USA - Country legend Vince Gill is touring the US with lighting provided by Bandit Lites. With 20 Grammy Awards, two Entertainer of the Year CMAs and more than 26m albums sold, Vince Gill's shows are an exercise of musical genius for the multi-instrumentalist singer-song writer.

As Vince Gill's lighting designer for the past four years, Dylan Mire felt the lighting needed a refreshing new look that would complement the show but not distract from Vince or the bluegrass band.

"The lighting needed to be simple and effective to highlight an established artist," Mire said. "We also needed the gear to fit into a limited amount of truck space."

Mire utilized VL 2500 Spots, Robe CycFX8 and Martin MAC Auras in the design, placing GRN Par 64 fixtures for light columns on the backdrop and Chauvet Color Dashes as truss toner. Mire also uses a GrandMA 1 full console.<

Benelux - ETC has changed its sales structure in Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg) from a distributor based model to a dealer market, in order to provide the highest quality support in the region. The new system went into effect on 2 April, with three companies named as dealers.

"In March, our Belgium distributor, FACE bvba, opened an office in the Netherlands," explains ETC regional manager Tim Stokholm, "and we approved them as an official dealer. To best serve our customers, we decided to make Benelux a dealer-based region." ETC's dealers in Benelux are now FACE, Lightco and Controllux.

"FACE has been expanding steadily in the Netherlands," says FACE CEO Karel de Piere. "We opened our support centre in Rotterdam, and a new consultant, Fons de Vreede, joined our team. If you can add a world class brand like ETC to your portfo

USA - Cello concerts and head banging don't usually occur in the same building unless of course you're at a 2Cello's concert complete with a rock 'n roll lighting design and dynamic lighting effects by Elation Professional.

Out on a spring US tour, 2Cellos is a cello duo that combines training in classical music with youthful rock energy to present a special concert experience. Riding a wave of popularity - the band even played with Elton John recently at his residency in Las Vegas - 2Cellos are selling out shows at every stop.

Lighting designer for the 2Cellos US tour is Chris Maguire, who has over 25 years of touring experience under his belt (Ted Nugent, et al) yet admits that at first he wasn't quite sure how to light the more untraditional band. "It's just two cellos and a drum kit and there are big stages to fill," he says. "But they play everything from B

UK / Germany - Avolites proved its truly international appeal at Prolight+Sound 2015, teaming up with dealers, distributors and friends from around the world to celebrate the launch of its Arena console, the new Titan V9 operating system, and its industry-leading new features such as Autoblend.

Visitors to the Avolites Prolight+Sound stand came from more than 40 countries, and included a high number of potential new distributors, especially from North and West Africa and the Caribbean.

Now, the Avolites team is continuing the buzz by debuting its well-received new products in the UK at PLASA Focus, Leeds, on stand N-D01.

"The Arena consoles attracted a huge amount of attention during April's Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt - we were inundated with lighting designers, rental companies and specifiers, generating a fantastic response from many of the people who came to see the

UK - The 2015 Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) has announced that it has added a brand new award in the Concert Touring and Events category.

The KOI Awards, which celebrates the creative talents of international lighting and digital content designers working in the UK, has added a 'Club' category, which will allow the Awards to widen its reach to celebrate LDs working at all scales of touring.

Proposed to the committee by KOI chairman of Concert Touring and Events Sarah Rushton-Read, the category was introduced in response to feedback from lighting designers working with new bands just starting out on the touring circuit. It will mean that these LDs, often working with just a floor package and having to use each venue's house rig to realise their design, will also be recognised for their creativity.

"Often designers that are touring club style venues with just a floo

World - Maroon 5 has kicked off its World Tour 2015 with 100 Clay Paky Mythos and 20 Sharpy Wash fixtures occupying a prominent place in the rig.

Maroon 5 launched its World Tour 2015 in Dallas on 16 February and will finish in Auckland, New Zealand in October. The tour is in support of the band's fifth album, V, which was released last year.

Roy Bennett, the production designer for the tour, has branded the stage with strong V motifs, inspired by the album artwork, incorporated into the trussing and transparent set pieces. Lighting and video create a dynamic, constantly changing environment on an arrow-shaped stage.

Plexiglass panels, filled with special effects smoke, act as upstage display surfaces for video content while the downstage stage was constructed as a giant, hollow plexiglass "fishbowl" that could also be filled with smoke and lit with 2

USA - British rock band Queen have worked with several vocalists since the death of front man Freddie Mercury in 1991. On the most recent world tour, original band members Roger Taylor and Brian May recruited American Idol's Adam Lambert, whose flashy onstage presence was complemented by 97 Martin Professional MAC Viper AirFX lighting fixtures.

Lighting designer Rob Sinclair was approached in 2012 and asked to do lighting for the Queen Extravaganza, the official Queen tribute band. His work caught Queen + Adam Lambert's attention and they asked him to come and work for them on the upcoming tour. "It was a case of being at the right place at the right time," said Sinclair.

The lighting design process for the world tour started back in the fall of 2013, when Sinclair, the band and Set Designer Ric Lipson first met and came up with the idea of a Q-shaped stage. Lipson a

Germany - Laserworld has introduced the RTI Velox laser moving head, available from 1.7W RGB up to 14W RGB. The RTI Velox is initially presented as the RTI Velox RGB 2.5 laser, but more versions will be available within the next few weeks - with laser powers of up to 14W RGB.

The extreme torque of 15Nm and the resulting high rotation speed of up to 180rpm make this unit the perfect gear for highly spectacular show productions and effects. Due to the high end laser system with great colour balance and extremely fast scanners, a use for TV productions or high profile shows is no problem at all.

The ILDA control signal can be fully used for laser control, and the Velox moving yoke itself is controlled via the standard DMX512 protocol. A DMX-only operation is also possible.

When a laser show system is moved on a yoke, it is absolutely essential, that it repositions accurately -

The Philippines - In November, the Solaire Resort and Casino in the Philippines raised the curtain on a luxurious new performance venue, called The Theatre at Solaire. The fan-shaped, 1,760-seat music hall is equipped with ETC Sensor 3 power control, a Unison Paradigm architectural system and an Eos Ti entertainment lighting control system.

The Theatre at Solaire is the highlight of the Solaire Resort and Casino, and is considered to be the most advanced theatre in the Philippines. Its stage technology system was designed and specified by Coherent Design, a Las Vegas based theatrical consulting group. They faced a unique challenge due to the fact that there are few theatres in the country. Having technical support nearby was an absolute necessity, especially when it came to programming and commissioning the system.

"The experience that ETC Asia had in similar facilities a

UK - Bob Carlton's cult high speed, hi-energy intergalactic musical romp - very loosely based on Fred M. Wilcox's classic 1956 sci-fi movie Forbidden Planet celebrates 25 years with a special UK theatre touring production.

Lighting designer Mark Dymock specified Robe moving lights to help create the vast array of special X Factor moments in the show, with 10 x Pointes, 12 x LEDWash 600s and 4 x LEDBeam 100s on the rig.

Mark originally lit the show two years ago at the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch, Essex, and was asked back to keep the action moving on tour, with a chance to upgrade the rig he'd originally used.

The brief included retaining a classic retro rock 'n' roll feel - when the show was first launched it would have been lit with a selection of theatre lanterns and PARs which would have been considered radical at the time in that environment. In keeping with th

USA - Chart-topping singer- songwriter Ariana Grande is storming the US on her current My Everything tour. Complete with a spectacular lighting design by Chris Kuroda, the tour includes 76 x Robe BMFL Spots and 78 x Pointes as the main moving lights.

The tour's stage / scenic concept was a triumvirate creative process evolved by Chris Kuroda, production manager Chris Gratton and stage designer Nick Demoura. Grande, on her first full production tour, was integrally involved with the process.

Chris Kuroda's starting point for the lighting was a 60ft wide LED video wall, centre stage that parts in the middle for entrances and exits. With this massive lightsource already dominating the visual horizon, he needed exceptionally bright lighting sources and opted for Robe's BMFL Spot.

The BMFL Spots and Pointes are dotted all over the rig, positioned on a series of diamond-shaped pod

UK - Last night was one of the biggest events in the TV industry calendar - the annual House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards.

Following a star studded award ceremony at Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, some of television's best known faces celebrated their nominations and award success at the Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

Appointed production company Light Motif delivered a striking setting for the after party in the famous Great Room inspired by the history of television.

Arriving on the 'House of Fraser pink carpet' guests were guided through to the great room where iconic images adorned the façade & the evening began.

Working with creative florists "Rebel Rebel", Light Motif were keen to create one overall look for the client, matching colours, styles and themes across the entire space.

Rob Mills, lead creative for Light Motif, said, "We wanted

UK - Lighting designer Steve Bewley has chosen to use some Clay Paky Alpha Spot QWO 800s for experimental British rockers Enter Shikari's string of home-ground dates.

The genre bending four-piece played a range of venues from Portsmouth Pyramids to London's iconic Roundhouse. Positioning the Clay Paky fixtures, supplied by Neg Earth, on boxes on the floor to the rear of the stage, Bewley used them to give depth to his energetic design.

"I chose the Alpha Spot QWO 800s as I needed bright sharp beams to pierce through the metal framework that surrounds the band, creating silhouettes," continues Bewley. "They delivered this perfectly, adding some great perspective and dimension.

"As this is The Mindsweep album touring campaign, I wanted to bring the concept of brain neurons and thought processes into each venue."

To achieve this, Bewley video-m

South Africa - The Royalty Soapie Awards, an acknowledgement of all the characters many South Africans welcome into their living rooms every evening, was hosted on 28 March 215 at the Durban ICC and broadcast on M-Net's Mzansi Magic.

For the very first time Hirezone supplied the full technical which included Robe lighting with control on an Avolites Tiger Touch, sound and AV, this being one of the their largest and most prestigious productions to date.

The Royalty Soapie Awards is the annual celebration for the TV soap industry in South Africa including everyone from celebrities and entertainers to the writers and technicians involved. Richard Gild, owner of Hirezone says he used detailed planning to ensure a successful set up. "As we proceeded, it all came together," he says. "We had more space and the right people. It was great working with the client."

USA - An epic romance set in the last days of Czarist Russia, Doctor Zhivago has opened at The Broadway Theatre with lighting design by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley. Conventional and moving lights, wind, fog, snow and fire effects for the sweeping new musical are controlled by grandMA2 light consoles.

Doctor Zhivago has been described as one of the most romantic stories of all time. The Broadway musical, based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel and Academy Award-winning motion picture, is directed by Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff. Doctor Zhivago reunites McAnuff and Binkley, long-time collaborators who both garnered Tonys for their work on Jersey Boys.

"There is a lot of big storytelling in this show," says Binkley. "Being epic in size but small in content, as far as the scenes are concerned, means that there are a lot of isolated m

Switzerland - The Laserworld Diode Series is a well-established laser product which has become more and more popular. Especially for users that want to make the step from hobbyist laser use to a semi-pro level, the series offers a pure diode system with many professional features, but at a low price level.

Following the success of the already established DS-900RGB, DS-1800RGB and DS-3300RGB, Laserworld has added the new DS-2400RGB to the product line. This product is designed to fill the gap in available power levels between the 1.8W and 3.3W systems. It was also designed to provide a great white balanced output. The power range between 2W and 3W has become increasingly in demand, as the prices for such systems have dropped substantially in recent years.

With the DS-2400RGB, Laserworld has completed the Diode Series range. It has all those features in common with the other uni

China - PR Lighting has now added a beam fixture to its XR130 range of discharge effects. Housing an Osram Sirius HRI 132W (8800K, 6000hrs) this fully featured luminaire delivers a beam angle of 0°-3°. In terms of optics it features a colour wheel (14 colour filters plus white), a rotating gobo wheel (eight rotating gobos and four fixed gobos), an 8-facet prism (bi-directional rotation), frost filter and CTO (plus white).

Focus is 0-100%, linearly adjustable by DMX and double dimmer shutter blade strobe (0.3-25fps, with macro). Pan is 720° or endless rotation and tilt is 270° with auto position correction. Made from composite plastic (IP20-rated) the fixture weighs just 13.2kg.

As for the XR 130 Spot, this is also powered by an Osram Sirius HRI 132W (8800K, 6000hrs) lamp.

The full set of dynamic effects includes a colour wheel (with 13 colours and CTO (plus o

USA - As the festival and outdoor concert season kicks into high gear, lighting/production designers have a new tool that will make it easier for them to set up ultra-bright, weatherproof video walls at these events - the PVP X6IP high-resolution LED panel from Chauvet Professional.

Featuring a pixel pitch of 6.9mm, the PVP X6IP is an outdoor LED video panel rated at IP65 for its ability to withstand rain, while being brilliant enough to produce images that stand out in the daytime sun. It is also very touring and rental friendly, thanks to an innovative design that allows for quick and secure assembly, easy serviceability in the field, and the versatility to be used indoors as well, says the company.

"We looked at everything lighting and production designers, installers and dealers wanted in a high resolution outdoor video screen, and we created the PVP X6IP to do it all

Denmark - In response to overwhelming demand for the hybrid lighting fixture, Martin Professional has announced increased production for the MAC Viper AirFX. Already a staple on many major tours and in the rental market, the AirFX is one of the most prominent members of the MAC Viper family, one of the most successful product suites in Martin's history.

In order to provide bigger output with a smaller footprint, the AirFX was engineered to replace 1500 W fixtures, which were previously seen in a lot of shows mainly for mid-air effects, with no projection and often with a few simple gobos. Ideal for tours and festivals, the AirFX gives lighting designers everything that makes the MAC Viper family so effective in one versatile fixture.

Lighting designer Rob Sinclair recently deployed the AirFX on the Queen + Adam Lambert tour and Kylie Minogue's Kiss Me Once tour. "For both

USA - Following a successful reunion tour, Faith No More took a hiatus before returning with news of their first album in 18 years entitled Sol Invictus. The album is slated for a 19 May release date, and to prepare fans, the alternative metal band is embarking on a sold out North American tour with lighting provided by Bandit Lites.

Faith No More's current set-up will feature a floor package consisting of 16 MAC Auras, a mirror ball and M1 console. The existing design was created to be supplemented by venue house lighting, but due to the original tour dates selling out so quickly, Faith No More quickly added 10 more venues including arenas.

This is the first US journey in many years for the group. The set and lighting for this run, designed by long time production designer Harry Bastard, is as unusual and spectacular as ever. FNM are always pushing the edge and this ye

UK - Entertainment production specialist White Light has been chosen as the lighting supplier to the new stage musical adaptation of the hit film Bend It Like Beckham, loading in to London's Phoenix Theatre now and due to make its first public performance on 15 May.

The stage show is being directed by Gurinder Chadha, who also directed the film, designed by Miriam Buether, with lighting by Neil Austin.

For the show, White Light is continuing its long-standing policy of providing lighting designers with the latest tools and technology. Neil Austin's design is based around a core of 26 ETC Source Four LED series 2 Lustr profile spotlights, which the designer first used on Shakespeare In Love last year. Because of their versatility and popularity with designers, White Light has rapidly expanded its stock of these fixtures over the last year, in addition to supplying

USA - Elation Professional's new ELAR Q1 is an ultra-compact, colour-changing PAR light with outdoor IP65 rating that can be used just about anywhere dynamic colour is required. Measuring less than 3.0" high (75mm) and weighting only 1.1 lbs. (0.5kg), the ELAR Q1's small size allows it to hide virtually anywhere for use as a pixel source, pin spot, truss toner, accent or decorative light, and can even be used for landscape lighting.

Whether mounted on its yoke or recessed into a stage, set or ceiling, its narrow 7-degree beam and single 18W RGBW LED source provide a surprisingly bright effect for direct viewing or illumination of objects. The ELAR Q1 delivers an output of 9,310 LUX @3.3 ft. and consumes a low 18W of max power. Suitable for highlighting or enhancing set pieces, the RGBW LED is capable of emitting a wide palette of colours from saturates to more subtle pastel

UK - Lighting Technology Projects has completed another striking energy-efficient architectural lighting scheme, with the illumination of a 27-storey residential building, which overlooks West London's 'Golden Mile'.

The Tower is the prominent centrepiece of Barratt London's flagship regeneration project - Great West Quarter (GWQ) in Brentford, Middlesex. One of the tallest interactive sculptures in Europe, it offers views across the capital and the nearby Kew Gardens, with a publicly accessible viewing gallery. Boasting an internal area of 13,600m2, it hosts 178 apartments and stands to the west of the five-hectare mixed-use development.

LTP was invited by Barratt Homes to design, supply and install the spine lighting solution for The Tower. This comprised of 53 horizontal runs of six point sources of light, set at 1000mm intervals up the north facing side of the building.

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds 2015 sees The Prolight Concepts Group (Stand N-D12) launch their new 140 page stage & event catalogue featuring almost 100 new products. The bumper number of product additions launched so far this year will see the range offered by Prolight Concepts Group close in on 1500 product lines available from stock.

Products featured on the stand include the following new products plus a host of popular existing products:

eLumen8 Kudos 600ZS moving head alongside the smaller Kudos 100ZS, 200ZS and 300ZS. The Kudos ZS series features Osram Ostar RGBW Quad colour LEDs combined with a dynamic zoom system offering wash thru beam.

eLumen8 Liberty Wireless Uplighters. Available in two formats: 36W RGB COB LED or 7x 12W 6in1 LED the Liberty series feature long battery life combined with on board W-DMX for rock solid reliability.

eLumen8 PF series LED Profiles. Featu

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