UK - The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) has announced The Zone of Interest as the winner of the Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film 2024. The winning sound team comprises Johnnie Burn, Tarn Willers, Mateusz Stasiak and James Ogden
AMPS chair Andrew Wilson said: “The Zone of Interest is a compelling piece of filmmaking and a truly remarkable achievement in the artistry of film sound. The grotesque picture of happy family life next to the horror of Auschwitz is stark, disturbing, and visceral, and it is here that the power of the soundtrack excels. The sonic storytelling is of the highest standard, and the film’s narrative is driven by its creative and crafted sound. AMPS is delighted to recognise the work of Johnnie, Tarn, Mateusz, James and their teams.
“The Association of Motion Picture Sound is proud to have one of 2024's most diverse lists of titles and nominees for its Film Sound Award. We are proud to recognise some of the less well-known roles in both Production and Post-production sound, and to have so many of our talented members on the list of nominees.”
"We are deeply honoured to receive the AMPS Film Sound Award,” said Johnnie Burn. “This accolade is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and dedication that we, along with our incredible team of Brendan Feeney, Simon Carroll, Max Behrens, and everyone at Wave Studios, pour into every project. I feel so grateful to work with Jonathan Glazer on such extraordinary projects. It truly is beyond a privilege to see our commitment to pushing the boundar
Spain - Audinate Group announced at ISE 2024 that it now has reached 50 manufacturers licensing Dante AV technology to build networked video devices. Kramer, Blustream, Magewell, Kiloview, Zenwin, Aavara, and Infobit AV are a few of the most recent partners that have joined the Dante AV ecosystem. There are now over 60 products available or soon to launch, including cameras, encoders, and decoders.
AMX by Harman, Lumens, Antrica, Bolin, Laiatech, Avonic, and Alfatron are announcing Dante AV-H video endpoints at ISE 2024, while Kramer, Netvio, and Tight AV are launching Dante AV-A encoders and decoders. Adtechno is also launching Dante AV Ultra HDMI and SDI encoders and decoders at the show. These products are all designed to seamlessly integrate into Dante workflows.
“The professionals responsible for installing and maintaining AV systems in organizations continue to seek ways to improve and simplify their work,” said Joshua Rush, chief marketing officer at Audinate. “With audio, video, control, and management, Dante is a complete AV-over-IP platform, making it easier than ever to route, monitor, and manage networked audio and video together. The Dante AV ecosystem is strong and growing, and we’re excited to welcome these new Dante AV partners and their products at ISE 2024.”
Europe - PRG is expanding its extensive sound reinforcement portfolio with several LD Systems MAILA XXL systems including accessories. In Germany, PRG is represented by over 350 employees at five locations and has more than 20,000m2 of warehouse space.
"We heard MAILA for the first time during an on-site visit to the Adam Hall Group Experience Centre and were immediately impressed," explains Udo Willburger, CEO of PRG AG. "This applies not only to the sound, but also to the efficient handling of the entire system.
“Especially in the corporate events sector, a system with a slim form factor and high flexibility in a wide range of applications is an enormous advantage when it comes to producing cost-effectively and still being able to deliver top results."
MAILA XXL is the largest and most powerful MAILA (Modular All-Round Intelligent Line-Array) system with a total output of 20,000 watts. In contrast to the ground stack systems, MAILA XXL was primarily designed for flown applications, but can also be reconfigured into several smaller ground stack systems if required. This means that MAILA XXL is not "one" product, but a scalable sound reinforcement system that sets new standards in terms of diversity and flexibility. PRG sees the MAILA concept with its flexible configuration options as the ideal sound reinforcement system for corporate events, conferences and similar events.
In order to familiarise PRG employees with all the features and functions of the MAILA system concept in the best possible way, LD Systems field application engineer Je
UK - LIVE has partnered with Handle Freelance Solutions, The Back Lounge and UK LIVE Event Freelancers Forum to launch a survey, The Hidden Side of Freelancing 2024, to understand and identify the changes required to improve the experience of freelancers who are crucial to the success of the live music industry.
Launched this week, the new survey will explore pay transparency and the personal experiences of freelancers at live music events. The survey aims to help freelancers understand their true value and benchmark their own experience whilst also celebrating what makes live music a great industry for freelancers. The results will then be assessed, culminating in a publicly available report that will be published in April 2024.
Industry organisations such as Entourage Pro, Production Futures, NOWIE, Rego, and Power of Events are all key supporting partners of the survey.
Jon Collins, CEO, LIVE, said: “Freelancers are crucial to the success of the live music ecosystem and our industry relies on them to deliver unforgettable experiences for fans. This survey will give freelancers in our industry the information needed to get the most out of the work they do and help to deliver impact change for every freelancer and the organisations that rely on freelance talent.”
Suzi Green, tour manager and manager of the Back Lounge, said: “We were hearing on The Back Lounge that new people coming into the industry had no idea what to charge, and more seasoned crew were unsure given how much things have changed post-pandemic. Last summer rates
UK - Max Webster’s intense production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, opened to positive reviews at London’s Donmar Warehouse in December.
Played out on Rosanna Vize’s stark, minimalist set, comprising a flat white platform backed by a glass wall that isolates off-stage actors from the action, the audience listens through binaural headphones that catch every nuance of the actors’ speech, drawing them deeper and more intimately into the text - and Macbeth’s mental state.
Lighting designer, Bruno Poet, accentuates this intensity with the help of Ayrton Khamsin TC fixtures: “The simplicity of the set - the sharp-edged white platform contrasting heavily with the black surroundings - combined with the detail of the soundscape meant it wasn’t always necessary to see the actors’ faces fully,” explains Poet. “This gave me a lot of freedom to use lighting in a very directional, sculptural way, and the Khamsin TCs were the key element in this.”
Poet used just six Ayrton Khamsin TC (True Colour) fixtures in the overhead rig as his main workhorse fixtures. “The quality of light from the Khamsin’s TC engine was beautiful and the output gave me so many creative possibilities,” he says.
One Khamsin TC was rigged over each corner of the stage with a further two in upstage- and downstage centre positions. “Because the zoom goes so wide, I found to my delight, I could light the whole stage using just one Khamsin. Obviously at other times we balanced them in different ways, but one single
Turkey - Lighting designer Martin Kuhn tapped into the power and reliability of a grandMA3 replay unit to run a spectacular permanent show that he designed for Istanbul’s Maiden’s Tower. The landmark stands on a tiny islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait, 300m from the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, and has recently re-opened after restoration.
Martin was working for Istanbul AV specialist ASTEL and end client, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The lighting includes 48 Ayrton Cobra moving lights which are positioned around the perimeter of the lower sea wall in protective cabinets that open when the show starts, and a selection of 76 Anolis Eminere and Calumma fixtures illuminating the various architectural elements, together with 27 SGM P2s and P6 LED floods.
The lights are connected via six grandMA3 2Port Nodes and two MA Network Switches and the show was programmed on and offsite on a grandMA3 light console by Martin and Marc Marlo Schelesnow. Once they had completed all the finessing, the showfile was transferred to the grandMA3 replay unit.
Martin researched the history of Maiden’s Tower and its role in Istanbul’s culture and heritage as he wanted to deliver a meaningful and educative lightshow that represented its significance and importance to this thriving dynamic city.
He collaborated with one of Turkey’s leading authors, Ayşe Kulin, who storyboarded a narrative from which Martin, via Depence 3 software, produced a three-minute video showcase for the client to pitch his lightshow ideas.
UK - Production Futures reports that it has been chosen as a partner for the BBC’s Bring the Drama Festival. This initiative sees the BBC joining forces with some of the UK’s leading cultural organisations to create the first festival of its kind, aimed at bringing together stage and screen and opening up the doors to the next generation of behind-the-scenes talent.
The BBC is supporting the UK’s world-beating creative industries by trying to ensure that the brightest and best people want to work in theatre, film and TV, and helping them to identify where the opportunities lie. This mission aligns with Production Futures’ aim to create opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop real careers in production across every area of the live event, music, touring, theatre, TV, broadcast and film industries.
Just as is the case for Production Futures, the BTD initiative seeks to address a skills gap in the industry and widen access for ‘hard to reach’ groups.
Production Futures chief executive Hannah Eakins comments: “For the BBC to raise the profile of initiatives like ours means this will raise the profile for training and work opportunities into the production industry which has always been our mission. We are excited to have been chosen to participate in this incredible campaign, highlighting all of the opportunities available to young people behind the screen and stage production during the BTD Festival."
France - L-Acoustics has been honoured during the Décibels d'Or awards by the French government’s Conseil National du Bruit (National Council on Noise), which recognises the company's unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound technology and its dedication to creating exceptional audio experiences while respecting the needs of local communities.
This award, founded in 1991 and granted only once every three years, recognises the ability of the newly launched L Series line source array to manage sound, keeping it on the audience area while significantly reducing spillage to areas where it is not desired. It is the first time in the Décibels d’Or’s history that an audio manufacturer has been honoured.
The development of L Series is the culmination of seven years of dedicated research and innovation. The breakthroughs in directivity control developed for this innovative new technology have resulted in two patents, further solidifying the company's position as a pioneer in the field of professional audio solutions.
The L Series represents a new era of directivity-controlled loudspeakers, specifically designed for medium-sized festivals and concert halls. L Series comprises two elements that are designed to work together or on their own: L2 above and L2D below. This innovative system delivers unparalleled sound quality, clarity, precision, and homogeneity for the audience, while effectively reducing noise by an unprecedented 15dB outside the coverage zone.
One of the key features of the L2 system is its adaptability to the ven
Ireland - A team from Dublin-based Spectrum Productions led by David Lawless and Jack Quirke supplied a large quantity of Robe moving lights rig for a sold-out electro-extravaganza gig by popular Irish mixmasters, Belters Only, at Dublin’s 3Arena.
David and the team have been working with the artists for the last year and designed the floor lighting package for their 2023 festival appearances. Their brief for the 3Arena show was to make it big, bold, and breathtaking visually, helping pump the energy and excitement everywhere in the room - from the stage to the back of the auditorium.
On the lighting plot were over 100 Robe moving lights - 52 Robe Tetra2’s, 12 TetraX’s and 32 MegaPointes - comprising most of the moving lights, joined by strobes, some other profile moving lights and 10 30W lasers.
The lighting design was based on a 10m diameter circular truss centrepiece, inspired by the ‘circle of life’ in the musical duo’s logo, which was flown vertically and prominently in front of a large LED screen masked into a spherical shape. The DJ booth sat on a riser downstage of both these elements.
Four two-metre upright truss sections in front of the riser were rigged with the 12 TetraXs, providing whizzy and crazy effects to fill the space where there was no screen and for dramatic back lighting for guest vocalists and dancers using the space in front to perform.
Twenty-eight Tetra2s were rigged around the perimeter of the large circle. More were on four floor-mounted vertical truss towers measuring 3m and 6m respectively and p
UK - Over the course of the last 30 years, Prolight has grown from a small enterprise in Bolton to a global supplier of sound, lighting and ancillaries. It is now creating ‘a next-generation workplace environment that brings together industry leading innovation and distribution’. The Building Our Future project is based around a new headquarters located at the end of the M65 in Colne, Lancashire.
The new headquarters will act as a catalyst for the future development of products and services, and is located in its own secure grounds on a 10-acre site which will be known as Edison Point.
On the site initially will be a modern warehouse along with an overflow building for the storage of bulky items including truss and staging. The main building will allow Prolight to increase its stock lines by more than 50% and also allow a higher stock holding of all items. The main building will accommodate a new modern open plan office, along with service, R&D and cable manufacture departments.
Managing director Andrew Jeffrey commented: “This significant investment into the Edison Point site will allow us to expand without having to move again. The benefit of this site is that we can just construct new buildings dedicated to where the future takes us, whether it be for more stock holding or in-house manufacturing etc. This really is a very exciting time for all at Prolight.”
The project to install the new infrastructure that is needed is currently underway and the move from Prolight’s current home at Lumen House in Blackburn is expected to take
Mobo Awards - Sheffield will host a "dynamic series of events" to celebrate the Mobo Awards coming to the city for the first time. Mobo Awards Sheffield - The Fringe will take place ahead of the awards show on 7 February at the Utilita Arena. It will feature workshops and a market to shine a light on the city's African and Caribbean communities, organisers said.
Sheffield city councillor Martin Smith said the festival would be "an unforgettable experience". He added: "It will see the city embrace both the beats and flavours of Africa and the Caribbean and is a testament to the power of the music and culture on offer in our city. Mobo Awards Sheffield - The Fringe is going to be an unforgettable experience for Sheffield and our communities, and I hope everyone is able to get involved and enjoy what's on offer."
Frozen Out - Disney’s Frozen will complete its West End run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in September. Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, it will close on 8 September, after three years in the West End. Director Michael Grandage said: “It has been a joy to be part of the Frozen journey in London. Working with the team at Disney, the brilliant creative team, and the incredible cast have made this one of my happiest theatre experiences.”
Frozen opened in the UK on the heels of the pandemic, and it was glorious to welcome back audiences, many of whom were coming to the theatre for the first time. To introduce so many to the power of theatre and hopefully cultivate a life-long love for it, has been an immens
India - Lighting designer Milind Shrivastava has invested in a grandMA3 from MA Lighting, supplied by Hi-Tech Audio & Image, India distributor for MA Lighting.
One of the veteran lighting designers of New Delhi, Milind Shrivastava has been working with theatre, dance, ballet shows, government events, music festivals, and various genres of events for three decades. His work as a lighting designer was recognised by the Government of India which awarded him the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009 for Best Lighting Designer. In 2022 he was also felicitated by the Astad Deboo Award.
Throughout his journey, Milind has been an avid user of grandMA3 console. He shares: “The grandMA3 compact XT light provides the perfect combination of power and physical size. It is suitable for all but the most demanding productions, making it probably the most versatile lighting console available. There are more display screens, dual encoders, themed screen looks, LED lined faders, executors and knobs, 250,000 DMX parameters on one desk, new palette attributes, triple the number of executor buttons, and the addition of encoder knobs. MA3 Lighting console has some special shortcuts that help in operating the board there are groups, predefined phasers, 3D maps and all of this makes my work faster and more efficient. The entire console defines the meaning of smart professional lighting control.”
Milind has highly appreciated the supply support provided for the console by Hi-Tech Audio & Image. CEO-founder of Hi-Tech Audio & Image, Rajan Gupta hel
Japan - Hoshioto Camp 23, which took place recently at Budou Romankan in the Japanese Prefecture of Okayama became the first outdoor music festival in Japan to introduce immersive sound.
Local sound rental company, Bright Co originally invested in Martin Audio’s award-winning WPC fully optimised system back in 2020. Therefore, when it was time to upgrade the event’s main speaker system, WPC was recommended as the best overall fit for its sound quality, controllability and sense of scale, after evaluation against other systems.
Kazuyuki Oshita, president of Bright Co said there were other reasons why he recommended it to the organisers, notably its ability to deliver consistency of sound right across the area, and to mitigate against noise pollution by being able to contain the energy uniquely within the sound field - one of the award-leading properties of Martin Audio’s proprietary DISPLAY control software.
The 16 principal WPC boxes were powered by Martin Audio’s multi-channel iK42 amplifiers, and to create the full immersion an end-to-end Martin Audio solution was specified, including eight XD15, four SX218 subwoofers, six XP12 and various XE300, and Adorn A55 enclosures.
Various other local rental suppliers, introduced to the main contractors by Martin Audio Japan, also tapped into their inventories to complete the complement required, which also included SPAT Revolution processing. These included Super 4; Music Reserve; Freeway and Network Papa.
Review notices couldn’t have been more positive. One stated: “The sound in fr
Europe - Shania Twain’s Queen of Me tour played 78 shows across North America and Europe, with audio solutions from long-term rental partner, Eighth Day Sound.
FOH engineer Rob ‘Cubby’ Colby says his great experience mixing this tour has been down to the hard-working production crew: “Production manager, Denny Rich, production assistant, Libby Dostart, tour coordinator & tour manager, Joel Eriksson, stage manager Brandon Bogaert and music conductor, Marco Gamboa helped to make it a joy to be a part of.”
His time with Eighth Day Sound has also been smooth sailing: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Tom Arko and his team at Eighth Day Sound. I’ve enjoyed getting to know their different crews, project managers & office staff. Most recently on Shania’s tour, I requested a small footprint at FOH, and everything was addressed perfectly both at their US and UK shops,” he adds.
“To be trusted is always an opportunity to focus on why I've been chosen to mix FOH on tour, and I'll do my very best to mix the music as the artist intended it to be heard,” he states.
“The reactions from the audience, the artist, and management & promoter feedback are important; I want to know I’ve delivered a great experience.”
He continues: “I familiarise myself with recorded versions of the songs, not just the biggest hits, and concerning Shania’s huge catalogue, there are many stories from her extensive career that offer a better perspective on what the song might be about. I take what I learn into her live
South Africa - Bad Weather Productions handled the creative technical needs for the Rocking the Daisies Festival, held in Cape Town and Johannesburg late last year. Said to mark the beginning of South Africa’s festival season, Rocking the Daisies hosts big-name international artists from a diverse spectrum of genres across three days at Cloof Wine Estate, near Cape Town, followed by one day at SuperSport Park, Johannesburg.
With a decade-long involvement in Rocking the Daisies, Bad Weather Productions has played a part in the festival’s evolution. Notably, they pioneered the first hip-hop stage, TwosUP, in 2016, diversifying the festival's music offerings. Over the years, the collaboration has expanded, with Bad Weather Productions leading the production design and execution across every arena.
"It's been an incredible journey working with Rocking the Daisies over the last 10 years, and watching it develop into one of the most diverse festivals in the country,” says Jonathan Bandli, co-founder and creative director of Bad Weather Productions. “This year, we were entrusted with handling the AV production for four stages in Cape Town and one stage in Johannesburg, making it one of our most complex projects to date.”
"With headliner acts such as BRIT Award winner Stormzy, singer-songwriter, Greentea Peng, American rapper Denzel Curry, and influential pop band, The Vamps, audience expectations were exceptionally high,” explains Bandli. “To ensure optimal audio performance and consistency, the festival opted for d&b audiotechnik system
UK - The National Theatre on London’s south bank has long been a bastion of creativity and world-class productions. Its three auditoria - the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Dorfman - host productions from leading creative and technical crews.
As part of its continued transition to LED lighting, lighting resources manager at the National Theatre (NT), Paul Hornsby, and his team set about replacing their outdated HMI Fresnel fixtures in the NT’s floating stock. “Trying to find a modern LED replacement for a big Fresnel Wash that can provide that big punchy back light and colour hasn’t been easy,” says Hornsby. “We are always trying to recreate that classic 5kW Fresnel/2.5kW HMI look that is really important to a theatre, and there have been no true alternatives until now. Moving lights or profiles with frost are a poor substitute and don’t have the same look in the air. They can’t quite recreate that classic look we remember.”
It was Philip Norfolk of Ambersphere Solutions (Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for the UK) who introduced Hornsby to the new Huracán Wash. “Philip mentioned Ayrton was developing a Wash light with a Fresnel lens which definitely piqued our interest,” Hornsby says. “We have been following Ayrton’s product developments closely since we purchased a quantity of Diablo S back in 2019/2020. These proved extremely popular with our in-house techs and visiting lighting designers, so we were keen to know more about this new development.”
Huracán Wash has a 1,000W LED source, a complex colour mixing system a
Sweden - Linea Research has announced the appointment of Winther Sound Solutions as its distributor in Sweden.
Winther Sound Solutions specialises in audio solutions for a wide range of applications. The company's expertise extends across various sectors, including live sound, installations and broadcast.
Mattias Winther, CEO of Winther Sound Solutions commented: "We are excited to represent Linea Research in the Swedish market. Their commitment to delivering high-quality audio solutions aligns with our mission at Winther Sound Solutions. This partnership will undoubtedly enhance the audio experience for our customers across Sweden."
Martin Hildred, sales & marketing manager of Linea Research concluded: "Collaborating with Winther Sound Solutions marks a positive step in expanding our presence in the Swedish market. We are confident that their dedication and understanding of the audio industry will further the success of Linea Research products in Sweden."
Portugal - Midwich Portugal, part of the Midwich Group, has announced the addition of Robe Lighting to its exclusive distribution portfolio for the Portuguese market.
Ingo Dombrowski, international sales director for Robe Lighting s.r.o., commented: “There is a saying, ‘Nothing beats a winning team!’, and I think there is nothing better than giving a winning team more responsibilities. A well-developed market like Portugal needs a strategic and analytical approach, and we already know this is integral to Midwich Group’s Spanish branch, so it is a completely logical step to widen our collaboration to include Portugal.”
Pere Castro, managing director Midwich Portugal, added: “We couldn’t be happier with the addition of Robe to our catalogue of top solutions. After more than a decade of successful partnership with Robe in Spain, now having such a great, supportive, and loyal partner in Portugal is excellent news. Together with the recent announcement of the ‘Avolites - A Robe Business’ ranges being added to our Portuguese portfolio, we can consolidate and strengthen our philosophy of offering top brands and service.”
UK - Fulcrum Acoustic has announced the appointment of AUX Import as their new distribution partner in the United Kingdom. AUX Import will distribute the full Fulcrum Acoustic and Fulcrum Immersive product range across the UK. This key partnership reinforces Fulcrum's presence in EMEA, alongside other distribution partners in the region.
Val Gilbert, director of business development for Export at Fulcrum Acoustic, shared: "Our collaboration with AUX Import marks a significant step for Fulcrum’s growth in the European market. We are particularly impressed by the teams’ energy and customer-focused approach, which are qualities that resonate with us at Fulcrum. Both AUX Import and Fulcrum Acoustic are rapidly growing companies, and we look forward to expanding our reach in the UK market together."
Callum Bowran, technical director of AUX Import, also expressed enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Fulcrum Acoustic, a company known for its advanced audio technologies and dedication to customer support. This partnership underscores our commitment to providing our customers with the best in professional audio-visual equipment. We're excited to introduce Fulcrum Acoustic's range of products to our clients.”
AUX Import and Fulcrum Acoustic will be attending ISE 2024.
Ireland - Microphone specialist Point Source Audio has announced the opening of its European headquarters in Dublin. This marks the audio technology company's first dedicated office outside of the United States, reflecting its commitment to meeting the increasing demand for its headset, earworn, and earmounted microphones across the continent.
Led by seasoned business development manager Gerry Forde, supported by service engineer James Killalea and office administrator Aoife Mc Carthy, the Dublin office is poised to play a pivotal role in optimising Point Source Audio's operations in Europe.
The establishment of this European hub aims to streamline distribution processes, ensuring faster delivery times and expanded customer reach. Point Source Audio anticipates that the proximity of its Dublin office to major markets within the European Union will result in more efficient services and cost savings for its clientele.
Point Source Audio president James Lamb emphasised that the decision to open the European office was driven by the increasing requests for the company's products in diverse applications, from broadcast to theatre. "Having a dedicated presence closer to our European customer base is an important step, which we feel will have a very positive impact on the service they receive," Lamb stated.
Dublin was selected as the strategic location for its proximity to key markets, along with the city's reputation for technological innovation and a skilled workforce. Lamb added, "This is a big step in the evolution of Point Source Audio. The work
UK - The quest to find the SPARKS Learner of the Year 2024, supported by lighting sponsor, Luceco Lighting, is well underway with the six regional heats set to power up throughout January and February.
From the north-west to the south-east, Level 2 and 3 students will compete in a number of practical tasks, with Luceco Lighting products being used in the heat and final assessments, judged by NAPIT’s Technical Team, the official judges for the competition.
The winners from each of the six regional heats will then progress to the Grand Final, to be held at the Schneider Electrics Innovation Hub in Coventry on 24-25 April 2024.
Simon Shenton, head of LED at Luceco Lighting, and judge for the competition final said: “We are thrilled to be involved with the SPARKS Learner of the Year for the second year, as it celebrates our amazing young talent and provides rightful recognition for the important skills that our future electrical contractors are learning. It is incredibly encouraging to see such enthusiasm and commitment from our competitors but also to provide an opportunity to showcase their skills and talent at an early stage.”
Zoe Tanner, managing director at SPARKS said: “Good luck to everyone taking part in the regional heats - there will be some tough competition to make it through to the final in April. We also have some great support from the industry - we are especially pleased to have Luceco Lighting as our lighting sponsor this year - supporting the next generation of electrical contractors.”
UK - Cincinnati alt-rockers, The National, use Skan PA Hire for arena-scale audio solutions with a boutique approach, deploying a d&b KSL PA system, and Avid Venue S6L consoles with E6L 192 Engines at both ends.
“The first time we worked with Skan, I immediately thought, ‘This is the way an audio company should operate,’” says production manager and monitor engineer, Stu Tenold.
“Every package I've received from Skan is built for the artist I’m with. There's real attention to detail in what they do. Now being part of Clair Global, I can see what director Chris Fitch can offer; there's a lot more resources at his fingertips. But, for those who know, Skan is a boutique PA company, and they provide a very specific service.”
The band - vocalist Matt Berninger, brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner (piano, guitar, keys), and brothers Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums) - favour a certain degree of controlled chaos when it comes to their live mixes, and with up to nine musicians on stage, Tenold doesn’t sit back.
He mixes on an Avid Venue S6L 32D with E6L 192 Engine, as does FOH engineer Adam Armstrong.
Tenold continues: “The band often has musical guests that I’ll find out about during changeover… they’re a little punk rock at heart! It requires a lot of thinking on my feet and acting as quickly as possible to accomplish whatever needs to happen. I have 16 mixes of Shure PSM 1000 IEMs, and I often use them all.”
To deal with this unpredictable influx of fun, all comms are integrated with shout
USA - The Struts’ recently concluded North American tour was supported by a dynamic lightshow by Carlos Katsurayama that moved seamlessly through dramatic mood shifts with help from a LIT Lighting supplied rig that featured the Maverick Force S Profile, Strike Array 4 and Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash from Chauvet Professional.
Reflecting the UK band’s bold emotional swings, Katsurayama played light and darkness off one another to rev up the crowd. For example, his show started out in darkness, before moving to a lighted backdrop, and then busted out with intense blinding effects.
“Beginning the show in complete darkness is a classic way to build anticipation,” said Katsurayama. “Lighting up the backdrop was a big way to let the crowd know that the wait was almost over.”
Katsurayama worked his way in and out of shadows to great effect at every turn. “In this show, my priority was to keep the band members lit well, since they are known for being such an incredibly talented and energetic act,” he said. “However, doing that also lent itself to contrasting things with some dark and dramatic moments throughout the set.”
In addition to juxtaposing light and shadows, Katsurayama relied on colour changes to pump up the flow of emotions. “Each song's colour palette was chosen carefully to go with the specific vibe and feeling of each song,” he said. “I do my best to not take attention away from the music, so I tend to keep my colour choices pretty tame - at least most of the time.”
Contributing to Katsurayama’s evocative
USA - Jam band Goose eased into the 2023 festive season with four special concerts staged over two days at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia, all completely sold out.
Lighting designer / director Andrew Goedde chose Robe moving lights as the principal fixtures and worked closely on developing his design with lighting programmer / technical director Tony Caporale, using their 2023 touring rig as a starting point. From this they evolved some new concepts for the tenth annual Goosemas event.
They were then both delighted to hear that the band and their creative director Will Thresher moved away from traditional Christmas themes to embrace Goosemas in Space for this year’s show.
Goose has grown and substantially expanded its fanbase in the last couple of years, and for Goosemas 2023 wanted to make some big statements and give something spectacular back to everyone in terms of production values.
“We took this idea very seriously when imagining and programming the lighting,” stated Andrew, expanding that the theme offered plenty of creative latitude.
With no video playback or IMAG onstage or indeed in the venue, lighting and scenics were the main visual tools for getting the energy and magic off the stage and swirling around the audience, so Andrew and Tony set to work to produce something memorable with the assistance of 42 Robe Fortes, 32 MegaPointes, 46 Tarrantulas, 60 TetraX’s and 16 LEDBeam 350s.
Each of six flown mini diamond-shaped ‘pods’ were flown at different heights and depths in a symmetrical pattern - a derivat