Business

Details
UK - Campbell McNeil has been tour manager and Front of House engineer for Aussie alternative rock quartet The Temper Trap for the past 14 months. During that time, he has deployed a comprehensive set of Sennheiser microphones which, he says, make life during what has turned out to be a very hectic schedule, that much easier.

The Temper Trap's tour is covering Europe and Australia and they will be paying particular attention to the US during 2010, which they did not manage to cover as fully as they would have wished in 2009.

"The band relocated to the UK in late February 2008 to help build a fan base in Europe," McNeil says. "It was only meant to be for that year's festival season, but they just took off. We thought we'd be on tour for a year, but we're now going to carry on until November or December this year, which will make it nearly two years on the road.&q

Details
UK / North America - PLASA, the lead body for those working in the live events, entertainment and communication industries worldwide and ESTA, the principal trade association for the entertainment services and technology industries in North America, have voted to merge their two organisations.

The announcement comes on the back of lengthy consultations with both sets of memberships which concluded recently in a formal vote of Members - PLASA via its annual AGM, which took place on Wednesday 2 June in London, and ESTA via a month-long electronic ballot which ran throughout May.

Well over 90% of Members from each Association voted in support of the move, which will see ESTA and PLASA integrated to create a single international trade association operating under the PLASA name.

"The merger is a significant development for the industry as it will effectively create the first

Details
South Africa - Lighting, set and visuals for the 2010 MTN SAMAs broadcast from Sun City Superbowl were designed by Tim Dunn and the conclusion of a collaborative effort between show producers, Vertical Limit Productions, Gearhouse SA, The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), Elmir Arnautovic of The Project and the SAMAs Executive Creative Director, Andrew Wessels.

The team took the style, presentation and aesthetics up a few notches from previous years, setting a new benchmark and delivering an extravaganza fitting to the stature and profile of the occasion, which included 13 live performances plus numerous awards.

All technical production elements were supplied by Gearhouse South Africa. It was broadcast live by SABC1, and the event was project managed for Gearhouse by Bonni Meyer.

The 46 metre wide by 27 metre deep set featured multiple performance areas. "It is

Details
UK - London's Islington Town Hall is a famous icon of local government in the city. To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Islington Council has transformed its disused Assembly Room with a top-to-toe refurbishment, including the installation of an Electro-Voice XLE line array PA system.

Islington Town Hall's largest function room has languished as a furniture store since the 1980s. Some forward thinking at the Council, matched with the building's impending 80th anniversary, led to an extensive restoration programme and the creation of a new community resource.

The 400-capacity theatre-style assembly hall has a proscenium arch stage and a capacious balcony, lending the venue to any number of different uses, from council meetings and dinner dances to stage shows and concerts. Indeed, part of the fiscal logic for the refurbishment was that large council meetings would no longer have

Details
UAE - Arena Lea International and Farnborough International Limited (FIL) won a prestigious Middle East Event Award Madinat Jumeirah, in Dubai this May.

The award for best 'Outstanding event using a temporary venue / structure' was judged by a panel of international event professionals, who commended the innovation and high standards achieved at the inaugural Bahrain International Airshow 2010.

FIL appointed Arena Lea (an Arena Group partnership with Lea International) to design and construct the 5-star facility for the world's first guest invitational VIP aerospace trade exhibition with designated public areas on behalf of the organisers, the Civil Aviation Affairs, Kingdom of Bahrain (CAA).

The award presented by 'Sourceme' was collected by Arena Structures managing director Grahame Muir and Harlequin Arena CEO Paul Berger at the gala dinner attended by over 600 guests in

Details
China - A Medialon Manager Control System is being used to control and synchronise the AV devices installed inside and outside of the Macau Pavilion in Shanghai World Expo 2010.

The 10,336 cubic metre Macau Pavilion has been especially built for the World Expo in China. It is covered by a double-layer glass membrane and fluorescent screens. Rep[resents Macau's return to the Chinese mainland in 1999. The exterior of the pavilion is made of thousands of LED lights which change colours to create a spectacular show. The design of the building was inspired by rabbit lanterns, which were popular in southern China in ancient times.

Avant Video Systems (AVS), an Israeli-based integrator, was in charge of the entire Medialon set-up and AV devices integration. AVS is now responsible for supervising the system during the Expo.

Two Medialon Manager Pro allow control of over 130 Sanyo pr

Details
UK flywire was recently approached by production manager Charlie Boxhall to supply a performer flying solution for the European leg of Mika's Imaginarium Tour.

flywire utilised two BigTow winches from Stage Technologies with Illusionist control, FTSI Fastrack and diverter pulleys from flywire's Steelwork range. The system was used for the 'reveal' at the top of the show. Mika, clad in an astronaut suit was raised off stage up to a preset of 12m. On cue Mika flew down in a stable curved flight path, finally descending onto the half moon stage centre to rapturous applause. The flying system was used for a further two effects later in the show, flying a scenic tree and spaceship.

flywire offers automation touring solutions for performer, camera and scenic effects. Winches and track mount to all standard truss configurations and utilising bespoke wheel brackets offer effici

Details
Germany - Established in 1992, the German Phonographic Academy's Echo Awards has become one of Europe's most prestigious recording industry events. The winners of the pop music categories are announced in March and, this year, four Yamaha digital mixing consoles were on hand to bring the speeches and live performances to an international television audience.

Presented at the Berlin Exhibition Centre on 4 March, the event included live performances by international artists including Rihanna, Robbie Williams, Depeche Mode, Sade, Ke$ha and The Gossip. Broadcast by German TV station ARD, the event attracted a huge audience from across Europe.

To keep the show running smoothly, two audio crews were employed, each comprising a front of house and monitor engineer, stage managers, stage and wireless techs. One team took care of all live music and playback, the other looking after all

Details
Brazil - Inaugurated in April 1940, the Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho (colloquially known as 'Pacaembu') in São Paulo has been transformed by the addition of a new Museu do Futebol (Soccer Museum) which covers 6,900sq.m yet has been built without any alteration to the classical design of the arena's exterior.

The museum's 17 rooms of exhibits tell the story of soccer in Brazil, from its early days as a pastime for the educated elite to its contemporary status as a multi-million dollar industry. While the icons of the Brazilian game down the years are very much in evidence, emphasis is also given to the nature of soccer as an everyday passion in city streets across the country. Video plays a key role in demonstrating both extremes -with footage of classic games and modern heroes contrasting with clips of youngsters kicking a ball around on improvised playing surfa

Details
UK - Jamie Oliver's new specialist events catering company, Fabulous Feasts, announces that it will be making its first foray into the festival market.

Fabulous Feasts will be providing food for the Cornbury Festival (3 & 4 July) and the celebration of world music - WOMAD (23-25 July).

Hugh Phillimore, Director of Cornbury Festival, comments, "Cornbury is thrilled to welcome Jamie's Fabulous Feasts to their first summer festival. Cornbury is famous for its great music and gourmet food so it's a perfect fit for Jamie's new events catering company."

"Music festivals like Cornbury and WOMAD are just what Fabulous Feasts is all about - people enjoying great music in beautiful surroundings and wanting really good food to add to the experience."

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - Theatre consultancy Charcoalblue will see four of its consultants address theatre specialists from around the world at the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference 2010 (ITEAC 2010).

Speaking to delegates from the architectural, acoustic, engineering and technological disciplines will be Charcoalblue's managing director Andy Hayles, creative director Jon Stevens, design director Gavin Green and senior consultant Giles Favell. Each will draw from their own experience, gained from careers in the entertainment and theatre industry and as design consultants for Charcoalblue.

Andy Hayles will join Scott Crossfield of Theatre Projects and Vassily Laffineur of Renzo Piano Building Workshop to discuss the Design Processes in the Information Age. Hayles comments, ''We're delighted to have been invited to sponsor and speak at such a significant industry

Details
UK - The new flooring website from Le Mark Group, www.DanceandStageFloors.com, presents Le Mark's full 25 years of flooring experience and product innovation.

"From the Royal Ballet School to Ant & Dec and the Nobel Peace Price, Le Mark floors have been the focus point of many dance performances and TV & Film sets for over 25 years. The new site gives readers the opportunity to see the potential offered to the overall look and feel of a performance/event by a spectacular Le Mark floor with some great application photos.

"I'd also like to give a huge thank you to all our customers who helped us with the amazing photos," says business development director Mark Gibbons.

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - BBM Electronics announced earlier this year that it will close its doors on 31 May 2010. TOA Corporation (UK) Limited will take over the distribution and support of the Trantec brand from 1 June.

To ensure continuity and make the transition as smooth as possible, TOA have appointed some familiar faces from BBM including Mark Parkhouse. He will continue to be responsible for sales and marketing of the Trantec brand.

All customers who hold a BBM Credit or Pro-Forma account have had their account automatically transferred to TOA (UK), however they will need to sign new terms and conditions which will be sent to them automatically.

New contact details for Trantec from 1 June 2010: TOA Corporation (UK) Limited, HQ3, Unit 2, Hook Rise South, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7LD, UK. Tel: 0870 7740987.

Trantec will be exhibiting at this year's ABTT Theatre Show in London.

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - US College student Kevin Peters was delighted to learn that he had won a Prism Sound Orpheus FireWire Computer Interface after entering a prize draw while attending the US leg of the company's recent Mic To Monitor tour.

Peters, a sound design/audio post-production major at Emerson College, Boston, is aiming to become a sound editor for Hollywood films. He has just finished his junior year and when he's not studying he plays rhythm guitar and played in a number of bands during high school.

"I have always had a passion for music and although I wouldn't describe my home set-up as a studio, it does allow me to record and experiment with my music," he says. "I have a Mac Book Pro running Logic and Pro Tools, M-Audio Studiophile speakers, an mbox 2 mini, an M-Audio keystation - and now a beautiful Prism Sound Orpheus."

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - Tegan and Sara lighting designer Benjamin Price was given a challenge - fit the entire lighting rig for the duo's current tour into a 10 x 7ft trailer without exceeding the 5,000 lb weight limit. The limitations put significant constraints on gear specification and ultimately helped to shape the lighting design.

"It meant of course that I needed to design lightweight and small but still assemble a lighting package capable of a dynamic show. Ultimately it led me to the MAC 401 Dual," Price says. "We wanted to carry a comprehensive lighting package so we could consistently evoke the same kind of energy and look to the show whether playing in a small or large venue.

"I knew that some element of this design was going to incorporate an LED product, however I wasn't really happy with most of the LED wash fixtures out in the market, mostly because of the pix

Details
Switzerland - This summer, Billy Idol takes to the road playing festivals throughout Europe (including the 44th annual Montreux Festival in Switzerland) and later smaller venues in the States through the fall. Joined by perennial sidekick, guitarist Steve Stevens, along with bassist Stephen McGrath and keyboardist Derek Sherinian, plus new additions Billy Morrison on rhythm guitar and Jeremy Colson on drums, Idol will be showcasing classic hits as well as new compositions.

With Sound Image as production partner, engineer Matt LaVoice is handling all of the tour's monitor requirements with a DiGiCo D1. LaVoice converted to digital with DiGiCo several years ago, and has used them exclusively on previous tours with Idol, Lenny Kravitz (SD7) in 2009, and countless others. "I was a full-on analogue guy," LaVoice states. "Prying that 4km out of my hands was a tough one.

Details
UK - AC-ET's Rigging division has been appointed as the exclusive UK distributor for the VMB Towerlift range, featuring the Classic, Pro and TL series of wind up stands, front loading tower lifts and line array lifting systems.

The VMB Pro and TL series are fitted with the company's patented ALS Auto Lock Security system, which guarantees that loads stay safe and secure at any height.

All VMB lifting products undergo a rigorous quality and strength control process to ensure that every component used meets the best possible reliability standards. In addition, all lifts are BGV-C1 certified for extra reassurance.

One major innovation coming from the VMB factory is the industry's first lift specifically designed for hanging line arrays, which have become a favourite with users looking for a quick, safe and practical solution. The PA is loaded directly on to the forks of the lif

Details
Germany - The recently opened Grand Kameha Bonn is a stunning example of the classic 'Grand Hotel' concept re-interpreted for the modern era, with architectural design by Bonn-based architect Karl Heinz Schommer and designer Marcel Wanders. Within its softly curved glass envelope, the Grand Kameha has a total of 254 rooms, including 63 suites, and a multi-functional 2,500 capacity event space, making it well placed to attract both private travellers as well as the high end corporate/business market.

As a direct result of both the building's modern design, with the acoustic challenges that this often presents, and the hotel's objective of meeting the most demanding business and conference needs, the A/V facilities required special attention - with the resulting system setting high standards.

At the centre of the new building is the 1,800sq.m multi-function hall - covered by a g

Details
Georgia - Built in 1971, the 2000-capacity Philharmonic Concert Hall in the Georgian capital Tbilisi hosts many of the city's highest profile live concerts, operas, ballets and theatre productions. Recently the venue has undergone a major facelift, which has included the installation of a large exterior Lighthouse LED screen.

Located above the venue's main doors, the screen comprises 63 panels of Lighthouse P12-ER screen, in a 9 x 7 panel (14.4 9(w) x 8.4m (h)) landscape format. It is mounted on a steel framework, which was designed and installed by local company Stage Design, with Lighthouse Europe installing the screen itself.

"The Concert Hall's management had seen Lighthouse P12-ER panels at other installations and knew about its tremendous potential as an advertising medium," says Lighthouse project engineer Olaf Mineo, who oversaw the installation together with

Details
New Zealand / Netherlands - Philips Selecon has announced the release of a new generation of tungsten halogen ellipsoidal luminaires. SPX represents "a fresh new look at the ellipsoidal profile, taking advantage of the advances in manufacturing technologies and the core technology of Philips Specialised Lamps".

SPX has been designed to complement the existing Philips Entertainment ellipsoidal inventories (Pacific and Acclaim), while at the same time offering a more efficient, reliable and safer solution for everyone working in a hands-on capacity in a theatre lighting environment regardless of age, experience, amateur or professional status. Available in 15°-35° and 25°-50° Zoomspot and 14°, 19°, 26°, 36° and 50° Fixed Beam models the SPX is the first ERS to fully exploit the output and successfully deal with the high heat associated

Details
Germany - Maier Sound Design GmbH has been involved with the Movimentos Festival since it first started in 2003, providing a complete audio solution which includes an extensive intercom system. Movimentos - which is held in Wolfsburg, including the Autostadt of Volkswagen - offers a series of contemporary performances from international dance ensembles, dramatised readings, discussions, lectures, and live concerts covering everything from the classics to jazz and pop.

Over the years, the technical requirements of this international festival have increased considerably, particularly in terms of the communications element and it became clear that the existing analogue solution could no longer cope. So this year Maier Sound Design has switched to a new digital system from ASL Intercom.

"Every dance company and every band has different requirements regarding communication,&qu

Details
Canada - At Canada Place in downtown Vancouver a special Annual Light Show on the Canada Place Sails plays nightly courtesy of Martin Professional and Moment Factory. Visible from multiple points across the city, the Canada Place Sails light up in a dynamic display of imagery, light, colour, texture and animation.

Designers of the visual event are Moment Factory of Montreal. The installation consists of 10 Martin Exterior 1200 Image Projectors illuminating five sails; two carefully aligned Exterior 1200 projectors for each of the 90ft tall by 160ft wide sails. The Exterior 1200s, which were supplied locally by Christie Lites, are mounted on 10ft poles at a distance of approximately 90-100 ft from each sail.

"It was an eight month process to design and realize the light show on the sails but the result has exceeded my expectations," comments Gabriel Pontbriand,

Details
USA - The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI), lets guests understand the science behind some of nature's most compelling phenomena in the new 26,000sq.ft Science Storms exhibit, which opened in March 2010. For two of the massive interactive elements in the exhibit - a 40ft tornado and 20ft avalanche disk - Production Resource Group (PRG), working closely with Christopher Wilson, senior project manager at MSI and the exhibit's general contractor, Norcon of Chicago, engineered, fabricated and installed the designs of environmental artist Ned Kahn; and Architect Jack Pascarosa, AIA, of New York-based firm Evidence Design.

At 60ft tall, 27ft diameter and 75,000lbs, the tornado display is the largest effect in the hall. The 40ft vortex of swirling air and vapour rises continuously from the floor and is able to be controlled by guests through a series of dampers that

Details
UK - Jazz/pop artist Jamie Cullum is currently in the midst of an extensive world tour to promote his latest album The Pursuit. At the Front of House position engineer Danny White is operating a DiGiCo SD8 mixing console.

Combining the touring roles of front of house engineer, tour manager and more, White bought the SD8 for his family-run audio and lighting production company Chaps last year. Based in Sutton, Surrey - not far from DiGiCo's Chessington HQ - Chaps is providing both equipment and personnel to the tour, including White and his two sons.

"You have to embrace the latest technology because it's what everyone is doing. It's the way forward and I saw the SD8 as part of that development," he says. "To me, mixing is all about the path. If I have a good signal path then I'm happy.

"When I was told that the SD8 has the same signal path as the S

  1. Dublin's Grand Canal Theatre installs Soundweb
  2. Sennheiser Sound Academy Workshop in Dubai
  3. Nascar track upgrades with Community R-Series
  4. Pyramix Systems for For Salford's MediaCityUK
  5. Calibre premieres on Oscar Night
  6. Kinesys on Eurovision duty
Page 1167 of 1813

Latest Issue. . .