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USA - Centre position on the Carlsbro / Studiomaster NAMM stand was the artist performance stage, which hosted a line-up of live performances from a variety of musicians throughout the duration of the show.

Performances on the second day featured young San Francisco singer-songwriter Megan Slankard. The acclaimed independent recording artist is enjoying sales success, with four albums released already and a fifth on the way, and has toured constantly across the States for the last two and half years, supporting the likes of Train and returning home to play sell-out dates at the Swedish American Hall and Café du Nord, perform at the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge and sing the National Anthem to 42,000 fans in the San Francisco Giant's stadium. On Friday she took

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UK - There's little doubt that Maroon 5 are riding high at the moment. This is a band who radiate confidence and self-assured accomplishment in their live performances. Here in the UK and Europe in January to complete a date sheet interrupted by front man Adam Levine's TV commitments to the US version of The Voice, another outfit might have opted for a pared down version of their stage production for just a few shows. Not so for Maroon 5. With a stage set, laser show, video and lighting design by Eric Wade, a veteran of the likes of Usher, Mariah Carey and Eric Clapton, this was a show to blow away all of those January blues.

"I am using a ton of Clay Paky fixtures on this show," says Wade, "probably the most ever. There are Sharpies, Alpha Profile 1500s, Alpha Wash 1500s and Sharpy Washes. I really, really like the Alpha Wash which I specified when I origi

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UK - Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity have been breakdancing around the UK's biggest arenas in a dynamic show entitled Limitless. Lighting designer Neil Trenell's beat-perfect show design, featured sophisticated pyrotechnics and a backdrop of stunning video visuals, all cleverly punctuated with intense bursts of light from an array of Philips Showline LED SL NITRO 510s.

Trenell's lighting trusses carried a number of LED wash and profile fixtures, peppered at regular intervals with Showline SL NITRO 510s. Although he only used 14 in total he used them in a multiplicity of imaginative ways including full on audience blinders, single snare accents, and flash flares.

"Incredibly, the SL NITRO 510s make it looks like there are at least 100 strobes on stage - not just 14," explains Trenell. "I'm impressed, you get serious bang for your buck from th

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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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UK - Doncaster's new performance venue Cast is now open featuring a suite of four performance spaces with stage engineering, stagelighting, sound, and AV systems designed and specified by Charcoalblue.

Working alongside specialist architects, RHWL Arts Team, Charcoalblue's brief was to deliver a full technical solution for the spaces, to a predetermined budget and programme, that adequately equipped them for a broad range of users from local drama groups to national productions.

RHWL Arts Team developed the design of the fixed form, 600-seat proscenium theatre which is large enough to attract high-profile acts and performers, and the flexible studio theatre which caters for up to 200 people seated, or 400 standing, and facilitates a wide range of uses thanks to its flexibility of the integrated systems design.

Dance and drama studios complete the suite of performance spaces.

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UK - Successful UK pop band JLS completed their final tour just before Christmas complete with a bold and vibrant lighting and visuals design by Dave Lee and lighting equipment for the tour supplied by HSL to live producers, Production North.

As the four members of JLS - JB Gill, Marvin Humes, Aston Merrygold and Ortisé Williams - are moving on to pursue solo careers and new projects five years after bursting onto the music scene as runners up on the 2008 X-Factor series. Since then they have had numerous number one hits, completed four major tours and sold over 10 million records worldwide.

Both HSL - where the account was project managed by Mike Oates - and Dave Lee have been involved right from the start of JLS's meteoric career, seeing the band grow and develop into a pop-tastic tour de force that has entertained audiences everywhere.

Mike Oates comments, &

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UK - CIE-Group, one of the audio visual industry's longest established providers of equipment for the professional audio visual integration and PA sectors, has announced a new distribution partnership with leading European telecommunications solution provider 2N. This partnership means 2N becomes the latest addition to the CIE-Group product portfolio, providing an innovative range of IP-addressable audio, intercom and door entry systems for professional the AV, telecoms and security sectors.

The new 2N audio-over-IP range consists of their NetSpeaker and SIP Speaker products which allow for distributed PA, music, audio marketing and messaging via a standard LAN, WAN or internet network. This allows for fast, simple multi-zone or multi-site installed sound systems using standard Cat-X cable infrastructure.

The 2N Door Access and Intercom range is also IP-addressable allowing fo

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UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) have confirmed their continued sponsorship of promising young UK racing driver, Jack Goff, who is a hotly tipped contender in the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

Jack returns with RCIB Insurance Racing Squad, to drive the Vauxhall Insignia for a second full season.

AC-ET were delighted with Jack's performance in his 2013 debut BTCC Championship last year. He achieved great pace over the season, including being second fastest for most of the race day at Silverstone and a well-earned second place podium finish in the final round at Brands Hatch after a climactic battle for position with outgoing BTCC champion Gordon Shedden.

Fittingly, the first race of the 2014 BTCC Championship - on Sunday 30March 2014 - takes place at Brands Hatch, so Jack will be hoping for another positive outcome on the circuit

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UK - NL Productions, the Edinburgh-based events arm of Northern Light Stage and Technical Services Ltd, has become a major stockist of Clay Paky fixtures in Scotland following a considerable investment with the manufacturer's UK distributor, Ambersphere Solutions.

NL Productions has purchased 30 of Clay Paky's latest industry-leading luminaires, including A.LEDA WASH K10s, Sharpys, Sharpy Washes and Alpha Spot QWO 800s.

"There aren't many Sharpys in rental stocks this far north yet," points out NL Productions' hire manager John Pike. "We were keen to introduce the Sharpy into the Scottish events market and felt we were well placed to do this. Our top level clients are very aware that the Sharpy is delivering many of the looks of the moment and they are keen to use them on their own events."

In fact, since the Sharpys and Sharpy Washes have been added to N

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Grammy Awards - French dance duo Daft Punk took top honours at the Grammy Awards, winning five prizes including album and record of the year. Hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took four awards - best new artist plus best rap album, song and performance Justin Timberlake won three, while New Zealand teenager Lorde picked up two including song of the year for Royals.

Sir Paul McCartney was among the other double winners and also reunited with his Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr. The pair teamed up for Sir Paul's song Queenie Eye during the ceremony, which is known for its heavyweight on-stage collaborations. The show was opened by Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce, while Madonna joined Macklemore and Lewis during their anti-homophobia anthem Same Love, as 33 same-sex and heterosexual couples got married on stage.

Broadway First - Theatre impresario Sir Came

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Italy - Following a successful Showlight in the Czech Republic last year, and with a little over three years to go to the next one, incoming Showlight chairman John Allen has announced that Clay Paky is to be the main sponsor of Showlight 2017.

Organised by lighting professionals for lighting professionals, Showlight exists specifically to give people time to talk, to discuss ideas and to mix with some of the best known names in the lighting industry. It is only the support given by companies such as Clay Paky, by providing generous 'seed' money, that enables Showlight to take place.

Pio Nahum, marketing director of Clay Paky, said, "It is a big honour for us to bring Showlight to Italy. Our country has had a great influence in the development of performing arts and related technologies - you only have to think of how famous Italian theatre, opera and ballet are. For cent

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France - Top French TV lighting designer David Seligmann-Forest for Lite4life again specified Robe products to light the popular reality TV show MasterChef France, series 4 of which was recorded at La Plaine Studios, St Denis, Paris, and broadcast on the TF1 network.

Seligman-Forest has lit all four series of MasterChef France for producers Shine France. The MasterChef franchise is the world's best loved TV gastronomic phenomena - and he has used more and more Robe lights over the years on this and all his other work. Robe is definitely his moving light of choice.

For the three months of shooting the MasterChef France 4 episodes in the special studio workshop, his lighting rig contained four Robin LEDWash 1200s, 39 x Robin LEDWash 600s, 20 x RobinLEDWash 300s and eight of the small super-quick-and-bright Robin LEDBeam 100s.

"It's absolutely essential to ha

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UK - Bristol-based lighting and rigging rental specialists Fineline celebrates the start of 2014 with a rebranding exercise, complete with a new-look logo and website to consolidate a last quarter investment strategy that is focused on offering new and innovative technologies and imaginative solutions to its growing portfolio of clients.

2014 is the third year that Fineline - originally established in 1988 - has been running under new, lively and energetic independent ownership, with a management team led by MD Rob Sangwell.

The company has built up a reputation as a leading lighting and visuals facility in the South West region - encapsulated in the new strap-line 'Professional-Creative-Trusted' - and works nationwide in the UK and worldwide internationally.

Sangwell explains, "Three years ago, a new era in Fineline's history was launched with the buy-out and implement

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UK - MG Event and Sound specialise in sound and lighting for businesses, churches and schools. Recently they have been using MilTec's British built Blakite speakers for church installations.

For two recent jobs they used the TP10 mid/top and SP121 compact sub. The TP10s were chosen for their crisp, detailed sound and good projection in the relatively large space of a church. The SP121 subs warm the sound without being boomy, a common problem in churches.

On one of the jobs, four TP10s, 2x SP121 subs and a pair of IF06 in-fill speakers were all run from one of Miltec's MA472 amps. The MA472 is a lightweight multi-channel amp, delivering 4x 750WRMS into 4Ohms.

Mike Godden, MD commented, "Over the past couple of years Miltec have become a "Go-To Supplier" to specify for our various installations across the country. The Blakite speakers offer a good mixture of ove

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UK - Television lighting director Lee Allen has quickly adopted SGM's new highly efficient P-5 LED washlight as an essential part of his inventory, after being introduced to the fixture by rental specialists Richard Martin Lighting (RML).

The West London based moving light specialists had made a substantial investment in the product in time for the BBC's fundraiser Children In Need late last year, and when they demonstrated the attributes to Allen he was quick to earmark them for the children's programme Blue Peter, for which he is LD.

The second longest-running TV show in the UK (having first aired in 1958), the evergreen British children's programme, an essential part of Children In Need, was shot outside the new MediaCity studios, at Salford Quays in Manchester. Lee explained why he was so enthusiastic about using this low-profile light, which came supp

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South Africa - ETC's South African dealer Prosound has supplied a Source Four XT external fixture to illuminate a statue at the entrance to the Lejwe la Metsi game farm in South Africa.

Kobus van Rensburg, owner of home automation company Electronia, which carried out the installation, explains, "The new villa at the farm, where visitors come to observe wild animals, has some amazing features; one of them is a bronze leopard that runs across the water at the western side of the house."

Very high profile VIPs are regularly entertained at the game farm, so it was important to have the statue looking at its best.

"We tried various types of lights but couldn't get sufficient illumination on the statue," explains van Rensburg. "The problem was that when it was viewed from inside the villa at night, glare on the inside of the windows hid the outside water

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The Netherlands - Located in the historic centre of Haarlem, Netherlands, De Toneelschuur is a theatre and cinema which has a diverse approach to the performing arts. Recently its Yamaha digital mixing inventory has seen two CL1 consoles added, which are helping to ensure that its sounds are as innovative as its sights.

De Toneelschuur puts on shows and films designed to inspire a wide audience. Independent and 'art house' films show alongside family movies and cinema classics; experimental theatre, mime, cabaret and drama are produced alongside contemporary plays and comedy. This diversity has led to it being regarded as one of the Netherlands leading arts venues.

Designed by artist Joost Swarte, the current building was opened in 2003 and features two theatre spaces and two cinemas. However, De Toneelschuur has had a long and happy relationship with Yamaha digital mixing bef

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UK - AKG has continued its support of Red Bull Studio for the third series of Launched At Red Bull Studios - the Channel 4 programme featuring conversation and performance by up-and-coming bands and singers, introduced by Annie Mac.

The first of five episodes was aired on 8 January. Building on the success of the first two series, this time Launched interviewed artists like Rudimental, Rita Ora, Mark Owen, Yannis Philippakis (Foals), Malay, Guy Lawrence (Disclosure), Will Kennard (Chase & Status), Tom Odell and Bastille front man Dan Smith about why they were tipping the new talent featured in the latest series.

"The DMS700 V2 and IVM4500 IEM systems proved invaluable during filming and were utilised by the majority of acts on the show," reports studio manager & head engineer, Brendon Harding. "The feedback on these systems from both the artists and their

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Denmark - In late 2013, Martin Professional put out a call to lighting designers around the world, whether a professional lighting designer, small-venue producer or industry newbie, to share their passion for the lighting industry. With hundreds of entries, a one-minute-long video from 22-year-old Ricardo Dias from Portugal managed to convince Martin he was the most passionate member of the lighting industry. His creative approach to lighting earned him, along with his father, a round-trip visit to Martin headquarters in Denmark for a two-day tour of a lifetime.

Dias' creative approach to lighting design was the most impressive point of interest to Martin. The recession continues to impact the lighting industry in Portugal, so the lack of proper equipment forces Dias and his crew of four friends to be creative when hired for a gig. During events, the team has to make on-the-fly

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The Netherlands - displayLED, home of the digiLED screen brand, will demonstrate some of the creative opportunities offered by its latest generation of LED display technology at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), Amsterdam, from 4-6 February.

digiFLEX 6mm & bendy truss: The award winning magnetic digiFLEX screen surface will be coupled with a new innovative bendy truss that enables cost-effective installations of video tickers and creative curves. This brand new concept is a must see for both interior space and set designers.

HRi 3.5mm: It's not about the highest resolution, rather the highest usable resolution. The HRi system is digiLED's latest high resolution offering aimed at AV rental businesses and the integration market. Based on the concept that usability is key to a product's success, the new HRi will be available in 3.5mm, 3.1mm and 2.7mm variants. Manufactured to exce

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UK - One of the biggest-selling artists in the history of classical music with over 80m albums sold to date, and one of the very few classical artists to achieve crossover acceptance into the mainstream, Andrea Bocelli is probably the most popular classical Italian singer in the world today.

In November 2013 Bocelli performed two sold-out UK shows at the First Direct Arena in Leeds and Glasgow's SSE Hydro. His long-time FOH engineer is fellow Italian Andrea Taglia, who is a devotee of Outline's GTO system and has been using it with Bocelli throughout his 2013 US tour. Both UK shows featured an Outline GTO-based loudspeaker system, specified by Andrea Taglia, facilitated by Britannia Row Productions and with Outline's UK distributor CUK Audio providing operational support).

Forty-five GTO enclosures were flown as three hangs of 15 each in variants of Taglia's preferred mono L-C

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UK - Screeching tyres, burning rubber and hi-adrenaline action was enjoyed by up to 5000 petrol-heads, speed freaks and performance car enthusiasts per show, courtesy of XL Video's spectacular 90m wide projection in the Live Action Arena at the 2014 Autosport International exhibition.

Staged at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham UK, XL has been involved with the popular Haymarket Exhibitions' show for several years. Following the massive success of the widescreen projection last year - the first time in this format - it was back again right at the heart of the production design for the show under the Creative Direction of Malcolm Forbes.

XL was again working for the Live Action Arena's technical production co-ordinators, Network Productions. XL's project manager was Toby Evans.

The giant moving backgrounds were made up from a six-way blend of six stacks of two Barc

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