Norway - ShowLED Chameleon starcloths set the scene at Oslo's Telenor Arena for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. 800sq.m of full colour RGB LED curtains featured as backdrops and lined the giant green room walls of the venue.

For the top ten placing Belgian entry by Tom Dice, Me and My Guitar, ShowLED Chameleon starcloths sparkled behind the lone troubadour in vibrant red. During the dramatic vocals of the Belarus group 3+2, the starcloths were diffused by silk drapes to create softer colour accents on the circular stage.

For Ireland's performance, the starcloths hung behind the textured backdrop fabric enabled a transformation from a rich green hue to a warm red glow without any change of scenery.

The ShowLED Chameleon curtains were supplied by rental Partner ShowTex NL, Norway distributor Norsk Sceneteknikk. The ShowLED system allows for full colour mixing, dmx con

USA - 10-13 June was a very busy time for the staff and crew at Bandit Lites in and around Nashville as the company again served as lighting contractor for two of the premier live events of the summer, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester and CMA Music Festival at LP Field in Nashville. This was on top of prepping and shipping 12 other new tours in the same week.

Production guru Hadden Hipsley of Lambda Productions once again called on Bandit Lites to serve as prime lighting contractor for the three-day arts and music festival. Bandit's Dizzy Gosnell works with Hadden, Leslie Radigan, Joel Carmichael, AC Entertainment, Superfly Productions and Coran Capshaws Red Light Management to provide the artists with their illumination needs at the award-winning event.

Artists at the 2010 Bonnaroo included Dave Mathews Band, The Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder

Belgium - Chroma-Q has appointed Inytium as its exclusive dealer in Belgium and Luxembourg for the manufacturer's range of LED lighting fixtures, lighting accessories, control and data distribution products. Under the programme, Inytium will fulfil all dealer aspects, including stock supply, demonstration, training, technical support and backup.

Inytium is a premier supplier of professional-grade lighting, sound and media control solutions to the Belgian theatre, show and scenic design markets. Recently rebranded from Blue Squares Sales and Distribution, the company has links with the industry dating back over 20 years.

As a supplier of leading brands including Adamson, Clay Paky, D.T.S., MDG, Robert Juliat and Zero 88, the company was looking for a LED brand that would provide a complete range of performance lighting solutions.

A demonstration of the latest generation Chrom

Italy - One of the most popular Italian TV formats in recent months has been song contests for very young talent and one of those, Io Canto, produced by RTI and directed by Roberto Cenci for Mediaset channel Canale 5, chalked up some impressive figures: as well as a live audience of about five hundred spectators, the show reached a peak audience of almost seven million viewers.

The prime-time Saturday show, MC'd by Gerry Scotti, featured 29 singers aged between seven and 15 from singing schools across the country, competing for a trip to the US for a study vacation under the wing of top international producer David Foster. The entrants sang solo and together, as well as duetting with some of Italy's top pop names, accompanied by a resident 33-piece band.

The show's impressive set, designed by Marco Calzavara occupied a third of Studio 20, one of the country's largest TV

UK - Italian entertainment and architectural lighting manufacturer, SGM, has announced a new initiative with Stage Electrics in the UK.

The appointment, which sees Stage Electrics become one of SGM's first Preferred Resellers and System Integrators, will be formalised at this month's ABTT Show in London.

Now part of the RCF Group, heading SGM's operation in the UK is director of sales, Phil Price. "We are delighted that Stage Electrics have committed to the range," he said. "In so doing they will provide us with a national multi-office presence within the Theatre and Entertainment markets in the UK."

Responding, Stage Electrics' head of marketing & buying, Adam Blaxill, said, "Having dealt successfully with RCF for many years, it has been Arturo Vicari's purchase of SGM that has made us look seriously again at the potential of SGM.

"If they ap

USA - Bandit Lites use of the new GRNLite LED products and other LED products has been an unqualified success, says the company.The initial round of equipment which includes GRN Moving Wash 3-120, GRN PAR 3-36, GRN Wash 3-36, GRN Batten 3-54 and GRN 8 Light 3-96 all flew out the door within two weeks of offering up the equipment for rental.

The GRNLite equipment is currently on tour with Alan Jackson and designer John Lucksinger, Heart and designer Dale Doucette, Needtobreathe and designer Jay Wadell, Rascal Flatts and designer Bob Peterson, Wynona Judd and designer Kieth Hoagland, Jimmy Buffett and designer Sid Strong, Neil Young and designer Kieth Wissmar, Widespread Panic and designer Paul Hoffman, Billy Currington and designer Chris Lisle, Melissa Ethridge and designer David Hamilton and Shinedown and designer Scott Allee.

The GRNLite equipment is also on tour with the two

UK - ETC and Northern Stage have completed the commissioning of Sensor dimming and Unison Paradigm control systems at the three city centre venues which make up Bradford Theatres.

Northern Stage Services was charged with exchanging the theatres' complex building management system for something much simpler. Project manager David Culshaw comments, "The previous system was aging and becoming unserviceable and it was only a matter of time before the theatres experienced a major outage. We recommended Sensor and Paradigm because they are without doubt the best products on the market in terms of functionality and reliability. We've also seen first hand the excellent long term support and backup that ETC offers.

"We only had five weeks where the venues were dark in which to install the equipment, as a new show needed to open. ETC was very efficient in supplying everything

UK - Jamie Cullum is on the road again around the UK and Europe with lighting design by Hadyn Thomas. The moving lights are all Robe, supplied along with the rest of the lighting equipment by Leeds, UK, based Zig Zag Lighting.

"Robe has always been very reliable and offered plenty of creative options," says Thomas. His show for Cullum, for whom he's worked - initially as a dimmer tech - since 2004, is a blend of elegance and cool to match Cullum's dynamic performance which has won him massive popular success amidst great critical acclaim.

Thomas received a basic lighting brief from show designer Mark Silver, who designed an innovative set based on piano strings. These were fabricated by Zig Zag and consist of a series of boxed winch sets with white nylon rope - the bottom sections sit on the floor upstage, while the top sections are raised up to the trussing mother g

USA - In Universal Pictures' Get Him to The Greek, director of photography Robert Yeoman and gaffer John Vecchio knew that the concert finale, the payoff of the comic road trip adventure, had to deliver visually. They turned to Production Resource Group (PRG) and lighting/video designer Bryan Faris to create the iconic rock performance.

"Bob and I spoke about the concert sequence the very first day of production," says Vecchio. "Director Nicholas Stoller expressed to us that he wanted it to look as big and contemporary as any concert out on tour. I knew we needed to call on the services of PRG. They do this day in and day out."

Faris previsualized the concert at PRG's Los Angeles depot so that Yeoman, Vecchio, the producers, director and other designers could see the possibilities before they staged the concert at the Greek Theatre. "We brought

South Africa - From indoor illumination to exterior floodlighting, Osram's innovative lighting solutions are shedding light on all aspects of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. High intensity discharge lamps, T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes and LEDs are used in all of the 10 stadiums that hosting World Cup matches.

Of all the components that Osram is supplying to South Africa, the LED-illuminated arc over the Durban stadium known as The Arch will be the highlight. This spectacular architectural feature is equipped with over 12,000 Golden Dragon Plus LEDs spanning the entire length of the stadium.

At 350m long, 2,600 metric tonnes in weight and 30 stories high, The Arch is visible from far and wide. It symbolises the unification of some 70,000 sports lovers in Durban's stadium. The illumination is provided by LED Beams which Osram developed in collaboration with the local m

South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa supplied full technical production for the 2010 Africa Day celebrations in Johannesburg, which moved from downtown to a completely different location in Dries Niemand Park in Kempton Park, Randburg.

Gearhouse SA built the 30m wide stage, which was covered with an elegant In2Structures dome roof with clear skins and featured a set, lighting and visuals design created by Tim Dunn. They also supplied audio, power and AV to the event, the evening concert section of which was broadcast live on SABC 2 directed by Sean Pearce and produced by Brad Holmes of The Bassline.

The event started at 8am and included political speeches - including an address by President Jacob Zuma - and traditional African performance and music throughout the day, running into the evening's R'n'B and rock oriented show.

Gearhouse's site crew of 35 was project managed by

Europe - Stevie Wonder and LD Mark Cunniffe, along with production manager Peter Edmonds again have engaged Bandit Lites as the lighting supplier for the 2010 Stevie Wonder European tour.

Bandit CE Lester Cobrin said, "working with Stevie, Peter, Mark and the entire tour staff is an absolute pleasure. They are true professionals in every sense of the word".

The tour features much of the latest technology, including the new Grand MA 2 console, VL 3000 Spots, Martin MAC 3s, and Pixel Range Pixel Pars. There are also VL 2000 Washes, MAC 2000 Spot and Washes, Pixelines, strobe lights, 8 lights and more.

(Jim Evans)

USA - The Big Game from PokerStars.net dealt its first hand 15 June on Fox, airing on Fox affiliates around the country and online at PokerStars.net. FLDA Lighting Designer Bruce Ferri brought his signature lighting style to the six week poker programme.

"We shot for six days at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, covering 150 hands of poker per day," says Ferri. "In total, we shot 900 hands of poker to get six weeks of programming. Each round of 150 hands is five days of broadcast episodes. It was actually really interesting because poker is unpredictable and the stakes are high."

Ferri has been lighting poker shows for a number of years. His signature method of lighting television, using ellipsoidals mounted to the grid for all of his keylighting, is a departure from the usual use of large light balloons for poker broadcasts from casinos

UK - Fusion is the latest destination restaurant/lounge bar/club venue to open in Northampton, and has been an instant success with its blend of accessible international cuisine, elegant interior design and cool energy-efficient lighting.

Owners Rochmills initially approached the UK office of LED brand Anolis when they were looking for environmentally-friendly, low maintenance interior and exterior lighting schemes for this new-build project. Anolis had come highly recommended to them, and, explains Anolis's Scott Callis, "They in turn have the foresight to consider green issues and be prepared to invest money now to save in the long term."

The brief then expanded to include lighting for the downstairs VIP lounge and after-party area, which was designed by Nathan Wan of Robe UK.

A basic scheme had already been suggested for the outdoor elements, so that was followe

UK - Lighting, control and dimming manufacturer ETC reports an enthusiastic response to their new and updated products at this year's ABTT show in London.

In addition to showing the latest software versions of the company's lighting control desk range, the company were showing the latest portable dimming from the Smart Solutions range and the new additions to award winning Selador series of LED fixtures.

Mark White, ETC's regional manager for UK and Ireland, said, "The signs of economic uplift continue; many of the initial enquiries we received last year are turning into firm orders, and this was reflected in the amount of interest in many of the products on the ETC stand."

The new Selador Vivid Fire and Ice attracted considerable interest. "We set up a brightly dressed mannequin, to demonstrate what happens when Selador lights colours, then compared it to the

UK - The ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) reports another successful new product Awards ceremony staged at its annual ABTT Theatre Show.

This year the competition for the coveted Hook Clamp Trophies was as strong as ever, with a host of companies entered across five key categories, which represent the spectrum of the industry. The Awards continue to set a precedent, highlighting the spectrum of products and services for the theatre production and staging market. The winners of the Awards were:

Best New Lighting Product: White Light scooped the Award for best new lighting product with its Prism Reveal, which was chosen by the judges for its flat field, colour correcting ability and overall efficiency. The nominees in this category included: Robin 300 Plasma Spot from Robe; the Gekko Kezia LED Spot Lamp from PRG and the Cyclo LED Panel from Showtex.

Sounds Of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel's planned tour of North America has been "postponed indefinitely" because Art Garfunkel has a condition affecting his voice. He is recovering from a vocal paresis which "inhibits the duo from performing shows" to their normal standard, a statement on their website said. The tour had already been postponed from April to July.

"According to his doctors, Art is expected to make a full recovery. However, they cannot predict an exact timeline," a statement said. Garfunkel added: "I do feel bad about disrupting so many people's plans but, as I continue to mend, I can't yet bring my A-game to a tour, and I would not perform for you with anything less."

In The Sale Room - John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to Beatles song A Day In The Life have sold for $1.2m (£810,000) at auction, well a

UAE - The first ever Middle East world premiere by a Japanese auto manufacturer took place recently at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, when the Nissan Patrol 2010 SUV made its global debut in GCC.

The event was managed by MIA Agency, a Dubai based events management company, with TechnoPro, the distributor for PR Lighting, supplying and installing the LED screens, video, audio, lighting fixtures, staging and trussing.

To create the dynamic they used 24 each of PR Lighting's XL1200 Spot and Wash moving lights, and 32 XLED 590 (LED spots). The XLED 590 moving yoke colour-wash LED fixture in particularly impressive as with 90 Osram Diamond Dragon 5W LEDs (30 red, 30 blue and 30 green) it is one of the brightest in the market.

Patrol is Nissan's flagship SUV and enjoys a rich heritage - particularly in the Middle East, which dates back to the 1950's. As one of the first dedicat

UK - Lighting for the current UK touring version of cult classic musical The Rocky Horror Show has been transferred to grandMA for control, with the tour, produced by the Ambassadors Theatre Group, carrying a grandMA light with a grandMA ultra-light for backup and two MA NSP (Network Signal Processors), supplied by lighting contractors White Light.

The lighting design is by Nick Richings and the programming was completed by Jim Beagley. The tour originally started in 2006. This current version has been out since 2009, when it started with another lighting console which was replaced shortly afterwards by the grandMA. Beagley explains, "We needed a reliable rock 'n' roll style touring desk onto which we could easily transfer the show and run in a similar fashion."

The programming for the transfer was done offline at White Light. Beagley took a DMX capture of the

Norway - Wireless Solution Sweden once again worked alongside the Eurovision technical production team to deliver the 56th Eurovision Song Contest in Norway. The show included three live broadcasts.

Lighting designer Al Gurdon used W-DMX for a special keylight ring built into the Technocrane and cameras in the Green Room to achieve specific lighting effects. The Technocrane ring light was operated by Gurdon himself while the Green Room camera ring lights were operated by Sveinung Solbrekke, lighting designer for the Green Room.

Production manager of design Ola Melzig said, "There's a very good reason that W-DMX is used for Eurovision - it works. You name it and it's at Eurovision: every kind of wireless and broadcast equipment, moving sets, thousands of fixtures and thousands of people. Wireless DMX is required for some aspect every year and we just won't take a chance wi

South Africa - Lighting sales and distribution company DWR has supplied over 400 LED fixtures for a new landmark, eco-friendly installation at the new HD hub of satellite channel, Supersport.

Located in M-NETs Studio 6, Randburg, Johannesburg, this is the first of its kind in South Africa, setting new technological standards with eight Philips Vari-Lite VLX Wash luminaires, plus over 400 Anolis LED units which are integrated into various set elements in a design by Michael Gill.

With sustainability a key issue, this whole elegant, highly versatile lighting rig can be run off two 15 amp plugs.

Gill, who collaborated closely with lighting designer Joshua Cutts of AV Unlimited to produce the original aesthetics, wanted "Something contemporary and totally different that utilised the best technology in the world".

The new studio was launched in time to broadcast compr

UK - Creative production supplier Hawthorn has announced its recent appointment as an approved supplier to the historic Royal Courts of Justice.

Hawthorn's general manager, Simon Wood, commented, "The Royal Courts of Justice is a stunning building which lends itself so well to events. We have worked at the Royal Courts of Justice many times in the past, so becoming an approved contractor was the logical next step for Hawthorn and we look forward to offering innovative solutions and to building a strong working relationship with the venue's events team."

"The quality of suppliers we have complements the first-class events we produce at the Royal Courts of Justice, most recently for Vivienne Westwood, Anish Kapoor and the British Fashion Council," said Royal Courts of Justice head of events for seasoned events, Gavin Marshall.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Leona Lewis's new arena tour takes the concept of David Bowie's 1986 movie Labyrinth, bringing with it many set rotations (and four costume changes) during the heavily scenic show.

The production was conceived by a top team of creatives, with Alan MacDonald designing the set, Stufish's Nicoline Refsing the props - and the currently much in-demand Baz Halpin originating the lighting scheme (which was later carried forward by Nick Whitehouse).

All the lighting production (including 20 GLP impression 120RZ RGB LED Zooms) were supplied by Bandit Lites - and it was left to experienced LD Graham Feast to animate the set.

Having originally intended to use the impression heads to function on elliptical arms - similar to his design for the Alicia Keys 2010 Freedom Tour - a late concept change saw the lighting designer redeploy the GLP heads as floor effects.

&quo

China - Returning late at night through whirling snow by the noted playwright Wu Zuguang is a magical story that has captivated Chinese audiences for over a century. It has run several times in the main theatres in the country such as the Beijing Opera and the Guangdong Opera, and it has also been broadcast on television. Now, to mark the 9th China Art Festival, the same story has been made into a ballet.

The Guangzhou Ballet has just finished its tour of over 100 performances in the most

important theatres in China.

The lighting designer of the event, Sun Tianwei chose to use the Infinity Spot XL by Coemar. Tianwei adopts a simple clean-cut style using black and white as the main colours: the key to the show is the emphasis on the spectacular effects of the ballet, the movements and forms of the bodies on stage.

The Infinity Spot XL meet all the requirements

Latest Issue. . .