Lighting

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23 May 2024

USA - Empowered by X-Laser fixtures and Mercury Laser Control firmware, Ben Jarrett of Squeek Lights in Sayreville, N.J. designed the lighting for metalcore band Beartooth on their 2024 North American tour.

“In our early design meetings, Caleb [Shomo, lead singer for Beartooth] talked about bringing an arena-style show to smaller and mid-sized venues,” Jarrett said. “Whether that night’s stop was at a 3,000-capacity theatre or a 900-capacity club, he wanted every show to come at you and feel like it was taking place in a much larger setting.”

To accomplish this, Jarrett and the Squeek Lights team knew the Beartooth stage had to generate immense lighting output to provide that big arena feel from a smaller footprint. The band wanted numerous special effects as part of the design, and lasers played a major part in creating those big, impactfu

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23 May 2024

Europe - Showtec has added four new models to its ACT series that now includes a number of fresnel, ellipsoidal, par and flood lights. Like the existing models, the new Par 200 W RGBAL, Par 200 W CW/WW, Par 200 W UV and Flood 200 RGBAL are designed for use in theatres, on stages and even at business events.

The new models strengthen the ACT series by adding three new pars and one flood light to the range. Each one is equipped with a powerful 200 W LED designed for a specific purpose. In keeping with rest of the ACT series, accurate colour rendering, manual control options, optimised beam angles and silent operation are features of the new models.

The Par 200 W RGBAL is a versatile indoor spotlight with an RGBAL LED light source that is capable of producing a wide range of colours. In addition to control via DMX, manual control is possible using the o

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23 May 2024

USA - The Detroit Lions held a reveal event for their new uniforms at their Ford Field home, drawing thousands of fans. The same stage was also used for the Detroit Lions NFL Draft Party. Both events were executed flawlessly, thanks to the dedicated effort and teamwork of 4Wall Entertainment’s Detroit crew.

Led by VP of live events Joe Leahy, the 4Wall team of Kareem Harris, Gary McGarity, Ross Zhang, Xavier Williamson, Jason Dunk, Robert McGoldrick, Jon Sogoian, Johnny Pike, Michael Gallacher, Brian Lavender, Tommy Minkowski, Joshua Ruhlman, and Rahul Samuel set a stylish, upbeat tone for the reveal event.

Helping them in this effort were 113 Chauvet Professional fixtures, including 14 Maverick MK3 Washes, 48 COLORado PXL Bar 16 motorized battens, 14 Color STRIKE M strobe-washes, 14 STRIKE Array 4 blinders, 20 EPIX Strip IP one-meter linear units,

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23 May 2024

USA - Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors recently wrapped a run promoting their latest album, Strangers No More. With deep Tennessee roots, the band is now no stranger to working with neighbours Bandit Lites, who provided lighting designer Dominic Hickman a package consisting of Elation Smarty Hybrids, Martin VDO Atomic Bolds and Robe Spikie fixtures.

Hickman drew inspiration from classic theatre shows, balancing the same timeless, dramatic ambiance with modern technology to transform the stage where past meets the present.

“A lot of Drew’s big hits in the show are a CTO colour,” said Hickman. “I believe white was only used for two songs (and for just a chorus), but I loved being able to capture the warmth of stages on big songs then with the slower songs bring it down to cool tones. With the set of songs, colour was the pictures in Drew

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22 May 2024

USA - City Theatrical now offers three standard beam control accessories designed to fit Martin Lighting’s MAC Viper XIP lighting fixture, which includes the MAC Viper XIP Follow Spot Handle, MAC Viper XIP Concentric Ring, and MAC Viper XIP Hexcel Louver.

These three beam control accessories were developed based on City Theatrical’s understanding of the unique accessory needs of lighting professionals, and the high demand for this moving light fixture in the market. City Theatrical currently offers 40+ styles of beam control accessories for 15 different Martin Lighting moving light fixtures, which are available through the City Theatrical dealer network.

City Theatrical’s engineers and craftspeople design and create lighting accessories, like the new MAC Viper XIP Follow Spot Handle (P/N 2815), based on working with designers and manufacturers

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22 May 2024

USA - Obsidian Control Systems has introduced a comprehensive range of data distribution products under the Netron series, tailored for system integrators and fixed installations. These products prioritise reliability and performance and help in the management of complex networked lighting systems.

The Netron Integration Series has been created to integrate flawlessly with the ONYX lighting control platform yet is compatible with all other manufacturers’ lighting control systems, making it a universal solution for a multitude of setups.

The initial products in the series are available now, with more solutions set to debut soon.

Netron EP1 This compact device functions as an Ethernet to DMX gateway, featuring a single RDM-compatible port. Designed for effortless integration into single-gang wall mounts, trusses, or standalone setups, it offe

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21 May 2024

Brazil - Ayrton has announced Newart Iluminação Ltda as its exclusive distributor for Brazil. The appointment takes place with immediate effect.

“We chose to become an Ayrton distributor because of the brand’s industry-wide reputation for innovation, quality and reliability, and because Ayrton products are highly recognized for their performance, versatility and design,” says Newart Iluminacao owner and managing director, Francisco Pinheiro. “We are excited to become part of the Ayrton network and look forward to contributing to the brand's success by providing a high level of service to our customers.”

Established in 2001, Newart Iluminacao is an established lighting distribution company with more than two decades of experience in the industry. It specialises in the distribution of high-quality professional lighting to rental companies

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21 May 2024

USA - Magic Reinvented Nightly, magician Mat Franco’s current Las Vegas residency, is staged at the Mat Franco Arena at the LINQ Hotel+Experience.

Production lighting designer Scott Chmielewski from design studio DMDS7UDIOS was first asked to create a lighting environment for this show in 2020 when it launched. Scott has worked with creative director / producer Brian Burke on top TV shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent and has crafted his own multidisciplinary lighting aesthetic blending the theatrical with the televisual.

The Mat Franco show – under the artistic direction of scenic designer Joe O’Neill was initially planned to run for five years – and received a quick refresh during the COVID period, followed by a full production and room re-design in February 2023. This last update brought large qua

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21 May 2024

Spain - Home of Zarzuela - a form of Spanish traditional musical comedy – central Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela was restored to its historic beauty in 1913 after a fire destroyed the original 1856 building. Now owned by the Ministry of Culture and a designated Asset of General Interest with Monument status since 1994, the Teatro is Spain’s first and only Spanish lyric theatre.

The most famous Zarzuela performances have premiered here and the best works of its repertoire are still sung and heard here to this day to audiences in excess of 1,200.

Theatre, television and event rental company, CityLight Iluminación, has supplied 32 Robert Juliat Dalis 860 Cyclorama lights to the opulent venue, procured from Robert Juliat’s exclusive distributor for Spain, EarPro & EES.

Teatro de la Zarzuela’s technical team carried out some in dept

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21 May 2024

USA - Il Divo are currently on their 20th anniversary global tour, which is animated by a vibrant Ignacio (Iggy) Rosenberg lighting design that represents a dramatic departure from previous shows.

“This being the group’s 20th anniversary tour, we wanted to give them a refreshed, modern look,” said Rosenberg. “It was the best time for them to get a total revamp.  Some of the band members had ideas they wanted (including lasers and video), and I wanted to minimize the orchestra to express the individual identities of the four singers more dramatically.”

As part of new design, Rosenberg revamped the production’s audience lighting. To accomplish this, he added eight Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M fixtures, supplied by The Lighting Design Group, to his rig.

“The band loves seeing their audience,” he said. “I wanted to push

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20 May 2024

USA - Elation’s R&D department embarked on a development project that spanned several years to tackle the challenge of achieving ‘the perfect balance between colour accuracy and intensity’. The result is TruTone Technology, an advancement that allows designers to adjust CRI from a single fixture in order to find the best lighting fidelity.

Achieving that perfect balance between brightness and colour accuracy is an issue that has persisted in the entertainment lighting industry for years and holds significance for lighting designers and rental houses alike. Traditional LED engines, with their fixed CRI values, have fallen short in delivering a comprehensive spectrum, leaving designers and gear providers with inflexible options. Despite the industry’s numerous attempts to address this shortfall, the ideal solution has remained elusive.

The

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20 May 2024

The Netherlands - Following the pandemic, Racoon embarked on an extensive tour of The Netherlands in support of their album.

The quartet performed at a wide variety of venues, from amphitheatres and festivals, to clubs and theatres during their busy 30-month tour. Each show had its own distinctive atmosphere, which is why Racoon’s long-time lighting designer, Erwin Van Lokeren created different looks for every stop along the way.

Now, as Racoon does the final shows of its extended run, Van Lokeren has woven together many of those looks from the past two-and-a-half years into a transformative tapestry. Moving seamlessly through a spectrum of emotions, his design blends live images of the band’s members on a blow-through video wall with evocative (mostly warm white) light projected from multiple angles.

“I took all those designs from prev

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20 May 2024

The Netherlands - With the 2022 version of Soenda Indoor Werkspoorkathedraal in Utrecht being a major success, repeating the trick for the 2023 edition in the same location would be no small feat. T.Y.S were once again on hand to create a design that surpassed expectations.

The biggest challenge for the design team was coming up with a solution that could turn the cavernous Werkspoorkathedraal into a venue with a cosy club atmosphere. With a floor surface of 5,800 m2 to cover and a ceiling height of 20m, there was plenty of scope for creativity.

Together with the event’s producer, Elevation Events, the design team decided that doing something with motion could add a surprising new dimension to the lighting setup for the 2023 edition. This culminated in the construction of four large square frames that were suspended from the venue’s two crane tra

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17 May 2024

UK - A celebration of the remarkable life of Richard Pilbrow - lighting designer, theatre consultant, producer, author, educator, mentor, friend, and so much more – is being held today (17 May) at the Dorfman - formerly Cottesloe - at the National Theatre.

The Pilbrow family, along with the ALPD and the ABTT invite those who knew Richard to join them at the venue from 1.30pm. “All are welcome,” a statement says. Like the great producer Richard sometimes was, we want a sold-out event, maybe even bursting a little at the seams - but not to end up with people unable to get in.”

Anyone who can’t make it but would still like to commemorate Richard is asked to do so by supporting the entertainment charities Backup Tech (in the UK) or Behind The Scenes (in the US).

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17 May 2024

Europe - Simple Minds are back on the road for their 2024 Global Tour, playing arenas and proving perennially popular to both old and new generations of music fans.

The production has also been growing and developing in size and dynamics with Robe iForte and BMFL moving lights assisting show and lighting designer Mark Wynn-Edwards to produce a colourful show supporting the band’s powerful up-tempo set.

The show design is new but contains some threads inspired by the 2020 arena tour which was abruptly halted due to the pandemic. Mark has been working with the band since 2018, initially coming onboard to look after media servers.

The tour features 14 x iForte in the floor package and three iForte for followspot duties plus 37 x BMFLs in the flown rig which are the main hard edge and workhorse lights of the design. All kit is supplied by Solot

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17 May 2024

Qatar/UAE - The inaugural Qatar-UAE Super Cup football tournament kicked off in Doha, Qatar on April 12, 2024, showcasing talent from both nations, then continued the next day with the UAE-Qatar Super Cup Shield match in Dubai.

Qvision (Qatar Vision), the Doha-based event production and management company, was charged with bringing the organising committee’s vision to life in spectacular opening ceremonies featuring a large complement of Claypaky lighting fixtures.    

For the opening ceremony’s show, Qvision artistic director and executive producer, Sharif Hashisho, devised a mesmerising display at Al Thumama World Cup stadium where storytelling laser animation highlighted the development of football in the GCC region and the significance of the newly established championship. A massive array of Claypaky beams lit up the night sky, sweeping

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17 May 2024

South Africa - Theatre and professional rental specialist, Gearhouse Splitbeam of Johannesburg, has made its first investment in Ayrton, purchasing a consignment of new Ayrton Rivale Profile fixtures from Ayrton’s South African distribution partner, Planetworld.

The decision came after a concerted post-pandemic fact-finding mission to secure the best new LED moving lights with which to update Splitbeam’s aging lighting stock, spurred on by the impending requirements of Showtime Management’s production of Mamma Mia! later in the year and a need to increase its stock of LED moving lights. Departing from its traditional manufacturers, Splitbeam decided in favour of Ayrton Rivale Profile following a shoot-out between major manufacturers’ products and a visit to the Ayrton factory just ahead of the launch of Rivale Profile.

“We are essentially a

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17 May 2024

USA - Bandit Lites has announced that Kelly Feild has joined the team as the director of touring personnel.

In addition, Feild will also head expanding Bandit’s college outreach as well as interviewing and hiring additional touring personnel of all experience levels and backgrounds.

Feild’s background in live events began early, in high school. She then earned a BBA in Music Business from Belmont University. Following graduation, she worked at Belmont’s event services as their Coordinator of Scheduling before joining Bandit Lites as a lighting technician. She worked on multiple tours and eventually set out as a freelancer.

“I started at Bandit with a business degree and almost no technical experience,” Feild says. “Bandit taught me everything I needed to know to successfully tour as lighting tech. I know how to do the office part

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16 May 2024

USA - On his recent arena tour of the US, Israeli superstar Eden Hason worked closely with lighting designer, Alon Shnaiderman.

“The concept of the performance design was built by me together with my client,” said Shnaiderman. “We meet and began to bring his personal place onto the stage. There was a hopeful, positive message he wanted to say to the audience, we broadcast this through the design.”

In keeping with this vision, the singer and his lighting designer sought to create an uplifting mood. “We wanted to give the impression of levitation, that the whole element floats and gives a feeling in space,” said Shnaiderman. “This was key to the story Eden wanted to tell.”

Relying on 20 automated hoists, Shnaiderman created multiple layers of light to change perspectives during the two-hour concert. Over 340 lighting fixtures, 1

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16 May 2024

New Zealand - Audio Progress is an audio, lighting and staging company based in Palmerston North, about 150km from capital city Wellington.

The enterprise is run by Malcolm McKinnon, who founded it back in the 1980s, originally as an audio specialist, and since then, he and the team have built a solid reputation for delivering quality productions for all types of shows and events, concerts, and festivals.

A recent investment in 16 x Robe LEDBeam 350s sees the first Robe moving lights to join the Audio Progress inventory.

The new fixtures – delivered by distributor Jands New Zealand – are being used effectively and efficiently to light an increasing array of televised and streamed events serviced by Audio Progress.

Malcolm was aware of Robe as a brand already and had hired some LEDWash 600s for a Kapa Haka festival from Grouse Ligh

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16 May 2024

The Netherlands - Villa Ananas hosted a tropical disco party on King’s Night and King’s Day in Beek en Donk. Featuring an impressive array of lighting equipment including Infinity and Showtec fixtures supplied by Dito Rental B.V., the event lit up the night with retro beats and vibrant hues.

As the Netherlands geared up for its vibrant King’s Day celebrations, Villa Ananas welcomed party-goers to immerse themselves in two days of retro beats and disco vibes on King’s Night and King’s Day. Held in the historic village of Beek en Donk near Eindhoven, Villa Ananas offered a tropical disco paradise.

Dito rental B.V. supplied an impressive array of lighting equipment, including 36 Infinity Furion B401 Beam moving heads, 28 Infinity iW-741 RDM RGBW wash moving heads and 10 Infinity iW-1941 RDM RGBW wash moving heads, creating an electrifying atmo

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16 May 2024

USA - Obsidian Control Systems is offering offer the Netron CLU, an easy-to-navigate central utility interface useful in discovering and managing Netron data distribution devices across a lighting network. Especially helpful when deploying networks that use multiple nodes, or when working with nodes that lack integrated screens, the Netron CLU makes Netron data signal devices even easier to configure, eliminating the need to physically access the devices themselves, says Obsidian.

Netron devices can be discovered regardless of their current IP address, and all Netron features can be centrally configured, or reconfigured, without the need to access individual web pages or the device displays. Whether you're setting up a handful of nodes for a live event or 50 nodes for an install, remote access to all device functions straight from a computer makes device set

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15 May 2024

Italy – This year, Claypaky once again played host to the students enrolled in the Master in Lighting Design and LED Technology, organised by the Polytechnic University of Milan. This course has long been devoted to nurturing the talents of aspiring young lighting professionals.

The course aims to equip them with the skills they need for diverse applications such as entertainment venues, interior architecture, urban landscapes, museum exhibitions and temporary installations and residential spaces. The curriculum focuses on the analysis and synthesis of lighting design methods, covering conception, organisation, and rigging.

Among the esteemed instructors who teach on the course is Giovanni Pinna, a renowned lighting designer in Italy, known for his work with artists like Vasco Rossi. Pinna runs the Lighting Design for Entertainment module,

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15 May 2024

UK - Johnny Marr had some very definite ideas about the kinds of looks he wanted on stage for his Greatest Hits tour, which kicked off at Newcastle’s O2 City Hall on 2 April, with lighting design by Ed Warren.

“Johnny and I have a really good relationship,” said Warren. “We spent a fair bit of time hanging out and chatting before coming up with any kind of plan for this tour.  Once we had this decided, I programmed the entire show at home on my MQ70 using Capture over the course of a couple of weeks.

“Since Johnny’s studio is so close to me, I would pop round to see him every few weeks and talk about life, love, football and of course music. He would explain to me the moments he felt things should happen and would even give me background behind meanings of songs. This really helped me interpret them into light. Of course, this was pretty