USA - Grammy-nominated group Kaleo fuses Mississippi blues, old school country, up-tempo rock and a range of other styles into their creative cauldron to arrive at their particular brand of music. Kaleo’s distinct style is also reflected in their ethereal stage presence. Minimizing the use of colours, they prefer to be lit in subtle variations of white light. Max Lenox, who has worked with the band in various capacities since 2016 and is the lighting designer for its current tour, has mastered the art of creating subtle white-light-dominated looks, while still providing the versatility needed to reflect his client’s eclectic music. This balance was on full display in late June, when Kaleo headlined at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, illuminated by a bright, evocative lightshow created by Lenox with help from a floor package that featured Chauvet Professional STRIKE and
South Korea - Curated by Olivier Saillard, Volez, Voguez, Voyagez - Louis Vuitton tells the history of Louis Vuitton, beginning in 1854, through the archives of the family’s founding members. Conceived and designed by Robert Carsen, the thematic journey has been touring around the world, including a stop in Seoul, South Korea. With strict guidelines for the exhibition lighting design, lighting specialist Baesung Kim needed a series of powerful yet flexible lighting solutions, so he worked with distributor Hansam Systems and created a design with 260 Gallery LED luminaires from Altman Lighting. “The exhibition was part of the world tour for the Louis Vuitton show with the initial exhibition design coming from France that included lighting product specifications,” began Baesung Kim. “I joined the team for the stage setting and assisted with the product pro
Russia - After 19 TV shows, dozens of songs, some special performances and innovative lighting designs, created and executed by Leonid Poznyanskiy, Songs on TNT TV project had its final broadcast on 2 June. He deployed 24 GLP impression X4 Bar 20 and 24 JDC1 strobes in the production, which ran from the first episode until the last. And the final performance by the singer Nazima was made almost exclusively with the X4 Bar 20. The designer admits that he has been a fan of the GLP products ever since the Eurovision Song Contest that took place in Moscow in 2009, when some of the first LED moving heads were placed in the side-fills. This signified to him that the new era in professional lighting had arrived. Around two years ago Leonid came across the X4 Bar 20 for the first time and by summer 2017 he had the opportunity to use them in a project. At that ti
UK - Signify reports that its new LED stage luminaire, the Philips Vari-Lite VL2600 Profile, made its world debut on the stages of the Forestry Commission's Forest Live shows in June. Supplied by Pearce Hire, the VL2600s were used to light performances by artists including Gary Barlow, The Script, Kasabian and Paloma Faith on this summer's first Forest Live weekend. Peterborough-based Pearce Hire is the first company in the world to invest in these latest luminaires from the Philips Vari-Lite brand. They purchased 40 VL2600 Profiles from London-based show lighting specialist Flashlight Ltd. On delivery, 20 fixtures were supplied to each of two Forest Live shows, at Thetford Forest in Suffolk and Delamere Forest in Cheshire. Pearce Hire's general manager Jim Brown says, "We'd looked at several alternative fixtures and the VL2600s were the brightest
Germany - Astera LED Technology has announced the official release of its AsteraApp for the iOS platform to public via its social network. The AsteraApp is now available for download for both iOS and Android platform. The AsteraApp is an application for professional entertainment lighting control and management. It provides professional-level control over Astera-based fixtures by connecting the phone/tablet`s to the AsteraBox via Bluetooth which then relays the command to the battery operated fixtures via radio frequency. The App allows simple to complex operations without touching the lights such as firmware update, grouping, assigning and configuring DMX addresses as well as controlling colours and effects and monitoring the status of the lights during operation. Since its first introduction in 2015, the app was available only on Android-based devices and for
UK - Illumination specialists LED Creative is working with scenic designer Dominic Tolfts on the latest run of dating show Blind Date for Channel 5. Hosted by Paul O’Grady in front of a live audience at ITV London Studios, the show features a newly updated set design filled with rich colour and featuring opulent gold fittings against a lavish, deep purple velvet backdrop. Cleverly crafted by Tolfts, the ‘framework’ façade that encircles the stage areas incorporates LED Creative’s Alpha 60 flex, providing discreet, uniform illumination to subtly highlight the latticework and add intensity to the vibrantly coloured drapes. Commenting on the production, LED Creative project manager Tim Rees says, “Dominic has made perfect use of our Alpha 60 RGB system to ‘invisibly’ add illumination to emphasise the detail in his design. The overall effect hel
New Zealand - Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour has been transformed by a decade-long artistic project, Vector Lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Powered by a mix of solar, battery, and peer-to-peer systems, over 90,000 mappable LED pixels and other fixtures provide a vast, animated canvas for traditional Maori designs, and special celebrations. Green Hippo Karst media servers supplied by Lexair were engaged by Mandylights, who designed, installed and programmed the project. The installation is part of a 10-year smart energy partnership between Vector and Auckland Council. “This project is one of the physically largest, and of the longest duration, that we’ve done,” said Richard Neville, lighting designer and managing director of Mandylights. “Any media server solution we chose for this project needed to house and present content for a decade, support
Belgium - TV presenter and singer Niels Destadsbader teamed up with composer, pianist and music producer Miguel Wiels in a special Niels & Wiels duo to present four exclusive concert performances, for which they wanted a show design that captured the essence of the collaboration. The two, who are also great personal friends, and their respective managements asked Genk based creative practice Painting with Light to create some visual magic for the show, and Luc Peumans led the project for Painting with Light. Choosing the distinctive and slightly retro look of the Portman P2 Hexaline to create an upstage wall of luminosity – Luc positioned 24 bars, each one offering six individually controllable 230W halogen bulbs complete with hexagonal reflectors and housing – upstage, just in front of the printed backdrop. Above the stage were 10 Portman P1 fixtures.
USA - ADJ’s new POW-R BAR65 and POW-R BAR LINK professional-calibre utility power blocks have been specifically designed for distributing reliable, surge-protected power on stage and at front-of-house, monitor mix and DJ positions. The POW-R BAR65 is a utility power block that is fitted with six well-spaced-out and surge-protected 3-prong Edison 120V AC sockets which can be used for providing power to a wide variety of sound, lighting and effects equipment. It also has a USB charging port that can be used to provide power for a mobile phone or tablet and its case features a recessed slot that serves as a stand for one of these devices. This makes it ideal for use by sound, lighting and AV professionals to manage power distribution at front-of-house or other control positions. In addition, the POW-R BAR65 also incorporates a four-port USB 3.0 hub, which can be used to
USA - It may have been six years since Sugarland last hit the road, but Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles are showing audiences that time has not changed the Grammy-award winning duo’s energy or talent as they embark on their 2018 Still the Same Tour. Bandit Lites provided the lighting package for the production. Lighting designer Chris Lisle and associate designer and programmer Erik Parker utilised lighting fixtures that would complement the ‘big top’ circus set. Prior to their hiatus, Sugarland was known for big sets and dynamic shows, and Lisle knew this production needed to be no different. “From the moment house lights go down and the band takes the stage until the lights come back up, the goal is to transport the audience to a new place, a happier world full of love and unity,” explained Parker. “This design was very intentional with how each
USA - Slamhammer recently deployed a host of Martin by Harman fixtures to elevate PRINCE: Live on the Big Screen, a live tribute concert that was held at Target Centre arena in Minneapolis. The centrepiece of a four-day celebration of Prince’s life, the show took place on 20 April at the 20,000-seat Target Centre. The performance featured an all-star cast of musical collaborators from throughout the musician’s career, playing alongside multi-track recordings and live concert footage. Paisley Park hired sound and lighting provider Slamhammer to create a versatile lighting rig for former Prince lighting designer Charles Ford. In order to deliver stunning visuals that would complement the video footage, Slamhammer selected an arsenal of Martin MAC Axiom Hybrid, MAC Viper Profile, MAC Aura, MAC Quantum Profile, and MAC Quantum Wash fixtures. “On the anni
USA - Popular country music superstar Dierks Bentley, who has 17 No.1 hits to his credit, adds a sparkling humorous touch to the encore of his current blockbuster Mountain High Tour, when he appears over the stage in an “aircraft” to perform his hit single Drunk On A Plane. Lighting and scenic designer Chris Reade of KYVA Design (Las Vegas), who collaborated on the creation of the faux plane with production designer Bruce Rodgers of Tribe, Inc. and production manager Jay Ballinger, is accenting this scenic element by lighting it with 12 Chauvet Professional STRIKE 1 single source 230W LED blinders, supplied by Christie Lites. “I love the incandescent look and the warmth that I get from the STRIKE fixtures; it’s beautiful,” said Reade, who serves as the tour’s lighting designer. “The original plan was to use them exclusively on the B stage t
Portugal - Airstar, the French lighting balloon technology specialist, delivered a remarkable performance for the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) of Lisbon, on the banks of the Tagus. Before battling it out in Lisbon’s Altice Arena, one of the country’s largest concert halls, delegations from 43 countries gathered at the MAAT to walk on the ESC’s ‘Blue Carpet’, under the light of Airstar’s lighting balloons. Airstar specified and installed 30 Crystal and Solarc lighting balloons. Raphael Vaz, head of Airstar’s Portuguese subsidiary, explains: "We had lengthy discussions with the client, and we were able to come back with a solution that was a perfect fit for such a high-profile event, but also perfectly adapted to the constraints of the venue. We wanted to bring out the magni
UK - When independent Welsh production company Cwmni Da converted their open plan office into a new studio earlier this year, in the town of Caernarfon on the northwest coast of Wales, the award-winning television producers sought to minimize their carbon footprint by installing a more energy-efficient lighting system. Lighting company Lumio Media obliged by suggesting, specifying and installing an LED lighting package of TV-optimized Elation Professional luminaires. Cwmni Da produces a variety of television content for Welsh-language broadcasters S4C and C4, as well as the BBC. “Cwmni Da is a green company and they were keen to use all LED lighting in the new studio,” stated John Penny Williams, lighting director at Lumio Media, who supplied and installed the full lighting rig, as well as scaffolding and all the distribution electrics and data for the projec
USA - If Hollywood film makers were looking for an ideal natural backdrop for a 4th of July fireworks display, they would do well to travel about 400 miles east to Tempe Town Lake. The glistening water and the wide-open dome of a desert sky add a compelling and powerful dimension to the pyrotechnics that are launched from the waterway’s graceful Mill Avenue Bridges every year. It’s a scene that other venues would be hard pressed to match. But the same environment that provides such a dramatic setting also poses special challenges for anyone trying to set up a stage for this Independence Day event. John Garberson of Creative BackStage, who has been involved in Tempe’s 4th of July fireworks festival’s stage show for 18 years, knows how to handle the setting’s natural elements. He convinced the festival’s organizers to switch from a motorized roof to a Stageline to
Greece - The Summer Nostos Festival at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) in Athens is an arts, sports and education festival that is open to the public free of charge. Music, dance, sports, arts and architecture discussions, film and video screenings and programs for children and families are combined for an entire week in June as part of a multi-faceted programme of events for all ages. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation returned in 2018 for the fourth consecutive summer as the host, organizer and exclusive supporter. The Summer Nostos Festival encapsulates the idea of “nostos” (homecoming), the inexhaustible desire to return to all things familiar including emotions and places. Lighting designer George Tellos of Lighting Art relied on MA Lighting for his design and used one grandMA2 full-size with three grandMA2 light, two MA NPU (Network
UAE - The Burj Khalifa's transformation into the world's tallest World Cup scoreboard is stunning fans in Dubai and around the world. During each match, the 828m high building's 1.2m LEDs act as pixels to display a live stream of updates, and light up with the flag of the winning nation. This is just the latest innovation at the world's tallest skyscraper, which continues to establish itself as a focus for world-class technology and events. Six months ago, it all kicked off with a spectacular New Year's Eve Light Up 2018 launch, masterminded by Emaar Properties and realised by AO Creative, that broke from all conventions to stage a Guinness world record-breaking, multimedia light and sound show. Emaar Properties' ambitious vision for the New Year's Eve event was fulfilled by AO Creative, the creative division of Arts Outdoor Lighting Technology. More than one m
Belgium - Robe’s Pointes, Spikies, Spiiders, LEDWash 300s and CycFX 8s proved themselves invaluable when lighting designer Wouter Vebeke had to squeeze a somewhat ambitious lighting rig into Mercardo, Antwerp, for the band Arsenal’s new album launch. Wouter has worked with Arsenal - the name came from a World War II weapons depository adjacent to their studio in Brussels - since 2011. They are one of the most popular bands in Belgium, known for their dynamic mix of electronic music and fusion of multiple genres to create a unique sound that’s earned much international acclaim. They wanted a special location for the launch of their sixth studio album In the Rush of Shaking Shoulders, an album which explores themes and theories related to chaos v structure. After throwing many ideas about, band leader Hendrick Willemyns hit on the Mercado. Originally part of
New Zealand - ACLX recently upgraded their lighting inventory with Martin by Harman RUSH series fixtures from Show Technology to supply theatre shows, live music performances, conferences and more. "We chose the RUSH MH series because each fixture is portable and easy to deploy on small stages, yet powerful enough to hold their own on the largest stages in the country,” explained Aaron Chesham, managing director of ACLX. “The RUSH MH series was exactly what we needed - each fixture offers an impressive output with a small footprint at an affordable price. The MH fixtures have great optics, bold colours, and beautiful effects - they save us time and money without sacrificing quality. The RUSH MH series can do everything our clients need and more with fewer fixtures than the competition.” "ACLX wanted to update their lighting inventory with fixtures capable of cr
USA - No sooner had LA-based RKDE taken delivery of Ayrton Ghibli fixtures from ACT Lighting, Inc. than the LED spot luminaires were quickly dispatched to E3’s trade show floor and then to the American Idol Live nationwide tour. For nearly 30 years, RKDE has provided production for festivals, tours, automotive events, corporate conventions, television productions, private events, and religious services. The boutique company maintains an extensive inventory of lighting, staging, audio and video equipment. “We were looking for new technology – we wanted to get away from standard lamps, which are expensive to maintain and replace,” says RKDE’s owner, Ray Woodbury, a longtime production professional. “We wanted a fixture with the output and capabilities that would surpass traditional lamp fixtures and that’s exactly what Ghibli gives us. “I
Slovenia - Lightact, a Slovenian media server manufacturer, has launched a new version of their flagship software. Lightact v3.0.4 features NDI integration, HAP codec playback, a new real-time particle engine and a number of new real-time texture processing filters. Lightact is an integrated suite combining standard media server functionalities such as projection and multi-screen mapping and DMX lighting control with real-time rendering capabilities and reliability features aimed at permanent installations. The suite includes Lightact Cloud installation monitoring solution and Lightact WebUIs client user interfaces. Lightact also includes a real-time 3D rendering engine and Unreal Engine integration. Mitja Prelovšek, CEO of Lightact, says: "We are extremely thrilled to be able to push v3.0.4 out as it further expands Lightact's core media server functionalities
USA - SNY Studios at 4 World Trade Centre, the home of the New York Mets, has one of the most impressive settings for a broadcast studio anywhere. Located on the 50th floor of 4 World Trade Centre, the studio offers breathtaking views of Manhattan below. For all its glamour and excitement, though, the skyscraper venue presents challenges when it comes to lighting broadcasts. Having enough output during the day to stand out against the open-air background without bouncing light off windows is essential to making the studio’s system work; so too is having solid low ends when broadcasting at night. Mike Grabowski of the Lighting Design Group met these and other challenges at the state-of-the-art SNY 4 studio with help from over 300 Chauvet Professional Ovation fixtures. “SNY’s Studio 42, numbered after baseball great Jackie Robinson, has a unique environment becaus
UK - One of the best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner’s fascinating life story has now been turned into a stage show with TINA – The Tina Turner Musical. Written by Olivier Award-winning playwright Katori Hall, the show charts Tina’s humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennesee to her transformation into the global Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The show is playing at the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End and as a leading lighting supplier to some of the biggest shows in the country, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment. TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is directed by Phyllida Lloyd and features a lighting design by Bruno Poet. Bruno comments: “My brief for the show was to help tell this extraordinary story and make the performers come alive within Mark Thompson’s elegant design. The set frames the actors beautifully
Germany - BlackTrax has announced that Amptown System Company is the latest to join the growing BlackTrax partner network. The company will be responsible for the sales, support and marketing of BlackTrax real time motion tracking systems throughout the German speaking market. “BlackTrax was the perfect addition to our package of audio, visual and lighting solutions. We invested in BlackTrax to meet the exponential demand for increasingly challenging media presentations that require automation and complete systemflexibility,” said Malte Polli-Holstein, key account manager at Amptown System Company. “BlackTrax is a respected brand and we’re delighted to be bringing it to Germany.” The latest addition to BlackTrax’s strong ecosystem of partners, Amptown System Company brings over 25 years’ experience and works in several markets including cruise ships, mus