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UK - For a while now the Mercury Music Awards have been seen as one of the most credible and prestigious awards that a musician or artist can receive. The award is for best album in the UK and Ireland and is chosen by a panel of fellow musicians, executives, journalists and other key Industry figures.

As part of the build-up to this and to keep those who are really into music involved, Barclaycard now sponsors the Mercury Prize Sessions - a celebration of the best live music in the UK now. Acts in include Tom Odell, Suede and Johnny Marr. Each session is filmed at the Hospital Club, Covent Garden.

Richard Martin Lighting (RML) support lighting designer Nigel Catmur for the show. The cool and urban look is achieved simply with Sharpys and smoke. The Sharpys create such a strong a

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South Africa - American electronic musician, Skrillex entertained South African fans in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban at the start of March 2013. The main technical supplier in Cape Town was Gearhouse, while in Johannesburg it was supplied by CES and in Durban by Insane Sound.

At the Wavehouse in Durban, lighting and video freelancer Thomas Peters assisted with the lighting.

"Reading through the Skrillex rider and adjusting accordingly for Durban, Vimal Rawjee (Insane Sound) and I came up with what we thought would be a viable rig for the show, which the production's management (Skrillex's Production Manager is Baptiste Chavaillaz) quickly approved," explained Thomas Peters. "While we did not have most of the first-choice fixtures available in the quantities requested, the substitutes we offered were all perfectly acceptable. The MMXs blew the touring LD aw

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Germany - Studiomaster is showing several new and re-engineered / restyled product ranges at Musikmesse. Two major new product series at the show are the complete new Horizon mixer range, comprising two self powered and two passive variants of this major new design, and the Starlight integrated sound and lighting speaker cabinets.

A star attraction at NAMM in January, the Starlight sound and lighting cabinet is billed as "a world first, fully integrating FOH and monitor sound and stage lighting within a pair of portable trapezoidal PA cabinets". Comprising two stand or pole mountable, two-way 12 inch or 15 inch cabinets, Starlight combines 250 watt self powered FOH reinforcement and a 50 watt powered side mounted monitor driver within each cabinet. Each cabinet features a rear panel mounted two-channel mixer with three-band EQ, and an external source monitor input and

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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

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USA - The new campus of Orlando's Faith Assembly of God Church was a huge project. In addition to the 3,000-seat, stadium-style sanctuary, the campus also needed sound systems for three kids theatres, a wedding chapel, choir room, and atrium. Primary AV contractor Encore Broadcast Solutions decided to leave nothing to chance, partnering with Atlantic Professional Audio (APA) as audio sub-contractor for the design and installation.

"Even though it was new construction, we were actually the second contractor on the job, so we had to design the sound system around conduit and fly points that were already in place," explains Jeff Cameron of Encore's Winter Springs, FL office. "It was a big challenge. We've partnered successfully with Atlantic Pro Audio on several other projects, and brought them in to provide a turnkey solution. They put together a shootout for the ch

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UK - Two of theatre consultancy Charcoalblue's major projects, The New Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and The Newcastle Theatre Royal, have won recognition from the prestigious Civic Trust Awards, which were held at City Hall in Cardiff and supported by Cardiff Council.

In total 86 projects were chosen to receive an award or commendation from 263 national and international entries. The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury was one of just 32 projects to win a coveted Award, while Newcastle Theatre was one of just 46 to receive a Commendation.

The Award winning Marlowe reopened in October 2011 following a major renovation, which saw Charcoalblue work hand-in-hand with the client and Keith Williams Architects to help clarify and develop their vision. This included developing and refining the auditoria, foyers and back-of-house areas, and the design of completely new technical facilities inc

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Sweden - The charismatic Stora Teatern in Göteborg is one of Sweden's second largest city's most active receiving houses, hosting a wide variety of entertainment - bands, theatre and dance shows, comedy..

The theatre has recently taken delivery of its first Robe moving lights - 10 Robin 800 LEDWashes - which were specified by Joel Karlberg, the venue's chief lighting technician. They also happened to be among the first of this new fixture off Robe's production line in the Czech Republic.

The spectacular neo-Renaissance building designed by Carl Malmberg was originally opened in 1859, and from 1920 to 1994 used to stage opera, operetta and musical productions. Stora Teatern is run by the City and stages up to two or three shows per week in a very lively programme as well as accommodating longer running touring productions sometimes lasting several weeks.

The main stage can b

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Spain - The new distributor of Electro-Voice and Dynacord products in Spain has, since the start of 2013, been Pro3 & Co. Founded in 1995 and based in Barcelona, Pro3 & Co. is one of the most highly respected players on the Iberian pro audio scene - not only in the concert sound, but also in the fixed installation and mobile audio sector.

Pro3 & Co.'s reference list is long and features some of the most prestigious projects in Spain. These include halls, such as the Barcelona International Convention Centre, Toledo cathedral, Mallorca's Teatre Principal de Palma and the Centro Cultural Miguel Delibes in Valladolid, as well as a number of soccer stadiums, including FC Barcelona's Camp Nou.

"It's our corporate philosophy to offer our customers solutions tailored to their individual needs," comments Xavier Oliver, Pro3 & Co.'s marketing director. "Now, with Electro

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USA - Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1500s are lighting up The Joint, the concert venue for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas where 16 fixtures were recently acquired and hung above the stage.

The Joint is an intimate 4,000 capacity space known for delivering unforgettable live music experiences. With a commitment to remarkable sound, it has earned a reputation as one of the most authentic venues in Las Vegas.

"We used to rent lights then decided to buy them. When we started looking at fixtures we had three lights in mind, including the HPE 1500," says Christopher Lose, lighting designer for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. "We're a rock 'n roll venue and need all the bells and whistles and versatility we can get. We have 10 lighting designers a month who come in wanting different things. So the more tricks our lights have the better."

Lose reports that th

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Australia / UK - Sydney will once again be immersed in light, music and creative ideas as Vivid Sydney returns for a fifth year from 24 May to 10 June. For the first time the programme will be streamed live from the web address below. The live streaming will take place 11pm Wednesday 20 March (GMT) / 10am Thursday 21 March 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Vivid Sydney highlights include: the lighting of the iconic Sydney Opera House sails; 3D mapping projections on Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art; interactive light sculptures and installations; public talks, debates and workshops from innovative global creatives and thought leaders in collaboration with Vivid IDEAS; and performances from local and international musicians at Vivid LIVE and Vivid MUSIC.

The 18-day event, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, is a major celebration of the cr

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UK - Funktion-One has made history by becoming the first loudspeaker manufacturer to supply sound for a house music event in the Houses of Parliament.

On Wednesday 6 March, a very special music event was staged at the centre of British politics - the Houses of Parliament - as the 'House the House' competition reached its spectacular conclusion. Organised by the charity Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (LNADJ), the two-and-a-half hour musical extravaganza saw a series of inspiring musical performances, including a set by DJ superstar Fatboy Slim.

Headlining the bill was 'House the House' winner Bryce Fury, who won the Final at Ministry of Sound in February. As the competition's winner, he snagged a stunning first-prize package, which also included a fully paid Audio Production Degree Scholarship at SAE Institute worth £20,000, a set at We Love Space in Ibiza and a haul of Ve

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USA Behringer has introduced the latest in its Europort product line, the iP40PRO, an all-in-one portable PA system with full Bluetooth connectivity for users "who demand cutting-edge audio coupled with supreme ease of operation". The iP40PRO can handle gatherings of up to 250 people, making it suitable for company gatherings, pool parties, corporate presentations - or any other event requiring fast setup and high-quality audio performance.

The iP40PRO features a 40-Watt, Class-D amplifier; a powerful 8" woofer and high-resolution tweeter housed in a rugged self-contained package; Integrated wheels and a convenient retractable luggage-style handle for ease of transport. To further enhance portability, a rechargeable internal battery provides up to 12 hours of on-the-go operation.

A robust 'Planet Earth' switching power supply offers maximum flexibility (100 - 24

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USA - At the USITT Stage Expo in Milwaukee 21-23 March, J. R. Clancy, Inc., will unveil a new rigging control system that expands its SceneControl 5000 line, with the flexibility schools and universities need to grow as their production values become more complex.

Clancy has partnered with Niscon, Inc., creators of the Raynok Motion Control System, to develop the SceneControl 5000 Stage Automation Control System series. The SC5000 series extends the already popular SceneControl series of rigging control systems, taking the system's functionality to unprecedented levels.

The SC5000 series offers multi-level cueing, sub-master control, free and locked groups, and unlimited numbers of axes in a system. There are no restrictions on the quantity of cues in a performance, or on the number of stored show files or concurrent axes in motion.

At USITT, Clancy introduces the SceneContr

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UK - The Phoenix School in Peterborough recently hosted their annual charity ball. The theme this year was Spencer's Red Velvet Ball and the evening was supported by Pearce Hire with a striking production and stage set, designed to create the perfect atmosphere for an evening of entertainment and fundraising for this important special needs school, which is recognised as an outstanding Ofsted school.

The black tie event took place at the Atrium at Peterborough Arena, a venue in the East of England recognised for its excellent access, facilities and flexible approach from its staff. The occasion had a number of different areas including a formal sit down dining and stage area, a casino and dance floor. Pearce Hire produced the event with a complete audio, lighting, draping and effects package for the main room and pre and post dinner reception area.

"We have been a

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Brazil - 55 years ago, Scania - the Swedish heavy truck maker - began operations in Brazil. Today, Brazil has more Scania trucks than in any other country in the world, with around 40% of all heavy trucks operating in Brazil known to be by Scania.

The company celebrated its successful 55 years of operations in Brazil, at HSBC Brasil. Located in the south zone of São Paulo, the venue is a renowned music hall featuring a high-quality technical infrastructure. Over the years HSBC Brasil has played host to a number of high-calibre musical and theatrical events, and top international artists.

Several shows took place during the event, including an exclusive concert by famous Brazillian artist Jorge Ben.

The performances were lit with a light rig including XR3000 SPOT CMY moving heads and the new high-power compact LED moving heads NRG 1201 from D.T.S.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Star Events Group was recently back in Trafalgar Square, this time with their 13m x 12m Alpha mobile stage to celebrate the Maslenitsa and St. Patrick's Day festivities.

The weekend kicked off on Saturday 16 March with the Russian Maslenitsa Festival. Maslenitsa is the Russian Sun Festival, a celebration of waving farewell to winter and where Russian's all over the world say "Zdravstvui Maslenitsa!" to Spring, welcoming the start of warmth.

The Square was transformed into a bustling bazaar and the stage hosted performances of traditional songs and dance. The event in Trafalgar Square was the grand finale of Russian Week in London (11-17 March).

The Alpha mobile stage built in five hours, ensured that production had maximum time to load in and the quick de-rig of the stage meant that the Square was cleared within a few hours of the event finishing on the load o

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Germany - Lab.gruppen will once again be making an appearance at the Messe in Frankfurt in 2013, coinciding with the Prolight+Sound and Musikmesse exhibitions on 10-13 April.

The company is using the occasion to launch a brand new product to market, and while details are being kept strictly under wraps until the official launch in April, a dedicated website - now live at www.thegamechanges.com - hints at what's to come.

However, visitors who want to see the latest innovation from the leading amplifier manufacturer will need to venture into completely new territory, as Lab.gruppen and Lake take over a prime location in the lobby of Hall 4.2 (the hall itself isn't in use) alongside fellow TC Group brands Tannoy, TC Electronic and TC Helicon and distributed brand Dynaudio.

"We won't be making our usual appearance at Prolight+sound in Hall 8.0 this year, but we'll sure be m

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Saudi Arabia - A squadron of Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700s and Clay Paky Sharpys lit up Jeddah's Laylati Hall during a celebration to observe International Civil Aviation Day.

Egyptian lighting designer Mohammed Gafar created a lighting rig that emphasised the aerial agility, precision and speed of aviation today, which comprised fast moving, super-bright Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700s and pure beam Sharpys.

"I chose to use the Alpha Spot HPE 700s and Sharpys for this particular event because we wanted a discreet light source that would deliver maximum effect when required" explains Gafar. "We were keen for the event, which was a sit down dinner and presentation, to look dramatic and exciting and reflect recent achievements of civil aviation. Lighting was used to set the mood and atmosphere of the room but also to enhance and punctuate the video presentation. In

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UAE - Showforce has announced Mike Smith as its new chief operating officer. Working closely with Showforce's owner and chairman, Ian Spendlove, Smith will be based in Dubai and oversee the operations, sales and marketing divisions across the Middle East and UK offices. With a longstanding career in catering and event production, encompassing roles at the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington and Eat to the Beat, Smith has spent the last five years working in the Middle East with Action Impact and Blink Events. His extensive portfolio of contacts in this market means he is well placed to lead the next phase in Showforce's business development plan, which includes the Middle East office achieving its ISO 9001 accreditation, says the company.

"I've actually worked alongside Showforce in many capacities during my career, from fellow contractor to supplier and now as employer,&q

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Belgium - The Killers Battle Born tour, which has so far crossed the US, Australia and Europe to promote the band's fourth album, has taken ArKaos MediaMaster 3 with its new VideoMapper extension along for the ride.

Show designer Steven Douglas has worked with The Killers before and has this time created a spectacular show, making an advanced use of live camera feeds from various sources, mixed with visual content in real time.

Taking advantage of the multi output capabilities of the ArKaos VideoMapper, Douglas has setup an upstage video wall composed of Pixled F-15 NT, which splits into two separate video screens with the top section measuring 4.6m x 14.6m and the lower section 1.8m x 14.6m, revealing a wall of moving lights and lasers behind it.

On stage, Douglas incorporates more video screens into some of the set elements. Three band risers are covered in a total

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USA - Kid Rock and his band, Twisted Brown Trucker, are once again rolling across the US with two months of arena shows between February and April. Along for the ride are not only opening acts Buckcherry and Hellbound Glory, but also another "old friend" - Sound Image's L-Acoustics K1 system.

The 2013 Rebel Soul tour, in support of Kid Rock's latest album of the same name, marks the sixth year that Steve 'Half Pint' Cross has manned FOH for the group. With John 'Haircut' Tompkins once again serving as systems engineer, and Parnelli Award-winning audio system tech Vic 'Beaker' Wagner assisting with PA. setup and optimization, the tour is taking advantage of a full complement of K1, Kudo and Kara loudspeakers, all powered by LA8-equipped LA-RAK.

Similar to Kid Rock's touring system from his Born Free tour with Sheryl Crow two years ago, the main house sys

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UK - Richard Martin Lighting (RML) has purchased its first batch of Robe's Robin MMX WashBeam fixtures which have gone into hire stock.

RML is one of the UK's favourite independent hire facilities and a specialist in the worlds of television and live entertainment production.

The company has been renowned for its expertise and authority on moving lights for almost 30 years, and has been right at the forefront of this technology throughout. The purchase of the latest Robe products for its already extensive inventory is no exception.

RML started buying Robe products in 2012 and now already has over 100 fixtures available, including LEDBeam 100s and LEDWash 600s as well as the 24 new MMX WashBeams.

Says RML's marketing coordinator Gemma Jaques, "We feel that Robe has really taken the time to listen to end users and 'got it right' with the current Robin range."

She

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