UK - Moulin Rouge! opened at London’s Piccadilly Theatre last month. The intimate theatre has been transformed into a world of splendour, romance, glitz, grandeur and glory - with Unusual Rigging brought onboard to help create a world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment.
Jeremy Featherstone, senior design engineer at Unusual Rigging, explains: “We were contacted by production manager Matt Towell to help bring this extraordinarily heavy show into a relatively small venue. The idea was always to create the feeling that the audience is involved in the show - a recreation of the intimate feeling of being at the actual Moulin Rouge. The production weighs in at over 23 tonnes, but the Piccadilly’s grid was only really equipped to deal with half that weight - so we needed to come up with a workable solution.”
With U

Belgium - Robe T1 Profile LED luminaires have been installed at the 1700 capacity Capitole Theatre in Ghent, where they are deployed on the front lighting bridge for key lighting and specials, replacing the previous tungsten fixtures. The T1 Profile investment was part of a drive to update the remaining elements of the house lighting system to LED, making it better, more contemporary and more sustainable.
The T1 Profile purchase was overseen by the venue’s technical manager Rui Pinto who takes a distinctly no-nonsense approach to technical production.
After discussions with Bart Weyts from rental specialist L&L Stage Services, the venue’s regular technical partner, Rui assessed the various suitable options available for front / key lighting replacement, contacted a selection of manufacturers and evaluated his choices.
The T1 Profile popped up many times

USA - Creative Technology supplied Elation broadcast lights to Lighting Design Group for use on sportscast booths and stages in and outside of Sofi Stadium during Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles in February. Dennis Size, executive vice president of design for Lighting Design Group was responsible for the overall lighting design and turned to Elation Fuze Profile CW and KL Panel luminaires for key, fill and wash lighting.
Multiple stages scattered around LA provided pre- and post-game coverage while promoting the city and shows for client Comcast. This was the fourth Super Bowl in which LDG has been involved and was Size’s second time working a Super Bowl. Having used conventional fixtures at the Super Bowl in Minneapolis four years ago, he says their inflexibility led him to request more moving lights for this year’s plot. ““That’s what drove the design concept of a

USA - Doug Aldrich, guitarist with The Dead Daisies recently spoke about how ClearOne’s audio and video capture technologies have become vital to his daily routine.
“Making music and being a successful self-promoter have always been a function of what technology is available, so keeping up with technology is fundamental to our business,” he explained. “The basic idea is that we should leverage all available tools to play better, sound better and look better, and today, video and audio quality for video calls can be a big part of that equation.”
Having recently completed a short UK tour and now on a 26-show European tour, Aldrich is keeping busy with virtual practices, meetings and promotional interviews that reinforce the vital role video collaboration plays for modern professional musicians. Even so, he hadn’t thought much about the quality of his audio an

USA - British trio Shpongle were one of the headliners at the Gem and Jam Festival in Tucson.
Taking place over three days at the Pima County Fairgrounds, the event served up a rich mix of sounds from an international roster of artists including Lotus, Lab Group and Hallucinogen, all in a peaceful setting that included campsites and art displays.
Part of the renowned Tucson Gem Mineral and Fossil Showcase, the festival also mesmerized with some glittering displays of gemstone artwork. Reinforcing this theme, its stages had names like Emerald, Onyx and Quartz.
One would expect stages bearing such monikers to be bursting with colour, and this festival didn’t disappoint, thanks to the work of Cody Lisle, who designed the sets and did the programming for the main stage, while also supporting guest LDs like Tiberius Benson, who came with STS9, and Chandler Thomann,

France - The Cadre Noir de Saumur IFCE (Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation) recently took possession of a large number of Zep2 LED luminaires and Robert Juliat followspots as part of the renovation of the stage lighting of the Grand Manège.
The Cadre Noir is one of the leading riding schools in the world and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Heir to an illustrious military history and based on an ancestral equestrian culture, it perpetuates its mission of training and showcasing the French equitation tradition for almost two centuries.
This prestigious venue will open its 2022 season beneath Robert Juliat's LED luminaires. One hundred and twenty Zep2 360LF2 Fresnel lanterns, six Zep2 660SX2 profiles and two Super Korrigan followspots have just been installed in the Grand Manège by Geste Scénique, Robert Juliat's regional partner.
“The c

France - On the northeastern border of Paris, the Philharmonie de Paris complex is the musical epicentre of the City of Lights, encompassing an amphitheatre, concert hall, museum, an exhibition hall and studios and workshops. The newest addition to the complex, the Philharmonie des enfants (Children's Philharmonic) was created for children aged four to 10 with the mission to develop hearing sensitivity through interactive games and immersive sound installations.
Children take their first steps into the world of sound and music in the new, purpose-built venue. The space encompasses five different themed areas, one of which aptly named Plein les oreilles! (Earfuls!), has been equipped with L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology.
Plein les oreilles! is a blend of specially created musical films, stories, concert recordings and sound experiences. By combining fully-sp

USA - When working a corporate event, lighting designers usually have to go with the flow, at least as far as colour schemes are concerned. If the company logo relies on a palette that doesn’t translate so well in light, the LD has to figure out how to make the best of the unfortunate hand that was dealt.
TJ Harrison on the other hand was grateful when he was called upon to light a dinner event at the Mohegan Sun Casino for JSC Management Group, a major quick service restaurant franchisee. The company’s preferred palette with its deep reds, blues and other hues, gave him excellent colour choices.
He took full advantage of the opportunity too. Using the 36 Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 BeamWash in his Squeek Lights supplied rig, he created an intimate mood throughout the event space, no small accomplishment give its cavernous 18,500sq.ft size. Relying on subtle colo

USA - To provide artists with isolated and well-balanced headphones whilst recording and mixing, engineers at Studio 606 selected the AKG K371 as their over-ear headphone of choice.
The recording space and headquarters to the Grammy Award-winning band Foo Fighters, Studio 606 specialises in analogue and direct-to-tape recording methods, the studio also houses the custom Neve 8028 recording console from Sound City, the studio where countless artists recorded some of their most notable work.
As the majority of bands who record at Studio 606 prefer to track while playing live in the same room, the studio required high-quality closed-back headphones capable of providing sufficient noise isolation and preventing audio bleed. Additionally, to ensure accurate sound for recording and mixing, the studio’s engineers needed headphones with a balanced and uncoloured frequency r

UK - Lighthouse young technicians at Poole’s Centre for the Arts tripped the light fantastic last weekend, presenting a showcase of digital light art in the amphitheatre as the latest intake of students completed the final element of their 12-week training course.
“The work was absolutely brilliant,” says Lighthouse chief executive, Elspeth McBain. “It totally transformed the landscape, which is what technicians do, and reminded us of what is possible in the outdoor space beside our venue.”
Aimed at young people aged 16-19 interested in getting to grips with lighting, sound and stage management in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings, this course is an opportunity to experience technical theatre in a real-world environment tutored by working professionals.
Students are guided through a structured 12-week course by professional technicians, gainin

USA - Sting performed his single For Her Love in Spanish as part of Univision’s broadcast of the 2022 Premio Lo Nuestro awards last month.
Taking to the South Plaza Stage outside the FTX Arena, acoustic guitar in hand, Sting sang in a voice that was clear and soft, yet powerful. Adding to the moment were his surroundings on the angular, asymmetrical stage with its warm lighting and the city of Miami skyline in the background.
For Rene Garcia, it was one of the highlights of the show. “I grew up listening to the music of Sting,” he explains. “So seeing this was very special to me personally.”
Garcia’s interest was more than that of a fan. Working with Chris Fernandez of Limitless Design, he was the lighting designer for the four performances on the South Plaza stage, including the one by Sting. Helping him create the evocative looks that contrib

The Netherlands - Theater Aan de Parade in Den Bosh has been closed for a complete refurbishment since August 2020, with a reopening set for 2023. During this time - COVID regulations notwithstanding - the venue has planned to stage productions in eight venues in and around the city including Hall 8 of the city’s Brabanthallen exhibition centre, which has 860 seats and is the largest of the temporary venues.
The lighting rig installed in Hall 8 for the first production run featured Robe T1 Profile and LEDBeam 350s moving lights which were specified by lighting specialist Gertjan Stads and supplied by Unlimited Vision & Sound, a local rental company based in Rosmalen.
These have been added to the Robe DL4S Profiles and LEDWash 300s already owned by the theatre to make a versatile all-purpose rig in the roof which is good for lighting a vibrant range of shows - f

Switzerland - After more than 40 years of continuous operation, Theater Basel has undergone extensive refurbishment. To ensure the house is equipped for the future, a newDiGiCo Quantum 7T mixing console has been installed and integrated into an Optocore network infrastructure.
Theater Basel is Switzerland's largest multi-genre theatre, and hosts dance, opera and theatre productions. A wide variety of renovation work has been carried out and purchases made over the past seven years, undertaken during non-performance and non-rehearsal periods to avoid disruption to performances. A few months ago, the house also renewed its entire mixing console fleet.
After an extensive evaluation and test phase - including a hands-on session at Tonspur AG in Adligenswil with DiGiCo’s Dan Page - the decision was made to invest in a DiGiCo Quantum 7T. As the ‘T’ suggests, the Quantu

The Netherlands - The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) featured the Showtec Sunstrip Active MKII. The carefully designed studio setup has been the stage of the online show for almost two weeks. Regular provider Peitsman Licht en Geluid B.V. assisted with technical knowledge and three technical crew members to collaborate with the director to build a professional stage with a blend between a sleek and a creative design.
The International Film Festival Rotterdam is held each year at the end of January, normally in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Founded in 1972, it is focussed on independent and experimental filmmaking by showcasing emerging talents as well as established authors. The festival also places a focus on presenting innovative media art and arthouse films, with most of the participants in the short film program identified as artists or e

Serbia - With Belgrade’s 2022 New Year’s Eve celebration green lighted by city officials, Skymusic, one of the leading sound reinforcement rental companies in Europe, was given the task of providing an unforgettable experience for the crowd of revellers in attendance.
The celebration, which centred along the Belgrade Waterfront, a new complex of buildings including the 551ft-tall Kula Belgrade tower, required Skymusic Sound Engineer Vladimir Buric to cover a lot of ground. The multimedia spectacle featured a laser show, fireworks, videos and live performances by some of Serbia’s biggest stars including, Jelena Karleuša, Marija Šerifović and Sara Jovanović.
Outdoor winter events at night always present a set of challenges, which led Buric to the Anya three-way full-range ADAPTive array module from Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW).
“We needed to project so

Germany - Production company Professional Sound Service (PSS) reshaped its business beyond traditional live sound reinforcement to offer hybrid and studio events out of necessity. PSS's investment in Point Source Audio microphones - supplied by German distributor Mega Audio - helped propel its expansion technically and financially to prevail over the challenging business environment created by the Corona virus.
“Today, I only use Point Source Audio headset and lavalier microphones - we have changed completely,” explains Michael Weimann, technical director of audio at PSS. “I use the CO-8WD headset microphones for everything that has to do with the voice and that can be done via a headset. This is not only due to the price/performance ratio, but above all the handling.”
Weimann discovered it was quicker and easier to put the Point Source Audio headset on board m

Poland - Stay High Agency, promoters and producers of a popular series of Roof Party events (which take place on the roofs of hotels and malls in their native city of Krakow) has taken delivery of a Martin Audio Wavefront Precision WPS. The decision was made after Phono Media, Martin Audio’s Polish distributor, set up a demo.
The distributor confirms that the customer had already been “heavily oriented towards Martin Audio”. They add that “Stay High Agency started their adventure with Martin Audio solutions with CDD-Live before moving up to their first large-scale system. They first used this system on the Roof Party cycle.
The agency purchased 10 of the compact WPS enclosures, along with six SXC118 subwoofers, to be powered by three high-powered iK81 8-channel Class D amplifiers.
In addition, they also ordered six of the Blackline XP12 powered speakers,

World - Ayrton has announced that it will continue to support the Women In Lighting project throughout 2022 via its exclusive WIL Entertainment Lighting Partnership.
Founded in 2019 by Sharon Stammers and Martin Lupton of Light Collective, and already well-established in the field of architectural lighting, WIL exists to provide an inspirational digital platform that profiles women working in lighting and lighting design, celebrating and promoting their work and career paths. It challenges the underrepresentation of women within the industry and aims to support and encourage the next generation.
Ayrton’s primary aim is to raise awareness and broaden the reach of the WIL project to include women working in entertainment lighting - not just lighting designers, but women working in all aspects of entertainment lighting.
“We are thrilled that WIL has chosen to wo

UK - To ensure a concert-quality audio experience for new West End theatre production Get Up Stand Up!, Stage Sound Services deployed a JBL Professional VTX Series line array sound reinforcement system.
Premiered in October 2021, Get Up Stand Up! is a musical theatre production that tells the life story of Bob Marley. Based at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End, the show has earned both critical and commercial acclaim, with performances routinely playing to sold-out audiences. Because Marley’s music plays such an integral role in the production, sound designer Tony Gayle required a modern audio system that would deliver concert-like sound quality. At the same time, he needed the sound system to provide natural-sounding speech intelligibility and balanced coverage to ensure a comprehensive theatre experience.
At Gayle’s request, the show’s prod

France - Jean-Michel Jarre recently premiered his latest opus Oxymore in a series of headline performances at the inaugural edition of Radio France’s Hyper Weekend Festival in Paris.
Creating the definitive environment for an immersive experience, the concerts were staged in the round at the Radio France headquarters, la Maison de la Radio, surrounded by a seated live audience while also being broadcast and live VR streamed to tens of thousands of viewers. The show was made possible by L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology, specified by sound design engineer, Hervé Déjardin.
“I was involved with Jean-Michel Jarre’s epic virtual concert Welcome to the Other Side last year, during which Jean-Michel and I spent a lot of time discussing how to best present his compositions. We agreed that the most important thing is to compose for

USA - Team PixMob scored its third consecutive Super Bowl win at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, featuring performances by hip-hop icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Montreal-based PixMob dazzled fans in the stands and TV viewers alike with an epic halftime spectacle, one that had to overcome a significant production hurdle.
PixMob’s Super Bowl Halftime Show experience this year was their third straight, and fourth overall, at North America’s biggest annual sporting event. It follows unforgettable success at last year’s halftime show featuring The Weeknd, and at the Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performances the year before, both shows together totalling over 200m viewers.
The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals weren’t the only ones aiming to light up the field during the aft

Finland - The University of Applied Sience of Savonia in Finland is marking its 30th anniversary in 2022 and wanted to light Kuopio’s landmark Puijo Tower in pink and white.
For this purpose, the executing company Viking Pro Rentals relied on products from Iridium. A total of 33 different devices were used for a wide variety of lighting tasks on the ground and on the 75m high tower.
The devices from Iridium ran over a period of three weeks, each for 18 hours a day, with outside temperatures down to -25° C, harsh wind and snowfall.
“We have been using Iridium products for years and have only had positive experiences with the products so far,” says Juha Jäppinen, managing director of Viking Pro Rentals. “There were no problems with the devices in this project either. We only had to occasionally clean the lights if it had snowed during the six hours the un

UK - Singer-songwriter and BRIT Awards nominee Joy Crookes has captured hearts with her debut album, Skin. Her current European tour, which started in the UK last year and continues until May, is proving equally successful, with festival appearances secured for the summer.
For its theatre-sized venues, Triplex Productions is providing an audio system that centres around DiGiCo’s SD9 and SD11 consoles. This compact yet powerful set-up is ideal where space it at a premium. “I was invited to join the team last summer by the producer of Joy’s album and the creative on this show, it’s the same live production team as British rapper, Kano, who I was working with previously,” says Triplex technical manager, Joe Hawley, who is manning the SD11 at the FOH position. “As the tour is visiting intimate venues, the SD11 and SD9 are an obvious choice given the power of t

USA - When promoting the Cali Vibes festival, organiser California Vibrations, promised fans a chance to step into the SoCal reggae scene with a “stacked line-up” of stars.
That’s what they delivered for three days in early February, as their outdoor festival featured 54 performers, from stars like The Marley Brothers and Wu-Tang Clan, to newcomers eager to showcase their talents.
The event may have been a feast for reggae fans, but for the production crews responsible for setting up the stage for the various artist, it was also a steep challenge, defined by 10-15 minute change overs and a revolving platform deck.
Justin Casey, who designed and setup the show for one of the festival’s headliners, Slightly Stoopid, met this challenge by creating a distinctive and compelling look for his client with a rig that loaded in and out with ease. Key to helping hi

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