The first gig took place in Dubai on Saturday 8 December at the Closing Ceremony of the World Parachuting Championships. Katy Perry performed at the show and flying during her entrance suspended under a prop parachute. To fly the star in over the audience the Stage Technologies rentals team used a two way bridle, two BT290 winches, a Nomad desk with PC Wing backup, and an AU:tour control rack.
That same night in Las Vegas saw rapper and boxing promoter 50 Cent descend from the rafters while performing his hit My Life prior to the start of the Juan Manuel Marquez vs Manny Pacquiao fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. ZFX Flying Effects rented a Stage Technologies winch for the flight.
Finally, a rentals team comprising staff from the Las Vegas and London locations flew P!nk at high speed in a four-way bridle around London's O2 arena, as an amazing finale to Capital FM' s Jingle Bell Ball. The flight took place during the singer's final song So What and took her out over an ecstatic crowd.
Stage Technologies business development manager Gemma Guy said, "We've been flying more and more pop music stars, and production managers know they can trust us to do it right. While Katy Perry's entrance in Dubai only required a straightforward two-way bridle system, the windy weather made the set up a challenge. In the end however the flight went without a hitch and the show was fantastic. P!nk's flight in London the next night was more complex, as it involved a four-way bridle, but we've flown her with this system many times before and we love to do it."
(Jim Evans)
