Summit was working for the show's producers Indigo Television. The Kent-based company also provides all the in-house rigging services for the O2, so Summit's project managers Jon Bray and Simon Frost and three production riggers joined forces with the 12 Summit-supplied venue riggers to ensure an efficient and tidy operation.
Lighting was designed by Mike 'Sooty' Sutcliffe and supplied by Panalux. It involved the flying of five 'finger' trusses over the stage, complete with two wider 'fingers' which were offstage and at slightly lower heights. A further 17 points were utilised to fly three straight trusses for audience lighting.
For video - supplied by XL Video UK - Summit rigged 13 points. These flew three relay projection screens (positioned left and right of stage, and audience-right of the FOH position), together with a large central projection screen upstage, plus all the projectors feeding the four screens.The audio rigging involved six flown hangs of L-Acoustics V-Dosc and dV-Dosc PA - three each side of stage - using a combination of Lodestar hoists. Sound equipment was supplied by Plus 4 Audio.
A total of 76 hoists were used to rig the event production, complete with seven fall arrest points. The arena was draped and dressed by Blackout, using a combination of three extra drapes trusses and some of the house trusses.
Says Simon Frost: "All went very smoothly due to both the detailed advance co-ordination and the fact that the different technical departments are very experienced and had worked together before. Knowing one another so well ensured a harmonious working environment."
(Jim Evans)
