Denmark - The Rytmisk Sal of Musikhuset Aarhus - the largest music house in the Nordic region - has upgraded its stage machinery system with ETC’s Prodigy P2 hoist and QuickTouch+ 12 controller.
The popular culture and events house draws over a million visitors each year for concerts, musicals, theatre shows, opera and much more. The building’s lighting and technical teams had been looking to renovate the rigging system in the Rytmisk Sal (or rhythmic hall), also known as the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll hall’ in the music house.
Head of lighting at Musikhuset Aarhus, Ole Nielsen, came across ETC’s range of upper stage machinery products during a visit to the renowned ETC factory in Middleton, USA and was keen to find out more. He recommended the equipment to head of production Jonas Knive, which lead to Atendi, the Danish distributor of ETC, being contacted to supply

Costa Rica - Televisora de Costa Rica operates Teletica Canal 7, a private TV channel that was the first TV station in the country back in 1958. Although the station produces a variety of popular programming for the local market, they have been operating for years using a mix of budget lighting fixtures and rented gear. Seeking to upgrade, Elation Professional automated luminaires were chosen as part of an on-going lighting refurb.
With four or five different productions a year to tend to, most of which last for a period of three months, Canal 7 lighting manager Alejandro Alvarez has many roles to play. During the recent lighting install, Alvarez and his team handled rigging of the stage, including design and rigging of the TV lighting and intelligent moving heads, as well as configuring and mapping video, LED screens, and projectors. He is also behind the lighting console

USA - For 87 years, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also known as RodeoHouston, has reigned as the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. The 20-day-long event at NRG Stadium offers a plethora of attractions for the 2.5m people who visit every year.
Providing visual support for this multi-faceted event in 2019 was an immense and very versatile lighting rig from LD Systems that featured over 150 Chauvet Professional fixtures.
“When putting together the lighting rig, we really needed to be flexible,” said Nathan Brittain of LD Systems. “Our lighting had to offer full production looks for the wide range of artists that appeared on our stage night after night. At the same time, we also needed lights that could contribute to the atmosphere throughout the event grounds. The key challenge was managing a project of this scale, which is something we

UK - Lighting designer Tom Kenny specified 42 Astera Titan Tubes as part of the lighting rig for The Who’s Moving On! tour.
The iconic band is playing 31 dates in the US, Canada and England accompanied by a local orchestra conducted by Keith Levinson, plus special guests including violinist Katie Jacoby and cellist Audrey Snyder. The tour is also promoting The Who’s first new album in 13 years.
The orchestral presentation demanded a new style and approach to the visual design. With Roger Daltry against the idea of deploying a video wall at the back - or in fact, any onstage video elements - there was a clear directive to strip back and encourage audiences to focus on the show.
The backdrop is made up from a silver threaded laser fabric, a beautifully textured surface that takes the lighting well. Meanwhile, a curved, mid-stage drape made from Bule and

Australia - Eventec has been appointed PR Lighting’s new exclusive Australian distributor.
“Given the prior relationship between PR Lighting, and notably Sasha Xiong, with myself and our operations manager Yan Shao, it seemed obvious that Eventec would be in an excellent position to bring PR Lighting back to Australia,” says Eventec MD, Emanuel Maniatis,
Xiong adds: “Emanuel Maniatis is an old friend of PR Lighting, and his extensive knowledge about our products, the industry and the market trends makes this an ideal partnership. I believe Eventec can offer high quality service and support, and take PR to another level in Australia and benefit all our customers there.”
Maniatis had formerly been the service manager, and later purchasing manager for one of the previous distributors for PR Lighting, dating back to the days when the manufacturer was an OEM

USA - Michael T. Strickland, Bandit Lites founder and chair, will be the 2020 winner of the Parnelli Visionary Award.
Strickland has now led Bandit for 51 years, having founded the company in 1968 when he was just 12 years old. The award will be presented at the 19th Parnelli Awards on 17 January 2020 at the Anaheim Hilton in California.
“You must remember that in 1968 no one had stage lighting,” Strickland commented, “they all played with the ceiling lights on in a high school gym or National Guard Armory. When we showed up with ‘borrowed’ lekos and Fresnel’s, this was all new to the acts. At the same time, others in New York and LA were also experimenting and doing very psychedelic stuff, but they were adults, and I was a 12-year-old kid.”
Because of his appearance, Strickland notes he was able to bluff his way into situations that a 12-year-old

USA - Elation Professional’s 50,000lm all-purpose luminaire Proteus Maximus is now shipping.
With flexible use as a profile, beam or wash light and all-weather IP65 rating, the Proteus Maximus is suitable for any outdoor or indoor application that would require bright output, powerful beam looks and precise gobos and colours. The dust and waterproof design makes the fixture ideal for theme parks and cruise ships, while its quiet operation, flicker-free functionality and DMX-controllable LED refresh rate will be welcome in TV and other broadcast environments, says the company.
“With Proteus Maximus we managed to create the perfect package for the most challenging environments,” says Elation product manager, Matthias Hinrichs. “From its hotspot engine to its large front lens, this is an outstanding fixture that provides designers the power to cover huge areas and

Mexico - Fifteen years after winning the Mexican reality/talent show La Academia, Carlos Rivera is still finding new ways to connect to audiences and stir passions. The award-winning singer and actor is demonstrating this on his current tour of South America, Mexico and the United States in support of his latest album, Guerra.
At his tour’s recent stops in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua, Mexico, lighting designer Daniel ‘Gacela’ Romero delivered a richly textured lightshow that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by Pro Audio Solutions.
Romero chose 12 Maverick MK1 Hybrids, 12 Maverick MK3 Wash luminaires, 14 Maverick MK2 Spots, and 24 Rogue R2 Washes to amp up his tour design. The Maverick fixtures anchored his show.
Drawing on the overlapping 8- and 4-facet prisms, as well as the versatile gobo package of the Maverick MK1 Hybrid

USA - Bandit Lites has appointed Jesse Poreca to the sales team. Poreca joins the company’s Charlotte office as an installation and service specialist where he will assist in project management, installation and customer support of new theatrical lighting system install projects and renovations along with assisting the sales and installation division to provide existing clients customer service support, service calls and repairs.
“Jesse brings years of permanent AVL installation experience to the team and will immediately lead another crew to service the multiple ongoing projects we have,” said Chris Barbee, Bandit Lites director of sales and installations. “He is a very welcomed addition to an incredibly busy time of growth.”
(Jim Evans)

USA - Vari-Lite has announced that its new Vari-Lite VL6500 Wash is now shipping.
The high-output wash lighting fixture, first demonstrated at Prolight+Sound 2019 in Frankfurt, combines the VL6000 Beam’s arena-scale performance with a visual attraction reminiscent of the legendary VL5. The fixture offers show designers a mix of modern power and vintage styling.
“The initial response to the VL6500 Wash has been tremendous, and it’s not surprising really, because we made this fixture as a direct response to the requests we have received from lighting designers,” explains Martin Palmer, senior product manager, Vari-Lite and Strand Luminaires at Signify. “We partnered with designers every step of the way when creating this fixture and tailored it to provide the capabilities our customers asked for most often.”
Palmer reports that customers like that the

USA - ADJ has announced the expansion of its Focus series of LED-powered moving head fixtures with the introduction of the Focus Beam LED.
The first dedicated beam fixture in the range, this new model generates a concentrated beam that is suited for creating impressive and engaging aerial effects.
Powered by an 80W white (7400K) LED light source with 50,000-hour average life, Focus Beam LED features an optical system that creates an output comparable to an MSD 5R lamp. The front lens projects a beam with a 5° angle that has an even field with no hot spots, and which remains uniform over long projection distances.
The fixture is also compact and lightweight, measuring 10.96" x 6.85" x 17.61" / 278 x 174 x 447mm (LxWxH) and weighing 27 lb (12.25 kg), whilst its relatively low profile also makes suitable for installations in venues with limited ceiling height or f

Europe - It was a coincidence that the paths of Papa Roach and lighting designer Mathias Kuhn should cross.
"About two months ago a lighting man was looking for a few shows in Russia and a festival gig in Germany," recalls Kuhn. “Three months later it became Papa Roach’s European tour, while another colleague took care of the gigs in the USA.“
For Kuhn, the band made their decision in his favour after a festival tour of Europe last year. “It just feels good when the lighting is turned on,” says frontman and band leader Jacoby Shaddix. “It’s a lot of fun for me too,” retorts Kuhn. “Performing live, this band is simply full of energy, and meanwhile I‘ve practically become a member of the family.”
Currently Kuhn and Papa Roach are more or less constantly on the move. After a support tour with Shinedown in the USA, playing mainly arenas, in the

USA - Sue the T. Rex has a new home in the Chicago Field Museum’s Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet.
Lighting and AV presentation for Sue’s new home were designed by Lightswitch Chicago using ETC and Xicato luminaires and ETC controls. The fossil is named after Sue Hendrickson, who discovered the skeleton in South Dakota in 1990.
Following a three-month prototyping phase to show the curators how Sue would be lit the new quarters, the design team at Lightswitch Chicago produced a meticulously-cued AV presentation worthy of the $8.7m fossil.
“Conservation of the delicate stones and resins is very important - Sue will receive about a quarter of the light, and none of the direct sunlight it did before,” says Thatcher Waller, senior lighting designer for Lightswitch Chicago.
The project called for the complex integration of control protocols and diverse

Hungary - Alt-rock band Vad Fruttik (Wild Fruits) headlined a special concert to celebrate the eighth season opening of Budapest Park, one of the largest outdoor venues in Europe.
Lighting designer Peter Pálocska from Budapest rental company Lajter Light designed a production lighting scheme to ensure the band and their 8,500 fans enjoyed a memorable night out.
Part of his distinctive luminescent styling for this show was a backwall of 72 Robe Spiider LED wash beam fixtures, which added drama and excitement to the visual picture.
Pálocska has also lit many other concerts in Budapest Park - which features a 24m x 12m x 12m (WxDxH) stage - and a landmark gig which any Hungarian band is extremely proud to play.
Vad Fruttik trusted him to produce something special for this show, utilising a combination of the house lighting fixtures (including moving lights

Norway - Prostage, the Oslo-based distributors of Prolights, invited lighting designer Fredrik Jönsson to lead a two-day workshop hosted in Oslo’s Riksteatret. The designer discussed various design techniques, stories and lessons learned throughout his career in the entertainment industry.
Fredrik Jönsson designed the lighting for the international Eurovision final in Malmö in 2013 and in Stockholm in 2016 and was awarded an LLB Award for best Lighting Design for his work on the 2013 Eurovision final. In 2019, he designed the lighting for Melodifestivalen (the national Swedish Eurovision finals), bringing his grand total of live performances for Melodifestivalen to 103.
Jönsson drew from his vast experience of designing global concert tours, international events and broadcast and concocted the two-day interactive seminar program covering topics such as bas

Spain - Midwich has announced its Spanish subsidiary Earpro S.A has acquired the entire issued share capital of value-added lighting solutions distributor Entertainment Equipment Supplies S.L (EES).
Based near San Sebastian and founded in 2004 by Nacho Acha-Orbea, EES distributes products from key vendors including Robe Lighting, Verlinde and Prolyte on an exclusive basis to the Spanish market with a focus on the live events and rental sectors.
The acquisition will strengthen Midwich’s position in the Spanish and Portuguese markets, particularly in relation to lighting.
Miguel Mezquita, MD of Earpro, comments: "Having known Nacho and his team for a number of years, I am confident that we can look forward to a successful partnership between Earpro and EES. I believe we will now be able to provide customers of both companies with an even higher level of service

USA - Bandit Lites is providing the lighting for the Peter Frampton Finale - The Farewell Tour, presented by SiriusXM, a nearly 50-date run this summer and fall produced by Live Nation.
Frampton has announced he will retire from regular vigorous touring at the end of this year due to his diagnosis of Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), and with a career spanning over more than half a century, he has a massive body of work to draw from for his legion of fans. “Peter Frampton helped shape the sound of the 70’s and it is an incredible honor to be a part of this historic farewell tour,” said Bandit Lites vice president Mike Golden.
This tour reunited lighting designer Chris Lisle and Frampton, who had worked together seven years ago. “To be a part of this final tour of his career was truly an honour,” says Lisle. “He is such a great person both on and off sta

Spain - The Canary Islands boasts one of the most spectacular and outstanding annual carnivals in the world, where the streets explode with colourful parades, outdoor parties and music events on every island.
This year was no exception with around 600,000 people coming to enjoy the exuberant display of colour and light. One major highlight was Una noche en Río, a show directed by Israel Reyes with set designed by Carlos Santos, and lighting design and technical direction by Jonay Díaz, partner of RGB Canarias S.Coop. Díaz’s lighting for this show, which ran for 21 performances, was bolstered by 40 Ayrton Ghibli LED moving heads, supplied by GAM Eventos.
The carnival has gained a global audience and Díaz is very aware of how the eye-catching event transcends the borders of Spain. “The Drag Queen Gala is seen everywhere in the world with spectacular audien

UK - Arcadia’s Pangea, described as “a primordial world of infinite possibility” promised the latest immersive AV, lighting, sonic and pyro adventure created by Arcadia Spectacular under the artistic direction of Pip Rush and Bert Cole.
Technical production specialist CPL continued its working relationship with Arcadia by supplying six Barco UDX-4K32 projectors with fibre optic signal and control infrastructure for 360° projections that were integral to the show based around the 140t centrepiece of Pangea.
Arcadia celebrated its 10th year at Glastonbury, having previously implanted their 50t spider stage in the hearts and minds of fans for the best part of a decade.
Arcadia’s structures are built entirely in scrapped and repurposed materials. The crane, a graceful artefact of industrial architecture, was transplanted from Avonmouth Docks in Bristol, just

Spain - Chroma-Q has announced Grau Luminotecnia as a dealer of its LED Solutions in Spain.
Grau, founded in 1984, has been providing the latest technologies including, lighting, for the film and TV market for 35 years. Focusing on the needs of a constantly evolving market, Grau prides itself in providing leading edge technologies to its clients.
After trying out a number of products, Alfons Grau, owner of Grau Luminotecnia, recognised the potential of the Chroma-Q LED range, and how it can benefit customers. He comments: “We are very happy to have become a dealer of Chroma-Q, who has two of the leading LED battens in the market, the Color Force II and Studio Force II.”
In addition to the award-winning Color Force II and the Studio Force II, Grau is now a dealer of the full Chroma-Q LED Range, including the Space Force soft light, the Brute Force revolutionar

Hungary - Chauvet has appointed Chromasound as its distributor in Hungary.
Chromasound will represent the Chauvet Professional, Chauvet DJ, and ChamSys lines of products. The Budapest-based company will support Chauvet’s sales effort with a strong commitment to customers service and education.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Chromasound on board,” comments Stéphane Gressier, international sales director of Chauvet. “Our company has made a major commitment to this market, and it’s great to have a service-driven, professional organization like Chromasound representing us. Working together, we will build on the momentum we’ve established in Hungary.
“The business philosophies of Chauvet and Chromasound are very much in line with one another,” adds Chauvet business development manager, Goran Doncic. “Both companies take a long-range view of b

Europe - The Laserworld Group is integrating the ShowNET interface as the mainboard in most of their laser systems. This means a multitude of new features to those devices, says the company. Not only can they be used for direct laser control via Showeditor or Showcontroller (the new professional laser software) through LAN connection, but they also have an integrated SD card that ILDA frames can be loaded to.
These files can then be triggered via Art-Net, DMX, in stand-alone-operation and in some units even in sound-to-light mode. The possibility of putting self made content to the laser systems adds further intelligence to the devices, which usually are only used to work with either basic, premade content or external “intelligence” through ILDA control software.
Every ShowNET interface comes with the full version of Showeditor for free, so every laser system with

Ireland - A New Yorker visiting the Dublin St James’s Gate Guinness brewery with her Irish fiancé helped celebrate a momentous milestone recently when she became the 20 millionth visitor to Guinness Storehouse, Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction. The occasion was highlighted with an event that included an indoor concert for 500 guests along with an outdoor lighting spectacle in which Elation Proteus Hybrid weatherproof moving heads helped draw attention to the brewery.
Dublin-based lighting designer Conor Biddle was brought in by events and branding agency Archetype as creative director for the event, which took place 25 April. “The brief was to have the whole city looking in one direction - toward the brewery - so I knew I needed a powerful beam,” states LD Biddle, who adds he had seen the arc-source Proteus Hybrid used on the New Year’s Eve light show on

UK - From the Pyramid Stage, where Tim Routledge used the COLORado Solo Batten on headliner Stormzy, to the Flying Bus Stage, the Greenpeace Field and the Acoustic Stage, Chauvet Professional proliferated at the 36th edition of the Glastonbury Festival.
On the Pyramid Stage, a large collection of COLORado Solo Batten fixtures helped outline the architecture of the set and provided immersive colour washes from multiple directions.
At the Unfairgrounds, the GLX Productions team led by managing director and lighting designer Glenn Gridley, used an extensive array of Maverick fixtures to create transformative moments. This was most notable on the Flying Bus Stage, where GLX conjured up an engaging effect with help from 12 Maverick MK Pyxis, 12 Maverick MK1 Spot and three Maverick MK1 Hybrid units.
Maverick fixtures also had a transformative effect on the festival’s

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