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With top promotion team DAD on board, fabric’s Dave Parry as technical consultant and legendary Back to Basics and Union club nights moving across town, the new 800-capacity Rehab in the heart of Leeds’ Exchange quarter, has gone straight into overdrive. The new venue, which opened this month, is sited on Assembly Street in a Grade 1 listed, 17th century building.

Much of the club’s immediate success is attributable to the explosion of kinetic energy witnessed by punters on the opening weekend, when they queued down the street to experience Leeds’ latest venue. The installation was carried out by Jonathan Reece’s Harrogate-based Funtime Music. The sound and lighting specialists have a history of installing owner, Chris Edwards’ clubs - such as Space in Leeds and Birdcage - and were asked to assist in the conversion of the building previously trading

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Industry consultant Peter Ed is all set to achieve exactly that: take on the challenge of climbing 14,000ft over just one October weekend in Morocco. In the name of charity, Peter and his wife will be scaling Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, located in the High Atlas Mountain Range. The couple will be raising money for ARK - Absolute Return for Kids - a charity established to transform the lives of children who are victims of abuse, disability, illness and poverty. Last year, ARK raised nearly £1.5m from an awards dinner plus a trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and they're hoping to top this figure for 2002.

Locally, Mount Toubkal is known as Adrar n'Dem: Mountain of Mountains. The area is the most popular trekking destination in Northern Africa and is home to some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery in the world. The biggest problem for climbers is the a

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Following the continued growth of Cambridgeshire-based 5 Star Cases Ltd, the company has recently undertaken major changes to its management structure. Jim Willis, the current managing director, has taken the decision to plan for his retirement in a few years by handing over the day to day running of the company to the current technical director, Keith Sykes.

Sykes, who becomes works director (MD designate) has been with 5 Star since 1991 when the company acquired Pro-Tect Cases, the Ipswich-based manufacturer which he ran for six years. "The growth of the company over the last few years has seen 5 Star become a leading name in the case industry. It's down to a professional approach and hard work from everybody in the company," explains Sykes. Justin Locks, the current production manager is promoted to general manager, overseeing both the production and administration facilit

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A new website for freelance professionals and employers in the UK and beyond has been launched at www.freelanceshowstaff.co.uk. The site has taken two years to develop, making it a very versatile and user-friendly service for the whole entertainment industry - a market sector which relies heavily of freelance labour. A mix of useful information combined with valuable functions, the website is designed for both employees and employers. Since its launch earlier this summer, the site has registered over 200 freelancers and 80 companies - from more than 20 different disciplines including audio, lighting, carpentry, rigging, scenery, stage management and wardrobe.

Potential employers can check a specific registered freelancer’s availability or search for new ones, as well as placing job advertisements. They can search by name

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Delta Sound Inc, the London-based sound company, has made a substantial investment in BSS Soundwebs, adding 25 units to its inventory specifically to handle its contract for the recent Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Delta’s head of technical Mark Underwood, the stadium project manager for the ceremonies and the games, used a total of 32 BSS DSP units within a fibre optic infrastructure to create one of the most extensive temporary Soundweb installations ever designed. From the hub at the front-of-house position, Soundwebs provided the signal distribution highway for Delta's audio installation throughout the City of Manchester Stadium, distributing to six remote amplifier sites via fibre optic cable, and managing all the matrix routing and outboard processing.

"If we hadn't had the Soundweb technology and the line length the fibre offered us, we simply couldn't have done t

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Arcadia Group Plc recently had a helping hand from Skan PA Hire, the Reading-based sound rental company, at their annual London conference. Skan provided seven separate sound systems for the event, which took place at the Business Design Centre London - just days after headline news broke of Arcadia's take over by Phillip Green, owner of BHS and other well-known high street stores.

Skan were asked to supply systems to cover all aspects of the two-day event, which included a central stage, for all 400 attendees to watch fashion shows and hear from key speakers. While six further systems were spread around the venue in break out areas. Brand experience company Hotcakes provided all creative work and production management for the event.

Skan supplied a mixed system, including Turbosound TQ440 self-powered full-range loudspeakers, together with JBL C25s for the main conference room. Vari

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One of Hand Held Audio's more challenging clients recently has been shock dance act the Prodigy. Hand Held has been supplying Shure SM58 hand-held, guitar and PSM 600 in-ear radio systems to the band on a one-off basis since January as they prepare for the release of their next album.

The band has been extremely busy with festivals in Australia, USA, Ireland, Belgium, Mount Fuji in Japan, plus of course the recent Mean Fiddler festivals in Reading, Leeds and Glasgow over the August Bank Holiday weekend, where Prodigy headlined. According to Hand Held's Nick Bruce Smith, the challenge has nothing to do with the gear spec, which is straightforward enough, although the licensing element has been time consuming given the number of different countries and sites the band has covered. The interesting part is seeing the state of the equipment on its return. "We just never know quite what

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Hillsong Church in Sydney incorporates two major worship centres, a city-wide network of cell groups and contributing ministries and outreach services. It was set up in the early 1980s by New Zealanders Brian and Bobbie Houston, who saw the need to provide people in Sydney’s North West with an active, contemporary church. Today it is possibly the largest church in Australian history, operating from a 21-acre site in a modern business park in the Hills district, and from a contemporary facility near the heart of Sydney’s CBD. With a congregation of over 12,000, the reputation of the church continues to expand and has a dynamic influence both domestically and internationally.

Hillsong Church had been planning to build a larger auditorium since moving into its current building four years ago. With only two worship centres - one holding 1,500 at Baulkham Hills in Sydney's north

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Nexo SA has responded to growing worldwide demand for its advanced loudspeaker system technology by creating three international sales regions. Denis Baudier, international sales director, will have primary responsibility for Europe, the Middle East and Africa: he will be based at the Nexo SA factory in Roissy, France. Meanwhile, James Yeung of Nexo Far East Pte Ltd will supervise the company’s distribution in the Pacific Rim from Nexo’s headquarters in Singapore whilst David Solari, CEO of Nexo USA, will direct Nexo operations in North and South America from the company’s offices in San Rafael, CA.

"As the worldwide customer base for Nexo technology expands, we are responding to a need for increased support and training," explains Nexo managing director Michael Johnson. "These three areas of the world have unique characteristics and opportunities, and

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During the recent PLASA Show came the announcement that Midas has appointed LMC Audio Systems as Executive Agent for its mixing console range. The announcement, made by Midas UK sales manager Richard Ferriday, follows the successful commercial relationship forged between the two companies over the past five years, which has seen LMC implement a very successful market diversification programme to further increase the rentability of the growing Midas range for all users.

Ferriday confirmed that the new agreement signalled a close, full working partnership between the factory and LMC, offering Midas customers for the first time, factory contact, whilst increasing the package of commercial tools on offer through LMC.

LMC Audio managing director Paul Hinkly was delighted with the new appointment. "The Midas brand has been and continues to be the most stable console brand to buy, o

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Marquee Audio has fulfilled a request from the UCL Bloomsbury to supply and install a new Martin Audio front-of-house sound system in their auditorium, along with BSS Soundweb control blocks which will allow the expandability the venue requires in the future.

The UCL Bloomsbury is a two-level auditorium (accommodating 400 in the stalls and 150 in the circle), owned by University College London and built in the 1960s. Though housed in a concrete edifice its vertical wooden-slatted baffle ensures the sound is not overly reflective and can be heard with clarity at the rear of the wide auditorium.For three-quarters of the year the theatre is a receiving house and for the remainder of the time they run productions for student societies.

Venue chief electrician Adam Leigh contacted Marquee for the first time - on the strength of receiving their promotional literature, and the recommendatio

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Stage Technologies is currently in the process of equipping two new ships with complete rigging and control systems for Princess Cruises. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is building two giant 113,000gt ships in Nagasaki, Japan, for the cruise line, which will be the largest ever ships ordered by P&O Princess. Matthew Tonks is the project manager for Stage Technologies and believes that the new systems "will enable Princess Cruises to provide their passengers with shows to rival any equivalent on land."

One of the central elements of the Stage Technology system will be its new TanJent system. This prevents scenery from moving around with the pitching and rolling of the boat by guiding the scenery flybars throughout the full travel of the bar.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Euro Hire Sound & Light, a full service production company based in Farnborough in Hampshire, has become the first UK customer to invest in the recently launched compact line array system from Dynacord, Cobra.

Euro Hire was specifically looking for a system to cope with smaller events and theatre tours. Operations manager Jools Warren explained that although their current systems (EAW and Renkus Heinz) were more than adequate, it was sometimes rather a case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. "We decided that it would be a good idea to be able to offer our customers the option of a more compact system, so when Shuttlesound proposed Cobra, we were very interested. And then once we'd heard the demo at the Anvil theatre in Basingstoke, it was really just a question of crunching the numbers and sorting out a delivery date!"

Euro Hire invested in a total of six Cobra Top enc

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Barbizon Lighting Company, the worldwide distributor of professional lighting systems and supplies for entertainment and architecture, has established a new European-based operation. Barbizon Europe will focus on fulfilling the requests of its international customers as well as establishing new business from its new London area stocking location.

CEO Jonathan Resnick told us: "This is a very exciting venture for the entire Barbizon family. Having a European-based shipping location will help to expand our already significant global business. We are also fortunate to have a very experienced team who will operate our London office."

That team includes Phil Bullock, formerly export manager of MGC Lamps, as general manager and Wendy Pearson, formerly MGC Lamps and AC Lighting export coordinator, as operations manager. Garry Nelsson, formerly of Lighting Technology Group, comes

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Along with a veritable who's who of high profile club DJs, TiMax virtual surround sound and audio animation environment has been something of a feature of the summer 2002 club dance festival circuit. Corporate-sponsored arenas such as the Strongbow Loafing Lounge at Homelands and Gatecrashers Ball, plus the Smirnoff Experience at Glastonbury, have all specified TiMax audio animation for their sound systems this year.

Keen to enhance elaborately branded arena designs with advanced and integrated multimedia, production designers were quick to realise that immersive multichannel sound was essential to complement the abundance of intelligent lighting effects and multi-screen abstract video content. DJs were provided with an Octopad drum pad to trigger pre-programmed virtual surround sound spins, figure-of-eights and zigzag moves in TiMax via MIDI, along with a few samples of helicopters an

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A clear sign of the international expansion of D.A.S. Audio was seen recently in Cartagena, Colombia, where presidents from a number of American states were gathered. Included in the roster of important American leaders was ex-president of Colombia Andres Pastrana, president of Colombia Uribe Velez and special guest, former president of the United States, Bill Clinton.

A special ceremony in honour of Clinton was held in the fabulous San Felipe fortress, which overlooks the port city of Cartagena. Invitees as well as the leaders from the American states were entertained with a spectacular concert themed around Colombian folk music. D.A.S. systems were on hand, with factory technical support provided by Ramon Franco, D.A.S. sales engineer in Colombia.

Sound reinforcement for this important event was handled by Sonido y Accesorios SIA, based in Bogota. Samuel Puentes, company director,

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Architectural lighting specialists i-vision were approached by international property consultants KingSturge, to design a lighting scheme for the Eastgate Centre in Cardiff. The newly refurbished Centre is a large office complex in the heart of vibrant, downtown Cardiff. It's off-beat 1970's styling comes from four, different sized flat-fronted, conjoined blocks, bordered by roads on all four sides, giving the Eastgate Centre a high profile.

The main façade of the building is constructed of brick with long runs of windows along each floor. However KingSturge has been progressive in the re-fit of the building, adding a glass stairwell to the exterior and a new entrance canopy. These new features, together with the overall re-fit, have greatly improved both the architecture and the working environment. The lighting scheme of i-vision's Geoff Jones is intended to transform Eastgate House

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Show Presentation Services (SPS) has successfully completed its fourth consecutive year providing equipment and technical expertise at the Royal Albert Hall’s prestigious back-to-back award week. The events also mark more than a decade of partnership with Philip Talbot Productions (PTP) producing some of Britain’s highest profile awards ceremonies.

This year SPS and PTP teamed up with Qudos Productions to provide staging and production expertise for the Investment Week awards, the British Insurance awards, and the Motor Transport awards over a three-day period. The tight schedule was dictated by the limited time period when a false floor can be fitted in the hall to accommodate the 1,400 capacity audiences at these kinds of events. Following the success of previous years, it was decided to run the events consecutively to maximize the hall availability and ensure the smooth

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On the evening of 4 September, the curtain was raised on Phantom of the Opera at Madrid's Teatro Lope de Vega, with creator Lord Lloyd Webber himself amid the opening night audience. Fourth Phase was successful following a competitive tender process in supplying a replica of the lighting rig that appears in the original London West End production - all at very short notice! Contracted to supply the entire lighting spec, Fourth Phase was given two weeks in which to send substantial quantities of equipment to Spain, from dimmers to lanterns, followspots and cables.

Re-creating Andy Bridge's West End design was the show's associate lighting designer Michael Odam, who had to work around the limitations of the Spanish theatre: "We lost 1.5m of electric flying space on the grid as a result of the depth of the stage. In the original Phantom production Digital Light Curtains play

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Pathway Connectivity, the leading data communications company in the entertainment lighting industry, is pleased to announce the addition of a new partner to its industry partnership, the Pathport Alliance. Leviton Lighting Control, the US’s largest supplier of wiring devices, will add Pathport compatibility to further strengthen its theatrical, stage and studio lighting systems portfolio, while backing this with its reputation for quality, reliability and service.

The Pathport Alliance is made up of major lighting control manufacturers that have undertaken to implement the Pathport Protocol in their products. Pathport Ethernet devices provide users with a powerful, yet economical arrangement for patching, merging, prioritizing and distributing up to 64 universes of DMX. The Pathport Alliance is currently comprised of Entertainment Technology, Leviton Lighting Control, Flying Pig

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Lighting designer Bryan Hartley has specified the High End Systems' Catalyst system to add another dimension to the recent Slayer tour. MCSi supplied the Catalyst and the video projection equipment, while Bandit Lites provided all the lighting, the Wholehog II console - which also ran the Catalyst - and the remainder of the production gear.

"The Catalyst was a lot of fun," comments Hartley, "and it was great to run the video edits through the Hog." The lighting veteran, whose design credits include Kiss, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Meat Loaf and many others, plans to use Catalyst an another upcoming project near the end of this year.

(Ruth Rossington)

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The Music Managers Forum’s (MMF) British Music Roll of Honour took place on 18 September at The Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, London. The event marks the achievements of music industry managers and luminaries and attracts a myriad of industry stars and top brass. This year they also gathered to mark the Music Managers Forum’s 10th Anniversary. Live entertainment came courtesy of Travis and Craig David in honour of their managers Ian McAndrew and Colin Lester. McAndrew and Lester, from management company Wildlife, were presented with the much-coveted Peter Grant Award for their outstanding contribution to the music industry.

The ceremony was hosted by DJ and BBC radio presenter Paul Gambaccini, who was surprised to find himself inducted onto the Roll of Honour in recognition of over 30 years in the industry. Other inductees included Willie Robertson and Bob Taylor from Robertso

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With a capacity of 3,000, Ireland’s largest dance club opened its doors this month in the town of Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. Owners Kevin McKenna and PJ Woods have invested nearly €5 million in developing what is arguably Ireland’s first superclub, around a Martin Audio Wavefront 8 Compact system. Woods had known Rea Sound from previous leisure ventures but the Cookstown-based company still had to win a tender to develop the dancefloor and balcony (with a small, 200-capacity chill-out room in the next stage of development). "When they gave us a chance to quote we thought we’d show them just what the Martin Wavefront system was capable of, as we were under serious pressure from other leading brands," says Sean. "So we took them on a tour, and they were quickly convinced."

This sounded the signal for Martin’s product manager, Richie Rowl

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Robe Showlighting - the Czech moving light manufacturer - announced the appointment of LMP Lichttechnik as its new German distributor at PLASA last week. Based in Ibbenbüren, North Germany, LMP is one of the largest lighting sales operations in Europe, and is ideally placed to service Robe's active expansion as a direct sales operation. This follows Robe's recent appointment of Coe-tech as its UK distributor, and a very successful PLASA show, where it launched its new AT Series of intelligent fixtures, with six featured products and more to come.Until recently, Robe Showlighting was well known as an OEM manufacturer and supplier of many of Europe's leading moving light brands.

Robe's Josef Valchar comments: "We chose LMP because it's a very well established company with much experience and familiarity with the moving light market. Their after-sales support and back-up is also ren

  1. US draft standards for public review . . .
  2. Swedish divas on Autopilot II
  3. Seattle Seahawks' stunning new Stadium
  4. Sound Advice goes live with a new sponsor
  5. Leisure Industry Week 2002
  6. On the go with Simply By Others
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