TPMEA March/April 2020 - #023

MARCH / APRIL • ISSUE 023

MDL BEAST

EDM ON THE WORLD’S TALLEST STAGE

I

REDFEST DXB • DIRIYAH GATE • SAUDI CUP • WEGA GLOBAL GAMES • PMSC WORLD CUP • LES DUNES ELECTRONIQUES

TPMEA

WELCOME...

TO TPMEA

Tough times...

Coronavirus, COVID-19… whatever you want to call it, the world’s most talked-about illness is having a drastic effect on the live events industry – not just in the Middle East, but all over the globe. At the time of writing, the majority of events have been postponed or cancelled and, since this is very much a developing story, it’s impossible to say what state the industry will be in by the time this magazine finds its way into your hands.

Yet while losses are inevitable and there’s no doubt that tough times lie ahead, if I’ve learnt one thing during my short time covering the industry, it’s that the men and women working in it are a determined bunch, and the industry will undoubtedly bounce back.

We at TPMEA are certainly not going anywhere, and we’ll still be here to get your story out, through thick and thin. Here’s to hoping that before too long, we’ll all be complaining about how busy we are again.

Back to business, and the content for this issue is an example of how amazing the industry can be at its best. Our cover story comes from Saudi Arabia, where a collection of the world’s top DJs combined with some exciting up-and-coming Saudi talent to put on MDL Beast – all to the backdrop of the tallest stage ever created. We spoke to the team behind the event on page 22.

Also in the Kingdom, the Royal Inauguration Ceremony for Diriyah Gate saw a treasured UNESCO World Heritage site transformed into the canvas for a stunning show that pushed the limits of production (p38).

Elsewhere in the issue, Dubai Media City Amphitheatre once again hosts RedFestDXB (p32), we check in with Creative Technology Middle East (p48), we chat to PRGdeltasound’s Liam McGrath (p20) and we have all the latest news from Africa (p52).

Enjoy the issue.

Peter Iantorno Editor

www.tpmeamagazine.com | www.tpimagazine.com | www.tpmeaawards.com

03

CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST 06 – FIRST LOOK: TONY SAMUEL

Firebird Event Productions’ Managing Partner reflects on how last-minute contracts affect H&S.

09 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest news from the Middle East, including the Saudi Cup and WEGA Global Games.

20 – INTERVIEW: LIAM MCGRATH

Technical Manager, Liam McGrath explains some of the intricacies behind PRGdeltasound’s Event Communications Department.

22 – MDL BEAST

Some of the biggest EDM artists on the planet combine with up-and-coming Saudi talent, all to the backdrop of the world’s tallest stage.

32 – REDFEST DXB

Martin Garrix, Bastille and Stormzy are among the acts at the annual Dubai event.

SPECIALISED

EVENT SOLUTIONS

38 – DIRIYAH GATE ROYAL INAUGURATION CEREMONY

A treasured UNESCO World Heritage forms the backdrop for the spectacular opening ceremony.

48 – COMPANY PROFILE: CT

CT Middle East Managing Director, Andy Reardon talks TPMEA through the company’s growth.

AFRICA

FESTIVALS

52 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest news from Africa, including Les Dunes Electroniques, Cardi B, Potch Rag Festival and Roland Greil’s Joburg workshop.

CONCERTS

OPENING CEREMONIES EDITOR Peter Iantorno Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637 e-mail: p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Stew Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk

STAFF WRITER Jacob Waite Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8352 Mobile:+44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Harley Daniels Tel: +44 (0)161 476 9119 Mobile: +44 (0)7854 087731 e-mail: h.daniels@mondiale.co.uk

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Lyndsey Hopwood Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7800 557094 e-mail: l.hopwood@mondiale.co.uk

DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT James Robertson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7725 475819 e-mail: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk

TPMEA INTERN Sadie Maude

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Sonam Diki: s.diki@mondiale.co.uk

AWARD CEREMONIES

CORPORATE GALAS

PRODUCT LAUNCHES

EXHIBITIONS

CONFERENCES

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY MDL Beast by Anthony Black

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

PRINTED BY Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk

www.tpmeamagazine.com

@tpmea_magazine

www.tpmeaawards.com

facebook.com/TPMEA_Magazine

www.tpimagazine.com

@tpmea

www.tpiawards.com

linkedin.com/company/tpmea

See back cover for more productiontec.com

05

06

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

TONY SAMUEL, MANAGING PARTNER, FIREBIRD EVENT PRODUCTIONS INDUSTRY VETERAN AND MANAGING PARTNER OF NEWLY ESTABLISHED FIREBIRD EVENT PRODUCTIONS, TONY SAMUEL DISCUSSES HOW LAST-MINUTE CONTRACT AWARDS CAN HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON HEALTH AND SAFETY – ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FIREWORKS AND PYROTECHNICS.

Events in the GCC/MENA are often last-minute, despite being scheduled for a considerable period.

Due to the eleventh-hour demands of stakeholders and suppliers, this often results in oversights relating to health and safety (H&S), which are never justifiable – no matter how much pressure is exerted by time constraints. This increased pressure to deliver at short notice increases risks and introduces additional hazards.

Late contracts appear to be historically and culturally systemic.

Why this is and what can be done to change the status quo is a vast topic of discussion and a debate recognised by all professionals operating within the region. It is a constant cause for consternation with no immediately apparent pragmatic solution.

Often extremely high-value, prodigious events, firework and pyrotechnic contracts are awarded without risk assessment or method statements ever being produced, issued, examined or scrutinised. Licenses and permits are often issued without any real justification – based only on a supposition that all safety aspects are identified, controlled and mitigated to the full extent. This, combined with time pressures, presents a major cause for concern unless managed rigorously and robustly.

It is vital in Europe, for example, for RFPs to include strong weighting – often 50% – on H&S management systems and documentation. However, this is certainly not the case in many markets. I recall a few periods in recent years when contractual demands and lack of experienced personnel resulted in myself and my team working more than 350 hours a month to ensure that key tasks were followed to conclusion in a satisfactory manner. When the core of the event involves the management of multiple containers full of Class 1 dangerous goods, ancillary staff and their activities, there is zero margin for error and no second chance.

In specialised roles, working hours and pressure imposed by time constraints can rarely be overcome at short notice. It is accepted that there will be long days in all sectors of the events industry, but when typical working hours are considered a rarity and working days become twice the length for a prolonged period, H&S needs to be readdressed, reassessed and additional controls implemented. It is often entirely impracticable, unadvisable, undesirable and unviable to just ‘find’ additional staff at short notice to share the workload.

The majority of suppliers who are regularly involved in the field of pyrotechnics, fireworks and SFX have adequate systems and personnel in place to ensure that risks are reduced to

ME

08

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

acceptable standards when under heavy time pressure. However, only some of the upper tier enforce this to the full extent morally, practicably and proactively to ensure that all aspects of H&S management are adhered to rigorously.

Some companies survive simply by being the cheapest or accepting all contractual opportunities without quantifying and addressing the elevated dangers or impact on staff wellbeing. There will always be a company willing to step in to ‘mop up’ contracts after the responsible, experienced providers have declined due to H&S concerns or logistical uncertainties.

“All’s well that ends well,” as the old saying goes – but is it all well? What risky shortcuts were taken to overcome hurdles introduced by tighterthan-normal deadlines? What heightened risks and hazards were introduced by time constraints and how are they identified and controlled? How are near misses reported and reviewed to reduce their frequency?

It has been my experience that near misses are often not identified, reported or controlled proactively, but merely controlled by good luck.

ME

Accidents and near misses are not reported to the authorities in this region. There is no obligation to do this as there is in the UK, for example – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).

Consequentially, at a glance it would appear that all is well, which of course is not necessarily the case. The lack of any reporting framework such as this doesn’t trigger or motivate any improvement processes.

Sectors of the region seem to be turning a corner with regards to proactive H&S considerations. Discussions are becoming generally more frequent with all concerned parties. Governmental ministries and commercial departments are much more proactive than even a couple of years ago.

We have identified regional (and in other various global markets) H&S deficiencies and have also had these shortcomings presented to us on an increasingly regular basis by concerned parties embarking upon large-scale events. We continue to consult on a global basis, with several relevant governmental bodies and agencies, to

try to improve the core systems that dictate and set industry standards in the safe delivery of firework and pyrotechnic displays.

While we are essentially an event production company, we are founded upon a highly experienced passion for fireworks and pyrotechnics, which will always be an immutable core. A focus on all aspects of H&S management within this industry is a key factor that carries through all of Firebird’s activities and is the backbone of all our undertakings.

Whilst the UAE is certainly much more proactive and organised nowadays, I am sure my comments will resonate with many who have recent experience working in Saudi Arabia, for example. When agreed milestones have passed, it is a multifaceted dilemma of how to proceed – the fear of missing out, loss of revenue and potential new clients in an important market is always significant. It may be that the only way to manage the risk responsibly is to politely refuse the opportunity, no matter how disheartening.

Photos: Firebird Event Productions www.firebirdevent.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

09

FLAIR EVENT SERVICES EXTENDS D&B AUDIOTECHNIK INVENTORY DUBAI-BASED COMPANY INVESTS IN THE REGION’S FIRST KSL SYSTEM. Flair Event Services has taken delivery of the Middle East’s first d&b audiotechnik KSL system.

“In my 15-year career in live events, no single innovation in audio event technology has impressed us quite as much as the innovations in the d&b SL-series,” commented Sameer Rahman, Managing Director of Flair Event Services.

“Flair Event Services is extremely excited to welcome the flagship KSL system to its ever-growing inventory of cutting-edge equipment and, paired with our highly qualified and experienced team, we are delighted to offer this to our clients for the

new event season with many confirmed concerts and live events in the pipeline.”

Rahman explained that “due to its unique characteristics and special size,” the KSL system “punches above its weight against other larger PA cabinets”. He continued: “This results in efficiency and productivity during setup and transportation, not to mention an unprecedented resolution and clarity across the listening field.” Flair has recently been involved in a series of live events and concerts including Legends Forever, Shaan & KK Live and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s Me, Myself & I World Tour.

Photo: Flair Event Services www.flair.ae

www.firebirdevent.com Business Bay, Dubai, United Arab Emirates P. O. Box 283076 info@firebirdevent.com | events@firebirdevent.com Total Production Management | Event Support & Consultancy | Health and Safety Management & Consultancy Services

ME

10

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

ADI SUPPLIES LED FOR SAUDI CUP MORE THAN 500 SQ M OF LED COVERS THE WORLD’S RICHEST HORSE RACE.

The inaugural Saudi Cup took place on 28 and 29 February, with a gigantic $20 million prize fund, making it the most valuable horse race in history. The King Abdulaziz Racetrack was transformed for the event, with more than 500 sq m of LED being supplied by ADI.

“We’ve continued to grow our live event projects in Saudi Arabia and it is fantastic to have had the opportunity to bring our experience in horseracing to a new, high-profile fixture within the sport – and within the Middle East,” commented Thomas Taylor, ADI Business Development Manager.

“Our capabilities in LED and video distribution were part of a much wider solution at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack, with our venue consultancy and centralised project management bringing added value and efficiencies,” he said.

Known for delivering spectacular LED solutions for the world’s most famous fixtures

ME

and festivals – most notably Royal Ascot, the Cheltenham Festival and Qatar Goodwood – ADI devised multiple large-format installations for The Saudi Cup. Featuring 4mm SMD, they included a staggering 230 sq m super-wide screen facing the Red Sea Pavilion, an 80 sq m display opposite the Saudi Cup grandstand, and a 40 sq m screen in the Secret Garden.

The larger screens were designed in 32:9 formats, providing the flexibility to broadcast in cinematic widescreen or run two 16:9 feeds side by side. This allowed live race coverage to be complimented by race cards, digital brand promotion and timings courtesy of Longines.

In addition to the huge image magnification screens, ADI helped the venue provide a seamless spectator journey with the installation of 19 portrait wayfinding screens. Located along main thoroughfares, live event zones and information points, this network of high-

resolution LED signage offered race-day relevant content to enhance audience experience, while also creating digital platforms that partner brands like Royce Motor Cars and Saudia could utilise throughout The Saudi Cup.

The first company to introduce large-format LED screens into UK racing back in 2001, ADI now delivers over 1,000 race days a year worldwide.

Acting as official LED screen provider to 75 racecourses around the UK, Ireland and Germany, ADI is contracted to the Jockey Club, Arena Racing Company, Newbury and Cologne, amongst many other venues.

As well as the world’s largest fleet of mobile LED screens, ADI offers a range of high-resolution modular products and supporting services in event broadcast and production, interactive content, screen branding and structures.

Photo: ADI www.adi.tv

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

11

SONU NIGAM – LIVE IN CONCERT LIGHTECH AV PROVIDES A TURNKEY SOLUTION FOR THE INDIAN SINGER’S DUBAI SHOW.

Considered one of Bollywood’s most versatile singers, Sonu Nigam returned to Dubai on 10 January, performing to a packed house at Arena Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre. Lightech AV delivered a complete technical solution for the show, including audio, lighting, video, rigging and trussing.

In what was a very video-heavy production, Lightech AV supplied 200 sq m of LED, with highdefinition content driven by Green Hippo Boreal+ Media Servers. Each had a Lightware 16x16 Matrix Switcher with 4K DP Datapath capture card. “For this production, 4K input was very important,” commented Lightech AV’s Head of Video, Yevgeniy Karyagin.

Working in conjunction with Sonu Nigam’s visual specialist and VJ, Arveen Sabharwal,

Yevgeniy used the Hippotizer Boreal+ to feed a mix of custom graphics and live IMAG footage, triggered from a MIDI controller, to the five large, portrait-format LED screens that formed a striking backdrop to the stage.

An experienced practitioner who has mastered his toolkit, Yevgeniy took the whole project in his stride. “There were no real challenges for us on this show,” he recounted.

“Hippotizer Media Servers give us so many possibilities and features that help us to quickly solve any difficulties that may arise – with picture mapping, or with the signal distribution, for example. Also, the efficiency and stability of Hippotizer machines gives you that extra confidence at show time. Thanks to the developers.” Yevgeniy added: “Hippotizer is not

just our go-to system for this type of event – it’s our go-to system for any type of event!”

Lightech AV deployed a full L-Acoustics audio system, with the main PA comprising 36 K2s and 30 SB28s, as well as 12 KARAs, which were used as delays. An extensive backline was also provided, including 16 IEMs and stage monitors, all controlled by two DiGiCo SD10 consoles.

A total of 87 moving head lighting fixtures were supplied, including Claypaky Sharpys as well as Martin by Harman MAC Auras, MAC Viper Profiles and MAC Quantums. The rigging and trussing supply was made up of 52 Chainmaster motors, and 160 running metres of Eurotruss.

Photo: Green Hippo www.lightechav.com www.green-hippo.com

ME

12

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

CT SHINES AT RIYADH SEASON GRAND FINALE THE COMPANY PROVIDES SITE-WIDE PROJECTION FOR LEILA, THE LAND OF IMAGINATION.

On 16 January 2020, the grand finale of Riyadh Season, Leila, The Land Of Imagination took place at the King Fahd Stadium. Created by Marco Balich and his all-female creative team from BWS, the spectacular event captured the essence of Saudi Arabia through an adventurous 10-year-old lead character, Leila, symbolising the next generation of Saudis who will experience the realities of the changing kingdom, established by Vision 2030.

Balich Worldwide Shows commissioned CT to provide site-wide projection for the large scale production. CT used 89 Panasonic RZ-31k and 21K projectors and Epson EB-L1755U laser projectors with ultra-short throw lenses to span across a 4,400 sq m projection surface, which included four hills, a lake and a sandpit.

The stage had multiple projected scenic reveals, including a 12m-high inflatable fortress, a gauze house, which revealed beneath the field of play, an inflatable hand and a hot air

ME

balloon, which moved position during the show.

“The biggest challenge was projecting onto the moving scenic elements as there was a risk they could be affected by varying wind speeds and direction,” Tom Stocks, CT’s Senior Engineer explained. “Our disguise operators were always on standby to make real-time adjustments to the projection lineup as the scenic elements revealed themselves during the show.”

CT provided BlackTrax real-time tracking technology, which was integrated into the technical solution to track performers and scenic elements throughout the show. “In the stadium catwalk, a redundant camera system was installed, consisting of 14 BlackTrax Prime 41 cameras and six disguise Omnical cameras,” Stocks revealed. BlackTrax was used to track 14 moving discs on the field of play, projecting content during a large choreographed element of the show. “It was also integrated into the lighting design and was used for tracking Leila for the

duration of the show,” Stocks continued. “A total of 60 beacons were used to track performers, horses and scenic elements.”

CT also delivered a full site-wide monitor system, including its new Birddog A200 PTZ cameras allowing production, stage management and creatives a full overview of the site during the rehearsals and show. The company also provided a daily rehearsal record with embedded timecode for review by the technical and creative teams. Dan Hughes, CT’s Project Manager commented: “Working closely with the technical management team from BWS, it has taken seven months pre-production, six weeks on-site and three weeks of rehearsals to perfect this event and our team at CT has enjoyed every moment of it. It was a pleasure to be part of such an amazing event, and we look forward to working with Balich again in the future.”

Photos: CT www.ct-group.com

14

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

AO DRONES LAUNCHES MOTOROLA RAZR THE SPECIALIST DRONE LIGHT SHOW PROVIDER PUTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA-SAVVY PERFORMANCE IN DUBAI. The launch of Motorola’s Razr flip phone in the Middle East and Africa took place with an imaginative airborne drone show in the skies of Dubai. AO Drones and AO Creative – part of AO Technology – worked in collaboration with Motorola and digital marketing agency, Netizency, to design the digital content, including animated logos and brand names.

“From the beginning, we asked, ‘what is the intention?’ It was to create great content for social media and get maximum shares and engagement,” said Marco Niedermeier, AO’s Founder and Executive Producer. “We looked after the whole production – the drone show, the film – without an audience on-site.”

Developed for entertainment productions, the AO Drones fleet uses an advanced control platform to deliver flexible, efficient and safe shows. With a maximum speed of 10 metres per second, the drones’ ‘visible’ time in the air is optimised. Adding a further dimension to the video, camera drones provided

striking ‘fly-through’ footage, taking the viewer into the drone formation, even passing directly through the Motorola logo. “It’s not just filming a flat logo in the sky,” Niedermeier explained. “This really is threedimensional, dynamic show content.”

Vinayak Shenoy, Head of Marketing, Middle East and Africa for Motorola’s parent company, Lenovo, added: “This drone show symbolises what this product is all about – a great blend of technology and art… The beauty of 120 drones rising in the air all together, the whirring of the drones and the beautiful formations, is something I’m going to remember for a very long time.”

Niedermeier concluded: “We are very happy that Motorola chose to use a drone show for their product launch. Working with Motorola and Netizency has been such a positive experience, and the results really speak for themselves.”

Photo: AO Technology www.ao-technology.com

N&M EXPANDS ITS SYSTEM INTEGRATION BUSINESS UNIT THE COMPANY WELCOMES INTERNATIONAL SPECIALISTS TO HANDLE LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS. In line with the company’s move to give each of its business units a separate market presence, Neumann&Müller Event Technology (N&M) has hired a range of specialists with a view to taking each unit to the next level.

“Aside from providing the events industry with top-quality AV for almost 40 years, we’ve realised we can offer much more,” commented Felix Erdmann, General Manager of N&M Dubai.

“We’ve seen unique areas arise that need their own communication strategies and teams. Our SI business unit requires a talented international team with extensive knowhow and experience, particularly in terms of collaboration with largescale projects. Our latest team members bring all this, and more, to the table.”

N&M’s Construction Manager, Peter Müller, heads the SI construction unit in Dubai. “I love finding solutions to complex challenges,” he began. “I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the most important theatre designers and directors in the world. They taught me a lot.

The more complex and media-oriented an event is, the more fascinated I am. I look forward to working with the team to take the business to the next level.”

Cost and Planning Manager, Mohamed Ali, also brings a vast skillset to the team. “I’ve learnt from experience that, in this industry, it’s essential

to work smart to ensure the utmost safety and quality,” he commented. “I’m passionate about using cutting-edge technology and efficient cost systems that lead to better decision making and more efficient project management.”

Dariga Dulatova, a design and technical site engineer specialising in Building Information Modelling (BIM) joined the team after working on Expo 2017 Astana as a project engineer. “My role involves assisting the construction team and event technology planners with drawings that give the team a realistic scenario of the project before actual construction begins,” she explained.

“My experience in construction is a great

advantage, making our AV system integration work, in particular, much easier.”

Gonca Ispir, who also worked on the Expo 2017 Astana project alongside N&M, was recently hired as a Design Manager. “It’s unusual to have an architect at an event tech company, however, it definitely contributes to a more efficient way of working,” she outlined, adding: “I love the company’s multidisciplinary approach to projects, and how experienced and professional its international team is. I’m super excited to bring my design and structural knowledge to the mix.”

Photo: N&M Dubai www.neumannmueller.com

Peter Müller, Gonca Ispir, Dariga Dulatova and Mohamed Ali.

ME

TWINPLEX™ SUB-MINIATURE OMNIDIRECTIONAL LAVALIERS & HEADSETS

THE NEXT STAGE IN SOUND.

Through sweat, noise, and heavy wear, the TwinPlex subminiature lavalier stands up to the toughest conditions to make every word a clear statement of quality. shure.com/twinplex ©2019 Shure Incorporated. See shure.com/trademarks.

16

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

PMSC WORLD CUP SAUDI ARABIA HOSTS THE MIDDLE EAST’S LARGEST GLOBAL ESPORTS TOURNAMENT AT RIYADH FRONT.

Taking place between 12 and 14 December, 2019, the PUBG Mobile Star Challenge (PMSC) World Cup saw 31 of the world’s best teams compete to become world champions and take home the $300,000 prize money.

Hosted as part of the Riyadh Season, this was the first time that Saudia Arabia had ever hosted the event, which drew a sizeable audience to witness the action live at Riyadh Front as well as a massive online following.

Dutch company Live Legends provided the set design, while Dubai-based SLS Production supplied all the audio, lighting and trussing for the event. SLS Production’s audio team opted for a Meyer Sound LEOPARD line array for the main stage system. Deploying a total of 68 LEOPARDs, 16 LINA cabinets and 16 110-LFC subwoofers, the main PA clusters were strategically zoned and formed from six clusters of eight LEOPARDs.

Further four by two LEOPARD clusters catered for the VIP area, while two by eight LINA front fills were stacked along the edge of the stage. The

ME

1100LFC subwoofers were placed under the stage so as not to affect the show’s visual elements.

System management was networked, interfacing with the redundant DiGiCo SD12 audio desk at FOH, and these were complemented with additional stage inputs.

Live Legends Sound Designer Wilfrid Evenblij spec’d the Leopard because of its compact dimensions, 110° horizontal coverage and “extraordinary power-to size-ratio”.

SLS Productions’ Project Director, André Du Toit commented: “The sound system deployment went smoothly, however, we had to wait for the main power to be switched over from temporary to permanent before we could properly test the entire system. This meant that we could only do limited testing and troubleshooting before the event started.” Du Toit added that thankfully this “ended up not being an issue at all” and the team “didn’t encounter any problems”.

With the contestants, referees, commentators and live presenters all central

parts of the production, SLS Production supplied a selection of DPA d:fine 4088 headset mics, along with a Shure Axient Digital wireless microphone system, comprising ADX1 beltpack transmitters and ADX2 handheld transmitters fitted with KSM8 capsules.

Shure PSM1000 ear-in monitors provided foldback for everyone on-stage, while SLS worked closely with the broadcaster, sharing audio feeds between both systems.

Despite a relatively large physical attendance, the event’s primary viewership came from online, which meant that based Live Legends’ stage design bore more resemblance to a primetime TV programme than a traditional eSports tournament. This was even more necessary due to the fact that competitors competed on mobile phones, so there were no flashy computer setups present to help decorate the stage.

More than 800 lighting fixtures were deployed, including 92 Mega Pointes, 104 Robin Pointes, 24 BMFL Wash Beams and 120 Spiders

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

17

ETC DUBAI – THE STUDIO NOW OPEN Training and Product Demonstrations | Black Box

ETC Dubai – The Studio

from Robe. A further 87 Martin by Harman MAC Viper Performances were called upon, alongside a range of Claypaky fixtures including 44 Mythos, 100 Sharpy Plus and 58 B-EYE K15s. Ninety Vari-Lite SL Bar 720ZTs, 44 SGM Q-7s, 34 ETC Source Four Zooms and 34 Arri 2,000W fresnels were also used. Control came from four MA Lighting grandMA3 full size consoles, as well as a pair of grandMA2 lights, all networked via 10 grandMA2 NPUs.

“In order to achieve the design by the Live Legends team, we had to use a large number of fixtures,” the Production Manager reflected. “The precise spacing of the fixtures was very important in achieving the desired look and feel of the overall design.”

To support the huge lighting rig, SLS used more than 700m of Eurotruss HD44 and HD34, as well as another 110m of LITEC 30x30.

In total, there were 192 electric hoists of various brands deployed, including Liftkets, CM, Load Star and Chain Masters, along with 21 ‘dead hangs’ where the truss was directly rigged to the hall ceiling.

To help spectators in the arena follow the action in real-time, 280 Martin VDO Sceptron 10 LED units created large arrows pointing away from the main stage.

“As the roof did not have the capability to support this massive design, the venue had to come up with a solution and had an independent Eurotruss TT rectangular truss system constructed, configured as four massive square box truss structures, which were used as mother grid with the ground support of 16 towers,” Du Toit explained, adding that it took “a lot of pre-planning to pull off such a complicated rig”.

Magic FX added intensity to the live arena action with pyrotechnics, moving CO₂ cannons, shooting flames and simulated fireworks, confetti cannons and haze effects.

Du Toit reflected on the challenge of shipments being stuck at the Saudi border, which “caused a massive delay in delivering the final product in time”. He commented: “Because of this, two 12-hour days were needed. We worked around the clock in order to get the rig completed in time.”

The PM added his final thoughts on a project he described as “something special”. He concluded: “All credit to Unlimited Productions, the Live Legends designers and, of course, our SLS team for turning their vision into reality. It was certainly a proud moment for us, and it has been a pleasure being part of the PMSC World Cup 2019.”

Photos: SLS Production www.slspro.net www.livelegends.com

ETC Dubai – The Studio Studio 2, Zee Tower Media City, Dubai, UAE Sign up for new Eos and Hog console training sessions via etcconnect.com/Training Contact us at +44 (0)20 8896 1000 or email ETCDubai@etcconnect.com

etcconnect.com highend.com

ME

18

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

WEGA GLOBAL GAMES OPENING CEREMONY PAINTING WITH LIGHT CREATES HIGH-ENERGY LIGHTING SCHEME FOR THE DOHA ESPORTS EVENT.

The opening ceremony for the first eSports WEGA Global Games took place in Qatar on 16 January. Hosted by Aspire Zone Foundation and organised by Truxtun Capital, the event saw more than 14,000 fans descend on Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium.

Doha-based event company The Planners tasked MediaPro International with supplying audio, lighting, video and rigging, while an all-Belgian technical design and imagineering team was also brought in, with The Cintamani Stone: ArchitectofEMOTION (TCS-AOE), Painting with Light (PWL) and Trimex coming together to deliver the project.

Having worked for several years with TCS’s Artistic Director Steven Martin, as well as Ludo Vanstreels from Trimex, PWL’s Creative Director Luc Peumans was delighted to bring the team back together.

Peumans’ eye-catching lighting scheme was based around seven 16m-high towers – three upstage and four downstage to the sides to provide a sense of depth and a framework around the 80m-wide oval-shaped performance space. Due to the positioning of the stage in one section down the long end of the stadium, the whole lighting rig – and all other technical elements – had to be ground supported. Upstage

ME

was the impressive 1,000 sq m, 12m-high back video wall. The stage surface was mapped for projections and the holographic images were beamed onto 30m by 12m special holo-scrims – a trending aesthetic in the world of eSports tournament opening ceremonies.

Peumans chose 100 Robe MegaPointes as his main effects lighting fixtures. These were distributed on different levels of all seven towers, as well as along the top edge of the rear video wall and scattered on the stage deck, giving three layers of optical attack. The fixtures were used to create a series of special looks to compliment the holographic characters. “They are great for this, offering multiple options for crazy effects that were perfect for this show,” Peumans said.

Elsewhere, there were 60 Robe Spiiders, 36 Cyclops LEDs, 50 Claypaky Mythos’ and 42 Claypaky Scenius Unicos, which were used to highlight cast positions and to illuminate specific parts of the projection areas. Much of the general lighting came from the sides as front lighting was minimal – just four fixtures – in order to avoid spilling onto the holo-scrims. MA Lighting grandMA2s were used for control.

With around 500 light sources used to fill the stadium, each fixture was multifunctional.

Peumans praised his associate LD, Raphael

Demonthy, and Lighting Programmer, Sebastian Huwig, who were vital to the success of the job.

The video elements were assembled, coordinated and controlled by Jo Pauly from Visual Solutions and the video content was created by Pix & Real and Prismax.

Music was compiled by Tino Plettinck with the support of Universal Production Music. A team of about 40 performing talents and five show runners were flown in with the TCS team.

“Having all these resources to hand plus everyone’s talent, experience, vision and passion onboard helped enormously in pulling a complex and high-profile show together under a lot of pressure,” commented Peumans.

“Many said it could not be done in such a short time and, yet again, our team nailed it,” Martin added. “You need three things to achieve this with such a short notice: a good idea, vision, and, most importantly, talented and skilled people. The client’s reaction was amazement with how we pulled everything together with such detail.”

Photos: Courtesy TCS-AOE www.paintingwithlight.com www.thecintamanistone.com www.trimex.be www.mediapro-av.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

19

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN THE INDUSTRY.

Genelec’s Arun Kumar with GLS Professional’s Adrian Curtis; Global Infusion Group’s Mike Smith with Operations Director, Bonnie May, and CEO, Tony Laurenson.

Creative Technology has hired Andrew Nu as a full-time Business Development Manager for its Systems Integrations department. With more than 26 years of experience in the AV and System Integration industry across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Nu brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role.

INFiLED has hired Samer Otaibi as Business Development Manager for the Middle East. “We are very happy to welcome Samer onboard,” commented Marco Bruines, Sr. Vice President of INFiLED EMEA. “Samer’s hands-on expertise in digital signage and business experience, combined with his strong network, will be extremely valuable to increase our customer

clientele within the Middle East.”

Genelec has appointed GSL Professional as its new distribution partner in the Middle East, covering the territories of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq. “I am looking forward to building a strong relationship with our new partner and extending Genelec’s business through our extensive channel partner network,” commented Adrian Curtis, Managing Director at GSL Professional. Arun Kumar, Genelec’s Regional Business Development Manager, Middle East, added: “So much of our business is based around providing complete loudspeaker solutions. We can’t imagine a better qualified partner than GSL Professional.”

Global Infusion Group has hired Mike Smith as partner in the Dubai office. “Having Mike onboard as a partner in the Dubai office lays solid foundations for our ambitious plans for growth in the Middle East,” stated Tony Laurenson, Global Infusion Group’s founder and CEO.

Sennheiser has appointed Sarmad Riaz as its dedicated Business Development Manager for Pakistan. “We have formulated a strategic two-pronged approach to capitalise on the tremendous opportunity that Pakistan provides,” Mig Cardamone, Director of Sales and Marketing at Sennheiser Middle East said. “Sarmad is extremely well positioned to drive this strategy.”

Photos: Genlec & Global Infusion Group

ME

20

INSIDE LOOK

LIAM MCGRATH, PRGDELTASOUND TECHNICAL MANAGER, LIAM MCGRATH, DELVES INTO SOME OF THE INTRICACIES OF PRGDELTASOUND’S EVENT COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. What is PRGdeltasound’s background in event communications?

For well over a decade, PRGdeltasound has been providing specialist event communications on some of the biggest projects in the Middle East. We began by servicing our own internal events, but this quickly grew into ceremony-style stadium shows, citywide comms matrix systems and radio systems.

Our technical experts have helped bring show comms to the forefront of the live events industry. We have also worked closely with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE, which allows us to provide a rapid full service of two-way radios and communications equipment to suit any scale of event.

What communications services do you offer?

Our offering is split into three main categories: show comms, radio systems and event networks and signal distribution. Classic show comms systems typically involve a dedicated show control system, where everyone has individual

ME

channels and is directed by a single show caller.

This can range from ballroom-style corporate events to large-scale stadium setups.

Another core area of the business stems from radio dry hires to clients. Again, this can be scaled up or down as needed – it can be anything from a couple of radios to hundreds of radios, repeaters and coverage over massive areas. These systems exist as standalone entities, but can also be fully integrated into the show comms to allow an efficient operation.

Event networks and signal distribution are more of an IT-based delivery. We offer largescale fault-tolerant IP networks, standalone PTP systems, as well as video and audio distribution.

This technology can then also act as the backbone for both the radio and show comms.

How important are event communications to most live productions?

On many projects, the communications engineers are first on-site and the last out on derig. They interact with every member

of production, from end clients, to producers, to stagehands, so the ability to collaborate and engage across all levels of crew during the lifecycle of an event is a high priority. The key to a successful event really is good communication between all departments, regardless of location, so it is imperative that it is flawless. It is also equally key to us that if there are any problems, people know exactly who to turn to.

If we hear no news, that’s usually good news. It means everyone is happy and working efficiently. It’s also the only bit of equipment that nearly everybody on site uses at some point, so it has to be hard-wearing and adaptable for each user depending on their preferences. If you’ve got a big show being produced by 200 or 300 people, with all of them able to communicate freely and easily, that’s really what it’s all about.

What have been some of the main advancements in event communications?

The entire events industry grew from an analogue world, which is the same for radio

INSIDE LOOK

and comms systems. Digital radio technology – which has been around a long time, but not so much within the events industry – has been a great tool during our growth. Technological advancements mean that we can reduce the number of frequencies used and, in a country like the UAE where RF is heavily regulated, that saves a lot of time and money for our clients. It also allows us to create wide area coverage for hundreds of users, encrypted communication, dispatch control, one-to-one dialling, emergency systems and much more.

Show comms has also grown massively during my time in the industry. I started with old analogue systems, which were basically single-channel beltpacks wired together – you could walk about 50m before it became unusable. Now we have IP-based matrix systems and can have panels installed across the globe. The technology has come a long way.

The scalability of comms has been a huge development. It’s much easier now to link different systems and spread them over huge areas, even globally. With the complexity of event production changing constantly, our goal is to keep it as simple as possible for the end user. The technology running the system can be monstrous, but most end users are holding

a single device and they simply need to complete the goals of their individual teams, so we always ensure that the focus is on the user’s experience.

This can only be achieved with the right team, and thankfully we have that team.

How does having the latest technology strengthen your ability to please clients?

One of the most exciting aspects of these technologies is that we can offer an almost unlimited configuration depending on the client’s requirements. We have been given some of the most challenging briefs ever attempted to date, and this has allowed both the team and the technology to grow so that we can deliver, whatever the request. Being able to offer this type of reassurance to clients is the cornerstone for the Event Communications department, and the integrity of the service we offer is well known throughout the region.

Tell us about your support for the recent Amway Rise Dubai show.

The event occupied most of the Dubai World Trade Centre, and we deployed an extensive radio and comms system to allow our client, Jimmy Pallas from 9pm SRL Events and Entertainment, and his team to produce, build and deliver

21

what was an enormous show. There were a few firsts for PRG on the event – one of which was the deployment of Clear-Com’s IP-based FreeSpeak antenna system. Improving on the original FreeSpeak II system, it allows placement of antenna over an AES67-compliant IP network, greatly improving the amount of locations that we were able to cover.

The complete system, which also included a full IP matrix, HelixNet, Luminex, Optocore and around 200 Motorola digital trunked radios, was deployed by the comms team, and was very much appreciated by the entire production team.

What trends do you see being adopted in the near future?

Wireless show communications will carry on developing. It’s a tough market for manufacturers to deliver flawlessly, but some of the products on the market now are excellent. There’s good competition between the big players, which helps drive development. Audio quality is always improving, and we can now create show comms coverage through buildings and across cities.

There’s been a massive growth in the sector, and I think it will continue Photo: PRGdeltasound www.prg.com

A WIDE VARIETY TRUSS SYSTEMS & DECKS FAST LEAD TIMES QUALITY PRODUCTS, GREAT VALUE SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE SAFE & CERTIFIED COMPATIBLE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS

FOR MORE INFO VISIT: WWW.NEXTTRUSS.COM Contact us directly: sales@next-truss.com +31(0)85 079 70 00

NEXTTRUSSING NEXT_TRUSS NEXT_TRUSS

ME

22

ME

TECH PROFILE

TECH PROFILE

23

MDL BEAST THE THREE-DAY EDM EXTRAVAGANZA BRINGS TOGETHER A COLLECTION OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DJS AND TOP SAUDI TALENT, ALL PERFORMING TO THE SPECTACULAR BACKDROP OF THE WORLD’S TALLEST STAGE.

ME

24

TECH PROFILE

MDL Beast saw 130,000 daily visitors convene on the outskirts of Riyadh from 19-21 December, for the biggest EDM festival the country had ever seen. With global superstars including Tiësto, Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Salvatore Ganacci, Sebastian Ingrosso and Afrojack all on the bill, the festival was split across five stages, including the world’s tallest, Big Beast.

LemonX on behalf of its client, Midwam, and the end client, Lutma, called upon technical event production specialist LarMac LIVE to deliver the high-end technical feat. With just 10 weeks lead time before the show was due to open, and with time of the essence, LarMac LIVE assembled a team of its most trusted suppliers.

The vast audio, lighting, video and rigging needs were met by PRG; LemonX engaged Phixion, which designed the main stage; High Scream handled creative lighting and stage design for stages two to five; Eyespop worked on video content; and BPM SFX secured the extensive SFX and laser requirements.

“The fact that we were trusted to bring in all of our favoured partners meant that everything was fast-tracked, and we could get straight

ME

down to the detail,” LarMac LIVE’s co-founder, Ian Greenway, began. “It was absolutely critical to making this happen and for us to deliver our clients’ incredible vision at such short notice.

Multi-artist shows aren’t all about just finding the right equipment. It’s our job to sew together a strategy and management process that allows us to satisfy hundreds of artist contracts while delivering a specific festival production design.”

Greenway explained that hard work and positivity were vital to make the ambitious event happen in such a short timeframe. “It’s really important that you instil a positive culture,” he noted. “If everyone is moaning about a tight deadline then you’ve lost the game before you’ve even started to play it. We try to instil a happy thread. It’s amazing what you can achieve with that approach.”

As well as the impressive line-up of international acts on the main stage, the event featured dedicated art exhibitions and smaller performance spaces for up-and-coming local artists to showcase their talents.

“The client put a lot of effort into ensuring that there was a purpose to the event. This was part of the Saudi Vision 2030 and there was a

real effort to incubate a genuine scene in the country,” Greenway explained. “This is the stuff that really makes the heart and soul of a festival.

We can put on big shows anywhere in the world, but you need a proper justification and cultural heartbeat to give it a true purpose and a legacy.”

While A-list DJs were vital to get the event on a global stage, Greenway explained that there was also a strong desire to promote Saudi talent.

“These guys are world class, but they have never been given the opportunity to play on the global stage before, and that’s something the LemonX team were trying to throw light on in the show,” he said. “We made sure that this Saudi thread of culture featured throughout everything we did, from the scenic design of the main stage, through to the video content gestures. We worked closely with the local booking team to develop the right themes to ensure that the Saudi talent was represented correctly.”

‘PURE THEATRE’ When it came to the technical supply, simplification was key. “We needed to remove as much of the inter-supplier communication as possible,” Greenway commented. “The fact

PYROTECHNICS • FLAME & FIRE FX • CONFETTI & STREAMER FX • LASERS CRYOGENIC FX • SNOW FX • FIREWORKS • SMOKE FX • BESPOKE FX CONTACT US FOR ALL YOUR SFX & LASER REQUIREMENTS 2020! .g"iiii ==

.BPM-SFX.COM

TEL: +44 (0) 1706 604 201 - EMAIL: info@bpm-sfx.com

I\'" 1'ARDS

"-"B) N NER

·· =•�Integrated •·•:•.

• I W FAVOURITE SPECIAL EFFECTS COMPANY

•••• systems .•.• 81,a'OpQ

26

TECH PROFILE

that PRG supplied the majority of equipment was crucial. It made time and resources more efficient. PRG did a fantastic job.”

Having worked with LarMac LIVE on various major EDM shows including Creamfields, PRG’s Director of Music Lighting, Yvonne Donnelly Smith described the working relationship between the companies as “very comfortable”.

PRG had to call upon the might of its entire global network including the UAE, UK, Belgium, Germany and France in order to fulfil the brief.

“It was the first time that all of the PRG depots had worked together on one project,” Donnelly Smith revealed. “We treated it in the same was as we do every job. We created a matrix of heads of department across every discipline and from each depot.” Paul McCauley

ME

lead the video team; Luke Jackson took the lead on lighting; and Tim Humpe headed up the audio department.

The 45,000-capacity Big Beast stage was designed by Phixion of Tomorrowland-fame. “You can see our collective thinking process there,” Greenway said of Management Team’s decision to bring in the Belgian company. “We wanted size, scale and to bring that experience from Tomorrowland. It was pure theatre.”

The centrepiece for the 40m-high stage was a 27m-high LED screen. “It was the tallest screen that PRG UK had ever installed,” Greenway noted.

“It was always going to be huge. The brief was to create something worthy of one of the top EDM shows in the world, so we knew that we had to pull out all the stops. It needed scale

and power.” The unprecedented size of the stage and screen brought with it a “range of structural challenges”. Greenway commented: “You would normally fly a screen on motors, but due to the size, we decided to use a crane to get it into position so as not to compromise the structural integrity of the panels.” Across the five stages, PRG supplied a total of 3,810 LED panels, including a mixture of Galaxia WinVision and ROE Visual CB5, MC7, MC12 and MC18. The record-breaking main screen on the Big Beast stage was comprised of 750 Galaxia WinVision 9mm LED panels, while the left and right waterfall screens were made up of 372 ROE Visual MC18 panels and the DJ riser was adorned with 24 panels of ROE Visual CB5.

PRG supplied a total of 22 cameras to capture live footage throughout the event,

TECH PROFILE

while content was run through 10 Resolume Arena Media Servers. Similarly impressive was the lighting supply, which saw an eye-watering 2,291 fixtures used. Notable workhorses included: Claypaky Sharpys; Robe Spiiders; Martin by Harman MAC Viper Performances; SGM P10s; GLP JDC1s, G-T1s and X4s; Elation Professional Proteus’ and Smarty Hybrids; Vari-Lite VL3500s; and Ayrton Magicpanel Rs. Control was handled by 11 MA Lighting grandMA2s, with 23 NPUs. “We tried to use as many IP-rated fixtures as possible in order to avoid the need for additional weatherproofing,” Jackson noted.

PRG supplied a full L-Acoustics K Series PA system for the Big Beast stage, made up of 80 K1s, 24 K2s, 16 K1-SBs and 48 KS28s. Due to the stage’s huge capacity, two delay towers were put

in place – the first using 108 K2s and 18 KS28s, and the second comprising 84 K2s and 18 KS28s.

Monitors for the main stage came courtesy of six L-Acoustics KARAs, four SB18s and six X15 HiQs, while two DiGiCo SD10s were used for control.

The PA rigs and monitor packages for stages two to five as well as the premium hospitality suites comprised a mixture of L-Acoustics, Meyer Sound and d&b audiotechnik systems.

The sheer scale of the project made it a massive challenge. “We brought over four aeroplanes full of equipment and around 200 freelancers,” Donnelly Smith stated. “It wasn’t just a case of finding the freelancers either; we also had to get flights for everyone and make sure they were home before Christmas.” The load-out was also a major consideration. “Could we get

27

all the gear out on time, on planes and back to where it came from?” Donnelly Smith mused.

“Everything had to be sorted so it went back to the depot that it came from. It was just as big a challenge as the load-in, although it went really quickly thanks to the hard work of the team on the ground.”

The aspect of the job that Donnelly Smith was most impressed with was how the international PRG branches came together to work towards a common goal. “We planned it so the expertise of each different department was well utilised. Once we got the right team in place, we knew that we would be able to achieve it,” she commented. “The brief was to make MDL Beast the biggest and best, a truly iconic festival – and that definitely happened.”

ME

28

TECH PROFILE

‘FINGER ON THE PULSE’ High Scream took on the bulk of the creative, working on lighting design throughout the event and stage design for stages two to five. Another trusted partner of LarMac LIVE, Greenway described the importance of getting the creative production company involved in the project.

“We’ve done a lot of work with High Scream,” he commented. “They were an important part of the jigsaw to help move forward the conversation with massive international artists.

They have a finger on the pulse of the EDM scene and artists know they are in safe hands when High Scream is involved.”

High Scream’s Founder and Creative Director, Romain Pissenem, explained how the team working on the project was a massive factor in High Scream getting involved. “It was a very short lead time and a massive amount of work,

ME

but as soon as we found out about the team involved, we were confident that it would be a success,” he recalled.

Pissenem also pinpointed “the ambition and enthusiasm of the organisers” as important.

“It was a big opportunity,” he commented. “We didn’t think twice before committing to joining the adventure.”

High Scream’s sister company, Eyespop, worked on video content for the event. “That was incredibly important to us,” Pissenem said.

“It’s cool to do stage design, but you need to be able to programme the light and control the video elements too in order to make sure that everything ties in and works well together.”

Despite the short lead time and massive fixture counts, Pissenem was delighted with the quality of the supply. “PRG always has the best equipment available on the market,” he

remarked. “We got everything we expected and more. It all went very smoothly.”

Pissenem praised Lighting Designer, Ian Tomlinson, who did “a fantastic job”. While there was certainly no shortage of dazzling big beam looks, Pissenem was keen to draw attention to the more subtle aspects of the light show.

“Big bright looks work very well on basic stages that don’t have a lot of decoration, but when you have a beautiful scenic stage like we had on this event, you have to make sure that it’s lit properly. Ian used a few clever technical tricks to really make the most of the stage, following the shapes and lines of the scenic elements.”

Freedom of creation is always important to the way High Scream works, and MDL Beast was no different. “The brief that we were given was very clear, but within that, we were given the trust to run wild,” Pissenem explained. “It’s

TECH PROFILE

important to work collaboratively and share ideas with the artists and the entire team.”

The creatives decided to utilise shipping containers in their stage design. “We wanted to work with containers because they create volume; they are easy geometric shapes that you can play around with a lot,” Pissenem explained.

“We were able to use them in so many ways – stack them, horizontally, vertically, they could be covered, or left open. When you change the way you work with containers, the look changes completely. They provided a good mix in terms of colour and texture.”

Looking back on the festival, Pissenem was proud of what he and his team achieved. “It was a big challenge but that was the reason why we wanted to do it,” he recalled. “To put on a show

like this, you have to have a passion, a love for the job and a desire to meet big challenges.”

‘A SPINGBOARD FOR SAUDI EDM’ Any EDM festival worth its salt comes with a hefty dose of special effects, and MDL Beast certainly didn’t disappoint in that regard. LarMac LIVE called upon BPM SFX to meet the extensive special effects rider and laser provision, and the Lancashire-based company provided a selection of the very best in its arsenal, from pyro to lasers, and C02 to confetti. “The artists that we look after simply would not play without the very best special effects,” commented Greenway on the decision to bring in BPM SFX.

The main stage was packed with all elements, with 30 Inferno Flames firing from

29

10 positions on top of the IMAG screens, as well as 20 Hurricane Flames in the wing positions, two Chameleon Flames in the centre pit, 18 Wave Flames and 16 power-upgraded G-Flames firing from 30 stage positions, making up over 90 flame units on stage alone. Other hardware included 10 Sparkular Cyclones, 12 PSYCO2 Jets, 16 DMX-controlled Confetti Stadium Blasters and 14 Xtreme Stadium Shots, providing huge CO2 stage systems, confetti and streamer shots. The pyro elements were equally impressive, with six backstage display positions and 20 stage pyro boards providing a multitude of pyro effects.

Lasers came in the form of 24 30W RGB Phaenon Projectors. The company also provided a further 16 30W RGB Phaenon Laser Projectors, CO2 stage systems, Stadium Shots and DMX

ME

30

TECH PROFILE

Confetti Stadium Blasters for the satellite stages two to five.

BPM SFX’s Adam Murray reflected on the vast scale of the job. “Meeting multiple massive DJ riders daily, and then doing them back to back for three days in a row was a huge undertaking,” he began. “A huge amount of preparation went into it, but part of the reason why we were brought in was due to our experience of working on such massive festivals. We can navigate the landscape of having 15 top-level DJs with riders to match and come up with a spec that works for all of them.”

Unsurprisingly, the biggest challenge was transporting the huge amounts of consumables from the UK to the job site in Saudi Arabia.

“Freight was a huge challenge,” Greenway said.

“It all came down to time. We were in the midst of the busy season so commercial freight space was extremely tight. Lisa Ryan and the whole EFM team’s involvement really was missioncritical in helping us navigate toward solutions.”

The task was made all the more difficult due to the dangerous nature of the cargo. “Flying dangerous goods from A to B is a complicated process – especially at short notice – so we had to come up with a creative solution,” Greenway

ME

recalled. In the end, the Royal Saudi Air Force stepped in to provide military aircraft and ensure that the goods got the required clearance to be flown over all the countries on the flight path.

“The support of the Saudi Air Force was much needed and very much appreciated,” Murray said. “It showed how important this event was to Saudi Arabia and the region as a whole.”

In terms of logistics, timescale and size of event, Murray revealed that this was the biggest project BPM SFX had ever worked on. “It was a big ask, but it was tremendously exciting to be involved,” he commented. “The scale was absolutely enormous. The brief was to create something massive and impressive across the whole of the stage, and we used an incredible amount of all kinds of effects to achieve that.”

Liam Haswell, Technical Director, was BPM SFX’s man on the ground in Saudi Arabia. He added more detail on the company’s workflow for the event. “We had 45 people out there,” he began. “We had to crew all the stages, so the crew was working 24 hours per day, split into four shifts. We had to work overnight and early mornings to get everything ready and reloaded for the incoming show crews.” With around

10,000 pyro units being used per day – all of which needed to be reloaded in a 12-hour turnaround time before the next day’s artists came on – it was a round-the-clock operation.

“You get changeover breaks on normalformat festivals, but we didn’t have that luxury because this was a produced stage, so there was no time to change anything around,” Haswell commented. “Once the shows started in the afternoon, that was it.”

Reflecting on the festival, Greenway struggled to find the words to do justice to quite how pleased he was with the end result.

“We all walked away saying that was one of the best shows we have ever done,” he beamed.

“When you think about the timescale that it was produced in, it’s absolutely phenomenal.

In terms of production levels, MDL Beast is easily in the top three EDM events in the world. The collaborative attitude of our team of internationals alongside local Saudi partners like Sela, shows what incredible things can be achieved. That’s what’s exciting to be a part of.

I genuinely believe we can deliver anything, but we really excel with clients that dream bravely, just like Midwam and LemonX did. With a supply

TECH PROFILE

31

chain that believes in our product, just as we do, this was proved possible.”

Greenway shared a desire to foster an authentic EDM scene in the country. “We hope that this will be a springboard for the Saudi EDM scene,” he said. “These things take more than one show. There needs to be a roadmap that goes beyond this year and the client is on the same page. Who knows what’s in store for the future, but after such an amazing first show, there’s an opportunity now to push forward and develop this into a must-do on the EDM annual calendar.

He continued: “There’s such a big audience of people who travel the world attending shows like this, and there’s nothing to stop this from becoming a regular fixture. We’re not in this for the short-term. We want to help nurture an industry that we can be a part of in the longterm future.”

Photos: Anthony Black www.larmaclive.com www.prg.com www.high-scream.com www.eyes-pop.com www.phixion.be www.bpm-sfx.com

Producers Of Live Entertainment

PROUD TO BE INVOLVED IN DELIVERING THE INAUGURAL BEAST MDL Beast 2019, Riyadh, KSA. With Thanks to MDL Beast, Midwam, and LemonX

www.larmaclive.com

| Technical Direction, Creative Production & Artist Liaison |

ME

32

TECH PROFILE

TECH PROFILE

REDFEST DXB OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION SUPPORTS AN ALL-STAR LINE-UP INCLUDING STORMZY, MARTIN GARRIX AND BASTILLE AT DUBAI MEDIA CITY AMPHITHEATRE.

33

34

TECH PROFILE

Since 2014, hordes of young music fans have descended on Dubai’s Media City Amphitheatre on an annual basis for RedFestDXB. Set over two days each February, the festival has seen the likes of Demi Lovato, Chainsmokers, Marshmello, DJ Snake, Steve Aoki and many, many more take to the stage over the years.

Now in its seventh iteration, the 2020 event included Martin Garrix, Young Thug, Becky Hill, Bastille and, as part of his Heavy Is The Head world tour, Stormzy.

Done Events called on MediaPro International to supply a complete audio, lighting, video and rigging package for the event; StageFX and LaserFX supplied special effects and lasers; while Aggreko delivered the complete power overlay for the festival.

Done Events’ Miguel Galvao and Harold Fernandes of MediaPro shared Production Designer duties, while MediaPro’s Warren Lawrence filled the role of Site Production Manager. Audio Engineer, Nitin Kurup, oversaw

ME

the install of a full L-Acoustics audio system, including 24 K1s, eight K1-SBs and eight K2s for the main PA.

Outfills came in the form of 24 K2s, while 16 Karas were purposed as centre and front fills and a hefty dose of low-end was provided by 40 KS-28 subwoofers.

L-Acoustics was also used for monitors, with six Karas, and two SB18s fulfilling the requirements. Additional monitors were provided for the various incoming artists, with Bastille requesting an extra L-Acoustics SB15M; Danny Neville spec’ing three SB15Ps and a 112P; and a further six Karas and two SB18s being provided for Martin Garrix.

A range of consoles were provided according to the needs of each incoming artist. House desks came in the form of two DiGiCo SD5s – one at FOH and one at monitors; while Machine Gun Kelly spec’d an Avid S6L-32D at FOH and an Avid Digidesign D-Show Profile for monitor world. A DiGiCo SD10 was used at FOH for Bastille, while

monitors for the band were controlled via a Midas PRO X.

MediaPro’s Harold Fernandes and Jose Pathrose – Lighting Designer and Lighting Engineer, respectively – worked together on the impressive lighting rig.

A total of 60 Claypaky Sharpy Plus fixtures were among the main workhorses, joined by 37 Solaris Flares, 26 EK Lights ORB300s and a variety of CKC Lighting fixtures including 88 VH10s, 56 MP5Ws, 37 Y1640s and 22 V8s. A range of Robe fixtures completed the rig, including 24 Spiiders, two BMFL Blades and four BMFL FollowSpot LTs. An MA Lighting grandMA3 full size with six NPUs was used for control, with a grandMA3 Lite used for pre-programming.

Gloshine was used extensively in what was a relatively video-heavy stage. In all, more than 1,500 panels of Gloshine 4.81mm LED were used to make up the majority of the video requirements, including two large IMAG screens left and right, three screens that formed the

TECH PROFILE

backdrop to the stage, a large header screen that ran the entire length of the stage and the skirt LED at floor level. Forty panels of Absen TS3 were used to form an additional transparent LED screen.

Video Engineer duties were handled by MediaPro’s Sumesh Vasudevan, while Trussing and Rigging Head of Department Colin Silvers made sure everything was flown and fixed securely.

‘EVERYONE GETS A LASER SHOW’ With a variety of acts on stage throughout the weekend, a range of special effects and lasers were used. Thanks to its long history of providing

SFX to some of the biggest names in the industry over the years, Done Events brought in StageFX and LaserFX to fulfil the extensive requirement.

“We have worked with Martin Garrix’s production team many times over the years with both our UK Laser Grafix office and LaserFX in the Middle East,” began LaserFX’s Head of Laser Department, Oliver Yates.

Thanks to this familiarity with the incoming artist crews, the LaserFX team “knew exactly what was required” – especially in the “zoning of the lasers”. He continued: “Martin Garrix’s Show Designer, Gabe Fraboni, has always told us that

35

‘the laser design is so every audience member gets a laser show’.”

Included in Garrix’s SFX and laser rider were Wave Flames, CO2 Jets and 22 RGB lasers ranging from 3W to 30W. “Due to the number of lasers required, we used four Luminex GigaCore10s to handle the huge load on the network,” Yates said.

The lasers were operated though an MA Lighting grandMA2 via a Pangolin BEYOND laser controller.

Due to the presence of a lake in close proximity behind the stage, venue regulations dictated that confetti and streamers could not be used. However, Yates was able to work with

ME

36

TECH PROFILE

Done Events to apply for approval from the Civil Aviation Authority for lasers to be fired unterminated into the sky. LaserFX also used its “ever-growing stock” of MDG Me1 and ATMe Fog and Haze machines, “to complement the lasers”.

Special effects were controlled by Martin Garrix’s Production Manager, Bert Kelchtermans, on a ChamSys MQ80.

“We linked with another MQ80 to FOH, where we could override control,” Yates added.

“Additionally, we incorporated two E-stops within the Wave Flames system for safety measures.”

The second day of the festival saw StageFX and LaserFX supply for Cheat Codes, Stormzy and Danny Neville’s closing DJ set. While Cheat Codes’ and Stormzy’s rider were fairly simple, including Flames and CO2 Jets, Danny Neville’s set required “something different”. Yates explained: “We were

ME

asked if we could help make his show even more impactful. In order to achieve this, we supplied our very own custom-built blue beam lasers on his DJ booth and on the pre-rigged truss at the back of the stage, which were only visible once his booth was lifted 3m off the stage.”

As well as the custom-built blue beam lasers, LaserFX added star beam lasers to the lighting towers. “We finalised Danny’s laser effects by rigging an additional 30W RGB laser above his DJ booth in order to put him within a laser cone and create a wall of laser beams in front of him,” Yates added. Additional 10-15m Flames were used on the wide lighting towers, which “assisted with widening the festival’s production” and “added the extra wow factor”.

Yates explained the programming process, touching upon how he pre-programmed the

laser show to Danny Neville’s opening track.

“Once on site, we sat with the festival’s in-house lighting designer,” he commented. “This helped us incorporate the laser show to his lighting programming.”

At the last minute, StageFX was asked to supply additional CO2 effects and Flames for Becky Hill and Young Thug. “We were able to turn this around within 12 hours,” Yates recalled. He praised the rest of the team who worked on the event, including Laser/SFX Technician, Charlie Creese; SFX Technician, David Luzon; and SFX Technician/Operator, Phillip Mathews. “The whole weekend was a great success,” he concluded.

‘A CAN-DO ATTITUDE’ Another trusted supplier on this year’s RedFestDXB was Aggreko. Now in its seventh

TECH PROFILE

year of supporting the event, the company again covered the entire power requirements throughout the festival site.

“Year on year, Aggreko has provided the client with efficiency and cost-saving on this event,” began Martin Nichol, Aggreko’s Regional Events Manager MENA. “We cover all aspects of the festival, from show power on the main stage, to powering the artist and production village, to all of the ablutions and food vendors across the site, as well as the ever-impressive VIP platform, which requires a lot of catering power and bespoke lighting.”

Supplying what Nichol described as “a full turnkey solution”, Aggreko was tasked with providing the complete electrical overlay for all power aspects of the festival, from design to delivery. “We worked closely with the Done Events team to drive efficiency, creating a foolproof system in order to make the festival a success,” Nichol commented.

In all, a total of 3MW of power was provided, along with kilometres of distribution. Aggreko had a team of eight on site, comprising Project Manager, Project Lead, engineers and labour, who all worked together to ensure that the job was

completed and “delivered smoothly”. With such extensive experience of working on previous editions of RedFestDXB, the Aggreko team “knew the site and festival layout very well”.

Nichol concluded: “We are an agile company and team and can adapt very easily to any changes or curveballs thrown our way. Our flexibility and can-do attitude made this project a smooth run without any major challenges for

37

us or our client. This is one of the main reasons the client uses Aggreko on a year-to-year basis.”

Photos: Ob Panakal www.redfestdxb.com www.doneevents.com www.mediaproav.com www.stagefx.ae www.laserfx.ae www.aggreko.com

ME

38

TECH PROFILE

TECH PROFILE

DIRIYAH GATE ROYAL INAUGURATION CEREMONY SAUDI ARABIA’S TREASURED UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE FORMS THE BACKDROP FOR A STUNNING PRODUCTION TO OPEN DIRIYAH GATE.

39

40

TECH PROFILE

Diriyah is a place that is deeply important to Saudi Arabia. Located on the North Western edge of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the UNESCO World Heritage site is steeped in history, tradition and culture. With the ancient ruins having been meticulously unearthed and restored, the site served as the stage and visual canvas for an ambitious opening ceremony to formally celebrate the inauguration of the new Diriyah Gate giga project.

Utilising stunning cinematic projection mapping to tell the visual story of the Kingdom’s history, the show had a cast of 600 performers and was set to an original soundtrack played live by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

Creative Technology handled the projection, while eclipse Staging Services provided the audio, lighting and power package for the historic event in collaboration with Executive Visions Inc. eclipse’s Head of Audio, John Parkhouse,

ME

described how he came to work on the project.

“I became involved in the event at the beginning of 2019,” he began. “I’ve been working on this for nine months. Of course, it’s not the only project I’ve worked on during that period, but it has taken up a lot of my time. It’s been incredibly in-depth and interesting.”

While the specifics of the project developed over time, from the moment Parkhouse and his team began piecing it together, the monumental scale of the task was clear. “It was obvious from the beginning that this was an extremely large undertaking,” he commented.

Parkhouse created a design based on the spec from a similar – albeit much smaller – project he had worked on in Saudi Arabia back in 2014, then made alterations based on the requirements of the incoming client sound designers from OSA International in the US as well as independent sound engineer, Colin

Pink. “We took 25 tonnes of audio to Saudi,” he confirmed. A significant amount of control equipment was hired from SSE in the UK, as well as predominantly speakers from “our good friends” CGS in Germany. “I have dealt with SSE for a number of years, but this was our first major hire from them at eclipse,” Parkhouse said. “Dan Bennet and his team were absolutely exceptional.

They became an integral part of what we achieved. They prepped everything based on my requirements as well as advising in some areas, which saved us so much time on site.”

While this was far from eclipse’s biggest job in terms of speaker counts, Parkhouse stressed that, in terms of consoles and infrastructure, the project was nothing short of “enormous”.

As well as the two DiGiCo SD7s – “one at FOH and one at monitors”, eclipse provided a DiGiCo SD10 at FOH as a production console, four fully loaded SD racks, eight fully loaded SD mini racks

TECH PROFILE

and two Orange Boxes “to convert our optical to Dante, to then feed the PA”.

Parkhouse explained how the sheer number of inputs and outputs meant that he had to think carefully about how best to configure the system.

“The total number of ‘possible’ inputs and outputs on site came to 816, which meant that we had to split what we had to create two fibre loops. One Optocore loop is ‘only’ capable of 504 inputs or outputs on its network,” he said. “I’m not sure how often people reach the limits of what DiGiCo and Optocore can achieve, but we were way above it – we also had 144 channels of split onsite.”

Parkhouse continued: “In the pre-planning, we had to come up with an elaborate and versatile strategy – one with as much room to accommodate changes as possible. We plugged in an 80-piece orchestra, which comprised 107 inputs, as well as the comprehensive ancillary inputs from multiple sources and finally distribution to the PA, at 31 outputs across the site – every speaker source had its own allocated feed so we could have maximum control. We also had to distribute three types of timecode between ourselves and a number of other suppliers.”

When it came to the system design, Parkhouse was under no illusion as to the level

of detail required. “The system design was really interesting,” he commented. A brief conversation with Colin Pink revealed: “The rig was effectively split into two systems – a 7.1 FX system over the 70m acting area and a 5.1 music system covering the grandstand area.” Parkhouse added: “This was an event for the King and high-level dignitaries and, having worked on these kinds of projects in the past, I know protocol is extremely strict.”

As well as the usual issues of aesthetics and sound, Parkhouse had to be extremely conscious of speaker placement – namely, the fact that under absolutely no circumstances could anything be hung in the air above His Majesty the King.

“The system design was an intricate undertaking,” he recalled. “It was the longest time I’ve ever spent designing a system. My version numbers got into double figures – in total, it took me around three weeks’ worth of work towards sign off.”

The PA comprised a d&b audiotechnik V-Series line array and V-Series point source.

“We had 25 D80s and six D20s, plus a significant amount of small point source E8s for monitors for the orchestra,” Parkhouse confirmed. “For the grandstand, we had a flown main left and right of V-Series line array, two subs and six tops, then we had a flown delay of V-Series line array, which

41

comprised one sub and six tops.” Eight J-Subs were positioned underneath the grandstand, flown side fills of V point source were aimed “directly at the King’s position” and there were four flown V point sources across the front – “two of which were aiming at the King’s position and the rest covering the front edge of the grandstand”.

Parkhouse added: “We also had a delay position of four flown Y point sources and a rear surround of four flown V point sources and V-Subs.” Finally, J-Series ‘SFX ground stacks’ were placed over 70m away to allow for sound effects and the expansion of the soundstage and to create additional depth. “Over the course of tuning the system, we introduced further ground-based V point source front fills and added some E6 front fills. For a relatively small space – 30m by 30m – we had a significant number of speakers, in total 31 independently fed sources,” he noted.

On the orchestra platform, there were also plenty of IEMs, with 24 channels of Shure PSM 1000 and 60 PSM 1000 belt packs for the orchestra and talent, as well as eight channels of Sennheiser G3 IEM with 16 belt packs, in addition to a good number of d&b E8s and E6s for orchestra foldback. Parkhouse explained how he worked with the incoming client-appointed

ME

42

TECH PROFILE

designer and engineer, Carmen P. Educate and Peter Wiejaczka from US-based OSA International.

“OSA advanced their spec around May; over the following months, we tweaked it to suit both their needs and what was readily available, in order to know that we were covered for what was planned and also what might crop up. They were great guys to work with on site,” he said.

Also incoming was “absolute legend”, Colin Pink. “I walked around the grandstand with Colin and Carmen over the course of two days and we tuned the system on their direction,” he recalled.

“I used a Microsoft Surface Pro, which was linked wirelessly to the R1 system controller.”

Parkhouse was keen to point out what a pleasure it was to work with Pink. “He’s got a very fine set of ears,” he commented. “Everything he asked for was extremely precise and very impressive. He called very specific frequency bands with very specific frequency curves by ear that he wanted to EQ by a couple of dB, and timed alignment tweaks to position the image.”

He continued: “It wasn’t that the system sounded bad originally, but Colin wanted a very specific sound from the system bearing in mind

ME

that there was quite a lot of playback with the live orchestra on top. The most important part from an audio point of view was the speech and the story, so he tuned it specifically for that.”

Pink mixed the system in ‘expanded surround’, with a significant amount of emphasis on the way certain channels were grouped to create depth. “He worked for two or three days just on the playback portion and the sound effects,” Parkhouse recalled. “It was a breathtakingly beautiful sounding system – absolutely phenomenal to hear.”

Parkhouse was also quick to pay tribute to the rest of his team. He commented: “I was Crew Chief and System Engineer; we had freelancer Damion Dyer looking after FOH consoles – his console support was a joy to behold – and Tim Cook was at FOH looking after network and records as well as assisting me with the system.”

The teamwork was a success by everyone’s standards. Wiejaczka added: “The team always worked towards the same goals in collaboration with the designers. We had a very intelligent and well-rounded team, coming together professionally to do what we all enjoy so much.”

Parkhouse described how the crew built a bespoke 8m by 8m space under the orchestra platform – lovingly dubbed The Bunker. “This housed the DiGiCo SD7, splits, all the stage racks and all the RF,” he commented. “Dana Beaudin, our Head of Department, looked after monitors for that – he’s our resident monitors guru.” eclipse also brought in freelancer, Rob Humphries, who looked after patch, as well as the company’s own Darryl Violeta as his assistant on stage.

Parkhouse expanded on Humphries’ crucial contribution. “He’s developed his own patch server, which was really quite amazing. We plugged it into our network, and it enabled us to log in and view on our phones, computers and tablets. It was really clever stuff. That’s one of the reasons we booked Rob; I always like bringing in people who are fully invested into the job at hand – people who bring something extra.”

Reflecting on the enormity of the project, Parkhouse commented: “I worked on this for nine months; I was on site for five weeks with a crew of five audio guys, then OSA and Colin Pink for two weeks. The show was around 22 minutes

RECRUITING? If you or your company are currently hiring, TPMEA is of fering space to advertise your roles on a new job mailer.

If you are looking to f ill positions in the live events and technology entertainment sector, contact Harley for more details: h.daniels@mondiale.co.uk

44

TECH PROFILE

in duration. It’s absolutely mind-blowing.” He continued: “At eclipse, we often do big concerts, festivals, large corporate events… but going into this, I knew that this was the largest-scope show that we have ever undertaken at eclipse audio. Having spent that much time on it, I had to be confident that we could make our delivery something special.”

For Parkhouse, it had to be a passion project.

“I don’t think you could pull something like this off without getting emotionally involved with it,” he said. “Even though we were ‘merely’ a technical supplier, that supply is what allowed the creative element to become what it was. It was a proving ground for our department to say yes, we can take on this type of thing in another country with gear coming from multiple places and we can deliver it to a world-class standard.”

He summed up: “It was a pleasure and challenge. I am tremendously proud of what we have achieved on Ad Diriyah. At the same

ME

time, the remainder of our audio team was in Dubai delivering a very high number of shows to the same standard. So, the pressure was on – everywhere; the audio team I have been allowed to develop at eclipse over the past number of years really is quite phenomenal.”

‘A MASSIVE BRIEF’ Visual design company Lightswitch called upon eclipse to fulfil the extensive lighting brief.

Comprising almost 2,000 fixtures in total, the supply included 300 Claypaky Sharpys, 300 Mythos and 80 A.LEDA Wash K20s. There were also 300 CLF Ares, 100 Robe BMFL Blades, 100 MegaPointes, 100 Martin by Harman MAC Auras, 60 A&O 7K Falcon Beams and 60 SGM P5s.

Control came from four full-size MA Lighting grandMA3s and 14 NPUs. “It was a massive brief,” Project Manager, Duncan Shortt, stated.

Shortt explained how the 7K Falcon Beams were responsible for “big beam aerial looks” from

behind the ruins, while the CLF Ares and SGM P5s were used to add uplighting to the façade of the buildings where the projection mapping took place. The Claypaky A.LEDA Wash K20s were used 36 either side of the performance area as sidefill for the human elements.

The main front light for the performance area came from 12 Robe BMFL Blades that were hung on the front truss of the main structure, while MegaPointes were used “to put a bit of texture onto the orchestra”. The streets of the ruins were lined with 300 Claypaky Sharpys at a spacing of about one unit per metre, and the Mythos sat in clusters within the footprint of each building along the streets. Finally, around 100 Claypaky Sharpy Washes were used to uplight trees.

The fact that the show was set in a UNESCO World Heritage site meant that Shortt’s team had to work up close and personal with ruins that had been there for hundreds of years. “Installing 50 or 60 tonnes worth of gear without causing

TECH PROFILE

any damage to the surroundings meant that we had to be extremely careful during load-in and load-out,” he recalled. Due to the nature of the terrain, a huge amount of the lighting was floor based. “Essentially, we had to work in the footprint of the old town,” Shortt explained. “A lot of the fixtures were mapped throughout the ruins, with the Claypaky Mythos used to light every building.”

Describing the lighting as “very beamorientated”, Shortt explained the importance of aligning the fixtures perfectly. “We designed adjustable wooden plinths to sit each fixture on so we could ensure that they would all be level, even when positioned on uneven ground. It was vital to get the positioning right, because trying to focus that many fixtures would have been a massive task otherwise.”

Shortt credited the entire team behind the lighting scene, which comprised: Craig Ralph, Dougie McConnon, Brian Crowe, Ronan Conway, Jeff Blake, Junder Luzon, Kieran Hancox, James Gaffney, Nino Obillos, Sam Connelly, Ken Coker, Antonio Pedra and Diogo Silva. Reflecting

on the event, Shortt described the show as “spectacular”. He commented: “It was the single biggest project that eclipse has ever delivered.

It was on a monumental scale and something that was truly special.”

‘EVERYONE NEEDS POWER’ eclipse met the massive power demands of the project, providing the infrastructure to power all the projection, lighting and audio aspects of the production as well as all the utility and AC power across the site. “It was a massive undertaking,” said Head of Power, David Angelini. “One of the biggest jobs eclipse has ever worked on.”

The extensive project comprised some 25,000m of heavy mains, more than 200 distribution boards, 2,000m of cable ramp and 1,000m of powerlock, with some of the install being underground.

eclipse worked closely with generator and AC provider RSS, which supplied 45 generators as well as some of the mains panels and primary cabling. “We use them for every job we need generators for,” Angelini confirmed. “I spoke to

45

Chris McMahon from RSS more often than my own family, so it helped that we got on.”

The UNESCO World Heritage status of the site presented some unique challenges for Angelini and his team. “Cable couldn’t be pulled on the ground because it would have left marks, so carpet had to be laid down everywhere on site and we hand-placed every single piece of equipment,” he recalled. “It added a lot of time to the install.” They also had to adhere to strict regulations to make sure that protocol laid out by the Royal Guard was met.

The main challenge from Angelini’s point of view was co-ordinating with each and every one of the various contractors who were operating on site throughout the project. “Everyone needs power,” he quipped.

“There’s a lot of logistics involved with dealing with all the different contractors on site. You have to assess their individual power requirements, bring in generators, and run cable to the areas that they are working.”

According to Angelini, preparation was key to the success of the project. “I walked the

ME

46

TECH PROFILE

site multiple times and spent a lot of time in pre-production,” he said. “There was a constant dialogue with the client, and we would always keep each other updated with any changes that needed to be made.”

Angelini was keen to praise his “extremely hardworking” team – especially Paul Ilsley, who was there from the job’s first site visit. “He helped with the pre-production and he stayed until every last generator and piece of equipment was loaded out.”

He continued: “The crew, which consisted of Jordan Cutler, Jamie Williams, Danny Quigley, Joe Cockwell, Pete Wrey, Sandeep Shetty, Muhammad Razzaq and Prasad Mummidiviparavu, all enjoyed their time in Ad Diriyah. We worked together really well and, at the end of the job, everyone was delighted with what they had achieved.”

‘A SHOW BEYOND EXPECTATIONS’ Creative Technology (CT) was called upon by client Executive Visions (EVI) to deliver the technical implementation of the projection mapping. Tasked with ensuring that all visible surfaces across the 350m-plus-wide projection canvas were covered, CT provided 170 Panasonic RZ31 and 21K projectors, which enabled the content to run smoothly across six pre-defined

ME

content zones. “We carried out various site visits during the planning phase so we could strategically plan where the projectors would be located. This enabled us to avoid any issues,” Dan Hughes, CT’s Project Manager, explained.

He continued: “Due to the fact that this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we needed to carefully asses where the projector locations could be positioned. We worked closely with our client EVI and the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) to ensure all locations were approved by the DGDA ahead of time.”

Hughes had to ensure that the projectors were not visible or in line with the performance area. This was achieved through key planning and projection studies on site. CT had a total of nine independent projector locations spread across the site, and any projector that was in view had a custom enclosure manufactured.

Tom Stocks, CT’s Senior Engineer, commented: “We needed to cover a 350m-pluswide projection canvas that had several uneven surfaces. We placed all projectors strategically to eliminate any shadows and installed an eightcamera PTZ system for full site coverage of every area. This was used for our engineers to assist with the line-up and also distributed around the site for client monitoring.” A total of five SDI

matrixes were used to distribute video signal to all locations around the site, totalling more than 380 independent 3G SDI feeds.

As it was such a large-scale site, CT required three remote media server locations to eliminate the need for large amounts of fibre runs. This was achieved by installing a fully redundant Riedel MediorNet system and network ring to distribute media server control, content, multi viewer feeds and genlock around the site to each disguise server location.

Extreme rain on the days leading up to the show provided a major challenge. However, according to Hughes: “All departments and clients on-site pulled together to ensure the equipment was safe and ready for the event”.

He added: “CT had a team of 22 dedicated professionals working on this project for over a month, and I could not have asked for a better team. We overcame all anticipated challenges and delivered a show beyond our clients’ expectations. I would like to thank EVI and the DGDA for trusting CT to be part of this historic moment in Saudi Arabia.”

Photos: Executive Visions, eclipse & CT www.executivevisions.com www.eclipse.ae www.ctme.co

DOWNLOAD THE TPi APP Search “TPi Magazine” on the App Store and Google Play.

WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM

48

COMPANY PROFILE

COMPANY PROFILE: CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY CT MIDDLE EAST’S MANAGING DIRECTOR, ANDY REARDON, TALKS TPMEA THROUGH MORE THAN A DECADE OF GROWTH IN THE REGION AND SPECULATES ON WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE COMPANY…

From its modest beginnings back in 1986, Creative Technology (CT) has grown into one of the world’s leading suppliers of specialist audio visual equipment, with inventoried offices in Europe, the USA, the Asia Pacific and, since 2007, the Middle East.

“CT Dubai was established in 2007 purely because we saw such a growing demand for specialist technology in the region,” Andy Reardon, Managing Director of CT Middle East, explained to TPMEA. “With such a demand, we felt there was a need for a brand like CT to be present in the Middle East.”

Starting as a Project Manager at CT in the UK in 2007, Reardon was eventually deployed

ME

to launch CT’s Qatar operation in 2011. “At that time there was a huge push in the country’s entertainment market, and there were lots of clients from Europe that wanted our services,” he recalled. “Both CT Dubai and CT Doha are established single-point entities, with standalone offices and warehouses in both countries.”

Reardon reflected that his extensive European experience was invaluable – especially during the early stages of the Middle East launch.

“I was able to bring those European learnings over to the region,” he recalled.

Reardon moved from Qatar to Dubai in 2011 and took on the role of Managing Director for the Middle East. The company’s Middle East presence

started small, but it has grown massively over the past 13 years, going from just six members of staff to 60-plus professionals across the Middle East group. “It has been a huge growth, which has sped up significantly in the past 12 months,” the MD commented.

Along with the increase in personnel was an inevitable upgrade in facilities. CT Dubai started off in a 6,000 sq ft facility when it opened back in 2007, and it has since moved into its current HQ – a 30,000 sq ft combined office and warehouse space located in the heart of the events trading area in DIP 2, just a stone’s throw away from the Dubai Expo 2020 site. “The facility houses all of our operational staff, accounts teams

COMPANY PROFILE

49

Andy Reardon, Managing Director, Creative Technology Middle East.

and the majority of our regional resources and infrastructure,” Reardon added. “It’s the perfect place to service our clientele.”

In 2017, CT’s parent company, Avesco, was acquired by US production giant, NEP, making CT a part of an even bigger global organisation that employs more than 4,000 professionals across some 24 countries.

Reardon explained that being part of a larger group brought with it “huge advantages” not only in access to resources but also in personnel.

The CT Group now comprises more than 700 professionals with 22 offices across 16 countries – something that Reardon sees as a huge advantage when it comes to servicing his clients in the Middle East.

“Internal communication is key for any successful global company. We all communicate very well, and that gives us the ability to upscale

as and when we need to,” he said. “We also have the ability to call upon the wider NEP Group services, so whatever scope a client has, we are able to handle it.”

Reardon explained that irrespective of where the particular job takes place, the service must remain the same.

“One of my big philosophies is that we operate to a European-standard policy,” he commented. “We purchase as a group, so whether our clients are in Europe or the Middle East, they get the same like-for-like products and services – with everything from the way we box our equipment, to our asset management remaining consistent.”

The MD added that this consistency is a cornerstone of CT’s way of operating. “Clients know that they have got a single point of contact,” he commented. “They know exactly

what they’re going to get. It’s a huge bonus for us as a business.”

‘SAUDI ARABIA’S GROWING MARKET’ Saudi Arabia has proven to be a hugely profitable market in the live events sector in recent years – not least for CT. Reardon commented: “CT has been active in the kingdom for several years, and we have created strong relationships with our clients in the region.”

He continued: “Over the past two years, the demand for quality event services in KSA has increased massively, and we’re now seeing some of the world’s best events coming out of not only Saudi Arabia but the Middle East as a whole.”

Reardon explained that CT’s work in Saudi Arabia required a strategic approach. “The work that we’ve been delivering in Saudi has been huge – we are out there delivering four projects

ME

50

COMPANY PROFILE

as we speak – but the key is to take our time so we can deliver the right solutions.”

The Middle East has seen nothing but growth within the events industry over the past few years and, with Expo 2020 just around the corner, there are no signs of it slowing down. “We are in a unique position to help meet our clients’ needs through having the capacity to ramp up and pull back on our services when needed – being the size of the group that we are helps with that.”

Reardon explained that the various disciplines on offer under the CT umbrella are a “positive push point” when it comes to attracting new clients. As well as the rental for live events sector, the company also deals with system integration, perimeter as well as comms and networking. “We’ve got various teams that look after the complicated elements of our projects, which are so often shied away from by others,” he revealed. “Making sure that our clients get the latest technology and the best service is key.”

While the option of a full turnkey solution is something CT is proud to be able to offer,

ME

Reardon stressed that the company is just as comfortable providing a small part of a project – if that’s the best thing for the client, of course.

“We’re there to work with clients,” he said.

“Some may have a small show one week, then a monster show the week after. It’s about being able to scale up as and when it is needed.”

He continued: “We are about making sure that the project and the client has got the right service and the right kit, and not just selling them anything and everything in the warehouse. We work with the client to make sure that their show looks the best and is delivered in the right way.”

At the start of the year, CT Middle East received another boost as it was announced as an L-Acoustics Authorised Calibration Centre – becoming one of only three companies in the world to be given the accolade. “It’s another bolton service we can supply,” highlighted Reardon.

“We are one of the region’s biggest L-Acoustics distributors, so it’s fantastic that we’re now able to provide that greater level of service. We have an established Integrated Networks team on

hand to deliver specialist event communications across our wide range of projects.”

He continued: “Having invested in the latest communications technology from two-way radios, event networks, signal distribution and much more, we also have some of the Middle East’s best known and highly respected Integrated Network professionals available to ensure our clients’ event communication is seamless across any event.”

Looking to the future, Reardon pinpointed a series of milestones for the region, including Expo 2020 in Dubai, the FIFA World Cup in Doha in 2022 and the Saudi Vision 2030. “You’ve got to follow the trends and work out strategically what’s happening and where it is going,” he explained. “It’s not easy in the Middle East to predict what kind of year you’re going to have, but the main thing is to make sure you’re on the ball, and you’re able to offer clients the best service every time.”

Photos: CT Middle East www.ctme.co

52

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

LES DUNES ELECTRONIQUES PAL PRO AUDIO LIGHT DELIVERS A TURNKEY SOLUTION FEATURING POWERSOFT AMPS FOR TUNISIA’S PREMIER EDM FESTIVAL.

Ong Jmal in Nefta, Tunisia, is a festival location like no other. For the past three years, the area’s sand dunes and traditional domed houses have become the temporary backdrop for a non-stop, 30-hour rave. This year the festival featured some 30 electronic artists including headliners Luciano and Apollonia, and a host of others such as Astrid, Ben & Lola, Mehmet Aslan and Fantastic Twins.

Organised by the team behind Plages Electroniques in the French Riviera, Les Dunes Electroniques has been touted as the event

Af

to put Tunisia on the global festival map. After running into a handful of audio-related issues in their first two outings, this year the production team brought in PAL Pro Audio Light as the festival’s technical partner.

“We provided everything for the two stages, from power distribution and generators to lighting, trussing and audio, as well as FOH equipment and monitors,” commented PAL’s Najjar Nizar.

The main and auxiliary stages at Les Dunes Electroniques were ultimately the same

configuration. The main line array for each was a Seeburg Galeo XT – customised by PAL – with Galeo XT subwoofers, TW AUDiO T24s and S30s and Clair 1.5 AMs as monitors. PAL used Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus software during the pre-installation period to create a virtual project, keeping calibrating time to a minimum.

“We have been using Powersoft amplifier platforms for two years without any issues,” said Nizar. “For the main line array, we chose X8s and X4s, while the subwoofers were driven by X4Ls and K10s. For monitors, we were able to make

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

use of Powersoft’s new T604s, as well as the tried-and-tested X4s.”

As the festival grounds are located in the desert some 20km from the nearest town (the location was famously used as Luke Skywalker’s hometown of Mos Espa in the original Star Wars trilogy), there were a number of logistical challenges for the PAL crew.

“The location was the biggest challenge,” Nizar confirmed. “We had to be autonomous out there for long periods. Our team and the festival team were on site for a month to prepare everything for the installation.” The

environmental conditions were also a massive consideration. “We were exposed to the desert sun, high winds and dust all day, as well as having to protect the equipment from the very cold weather that fell overnight,” Nizar explained.

“To make the entire system run flawlessly in these conditions for 30 hours, non-stop, was a massive achievement for the crew.”

Despite these challenges and the endurance required to host such an event, the crew from PAL were totally satisfied with the Powersoft products that they chose to get the job done.

“Powersoft has supported us from the beginning

53

with software updates and detailed video tutorials,” Nizar concluded.

“The hardware’s quality construction and software’s ease-of-use are a powerful combination. This festival certainly was a challenge for us as technical partner – particularly when the audio system has to run for 30 hours straight in extreme conditions – but Powersoft amplifier platforms were the perfect choice to make life as easy as possible.”

Photos: Les Dunes Electroniques www.dunes-electroniques.com www.powersoft-audio.com

Af

54

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

POTCH RAG FESTIVAL NEXO STM MODULAR LINE ARRAY MAKES A DRAMATIC DEBUT AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN EVENT. South Africa’s finest alt-rock acts got their first taste of the NEXO STM Series system at the annual Potch Rag. For the first time in its history, the Potchefstroom crowd experienced the power of NEXO’s flagship line array, supplied by audio production company, Sound Stylists.

The normally sleepy host town of Potchefstroom (home of North West University), was shaken awake by a full STM deployment comprising 18 M46 and B112 sets, 16 S118 subs and 12 M28 ‘omni’ modules.

The venue was rocked with thunderous low end, thanks to the eight-a-side flown S118 subs, coupled with the 20 ground-stacked Alpha S2 subs – a first for Sound Stylists. The combination

Af

of flown and stacked subwoofers in the PA design provided even coverage, with the ground stack giving the front rows a healthy dose of subbass and M28 ‘omni’ modules providing down fill and front fill.

On stage, Sound Stylists supplied NEXO’s new P12 stage monitors, while two GEO M10 line array modules, paired with LS18 subs, were used for the drummer. GEO M10 cabinets also played the role of DJ monitors, used as “Texas wedges” by the resident DJ.

The entire system was powered by three generations of NEXO controllers and amplifiers: NX242 controllers, Camco Vortex6 amplifiers, NXAMP4x4MK1 and MK2 powered controllers. The

Alpha S2s ran off of NX242 controllers, coupled with Camco Vortex6 amplifiers. NXamp4x4MK1 powered controllers ran the main line array and all three iterations of MK2 powered controllers ran everything from stage wedges to PS8 talk back monitors and ID24 near-field monitors.

All amplifiers (except the NX242) were run on a Luminex switched redundant Dante network.

The Dante network included a Yamaha CL5 FOH console with rear racks and CL1 change over console (also with rear racks) supplying PA lines during changeover.

Photos: NEXO www.soundstylists.co.za www.nexo-sa.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

55

ROLAND GREIL DELIVERS JOBURG WORKSHOP ONE OF THE WORLD’S FOREMOST AUTHORITIES IN LIGHTING PUTS ON A MASTERCLASS AT THE MOSAÏEK TEATRO.

On 18 February, DWR Distribution welcomed legendary lighting designer, director and programmer, Roland Greil, who put on a lighting workshop at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairland, Johannesburg.

Having worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Adele, Phil Collins and Rammstein over his many years in the industry, Greil shared some of his vast experience with a packed audience of around 170 professional lighting designers, lighting operators, students and fans.

Sharing the stage with one of South Africa’s most celebrated lighting designers, Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier, the session focused on concert touring lighting and the Rammstein production.

Greil also explained his process of putting a show together, from the initial idea through to the production design – emphasising that the success of any project relies on teamwork.

“I’m grateful to Roland and Joshua for giving their time,” commented Duncan Riley of DWR. “It’s important to pull inspiration from people and it’s great for youngsters to see that, with hard work and imagination, anything is possible.”

The workshop was the latest of three that the LD has delivered in South Africa in conjunction with DWR since he was introduced to Riley by Sarah Rushton-Read of The Fifth Estate at Prolight + Sound in 2015.

The first course in 2016 focused on lighting design, video mapping and the realities of working on a production, while in 2017 Greil joined forces with Patrick Woodroffe, where the pair delved into the history of rock ’n’ roll lighting, illustrating their presentation with slides and videos pertaining to The London Olympics 2012, Michael Jackson’s show that never was and an Adele concert.

With the industry in general lacking support for youngsters, Greil reflected on the importance of sharing his knowledge. “I wrote a book a few years ago about creating a lighting design – it was something that was missing when I was young.

In Germany to date, there is no formal education on lighting design – it’s all learning by doing,” he recalled. “It would have helped me a lot if I had the opportunity to listen to someone who had the experience. I am hoping to give something back to the up-and-coming youngsters and hopefully, they’ll realise their dreams, no matter how big they are.”

Greil has been privileged to work alongside some of the most revered talents in the industry, including Patrick Woodroffe and Adam Bassett. “I learned from them but also built my own opinion

and my own way of doing things over the years,” he commented. “I’m still enjoying it and I always use the analogy that it’s like being a kid in a toy store. The only difference between man and boy is the size of their toys.”

Cutts added that the South African market is “yearning for information”. He stated: “Our industry wants to learn as much as it can from the international market. To have someone like Roland share his stories on productions that we’ve all seen and wondered how they pulled it off, is a fantastic experience.

He continued: “In the South African market, our minds are exploding with ideas and ways to explore the industry. We have such an intelligence base of lighting designers and operators in the country that just don’t have access to massive amounts of equipment, and we have to think of new ways to implement the

ideas with the tools that we have.” The event drew attendees from far and wide, with three guests in particular making a special effort to be there – Willam Moter, Aobakwe Seanego and David Ratsima, who made the mammoth 10-hour drive from Gaberone in Botswana.

“When I heard that Willam, Aobakwe and David travelled all the way from Botswana to join us, I was so humbled,” Riley revealed. “It reminds all of the DWR family of exactly why it is so important to keep supporting the people – because we, as an industry, have the power to empower people and change a few lives, which is what it should be about.”

He concluded: “A big thanks to the DWR team for putting this event together and, last but not least, to the Mosaïek Church for hosting us.”

Photo: DWR Distribution www.dwrdistribution.co.za

Af

56

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

THE MATCH IN AFRICA SHOWCOM DELIVERS COMPLETE CLEAR-COM WIRELESS SETUP FOR RECORD-BREAKING CHARITY TENNIS EVENT.

Roger Federer faced off against Rafael Nadal in an exhibition match at the Cape Town Stadium on 7 February. Dubbed The Match in Africa, the spectacle drew a sell-out crowd of 51,954 – the largest ever recorded for a tennis match. While Federer was the victor on the night, the real winner was Federer’s charity, The Roger Federer Foundation, which received $3.5 million as a result of the event.

“It was a magical evening,” Federer said of the occasion, which saw Microsoft founder Bill Gates and comedian Trevor Noah join the action to play in a doubles match with the stars before the main event.

Event organisers, No Boundaries, called upon Gearhouse SA Group to deliver the entire live technical production, including audio, lighting, video and rigging, while Showcom – part of the Gearhouse Group – met the extensive

Af

communications requirement. While the original brief comprised only live show comms, Showcom’s Nickolas Chapman revealed that the involvement of client Moonsport, to show-call and coordinate both live and broadcast elements, resulted in Showcom being asked to supply a system to cater for all parties involved.

A full Clear-Com Freespeak II Wireless setup with a HelixNet intercom system, including 12 FSII-BP19 Beltpacks, was supplied. “We also sent individual groups from the Freespeak to IEMs and some beltpack to beltpack for private conversation,” Chapman told TPMEA. “It all worked seamlessly, and with two splitters and seven transceivers, we had no drop out at all over the entire show floor of the stadium, up to and including the first two main audience tiers.”

Gearhouse supplied a full L-Acoustics audio package, including 48 K2s and 24 dV-DOSCs for

the main PA as well as 32 115XT HiQ monitors and 38 LA8 amplified controllers. An Avid S6L 32D was stationed at FOH, with eight Lake LM44 processors run through a Dante network for signal distribution. Eight Sennheiser SKM6000 RF systems were used for handheld mics and player headsets and 24 Shure UR RF systems were used for the choir and entertainment.

The lighting supply comprised 38 SGM P-5s, 32 Martin by Harman MAC 101s and a range of Robe fixtures, including 28 Pointes and 48 BMFL Blades. Fog and haze came from six Martin by Harman JEM ZR45s and six Hazebase base*hazer*pros. Two MA Lighting grandMA2s with six NPUs were used for control.

Photos: Showcom www.gearhouse.co.za www.showcom.co.za www.clearcom.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

57

CARDI B HITS WEST AFRICA RAPPER BRINGS LIVE SHOW TO GHANA AND NIGERIA, WITH AVOLITES AI TAKING PRODUCTION TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Since she shot to fame with her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, in 2018, Cardi B has been on an unstoppable upward trajectory that has seen her break several streaming records and become the only woman ever to win the GRAMMY Award for Best Rap Album.

At the back end of 2019, the star took her show on the road, delighting her African fanbase with performances in both Nigeria and Ghana. Behind the production was a team of experienced video operators using Avolites Ai to control the show.

The production relied heavily on dynamic video content, created by a variety of design houses. The tour itself was a mixture of festivals and large arena shows of varying size, therefore it was vital that the system was flexible and powerful enough to provide the best performance in all situations. Avolites Ai was the

ideal choice as the media platform due to its flexibility and rock-solid reliability.

Zachary Burton of IKONIX, who worked on many of the tour dates including the UK shows, has been using Ai for a number of years. “Ai has performed flawlessly,” Burton explained. “IKONIX has a long history with Ai and its flexibility with timecode, output mapping, ArtNet and MIDI control, which has been a massive help.

Flexibility is absolutely key on shows like these,” he continued.

Burton used the Avolites Ai Miami license running Ai V11 on a laptop for the Nigeria and Ghana shows, giving him a powerful yet portable setup. “The show has been stable and running up three outputs from the laptop,” he stated. “It’s been a solid platform.”

Photo: Avolites www.avolites.com

ZIMBABWE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE 2020 EVENTS EVOLUTION UPLIFTS THE RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL WITH CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL FIXTURES.

Held at Rainbow Towers in Harare, Zimbabwe Worship Experience 2020 was organised

by Kayse Connect. The event showcased a catalogue of up-and-coming local artists, with an emphasis on emerging female talent.

Designed by Blessing Bero and programmed

by Tatenda Gaylord Rushwaya of Events Evolution, the stage lighting featured CHAUVET Professional Maverick and Rogue fixtures. The Maverick MK2 Spots, Rogue R2 Beams and Rogue R1 Beams

sent brilliant multicoloured and white aerial effects in every direction. They also added depth to the stage by crossing beam patterns and playing light off against the video panels that were flown overhead.

To complement the aerial effects, the Events Evolution team created texture on stage with gobo patterns. They also personalised the show by spotlighting the performers. “There were 11 Maverick MK2 Spots in our rig,” Rushwaya

confirmed. “We positioned three of them on FOH truss and remote-controlled them to work as follow spots, in addition to spotting the DJ.

The rest of the MK2 Spots were placed four on each upstage and midstage truss for gobo effects on the stage. Thanks to the throw distance of these fixtures, we were able to project vivid gobo patterns from a far distance.”

Rogue R2 Spot fixtures positioned on short truss structures were used to light the stage deck behind the musicians, almost making it seem as if they were floating on a sea of light.

Other Rogue R2 Spot fixtures, as well as the four Rogue R1 Spot units were arranged along the stage deck and contributed to the impressive aerial display. They were joined by 12 CHAUVET DJ Intimidator 140SR Hybrids. Working together with the Maverick units, these fixtures created a stunning display of light overhead, leaving no doubt that this event was dedicated to lifting hearts, minds and spirits.

Photos: CHAUVET Professional www.kayseconnect.com www.eventsevo.co.za www.chauvetprofessional.com

Af

58

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

IN PROFILE: JASON OOSTHUIZEN THE SOUTH AFRICAN DRUMMER EXPLAINS HOW SPIRALLING HIRE COSTS LED HIM TO INVEST IN HIS OWN KIT. Starting drumming at the tender age of four, Jason Oosthuizen has played for some of South Africa’s most successful bands, including One Day Remains, who wrote the theme song for the rugby tri-nations entitled Never Say Die. He has recorded two albums with the Van Coke Kartel and has worked with some of the biggest names in South African music, including Jack Parow, Fokofpolisiekar, The Black Cat Bones, The Narrow and Die Heuwels Fantasties, among many others.

In 2018, Oosthuizen stepped out from behind his drumkit and took the frontman position for his own band, Oooth. He successfully launched a range of enterprises around the brand, including a clothing line, boutique coffee, fine wine and, most importantly, music.

He also established seven tribute bands, including Guns ‘n Roses & Friends Tribute, Led Zeppelin Tribute, AC/DC vs Deep Purple Tribute and Bob Marley & Lenny Kravitz Tribute, which have proven to be a massive success.

“We are now averaging about 200 shows a year,” Oosthuizen explained. The rapid growth motivated Oosthuizen to take a critical look at

Af

the technical side of the business. “In 2018, I spent an enormous sum to hire the audio and lighting equipment needed for the shows that we had booked,” he recounted. “As there were no signs of demand slowing down, I decided that the time was right to invest in my own gear.”

The top priority was a PA system. “I started down the rabbit hole that is pro-audio in 2019 and managed to secure my first PA,” he said.

“While having my own sound system was a definite step in the right direction, it quickly became apparent that one system would not meet our needs and I decided to purchase a second PA shortly afterwards.”

Once Oosthuizen had built his PA inventory, he turned his attention to lighting. “If you don’t look good during live performances, people are not going to take you seriously,” he reasoned.

It was at this stage that he got in touch with DWR Distribution, on the recommendation of Neil Breytenbach of Prime Circle. “I could not have made a better decision,” he reflected.

Consulting with DWR’s Duncan Riley and together with Schalk Botha and Jaco Beukes, Oosthuizen made an initial investment in a basic

lighting rig made up initially of Longman LED Parcans and LED bars, with a view to gradually increasing his inventory.

“One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about DWR is that because our brands are used by and associated with some of the highest-profile brands in the world, we only deal with the biggest players in the market,” commented Riley. “This could not be further from the truth. We pride ourselves on building relationships with our customers so that we get to know them and understand exactly what they need and can afford.”

Oosthuizen added: “From the moment that I walked into the DWR Offices, I realised that I was dealing with a world-class, pro organisation.

I knew that DWR would become a partner in my journey, rather than a simple supplier.”

Riley concluded: “We are here for anybody in the industry who is passionate about what they do, and Jason is deeply passionate and extremely talented. I am confident that he’s going to go a long way.”

Photos: Henry Engelbrecht www.dwrdistribution.co.za

Be One Of Us

As we celebrate our 15 years in the UAE, we have set our sights on increased success in the region and beyond. We have been recognised as Best Employer and Supplier of the Year by the Middle East Events Awards and now considered to be the most in-demand companies when it comes to the high-quality technical realisation of events. As we continue to bring creative concepts to life, we are looking for capable professionals in both events and construction industries to join our massively growing team!

Get onboard with the fastest growing company and make the best career decision ever!

Scan the QR code to see the jobs available and to apply!

www.neumannmueller.ae

20200312_nm_az_TPMEA_210x297_dubai.indd 1

12.03.20 14:11

LIVE STREAM YOUR EVENTS REACH your audience wherever they may be Travel restrictions? No need to cancel, Protec offer a full solution to help you deliver the same amazing experience virtually, to an even larger audience.

To know more about the additional benefits and solutions we can offer your events contact us at: events@productiontec.com

productiontec.com

Your guide to our comprehensive event production technology and staging solutions.

AUDIO � VIDEO � LIGHTING � RIGGING � AUTOMATION & SFX � BACKLINE � digital media � scenic & staging DESIGN � CONFERENCING solutions � venue SERVICES � advanced technology � EXHIBITION SUPPORT UK:+44 845 900 0606 � UAE:+971 4 880 0092 � KSA:+966 50 096 3701 eventrental@productiontec.com � productiontec.com

Protec Pearl TPMEA Apr 210x297 FAW.indd 1

12/03/2020 12:18 PM