Details

11 July 2024

USA - Feid, the Colombian musical phenomenon with over 17.6bn streams on Spotify, is currently taking his hits and his band out on the road. Produced by Live Nation, the FERXXOCALIPSIS Tour 2024 kicked off in Sacramento on 24 April at the Golden 1 Centre and has taken Feid across major US cities from coast to coast, offering fans a chance to experience his brand of high-energy reggaeton live.

On stage, all six musicians’ and vocalists’ IEMs are plugged into KLANG immersive monitor mixing in the form of a DMI-KLANG card loaded into a Clair Global-supplied DiGiCo Quantum338 console for monitors, mirroring another Quantum338 at front of house. This marks the first time the KLANG setup has been used by Feid, any of his band members, or Carlos ‘Carlitos’ Dickson, the veteran monitor engineer on the tour.

Dickson, a Latin Grammy-winning and multi-n

Details

11 July 2024

Malaysia - Powersoft’s T Series amplifier platform, known for its efficiency, flexibility and performance, is powering the Crossover store in the vibrant Exchange TRX shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur’s international financial district.

Crossover is a multi-label retail space and concept flagship store housing labels such as Carhartt WIP, Aries and Patta. The shop needed to transform the in-store audio experience to match its avant-garde retail ambiance.

In pursuit of clear, consistent and high-quality audio, the sustainability-conscious store approached loudspeaker manufacturer NNNN, which specified Powersoft T Series amplifiers to power its speakers. In choosing T Series, NNNN aimed to deliver maximum energy efficiency and clear, consistent and high-quality audio throughout the store, as well as a long-term value proposition for the client withou

Details

10 July 2024

UK - Flames, lasers and lights fired up the night sky at the 2024 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts as Arcadia launched its new Dragonfly concept – a sculptural installation, performance arena, a live show and a complete world of visual, aural and sensory experience, taking the art of imagining recycled industrial and military scrap metal to new and different levels.

Lighting included six of Robe’s new iBOLTS, a laser-source searchlight style moving light, and 12 x iPointe65s – an IP65 version of Robe’s MegaPointe moving light – fixtures stood out from over 200 lights illuminating the Arcadia Arena.

The Dragonfly’s body was projection mapped adding texture and depth, the head comprised a custom transparent video screen made from 200 LED tiles and lasers were its wings. In true Arcadia style, the show featured an impress

Details

10 July 2024

UK - Head of installation at Bristol-based Enlightened, Henry Parr took a weekend off from his usual role to mix on the company’s Nexo Geo M10 line array system on the Sensation Seekers stage at the Glastonbury Festival.

With six M10s flown per side and six subs on the ground, the job called for a throw of 30m to cover a maximum anticipated audience of 3,000.

“I’ve had some experience using the larger Nexo Geo M12, but this was my first time using the smaller, single 10-inch M10,” reports Henry. “I was really impressed by the power of such a compact system and the way it performed, with consistent SPL even at the back of the field when the crowd swelled to more than 10,000 at times.

“With such a diverse range of artists and performances on the Sensation Seekers stage, it wasn’t possible to tune the system for any single genre, b

Details

10 July 2024

Germany - Straßenparty-Geldern is a three-day summer festival in the heart of Geldern, in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region. This free, open-air event includes live concerts from a rich range of musical genres across a total of five festival stages. For the 2024 edition of the festival, two of the largest stages featured line array PA systems from Wharfedale Pro.

Sound specialists, Rockline, deployed the sound system for the main stage, whilst the second stage was handled by event technicians, Ambiento. Wharfedale Pro was chosen for both stages to ensure consistency for the event’s most anticipated performances. On hand was Wharfedale Pro’s local applications and solutions manager from IAD GmbH, Christian Boche.

“There were a lot of different bands in the mix with very short change-over times between acts, so I was on hand to ensure th

Details

10 July 2024

Ireland - 3LR Lighting played a central role in specifying a new house lighting system for the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin. One of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious music conservatoires, RIAM recently undertook an expansion and technical upgrade to mark its 150th anniversary.

As part of this, its 309-capacity Whyte Recital Hall has a new ArcSystem LED house lighting from ETC – for whom 3LR Lighting, as manufacturer’s representative, conducted the detailed consultation. Quality house lighting is, of course, fundamental to any auditorium which prioritises its aesthetic quality as much as its acoustics, for example. Here, however, aesthetic requirements were perhaps of even greater importance than usual.

As 3LR Lighting’s Matt Lloyd recalls, “The colour temperature, the CRI – how the light interacted with flesh tones –

Details

10 July 2024

UK - The ABTT is inviting nominations for its annual Stephen Joseph Award, as an ongoing tribute to Joseph’s contribution to our theatre culture. Designed to recognise innovative and inclusive theatre excellence in today’s British theatre, the 2024 Award is now open for entries.

The aim of the award is to celebrate the variety of ways contemporary theatre practitioners continue to break new ground in engaging their audiences. The award is open for submissions and a wide variety of practice is eligible - the ongoing work of a theatre company, a specific production, an individual theatre artist or director, or an innovative theatre building design. Submissions welcome from theatres large or small, long-established companies or emerging artists. Nominations accompanied by suitable evidence can easily be made by theatres, practitioners, or the general public

Details

10 July 2024

Canada - Vaughan, Ontario-based bb Blanc, a leading name in the AV production industry, has expanded its equipment portfolio with the acquisition of 48 Claypaky Sharpy X-Frame lighting fixtures.

"bb Blanc's decision to invest in Claypaky products was driven by the superior quality and technological innovation that Claypaky consistently delivers," says Adam Palleschi, managing director of bb Blanc. "The choice of Claypaky reflects bb Blanc's dedication to using the best tools available to create unforgettable event experiences."

According to Palleschi, Sharpy X-Frames stand out for their versatility and efficiency, making them an ideal addition to bb Blanc's lighting inventory. These all-in-one fixtures combine beam, profile, and wash functions, enabling a wide range of lighting effects with a single unit.

"The X-Frames can serve multiple purp

Details

10 July 2024

Italy - Powersoft has announced the expansion of its global team with the appointment of two new business development managers and three new solution engineers.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Jonathan Wu, newly appointed business development manager for China, possesses a deep understanding of the pro-audio market. He aims to enhance user experience and product knowledge for Chinese clients, as well as continue to raise Powersoft’s brand awareness in China.

Jinfu Chen, business development manager for the Southeast Asian market, will focus on Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam ensuring growth objectives by creating direct relationships with key integrators and consultants and utilising regular meetings and training sessions within the distribution network. Chen has an extensive background in the industry, having previously

Details

10 July 2024

Thailand - Brompton Technology has confirmed its participation in this year’s InfoComm Asia trade show, where it will be supporting three of its panel manufacturing partners, including gold partners INFiLED and Absen, co-hosting Studio X Beyond’s event, and sponsoring the InAVate APAC Awards.

Booth E20, sees INFiLED showcase its state-of-the-art LED display technology for control room, rental and staging, and xR/VP applications. A VP stage will feature Brompton SX40 processors and XD data distribution units, along with a demonstration the advantages of INFiLED’s RGBW panels using Brompton’s acclaimed G1 receiver cards and TrueLight technology.

Additionally, INFiLED and Friends expert panels will take place throughout the show, with Brompton participating in the XR Shooting session on day one and two from 14:00 to 14:30. The session will highl

Details

09 July 2024

UK - PLASA and LSi are calling for nominations for this year’s Gottelier Award. Named after the late lighting designer and innovator Tony Gottelier, the revered award recognises the invaluable contributions of the people behind the products.

Launched in 2007, the Gottelier Award aims to recognise product developers who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the advancement of entertainment, presentation, or installation technology over many years.

Last year’s winner was Howard Eaton whose self-named company, Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd, is known for delivering bespoke solutions to countless theatrical productions around the world – from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s flying car, to the crashing chandelier in the Phantom of the Opera, to the flying Olympic rings at London 2012.

After his win, Eaton said: “It is quite somethin

Details

09 July 2024

UK - The Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M got to make over 100,000 pairs of eyeballs dance at Glastonbury this year. Playing a role in what Rolling Stone called ‘a stunning lightshow’ for Saturday night headliners Coldplay, the motorized strobe-wash was used to create a seemingly endless flow of  looks that captivated what was one of the largest crowds in the festival’s history.

Supplied by Upstaging, the high-output IP65-rated fixtures were positioned throughout the rig by LD  Shaheem Litchmore. From these positions they created a glow over the performance area. The fixtures also flashed their colour rendering prowess, blasting out a rainbow of dynamic chase sequences.

Every bit of the Color STRIKE M’s versatility was needed, as Coldplay took the gigantic crowd on a multifarious musical journey. In addition to performing album

Details

09 July 2024

UK - Located on the edge of London’s Regent’s Park, 229 is a multi-purpose venue with two spaces: Venue One has a capacity of 700 and Venue Two can hold around 200 people. Both are busy every night, often also hosting events during the day. There is residential housing above and the whole complex is managed under the umbrella of the charity International Student House, which provides a home and community for young people studying internationally. A hundred percent of 229’s profits go back into supporting the charity’s mission.

“We had been using our previous desk for about 10 years,” technical manager Alessandro Bonifacio explains. “Every investment is thought about very carefully, we have to think in terms of longevity and value. I’ve been using DiGiCo consoles on my freelance jobs for years, so I got in contact through Andy Huffer at HD Pro

Details

09 July 2024

The Netherlands - The Royal Theater Carré (Koninklijk Theater Carré) is a Neo-Renaissance style theatre in Amsterdam, located on the banks of the river Amstel. Founded in 1887, it was originally built as a permanent venue for the Carré circus family and their popular ‘horse-play’ circus-theatre shows, but was later repurposed to also stage a variety of performances, revue theatre and operettas. Currently, the circular design 1,700-capacity auditorium is used for a mix of musicals, pop and music concerts and cabaret shows.

The auditorium lighting has recently received an upgrade with the existing lighting replaced by 36 x Anolis Ambiane XP56 LED fixtures fitted with 20-degree lenses.

These were delivered by Lumen Solutions, the architectural division of lighting sales specialist, Controllux, and installed by the Carré’s in-house lighting tea

Details

09 July 2024

USA - One of the premier roots festivals in the US, DelFest has steadily evolved the technical infrastructure at its Allegany County Fairgrounds site in Cumberland, MD, since the event was originally established 17 years ago.

Supporting the multi-stage event with sound reinforcement from the beginning has been Martin Audio partner Southard Audio. This year they fielded three Wavefront Precision systems - a WPL rig and two WPS hangs.

“We only switched to WPL and other Martin Audio systems at DelFest post-COVID (from 2022) and it really shines for these applications,” notes Southard managing partner, Jason Misterka.

Their three-stage Martin Audio deployment was headed by the large-format WPL line array. The Grandstand system used 24 WPL for main PA (12 a-side) with eight WPL out-fill stage right (to cover the grandstands), four XD15 front-f

Details

09 July 2024

USA - One hundred Broadweigh wireless load cells took to the main stage at the Miami Ultra Festival this year when more than 165,000 people attended to watch the likes of David Guetta, Eric Prydz and Calvin Harris perform.

The event, located in the Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami was produced and designed by Technical Arts Group (TAG). Load Cell Rental was brought on board to work alongside Kevin Mignone, CRO, TAG and Matthew Hannon, head rigger with the main task of weighing the rig on the main stage.

Ian Barrett, project manager, Load Cell Rental comments: “Our main task at Ultra was to monitor the weights of various structures during the build and to ensure that the roof beams and hoists were not overloaded. We have worked with TAG and Matt Hannon on other projects and they were already aware of the Broadweigh brand so they were happy for us to us

Details

09 July 2024

Europe - Ayrton has announced the official launch of its new IP65-rated Rivale Wash, the first ultra-equipped wash luminaire in Ayrton's new Ultimate range. A new addition to its IP65 3 Series, Rivale Wash has been developed especially for mixed indoor and outdoor use, including in salt-laden environments.

Rivale Wash, has been designed to emphasise volume, create depth and dreamlike atmospheres that leave a lasting impression. Whether playing with light and shadow, highlighting a detail, mastering chiaroscuro, searching for the perfect nuance or chiselling space, this new-generation luminaire delivers incomparable satisfaction. In addition, Ayrton’s signature moves of continuous rotation on the pan and tilt axes are included as standard to ensure maximum design creativity and freedom. Rivale Wash’s incredible ability to create extremely subtle atmospher

Details

09 July 2024

UK - Protec, a full-service rigging and AV company serving the events and conference industries, has significantly improved its operations and reduced equipment damage by investing in Admiral Strong Boy truss dollies from Stage Electrics.

Graham Thomas, a key member of the Protec team, first learnt about the Strong Boy truss dollies from an industry peer after facing persistent issues with damaged truss. Following a consultation with Admiral Staging, Protec was directed to Stage Electrics, who facilitated the initial sale of four Strong Boy truss dollies and spacer bars. Impressed by the product's advantages, Protec has since purchased five additional pairs of dollies.

Before purchasing the Admiral Staging Strong Boy truss dollies, the Protec team were noticing considerable damage and wear and tear on their truss as is typical for companies in the ri

Details

09 July 2024

China - It’s not often that a nightclub is named for its sound system, but that’s what has happened in Meishan in the Sichuan province of China – the latest addition to Meishan’s cultural landscape is an entertainment venue with a capital investment of over 50m RMB (over £5.4m).

The principal investor – a successful Chinese media and showbiz entrepreneur – visited several large clubs before deciding on what he wanted for his own venue. He was so impressed by what he heard at the Forever club in Wuhan – a massive KV2 venue that was billed as China’s biggest nightclub project of 2022 – that he decided not only on a KV2 system for his own venue, but that he would even name the club after it. KV2 Hub in Meishan opened earlier this year.

Conveniently situated in the heart of the Rose International M District in Meishan, KV2 Hub offers a

Details

09 July 2024

USA - It started in 1994 as the Gatlin Brothers Theatre, and later the Crook and Chase Theatre, before housing Christ United Methodist Church; ultimately, it would become the home of Palmetto Pointe Church. But the building on Fantasy Way in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was always home to some combination of faith and music, and in its current form, its 2,000-seat auditorium hosts Sunday services by Pastor Jamie Barfield and occasional concerts by artists including Tauren Wells and Danny Gokey.

What all of these events now share is a venue with a lighting rig that as of early this year features 30 newly installed elektraLite Stingray Profile Cast RGBW 350-watt ellipsoidal fixtures. The elektraLite fixture arrays were designed and installed by Paul D. Sweetman of Sweetman Designs, who worked with audio specialists MC Sound Consultants to completely renovate t