile works in conjunction with Avid VENUE software which allows the console to interact with external equipment and commands. Dedicated dynamics and EQ encoders offer

control of both onboard dynamics and EQs as well as plug-ins. As with most headline acts, the Lady Gaga team travelled with their own control provided by Eighth Day Sound - for the festival performance. A longtime DiGiCo user, Rabold manned an SD7 for the show. “I simply find it to be the best sounding and most flexible console out there,” Rabold said. “I actually got rid of all of my plug-ins for this tour - between the quality of the desk and my trusty outboard gear - I didn’t feel plugins were necessary.” With more than 16 performances to accommodate, In-Ear-Monitoring (IEM) requests were met with Shure PSM800 (16 channels), PSM700 (four channels), and PSM600 (seven channels) personal monitoring systems. Another 14 channels were available from two Sennheiser 300 IEM G3 units. Stage wedges were also in use by some of the artists. Rack mounted Shure UR4+ diversity receivers handled the 32 wireless microphones in consistent demand. Microphones, monitors and IEMs were all managed and controlled via two more Avid Profile consoles and an Avid D-Show board. www.adamsonsystems.com

EVENT FOCUS: Lady Gaga

Below: Stageco built a 16 metre by nine metre arched stage with a transparent canopy and a 14-metre catwalk, which connected to a six metre by four metre B-stage for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s concert celebrating the release of Cheek To Cheek in Brussels; Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett on stage.

WHEN THE WORLD’S FLASHIEST DISCO DIVA TEAMED UP WITH THE LAID-BACK MASTER OF AMERICAN JAZZ, IN BRUSSELS, STAGECO WAS THERE TO PUT A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS... Lady Gaga’s stop-off in Brussels was something a little different - even by Gaga standards. To celebrate the release of Cheek To Cheek - a brand new album of jazz classics that showcases the successful collaboration between the legendary Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; Universal Music Belgium hosted a one-off performance by Bennett and Gaga at the beautifully lit Grand Place in Brussels, as a prelude to the Fête de la Federation Wallonie - a series of concerts celebrating the French-speaking part of Belgium. Filmed with 4K cameras for worldwide broadcast before the end of the year, the production was assisted by Stageco which built a 16-metre by nine metre arched stage with a transparent canopy in combination with a 14-metre catwalk that connected a B-stage with 18

the main performance area. Headquartered just 30km from the Belgian capital, Stageco covered the small, six-metre by four metre B-stage with a BJ-Roof and an additional transparent canopy, while providing decking for disabled audience members and cranes deployed for the TV cameras. Stageco crew chief Olivier Emoux led a team of 26 for the two-day production build, while Stijn Bortels headed an 18-strong crew for the load-out. They both reported to Event Production Manager Erik Lybeer of EVL Productions who was working in co-operation with Geoffrey Campé and Stéphane Rischette of BME. “I was very proud of our crew,” said Stageco Project Manager, Lies Rombouts. “This job was pending for quite a while and it was only a week before load-in that we received confirmation

of the Bennett / Gaga performance. Some elements of the job were cleared just one day before we arrived on-site and right up until the end of our load-in the details about the camera cranes kept changing. Nevertheless, our crew managed to get the job done with a good spirit, delivering a great result as part of a happy production.” British newspaper, The Telegraph’s writer Anne Billson described the show as a “crossgenerational triumph” and as the ink of her review was drying, Cheek To Cheek débuted at No.1 on the Billboard album chart. A fine start for one of the most unlikely duos since David Bowie and Bing Crosby! TPi Photos: EVL Productions and Joseph Sinnott/Thirteen Productions LLC www.stageco.com

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After seven years of using the same gear, we decided we were going to make a sound upgrade. What we didn’t realize was just how significant the upgrade would turn out to be at FOH and in ear mixes. The SD7 is an amazing tool. The sonic quality, and user interface are unmatched. Moving forward, our feet are no longer on the brakes. In terms of creativity and snapshot control, the SD7 is the formula one car of consoles. - Ken ‘Pooch’ Van Druten

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26/10/2014 15:31

EVENT FOCUS: Lady Gaga

Below: Martin Professional, Clay Paky, Vari-Lite and Chauvet Professional fixtures illuminated Lady Gaga on her first concert in the Middle East; A technician mounts one of the 32 especially purchased Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash FXs.

Eclipse Staging Services was selected to provide all lighting, video and primary and secondary power distribution for Lady Gaga’s first ever visit to the Middle East. “We are immensely proud to have been selected as event technology supplier for such a landmark show,” commented Martin Lubach, General Manager of eclipse Staging Services. “The fact that so much of the production was able to be serviced locally is a real testament to the local market’s ability to compete on a global stage.” Main stage lighting was comprised of 27 Martin Professioanl MAC Vipers, 67 Clay Paky Sharpys (of which 16 were placed in the audience areas), 11 Clay Paky Alpha Wash 1500s, 150 Chauvet Professional LED Pars, 24 Clay Paky Sharpy Washs, four Gladiator Followspots, one Lycian Truss Spot and six DF50 Hazers. Eclipse also provided 32 Philips Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash FXs, which were purchased as a result of a direct request from Lady Gaga’s production team, demonstrating eclipse’s ability and willingness

to react quickly when requests for specific technology are received. eclipse is the only supplier in the region to stock the lights and is positive that it will become a sought after item by event organisers and promoters alike. Lubach added: “The decision to purchase the Vari-Lites was an easy one and we are thrilled to be in a position to be able to react quickly when we receive requests for specific technology; this allows us to provide the very highest level of customer service to our clients, which is at the heart of the eclipse Group mission.” Eclipse also supplied the three 9mm ROE video screens located on the main stage, which consisted of two 6.6-metre by three-metre IMAGs, each located on either side of the stage, and an 18.6-metre by 4.8-metre upstage screen. In addition to the main stage lighting and video, Eclipse Staging Services also addressed the technical aspects of the audience areas, and primary and secondary power distribution to the entire venue, including the management of the Aggreko team and its generators on site. An 8.3-metre by 4.4-metre relay LED screen was placed just after the VIP platform ensuring that those in the general admission areas had

an unobstructed view, in addition to a number of lighting fixtures which were flown from the delay towers and audience lighting towers in order for sufficient illumination of all audience areas. These lighting fixtures were all controlled via an MA Lighting GrandMA2 so that once the main show started, the look of the audience lighting could be changed, so that it did not distract from the concert. The VIP platform was lit by 70 LED PARs while the general audience area lighting comprised 10 Pulsar Chroma Floods, 16 Clay Paky Sharpy Spots and 32 Sharpy Washes. An additional 12 Sharpy Spots and 60 LED PARs were utilised to illuminate the three separate site entrances. A total of 6.6 mW of generated power was provided to the site, of which four mW was required for the AC solution alone. With regards to the main stage power, differences in local and touring production equipment voltages (415v / 230v for local production and 120v/208v for touring production), meant that three 500 Kva generators and two 350 Kva generators were needed. www.eclipse.ae

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EVENT FOCUS: Summer Sonic 2014

SUMMER SONIC 2014 LAUNCHED IN 2000, JAPAN’S SUMMER SONIC FESTIVAL HAS ATTRACTED SOME OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ACTS TO ITS TWIN LOCATIONS (OSAKA AND CHIBA) OVER THE LAST 14 YEARS. FROM COLDPLAY AND GREEN DAY AT THE INAUGURAL EVENT, THROUGH MUSE AND METALLICA TO QUEEN AND ARCTIC MONKEYS IN 2014, INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS HAVE ALWAYS FEATURED ALONGSIDE J-POP AND ASIAN INDIE ACTS. AS A RESULT - AND NOW WHOLLY OWNED BY LIVE NATION - SUMMER SONIC HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN IMPORTANT FIXTURE IN THE PLANET’S FESTIVAL CALENDAR. TPi GOES BACKSTAGE WITH AUDIO-TECHNICA. Microphone and headphone manufacturer Audio-Technica has had a close relationship with festival producers Creativeman since Summer Sonic 2002. Each year, a huge array of Audio-Technica microphones are supplied across all of the event stages, with company staff on hand to support front of house engineers where necessary. Audio-Technica’s PR and Advertising Division Manager Matsunaga-san explains why the brand became involved with Summer Sonic in the first place. “In 2002, Summer Sonic was really a pioneer of music festivals in Japan and Audio-Technica had just started to promote its microphone ranges more actively to the Japanese proaudio market,” he began. “So even though the festival and Audio-Technica are very different businesses, we target similar goals in certain respects. It was decided that our support of the festival would be mutually beneficial and so our relationship began. 22

“Each year there are meetings between Summer Sonic organisers, Audio-Technica and the various audio hire companies involved. We go through input and wireless plans, send mics and wireless systems to the sound reinforcement suppliers and so all stages and instruments are covered by Audio-Technica products. We currently supply around 1,000 microphones to the event. If, however, headline artists specify their own equipment, there is no coercion to use Audio-Technica. It’s a very flexible arrangement.” The investment in terms of resources and manpower is obviously of real value to AudioTechnica - the company benefits from the networking possibilities afforded by its links with Summer Sonic and useful feedback on its products from industry pros too. But there are other reasons for the brand’s relationship with the festival. “As a Japanese manufacturer, we’ve always been keen to support not only Summer Sonic, but also our domestic music culture, industry

and artists,” said Matsunaga-san, “This is a great way of doing so - and to deliver our sound to the people as well.” Among the throng of audio engineers plying their trade at Summer Sonic 2014, FOH man James Gebhard was behind the desk for fastrising Brit rockers Circa Waves. Having worked extensively with The Killers, The Vaccines and The Strokes over the last decade, James has a wealth of experience, but - remarkably - only one previous Summer Sonic under his belt. “I did the festival with The Strokes back in 2003,” he said, “and I remember it being exceedingly well organised - and possibly the hottest festival I’d ever worked, actually. “This year was, as expected, an absolute pleasure. The running of Summer Sonic is extremely slick and everything is as you’ve discussed with the organisers and any issues are resolved very quickly. It’s a fantastic festival. “Because they’re a fairly new band, Circa Waves were doing short 30-40 minute slots,

EVENT FOCUS: Summer Sonic 2014

Opposite: Summer Sonic has been a success in Japan for 14 years. Below: Bary Boss, Audio-Technica US; Avenge Sevenfold’s audio crew, Dave ‘shirt’ Nicholls (FOH) and Bruce Danz (Monitors); Tom Harrold, Audio-Technica UK.

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but the response was incredible - the best I’ve seen for a new band in Japan. So the set itself was great - I was on an Avid Profile desk which, although perhaps not my first choice, always works great for festivals because everyone has a Profile show file, so you’ve a little head start. In terms of audio, the whole PA was pretty much spot on.” A relatively straightahead indie rock line-up, the Circa Waves backline - based around two guitars, bass and drums, with three vocals - gives James few headaches. And he was pleased to see some of his Audio-Technica favourites including the AE2500 dual-element dynamic-condenser and AE3000 largediaphragm cardioid condenser provided on a stage equipped completely with Audio-Technica models. The AE2500 also appeared on the rider for UK popstrel Charlie XCX, also on the Sonic Stage at Summer Sonic. Two of the dual element models were pressed into service for kick drum duties, with Charlie’s vocals delivered via an ATM98 dynamic mic. And as with Circa Waves, AT4041 cardioid condenser stick mics were employed for ride and overheads and ATM35 condenser clip-on models for toms. Also appearing at Summer Sonic 2014, US metal stars Avenged Sevenfold count Bruce Danz (monitors) and Dave ‘Shirt’ Nichols (FOH) among their key crew. Again, the pair have little but praise for the smooth operation of the festival.. “I love Japan,” enthused Danz, “and other than touring America it’s my favourite place to

come to. They’re very thorough over here, very efficient and they’re always absolutely on top of the gig. Summer Sonic is exactly the same.” With a shared history that includes metal luminaries Marilyn Manson, Slipknot and Stone Sour, Danz and Nicholls are long-term AudioTechnica users and employed an array of the company’s mics for Avenged’s Summer Sonic set, as usual. “I won’t use anything but an AT4050 (largediaphragm condenser) on guitar cabinets,” said Nicholls, “and Bruce is the same, so that’s where it all starts for us.” “Those mics are also on drum overheads,” continued Danz, “and we rely on AT4033 [cardioid condenser] for hi-hats and AT450 sideaddress condenser stick mic for snare. “For vocals we use the Audio-Technica 5000 Series wireless systems with an AE6100 hypercardioid dynamic on Matt (Shadows, Avenged Sevenfold frontman) and the wired versions for backing vocals. We love the clarity of that mic.” With the manpower and product catalogue to support an event of the scale of Summer Sonic, Audio-Technica has established itself as a valued partner for the festival over the years. The investment in resources clearly pays off for the Japanese brand in terms of relationship building and exposure - something that looks set to continue and expand over the coming years. TPi www.summersonic.com www.audio-technica.com

att RGB

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The VOLKS|LICHT Spot is ideal for permanent installations, even for small venues, as it requires extremely low maintenance thanks to its sealed optical unit. The 300 Watt LED light engine with 20,000 hours lifetime generates little heat and comes with a 5 year warranty.

EVENT FOCUS: Urban Bubble

KEYTEQ DIVE INTO LIGHTING HIRE WITH CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL Taking its first steps into building a lighting inventory alongside its extensive stocks of sound and video equipment, Manchester, UK-based Keyteq - which has over 24 years of experience in the live events industry - has made its first investment into lighting count, opting for a selection of intelligent moving heads from CHAUVET Professional. The company selected eight CHAUVET Professional Rogue R2 Spot lights, eight CHAUVET Professional Legend 412Z heads, eight CHAUVET Professional COLORado 2-Quad Zoom Tour fixtures, and six each of the CHAUVET Professional Rogue R1 Beam units and CHAUVET Professional Q-Wash 560Z-LED light heads. Keyteq also chose to invest in TRUSST, backed by Chauvet, taking over 60-metres in various sizes with accessories and corners to enable a multitude of combinations, ensuring creativity and greater design freedom to offer to all clients. Ian Chandler, Director at Keyteq, explained: 24

“We’ve steered away from lighting investment traditionally, preferring to remain dedicated to our specialism. Increasingly, though, we’re spending considerable sums on lighting hire and at the same time the CHAUVET Professional range has swelled with really high quality and innovative products - it became something we couldn’t ignore anymore. No sooner were the fixtures in the warehouse, they were out again - and it’s been that way ever since - they’re proving to be excellent workhorses.” The new equipment was immediately deployed to create an inclusive carnival-style street-party in Manchester’s chic Northern Quarter, for clients of production company Journey 9. Vertical towers of TRUSST erected and positioned behind the staged area featured the newly acquired CHAUVET Professional COLORado 2-Quad Zoom Tour fixtures, to colourwash the stage. CHAUVET Professional Rogue R1 beam units - the compact but powerful proposition

featuring a bright Osram Sirius 132W HRI lamp with eight and five facet prisms for unique and spectacular aerial effects - were rigged above the COLORado fixtures, with the universally popular CHAUVET Professional Legend 412Z heads either side to create eye candy back to the audience over the top of the band. Secured in the roof were CHAUVET Professional Q-Wash 560Z-LED best-in-class moving yoke wash lights. The fixtures, with 91 high intensity and calibrated RGBWA Cree LEDs, wide zoom range and variable beam angle, were positioned to provide general movement and effects. Chandler confirmed: “The end client was very happy with the end result. The CHAUVET Professional lighting was really effective. Even in daylight it brought about the atmosphere that was required. From that first event, there was no doubt the investment choice we’d made was the right one.” TPi www.chauvetlighting.co.uk

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e enhanced the feature set of our StudioLive AI mixers and engineered it into an intuitive, touch-readyinterface called UC Surface. RM Series I/O lives in a rack…but the real breakthrough is the ease and flexibility of control options you get with UC Surface. It takes the concept of moving Capture™ 2 one-click recording faders into the future. The UC Surface interface is designed for live sound mixing with contextual-based navigation for quick, intuitive access to all functions. Studio One® Artist full DAW And of course RM Series AI mixers come with the seamless suite of software that makes QMix™-AI our mixers so useful in a for iPhone controls up multitude of settings: Capture to 16 separate 2 for one-click recording. monitor mixes. Studio One Artist DAW. And QMixAI to adjust the RM16AI: 16-channel/25-bus mixer RM32AI’s 16 aux mixes. Get in touch with our web site or your PreSonus dealer today.

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EVENT FOCUS: Carl Cox Boat Party

PARTY HOSTS CHOOSE PIONEER PRO AUDIO’S XY SERIES TO DELIVER CLUB SOUND TO IBIZA’S BIGGEST BOAT PARTY FLOAT YOUR BOAT IS THE WARM-UP BOAT PARTY FOR TWO OF SPACE IBIZA’S MOST FAMOUS NIGHTS: CARL COX AND WE LOVE. THE BIGGEST BOAT PARTY ON THE ISLAND, IT TAKES GUESTS ON A STUNNING THREEHOUR CRUISE WITH MUSIC FROM WORLD-FAMOUS DJS. IT NEEDED A CLUB-QUALITY SOUND SYSTEM THAT COULD BE QUICKLY AND EASILY INSTALLED IN PORT BEFORE EACH EVENT. TPi DISCOVERED HOW PIONEER PRO AUDIO AND THE SHOP, IBIZA SUCEEDED. When TPi visited Ibiza in the early summer months, everybody was talking about Carl Cox and his legendary boat party nights, which are renowned for their great sound in an idyllic setting. In reality, there are a number of challenges, ranging from corrosive sea air to power supply issues, and the team commissioned Pioneer Pro Audio and The Shop, Ibiza to design and install a system that would rise to the occasion. Float Your Boat is the official warm-up boat party for two of Space Ibiza’s most famous nights: Carl Cox’s Music Is Revolution on Tuesdays and We Love on Sundays. Run by fleet owner Ibiza Boat Parties, in collaboration with Space and Safehouse Management, it is the biggest party boat on the White Isle. Float Your 26

Boat takes 260 guests on a three-hour cruise along the stunning Ibiza coastline - with music from international DJs including Carl Cox and James Zabiela. Eelco Muntinga, who co-owns Ibiza Boat Parties with his brother Kelly, explained: “Our boat parties were already magical, but we wanted to take Float Your Boat to the next level, with a bigger boat and the best professional sound system. Our vision was to fill the boat with a tight, punchy bass and clear top ends; something that really does the DJs justice and gets the party started.” With just one hour to set the boat up before each party, the team needed a system that was quick and easy to install. The new speakers therefore had to be lightweight and compact

without compromising on sound pressure level or audio quality. And the speakers had to be built to withstand frequent handling and the corrosive sea air. The nautical nature of Float Your Boat led to some unique challenges. For example, as Kelly Muntinga described: “The music can’t be too loud in the captain’s cabin, so the system has to produce a club sound on deck without too much spillage. Plus we only have the boat’s engine for power, so the electricity can fluctuate and you need good amplifiers to balance it out.” Ibiza Boat Parties asked its installation partner, The Shop - Ibiza, to recommend a sound system. The Shop’s owner Simeon Friend had worked with Pioneer Pro Audio on a number of installations, and identified the

EVENT FOCUS: Carl Cox Boat Party

Opposite: The Shop Ibiza helped to kit out the boat party. Below: Pioneer Pro Audio’s XY Series was a popular choice; Eelco Muntinga, who co-owns Ibiza Boat Parties with his brother, Kelly.

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versatile XY Series as the ideal match for the boat’s requirements. Friend worked closely with Pioneer Pro Audio manager Alex Barrand to explore all the configuration options. They specified two XY215S-W quasi-bandpass subwoofers and four XY-112-W 12-inch two-way full range speakers for the top-deck dancefloor, and two XY-81-W eight-inch two-way full range speakers as monitors. The system is driven by three, energyefficient Powersoft amplifiers: two K3s for the dancefloor and a K2 for the monitors with builtin DSP and Pioneer pre-sets. “Because the subwoofers and amplifiers are compact and discreet, they can be left in position on the boat all week - making installation much faster every time,” said Friend. The compact XY-112-W full-range speakers are easy to store and - weighing just 23kg each, with a handle and multiple rigging points - are very quick and easy to install. Plus, the rotatable horns and trapezoid shape of the speakers meant they could be coupled, two on each side of the boat, for optimum sound dispersion. “The speakers have 90° horizontal and 60°

vertical dispersion, so when you’re coupling them you want to avoid any crossover in the horizontal plane. The rotatable horns allow us to change this to 60° horizontal dispersion - giving 120° coverage and maximum power without the cancellation in the middle,” added Barrand. Ibiza Boat Parties opted for white speakers to complement the open-air environment and blue skies. The white Warnex paint was treated with a UV chemical to stop the sun turning the paint yellow. Plus the XY Series features water resistant drivers to protect against corrosion. The Float Your Boat parties now have a speaker system that produces an even, powerful sound across the entire boat. The XY-215S-W subwoofers create an intense bass on the dancefloor, but shorter sound waves for partygoers at the back of the boat to prevent fatigue during the three hour cruise. “The sound quality is amazing; it’s warm and deep,“ said Kelly. “It is exactly like being in a club, but you’re in the open air, dancing in the sun. Wherever you are on the boat, it sounds like it’s one metre away, but it doesn’t hurt your ears and you can still talk to each other.” The XY-112-Ws deliver clear mid to high frequencies to balance the bass, and deliver a powerful sound that does not spill into the captain’s cabin. And DJs are delighted with the compact XY-81-W speakers, which cut through to provide accurate monitoring. In addition, the Powersoft amplifiers overcome the power issues, delivering a high output with low energy consumption, to ensure a constant, consistent volume. “The first time we switched it on, you could see it in people’s faces. All the hands went up in the air, people couldn’t sit down, it was just phenomenal,” concluded Eelco. “It gives you goosebumps; you can’t get better than that.” TPi www.Pioneerproaudio.com

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EVENT FOCUS: A Day To Remember

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ADTR is a passionate band with Stemac running 10 of the powerful hybrid effect lights through their paces as specials on the hard-driving show. “We took the band and put them in a national park environment and then, as we do, make it jocular and surreal,” Stemac stated of the show’s tongue-in-cheek yet highly entertaining set theme that has each Sniper representing a band member’s eye in the set’s large Mt. Rushmore-inspired backdrop. “It’s more like a cosmic circus of sorts with lots of sounds and staccato noise. For the eyeballs in our set piece we needed something that looked like a laser without actually having lasers and the Sniper stepped in perfectly. We’re breaking the Sniper ribbon so to speak and are very excited to have a very new product out on our tour.” Powered by the new 132W Philips MSD Platinum lamp, the Sniper delivers an intense 45,010 lux at 16.4 ft (five metres) and gives designers 14 dichroic colours and 17 static gobos to choose from. “It’s a perfect little fixture, it’s compact, it’s not very hot and it’s bright,” Stemac added. “And it has all the laser dance floor effects that are exactly what we were looking for on this show. The most surprising thing though was how bright it is. I have 1200W lights in the rig, key lighting as well as lighting behind it, and other lights, and it plays along with everybody in holding up its weight. Also, heat was prohibitive with some of the other fixtures but the Sniper keeps cool.” Stemac has been with ADTR for five years and has seen the band grow with each tour and CD release. The band’s somewhat eccentric yet original ideas - like the laser effects shooting out of the backdrop’s eyeballs - start with the band members who then come to Steve for

refinement. “I put those ideas in a lighting frame keeping in mind that ADTR is a very active band on stage that puts on a great show in their own right. I just accentuate what they do,” he said. “It’s an amazing gig to be on and a great place to be. The creativity that we have together, I’m very, very proud of that.” Playing an infectious genre blend of pop punk and post hardcore, and known for their energetic live performances, the Sniper fits in with that enterprising spirit perfectly, its ultraquick movement and barrage of high-powered looks a good match for the band’s bold disposition. A unique beam, scanner and laser simulator in one, the Sniper allows Steve to project a variety of looks from a single fixture. It emits a narrow 3° beam from a high-speed mirror system to spread a multitude of effects, including laser-like effects without having to deal with laser regulations. “Sometimes we use them in just a simple ‘on’ look with a slow pan over the stage. Sometimes we use the dance floor laser effect vertically, sometimes the strobe, and sometimes a prismed gobo look.” Stemac, who initially heard about the Sniper from Ken Gay, video production designer for the show, adds “I like them so much we’re trying to find an excuse to use them more.” Specifying a brand new lighting fixture for a tour can sometimes be a dubious proposition but Steve has had few issues with the Sniper and is appreciative of the support he’s received. “John Dunn [Elation Sales Manager] has been so helpful and patient in midwifing this to us and has been so attentive to our necessary fixes, especially in the bustle and turmoil of the beginning of the tour,” he concluded. TPi www.elationprofessional.com

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Pharrell Williams

PHARRELL WILLIAMS IN SEPTEMBER SEVEN TIMES GRAMMY AWARD WINNER PHARRELL WILLIAMS UNDERTOOK HIS FIRST FULL ARENA TOUR. THE LIVE NATION DEAR G I R L SEVEN WEEK EUROPEAN RUN WAS BACKED IN THE AUDIO DEPARTMENT BY WIGWAM ACOUSTICS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SSE AND SOUND IMAGE WHICH SUPPLIED AN ADAMSON SYSTEMS ENERGIA PA. SIMON DUFF REPORTS FROM THE 02. The look of the Dear G I R L tour is a bright cartoon inspired visual feast driven by a combination of different Martin Professional and WinVision LED technologies and a welldefined stage design based on risers, steps, sharp lines, bold lighting with no hydraulics or moving screens. For audio it is the hi-fidelity, detail and power of the Adamson ENERGIA system that is raising the bar for arena sound. John Lafferty, Production Manager (blink 182, Selena Gomez, Nine Inch Nails, il Divo) started working with Pharrell in January this year on one off shows, TV performances, Coachella and prep work for the Dear G I R L tour. Rehearsals for the run took place at LH2 Studios in London with Lafferty’s right hand man Brad Child, Stage Manager and Chief Rigger, taking care of the seven-day rehearsal. For crew and artists alike one of the main challenges on the tour was not having enough full rehearsal time. Work at LH2 mainly involved programming sound, lights, and visuals with 30

Pharrell and his band unable to make the LH2 set up due to prior commitment schedules. Lafferty commented: “Our first seven shows were really production rehearsals. After that we were dialled in and everything has been smooth.” He explained the design and development of the tour: “We started the design process before Coachella in April, where Pharrell was performing, and it has really taken it’s own life since then and got bigger. The intention and look of the show is very animated with bright yellows, blues and reds. Lots of exciting abstract design and paper cut inspired content. All very positive and up beat with content driven off timecode from Avid Pro Tools. We have a Creative Director Mimi Valdes, graphic design from the French creative studio Niark1, and a show designer called Woodkid. Pretty much everything on the screens is animated, with some IMAG, and overall a very different look.” Gallagher Staging in Southern California designed, built and shipped the set to Europe. A

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Pharrell Williams

Opposite: Pharrell’s show is a tour de force which capitalises on his successful year in the charts. Rehearsals for the tour took place at London’s LH2. Below: 35 Martin Professional EC-10 LED video panels are used on stage, with 88 WinVision 9 panels for the up stage centre wall.

deceptively simple design with strong lines consisting of four ft by eight ft, and eight ft by eight ft deck risers, varying in height with drum and keyboard risers about eight inches off the stage floor. Sets of steps stage front and back for the dancers, Pharrell and one main centre riser. All Access Staging supplied risers for the support acts. AUDIO Mixing at FOH is Kyle Hamilton who has been with Pharrell since 2012. In fact, 2014 marks Hamilton’s 21st year as a top flight mix engineer, having started his career as a studio engineer at George Martin’s Air LA Burbank studio in the mid 90s before moving into live work and a series of high profile Gospel theatre productions both as system tech and FOH engineer in Los Angeles. From 2000 his work moved entirely to working as a FOH mix engineer including tours for Prince with current clients including Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Mary J Blige and Pharrell. Total FOH channel count at the Wigwam Acoustics supplied DiGiCo SD7 is some 64 inputs with Hamilton using the on board dynamics and FX. Commenting on the

console he said: “In my opinion it is the best digital desk that sounds analogue. It does everything I need it to do within the frame I have and I have a lot of outputs.” He uses 13 VCAs as control groups. Outboard processing comprises of four Avalon 737’s compressors for vocals and one TC Electronic M-One, used for a phasing effect on one song. Each song has its own scene recall for the start point then Hamilton’s brief is to: “Mix it like the record with a live feel. Vocal wise Pharrell is a very consistent performer. I know when he is going to be soft and when he is going to be loud. He is the producer of the records as well and he sings totally professionally day in day out. He really is a pleasure to work with and mix for.” On stage the line up consists of the lead vocal, two backing singers, drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, a Pro Tools set up and six dancers. Microphone wise on the drums Hamilton opts for Lewitt. On overheads Lewitt DGT 650’s, for floor toms Lewitt LCT 5050 and on the gong and kick the Lewitt DTP 340 Rex. For the three snare drums the top mics are Lewitt MTP 440 DMs and the Lewitt DTP 340 TTs for the bottom

Chaos Visual Productions Ltd Bedford Technology Park // Thurleigh // Bedfordshire // MK44 2YP P:+ 441234 780 120 F: + 441234 780 121 E: uk@chaosvisual.com LOS ANGELES

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Pharrell Williams

Below: Dan Hadley, Lighting Director specified a number of Martin Professional and Clay Paky fixtures, while Chaos Visual Productions was responsible for the HD screens; Four confetti blowers supplied by Pyrojunkies were used for the last chorus of Happy.

microphone. In total at FOH drum input are fourteen. On the bass guitar Hamilton uses an Avalon U5 DI and an Avalon 737 compressor on an insert, as well as a bass keyboard feed. Two guitar microphones include a Sennheiser E906 as well as a Royer 121. From keyboards FOH gets 12 feeds and the Pro Tools is sending drum loops, keys, FX, ad-libs and various backgrounds. Pro Tools timecode is used to trigger lighting. Six wireless vocal mics are all Shure Axient using Heil capsules. Said Hamilton: “The Axient is the best RF management system out there for microphones as far as I am concerned.” He uses a DiGiGrid MGB to record 64 channels running at 96K clocked with his Antelope 10m and Trinity Atomic Clock into his Mac Book Pro with retina display. The programme he uses to capture Audio files is Logic Pro X where he uses the previous nights show for virtual sound checks. Hamilton’s mix throughout is exceptional in all frequencies, never over bearing but powerful, detailed and crystal clear. True high fidelity.

PA Hamilton first used an Adamson rig when he was working with Mary J Blige and Lionel Richie on spot dates in 2007. The Dear G I R L tour is the first full tour he has used ENERGIA. He said: “The fidelity is what I like about it. It is crystal clear, really like mixing in HD in my opinion. The 21-inch subs took a little getting used to because with this particular style of music I am used to 18-inch. Now finding the sweet spot and punch in your face but yet not over bearing is something I have achieved. Then the clarity on the high mids is incredible. Pharrell surrounds himself with the best and said to me get the tools that you need to help me sound the best. This is the PA that I want to use and it is giving me everything that I expected out of it. So when I was given the go ahead to get what I wanted I got what I wanted. From my understanding this is the first major hip hop dance energy show that ENERGIA has done and that is a good thing.” For The 02 Arena the main LR hang consisted of fifteen ENERGIA E15’s per side with three

E12’s underneath that. For the side hang per side there were 12 ENERGIA E12’s with four SpekTrix underneath. Ground stacked directly below the main hang for subs were eight ENERGIA T21 and SpekTrix on top deployed as near fills. At the centre of the stage four more ENERGIA T21 subs were used. All driven by forty-four Lab.gruppen PLM 20000s with Lake LM42, LM44s, LM26 for processing, all running Dante to the stage. “We bought into the Energia system while Jesse Adamson, who recently joined Sound Image as our Director of Business Development, was still working with the Adamson organisation as their Vice President,” commented Dave Shadoan, President of Sound Image. “Jesse approached us in 2011 about becoming the first US beta partner and when we saw the system, we knew that it had a strong future at Sound Image. Since our initial investment we have had great results with the product. We are happy to have engineers of Kyle’s caliber working with it in the field. Kyle’s show sounds fantastic.”

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Pharrell Williams Below: An Adamson Systems ENERGIA PA was supplied in a joint venture by Wigwam Acoustics, SSE and Sound Image; Six wireless vocal mics were employed on stage, all Shure Axients sporting Heil capsules.

Everett Lybolt, GM of Sound Image Nashville also commented: “The Pharrell production team made it clear that they wanted to produce a world class show that was second to none and that is exactly what they are doing. We could not be happier to be involved with such a great team.” FOH System Tech for the tour was Brendan Hines from Sound Image, the Nashville audio company who have worked closely with Kyle Hamilton, Wigwam and Adamson throughout the tour. The Dear G I R L tour is Hines’ first outing with ENERGIA. He says: “I had heard of the product but not worked with it before. I got a very fast introduction to it via Sound Image and Brian Fraser, Application Engineer at Adamson. I have been very impressed so far. I like the rigging system. It is pretty much the fastest deploying system I have ever worked with. If we have our motors in the air and lay out done we can have the whole thing up and

running in about 15 minutes. For tuning if we have done our computer simulation right in the Adamson Blueprint software we can usually tune it in about ten minutes.” James Oliver Sales and Marketing Manager of Adamson Systems was on site for The O2 gig. He commented on the progress ENERGIA has made since the 2012 launch: “I think this tour is a good indication of the growth in the popularity of ENERGIA over the past couple of years. Particularly with the launch of the E12 about a year ago and E218 and then with the launch in July at Infocomm of the E219 we now have a complete system that we have packaged with Lab.gruppen. So it is a full solution now. Which gives us the ability to put it up against any system in the world. We now have a system that competes with any system available on the planet today and people are taking notice. We definitely have this vibe amongst engineers with people lining up to use it.”

MONITOR WORLD Mixing in monitor world is Jeremy Peters, a sound engineer who has previously worked in houses of worship. He told TPi: “The biggest thing I learnt working in churches is the amount of ability that you need to not prepare. Lineups change all the time in that world and it is the best way to learn. It sounds strange but you kind of always need to be kind of not too prepared. That way you are always flexible and ready. It works well as a rule in monitors for my work.” Peters’ first major touring work started in 2007 with Rascal Flatts and Ne-Yo. He started work for Pharrell in March 2014, doing TV and Promotion work before the festival season. Channel count at Peters DiGiCo SD7 is around 80, with an addition to the aforementioned FOH feeds including AKG 414 audience mics for band audience vibe. Commenting on the SD7 he says: “To me it is one of the only desks that can handle the show.

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Pharrell Williams

Below: Kyle Hamilton, FOH Engineer; Jeremy Peters, Monitor Engineer.

The amount of inputs, outputs mixes I need are very large. It’s flexible sounds good. The only difference between mine and Kyle’s desk is that I use Waves plug ins for FX.” Jerry Harvey Audio JH16 In Ear monitor systems are used by all on stage with an additional d&b audiotechnik sub loudspeaker system placed at the back of the stage to provide a vibe factor. Peters said: “My concept is that ears are for hearing and subs are for feeling.” But the way I have my mixes set up is that the band can talk to me at all times and Pharell doesn’t hear that. So essentially the band can talk to me at any given time and I can make adjustments to their balance without having to listen to their feeds. Although I am able to switch to listening to their mixes too if I want.” PHARRELL VISUALS Dan Hadley was Lighting Director for the tour. LA-based, he has been touring as an LD since the late 90s with clients including Foo Fighters, blink 182, Queens of the Stone Age,

Weezer, Sonic Youth and Tenacious D. The Dear G I R L tour is Hadley’s first excursion into a pop / R&B music adventure. He commented: “Coming to pop, the biggest difference I think is the repeatability and fixed song structure and tempo. With the rock bands that I do those bands can and do take a left hand turn at any time. With Pharrell I really like the structures. This is the first time I have done anything with timecode in a live situation. I have found being tied to a beat actually quite liberating; It frees my hands up to take notes! However I still keep a lot of my lighting moves manual. The strobes and binders do need to be tailored to every room, to work with each crowd. The lighting brief was very much driven by the video content. I put together a lighting package and plot to enhance that. For Pharrell colour is hugely important with sounds triggering certain colours for him.” The main fixtures on the trusses supplied by Neg Earth included 30 Martin Professional MAC Viper

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Pharrell Williams

Below: James Oliver, Sales and Marketing Manager, Adamson Systems; John Lafferty, Production Manager; Brendan Hines, Adamson Systems ENERGIA System Tech from Sound Image; Dustin King, Video Crew Chief, Chaos Visual Productions; Dan Hadley, Lighting Director.

Profiles, 30 Martin MAC Viper AirFX, 14 Clay Paky Sharpys, 28 Robe Pointes, 15 Martin Atomic Strobe, 15 Molefay Duets, Color Force 48’s, four ft LED RCBA colour batons and 14 Martin Mac Aura on the stage floor. For operation Hadley uses an MA Lighting grandMA2 desk. “Any time I have an idea to do something there is a way to do it and easily. The best console is the one that you know and the one that is stable. On this run operation wise between songs I switch pages using macros to a new song page which then fires the first cue and gets everything set up in the dark ready to go, if there is a break between songs. Then the timecode will start from the stage Pro Tools and usually fire the first video entry and that stays in sync with the song. Most of the lighting hits I will do manually. But a lot of main points like verse chorus points that never change are fired off the timecode.

two LED technologies, the Martin EC-10 and WinVision 9 tiles, works really well. It makes the content “pop” a little more. It is something that is not normally used. They both run on a different colour spectrum. But with this content it manages to work. It kind of brings it more to life and gives it more of a three dimensional look. It works out really well for them. Pharrell is a very down to earth artist and very thankful for the things he has. He is very in tune for what is around him.” Four confetti blowers supplied by Pyrojunkies are used for the last chorus of “Happy”. “We supplied the tour with different shapes and colours of confetti which was launched from four of our XL Superblasters. Simply put, a cleaners nightmare!” said Dan Mott, Project Manager of Pyrojunkies. He concluded: “It was great to work with John again supplying confetti for the tour.”

VISUALS AND EFFECTS Chaos Visual Productions are responsible for all the HD video play out, IMAG, Sony HD cameras, switching, and PRG MBox media servers, 35 Martin EC-10 LED video panels are used on stage, with 88 WinVision 9 panels for the up stage centre wall. Barco FLM R22+ projectors were used for the two rear projection screens set up either side of the stage. Crew wise from Chaos Visual Productions were video director George Elizondo, working with video crew chief Dustin King and techs Richard Doran and Paul Barry. King summarises the video look. “The difference between the

A SMOOTH OPERATION Other key suppliers work included Fly By Nite who supplied nine trucks. Lead driver Brian Ireland who has worked with Production Manager John Lafferty on many tours over the years, remained on site in London during rehearsals to ensure any equipment movements could be done with out and delays and any pre touring discussions with production could be held before hitting the road. Ireland commented: “At Fly By Nite we pride ourselves in getting the right driver for the right tour, always taking into account production and management requirements on driver choice.

Building the working relationship within the touring team is key as we have done with John (Lafferty, Production manager) over the years. Beat the Street were also involved on the tour, supplying a total of five buses for band and crew. Snakatak provided catering for the full run. Rigging was done both by Neg Earth and Wigwam Acoustics. PM Lafferty had the last word: “Everybody on this tour is key. I have had the same lighting crew and audio crew for the past couple of years and many have been with me on blink 182. That includes a lot of the truck drivers. For Pharrell’s first arena tour it has gone incredibly well. He thinks it has gone very well. It has given him a new perspective on possible more touring.” TPi Photos: Simon Duff www.pharrellwilliams.com www.livenation.co.uk www.adamsonsystems.com www.allaccessinc.com www.beatthestreet.net www.chaosvisual.com www.flybynite.co.uk www.gallagherstaging.com www.negearth.co.uk www.pyrojunkies.com www.sound-image.com www.sseaudiogroup.com www.snakatakcatering.com www.wigwamacoustics.co.uk

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Kylie

KYLIE’S KISS ME ONCE TOUR KYLIE MINOGUE’S LATEST TOUR PRODUCTION, KISS ME ONCE, HAS BEEN RECEIVED WITH RAPTUROUS DELIGHT IN SOLD OUT ARENAS ACROSS EUROPE. IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT’S BEEN 26 YEARS SINCE THE DIMINUTIVE STARLET BROKE THE CHARTS WITH HER FIRST EVER SINGLE, YET SOMEHOW THE RELENTLESSLY CHEERFUL, BUBBLY BLOND POPSTRESS IS STILL HAPPILY SPINNING AROUND THE GLOBE AND, FROM THE EVIDENCE TPi SAW, SHE WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING! It’s surely this kind of optimistic delight in what she does, along with a remarkably strong stage presence, that keeps both her fans and indeed her production team coming back for more. Packed to the sumptuous lighting grid with sparkle, glitter, a multitude of glamorous costumes, quirky props and popalicious frippery, it’s clear that the production design for Kiss Me Once has been meticulously thought through. As a result the show is deliciously entertaining. With 33 shows in Europe, including the iTunes festival, long term - and surprisingly relaxed - Tour Manager Sean Fitzpatrick has his work cut out. Fitzpatrick has been with the performer for 14 years and says this relaxed and friendly vibe radiates from Kylie herself: “Kylie is a perfectionist, but at the same time she doesn’t 40

take herself too seriously, which makes touring with her an absolute pleasure.” Fitzpatrick and Assistant Tour Manager Juliette Baldrey’s major focus is people logistics. It’s no small feat ensuring that the huge number of people involved in the production, which includes 17 performers and 48 crew, know exactly what they’re doing and where they should be each day. “Getting this show on the road has involved some intensely long days,” said Fitzpatrick. “It’s not just simply going from A to B because Kylie has a number of additional commitments to fulfil during the tour including sponsorship engagements and meet and greets, some of which she requires our production staff for and some she doesn’t.” Like Fitzpatrick, most of the production team

have been working with Kylie for more than 10 years and that includes seasoned Production Manager Kevin Hopgood: “A lot of this team have worked for Kylie for a long time, although this year I have been joined by Lauren Sass as Production Coordinator. Since joining us, she has become indispensible. Beside myself, Lauren and Sean, Juliette Baldrey, Sean’s Assistant, has been with us for 10 years. Phil Murphy the stage manager has done 14 years.” LIGHTING DESIGN For Hopgood this consistency supported by improvement in the team only makes his job easier: “The core creative team is also still the same, William Baker has designed all Kylie’s shows for 20 years now, Steve Anderson, the musical director, has been around for a similar

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Kylie

Opposite: 17 performers and 48 crew members made up Kylie’s entourage . Below: Rob Sinclair designed the lighting and visuals for the first time.

time. The creative team are very close. However sometimes you need to include new people for fresh ideas. Rob Sinclair is one of those people. Rob has designed the lighting and the visuals for the first time and that’s been really successful - the man is a genius!” According to Hopgood, Sinclair’s drive for perfection has been a motivating force: “Rob is one of those guys that won’t rest until he has perfected every detail. This can sometimes be a double edged sword because on the one hand I have to find time to make the changes, but on the other every single change is worth it.” Indeed Baker’s Bauhaus style set provides the perfect canvas on which video and lighting can determine the various looks of the show and it’s a precision operation. Combined they evoke the feel of a sophisticated super club or a glitzy Vegas show. Lighting is stylish and layered to assimilate with Baker’s geometric design and Blink TVs clever and seductive video graphics, which fill the VER supplied video wall upstage. The look is chic, uncluttered and multi dimensional, yet never upstaging. By cleverly exploiting lighting

angles and careful positioning of fixtures, within and around the set, Sinclair delivers an abundance of perspectives and looks. The design is so tightly put together that it’s hard to discern where lighting and structure intersect or where one ends and the other begins. Built around the geometry of a broken grid, Sinclair’s design echoes the scenic framework that fills the upstage. Overhead a neat grid of Martin Professional MAC Viper Air FX deliver strong uniform down light beams of colour, while hung just below the main truss is a broken grid of VER Revolution Blade HD units. These create a full ceiling of neon effect lighting, which cleverly distracts the eye away from the moving lights while framing the stage and bringing focus back down to the action. Laser mapping from ER Productions is used to scan the outline of the frame set and does it so fast that they create unbroken lines of sparkling light giving the impression that every part is lit with LED strips. Sinclair explained: “I wanted the structure to look as elegant as possible and we couldn’t really afford to cover it with LED. Lighting it with lasers gives a really unique sparkly effect. 41

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Kylie

Below: VER’s WinAir WinVision9 LED panels were specified by Video Director Richard Turner.

It’s also extremely bright. Best of all it uses lasers as actual lights rather than just the “ooohh factor - although we do go for the “ooohh factor” as well!” The VER supplied rig is augmented with a number of Philips Vari-Lite VL 3500 Washes rigged at the top and bottom of the video screen to provide key and wash light. Built

into the set itself are a number of Martin MAC Auras, which provide more intimate, localised saturated colour washes and 50 Solaris Flare Strobes, which add an electrifying 3D aspect. Upstage, Sinclair has specified 60 RGB Burst Box Spot laser lights from ER Productions bringing the total number of lasers to over 70. The stage-wide staircase is lit by LED tape with an opaque tube in front for diffusion. “I think the tubing comes from an industrial milking machine,” laughed Sinclair. “We wanted to diffuse the LED tape in such a way to make it look like neon and this really works.” Light up props then add a lively dimension everything from light up pink hoovers to tables and of course the ‘I should be so lucky’ bubble bath: “The table prop is amazing, in fact all the props made by Howard Eaton Lighting, are amazing,” said Sinclair. “The light up lips sofa, which opens the show with Kylie draped over it, was made by Mark Ward and his team at Asylum Models and Effects, and it’s a stunning piece of prop making.” In charge of lighting programming and operating on tour is Louisa Smurthwaite supported by Crew chief, Glenn Power and his team: Craig Hancock, Jason Dixson, Urko Urrutia, Luke Pritchard and Hamzah Rattigan, who apparently sings along beautifully to ‘I

Should Be So Lucky’ whilst operating a spot! “We’ve got two of the new Jands Vista L5 consoles on this show and I really like them. We’ve been putting them through their paces and using the new software, which as far as I know hasn’t been released yet. The new effects engine is great and the matrix effects work really well with the Blade lighting grid.” The VER HD Blade is essentially a video unit and therefore takes a video signal. However Sinclair wanted to control the system as lights so VER supplied a piece of software called Node, which allows Smurthwaite to control it with DMX. “We were keen to avoid having to create content to do really simple things like wipes and chases across the grid. Now all we have to do is treat each Blade like a light and give each a DMX address.” “The clever bit is that we can programme each blade individually, which means each one can be a different colour,” added Sinclair. “You can also switch Nodes to stop using DMX and take video instead. This means we can run Catalyst or any low res video through it, which makes it extremely flexible.” For drama and effect Sinclair has specified ER Productions RGB Burst Boxes, which give a diffracted laser look. “These fixtures can create a single colour-mixed beam so we can deliver

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Kylie

Below: Monitor Engineer Rod Matheson; Team Video 18; Lawrence Wright of ER productions; Monitor Engineer Rod Matheson with an Eighth Day Monitor Tech; PM Kevin Hopgood; Eighth Day’s Roly Oliver with Musical Director Steve Anderson.

white and any other colour you can think of from the same fixture,” explained Lawrence Wright of ER Productions. “We’re also using 11 scanning lasers, five of which take care of the scenic mapping. We developed a mirror system to enable us to scan down onto the B stage with the same five lasers. Finally we have six lasers on the set for normal scanning.” Wright is using the latest Pangolin Beyond software and ER Productions has worked closely with Pangolin as the Kylie show is such a large set up. “We’ve got the Pangolin Beyond and a MAC Pro controlling the actual lasers and we’ve got a High End Systems Road Hog 4 controlling all the Burst Boxes. Everything is then time coded and linked together,” concluded Wright. SOUND Over in audio world FOH Engineer Kevin Pruce and Monitor Engineer Rod Matheson work closely together to deliver the distinctive Kylie sound. “We also work very closely with Musical Director, Steve Anderson,” added Pruce. “Particularly during rehearsals. It’s then that we set the levels and ensure the sound of each song is exactly right. Quite a lot of these songs have been part of Kylie’s repertoire for some time, but with different arrangements and numerous new tracks, which have a different sound, the show is dynamic and varied.” In terms of console Pruce recently switched to a DiGiCo SD7 desk: “I made the switch for this tour because the monitor console is a DiGiCo SD7 and it made sense, given how closely Rod and I are working. We use an 44

Optocore loop and we link racks, which gives us more flexibility.” Pruce uses the Waves Multirack Soundgrid for plug-ins with on-board processing. This comprises of Waves C6 multiband compressors, reverbs and FX for the vocals along with various other plugins on the outputs. Matheson uses a TC Electronic 6000 reverb and is using all four stereo engines: one for Kylie, one each for the two backing vocalists, and the fourth for special reverbs on Kylie. Matheson says he has always been a fan of the DiGiCo console: “Specifically they are one of the best consoles for In Ear Monitors as the sound quality is incredibly high.” All the vocal microphones are Sennheiser SKM 5200 series with 5235 capsules. PA is d&b audiotechnik J-Series, (64 J8’s, four J12’s, 16 JSUBs and six Q10’s) and all equipment is supplied by Eighth Day Sound. The four-piece band, Kylie and the backing vocalists are all on In-Ear-Monitoring (IEMs). “The only fold-back on stage is a flown d&b V-Series used side fills so the dancers can hear the show in real time,” Matheson explained. “The mix is generated from FOH but comes via monitors so I can control the level.” In fact everyone on stage, including the crew, is on Sennheiser 2050 tranmitters with EK 2000 Series IEMs and all have a full stereo mix: “Every band member on stage has a switched talk mic,” added Matheson. “This allows direct communication with me, also direct communication with Kylie. There are mics backstage as well so specific crew can talk to

musicians. Kevin Hopgood is in the loop plus everyone at FOH, so the system works like a massive intercom.” When it comes to mixing for Kylie’s IEMs Matheson says he filters out most of the percussive instruments and increases the levels of the more melodic sound, which ensures her vocal sound is clearer. “Kylie’s mix predominately comprises her own vocal followed by backing vocals, under that would be keys and melodic instruments and then beneath that all the percussion. It’s still a pretty solid mix of everything but it errs on the side of melodic and smooth. The band members have a similar mix except obviously their own instruments are above everything else. The backing singers have a similar mix to Kylie but their vocals dominate in their own mix.” All in all FOH and monitors are running close to 80 channels, counting all the talk-back and the intercom along with the audience mics. VIDEO Just next door to monitors backstage is the world of video and Video Director for the show is Richard Turner of Lucky Frog Ltd. “Will’s design demanded a high quality, large scale central upstage screen which is 1920 pixels by 864 supported by two smaller side screens. All comprise VER WinAir WinVision9,” explained Turner. “It’s derived from a mature and reliable product, which is well packaged and quick and easy to assemble. It’s also very lightweight so great for touring. Also the fact that the side IMAG screens are the same product gives a

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Kylie

Below: FOH Engineer Kevin Pruce specified a DiGiCo SD7 desk; Andy Gray at Phoenix Bussing supplied six tour busses for Kylie, the band, dancers and crew; Built around the geometry of a broken grid, Rob Sinclair’s visual design echoed the scenic framework that fills the upstage.

more cohesive look.” The screen is fed from the VER touring video PPU. “We’re using a Ross Vision 3 Vision Mixer. I’ve got four manned cameras four robocameras and most importantly a really great crew,” said Turner. “I’m delighted to be working with Ed Prescotte - Crew Chief and Gerry Correy Engineer, who’s getting some really fantastic pictures from Sony 1500 Cameras. They’re joined by Mark Wilkinson, head cameraman, James Valpy on camera, LED and Playback and Tom Keane, an experienced ex-chippy and new to the video game, is great at building LED and getting some great camera shots. Last but not least Ed Moore - a genius cameraman and LED engineer.” As far as content playback goes Turner says it’s a pretty straightforward timecode locked single HD channel from a mac-mini Aja IoXT running virtual VTR combinations. “Kylie looks

at the recording every night - both the wide shot and the programming recording and then we get notes. She’s mostly concerned with ensuring the whole show is covered, rather than just her. She puts a lot of time and effort into everyone, so she wants her audience to see everything.” When it comes to treating the live images, Turner said: “We don’t do a lot of processing. There’s a bit of black and white, a bit of colour and a bit of strobe. Gerry does a few camera tricks where he adds a bit of “electronic Vaseline” or emphasises certain colours. There are a few punky bits, where shaking the cameras and fast cutting with content, created by Blink TV, are the order of the day. However it’s mostly about beauty shots, which is easy with such a beautiful show.” A TACTICAL, SAFE PODUCTION The Kiss Me Once production was pulled

together in just six months and making sure that happened was Technical Manager and Show Caller Steve Reeve. “My first meeting was with Creative Director William Baker and Set Designer Allan MacDonald. Over a three-month period we took the staging concept through a number of redesigns and rescales. We worked closely with Nigel Tranter of Total Solutions, who was brilliant. We have dancers coming on and off stage all the time, various stage lifts in use, lots of costume changes along with a host of props and scenic elements to manage, it’s a very theatrical show.” Tranter added: “Our brief was to provide a multi-level rolling stage 60ft wide by 32ft deep with additional wings 10ft wide by 22ft deep each side. There was a 8ft wide by 32ft long thrust down to a 40ft wide by 12ft deep B Stage.” The final product was finished in black hi-shine. “We supplied the tour with our updated Arenadeck Rolling Stage System which

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Kylie

Below: The Production Angels. led by Production Manager Kevin Hopgood; A grid of Martin Professional MAC Viper Air FX delivered strong uniform down light beams of colour.

is easier and quicker to build. There was a 4ft star lift in the B Stage. In the main stage all inline were two 12ft by eight ft scissor lifts and a central eight ft by six ft scissor lift. One of the key staging elements were the cross stage steps. These incorporated LED lit nosings and lamp fittings under the step treads at three positions across the stage for access to the risers. There was an Upstage Set structure designed to have an industrial feel. This was created from a series of channel sections and towered nearly 24ft above the stage level incorporating a platform

includes a certificate for every truss detailing the equipment used to ascertain the weights and an exact description of the truss loadings. The report also includes a quick reference guide for every point in the show and even LCR’s insurance certificates. Mojo Barriers installed 80 metres for the front of stage and an additional 80 metres of stock was then added, bringing the total to 160-metres, which will be used at all UK and European dates, culminating on 17 November at Zurich’s Hallenstadion

“Quite a lot of these songs have been part of Kylie’s repertoire for some time, but with different arrangements and numerous new tracks, which have a different sound, the show is dynamic and varied...” FOH Engineer, Kevin Pruce.

for dancers to utilise. It was critical for the upstage set to have minimal structure to prevent obscuring the LED screens which was achieved with a neat solution. “There were further LED strips forming portals in the Upstage Set archways. By no means the most complex stage we have created but it certainly had its share of tricky areas to be faithful to the designers visions.” “We spent nine days rehearsing in LH2 and we came out of that in pretty good shape,” added Hopgood. “A couple of extra days in Liverpool before the first date meant that by the time we opened we had a pretty clean show.” For rigging duties, Load Cell Rental were contracted to complete a weight report for the show. At Load in LCR staff placed a cell onto every point of the show and later in rehearsals, when the truss loadings were finalised, LCR staff returned to complete the report which 48

The barriers, a mixture of straight and specials such as corners and gates, allows the production team - headed up by Kevin Hopgood - to create a configuration that includes golden circle, t-shaped thrust for a catwalk and extended front of house. As requested by Hopgood, Mojo provided a custom powder coated black system to fit the show’s aesthetics. Having worked with Hopgood for 10 years Mojo’s experience and two way communications ensured the project was delivered without a hitch. Mojo Barriers UK’s Kevin Thorborn oversaw the project from design stages. He said: “Our G2 barrier system was the ideal system for Kylie’s tour as it was designed specifically for the touring industry, launched just over two years ago for Madonna’s MDNA tour. It’s proven extremely popular since then due to the benefits it brings production teams namely the fact that it is lighter, more compact

and allows easier and therefore more cost efficient transportation and installation. “For Kylie’s tour it is being transported along with the show’s other production elements, negating the need to rent barriers from local suppliers at each venue and ensuring the same levels of safety no matter where you are in Europe.” A SIZABLE SHOW This show is sizeable as Hopgood concludes: “We have 14 Fly By Night trucks on the road, Tour buses are three for crew, one Artist bus for Kylie, one Band Bus, one Dancer bus all arranged through Andy Gray at Phoenix. Lighting and video is supplied by VER and Sound comes from Eighth Day Sound. As ever catering is crucial and this year it is supplied by Popcorn, Blink TV, who we have worked with for a long time, produced the video visuals. The set and props have been made in the UK with Total Solutions taking care of the rolling stage and the lifts and the main scenery pieces. Howard Eaton Lighting made most of the lovely props, many of which light up in some clever way and all are exactly on brief.” The vibe from everyone on the Kiss Me Once tour is that they find it a delight to work for and with Kylie. Her generous personality, bubbly disposition and absolute enthusiasm for what she does is as infectious as her catchy tunes! The production reflects that and as a result is as upbeat, lively, fun and sophisticated as Miss Minogue herself. TPi Photos: Sarah Rushton-Read, www.thefifthestate.co.uk www.kylie.com www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.flybynite.co.uk www.trussing.com www.loadcellrental.com www.8thdaysound.com www.mojobarriers.com www.er-productions.com www.verrents.com www.blinktv.com http://asylumsfx.com www.popcorncatering.com http://luckyfrog.co.uk

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Invictus Games Closing Concert

SHOW OF STRENGTH THE INVICTUS GAMES, AN INTERNATIONAL MULTI-SPORT COMPETITION FOR WOUNDED SERVICE PEOPLE, INSPIRED BY THE WARRIOR GAMES, STATESIDE, AND DRIVEN BY PRINCE HARRY, WAS BOOKENDED BY CEREMONIES CELEBRATING THE ATHLETES’ COURAGE AND POTENTIAL. TPi SAW A FIRST BIG PRODUCTION EFFORT FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK’S SOUTH LAWN FOR THE EVENT’S CLOSING CONCERT. The 12-strong Organising Committee for Invictus was rife with LOCOG names, Sir Keith Mills, Mary Reilly, Chris Townsend and Terry Miller among them. Sara Donaldson, Strategy Director at Unspun London, who was COO of the production company for the Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, was on the board too, and her company produced the Invictus opening fanfare. Roger Mosey, the BBC’s director of London 2012 coverage was also on the team, and the broadcaster dedicated

itself to live action and highlights of the event, from before the start to beyond the finish. The promoter and the Prince persuaded Foo Fighters to headline AEG Live’s Closing Concert, a five-hour extravaganza combining medal presentations with live music, the band’s first profile British show since 2012. Support came from a run of acts across the popular music gamut, including Kaiser Chiefs, Ellie Goulding, Bryan Adams and Rizzle Kicks. The 26,000 tickets went in minutes.

“What a perfect way to finally return to the UK,” Foo Fighters’ frontman, Dave Grohl, said on the night. “It’s been waaaay too long! Thanks for having us; it is truly an honour to come play for these incredible men and women.” Loudsound took on the site and event management for both ceremonies, and its Head of Operations, Dan Craig, put in a preliminary visit to the South Lawn in January, when the space was little more than a building site, along with Roger Barrett, Special Projects Director at

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Invictus Games Closing Concert

Opposite: Prince Harry, organiser of the Invictus Games, spoke before the crowd on the Star Events’ stage structure. Below: Dave Grohl - the nicest man in Rock n’ Roll - headlined the show with the Foo Fighters. Despite the Foo Fighters’ insistence of demanding 100 dB(A) at FOH, Martin Audio’s MLA system was able to contain the off-site restriction of 75 dB(A).

Star Events Group. Barrett went on to support a deal between the organisers that meant infrastructure was common to both, saving invaluable time, and money. “The cooperative, non-adversarial relationships between major suppliers and production managers in this industry are what sets us a world apart from the construction industry that the HSE seems hell bent on dragging us all into,” he said. Among any number of Invictus firsts, the two Official Suppliers to the ceremonies, Star Events, which provided every structure on site, and new parent company Beaver 84, the fencing, barriers and track mats, came to the project under a new, broad events umbrella, something sure to have a significant impact on the 2015 calendar and beyond. “Star Events and Beaver gave us the backbone of the show,” Craig said. “A great sounding board for some of the sillier ideas we came up with and a whole load of enthusiasm on site.” ISLAND HOPPING To make provision for a 26,000 capacity

site, running up to the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture, Star’s 20 metre VerTech stage - the biggest platform the space could efficiently accommodate, was set back as far as possible, at the expense of some back of house infrastructure. “We’d looked at Olympic Park as a potential open air site before London 2012,” AEG Live’s Technical Production Manager, Keith Wood (who has since left the company to launch his own business, Production Solutions) told TPi. “The issue on the South Lawn is space. The dressing rooms had to be the other side of the water and the site offices opposite, so it wasn’t easy. There’s plenty of hardstanding though, which was a help.” “As an empty space it looks great with all the trees and street furniture,” Barrett added. “But the fact they are not removable defies belief, given the purpose it’s designed for. The back-stage vehicle access for trucks was clearly designed by someone who drives a very small car, or maybe just rides a bike. “Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be an appetite to make changes but I would love to be proved wrong.”

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Invictus Games Closing Concert

Below: Beaver 84 provided fencing, barriers and track mats at the event; Martin Audio’s Jason Baird, System Tech Marty Beath and Philip Reynolds.

ACCESSIBILITY Invictus celebrated the bravery and the potential of wounded service people from 13 nations. The Opening Ceremony saw the athletes parade around what would become the audience space for the Closing Concert. They all received participation medals at the finale, on stage, so accessibility was another crucial element in the mix. The concert team and the presentation team had separate sets of stage management, Mike Grove of Stage Miracles was looking after the former and Lucy Blakey the latter. A B stage, there for artists, presenters and comedians, was set on the lower level of the main platform. “The stage had decked areas on four different levels and there were at least two wheelchair ramp accesses to each of them. Literally hundreds of metres of our ‘Enabled’ ramp system was deployed, often with multiple turns to fit within the very restricted footprint,” Barrett said. “It took a lot of planning. The scaffold sub-structure was amongst the most complex we have ever built.” Star Events’ VIP grandstand was

configured as close to the action as it could get, stage right, with ramps and a broad platform at the base for wheelchairs. “We put a lot of effort into the quality, deploying the high security cladding from our VISTA system to transform the grandstand appearance, as one example,” he added. “It looked a really good, compact show and it was full,” Wood said. “There were no empty spaces. Capacity meant there was limited income, so we could only spend so much, and suppliers really did put themselves out to help. Creative Technology donated the upstage screen to the event and Neg Earth gave us lights, we wanted a real spectacular and the suppliers’ commitment to the event meant we were able to deliver exactly what the occasion deserved. We called in favours and got the best deals we could.” LIGHTING AND VIDEO Neg Earth were approached by AEG Live to provide the full lighting and control system for the opening and closing ceremonies; inclusive of all LX related

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Invictus Games Closing Concert

truss and rigging. The Patrick Woodroffedesigned Lighting set up comprised a whole array of all star lighting fixtures, including 12 Clay Paky Sharpys, 22 Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1500’s, 75 Philips Vari-lite VL3500 Wash FX, nine Color Kinetics iW Blast 12TRs and eight Martin Professional Mac Auras. Control was achieved through three MA Lighting grandMA 2 full size consoles and three grandMA NPUs. For the opening and closing ceremonies, Creative Technology supplied a Flyer 18 Upstage Centre LED screen. CT’s Project Manager for this part of the project, Jilon Miah, said “It’s not every week we get Michelle Obama on our screens! What a coup!” Creative Technology was also enlisted to provide sports presentation services for the actual games themselves, including video control, integrated scoring and camera systems augmenting the BBC live coverage at the venues. Furthermore, Creative Technology supplied LED screens to several venues, including the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, the VeloPark, the Copper Box Arena, and the Here East venue. Creative Technology’s Project Manager, Nic Maag commented: “We’re really pleased to have worked on such a prestigious event! Our focus, as always, is providing the best possible experience for the audience and we’re confident we delivered.”

SOUND JUDGEMENT Dave Grohl is the nicest man in rock ‘n’ roll of course and the Invictus Closing Concert was much more than a Foo Fighters show. But the band insisted it was loud at FOH and Capital Sound stepped up with Martin Audio’s awardwinning MLA (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array), a system proven to have extraordinary quality, and accuracy, in the eye, and ear, of Hyde Park’s litigious environment. “This was a totally new situation and the promoters were keen to see what we could get out of it, sound wise,” said Paul Timmins, Capital Sound’s Account Manager. “Dan Craig really understands audio and was confident he could achieve proper rock ‘n’ roll levels.” With the closest residence within 250 metres of the stage, and Vanguardia measuring propagation at four separate offsite locations, the production team was still able to hit the FOH SPLs demanded by the Foo Fighters, playing at well over 100dB(A) as the level ramped up incrementally through the day. At the same time, the sound tapered off, comfortably below the offsite restriction of 75dB(A) at the nearest measurement point and recorded values as low as the mid-60s. The main front facing PA comprised two hangs of 14 MLA per side and two MLD down fills, while for side fills, because of the site topography, Capital was able to field 12 MLA

Compacts on one flank and 16 on the other, an asymmetric solution that worked particularly well, enabling the shorter hang to fire into the VIP grandstand without straying into the big block of flats behind. Two Martin Audio W8LCs were deployed for centre front fills and there were two masts of delays, set 75-metres back from the stage, midway from the site perimeter, each containing eight Martin Audio W8L Longbow enclosures. Meanwhile, 12 Martin Audio LE1200 low profile wedge monitors were provided as floor monitors onstage. The real customisation came in the 32-enclosure MLX sub array. In order to meet the Foo Fighters’ tour spec, they deployed Philip Reynolds, who has worked extensively with Martin Audio’s US partner, Delicate Productions. Along with Martin Audio R&D Director, Jason Baird, and Capital Sound Technical Manager, Ian Colville, Reynolds adapted the sub array into a Left / Centre / Right design, which included cardioid elements to contain coverage, while bringing even more chest thumping transient attack to the central section. “That sub design was exactly as I wanted and for the band it delivered the high impact in the mix,” said Reynolds, who has been involved with the Foos since the Wasting Light album back in 2011. And that mix came courtesy of seasoned sound engineer Craig Overbay,

PRODUCTION PROFILE: Invictus Games Closing Concert

piloting a DiGiCo SD10. “At FOH, a pair of Avid Profile Systems serviced all Acts except Foo Fighters, who brought in a Britannia Row supplied DiGiCo SD10,” said Timmins. “We also supplied a DiGiCo SD9 to handle the B stage changeover inputs.” In monitor world, Capital Sound supplied 24 d&b audiotechnik M2 wedges. A pair of Yamaha PM5D consoles were utilised, with the Foo Fighters again opting for their own Britannia Row supplied Midas PRO6. 12 Shure PSM 1000 (IEMs) microphones and 12 Shure UR Wireless microphones were also supplied. The planning of the event was to throw a final curve ball at the Capital Sound team: “Although we had designed the audio for the closing concert, since we had the infrastructure already in place, at short notice we were asked to also handle the Invictus Games Opening Ceremony,” Timmins explained. “We had to come up with a system we could change in a day, and throughout the opening ceremony there was an element of rapid reconfiguration as we had to make it work for every dignitary on stage.” Marty Beath, a seasoned MLA tech, was part of the crew, and this is where his MLA experience, and knowledge of the audience geometry in the MLA software, was brought to bear. “The area that became the audience zone at the Closing Concert was set out like

a military tattoo,” he explained. “We needed a new solution for MLA which covered the competitors’ section, set 20ft in front of the stage, so we optimised the system in the software to use the bottom part of the main PA to cover the front. “When Prince Harry was at a lectern in the PA zone I loaded a new snapshot in MLA which enabled us to get another 8dB of gain before feedback; so by using MLA’s software to set a hard avoid I could direct the sound over the lectern, which was fantastic.” The entire production seemed more than satisfied with the levels and quality achieved. “I enjoy how far MLA has come. I was happy with the deployment, everything matched Foo Fighters’ specs, the PA did exactly as planned, and it was exciting to hear the band playing through a full MLA for the first time,” said Reynolds. “Once again MLA displayed all we know and love about the system and delivered effective, even coverage, Craig added. “It’s my third major park event of the summer and yet again MLA has demonstrated its flexibility to create a system design network.” Despite having a new album due at the beginning of November, the Foo Fighters’ set was 60-minutes of rapturously received greatest hits, Times Like These, My Hero and Best of You loaded with a particular Invictus poignancy.

“Prince Harry called me and told me what was happening and I’m very happy to be here,” Grohl said towards the end of the set. Foo Fighters finished with Everlong, from their second album, 1997’s Colour And Shape, and Quantum Special Effects, which had opened the night with pyrotechnics and CO2 jets, brought the curtain down on the first Invictus Games firing white streamers, pyrotechnics and Co2 jets across the crowd. “It was one of those gigs which you are just simply proud to be a part of,” said Quantum’s MD and Special Effects Consultant, Shaun Barnett. “Invictus is moving, emotional, humbling, motivating and inspirational. I enjoyed every moment on site and it has been a pleasure to work with all departments involved. What an honour to have been a part of such a unique event.” TPi Photos: Dave Hogan & Jessica Gilbert http://invictusgames.org www.beaver84.couk www.stagemiracles.com www.stareventsgroup.com www.capital-sound.co.uk http://uk.ct-group.com www.negearth.com www.loudsound.net www.q-sfx.com www.britanniarow.com www.aeglive.co.uk

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: On Blackheath

ON BLACKHEATH FESTIVAL ON BLACKHEATH FESTIVAL HAS MADE SOME SERIOUS WAVES IN ITS DEBUT YEAR. ORGANISED IN CONJUNCTION WITH HARVEY GOLDSMITH, IT’S A COOL, BRAND NEW LIVE MUSIC AND FOOD FESTIVAL IN THE SOUTH EAST OF LONDON, AND IT’S ALREADY BEEN NOMINATED FOR FIVE AWARDS AT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL AWARDS. IMPRESSIVE INDEED, AS PAUL WATSON REPORTS. The festival is a unique celebration of good food and fantastic music set on the stunning Blackheath Common, one of the capital’s most gorgeous open spaces. This inaugural event was held over the weekend of 13-14 September, and attracted over 25,000 people. Headliners included Massive Attack, Frank Turner, Grace Jones and Imelda May. The Live Firm (TLF) was appointed to oversee the production management of the event, which meant forging a close working relationship with Lewisham Council and the local authorities to ensure that when the event took place, the balance was right between delivering a successful festival and ensuring local residents were not disgruntled. 58

Production Director, Jim Baggott dealt with all the festival and artists’ technical and production requirements, while Tim Spears managed the site with a team of supervisors. Event Manager, Luke Carr, dealt directly with the local authorities throughout the run up, build, and the festival weekend, and support was on hand from Production Co-ordinator, Marissa Bellon, and Project Co-ordinator, Esther Rodriguez. “One of the main objectives for TLF was to deliver a safe environment for festival goers in a very short build time of six days, which was quite a challenge,” said Baggott. “We also had to ensure that the noise levels in the local area did not exceed 70dB(A), in line with Lewisham’s requirements, so noise

PRODUCTION PROFILE: On Blackheath

Opposite: Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker took to the decks at the London Speaker Hire-supplied Village Stage. Below: the main stage was directed away from residential areas to ensure the stringent 70 db(A) noise cap - policed by Vanguarida - wasn’t breached; the 600-capacity Village Stage hosted a plethora of DJ’s and bands; a friendly, relaxed atmosphere could be felt at the festival.

control was undertaken by Vanguardia.” 70dB(A)... That’s quiet! How did they manage that, then? “Well, the main stage was re-orientated to a more easterly direction than on the original plans, which mean the sound was directed at the park and not at the residential properties,” Baggott explained. “Britannia Row supplied an L-Acoustics K2 system, which proved to be very versatile in controlling the throw and spread of the sound in the open main stage area. An identical K2 system was also deployed for Stage 2.” In terms of lighting and rigging for the main stages, PRG Nocturne was the main provider, with Gordon Torrington as Designer and Crew Chief. Philips Vari-lite VL3500 Washes and VL3000 Spots, Martin Professional MAC Vipers and Auras, and 50 Rush strobes were the main fixtures, the latter of which were used to great effect on the main stage and to build a cool DJ booth for Stage 2. Video was supplied by PRG Nocturne, and constituted two large V18 LED screens either side of the main stage (a Supernova Stage by Serious Stages - the rest of the stage platforms were provided by Alistage), and a Panasonic 12k on Stage 2, and a V18 on the Food Stage.

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: On Blackheath

Below: Irish Rockabilly artist Imelda May graced the main stage on Sunday, where PRG Nocturne supplied all lighting, video and rigging; London Speaker Hire supplied the Village Stage with an assortment of Robe and Chauvet Professional lighting fixtures, in addition to an Avolites Tiger Touch II lighting console.

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STAR CREW Showstars provided 10 site crew (including plant operators), four caterers, five runners, 36 production staff, a pair of spotlight operators who came into their own during Grace Jones’ electrifying performance - and 13 show call crew who handled changeovers on both show days. “There were three stages at the festival with a vast array of different artists and a variety of activity areas,” commented Stuart Milne, the east London-based company’s operations director. “The food was amazing and there was even a workshop where you could learn how to cook with celebrity chefs. John Lewis, the principal sponsor, had two wonderfully decorated hospitality areas which we helped to set up. “On Blackheath was a great success and everyone remarked on what a laid back and happy festival it was. It helped that it was a sunny weekend and a great way to wrap up the summer season. Having worked together for over 30 years on projects including the mighty

Live Aid, Showstars and Harvey Goldsmith Productions enjoy a fantastic rapport and it was exciting to team up on this new event.” “Due to Harvey Goldsmith’s very long standing relationship with Showstars, it was the obvious choice for crewing, and TLF also work with them on many events,” Baggott explained. “They supplied all site crew, production crew, and runners at the festival; the site crew were picked for their vast experience in the field, and helped deliver a safe and functional festival environment, while the production crew did a great job for the load in and out. Then the show call guys made sure that the changeovers were all tight and on time, so we didn’t lose a minute, and everything went smoothly.” THE ONLY PA IN THE VILLAGE London Speaker Hire (LSH) provided audio, lighting, and special effects to the festival’s 600-capacity Village Stage, which featured Chris Holland’s All Star Band and Jarvis Cocker, among other bands and DJs. The Goldsmith connection was warmly welcomed by LSH,

PRODUCTION PROFILE: On Blackheath

Below: Sonny Evans from London Speaker Hire London; The company supplied the Village Stage with 10 Martin Audio MLA Compact units and nine Martin Audio WS218X subwoofers; the Village Stage from the outside.

though it was clear that the brief was not going to be an easy one to adhere to, and required some serious thinking from an audio perspective. “Not only were we humbled to be working alongside such a legend, we were also more then aware of the challenges the team faced, and the importance of getting all elements right,” said LSH’s Sas Stewart. “In the lead up, the festival had faced some strong residential objections, meaning the promoters had to fight doubly hard to get a license. Noise pollution was the number one concern, and so our overriding challenge was, ‘how do we create an awesome sound that can still be contained?’ “We needed to keep the volume up on the inside, while keeping residential objections down on the outside, helping to make On Blackheath a successful event that could return year after year.” LSH kitted out the Village with 10 Martin Audio MLA Compacts and nine Martin Audio WS218X subwoofers, configured in a cardioid pattern. A

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PRODUCTION PROFILE: On Blackheath

Below: In the Village Stage, Martin Professional Magnum 2000 smoke machines and 2500 haze machines, and a Chauvet Geyser LED RGB vertical fog machine were supplied by London Speaker Hire; Showstars Operation Director, Stuart Milne; Harvey Goldsmith.

further four Martin Audio DD6’s were deployed for frontfill, and 14 Martin Audio LE1200 floor monitors provided foldback. The passive speakers were driven by Martin Audio MA3.0 and MA18K amplifiers, and Allen & Heath GLD 112 and GLD 80 consoles were brought in for control. Said Stewart of the MLA PA choice: “The technology has a proven track record, helping to contain sound at high profile events such as British Summer Time at Hyde Park, where noise pollution was placing the licence under jeopardy. We turned on the Hard Avoid preset to reduce the sound at the back of the tent, therefore containing any associated spillage. “While there were certainly some technical

challenges, we rallied together to implement the perfect solution; the real success for me has to be the endless compliments about the sound, and the evident lack of complaints from local residents!” he added. For the lighting rig LSH provided Robe Pointes and Robin 600 LED Washes which were complemented by a Chauvet Professional Nexus, Martin Professional Magnum 2000 smoke machines and 2500 haze machines, and a Chauvet Geyser LED RGB vertical fog machine. For control, an Avolites Tiger Touch II lighting console was the chosen desk. After the great success of the festival’s first year, even Harvey Goldsmith himself had something to say: “I’d like to personally thank

LSH for partnering with us for the inaugural On Blackheath festival. It was a fantastic weekend, and with over 25,000 people through the gates over the two days, that was really well received. None of this could have happened without the generous support. The sound on the Village Stage was superb, and we are already thinking about 2015 and beyond.” TPi Photos: Carys Lavin & Getty Images www.onblackheath.com http://tlfworldwide.com www.nocturneproductions.com www.londonspeakerhire.com www.showstars.co.uk www.britanniarow.com

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EXPO: PRO

THE PRO SHOW 2014 IN SEPTEMBER 2014 A NEW TRADESHOW LAUNCHED IN THE UK AIMED TO BE THE PARTER TO THE WELLESTABLISHED BPM DJ SHOW. THE NEW ADDITION, PRO, IS THE IDEAL NEXT STEP IN OFFERING THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF EVENT TECHNOLOGY A NEW EXPO. TPi REPORTS FROM THE SHOW FLOOR, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ASKS FOR YOUR VERDICT ON HOW THIS EVENT COULD SHAPE THE TRADESHOW LANDSCAPE IN THE UK. Launched alongside the renowned DJ show, BPM at Birmingham’s NEC, PRO is the perfect partner aimed to attract the trade professionals from the audio, lighting, video and effects markets. The co-located shows took place on 13-15 September and welcomed more than 9,000 visitors across the three days, with approximately a 60% / 40% split between consumers and professionals, respectively. Organised by Marked Events - in collaboration with Mondiale Publishing - PRO got off to a good start by welcoming a number of key exhibitors from the UK market, as well as implementing features such as the Audio Demo Space, Learning Space, the Product Demo Stage, the Chauvet Arena and the Central Bar for meetings and networking. 66

During the event Elation Professional announced the world premiere of what it describes as a truly innovative game-changing product… Sniper is a revolutionary hybrid beam, scanner and laser simulator in one. Emitting a powerful, precise and ultra-narrow 3° beam, a high-speed X / Y scan and Z rotation mirror system allows the Sniper to spread laser-like effects including liquid sky, laser wave, and laser cone effects, all moving at speeds never seen before. What’s more, Sniper allows these effects to be projected and ‘scanned’ into the crowd and without the hassle of laser regulations. “The Sniper is unlike anything that’s out there today and we’re excited to see the different ways Lighting Designers will incorporate it into their designs,” stated Elation Professional Sales Director Eric Loader.

As headline sponsor of PRO, Martin Audio presented a real tour de force at the booth and at the Audio Demo Space. The company displayed its award-winning MLA platform ‘as it’s never been seen before’ in club stack formation. Nexo had a soft demo of the new STM M28 system in the Chauvet Arena and on the booth the new GEO M6 system attracted a lot of attention, as well as the classic PS Series, a DJ staple. Having previewed the new TTP5-A active point source array at this year’s Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, RCF put it on live demo at PRO to mark its UK debut. Sennheiser UK had a stand in the BPM section of the show, the company displayed its range of DJ headphones, as well as Rane’s

EXPO: PRO Opposite: PRO enjoyed a steady flow of visitors in its first year. Below: The Kvant stand; KV2 Audio’s Tom Weldon and Jonathan Reece-Farren; Shure’s Marketing Manager, Kirsty Lamport (centre) with Mondiale ladies Helen Fletcher and Charlotte Goodlass; The SGM UK team; Aziz Adilkhodjaev of Avolites; Kris Dawber and Dirk Kast of ADJ; The Bose crew.

acclaimed DJ interfaces and mixers. The AudioTechnica stand showcased brand new Allen & Heath DJ products including the Xone 23:C DJ mixer and the Xone:K1 DJ MIDI controller. Norbert Stangl Sales and Marketing Director of Laserworld Group said of the show: “BPM / PRO was a great success. It was a very interesting show and I met many partners and friends. Laserworld had attended the BPM Show in the past but this year the show was extended by a PRO part, meaning that manufacturers and B2B distribution companies also got a space to showcase their products and solutions. Whereas the BPM Show originally was only a DJ exhibition, the addition of the PRO part (first year for PRO Show) extended the audience and provides the DJs a broader impression of the entertainment technology industry.” FBT Audio UK used PRO for the exclusive first showing of its latest X Series active loudspeakers consisting of three ranges - X-PRO, X-LITE and X-SUB. And also new at PRO was the latest modular line array range - MUSE. Audiologic used the show to mark its 10th anniversary, celebrating with cake and champagne. “This was our first year exhibiting at BPM show and the main attraction for us was the addition of the PRO section,” London

Speaker Hire’s Grant Turner told TPi. “One of our reservations in exhibiting previously had been the demographic of visitors - we had been worried the audience may have been too narrow. However, with the news of PRO coming on board it was a no brainer. The response we received from the event was amazing and has guaranteed that we will be back next year.

is vital, but we’ve also placed them in one central location for the convenience of the industry as a whole. Plans are well underway for PRO 2015 and having just released the floor plan, it looks like almost all of the companies will return. “Listening to our exhibitors is the key and we have taken a great deal of feedback on board. We have added a second hall to PRO, which will

“Launching PRO has really helped increase the focus and vigour of BPM, making for a more wholesome visitor experience...” Mark Walsh - Sales Director, Marked Events “The real bonus for us as a pro audio rental business was that we got to catch up with all the brands we work with on a daily basis in a relaxed environment, and get to see their new offerings first hand. For an independent busy company like ours that’s not always possible.” “Launching PRO has really helped increase the focus and vigour of BPM, making for a more wholesome visitor experience; we had more visitors than last year and the reaction, from both visitors and exhibitors, has been phenomenal,” confirmed Mark Walsh, Sales Director at Marked Events. “We’ve carved out separate identities for both BPM and PRO, which

give us room for new exhibitors and will allow the sound-scape in PRO to have no-sound areas and areas where on-stand demonstrations are possible. In 2015 we will be using the additional space to launch the first ever Special Effects Theatre. This purpose built feature will allow for demonstration slots for each manufacturer to show off the latest in effects technology. This combined with a growing PRO Audio Demo Space and additional seminar content will mean 2015 will have so much more to offer.” TPi www.visitpro.co.uk www.visitbpm.co.uk 67

EXPO: PRO

We weren’t quite sure what to expect at a new show but we were very pleased with the buzz created around the Sniper launch and the interest from both the DJ and Pro customer. Every time we ran our Sniper light show it was very well attended and visitors were very impressed. The feedback on the product was just amazing. Marc Librecht - Sales & Marketing Manager, Elation Europe

I’m hugely optimistic about this show; it promises to be exactly what the UK needs in terms of an annual audio technology showcase. The NEC environment is a pleasure for the exhibitors and access is easy for visitors. The mix of demos, performances, lectures and panel sessions is lively and educational, and is a genuine attraction for visitors. As more elite brands join in the exhibition, the footfall will increase accordingly and the UK market will have a dynamic business event once more. Ginny Goudy - International Marketing Director, Nexo

We came into the show with our eyes wide open in terms of our expectations of what we’re going to achieve. We feel there is room for a new exhibition and the only way it’s going to be successful is if people support it, so we’re going to support it and give it as much as we can to help the PRO exhibition grow to what we need it to be. We think it’s got potential. And while we can see things that we would do slightly differently next year, on the whole it’s been very good. Simon Bull - Director of Sales, Martin Audio

We’ve just come back from a very busy three days at PRO / BPM 2014, launch exhibition for Current RMS. What a fantastic show with an electric atmosphere; entertaining and vibrant. It was great to be involved in such an innovative show and to have so many industry experts stop by and say hello, eager to learn more about Current RMS. We received some fantastic feedback and had businesses sign up there and then at the show, after seeing the product in action. Thanks for stopping by! Lisa Kenward - Marketing Manager, Current RMS 68

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EXPO: PRO

The BPM exhibition has been very positive for us, particularly with our portable performance boxes, the art series etc. We have been very supportive for the PRO show ever since it’s conception because we feel there is a need for a show that has more of a focus on audio and the ability to be able to demonstrate audio in fairly relaxed and also costeffective surroundings, and that’s really worked well for us. The throughput of people, of visitors into the PRO side of the exhibition has been slower compared to BPM, but positive. We’ve seen some good contacts, a steady flow of visitors. We’re very much on the ground floor and we will be supporting the event going forward. Phil Price - UK Director of Sales, RCF

Void is exhibiting at BPM and PRO because it wishes to engage the DJ and install markets. We feel that we’re getting a lot of attention from the show in terms of passing trade, as well as people who have specific projects, who are coming to us for clubs and installs. The fact that we have the demo room is proving immeasurably beneficial to us too. It’s great to meet all the industry people and go and see everybody, see what the competition is doing. The fact that it is a really successful show this year and that it’s getting bigger and bigger means that it is providing a bigger buzz for our industry. Dominic Jacobson - International Business Development Director, Void Acoustics

The number of visitors was impressive, and so was the number of well-established brands that exhibited. Laserworld did a spectacular laser show that was similar to the big one shown at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt earlier this year. To set an additional visual impact, a RTI PIKO G20 was set up to send high power beams through the hall. To be able to even cover the opposite direction, several beam mirrors were used to deflect the beams. Some beam mirrors were also placed at the booth of our new partner Leisuretec. The BPM Show is quite famous amongst DJs, so many B2C companies also exhibit at that show. This lead to us having nine partners in the halls that either directly sold Laserworld products or had them on display. Norbert Stangl - Sales & Marketing Director, Laserworld Group 70

EXPO: PRO

The Audio-Technica team had a great night at the Mondiale party. Aside from the excellent venue and atmosphere, as a manufacturer / distributor it was a brilliant opportunity to network with industry peers from all fields. Civilised and sensible as always, the Mondiale team hosted what turned out to be a fun and ultimately very productive evening! Tom Harrold - Marketing Manager, Audio-Technica

We love BPM and PRO because it’s our one opportunity to be able to talk to users as well as to the trade. We love the fact that we have the arena, which is a great showcase for us and gives us our best opportunity in the tradeshow calendar to actually show our lights to our best advantage. Michael Brooksbank European General Manager, Chauvet Professional

PRO feels like it’s on the ‘up’ curve - in its first year I suppose it has to! As a ‘less consumer’ addition to the BPM show, it was well organised, and with a buzz that comes with the association of BPM, there was a great atmosphere, with the auditorium events being well attended and planned. Footfall for us was a little low on the weekend, but then again they’re the DJ days and the BPM side of things was very busy. Monday was much better and overall, with the astonishingly fast load in and load out, I think we will definitely be here again next year. Waring Hayes - XTA

PRO was a great show with great potential. It’s nice to see a fresh approach for the pro audio industry Alex Barrand - Manager , Pioneer Professional Audio

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INTERVIEW: Ben Nicholson of Lightborne

VISUAL DYNAMITE

BILLING ITSELF AS A ‘CONCEPT FACTORY’, OHIO, USA-BASED LIGHTBORNE IS A DESIGN STUDIO, PRODUCTION COMPANY, AND EDITORIAL HOUSE WHICH HAS BECOME A TOURING VISUALS SPECIALIST. THE COMPANY HAS WORKED WITH ACTS SUCH AS KATY PERRY, KANYE WEST, AND TAYLOR SWIFT. TPi’S KELLY MURRAY SPEAKS TO LIGHTBORNE’S EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BEN NICHOLSON, ABOUT THE COMPANY’S ORIGINS, DEVELOPMENT, AND HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE RELATIVELY NEW TOURING VISUALS SECTOR... Lightborne provides content and implementation for live show environments such as rock and pop concerts, and stage productions from festivals to TV shows. It is a company that thrives on visual creativity and technological innovation, yet this story actually begins a far cry away from what we’re talking about today. Lightborne’s Executive Creative Director, Ben Nicholson, initially went to university to study marine biology and found himself intrigued by the idea of working in media instead. ‘Media’ is a loose term at the best of times, but while majoring in creative writing, Nicholson began to teach himself how to edit video using Avid Media Composer software alongside his friend Jeremiah Shuff - also a former Lightborne employee who now edits for Beyonce. After graduating, Nicholson had various jobs in motion picture graphics houses. Becoming interested in non-traditional media formats, he became one of the first Motion Graphics Artists at Lightborne, a role which would inevitably shape the future of the business. “Over the last 14 years, it’s grown from being just a few people to being a team of 30 working in graphics for commercials and videos,” he said. Nicholson currently runs a division within the company working with live concert 74

visuals specifically. Having worked primarily in commercials in the beginning, his friend Shuff then editor at Lightborne - had the opportunity to show his editorial reel to Music Video Director Shaun Silva, with a view of working for country artist Kenny Chesney doing music videos. Said Nicholson: “Kenny was working on Big Star, a music video in which he wanted to have projected imagery playing behind him. He was getting big enough to go into arenas. That meant we were able to branch out into live visuals quite quickly with him. We were really fortunate too because Kenny’s tour had media server and lighting operators working at a top level, which was a great introduction into the industry.” Chesney was Lightborne’s only music artist client for a few years but when a break in touring occurred, an opportunity with Jay-Z and Eminem came up - and it snowballed from there. “There were a lot of big players we would run into but we didn’t know how big they were at the time. An interesting thing we’ve learned in this business is that there’s a pretty small community of people working at a high level. That means that you don’t know where your work’s going to come from; it could be via management, from a set designer, an LD, or even from another video company that

needs a bit of help with a tour they’re working on.” This sentiment is based on a mutual work ethic between similar companies, Montrealbased Geodezik being a prime example of another visual company that Nicholson and his team often work closely with. “Olivier Goulet [Geodezik’s Founder] and I are friends. There’s kind of an understanding now that if someone needs help with something, we do it.” PRISM VISION As an example, Lightborne did visuals for a song on Taylor Swift’s Red tour which was Geodezik’s client. Lightborne returned the favour with Katy Perry, having Geodezik work on a few songs for the Prismatic tour. “We basically make sure that things go smoothly with each other’s jobs. If you pitch for a job and don’t get it, you can still help each other out. It’s a great way to do business because it comes back around. I think other companies desire to work in this way too. Everybody in this line of work realises that this is a difficult sector to become successful in, so our peers really tend to support each other.” Like any other area of an all consuming but highly creative and technical live tour, the key decision makers want to work with the people and companies on whom they can depend. “It’s very relational,” continued Nicholson. “That was

INTERVIEW: Ben Nicholson of Lightborne

Opposite: Fleetwood Mac’s stunning visuals by Lightborne; Nicholson consulting with clients. Below: The crew looking suave; Katy Perry’s Prism Vision glasses were a concept loved by all who wore them (TPi included!); Lightborne worked on US indie band FUN.’s visuals with LD Paul Normandale; Katy Perry’s Prismatic tour during her Roar track ; Some of the team backstage discussing ideas.

MEANINGFUL MENTORING •One of our first mentors was Steven Cohen who is Billy Joel and Lenny Kravitz’s LD and Stage Designer. He’s basically a legend and was very kind to me when we were first starting out.

a big thing on Katy’s show. All of the relationships on that tour were developed and solidified quickly because everyone had to work very closely together. The success of the show is a true testament to that. We loved working with Katy’s management team; they were really wonderful people and the amount of trust they put into us and into Baz Halpin was phenomenal.” Lightborne has in recent years worked very closely with Irish-British Lighting and Set Designer Halpin, through whom they won the Prismatic tour contract. “We actually knew of Baz because we shared an agent for a time. We started doing show promos for him for artists such as Usher. Katy’s tour came along after the promo content we did running up to her album release, and Baz and her management were so happy with what we’d done that they brought us on board for the tour.” TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW Behind the aesthetically engulfing and bespoke visuals you’ll see on tours the company has worked on, the technical wizardry behind Lightborne also puts the company in good stead for being able to deliver what is asked of them. He continued: “Our Implementation Director, J.T. Rooney, is a whizz. Part of what gets us hired for tours is our technical confidence - our deliveries have to be spot on. “And most importantly, what we do is create. We’re innovators who are constantly discovering new ways to make beautiful content, utilising new software such as Octane Render - the world’s first GPU based, un-biased, physically based renderer and refining it for bespoke live situations.” The company has also incorporated d3 Technologies d3 Designer software into its pipeline as a pre-visualisation tool used during early compositions. “We usually get CAD renders of the set design and then plug them into the d3 software which works really well and allows the

client to see their vision too. Plus if any changes need making, it can be done swiftly,” he noted. In terms of operating the content, Nicholson has noticed certain trends when it comes to touring media server choices. “Catalysts and PRG’s Mbox media servers are like the work horses of our industry. When you get something a bit out of the ordinary such as projection mapping, you’ll see more d3 Technologies, Green Hippo, coolux, and Ai. The Mbox is what we started out using though, and it’s great to see how much the technology has developed. It’s very lighting console friendly and very stable.” A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE This is undeniably an interesting time for the live production industry in terms of where visual content will go next. In the last decade it’s blossomed into a vital story-telling tool for artists and become an engaging element for the audience, yet it has to make good business sense too. “A lot of people are now looking at the economics of what we do as content creators. It’s great to be able to make ‘cool stuff’, but you also need to be able to make a living out of it too,” said Nicholson. “The word ‘sustainability’ is being used a lot at the moment and that takes time and expertise to understand. Other companies are definitely talking about it.” It’s very refreshing to hear an enthusiastic and supportive attitude such as Nicholson’s. It is perhaps this wholesome ideal that will further drive the company forwards, as well as its savy tech skills. “Your ideas must come in on budget, on time and be technically accurate. That’s what separates the good from the great reputations. You have to be very strategic about how you do things, and that will be seen in the value you give to production managers. I’m after a badass business model that will sustain Lightborne for years into the future...” TPi www.light-borne.com

•Brian Friedman [Creative Director on The X Factor] has been very influential; he really helped us to understand how to create video for choreography. •Paul Normandale does things so differently, we really admire his work. I sent him an email about four years ago and he replied, saying that he happened to be working at Upstaging in Chicago. I drove there from Cincinnati and had breakfast with him. He turned out to be one of the sweetest people you could ever meet. There’s no one else like him. •Another influence came from Lee Lodge who is a Creative Producer for One Direction and the VMAs. He’s said some very profound things to me over the last few years about how to succeed in this business in an intelligent way. •And of course there’s Baz, although he’s more of a friend than a mentor. Our relationship with him relates to pretty much every big job we’ve done in the last couple of years. He’s absolutely crazy in terms of the level of risk he’s willing to take. And if you’re brave enough to take those risks with him, you’ll end up in some interesting places. I could go on and on about how people have shaped the way we work and that’s one of the great things about this business; there are so many great people who are a joy to work with.

CLOCKING OFF: The Great North Run Below: John and Alex Penn from SSE ran the Bupa Great North Run in aid of the Alzheimers Society. To date, they have raised a whopping £2,253.

MO FARRAH MIGHT HAVE GRABBED THE NATIONAL HEADLINES BY WINNING THIS YEAR’S EVENT BUT PROBABLY OF GREATER NOTE WAS SSE MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN PENN’S ACHIEVEMENT IN COMPLETING HIS FIRST EVER HALF MARATHON. BOTH HE AND SALES DIRECTOR ALEX PENN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE 2014 GREAT NORTH RUN, RAISING MONEY FOR THE ALZHEIMERS SOCIETY. THEY TELL TPi THEIR STORY. “We would both like to thank everyone who sponsored us. Alzheimer’s is a charity close to our hearts and to be able to raise this money for them is fantastic.” said John after the race. With support and cajoling from Alex, John took up running in January in a bid to improve his fitness levels. “At the beginning I was struggling to run one mile,” he commented. “The idea of me running 13 miles just seemed ridiculous.” However, assisted by Alex, he slowly built up his training, completing a five mile ‘fun run’ in May and increasing his distances from there. Preparation for the Great North Run was not without its setbacks. Less than a month before the event John contracted Shingles, a painful and debilitating viral infection which affects the nervous system. Unable to get in to work for 10 days, let alone train, the prospect of making the start line or completing a half marathon seemed impossible. 76

With a week to go, John resumed training with Alex, managing to complete an eight mile training run and so the decision to take part was made. They completed the 13 miles in 2 hrs 48 minutes, slightly greater than Mo Farrah’s one hour, but none the less a very credible time. Importantly, they’ve raised a significant amount for their chosen charity. John added: “Alex and I would like to thank everyone for their encouragement and support, which has been really amazing. We have also been overwhelmed by people’s generosity. We would both like to thank everyone who sponsored us.” Even on their days off the Penn family find themselves in the midst of the live events industry. Alex explained, “The start of the race is on a closed section of motorway in Newcastle City Centre. There’s 57,000 runners and probably the same again in spectators - a full on festival crowd, which required an audio system to match.”

John furthered: “I’m about to start the most ridiculous challenge of a half marathon and I find myself checking out the L’Acoustics line arrays suspended in multiple hangs along the central reservation. Joking aside, the event is a massive logistical and technical operation. Nitelites, a Newcastle based audio firm, did a great job and hats off to them - we know only too well how tough these jobs can be to execute and the Nitelites team achieved excellent results.” At the time of going to print, the gents at SSE had raised £2,253.60 - considerably more than their £500.00 target. You can add to their total amount via the link below. TPi

https://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Penn1/ www.alzheimers.org.uk

COMPANY PROFILE: GLP

GLP: 20 YEARS OF INNOVATION GERMAN LIGHT PRODUCTS (GLP) IS CURRENTLY CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY. THE JOURNEY FROM MODEST DISCO LIGHTING MANUFACTURER TO WORLDWIDE ENTERPRISE HAS CERTAINLY BEEN AN INTERESTING ONE, WITH ITS FAIR SHARE OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS ALONG THE WAY. TPi WAS INVITED TO GLP’S HQ IN KARLSRUHE, GERMANY, TO TALK WITH FOUNDER UDO KÜNZLER AND GLP US PRESIDENT MARK RAVENHILL ABOUT THE LAST 20 YEARS, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS AND... SCHLAGER (ALL WILL BE REVEALED). When Udo Künzler created GLP in 1994, the professional show lighting industry as we know it today didn’t exist. In 1994, disco, disco and more disco lighting was the order of the day; and, like many of our industry’s leading show lighting manufacturers, GLP entered onto the marketplace with a product aimed at the disco market. Künzler - a former employee of Siemens - was at that time working for his uncle’s company, B&K Braun helping out with installing equipment in clubs. It wasn’t long before the young and ambitious Künzler began to harbour ambitions for his own products. “The first product GLP released was the Startec 2000 scanner, which was launched to great acclaim at the Frankfurt Musik Messe in 1994,” said Künzler. “It existed in two versions - the 575HMI and 250W halogen. Our first product was very bright for that time. With a 575 HMI lamp inside, at that time it was class leading, compact in size and very powerful. “Funnily enough, for our 20th anniversary Frankfurt show, we wanted to display this very first product on our stand. But we didnt have any examples. Eventually we tracked down a guy who had two of them installed in his nightclub 78

- and they were still fully functional. So we bought them back!” The success of this first scanner allowed GLP to amass enough resources to develop the Patend light - the product that eventually put the company on the map. The Patend Light 575, which was launched at PLASA London in 1996, combined moving head and scanner technology. Housing a 575W and later a 1200W discharge lamp on ultra-fast Roto Head, the aim of the fully-featured Patend was to deliver smooth slow movements and incredibly fast rotations. “Right from the beginning with the patend light, there’s been an underlying theme with GLP’s product design - innovation,” said Ravenhill. “With each new product GLP have endeavoured to bring something inventive onto the market. This is something that really drives the development of the company, and its reputation is built upon that. It is this mentality that has ensured that the company is 20 years later at the forefront of LED technology.” EVERY CLOUD HAS AN LED LINING GLP’s journey has been by no means an easy one. As any manufacturer knows, behind every successful product lies years of product

development. GLP invested time and money into developing the Blue Tools platform in 2001, only for it to fall at the last hurdle with issues relating to the power supply. But, as they say, out of the darkness comes light - specifically, in the 250, 575 and 700w variety. Künzler continued: “Out of the remnants of the Bluetools we created the Ypoc in just six weeks. From design to completion, the Ypoc was ready in time for PLASA in 2001, but was officially launched at Frankfurt in 2002.” The Ypoc was designed to have a broad appeal and be readily applicable. “This was a big success for us in 2002, and helped us to recoup the investment on the earlier product,” stated Künzler. Perhaps more importantly, it was the Ypoc which enabled GLP to collect the financial resources necessary to develop the impression 90 LED moving head. This would be - simply put - GLP’s ‘game changer’. QUITE AN IMPRESSION The unveiling of the impression 90 in 2007 ushered in arguably the most exciting period of the GLP story. “No manufacturer at that time had a moving light out on the market that was both light, bright, fast, reliable, small and cost

COMPANY PROFILE: GLP

Opposite: The GLP line-up (L-R) Michael Müller, Markus Salm, Udo Künzler, Oliver Schwendke and Mark Ravenhill. Below: An array of GLP impression X4 fixtures undergo testing in the factory facility in Karlsruhe, Germany; GLP fixtures provided illumination for US pop star Britney Spears.

effective,” said Ravenhill. “There seemed to be a trade off at that time. If you wanted brightness, you compromised on reliability. If you wanted a multi-functional feature, you had to compromise on size. The impression ticked all the boxes. It was just the right time to launch our LED wash.” Weighing in at just 7.5 kg, the impression was an ideal fixture to be applied in smaller venues, where ceiling space is scarce and truss space at a minimum. Its solid state LEDs give instant lighting changes to match with video and, thanks in no small part to its compact size and weight, the impression can move at incredible speeds - 660° of pan in just two seconds. Its 90 K2 LEDs ensure pure bright light in every version - RGB or white - with output levels exceeding that of 575W discharge fixtures. “The impression was the next step in GLP’s history of innovation,” confirmed Ravenhill. “The impression has never been copied, because the design of the power housing (in the fixture as opposed to within the base) is just so unique, it would be obvious if another manufacturer were to copy the design.” The list of venues which the Impression 90 has been used in is endless. One of the most notable events was the globally telecast United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) in Autumn 2009, which featured over 1000 impressions lighting

two large halls (courtesy of Seelite A/S). The impressions were used entirely in white in view of their energy saving levels. The flawless performance of the 1000 fixtures was proof (if it was ever needed) that the impressions could be reliably applied to any environment. WAS IST SCHLAGER? Schlager - a genre of German music beginning in the 50s and 60s which is currently enjoying something of a revival in Germany - has also succumbed to GLP’s impression range. One of the world’s top schlager stars, Andrea Berg, requested a nautical theme for her recent arena tour based on the lost island of Atlantis. LD Thomas Dietze used no fewer than 200 GLP impression X4s for Berg’s recently broadcast prime time TV show and also deployed them in a touring context. “It doesn’t matter whether the X4s are being used as stage wash, decorative light, effect lighting or back light, the zoom range and quality of output speak for themselves,” Dietze said. Furthermore, a myriad of impression X4’s boosted the German national team’s triumphant celebration in Berlin, after winning the FIFA World Cup Final in Rio de Janeiro this year. Nearly one million fans of the German national team gave them a memorable reception at the ‘Fan Mile’ in Berlin. For the light show on the main stage at the Brandenburger Tor, local

company TLT Event AG was responsible for building the 65 sq metre LED wall along with a number of impression X4s’. LD Lars Murasch was more than satisfied with the performance of this compact LED moving head: “The X4 is a very versatile wash light,” he commented. “It can be combined excellently with beams due to its tight zoom and the low amount of stray light. It proved itself in front of the TV camera for both its image and among other things for its baseless design.” As of today, the impression range consists of the X4, X4 S, X4 L, X4 XL, Spot one, Wash one and Laser. In 2010, the impression Spot One became the industry’s first high output RGB LED spot fixture, followed by the impression Wash One, which was again ahead of its time. The key differentiator was that while some RGB units on the market were very low in output other LED fixtures had better output but were not RGB; it was the combination that made Spot One so unique. The most recently launched fixture in the range, the X4 XL - incorporating 55 quad colour RGBW LEDs - has just come off tour with up and coming New Zealand band The Naked and Famous, whose LD Liam Griffiths specified 12 of the fixtures for his show design. “I had been hoping to get my hands on this fixture for a while,” he conceded. As a regular user of the X4, it was a logical progression to utilise

COMPANY PROFILE: GLP

Below: Mark Ravenhill and Udo Künzler at the 2014 Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where the company celebrated its 20th anniversary; LD Thomas Gerdon used 64 impression X4 heads and 12 additional X4 XL fixtures in his lighting design at this year’s Nature One festival in Kastellaun, Germany.

the newest member of the impression family. Continued Griffiths: “GLP’s colour tones and dimmer curves have always been better than their competitors while the [7°-50°] zoom on the X4 XL is amazing; it makes such a difference.” “With regards to dimming, the bottom 1020% of colour is key,” added Ravenhill. “A large number of brands out there haven’t been able to get the dimming right on LED fixtures, and you’ll see them change colour as they dim down to lower intensities. It’s really easy to see if the output is made from a mixed colour for example as the LEDs dim at different rates and the colour changes dramatically. At GLP, we put a lot of work into features like this, so users can rely on our units to perform at the highest level, such as in TV applications where light levels are often quite low. You won’t see an X4 shift colour when it dims down, no matter what colour it’s in. All colours have different dimming curves, so it’s a lot of software and a lot of maths required to get this working. We can now proudly claim that as a selling point at demonstrations. A lot of designers are sceptical... until they see the product! People’s expectations of LED products are getting higher all the time, so we have to surpass expectations and come up with innovative, creative solutions.” In 2009 GLP decided to extend their display options by purchasing G-LEC, the creative video company which had made a name for itself with unique products such as Phantom, the first semi-transparent video panel that first appeared in 2000, and Solaris, a cable based video system, which offers designers creativity in both 2D and 3D applications. “We had known the company for a long time - they had been first to develop the transparent screen and curtain and we also shared the same customers. We had good contact with [G-LEC MD] Lars Wolf and they are based only 30 minutes away,” said Künzler. With the new range of G-LEC products launched at this years’ Frankfurt Prolight+Sound having already found endorsement from the likes of The Chemical Brothers and One Republic, the acquisition has proved successful for GLP. In 2011, GLP continued to add to its product 80

range with its VOLKS|LICHT - or, people’s light, named for its affordability yet high performance output. Said Künzler: “In 2011 the market was really accepting LED as a viable alternative to traditional light source. GLP had already established itself as reliable LED manufacturer. “The base of the VOLKS|LICHT houses the power supply, which makes it more affordable. Its smaller size is Ideal for corporate events in hotels and low ceiling venues, and light enough and compact enough to be hung from low hanging truss.” At this years’ PLASA London show, GLP took the opportunity to unveil two brand new fixtures which incorporate the award winning impression X4 optical system into a linear batten configuration. Using high powered RGBW LEDs, the X4 Bar 20 features 20 sources over a one metre length, whilst the X4 Bar 10 has 10 sources over a 50cm length. Both battens feature a wide zoom range of 7- 50°, allowing for broad washes of colour and narrow light curtain effects. The zoom is further enhanced by a motorised tilt function, allowing fast repositioning of the fixture and for dynamic sweeps of colour. GLP released simultaneously its new impression X4 L - the newest moving head in GLP’s current X4 range. In terms of its market position, the X4 L sits between the original impression X4 and the newly released impression X4 XL. Featuring 37 of the RGBW LEDs that are used in the other products, this now gives customers a full range of X4 series fixtures to choose from. Ravenhill added: “GLP never claims to be the cheapest product, but when you buy GLP, you get certain things built in as standard. Consistency for one. The security of knowing that all GLP products emit the same colour same performance. Wherever you use a GLP light, the performance will be the same.” Aftercare and customer care is another aspect that GLP prides itself upon. “Supporting the customer and the rental company well after the sale is of paramount importance,” said Ravenhill. “I’ve got a bunch of new impression X90’s on the shelf in LA. These are ‘old’, so to speak, but we nevertheless still stock them as

they are in demand. “Lighting Designers are always keen to see the latest and greatest fixtures. But as a manufacturer, it’s a fine balance between attracting LDs to use the product with great new shiny features, and not upsetting the rental company by replacing relatively new products.” GLP BREAK AMERICA Customer relations and aftercare is something that Ravenhill knows all too well, having moved stateside in 2009 to set up GLP’s North American operation. He continued: “The USA market is growing strong for GLP. We’re currently in our fourth year and we are experiencing some really big momentum. There have been a lot of European companies that have gone over to America with a view to setting up an American branch, and have failed. It’s no easy task to expand the business in America, there are many challenges one faces. You have to invest money and have a working operation there for at least two years without expecting to have any success. “A lot of European companies have tried it and run out of money after a year and a half. American rental companies have become very aware of investing in European products early on, because you have to show that you’re going to stick around. Now they can see that we’ve been here for a few years and have established ourselves on the American market with a reliable support network, service and parts at our disposition. So there’s a certain element of trust that we have gained on the market.” Today GLP’s products can be found all over the world, with three strategic bases - in Los Angeles, USA, Karlsruhe, Germany and Hong Kong, China (run by Asia General Manager, Michael Münz) overseeing global supply. As for the future, Künzler’s ambition is clear: “I am confident that GLP can grow our market share by staying true to our philosophy. I am confident that we can keep creating products which are innovative and at the forefront of new technology.” TPi Photos: Patrick McCumiskey, Ralph Larmann, Denise Truscello and GLP www.glp.de

THE NEW TOURING ICON When you take the iconic, TEC award winning PLM 20000Q as your starting point, you expect truly great things. Proven, rock solid reliability, complete flexibilty, and abundant power. A tried, road tested, and proven Class TD power stage, complete with unique Universal Power Supply design. Legendary Lake Processing. LoadSmart verification. All in all, an amplifier you can trust implicitly. Some say it’s a design that has never been bettered, although many have tried. That is, until now. PLM+ progresses the PLM 20000Q platform into two innovative models destined to set a new touring benchmark, and then adds a whole lot more… 4 x 4 Analog/AES IO + Rational Power Management™ (RPM) technology + 8 x Dante In/Out + 4 Input Routers + New Lake Core Module + Completely standardized Dante integration + a whole host of features designed to deliver real world benefits.

Find out more at thenewtouringicon.com

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Lab.gruppen PLM+

LAB.GRUPPEN LAUNCHES PLM+ LAUNCHED AT AN EXCLUSIVE EVENT IN LONDON THIS OCTOBER, TPi LOOKS UNDER THE HOOD OF LAB. GRUPPEN’S NEW PLM+ SERIES AND DISCUSSES WHERE IT FITS INTO THE CURRENT AUDIO RENTAL AND TOURING WORLD. Used by rental companies and system techs across the world, Lab.gruppen’s PLM Series amplifier range was considered to be one of the best, famed for its innovative power supply technologies, power handling and rock solid reliability, as well as the unique on-board Lake Processing. Tried, tested and loved by engineers on the biggest tours and events on the planet, including U2’s mammoth 360 Degree tour, the ground-breaking 20000Q was considered by many in the industry to be an iconic piece of audio design, one that was even awarded a TEC Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement. So the Lab.gruppen development team had a problem…how do you better something that’s already considered the best? Martin Andersson, Product Manager for Lab. gruppen, told TPi: “The original PLM 20000Q was built on a platform that was completely different from the rest of the range. We had learned so much by that point, and all of those ideas and knowledge went into the 20000Q. So we had to think hard about how to better it, without losing any of the functionality the user has come to know and love. That platform has become the genesis for the next generation of 82

Powered Loudspeaker Management.” PLM+ is the brand new touring platform from Lab.gruppen, a platform that offers all of the unique performance characteristics, flexibility, and raw power of the 20000Q, but with twice the processing power, twice the throughput and a whole host of additional features and improvements designed to deliver real world benefits and make the life cycle of any production easier, smoother and more efficient - from the system design stage, through to the final load out. PLM+ range offers two models - PLM20k44 and the PLM12k44 - each combining a true 4in / 4out configuration for audio IO as well as four modules of Lake Processing. Andersson continued: “By combining enormous power with industry-leading Lake Processing, the PLM 20000Q has been the standard driving force for many speaker brands and rental companies, singularly capable of driving almost any loudspeaker system or array - of any size or configuration. With PLM+ there is no “almost”. Whether the load comprises subwoofers, high frequency drivers, full range loudspeakers, and constant voltage distributed systems, or any combination thereof, PLM+

can take care of it all. The new PLM+ platform offers four analogue inputs, four AES inputs, four power outputs, four lake contour modules, eight by eight Dante I/O, two port 1GB network switch, dual redundancy and more, all in all offering a never before seen flexibility without compromise.” PLM+ benefits do not stop there, a total of up to 16 Inputs can be routed to a PLM+ device, allowing audio format conversion from one input type to another, and then delivering these inputs to other devices in the system. Matrixing / summing of inputs can be easily achieved and controlled within the Lake environment - an environment expected by most engineers at front of house or monitors - where using a tablet computer they are able to tune, monitor and drive their system. Klas Dalbjorn, Project Manager for Lab. gruppen, said: “Our new Lake Core Module has more than twice of the resources of the previous generation. This initially means twice the capacity of everything, and over time it means headroom for the addition of new processing features via software updates. We now have four input priority routers and the Dante implementation is using the Brooklyn-2

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Lab.gruppen PLM+

Opposite: The new PLM+ from Lab.gruppen. Below: Martin Andersson, Product Manager.

“With nearly 400 Lab.gruppen amplifiers in our inventory across two countries, including FP, FP+ and PLM, I can safely say - nothing is more reliable than Lab, nothing integrates like PLM. Our PLMs have been used in the desert, the snow, and everywhere in between. With an almost immeasurably low failure rate, they’re surely the best amps in the world.” Graeme Whitehouse - General Manager, Australia, Norwest Productions “SSE tested all of the main amps before investing in the Lab.gruppen PLM Series for our hire stock. They perform superbly, providing superior audio quality. The PLM became our first choice due to its flexibility, power and the onboard Lake processing. During the three years SSE has had these amps, they have proved themselves to be hard working and reliable” Miles Hillyard, Senior Project Manager SSE Audio Group module used in many mixing consoles. This gives us eight inputs which allows us to take four unique channels from two mixing desks for full source redundancy.” Andersson tells TPi that the PLM 12K44 is targeted as a successor to the PLM 10000Q, but for a variety of reasons, offers a giant leap forward in that power and price segment. One of these reasons is that the 12k44 model features Lab. gruppen’s ground-breaking Rational Power Management (RPM) technology, first debuted in the company’s recent D Series install platform. A first in live sound, this new feature allows the 12k44 to realise all of the unique performance characteristics of the 20k44 model, a unique feature that could have major implications for a busy rental company. Unlike other amplifiers where ‘flexibility’ often involves compromise (eg. reducing channel count by bridging or reducing the total power or impedance the output is capable of driving), RPM allows genuinely flexible power allocation across all channels to ensure the most efficient and rational use of total available power output from multiple amplifiers. Therefore minimising inventory as well as optimising workflow. At the heart of RPM technology lies the unique ability for the 12k44 to deliver up to 5000W output on any channel, leaving

“We at Clair are proud to have been using Lab.gruppen PLM Series amplifiers since they first debuted over six years ago. since then, Lab.gruppen amplifiers have powered the sound at thousands of our live concerts all over the world, their integrated Lake processing delivers a user-friendly interface for our clients and their amazing power ensures every person in the venue can be part of the excitement. Congratulations to Lab. gruppen on the debut of the next generation of the PLM+ Amplifier Series, having taken what was already a classic amplifier into the next level.” Jim Meyer, Clair Global - Sr Director of Engineering

the remaining available power output to be allocated freely to the other channels. This enables fully optimised system design, with each channel being tailored to the exact power requirement of the load, better managing headroom between all available channels and rationalising the system to achieve most efficient use of the total amplifier inventory - saving money, energy and rack space. Klas Dalbjorn, Project Manager for Lab.gruppen, said: “The addition of RPM into the PLM+ range is an extremely significant addition to this world-leading touring platform, allowing rental houses and touring companies a whole new level of flexibility. When combined with the CAFÉ software suite, it means the end user has real power over every channel driving any system.” Martin Andersson, Product Manager for Lab.gruppen, concluded: “The PLM+ ecosystem offers the end user the ability to specify, control, monitor, interface, network, convert and optimise the system with absolute guarantee and certainty, with the superior build quality and reliability that comes with every Lab.gruppen device. This is about real world benefits. Benefits that could amount to saving a lot of time, energy, money, rack and truck space when scaled up into a large scale touring production.” TPi http://thenewtouringicon.com 83

MARKET FOCUS: Video Projection

VIDEO PROJECTION PROJECTOR MANUFACTURERS BARCO

www.barco.com

The DL.3 digital light integrates a media server loaded with a wealth of digital content with a high output 4-chip light engine, a highly sensitive HAD sensor camera and an infrared illumination system. DL.3 mounts like any other intelligent moving luminaire and controls just as easily with plug-and-play operation using standard DMX cabling and protocols. Production set-up time is reduced as there is no need for RGB cabling, and racks of servers are no longer necessary at front-of-house or backstage area. A Content Management Application running on your computer gives the user remote control of uploading content, upgrading software and fixture configuration for multiple DL.3 fixtures. This patent-pending Collage Generator feature enables multiple DL.3 units to create seamless vertical, horizontal or central panoramic media projections controlled from a lighting console. High End Systems offers the widest digital lighting product mix, priced and scaled for any budget and solution.

CHRISTIE

www.christiedigital.co.uk

Christie laid claim to having produced the first purpose-built event-staging projector, as opposed to simply high brightness, when it launched the first generation Roadie in 1997. Over 14 years later the Roadie has been joined by the Roadster platform, and together they offer 13 three-chip DLP models (we hear talk of a new flagship model later this year, followed by an entirely new platform at ISE) in specially designed ruggedised cases for rigging. Performance ranges from 10,000 to 32,500 ANSI lumens (35,000 centre lumens) and from SXGA+ to 4K native resolutions. The series offers TWIST PRO in-built edge-blending and warping, bulb-only lamp replacement, lamp redundancy, sealed light engines, split-head chassis, stereo-ready, 3G-SDI, choice of P-VIP or Xenon illumination and many other features first introduced by Christie for the event market.

DIGITAL PROJECTION

www.digitalprojection.co.uk

Digital Projection has launched a range of Laser Phosphor (Lamp Free) projectors delivering a stunning 10,000 and 12,000 ANSI Lumen output. With a WUXGA resolution, the projectors boast 20,000 hours of stable solid-state illumination. They were developed with an emphasis on ‘Fit and Forget’ - meaning that installers can deploy the projector and need not worry about lamp changes or expensive maintenance cycles. Both projectors can be mounted in portrait mode without any reduction in performance, adding flexibility to its already impressive range of benefits. For the rigors of staging and rental, the HIGHLite Laser has a bespoke rigging frame. With this, the projectors are easily lock-stacked and are ready for fast attachment to truss using industry standard hardware.

PANASONIC

www.panasonic.com

Panasonic’s PT-DZ21K is Europe’s leading high brightness projector. It has been featured in a host of high profile events such as the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, Roger Waters’ The Wall live at Wembley Stadium and most recently, the launch of Coldplay’s new album Ghost Stories. Its compact size and relative light weight makes it easy to rig in a multi-projector configuration. For example, this September, 104 PT-DZ21K were used to make a 23,000m2 architectural mapping display; projecting stunning visuals onto the façade of the Bucharest Palace, Romania. The 20,000 lumens projector is equipped with quad, triple, dual and single lamp modes, offering peace of mind to AV managers that if one lamp fails during a show the visuals won’t be impaired.

MARKET FOCUS: Video Projection

VIDEO PROJECTION SERVICES BLUMAN ASSOCIATES

www.blumanassociates.com

Bluman Associates is an independent consultancy specialising in outdoor projections, building mapping and video sequencing. Forget dry hire of equipment; Bluman works with agencies, brands and production teams across all stages of a project, from initial creative concept to content creation and technical delivery. Thanks to Bluman’s complete independence, the company benefits from excellent relationships with vendors across the globe, resulting in the ability to design systems specifically tailored to each event, using the right equipment for the job and delivering the perfect technical package at the right price point every time. Bluman Associates’ team works internationally, with clients including Jodrell Bank’s Transmission Live, the BAFTAs, UEFA, NIKE, BT and Nokia.

CENTRAL PRESENTATIONS

www.cplav.com

Central Presentations Ltd (CPL) is based in the west Midlands and specialises in all areas of live video production – from music and concert touring to architainment to top level corporate events. A department is dedicated to the provision of different types of projection including large format, widescreen and mapped surfaces. The company has a vast pool of experience and knowledge in all the technical and creative aspects involved in this specialist area. The company offers all the latest high powered projector hardware and the most flexible media servers and control systems, CPL emphasises the skills and talent of its engineers and technical teams, who are renowned for bringing imagination, flair and stylish solutions to any project, event or scenario.

CHAOS VISUAL PRODUCTIONS

www.chaosvisual.com

Chaos Visual Productions strives to provide the international production industry with the latest in cutting edge technology matched with the highest quality personnel. Whether you are a musician, designer, production designer or director, its goal is to work with you to make your creative vision come to life. Along with delivering the best possible service in the world of live concert touring, corporate events, and live 3D video presentation, Chaos Visual Productions has quickly become the ‘go to’ company for specialty lighting, LED special effects, video projection, show programming execution and effects lighting for feature films and television. It offers an international team of industry professionals that understands the value of customer service and relationships, ensuring that the artist’s and designer’s vision within the desired budget is achieved.

MARKET FOCUS: Market Focus

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

http://uk.ct-group.com

Creative Technology (CT) specialises in multi-projector blending technology allowing extreme formats and multiple image display over one seamless canvas. Working with some of the world’s leading content development companies, CT is delivering stunning mapping projects on iconic buildings across the world. CT tailors its service provision to meet the specific needs of each project or customer. Invariably starting with informal advice we move on to include design, consultancy, project management and installation. CT’s skilled team, worldwide material and logistics resources and full service option ensures your concepts are delivered in full at exhibitions, events and shows on a global scale.

NORDIC RENTALS

www.nordic.dk

Nordic Rentals A / S - one of the leading rental houses in Scandinavia within sound, lighting, AV and staging. During the last six years Nordic Rentals A / S has made massive investments in equipment and staff for the AV market. Nordic Rentals A / S is specialised in large scale and complex video projections including everything from projectors, screens, scalers etc. Nordic Rentals A / S supplies its customers with the latest kit from manufactures such as Panasonic, Watchout and Analog Way.

PETES BIG TVS

www.petesbigtvs.com

Pete’s Big TVs, a Washington, DC-based video staging and rental services company, has served the special event, corporate, touring and television markets across the US and internationally for almost 30 years. Pete’s Big TVs leads the industry in introducing and developing new video technologies. Turnkey video services include LED screens, projectors, monitors, media servers, full video production and crew. Pete’s Big TVs can assist with pre-production, show design and on-site services to create a memorable event. Video production system equipment includes cameras, switchers, tape and hard drive playback / record units to projectors, screens and LED screens. Equipment by digiLED, GTek, Liantronics, Absen, Barco, Sony, Grass Valley, Canon, Pinnacle, and more are available.

MARKET FOCUS: Market Focus

PRG NOCTURNE

www.nocturneproductions.com

PRG Nocturne offers projection services in various markets covering all disciplines from straightforward 4:3 / 16:9 projection onto screens, through to mapping on 3D sets / objects, people and buildings. A large range of projectors are available from smaller 6k Panasonic 6710’s to Barco HDQ-2K40’s for larger events. Corporate, Television and Theatre mostly require the Panasonic 6710’s, DZ13K and DZ21K’s, for size, power and noise levels. The concert touring and events benefit from the Panasonic DZ21K and Barco FLM 20 / 22ks, for ease of rigging, reliability and familiarity. A variety of media servers are also available to facilitate playback and mapping, including: d3 Technologies, Catalyst, Green Hippo and Mbox. PRG Nocturne has global reach on projects through their presence with 41 locations, in 13 countries across five continents.

QED PRODUCTIONS

www.qed-productions.com

QED Productions provides a comprehensive range of projection mapping services, from technical design, scanning, modelling and UV mapping to equipment supply, on-site installation and technical operation. QED holds the largest stock of 4u v2.5 d3 media servers in the country and is also the first UK company to invest in the new d3 Technologies 4x4pro, currently the world’s most powerful and flexible media server. “We have come to rely upon d3’s real-time 3D simulation on every projection mapping project whether we are tasked with mapping a commercial product, a large building or even an entire island.” said QED Director Paul Wigfield. “Projection mapping the island of Fort St. Aubin really gave us the opportunity to show how far we could take things.”

SOLOTECH

www.solotech.com

Born out of the Montreal Olympics in 1976, Solotech began official operations in 1977. With a pure passion for the profession, Solotech has evolved from providing equipment rentals and sales to becoming the premier end-to-end provider of entertainment technology services. Solotech has provided technological solutions for various festivals, television shows and major corporate events. On an international level, Solotech has provided audio, lighting, video and control systems equipment and specialised staff for several artists touring the globe including Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Bublé, Justin Timberlake - whose recent tour used 30 Barco projectors - , Arcade Fire, Kylie Minogue, Leonard Cohen amongst many others. Its professionals, whose talents are recognised both locally and internationally, come together to form a solid team that results in unequalled technological skills and full dedication to each project’s success.

MARKET FOCUS: Market Focus

VER

www.verrents.com

In September 2014 an experienced visuals team created a projection mapping spectacular for the world premiere of the new Jaguar XE using equipment supplied by Video Equipment Rentals (VER). The 230 metre wide visual at County Hall, London, was created using 18 Barco HDQ-2K40 projectors outputting 720,000 lumens of light and two UVA d3 Technologies media servers from a 300 metre distance across the river Thames. The projectors were positioned in six three-high stacks on a FOH tower weighing in excess of 400kgs, erected by Star Events Group. Each projector was lifted to the six-metre work area using a Telehandler and powered by generators from Power Logistics. The expertise of Production Manager Grant Mitchell (Imagination) and his team of suppliers and agencies created the largest projector mapping visual in European event history.

VIDEO ILLUSIONS

www.videoillusions.net

Using the latest technology and specialist equipment for video, lighting, rigging and stage design, Video Illusions takes pride in innovative ways to deliver events. However big or small, Video Illusions deliver through all stages of projects, from planning to performance. Video Illusions’ skilled technicians cover all aspects of live event production and in-house video editing, and are able to provide: LED Technicians and Projectionists as well as plamsa displays, stage set design, camera operations, vision mixing, lighting, staging, rigging, VJs, live recording and Internet video streaming. In 2014 for the second year running, Video Illusions created visuals for the TPi Award-winning Arcadia Stage at Glastonbury Festival.

XL VIDEO

www.xlvideo.com

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

THE BIGGER PICTURE WORKS IN PROGRESS IF THERE’S ONE THING THAT AMAZES PEOPLE ABOUT LIVE PRODUCTION, IT’S THE SPEED AT WHICH THINGS HAPPEN, JUST CHECK OUT SPRINT TELECOM’S COMMERCIAL ‘WHAT IF ROADIES RAN THE WORLD’ ON YOUTUBE. SPEED. HOW MANY LAMPIES DOES IT TAKE TO CH....DONE IT, WHERE’S CATERING? YOU GET THE PICTURE. Imagine a world where things are a little more bureaucratic, where the route to a solution is mired in process, committees, reports, consultations and investigations; welcome to our world. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the PSA is all about dealing with the things that indirectly affect your business, while you get on with ch…. oh, you’ve done it. The time gap between announcement of plan and execution can be vast, and we’re in the middle of two universes spinning at different rates, so when we say we’re involved in a project, don’t expect a conclusion in a fortnight, That said, it’s good to document progress once in a while, so here’s a little run down of what we’ve been up to in the various groups we’re involved in. UK LIVE MUSIC Remember the consultation into the deregulation of entertainment licensing? Maybe not, but we’re here to remember those things. Amongst its many suggestions, there was the idea that popping 5,000 people in a space in the name of entertainment could be done without any involvement in the licensing process, removing the need for basic checks like traffic and crowd management plans. The conduit for our concerns, directly to the office of the minister in charge, was UK Music. Although the statement that followed the consultation had revised this number down to a more manageable 500, this is still not enshrined in law; should be announced next April. Currently it’s all about research; you’ve probably helped by filling out the online survey, but numbers are currently being crunched, checked and double checked for UK Music’s second report into the economic impact of the music industry. For us, this means that we will 92

have recognition for the part that many of our members play in the core music industry, and a measure of our contribution to present to Government, should we need to remind them. HSE JOINT ADVISORY GROUP FOR ENTERTAINMENT Guess what. Recently, we did need to remind Government about our contribution, as a result of proposed changes to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. Proposed changes to enforcement would be costly and have little effect on safety, mainly because our serious accident and fatality statistics are extremely low compared to the construction sector. Again, trade associations from across the entertainment sector have a medium for their message when it comes to HSE policy and enforcement, and a handy tool that can demonstrate potential negative impacts of policy changes. Although we’re waiting for recommendations coming from HSE’s consultation on changes to CDM and its imposition on the whole events sector, the wider industry has helped with a sector specific ‘business engagement assessment’ and will be presenting their case to the minister responsible for Health and Safety this month. THE BUSINESS END We recently reported on our joining the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP), a group similar to UK Music but dedicated to promoting and supporting the equally important business events business. The case for Government supporting this sector has been made, with BVEP demonstrating quite clearly that people who visit our shores for business related reasons spend a hell of a lot of money, and more business events would lead to more income. To that end, the Department of Culture Media and Sport

(DCMS) invited leaders in the field of business events to a round table discussion on just how to achieve that goal, subsequently dispatching BVEP to coordinate and publish a report of recommendations. And who wouldn’t want a few more cushy corporate gigs to work on? THE NEXT GENERATION Another string to the UK Music bow is skills and training, especially grass roots provision. They already have a network of rehearsal facilities for young bands around the country, and their work to support small venues for upcoming artists continues; but what about the next generation of live technicians? UK Music pointed us in the direction of the Apprenticeship Trailblazer programme, a series of pilot projects designed to put apprenticeship design, development, delivery and assessment firmly in the hands of employers rather than colleges. Led by PRG, a group of 12 employers, representing rental companies large and small, from around the country and representing a variety of technical disciplines, applied to be part of phase three of the programme - if at first you don’t succeed. Although unsuccessful in this round, the group is together and has more experience and guidance to make a further bid. It is hoped that we will soon have the green light to develop an effective route from warehouse door to venue, with appropriate skills delivered in the best environment, enabling companies to get funding for taking on apprentices. STANDARDS STUFF You’d have thought that, once a standard had been produced, it would be around for ever. Well, thinking, technology and working environments change, so there’s a constant evolution. The British Standards Institute is currently in the

www.psa.org.uk

process of revising its standard for temporary electrical supplies for entertainment (BS7909), the Institute of Structural Engineers is putting finishing touches to its guidance on temporary demountable structure (although final revision will depend on the outcome of the CDM changes mentioned above), a document that has allowed specifiers and suppliers of temporary structures to up their game considerably, although in some quarters, there’s still work to be done. In fact there’s always work to be done, for our members and for us, it’s a continuous thing that requires the continuous support that we get

and appreciate. We’re probably not the best at constantly reporting on progress, but sometimes progress is slow and beyond our influence, and the reports would get very boring. Needless to say our greatest asset is the willing and able volunteers that sit on the committees and working groups, they deserve your gratitude more than anyone. TPi

www.psa.org.uk

DIGICO DOES IT IN SECRET... FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS A vow of secrecy forbids us from saying much more than a huge thank you to DiGiCo for raising a substantial sum of money for our welfare fund, Stagehand, at their second annual pub quiz, with a generously supported raffle also raising funds for the family of the late Paul Nunnington. MD James Gordon had very little to say: “It’s a top secret event where rental companies can come and do battle both at the bar and in the quiz. All for a good industry cause and each year for someone who touched our lives.”

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MOVERS & SHAKERS Aphex has announced that it has moved the company to Salt Lake City, USA in order to increase operational efficiencies by being closer to parent company DWV Entertainment and the core Aphex creative and engineering teams. The move, completed this month, includes opening a new Aphex warehouse in Utah, USA to complement existing manufacturing and shipping facilities in California, USA. Aphex Chairman David Wiener stated: “Aphex has been making big changes in recent months to take advantage of growth opportunities in Pro, Prosumer and Consumer audio, as well as licensing and new product development. Bringing Aphex HQ to Utah allows Aphex to take advantage of DWV Entertainment’s facilities and creative resources.” Wiener added: “Aphex is already creating new sales opportunities, generating more effective marketing and promotional collateral to better support our reseller and distribution network.” ArKaos Pro is delighted to announce the appointment of ACE as its new distributor for China. ACE will be responsible for promoting, distributing and servicing ArKaos Pro’s Stage and Studio media servers as well as the ArKaos MediaMaster Pro and Express software across the whole of China. “We chose ACE because they understand the technology behind ArKaos products and, with offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong, have a strong presence in the China market,” said ArKaos Managing Director, Agnes Wojewoda. “This will make ArKaos products extremely accessible to the market including Lighting Designers across the television, rental, corporate worlds where ACE is also very strong.” Creative Technology’s London operation has contracted business development professional Ben Philpott, specialising in broadcast media. Having initially trained at the BBC, Ben spent many years as a freelance Lighting Cameraman for all the major international broadcasters and production companies. Ben then moved in to 94

international sales and marketing, successfully developing the market for cutting edge LED lighting technology and subsequently with a variety of technology, audio visual and media companies. Philpott stated: “I am absolutely delighted to have joined the broadcast team at Creative Technology. Digital solutions manufacturer DiGiCo is pleased to announce the appointment of Garrett S.A. Audiovisuais as its exclusive distributor for Portugal. Founded in 1978, Garrett has built an enviable reputation in Portugal by ensuring that it always offers relevant solutions to the market and employing a highly experienced team. As a result, it has an impressive list of brands in its portfolio, to which it is proud to add DiGiCo. “For some time, we have wanted to work with a brand of mixing console that is both a market leader and technology innovator,” commented Garrett’s Raul Fernandes. “This will allow us to provide our customers with a stronger offering in the field of professional audio and to apply the products directly to our turn-key projects. LumenRadio is very pleased to welcome Lars Fabian Paape as a part of its R&D team, where he will be working as Senior Research Engineer. Lars Fabian Paape commented: “I’m delighted to join LumenRadio. They have built such a strong reputation in the industry, not only for their excellent products, but also for their quality and reliability.” Paape brings with him extensive experience and has been working in the lighting industry since 2001. Paape has been working for MA Lighting Technology GmbH for over 10 years, where he developed and maintained the software of the 1st generation 2Port Node and had a strong part on the embedded development in the grandMA2 console series. MDG Fog has appointed two new distributors for its acclaimed range of fog and haze generators. MDG Fog UK, a trading division of Robe UK, will take responsibility for the exclusive distribution of the full MDG product range in the UK and Ireland. This new division will be headed

by Matt Wiseman, a well-known face in the UK entertainment industry who brings 20 years of experience to the role. “I am looking forward to the new avenues and responsibilities this arrangement brings,” said Wiseman. “It will allow MDG Fog UK to focus wholeheartedly on promoting and servicing the MDG brand across the UK and Ireland, with the added confidence of solid backing from Robe UK’s established administrative, service and warehouse facilities in Northampton.” Milos Group has welcomed James Thomas Engineering to its growing number of professional and trusted brands. Paul Young is the Business Development Manager at JTE for the EMEA region. “Joining Milos Group is the realisation of a lot of hard work and is a dream opportunity for me. I am keen to assist with integration of James Thomas Engineering into the group and help give customers the strongest range of products available in the world today,” said Young. Belgian based creative lighting and visual design practice Painting With Light has announced a restructure, with Luc Peumans becoming the majority shareholder and CEO with immediate effect, taking over all the company’s day-to-day management. Luc founded Genk-based Painting With Light in 1999. He commented: “To move forward on the same trajectory for the next 15 years, I needed to be fully in control and accept responsibility for our future strategies, investments and direction, and so the deal was negotiated on that basis.” He added that he and his former business partners - Dimi Theuwissen and Jim Stas - are looking forward to new challenges and horizons and that they have parted “On the best possible terms”, and are very proud of what the award winning company has achieved to date. Power Electrics has opened a new 20,000 sq ft depot in Southampton. Sitting on the doorstep of the M3, it’s excellently located to speedily dispatch rental generators anywhere in the south of England. Now local customers can benefit from much faster delivery times - especially in

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Opposite: ACE’s Paul Wu and ArKaos CEO Marco Hinic; Lars Fabian Paape has joined LumenRadio’s R&D team; Q Willis is now the UK Head of Rigging Services for PRG.

emergency situations. The new depot is stocked with a wide selection of generators - ranging in size from 20kVA to 2200kVA - from the company’s 1,000-strong fleet. Serving a diverse range of sectors, including events, telecommunications, construction and utilities, the opening will be an asset for all sorts of businesses in the area. Andy Pullin, Power Electrics Director, said: “As a company with a long and successful heritage we never sit still. This latest expansion means we can better serve our customers and really secure our future in the south.” Production Resource Group (PRG) has announced that Q Willis has joined its team in the UK as Head of Rigging Services. In his new role, Q will be focusing on developing existing customer relationships in the rigging industry and also looking for ways to promote new opportunities. “With Q joining the team he plays an important role in moving us forward,” said Rich Rowley, Chief Sales Officer. I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to developing and bringing solutions to really grow PRG’s share of the rigging market.” PSCo has announced the expansion of its specialist LED team with the appointment of Mike Bone. Bringing more than 22 years of AV industry experience and a wealth of LED knowledge to

the position, Bone has been appointed to work closely with PSCo’s customers to understand their needs and build solutions utilising the company’s growing LED portfolio. “I am pleased to be joining the PSCo team at an exciting time for the company as they expand their LED offering,” commented Bone. “LED technology is evolving dramatically and, in the last two years especially, we have seen a huge step change in demand for high resolution indoor screens in both the rental and fixed install markets. The value-add that PSCo delivers to customers on LED products through its exclusive partnership with Absen and via its UK-based service department is a major selling point over any of its competitors and I’m looking forward to developing new LED solutions for our trade partners.” SGM has appointed Filippo Frigeri as Senior Area Sales Manager of the United Kingdom and the United States. Frigeri has eight years of industry experience working with business development and international sales with a profound insight into, and understanding of exactly these markets, assisting him in expanding the company’s product reach. Frigeri commented: “It is exciting to join one of the fastest growing companies in the entertainment lighting industry. SGM is investing

highly in product quality and the market users are recognising the key innovation that lies behind the products. I truly admire how Peter and the rest of the team at SGM have radically changed the approach towards the customers by providing real solutions, such as the G-range - the world’s first maintenance free moving heads - and I look forward to helping improve our sales and service structures within the UK and the USA to serve the many SGM users.” White Light is pleased to welcome Lee Dennison to the White Light management team as Head of Audio, further expanding the company’s audio expertise. The move signals more growth for White Light as the company continues its strong market presence throughout the entertainment and events industries. Managing Director Bryan Raven explainsed the new addition: “We have always grown by listening to the needs of our customers. With more and more of them asking for audio, we wanted to be able to offer more technical options while maintaining the same high quality of service that comes with the White Light name. We are confident that with Lee on-board, we can deliver on that promise.” TPi www.tpimagazine.com/jobs/

TECHNOLOGY Sound Technology Ltd, Harman Professional distributor in the UK and Republic of Ireland, currently has the following employment opportunity:

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http://bit.ly/soundtechjobs Applications should be sent in writing by 30th November 2014 to : David Marshall Managing Director Sound Technology Ltd 17 Letchworth Point Letchworth Garden City Hertfordshire SG6 1ND

NEW POSITIONS AVAILABLE Matrix has grown phenomenally in recent years, we’re delivering bigger more demanding events and we’ve invested heavily in new cutting edge AV technology. Matrix is looking to recruit two new people to join our experienced production team.

PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT The Production Manager is ultimately responsible for the production and administration of their live event. They must be exceptionally experienced and knowledgeable in the live event industry, be motivated to work independently and as a team. A self-motivated and enthusiastic Production Assistant is being sought to join the warehouse and production/project managers. The individual will work with the existing experienced team to assist in the delivery of the two main areas of the Matrix business – events and kit. A detailed job spec can be found on-line: www.matrix-events.co.uk/news/ www.tpimagazine.com/jobs/ Please forward CV’s to; Matthew Phillips, matt@matrix-events.co.uk Tel: 0845 430 9090 www.matrix-events.co.uk

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VITAL STATS

VITAL STATS 164 Nick Valdez Profession: CEO, Siyan Lighting Date & place of birth: 14 February 1960, Welwyn Garden City

How did you first become involved with lighting? It sounds like a cliché, but I was 17 and playing in local bands. I was going to see (proper) gigs and loved the dynamics that the lighting imparted to the show. I set about building my own lighting control system, as I was working in the electronics industry at the time. I scraped some money together and bought some theatre lanterns and made some basic ones of my own too. Before too long other local bands who had seen us play wanted to rent our lights, the seeds had been sown... Can you tell us a little about your experience in the industry before co-founding Siyan in 2001? One of the local acts happened to be Howard Jones. Unsigned, he was playing lots of gigs trying secure a record deal. I did all his gigs, sometimes in tiny pubs, but Howard always had his lights! His hard work paid off, and he was signed in ’83. I thought that would be the end of an era for me, but after just one support tour, Howard booked his first headline tour, and called me to ask me to go on tour with him. After two years touring extensively around the world with Howard, he took a break to record his next album and I started to try and build my own business and career. I would take on anything, I was still lighting bands at the infamous Nags Head in Wycombe and began working for some of the major rental companies of the time, TASCO and Meteorlites. Again, I was very lucky, working with some of the best people in the industry, and touring with acts such as Supertramp, Kylie Minogue, Gary Moore, Marillion, Iron Maiden, Status Quo and Lloyd Cole. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this work, touring and working on large events (Clothes Show Live, the Proms, Monsters of Rock), as I was always on the road my lighting business wasn’t growing at all. At the end of the Maiden tour in 1991, I decided to stop touring and concentrate on my lighting rental business. In your opinion, how has the lighting industry changed in the years you’ve been at the helm of Siyan? Just as the music industry has seen seismic changes, our industry too has evolved. The proliferation of lighting products and suppliers into the market has led to a rapid growth in the number of rental companies. There are far more of us doing it now than before. From an artistic point of view, lighting designers now have a plethora of tools at their disposal. Some of these are quite unique products, which can’t really be substituted with anything else. It’s a long way from black or chrome PAR cans! With countless new and innovative lighting fixtures being released year on year, how do you decide which ones to add to your rental stock? You can’t have them all… That is a very good question. Our rule of thumb used to be only buy a 98

“I’ve learnt that I have to be slightly impartial; just because I think a particular fixture is good, this doesn’t guarantee anything!” product that you would be happy to see on a show of your own. However, we’ve seen some great products that simply haven’t become popular. The rate at which new products come on to the market is bewildering, some manufacturers even making their own products “obsolete” within months of releasing them. We evaluate new products, preferably here on our premises, and we listen to our regular lighting designers. I’ve learnt that I have to be slightly impartial; just because I think a particular fixture is good, this doesn’t guarantee anything! We now have to consider the long term viability of the manufacturer. We need them to stick around. How do you try to encourage new talent in the industry? We will always consider work placements and secondments. We try to provide them with the best support where needed. I’m not a believer in “throwing them in at the deep end”, so it’s a very measured approach. We’ve been fortunate in the past to witness some new talent coming into the industry and going on have successful careers. What was it like being involved with 2014’s TPi Awards? A lot of my peers thought I was mad to take it on last year! It is a very consuming affair. It’s definitely not a show you want to get wrong (there aren’t many of those really are there?), but I was very pleased with the end result. I have to say, we had a great team of people, not only in the Siyan team, but in all departments. I take my metaphorical hat off to them all, and a big thank you to James Scott for making it look so good. Robe were a joy to work with as the main sponsor, giving me free reign over the design. There were a few areas where our hands were tied, a bit frustrating, but that was mainly due to the restraints of the venue. I think that the change in venue will be a good thing for 2015’s event, a fresh start, if you will.

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