Rigging / Staging

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14 March 2016

Tait constructed a rolling MagDeck main stage that measured 25.6m wide by 12.1m deep, which provided full utilization of space underneath for storage of backline and band gear.

A custom, tongue-shaped MagDeck runway offsets the inflatable lips and teeth that are suspended above the band. Automated by 22 Tait Smart Winches, the massive lip is made from an inflatable printed fabric and measures 24.4m wide by 3m deep by 9.1m high and weighs 270 kg.

Scenically carved, painted lip she

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14 March 2016

Triple E will be demoing its new rearfold accessory and the TDRIVE motor both for Unibeam and Unitrack, the SDRIVE will be shown for the first time at ABTT, the multi-motor controller and its simple plug and play Wireless TracDrive unit, which attaches to the XLR socket on all Triple E motors and enables cable-free operation.

The company - which has a 30-year history of inventing engineering solutions for the entertainment industry - will also be debuting its totally new website showcasing its product lines and enabling customers and distributors to obtain instant quotes for any of the company's six main track systems including U shapes and perimeter tracks.

"We're inviting th

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14 March 2016

Ilfracombe, Devon-based drapes, starcloth, LED and visual effects specialist S+H has invested in a large quantity of these new LED panels which are very light in weight at just 4.5 Kgs per panel and 9.5 Kgs per square metre, which is made up from two panels. They are also quick to deploy and exceptionally user-friendly.

This multi-purpose 12 mm pitch product has been specially developed for S+H and is manufactured in China to their spec.

Holmes first used the S+H screen last year, just after the first batch was delivered, for the Kim Wilde tour, and was so impressed he decided to use it again when Steve Hackett went out.

The current Steve Hackett tour design

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14 March 2016

Triple E's managing director David Edelstein - who founded the company in 1984 to supply the entertainment industry with mechanical products to aid the assembly and construction of stage scenery - is chairing the debate alongside prominent theatre design consultant Andy Hayles from Charcoalblue, arts and capital projects consultant Simon Harper, rigging expert Chris Higgs, and industry PR Sarah Rushton-Read of The Fifth Estate Ltd.

All five will speak at the event, highlighting their own experiences of either specifying the right equipment for projects, and / or the ongoing fight against counterfeit goods and how it is and will continue to a

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14 March 2016

Entec made a major investment in the latest Clay Paky moving lights - buying 38 Alpha Spot QWO 800s and 20 Sharpy Washes - to ensure that Tutchener had exactly the creative tools he wanted for the tour, which plays 72 concerts in 65 cities and has already included a six night sold-out run at London's Royal Albert Hall.

It's the first time that Entec has worked with Knopfler, but Tutchener has designed his lighting since 2000. He and production manager Kevin Hopgood have both used Entec before on various projects and decided that they were the right company for delivering a classy lighting solutio

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14 March 2016

This isn't another shopping app - this is a fast and easy tool that allows GearSource Europe users to better manage their gear inventories on the web site, says the company.

Clients no longer have to wait until they get back to the office to list their gear. Now they can list right on location as soon as a show or event is finished. In fact, the GearSource Europe Listing App doesn't even require a WiFi connection in order to create listings. Added listings will be retained in the device cache and will automatically sync to Ge

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14 March 2016

Specialising in the design, supply and installation of stage engineering systems and offering inspection and preventative maintenance services, the Independent Studio Services' team will be on hand to discuss customers' upcoming projects and how they can be best serviced - be it an install or inspection, or a full design and implementation package.

As exclusive distributors for Tüchler, Independent Studio Services will be exhibiting the Tüchler Stage Platform Zoom 1200.

Milos Structural Systems representatives will also be present to speak with clients about their truss requirements for theatre, studio, exhibition or retail, all of which are also stocked by Independent Studio Services in the UK.

Ind

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14 March 2016

e-spool is a next generation compact cable management system that has been designed in response to customer demand for a solution that is more flexible than traditional cable drums. It enables users to guide many different cable and hose types, for example power, BUS, data and even fibre optics, in one single compact system.

The innovative e-spool is easy to install and robust, providing cables reliably in any direction for travels of up to 14m. Users can now benefit from a system that provides reliable operation for a wide range of lifting and moving applicati

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14 March 2016

Aldred spent weeks testing samples from various manufacturers to find a solution that was portable and sufficiently robust without compromising on shine - Harlequin Hi-Shine met all his needs from the very start.

"The more I work with it the more it impresses me. It's had no problems with big dogs jumping around on it, nor 5ft long, 40lb lizards with razor sharp claws, and is extremely easy to keep clean. If a more durable, more cost effective, effortless to maintain, glossier and portable surface exists, I've certainly never heard of it."

As the striking vinyl display flooring choice for television sets, high-profile entertainment, fashion shows, conc

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14 March 2016

An inventive approach was needed due to the overall height restrictions imposed on exhibitors and the limited rigging permissible (5Kg per point!) for lighting and other flown elements. This was provided by dbn's unflappable Nigel Walker.

An environment was created offering two seminar rooms to accommodate up to 20 delegates and three meeting rooms for groups of up to six people. These spaces radiated off a central 'social' area where delegates could mingle and enjoy refreshments in a calm, chilled atmosphere.

Walker used 25mm conduit as the hung lighting bars, and specified Chroma-Q ColorForce 12s LED units fitted with Lee 216 diffusion as

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14 March 2016

Entec's Noreen O'Riordan and Adam Stevenson project managed the massive one-off, which followed Faith's spring 2013 theatre tour, this time with an enlarged stage set and a more substantial lighting rig.

The O2 show required a completely new lighting design with versatility and flexibility at the core of the concept. The warm up shows utilised a smaller lighting rig, so only at the O2 did Austin have his full rig for the first time, adding extra pressures to the day.

An expanded version of Josh Grace's striking mirrored and gold palm lea

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14 March 2016

The motorised lectern is fully DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant, leading many visitors to the stand to try it out 'for size'! Designed and manufactured in the UK, the black powder coated steel lectern is supplied with a reading light and fitted with anti-vibration/noise dampening microphone mounts to ensure a clear, concise sound from the user.

Mark Chorley, design engineer at Doughty Engineering said, "The motorised height adjustment makes this lectern suitable for universal use, whether it's young children in a school setting, wheelchair users or adults of different heights - not forgetting the problems faced by very tall people too. Changing height from its lowest settin

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14 March 2016

Tait supplied six custom Periaktos, which are positioned on the mainstage and manually rotated throughout the performance. Each of the three-sided Periaktos contained a multi-faceted mirror face, a 12mm CT Flyer video screen and a grill-plated surface backlit with LED PAR fixtures.

Tait's automated helical trussing provides one of the main, artistic focal points of the set design. Powered by Tait's Nav Hoist system and hung from 10 half-ton chain hoists, the elements featu

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14 March 2016

"It was a difficult decision, we love exhibiting at ABTT" explains Philip Sparkes, MD of Maltbury Staging Ltd, "However after a successful year with our work for LOCOG and the development of our new seating and staging systems, we were enticed to ShowTech for the European launch of our new range to the international market."

ShowTech is taking place at the Messe Berlin in Germany on 18-20 June 2013.

In 2012 Maltbury worked on half of the Olympic sports with standard and bespoke products, most notably the weightlifting stage and unique weightlifting back wall. Maltbury has also worked on bespoke products for Tilted Productions (an internationally touring

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14 March 2016

With a growing interest in the provision of spaces suitable for dance - for professional performance and rehearsal, private dance schools and throughout the education sector - there is increasing focus towards specifying dance floors that meet both performance aspirations as well as conforming to health and safety requirements. As world leaders in advanced technology flooring for dance and the performing arts, the release of the Specifying dance floors, a guide for architects by Harlequin Floors aims to aid architects in selecting floors that meet both of these criteria.

As no standards currently exist which

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14 March 2016

Packing the skis for travel has always been a challenge explains Jez, and it was time to move permanently on from bubble-wrap, soft bags and keeping fingers crossed that they arrived in one piece ... to something more serious!

Water skis are constructed from hollow fiberglass resin materials which are brittle on the outside and a fall onto concrete, even from a short distance, can damage a ski beyond repair, so protection during transport is imperative.

UK based Jeremy was recommended to 5 Star, where he met Keith Sykes and the design team, who listened to his requirements and set to work to

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14 March 2016

DTS2 manufactures and installs a complete range of winch, hoist and control technology. In an announcement made at this year's ABTT show in London, the two companies have joined forces to provide permanent installations in new build and refurbished theatrical, event and exhibition venues.

Speaking about the collaboration at the show Mark Priestley, capital projects manager for Unusual, said, "This development is an extremely exciting step for Unusual, as it allows us to broaden our range of services in the installation and capital projects sector to enhance our stage engineering offer. None of our installations are off-the-shelf: rather, using DTS2's outstanding control technology, we will add the Unusual 'm

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14 March 2016

"The visitor reaction to the products on our stand was fantastic," says CEO Simon Caldwell. "The Zoom Stage 200 went down very well, powered only by a standard power drill. The diea was acknowledged to be brilliant and highly practical."

ABTT put Independent Studio Serrvics on the map as UK distributors for Milos and Tuchler.

"The truss systems and staging from Milos and Tuchler are being requested more and more in the UK and we are happy that this trend was reinforced by the obvious interest they generated on the stand," says Caldwell.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

The Killers were the headline act at the Isle of Wight Festival where Le Maitre effects included 25' Silver Mines; Mortar Hits; 30' Silver Comets with tail; Flash Reports;1x25' Silver Gerbs; 30x20' Silver Cascades; 30' Red Comets'; 25' Red & Purple Mines; Blue & Purple 30' Comets with tail; 25' Gold Glitter Mines; and 30 Air Canons.

In addition, Mines, Gerbs, Mortar Hits, Flash Reports, Flame Projectors were also going off at the Download Festival for Iron Maiden and Airbourne.

Le Maitre were working in collaboration with Pyrotek Special Effects Inc.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

The cable is engineered to suit all high-end touring applications and is suitable for those working in the professional live entertainment industry as well as for AV and custom installations of all types.

The US branch will be stocking cables from the Comus' ranges for speakers, instruments and microphones.

Comus features include flexible and durable jacket compounds which remain supple even in sub-zero temperatures! The whole cable construction is designed so that the cables are resistant to kinks and twisting, making them ultimately easy and adaptable to work with.

The jackets are tough, but easy to strip for quick, easy and painless installation.

The cables also feature low capacitance and low dielectric insulation,

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14 March 2016

Back in 1996, when Jenny Overton purchased Harlequin Reversible, she did not expect to enjoy such longevity. To make matters all the more impressive, Colne Bank School of Dancing only uses one side of the two-sided dance floor and it is still as functional and attractive as the day they took it home.

"We have a school of approximately 250 students doing ballet, modern theatre, tap and jazz from three years up to and including advanced. The 3m x 15m rolls have been rolled out, swept, stuck down, used and rolled away again, 5 days a week for the l

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14 March 2016

The company now announces another recent addition to the Group - with the purchase of UK lighting / speaker stand and truss lift manufacturer Mobil Tech International.

For many years Mobil Tech has worked in close partnership with Milos in the distribution of OEM products within the entertainment industry, including the popular PAD, PAX & PAZ trussing ranges and accessories.

At present, Milos is in the process of transferring operations from Letchworth, Hertfordshire to be fully integrated within Milos UK's Design & Distribution Centre in Cambridgeshire.

The Mobil Tech range will be supplied as part of Milos's extensive portfolio, and it is planned that design and p

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14 March 2016

Having been responsible for the design of most of the landmark touring stadium shows of the past three decades, Fisher occupied a unique position in the industry. He trained as an architect at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, graduating in 1971, and later, having already made his name in the world of concert design with his work on Pink Floyd's The Wall (1980), he teamed up with Jonathan Park to create the Fisher Park Partnership in 1984. The Mark Fisher Studio, Stufish, was founded in 1994.

Fisher's designs throughout this period encompass many of the largest, most innovative, most complex and most memorable touring concert productions of recent times. In addition to Pink Floyd,

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14 March 2016

Dan Kelly is a former student from Backstage Academy's first Foundation Degree in Live Events Production. He joined the industry training company, based in Wakefield, at the end of the course and has been touring schools and colleges to provide students with an insight into working backstage.

Said Kelly: "Working with schools and colleges is very important for the sustainability of the UK's live events industry. Most students I speak to are unaware of the career opportunities available to them and even less aware of how they can get into the industry and progress once they are in it.

"Through my experience of the Foundation Degree, being tutored by industry professionals, and working both in the LS-Live