UK - LD Oli Richards has delivered a sparkling performance for the exclusive One Direction London Session with Apple Music.

Filmed in front of a live audience, this band interview and performance which was scheduled to tie in with the release of new album Made in the A.M, took place amongst the semi-industrial surroundings of the 'yet to be completed' Collins Music Hall, London.

Challenged with creating a versatile installation that needed to both compliment the venue and handle the differing onstage environments of 'interview' and 'live event', LD Oli Richards chose a variety of automated heads that could keep the action looking lively whilst providing dramatic colour washes and effects across the backdrop.

Martin MAC Auras and Viper Performances were mixed with Quantum Wash and Stagebars to deliver intense, precise colour throughout the venue and stage, the Viper Pe

UK - The gaming market is undeniably a huge part of the 21st Century entertainment industry but, until now, the graphics nature of the format meant there was little crossover between it and the live entertainment sector. All that is about to change. Between October 2014 and March 2015, lighting designer Steven Douglas was busy lighting a live stage at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet and also at LH2 as part of the new Guitar Hero Live! game, which uses live action footage as the gameplay.

Douglas explains the process in more detail, "The game has been designed to break away from computer style graphic style music games and be the first to integrate live action footage as the gameplay. The player's first person perspective is that of being on stage with an audience of up to 100,000 reacting to your performance. We filmed live bands with a real audience of 200-400 extras on a

UK - d&b audiotechnik is staging a product presentation on Wednesday 9 December in The Temporary Theatre Space, (formally known as The Shed), at the National Theatre, South Bank, London. The first session will start at 11:00 and be repeated at 14:00; both will last approximately two hours.

The presentation will offer the chance to get familiar with the latest system solutions from d&b, with a focus on the new V-Series point source loudspeakers and their rigging options.

Using The Temporary Theatre Space as a room template, Steve Jones from d&b Education and Application Support will talk through the design of a suitable loudspeaker system and the benefits of the new V-Series point sources for such a space. The V7P, V10P and V-GSUB will be heard in a variety of configurations, alongside other d&b point source loudspeakers from the Y-Series and T-Series.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Each year, Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis concludes its season with Sommerfest, a month-long urban summer music festival. This year, Sommerfest also marked the unveiling of a new L-Acoustics concert sound system intended to provide reinforcement for the hall's eclectic schedule of non-orchestral performances, ranging from popular music, jazz and world music to Broadway, film music and comedy.

The 2,000-seat Orchestra Hall, opened in 1974, is home to the Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, which celebrated the 112th anniversary of its inaugural performance at the beginning of November 2015. The hall, which completed a $52m renovation in early 2014, has long been renowned for its acoustics, which were originally designed by Cyril M. Harris.

According to Joel Mooney, technical director, Minnesota Orchestra, "The acoustics are fantastic for the orchestra,

UK - The National Videogame Arcade (NVA) is designed with the twin aims of encouraging young people into the hands-on world of programming/game design and being a museum for a genre of entertainment embedded in society since the 1970s. The project demanded a highly versatile, yet simple to use, technical infrastructure. System designer / installer Rob Harris used Yamaha Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) products to deliver a highly innovative solution.

From memories of playing Pong on a black and white television and Space Invaders in arcades to immersion in the latest online 'shoot 'em up', video gaming has been a pastime for millions for over 40 years and is an ever-expanding, multi-billion dollar business.

Created as a part of CQ Connect, a European Regional Development Fund-funded programme, the NVA is located close to Nottingham city centre and is backed by the Nott

UK - Drapes and rigging expert, Blackout, has helped transform Covent Garden Market into a Christmas wonderland through the installation of over 42 giant hanging mistletoe chandeliers.

For the past five years, Blackout has rigged the renowned bauble decorations which are famously hung from the glass roofs of the market's two main isles within Covent Garden. The decorations, produced and managed by production company Sculptivate, were redesigned for Christmas 2015 and the traditional baubles were replaced with over 40 large stems of mistletoes. There are two sizes of mistletoe, the smaller is 2.5m and weighs 90kg, the larger is 3.5m and weighs 110kg, along with 60kg mirror balls. In addition, the mistletoes are decorated with nearly 700 glowing berries, which transform each sprig of mistletoe into an impressive hanging chandelier.

Over 320m of garlands unite the chandeliers and

South Africa - The Joburg Theatre has invested in a new MA Lighting dot2 core console which was specified by technical manager Enos Ramoroko and delivered by MA's South African distributor DWR via System Solutions, the integration and installation division of the Gearhouse South Africa Group.

The Joburg Theatre Complex, (originally called the Civic Centre) was built in 1962 and has four primary performance stages presenting a lively mix - around 70 a year - of received and produced shows and performances including many famous West End and Broadway musicals.

The main Nelson Mandela Theatre already has a grandMA2 full-size console for lighting control - it was the first theatre in SA to actively adopt the platform - so when it came to choosing something for the smaller Fringe stage, it was logical to look to MA again, as everyone was happy by the power, stability and reliability

Czech Republic - The host country won its fourth Fed Cup women's tennis title in five years in the 2015 final staged at Prague's O2 Arena in front of a capacity 14,500 audience and Robe was one of six sponsors.

Robe moving lights were also used for the high energy Opening Ceremony (OC) spectacular show designed by Milan 'Mejla' Fronek from Lightneq, which prepared everyone for plenty of on-court excitement to follow. The installation and technical support was co-ordinated by Prague-based AV Media.

Milan has created high impact lighting schemes for numerous other top sporting events including the World Ice Hockey Championships held in the Czech Republic in May, the Sochi Olympic Park installation at Letna Park, Prague, during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and for the award-winning Czech House during the 2012 London Olympics.

For the Fed Cup final, Milan had some of Robe's ne

UK - One of Scotland's oldest and most renowned theatres The Pavilion in Glasgow has invested £100,000 to bring high quality audio to the many comedy, music and variety performances it hosts. Working with leading pro-audio partner The Warehouse Sound Services Ltd, The Pavilion chose to invest in a cutting edge d&b audiotechnik sound system. The system is one of the most advanced on the market.

The Pavilion's management team recently restored the theatre's exterior revamping the stonework outside the theatre and incorporating a coloured light installation. Last year, the owners also made a significant investment in upgrading the interior.

To complete the upgrade, an overhaul of The Pavilion's 20-year-old sound system was required. Iain Gordon, general manager of The Pavilion contracted long-term audio partners The Warehouse Sound Services to design, supply and commission

The Netherlands - Astera has appointed Keylight as the dealer of Astera's wireless event lights in The Netherlands. Keylight, a leading Dutch sales and rental company, has been specialising in providing professional wireless LED solutions to venues and events since 2012.

Commenting on the dealership, Gary Yates, lighting designer and owner of Keylight, said, "As a company specialised in wireless lighting, the Astera products are a great addition to our wireless collection. We love the way Astera's products are thought through in every detail, and made very accessible and consumer-friendly by the ease in control from the AsteraApp. In The Netherlands, these products will appeal to a wide spectrum of users from AV vendors, event organisers to wedding planners and caterers."

Sales & marketing director at Astera, Sebastian Bückle, adds: "We are expanding our Europe

UK / France - The terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday left deep scars across the city and will have a significant impact on British events' outlook, and budgets, too.

Home Secretary Theresa May confirmed that security is to be 'intensified' at events in major cities and the England vs France friendly at Wembley was a first example, armed police bringing reassurance to a telling show of unity in the face of extremism.

David Boswell, managing director of TSG Policing, suggests the solution for the greater event model should be multi-agency, so costs can be contained while all parties play to their strengths.

"The Paris incidents showed a horrific disregard for human life and the values we as a nation stand for," Boswell says. "Letting the public know they are safe at events is the priority now, highlighting the fact that these are not soft targets for terrori

Bulgaria - Located in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the new Kolodruma Velodrome and multifunctional indoor arena is the only indoor velodrome in Bulgaria and the largest in the Balkans.

The designer of Kolodruma is the Dutch architect, Sander Douma, creator of some of the largest velodromes in Europe, the most notable in Athens, Monte Carlo, Palma de Majorca, and Manchester. In addition to cycling, the arena can host 22 other sports and operates as a concert venue. It has a seating capacity of 4,800 to 7,500 spectators, depending on its use and configuration. The complex also has large underground car parking, a modern press centre, dressing rooms, coaching facilities, a sports and recreational centre, restaurants and a large retail store for a wide variety of sports merchandise.

The audio systems for Kolodruma velodrome were designed and installed by ProAudio Ltd. Stanislav Petrov, mana

UK - A new series of BBC Three's Live from the BBC began filming last weekend at Broadcasting House. Filmed in front of a live audience, the show is designed to showcase some of the Industry's latest talent including James Acaster, Dane Baptiste, Sofie Hagen, Adam Hess, Tez Ilyas, Nish Kumar, and Felicity Ward.

Martin Kempton is the lighting designer, with equipment provided by RML (Richard Martin Lighting). He has chosen to use Pixel Par's, Stage Bar 54's, X1TC Battens and a Followspot.

"I needed a range of flicker-free LED fixtures that I could use along with the lights that are built in to this unique venue," says Martin. "The production brief was to create a warm, sophisticated look that was not 'light entertainment' but enhanced the beautiful art deco architecture of the room. We had very little time to rig so it was essential that the kit was reliab

UK - Celebrating UNESCO's International Year of Light, a new festival of light and sound art - Enlighten Manchester - is set to bring a programme of world premieres, award-winning installations and international artists to the city.

From 10-12 December contemporary artists will transform the public spaces inside Manchester Central Library and The Bridgewater Hall, offering visitors an immersive, cultural celebration amidst the festive hustle and bustle.

Visitors' imaginations will be sparked by birds soaring across piano strings to create musical scores; a chandelier of sparkling earrings and a cutting edge sound and light installation that is felt not seen. With more than 15 installations, performances and talks confirmed - many of them free - the festival will be a vibrant hot bed of light, sound and literature, say the organisers.

Confirmed artists include award-wi

Europe - Icelandic band Mezzoforte have been delighting fans on recent tour dates with the superb sound of their instruments, in particular brass and drums, which have been amplified with a selection of DPA microphones.

"People were raving about the overall sound of the band, in particular the drums and sax," says Mezzoforte sound engineer Joost Bullens, who has been working with the band for the past 11 years. "We used DPA d:dicate 2011C Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones as overheads and d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones for the live brass and drum set-ups. The sound they delivered was exceptional - really natural and precise."

Widely regarded as one of Europe's most important fusion bands, Mezzoforte had its first hit, Garden Party, in 1983 and has gone on to build a devoted fan base in both Europe and Asia. The band has had a long history of st

China - Olivier Award winning lighting designer Paule Constable is using Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700s to add drama to the Chinese production of the successful stage play War Horse.

Constable is lead lighting designer for the production, alongside associate Karen Spahn and programmer Blake Garner.

The production is part of the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange. National Theatre Live is collaborating with the National Theatre of China to bring more productions to the country with the support of the British Council. The Chinese production of War Horse debuted on 4 September.

"We first tried the Alpha Beams for the US tour version of War Horse and they worked really well, giving us added control," says Constable. "In China, they are proving to be a great augmentation to the show - I love the narrow, parallel beam which can also be softened

USA - Dutch company Highlite International has appointed Techni-Lux of Orlando, Florida, as the US distributor for its Showtec range of lighting products.

Techni-Lux displayed and demonstrated a few selected Showtec products on their booth at the recent LDI Trade Show in Las Vegas-NV with great success.

Luciano Salvati, Techni-Lux President and CEO. comments: "We are very pleased to be starting a partnership with Highlite. The company ethics and way of dealing with dealers is very similar to the Techni-Lux philosophy and they are also still a privately owned business, as we are."

Alex Gonzalez, Executive Vice-President of Techni-Lux added: "Highlite offer a wide range of products, which help us fill the gaps within the Techni-Lux product portfolio. Furthermore having Malcolm [Burlow] acting as the brand manager for our company, shows us the commitment that Hig

UK - The Burlington Arcade Annual Christmas Lights Switch On, took place on Wednesday marking the start of the 2015 festive season.

Twilight Trees installed 18 3m lollipop LED cherry trees raised on bespoke planters to transform the arcade into a fantasy world to mark the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Alice in Wonderland.

"We were so thrilled to be asked to work with Burlington Arcade. It's an iconic London landmark and the trees really helped it to come to life. It was a very proud moment when the lights were turned on and the feedback we had was incredible," said Susie Reid Thomas owner of Twilight Trees.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Consistently innovative, exciting and alternative, the electro beats of Above & Beyond filled London's Wembley Arena for a special one off concert which was also a charity fundraiser and celebrated the life and work of Jono Grant's sister Charlotte who died suddenly earlier this year. All proceeds from the show went to Little Something.

Lighting and the video system was designed by Neil Marsh, working closely with all three members of Above & Beyond - Jono, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljam?ki - with lighting kit and LED screens supplied by Colour Sound Experiment.

Neil started working with the band after lighting their set at Glastonbury's Dance East a few years back, and he now co-ordinates lighting and visuals worldwide for all shows, primarily working with local productions in large one-off scenarios.

When in the UK, Colour Sound is one of his go-to suppliers and whe

USA - Ashly Audio has announced the appointment of Frequency Sales as its manufacturers rep in greater Chicago, greater Milwaukee, and the surrounding regions of northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin.

Frequency Sales will represent Ashly's full catalogue of products, which includes amplifiers, stand-alone Protea-based processors and customizable interfaces, including intuitive fader-style controls and iPad apps.

Frequency Sales specialises in all aspects of the professional audio industry, including live sound, studio & project studio recording, and, of course, installed sound. "In sales, everyone knows that developing strong client relationships is key, and the folks at Frequency Sales really distinguish themselves in that regard," said John Sexton, Ashly's director of sales for North America. "In the research that led to our decision to partner with the

USA - Featured on the current Mötley Crüe 'final' world tour is Tommy Lee's Crüecifly overhead drum kit 'coaster', highlighted by 24 Solaris LED Mozarts. The Mozarts, mounted on the underside of the drum riser, are the perfect eye candy to highlight Lee's solos as he rolls high in the air on an elaborate 'roller coaster' of truss.

A total redesign from previous tours, planning for the show began last February between Matt Mills, Robert Long, and Sooner Routhier. "We searched for a while for something to put under the drum riser," explains tour lighting designer, Matt Mills. "We had several ideas, but when I saw the Mozarts at InfoComm in Orlando it was a simple decision. We bolted them to the underside of Tommy's drum riser and use them for video pixel-mapping, controlled via wireless DMX sent to a receiver located with the drum kit."

Mills adds, "T

Korea - One of Asia's largest EDM festival events has been held in Seoul to mark the opening of South Korea's first covered baseball stadium. The One Night Carnival brought 20,000 EDM fans to the new Gocheok Sky Dome to see headliner Martin Garrix and other well-known DJs perform with an impressive 18-a-side STM modular line array, supplied by Way Audio.

The One Night Carnival was one of the opening events for the much-anticipated Gocheok Sky Dome, six years in the making. Situated in the district of Guro in western Seoul, the Sky Dome has capacity for 18,000 for baseball games and up to 25,000 for concerts and other events. Now the second-largest baseball field in the country, the venue's advantage is its covering dome which allows for fans to enjoy events, regardless of the weather.

EDM prodigy Martin Garrix was recruited as main headliner, ably supported by Julian Jordan, D

USA - When San Antonio's Community Bible Church undertook a multi-million dollar technical renovation of its main 3,500-seat auditorium, it called on the integration division of Morris in Nashville to install new audio, video and lighting systems. Morris added Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K10 and Mythos lighting fixtures to take Community Bible to the next level with moving lights and atmospheric effects.

Community Bible was the first major project for Morris Integration, a branch of Morris. In specifying the Clay Paky fixtures, Morris had to meet Community Bible's goals of lighting the Sunday worship services and occasional special musical programmes, the live music and DVD recording sessions it hosts for outside artists, and community events that might be scheduled during the year.

"We had to create a reliable, flexible system that could handle any type of event in the audito

UAE - Rosco Laboratories has announced the opening of its new Middle East office located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Kees Frijters, Rosco's president of EMEA, will be responsible for leading this endeavour while continuing his present responsibilities in Europe, Asia and Africa. "Rosco's product line is rapidly expanding in creative and exciting new directions, as is this part of the world," commented Frijters. "In line with Rosco's strategic objectives to invest in international markets, we intend to more effectively support our local customer base and also capitalize on the growth opportunities in the region," he continued. To maximize the potential of the office in Dubai, Rosco's chairman, Stan Miller and CEO Mark Engel, asked Kees to relocate.

While Rosco has been operating in the Middle East for many years, it was apparent that in order to keep up

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