South Africa - Bad Weather Productions handled the creative technical needs for the Rocking the Daisies Festival, held in Cape Town and Johannesburg late last year. Said to mark the beginning of South Africa’s festival season, Rocking the Daisies hosts big-name international artists from a diverse spectrum of genres across three days at Cloof Wine Estate, near Cape Town, followed by one day at SuperSport Park, Johannesburg.
With a decade-long involvement in Rocking the Daisies, Bad Weather Productions has played a part in the festival’s evolution. Notably, they pioneered the first hip-hop stage, TwosUP, in 2016, diversifying the festival's music offerings. Over the years, the collaboration has expanded, with Bad Weather Productions leading the production design and execution across every arena.
"It's been an incredible journey working with Rocking the Daisies over

UK - Cincinnati alt-rockers, The National, use Skan PA Hire for arena-scale audio solutions with a boutique approach, deploying a d&b KSL PA system, and Avid Venue S6L consoles with E6L 192 Engines at both ends.
“The first time we worked with Skan, I immediately thought, ‘This is the way an audio company should operate,’” says production manager and monitor engineer, Stu Tenold.
“Every package I've received from Skan is built for the artist I’m with. There's real attention to detail in what they do. Now being part of Clair Global, I can see what director Chris Fitch can offer; there's a lot more resources at his fingertips. But, for those who know, Skan is a boutique PA company, and they provide a very specific service.”
The band - vocalist Matt Berninger, brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner (piano, guitar, keys), and brothers Scott Devendorf (bas

USA - The Struts’ recently concluded North American tour was supported by a dynamic lightshow by Carlos Katsurayama that moved seamlessly through dramatic mood shifts with help from a LIT Lighting supplied rig that featured the Maverick Force S Profile, Strike Array 4 and Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash from Chauvet Professional.
Reflecting the UK band’s bold emotional swings, Katsurayama played light and darkness off one another to rev up the crowd. For example, his show started out in darkness, before moving to a lighted backdrop, and then busted out with intense blinding effects.
“Beginning the show in complete darkness is a classic way to build anticipation,” said Katsurayama. “Lighting up the backdrop was a big way to let the crowd know that the wait was almost over.”
Katsurayama worked his way in and out of shadows to great effect at every turn. “In

USA - Jam band Goose eased into the 2023 festive season with four special concerts staged over two days at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia, all completely sold out.
Lighting designer / director Andrew Goedde chose Robe moving lights as the principal fixtures and worked closely on developing his design with lighting programmer / technical director Tony Caporale, using their 2023 touring rig as a starting point. From this they evolved some new concepts for the tenth annual Goosemas event.
They were then both delighted to hear that the band and their creative director Will Thresher moved away from traditional Christmas themes to embrace Goosemas in Space for this year’s show.
Goose has grown and substantially expanded its fanbase in the last couple of years, and for Goosemas 2023 wanted to make some big statements and give something spectacular back to everyone

USA - ATK Audiotek, a Clair Global Brand, demonstrated the versatility of the Cohesion catalogue at Microsoft Ignite 2023, the tech giant’s annual demonstration of new products and solutions, held in Seattle. The deployed Cohesion products emphasised their unmistakable clarity for thousands of eager developers and partners at the Keynote Stage and the IP (Interstitial Programming) Theatre Stage during the corporate event.
Andrew Waterman, Microsoft’s account manager for ATK Audiotek, explained that Microsoft’s top goals at any conference are “to be able to see what presenters are talking about, but more importantly, to hear them clearly”.
Waterman first heard Cohesion’s products during a demonstration two years prior, and they jumped to mind immediately for their clarity. The 45-year veteran front of house mixer was impressed enough to design for Ignite a

USA - ARRI is the official lighting provider for the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival which takes place this month.
ARRI, together with wholly owned subsidiary Illumination Dynamics, is providing the Sundance Film Festival with ARRI’s lighting solutions, including SkyPanel S30-C, SkyPanel S60-C, and ARRI Orbiter fixtures. These professional and innovative luminaries are shining the best light on personalities, stars, and emerging filmmakers at premiere event venues, stages, and lounges at Sundance Film Festival’s 40th edition.
“As we mark our 40th Sundance Film Festival, we are excited to collaborate with ARRI and use their innovative lighting technologies to help us create dynamic festival environments and shine a light on all the creators who are taking part in press lines before introducing their films to audiences at the Festival,” says Tammie Ros

UK - Over 300 Astera NYX Bulbs and 80 x Titan Tube wireless LED lighting fixtures dazzled festive guests visiting the Neverland Illuminova Christmas trail at Wellington Country Park near Reading. This was a special lighting and visual experience concept developed and delivered by the team at show production and technical specialist, Zeal.
The 1.5km trail followed the journey of the character Hope as they discovered their imagination travelling through various areas of visual interest with land, features and foliage speckled, coloured and bathed in light that could be absorbed, interpreted and sometimes interacted with live.
The NYX Bulbs were installed in two areas, the first of which was called Play. Here they were used in festoon style, strung overhead on scaffolding and catenary wires, and programmed as conventional lights and into a variety of colourful scenes, ch

Italy - The 13th edition of Italia's Got Talent was lit by Prolights products. Broadcastfor the first time in Europe on the Disney+ streaming platform, the series relied on AMG International s.r.l. for stage lighting.
The lighting setup, consisting of 113 Prolights fixtures, included SmartBat Plus, HaluPix, and VersaPar. This combination ensured an engaging visual effect, both for the studio audience and for viewers watching the show via streaming.
The production team expressed great satisfaction with the use of Prolights devices, particularly highlighting their versatility, speed, and ease of use as decisive factors for the success of the show's lighting. "For a dynamic and creative programme like Italia's Got Talent, these features of Prolights products played a fundamental role in ensuring flawless execution," the team stated.

UK - Based on Audrey Niffenegger's bestselling 2003 novel that captivated millions worldwide, a new musical adaptation of The Time Traveller's Wife love story recently premiered at London's Apollo Theatre, showcasing an original score by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart.
Sound designer Richard Brooker and associate sound designer Nick Lodge collaborated closely with the production crew - including Callum Donaldson, Isabel McIntosh, Andrew Williams and sound effects designer, Pete Malkin - to bring forth this show, which has been running since October.
The production also marks Brooker’s first proper use of the KLANG:technologies immersive in-ear monitor mixing system, supplied by Stage Sound Services, for the show’s band.
Brooker shares, “KLANG was an innovation we wanted to introduce into our shows.” After initial discussions with Phil Kamp from KLANG

UK - It’s been a busy holiday period at Boisdale Canary Wharf. A popular venue for drinking, dining and entertainment, an all-Nexo sound system covers the main live music area and the downstairs bar.
Drawing from Nexo Geo M6, P+, ID and ePS speaker ranges and with networked power and processing from a rack of 11 NXAMP4X2Mk2 powered controllers, the system was installed by Oxford-based Event Production Services.
“The Nexo system delivers high-quality sound with even audio distribution throughout the room” comments Boisdale had of sound Ido Tavori. “Despite the challenging acoustics of the space, the system ensures clear and consistent sound projection.”
Returning to Boisdale in March, the Cuban Brothers said after their last show at Boisdale, “The Nexo sound system tonight has been ‘fantastico’. To come here and perform is always a pleasure.”

The Netherlands - Full Frontal is a new dance piece by choreographer Juanjo Arqués billed as ‘a ballet about real people and actual feelings’ set to Weather One, a musical score by Michael Gordon. It was presented by the Dutch National Ballet and staged at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam. It explores the stresses and tensions of our fractured and often polarised society as it faces physical obstacles that swap - ironically - with psychological projections of challenging conditions.
Full Frontal was the final work in Four Temperaments, a performance featuring the work of four choreographers, and was lit by Yaron Abulafia who enlisted the help of 40 Robe Tetra2 moving LED battens and an automation system.
He blended the intense emotion and paradox of dance with the drama and structural discipline of installation art to produce a t

USA - Eric Nam is a “natural born performer” wrote one admiring critic when describing the US-born and South Korean-based star’s recently concluded House on a Hill North American tour.
Matching Nam’s passion and reflecting the nuances of each song on the 39-date tour was a far-reaching and evocative Julien Reux lighting design that was programmed by Matt Reynolds, and featured Chauvet Professional COLORado PXL Bar 16 and Color Strike M fixtures supplied by Kinetic Lighting.
Like the music of Nam himself, the lightshow was an inspired blend of boldness and subtlety. The mood on the stage was set by edge-to-edge colour washes, often monochromatic with white highlights. In some segments of the show, bright beams flared out from centre stage to the left and right, almost, as if opening a pathway for Nam. Throughout it all, regardless of how big the looks go

USA - Latin pop luminaries Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Pitbull have teamed up for The Trilogy Tour, a North American arena trek taking the three artists out for shows in 37 cities between October 2023 and March 2024.
Following a successful first leg of sold-out concerts that ran into mid-December, the second half of the Live Nation-produced, Sound Image/Clair Global-reinforced run picks back up in late-January with four performances in California before sweeping east across the continent. The tour is enjoying a tremendous amount of success thanks to the talent and charisma of its headliners, but three unseen performers - a trio of KLANG:konductor immersive IEM mixing systems - are also doing their part to help the three bilingual superstars and their backing bands deliver a four-hour fiesta at each stop.
Eddie ‘El Brujo’ Caipo has worked with Enrique Igles

UK - Visitor attraction Titanic Belfast has used Panasonic projectors to convey the emotional impact of the human tragedy within the Titanic story, through the creation of a new, absorbing immersive space that places visitors at the heart of the liner’s ill-fated maiden voyage. More than 12 years on from the opening of the building, the attraction has refreshed the Titanic Experience for returning visitors and continues to draw crowds from around the world.
Working with integrator, DJ Willrich, Titanic Belfast now uses more than 30 Panasonic PT-MZ16K, PT-MZ780 and PT-VMZ71 LCD projectors to deliver the Titanic Experience, a stimulating re-creation of what it might have been like to be a passenger travelling on the liner. The self-guided tour is the most authentic way to discover the sights, sounds, and stories of the ship, as well as the people and city that made RMS Titan

South Africa - Sennheiser SA, in collaboration with Sennheiser electronic, recently concluded a series of successful workshops across South Africa and Namibia as part of the Meet the TeamConnect Family Roadshow. The workshops, which took place in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Windhoek, were aimed at showcasing Sennheiser's latest innovations for higher education, corporate meeting spaces and auditoriums, including its latest TeamConnect conferencing solutions.
Designed with integrators and business owners in mind, the workshops featured Sennheiser's newly introduced TeamConnect Bar S and TeamConnect Bar M video bars, the first product of its kind in the Sennheiser portfolio, as well as the popular TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) and TeamConnect Ceiling Medium (TCC M) ceiling microphones.
“We are excited to share these new products with our clientele,” expresses Ashley

Slovenia - Crt Birsa from Slovenian design studio Blackout recently utilised Robe moving lights to realise the raw lighting aesthetic wanted by Slovenian vocal orchestra Perpetuum Jazzile for a video shoot in Ljubljana.
The artists have won international acclaim for their acapella versions of famous songs and for their lively and invigorating live performances.
This video shoot was directed by Rok Maver and took place in the new VPK Mediapark Media Centre nightclub in Ljubljana which has just opened. The Robe elements were 16 x Fortes, 28 x MegaPointes and 22 Spiiders, all supplied by Ljubljana based rental company Intralite – who invested in Fortes at the start of the summer which were delivered by Robe’s Slovenian distributor, MK Light Sound.
These were all rigged quite closely together on three overhead house trusses and the deck which boosted the intensit

Mexico - Sound, light and AV automation specialists, Oncue has designed and installed more than a hundred Nexo systems in bars, restaurants, hotels, superyachts and even homes around the country.
With offices in Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City, the company is headquartered in Cancún and has established a reputation among local hospitality venue operators for providing systems that meet and exceed what is typically a demanding set of requirements.
“It’s a party atmosphere in Cancún and (nearby) Tulum, so sound systems are required to handle much more than simply background music” says Oncue director general Héctor Ortega Valles. “The Nexo systems we install are typically operating at over 100dB for up to 15 hours a day.”
Oncue’s latest installation is at the BRASS Modern Grill House, part of the Fish Fritanga Group, where a Nexo ID and ePS Series sys

UK - After a 10-year hiatus, indie rock band, Hard-Fi, made a triumphant return this October with a 13-day nationwide stour, including dates at the Junction in Cambridge, O2 Academy in Liverpool, Rock City in Nottingham, and the Troxy in London. Front of house engineer, Sam Parker, and monitor engineer, Bertie Hunter, deployed a DiGiCo Quantum 225 and SD12 digital mixing console respectively, supplied by CS Audio.
Reflecting on his induction into the band, Parker recalls being recruited by Hard-Fi’s management before their debut album release in 2005. “I remember receiving a demo CD of songs, and then I was formally introduced to the band,” he says. “During those early days, the touring setup was limited to a two-person crew - myself handling FOH duties alongside a tour manager/driver. Within the first year, the band upgraded to a tour bus and an expanded crew, which

Japan - Hiromi Go celebrated his 50th anniversary in 2022. He toured all the country throughout the whole year to meet his fans and share the celebration. In the final month, December 2022, a special prestigious tour - Hiromi Go 50th Anniversary Tour - The Final Countdown in 2022 - took place. Mainly composed of his ballads, this proved extremely popular, and was performed with an especially luxurious stage setting.
This special concert was revived in 2023 for a special one-night show at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall, this time not only to celebrate Go’s 50th anniversary, but also to commemorate the concert venues’ 50th anniversary and its very last year. The Sun Plaza Hall, which had served as a landmark concert venue for many famous artists in Tokyo for half a century, finally closed in the summer.
Naomasa Kajiura, an award-nominated lighting designer for PRG Japan, who

UK - Christie HS Series projectors powered a sparkling seasonal projection mapping experience at Waddesdon Manor, a 19th century Grade 1 listed National Trust site in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Yes Events deployed 11 Christie DWU23-HS 1DLP laser projectors – supplied by Christie partner A.C. Entertainment Technologies – to map the 10-minute content designed by mapping expert Jamie Shiels. The content, inspired by the festive season and popular children’s books, was projected onto the façade of the French Renaissance-style Loire chateau for festive revellers to enjoy as part of a ‘Christmas at Waddesdon’ experience.
“Yes Events has been working with the National Trust at Waddesdon Manor for several years, and they previously explored the idea of projecting onto the building, but everything came together this year to bring it to life,” says Stuart Burdet

USA - Big Nite DC, which bills itself as the largest NYE convention hall party draws around 10,000 party goers, spread out over two ballrooms and 12 additional spaces. The main ballroom, which serves as the hub of the evening’s festivities, measures 45,000sq.ft and has 270-degrees of floor-to-ceiling glass windows affording stunning views of the Potomac River.
Animating the big event this year, as it has in the past, was an upbeat and colourful lighting and video design from Evan Kirkendall and the team at Harford Sound LLC.
“Every year we challenge ourselves to create a fresh, new design in the primary ballroom,” said Kirkendall. “We get to design this large rig from the ground up, so we really like to push ourselves each year.”
Although lighting Big Nite DC is “loads of fun”, it is not without its challenges. “The overall stage size is quite sma

USA - The Warren Haynes Presents Christmas Jam returned for its 32nd year, partnering with the Asheville area Habitat for Humanity and BeLoved Asheville. Bandit Lites provided the lighting system for the 9 December showcase which featured a line-up including Slash and Myles Kennedy, Billy F Gibbons, Gov’t Mule, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Clutch and Karina Rykman.
The winter spectacular began in 1988 and has raised more than $2.8m over the years, helping those in the area who have been unable to be homeowners due to financial setbacks.
"To take something as simple as playing music, which we all love to do, and turn it into building houses, it's an opportunity that I can't be more thankful for," Haynes told area news.
Bandit Lites provided over 100ft of Tyler Truss and more than 165 fixtures for the epic jam night including Ayrton Khamsin S, Chauve

South Africa - Hendrick Nemalili of Murangi Productions collected 12 new Claypaky Axcor Beam 300s and four Robe LedBeam 150s from DWR Distribution which went straight onto the 16th Crown Gospel Music Awards held on 26 November at the 10 000-seater Dome marquee based at the FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg.
The Crown Gospel Awards celebrates excellence in the South African gospel music industry. Traditionally taking place at the Durban ICC, it was hosted in Johannesburg for the first time. Having worked on the production on two different occasions, Hendrick was appointed to design the set and to provide the full technical comprising lighting, audio (including backline) and screens.
With three months to plan and prepare, he came up with the concept. “As the Crown Gospel Awards were making a debut in the City of Gold the idea was to integrate a suspended crown centre

USA - Lighting for the recent legs - including the USA and Canada - of popular and prolific Indian singer Shreya Ghoshal’s All Hearts world tour was programmed by Manu Jacob using an all grandMA3 control system solution for this section of the tour, and the first time on a touring project.
Brought onboard as programmer by Mumbai based show producers BToS Productions, he worked closely with the lighting design team from LAGFL Designs on ensuring that the show they had crafted was programmed in the most efficient, logical, and flexible way, enabling the showfile to be swiftly updated to deal with different sized venues.
“It was to facilitate this and also for the networking capabilities that I decided to make the switch to all grandMA3 for this project,” he stated, adding that he has been working on the grandMA platform for the last 10 years, and appreciates its

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