USA - Reflecting the fiercely independent personalities of Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard in light on a co-headline tour requires a deftly balanced show, one that celebrates each legend’s journey.
A towering, power-projecting, cathedral-like design by Mike Cooper that featured Chauvet Professional Strike Array 4 blinders and Color Strike M motorised strobes did that in style, supporting the individual personality of each of the two bands on their recently concluded co-headline USA tour.
Matt Mills ensured that Mötley Crüe was supported by dynamic looks, that reflected the multi-platinum band’s identity, while LD Kenji worked on Def Leppard. “I was one of the programmers when we did preproduction for this show last year at Lititz,” said Mills. “On this run of six shows, I filled in for lighting director, Michael Willingham running the Mötley Crüe segment. I had a blast taking the helm again.”
The process of creating distinct looks for each of the acts, plus special guest Alice Cooper, began with having two markedly different truss configurations. For the Def Leppard set, all the trusses were level with a bit of a rake. For Mötley Crüe, the truss structure created an asymmetrical look.
Mills accentuated this configuration in the Mötley Crüe show with his light angles and intensity levels. Much of the colour palette Mills used was determined by video content.
“Our colour choices were made to complement what was on the screens,” he said. “However, we also tried to stay with a brighter colour scheme for the songs ear
Denmark - Bellevue Teatret (Bellevue Theatre) is located in Klampenborg, a suburb north of Copenhagen, Denmark. Its scenic location is about 100m back from the beach, and views from the front of the building overlook the Øresund strait.
Founded in 1936 and designed by architect Arne Jacobsen, the building is one of his seminal works - and one of several in the area - as well as an important example of Danish functionalism.
In the last year, the theatre has invested in more Robe moving lights, with the purchase of 12 x TX1 PosiProfiles - the first to be installed in Denmark - joining their 24 x LEDBeam 350s acquired in 2021.
The fixtures were chosen by production manager Bjarne Olsen and technical manager Martin Vive Rasmussen for their 746-capacity main house.
The theatre - popular with both the local community and a wider audience of theatre fans - stages four productions a year and is noted for its family friendly content.
It hosts a variety of performances, including plays, musicals, dance shows, and concerts, and in addition to the Main House, the smaller stage - the bar - is used for experimental and contemporary works.
Robe’s new TX1 PosiProfile operates either as a full moving head profile or as a static but repositionable profile which is ideal for being operated within very confined spaces or where crew access is limited or when movement options are severely limited or not required.
“We strive to be as green as possible, so we wanted an LED solution,” stated Bjarne, “and the time was right to buy.”
Australia - The sparkle and ambiance that characterised the 63rd annual TV Week Logie Awards was enhanced by the innovative lighting solutions offered by Prolights. This event, held at Sydney's The Star and broadcast by the Seven Network, is regarded as one of the highlights of the Australian television industry, attracting celebrities and industry professionals from all corners of the country each year.
The lighting setup that wowed the attendees was supplied and installed by Chameleon Touring Systems, in collaboration with Show Technology, the official Prolights distributor in Australia. The selection of luminaires was key, and the result was a lighting rig comprising approximately 150 Prolights solutions, including EclPanel TWC, VersaPar, Smart BatWash and EclPanel TWCJr.
The TWC EclPanels played a fundamental role in all the installations, illuminating not only the main hall of the event together with the VersaPars, but also the sumptuous red carpet, flanked by the Smart BatWashes, and the morning TV broadcasts with the EclPanel Jr. This versatility demonstrated the multiple possibilities offered by these innovative LED softlights, confirming their role as protagonists in the field of creative lighting.
Belgium - The Antwerpen Sportpaleis played host to a cornucopia of projected lasers and lighting earlier this summer when promoters, Zillion presented their new immersive Iluminati dance concept.
This new design, conceived by Frank Verstraeten, who co-promoted the event with Yves Smolders, ran over two days - each with nine hours duration. A capacity 14,500 crowd immersed themselves in this purpose-built 3D ‘black box’ environment on each night.
Helping to create the magic were an abundance were GLP JDC1 and JDC Lines -some 85 x JDC Line 500 and 40 x JDC 1 hybrid strobes were deployed. “We used all of these fixtures, not only as a conventional strobe but also to create an atmospheric glow, enabling us to punch through with the other moving heads,” said lighting and set designer, Thomas Boets (from LDP). They placed 45 of the JDC Line 500 on two large trusses above each moving head while the second batch of 40 JDC Line 500 were mounted on the front / left and right side of the DJ stage.
The stage itself - 6m wide and 6m deep - could elevate DJs to a height of 8.5m. “We used the Lines in combination with the two long side trusses, to create an extremely powerful effect. These connected the two long trusses to create an even larger look. The variety of colours used to create the atmosphere and the powerful strobe chases resulted in a huge tunnel which attracted people towards the stage.”
To this were added 40 JDC1 hybrid strobes - 20 attached to the main grid in the roof and the remaining 20 to the moving mirror video boxes, which had
The Netherlands - This year’s Kingdance Festival and Dance4Liberation had a much in common. Both celebrated important national holidays, the King’s birthday, and the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation in the closing days of World War II. Both featured an electrifying line-up of EDM stars and other performers. And both took place on the same stage with the same lighting rig at the Wijthmenerplas lakeside park.
There was, however, one critical element that separated the two festivals: time! Kingdance ended exactly one week before Dance4Liberation began. A lot can happen outdoors in the 168 hours (or 604,800 seconds) that make up a seven-day week, especially when you’re dealing with a climate as capricious as that of the Netherlands.
But the rig shared by these two festivals performed smoothy, even though it remained in place for the entire week, thanks to some careful planning, expert installation, and wise IP65 fixtures choices by John & Jane, commissioned by Story Event Engineering to create and manage the lighting rig for the dual events.
Contributing to the success of this dual festival rig in weathering the elements, while also delivering bold, dynamic looks for a wide array of performers were some 250 Chauvet Professional IP65 rated fixtures.
Featured in this collection were the Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash, Color Strike M motorised strobe/wash, COLORado Q40 Panel, Strike P38, and Ovation E-260WW IP warm white ellipsoidal. Drawing on the bright output, colour rendering capabilities, and other performance features of
Gregg Maltby, a Las Vegas-based independent lighting designer, chose an array of Ayrton fixtures for Peter Frampton’s Never Say Never tour. Versatile Ayrton LED fixtures such as the Diablo and Eurus profiles and the Zonda 9 FX washes comprise about half the rig. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.
Frampton’s North American tour kicked off in June in Huber Heights, Ohio and wrapped in Sandy, Utah in August. The artist recently extended the tour with a series of November dates starting in Louisville and finishing before Thanksgiving in Nashville. OSA International, Inc. in Nashville, the lighting vendor for the tour, provided the Ayrton fixtures to long-time customer Maltby.
“I’ve used Ayrton lights for a long time, including for Huey Lewis, Boston, and the Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly hologram tour,” says Maltby. “But these particular Ayrton fixtures were new to me. [OSA vice president/lighting] Mark Fetto set up a demo for me in their shop, and I designed the plot around those lights.”
Fetto and OSA International have invested heavily in Ayrton in recent years. “Ayrton makes some of the most durable equipment out there; we have very few problems with the fixtures, especially in a touring environment where they hold up very well on the road,” Fetto reports. “We have more Diablos than any other profile in our inventory; they’re great for corporate shows. The Eurus have become our workhorse profile, and we’ve ordered 36 more of them. The Zondas are new but as designers get their han
Germany - ARRI has announced the launch of SkyPanel X, an all-weather LED luminaire and latest addition to the SkyPanel family.
Introduced as a modular system and configurable into different sizes, SkyPanel X now offers native soft, native hard, and open-face lighting.
ARRI’s SkyPanel X connects advanced LED technology with flexibility, broadening possibilities for diverse applications and all existing workflows, addressing the extensive needs of studios, rental houses, and corporate clients. With a variety of innovative features, SkyPanel X is tailored to the requirements and working dynamics of DPs, gaffers, console operators, lighting designers, and broadcast technicians, says ARRI.
SkyPanel X provides superior low-end dimming with flicker-free operation from 100 to zero percent for direct, close-distance key lighting. With a dynamic CCT range from 1,500 to 20,000 K, the luminaire can emulate the characteristics of sodium lamps or cloudy sunlight.
The RGBACL full-spectrum light engine features the best ARRI lighting colour science to date, enhancing skin tones and achieving deep colour reproduction. Eight pixel zones per LED panel meet the requirements of advanced console programming, visual effects, and virtual production environments.
Engineered for maximum endurance and reliability, SkyPanel X is fully protected from rain, storms, or high-pressure jet cleaning, certified with IP66 rating for all weather conditions. This dramatically reduces the maintenance procedures and extends the lamphead’s lifecycle. SkyPanel X offers wi
UK - LED architectural and architainment lighting manufacturer Anolis Lighting enjoyed a busy, productive, and successful PLASA 2023 expo at London’s Olympia, where its stand was prominent in the ‘village’ of parent company, Robe Lighting.
Anolis highlighted its new Calumma, Ambiane and Eminere product ranges during the three-day expo.
Anolis’ Calumma M & S fixtures are now available with asymmetric optics specifically designed for street, road, and pathway use, where unwanted glare reduction and efficiency are paramount. This luminaire is engineered for pole mounted applications that optimise pole spacings and enhance sustainability, and while this was not aimed at PLASA’s primary visitor demographic, it looked cool, attracted lots of comment, and demonstrated the ongoing development and commitment by Anolis to offer comprehensive full ranges.
“Currently, options for pole mounted colour changing street-style lighting are limited, so from that aspect alone, it generated interest,” noted Anolis London & southeast business development manager Ashley Popple, adding that it is also customisable with different white sources like 3000K and 2200K for countryside areas. With amber and red also available, it is another ultimately flexible choice from Anolis.
Anolis’ slick and streamlined Ambiane SP range has been expanded with an adjustable version of the downlight plus a new pendant version, both offering the same key features - homogenous light output, power balancing, 18-bit dimming and TV friendly green +/- control. Currentl
USA - English rock band Asking Alexandria is out on tour promoting their latest album with a lighting system provided by Bandit Lites. Comprised of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley, the band released their eighth studio album Where Do We Go From Here? on 25 August.
Following the band’s European tour, lighting designer Corbin Alvae sought to utilise fixtures that would offer a host of functions to supply the band big, stadium style lighting that would translate to clubs and theatres.
“The band has such a groovy and heavy rock ‘n roll style that I needed to provide a design that really highlighted that and bring those moments to life on the stage even more,” explained Alvae.
“When Corbin reached out to me about his design for Asking Alexandria, I was beyond excited to work with him on this one,” said Bandit Lites client representative Mark Scherer. “His fixture choices and implementation of them was all thought out and perfectly executed. His design packs a huge punch with bold looks in a compact club form.”
Bandit Lites supplied the tour with Chauvet COLORado Solo Batten IP 65, Elation ACL 360i, Elation Proton Eclypse Strobe IP 65 and ROBE MegaPointes.
The Elation 360i ACL’s motility capabilities offered a wide range of creative shapes and movement. Coupled with Robe MegaPointes ability to go from a beam to a spot (not to mention its punchy prism and gobo wheel), Alvae delivered the arena lighting looks in spades. The Elatio
USA - Showing there is plenty of gas left in the tank, rockers Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard had one of the biggest grossing tours of 2022. The momentum carried into 2023 with the summer culminating in a string of U.S. stadium shows lit using Brutus and Rayzor 1960 fixtures from Elation’s IP-rated Proteus series. The bands were supported by shock rocker Alice Cooper.
Mötley Crüe lighting designer Michael Cooper has been working with the band for 10+ years and collaborated with Def Leppard LD Kenji Ohashi on the world tour design. Originally started back in 2019, the design was put on the back burner when Covid hit but eventually saw the light of day on the successful 2022 tour.
“It was the longest design process we ever had,” Cooper noted before delving into the requirements for the co-headline outing. “We wanted something that would work for both bands but also wanted a rig that could be refashioned for each to produce unique looks. We wanted the shows to look different but still had to fit all the gear in the same container.”
The original rig from the 2022 shows was ‘heavily modified’ for the 2023 summer outdoor stadium shows with a different truss configuration and the addition of IP-rated fixtures, namely the Proteus Brutus and Proteus Rayzor 1960. “I first saw the Proteus line back in 2019 at some festivals and was amazed to find out that they were weatherproof,” Cooper says, acknowledging that Elation “has really been trailblazers with this technology.”
The key features he says they were looking for in lighting
UK - J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has been reinterpreted numerous times over the years, from cartoons to films to even a West End musical. First performed at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2007, the musical was recently revived and reimagined at The Watermill Theatre in Berkshire. The lighting designer for this new production is Rory Beaton who approached White Light (WL) to supply his lighting equipment.
“We were very conscious that, as the first ever non-replica production of the original musical, we wanted to bring something new to the table,” says Rory. “As such, we have created a brand new production that takes place both inside the actual theatre itself as well as outside in the beautiful grounds. Our version is about celebrating ‘The Shire’, the story, the phenomenal music and, of course, the beautiful Watermill Theatre. Our aim was to prove you can do big things on the small scale.”
With a show this ambitious, it meant that Rory had to achieve a significant amount with his lighting design. He comments: “I know this may seem like a stock answer but I really do mean this: there are so many locations within the show. We start in Bagend, go to Rivendale, Bree, Mordor, Fangorn Forest, Moria, Lothlórien. . . I could go on. And there are numerous epic battles chucked in throughout!
“My main requirement was then to dress and continually re-shape Simon Kenny’s wonderful set. I do this in close collaboration with the fabulous video designer George Reeve - which was a bit of a task for a non-stop three-hour epic
USA - ETC has introduced Hyperstar, a new, companion to the popular Lonestar automated luminaire.
A powerful, compact moving light optimised for projection versatility, Hyperstar will help create designs for a wide variety of venues. Hyperstar is the same size as Lonestar, and is just as bright, compact, and affordable.
Lonestar is recognised for its projection capabilities and framing; with Hyperstar the framing modules have been removed to provide even more versatility when using patterns and aerials. With nine rotating patterns, 11 fixed patterns, an animation wheel, dual frosts, and dual prisms, designers have an almost endless choice of breakups, aerials, radial patterns, and gobos specialising in morphing and texture. And by layering the fixture's effects, a vast collection of custom visuals are available to achieve your desired look.
Market manager Tania Lesage comments: “The Hyperstar is a luminaire tailored for venues of all sizes and aesthetics. Boasting punchy output, extensive effects, and versatile colour capabilities, Hyperstar continues ETC's unwavering commitment to providing unmatched professional quality and impeccable service, all within an accessible size and price range."
Australia - Reflecting the myriad passions in Jubin Nautiyal’s music can be a challenge for a lighting designer, but it is one that Roosevelt Dsouza, his longtime LD, excels at, thanks in part to his inspired use of colour. “Every song has its own way of conveying emotions, so I treat every song differently in terms of colour,” said Dsouza. “Colour choice is closely connected to feeling.”
Helping Dsouza create evocative palettes at many stops on Nautiyal’s tour of Australia is a collection of Chauvet Professional Color Strike M motorised strobes. Although he uses the fixture’s two bright white LED tubes for strobing and audience lighting, Dsouza relies heavily on the fixture’s RGB pixel mappable face to create colourful effects that capture the spirit of the music being performed on stage.
Dsouza divides the 16 Color Strike M fixtures in his rig evenly between stage left and stage right truss structures. Each of these horizontal structures are arranged in three ascending rows, providing Dsouza with a variety of angles to create colourful multi-level effects.
While conjuring up his rainbow of colours and textured effects, Dsouza remains careful to keep attention focused squarely on his client. All of his looks are created with the idea of having Nautiyal at their centre. At times, this means downlighting the artists in brilliant colors, at others it may call for a vector of side light from the Color Strike M directed on the star as he performs on centre stage.
“I am a big believer in keeping the artist at the centre,” said
Albania - Prolights fixtures lit up Skënderbej Square in Tirana, setting the stage for the Ricky Martin Symphonic concert. This performance featured the Puerto Rican singer alongside the musicians of the Albanian National Opera.
Prolights local distributor, ASLV Albania, supplied the sound and light system contributing to the success of the show. Thanks to the combination of cutting-edge lighting solutions and pyrotechnic equipment, the stage execution was treated in every detail by event company Kuadr Events.
ASLV Albania’s rig comprised approximately 307 Prolights luminaires. This impressive array included the PanoramaIP Spot, PanoramaIP WBX, Stark 1000, Razor 440, Sunrise 2IP, LumiPar 12IP, LumiPix 16H, and Lumipix 15IP.
The Prolights lighting solutions played a pivotal role in shaping the concert into an immersive visual experience. Their technology and versatility seamlessly synchronized with Ricky Martin's performance.
"The show was a terrific success," declared the ASLV Albania team. "We are immensely proud to have contributed to this extraordinary event. Once again, Prolights fixtures proved to be the ideal choice, elevating the concert to new visual heights."
France - Naostage K System beaconless 3D tracking system for live events and interactive experiences, was the cornerstone of the lighting effects on the recent live tour by So Floyd, France’s leading Pink Floyd tribute act.
Created by Fabrice Di Maggio, So Floyd's musical director, and Laurent Begnis, technical director of local hire company Pan Pot, the five-part show immerses audiences in the musical universe of the progressive rock band. Enhancing So Floyd’s music is a mesmerising AVL show.
For So Floyd’s most recent concert tour, comprising 17 dates in France, the band’s technical team used Naostage K System to automatically trigger the lighting cues key to recreating the authentic Pink Floyd live experience.
“K System was ideal for automatic head-on tracking,” comments Begnis, who also served as the tour’s lighting designer and operator, accompanied by lighting, network and tracking manager Sébastien Huan. “We used six Robe Esprite spotlights rigged above the stage to light up to four people at the same time; depending on the scene, we were also able to ask a specific spotlight to follow an individual performer. Using a single system, we were able to map the entire stage and truck all five musicians, as well as the three-person choir.”
For the tour - which began in February and concluded at the Zénith arena in Orléans in May, attracting well over 100,000 Pink Floyd fans - Naostage supplied Pan Pot with one Kapta sensor and one Kore server. Kapta, the ‘eyes’ of K System, is a plug-and-play sensor which delivers a s
UK - Bristol-based production and rental company SLX has invested in a comprehensive stock of Ayrton lighting fixtures as part of its new focus on environmental sustainability. The fixtures, which include Ayrton Diablo, Mistral, Eurus, Perseo, Karif and Cobra, were supplied by Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for the UK, Ambersphere Solutions. The choice was made on shared philosophies as much as on the practical and technical suitability of the products.
SLX used the hiatus of the pandemic to reassess and reset its aims, choosing to focus on environmental and social sustainability, as CEO Alastair Currie explains: “We examined how we operate within a circular economy, what we expect from our manufacturers and suppliers in terms of sustainability, and aim to give opportunities for minority and disadvantaged groups to work within the industry. We set out our goals leading up to 2030, running alongside the Bristol Sustainability Agenda, before relaunching as a new brand with a new focus in 2021.
“Part of this reassessment included updating our stock in accordance with the lines we had laid down, and we found Ayrton sat very well with where we saw ourselves, both in their product range and their clear road map for the future. They have a wonderful range of equipment which we have now invested in heavily and will continue to invest in further.”
Ayrton’s road map lays out a structured plan to produce a comprehensive series of fixtures to suit every size of venue and project application. All products include signature features that are synonymous
France - The PLASA-hosted technical lighting event, PlugFest, returns to Lille, France from 16-19 April 2024, bringing together lighting professionals from across Europe to test products and learn about protocols and standards.
Together with the expert hosts, Hamish Dumbreck (JESE Ltd), Wayne Howell (Singularity UK) and Peter Willis (Howard Eaton Lighting), PlugFest provides an opportunity for lighting manufacturers, developers, and technicians to test and debug their designs, as well as improve the connectivity of their products.
Besides interactive testing, PlugFest offers a programme of educational seminars, unpacking the most widely used protocols. And the organisers are pleased to announce that the 2024 event timetable has been extended for more in-depth testing time, without compromising the valuable conference offerings.
Further, attendees can join technical discussions on DMX512, RDM, sACN, Art-Net, RDMnet, LLRP, as well as other topics of interest such as Ethernet, DALI and Fixture Libraries - allowing product designers to ensure their products meet relevant standards and offer maximum interoperability.
PlugFest 2023 sold out well in advance, proving the ongoing value of the gathering for the technical lighting community. Register your interest to be the first to know when tickets go on sale for 2024 via http://plasa.me/plugfest2024
UK - The Netron EN6 IP, one of three devices in Obsidian’s new IP65 range of signal distribution, won a PLASA Award for Innovation at the 2023 exhibition.
The PLASA Award judges recognised the EN6 IP as a “device that brings lighting control distribution and format conversion to the outdoors at an accessible price point.”
"I'm incredibly proud of our team's tireless work and relentless pursuit of innovation as we continue to push the boundaries in entertainment controls,” stated Matthias Hinrichs, product manager at Obsidian Control Systems and Elation Professional. “The Netron EN6 IP, along with the entire IP65 range, represents a significant step forward in addressing the needs of the entertainment industry. A rugged IP-rated lighting data node that aligns with our leading Proteus range has been truly missing from the market and now lighting professionals can operate with greater confidence in any environment."
Easy to configure via display, web interface or the Netron CLU app through simple presets or when required a detailed configuration of features, the EN6 IP offers up to six universes with full support for the industry-standard streaming sACN and Art-Net protocols. It even features up to 99 internal cues that can be set up to play in the event of data loss, ensuring audience and performer safety, or providing a dedicated scene even when the control system is offline.
A removable metal cover protects the display from impact, and the boxes are easily stackable via a simple and elegant internal magnetic alignment. M10 or M12 cla
UK - Wireless LED lighting manufacturer Astera was delighted to win a coveted 2023 PLASA Award for Innovation for its new PlutoFresnel product.
The Awards - which recognise and reward next-generation products and those behind them - were announced during the three-day PLASA Show entertainment technology expo staged at Olympia London last week. Astera’s award was received by R&D director, Simon Canins.
Astera’s sales and marketing director Sebastian Bückle was delighted to win the Award and states: “We're honoured to receive a PLASA Innovation Award for PlutoFresnel, which is a groundbreaking lighting solution designed for film, studio, and event settings.
“The cutting-edge technology complete with built-in battery gives three hours of operation on max brightness, and its full-spectrum Titan LED Engine sets a new standard in lighting innovation. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to excellence in the industry, and we're excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in lighting."
A record-breaking 40 products were entered for the 2023 PLASA Awards for Innovation, with the judges picking out just eight.
This year’s judging team comprised 12 independent technical specialists from a range of backgrounds, chaired by engineer and LSI columnist, James Eade.
Launched earlier this year as a revolutionary lighting solution for film, studio, and events, the built-in battery is at the essence of PlutoFresnel’s innovation, making it the most portable Fresnel currently on the market!
The award ju
UK - Robe received two more PLASA Awards for Innovation - for its Footsie and iForte LTX products - at the 2023 PLASA entertainment technology expo staged in London last week, capping off another busy three days for the Czech moving light and LED manufacturer.
Robe also celebrated its acquisition of leading lighting console manufacturer, Avolites, now officially ‘A Robe Business’ and premiered its new expo live show Power of Imagination that will run through 2023-24, designed to show off Robe’s newest technologies in situ in a high energy live performance spectacle.
Two other major new products were officially launched at the expo in addition to the iForte LTX - the Forte Fresnel and Forte PC - while a range of other popular and current luminaires featured in the show were demoed in two closed studio spaces filled with people and interest throughout.
Also previewed were a couple of very cool looking brand-new products - the HolyPatt and the MolyPatt - both new additions to Robe’s scenic Patt range of luminaires, and these attracted substantial interest. People loved the classic design and the warm incandescent glow of the squirrel bulbs.
The Robe stand was as busy as always, the visitor quality was high with industry practitioners from a wide range of different sectors checking out the great vibes of the show which had expanded from last year with the full floorspace occupied by exhibitors.
The Robe UK sales team commented generally that people spent meaningful time on the stand, which resulted in many orders taken and
USA - Over the course of his career, Scott Holthaus has created some extraordinarily impressive shows with large centre stage video screens. But sooner or later, most things in life run their course, and at this point, the designer was ready for a change.
“I have said it a hundred times... I’m bored with the big TV in the back,” remarked Holthaus, when discussing his design for Disturbed’s just concluded 36-date Take Back Your Life North American tour, which began 27 April at Bell Centre in Montreal and ended 2 September at the Ruoff Music Center outside Indianapolis.
On this tour, Holthaus achieved his vision, going outside the box (or wall!) to create a design that flowed seamlessly with the musical narrative on stage without the use of a central video wall. In place of the familiar video component were three rows of automated truss that changed positions throughout the concert.
Creating this breakthrough design wasn’t easy. It required the combined efforts of a very talented and experienced team to manage the various aspects of the production, from its vertically oriented pyro effects to the automated truss structures that significantly changed trim heights and configurations, moving from diagonal slants to triangles and inverted triangles, to u-shaped configurations. In the end, though, it was well worth the effort.
“Replacing the centre stage video with hundreds of liner feet of rig was really refreshing,” said Holthaus. “Automating the truss gave us fluidity. We achieved a floating sea grass motion. At times it was
UK - Built around the theme of ‘Frame Your Control, Bringing Immersion Into Frame’, ChamSys’ exhibit at PLASA Show 2023 engaged enthusiastic crowds of attendees with innovative products and ideas designed to help them take their creative visions to new heights.
Visitors got an up close and personal look at products like the MagicQ MQ500M Stadium, a standout console that seemed to be everywhere at Glastonbury earlier this year and is currently making waves touring with the likes of Ed Warren for Mumford & Sons, and Will Thomas on Bonobo’s Fragments Tour.
Also garnering attention was the ChamSys MagicQ Compact series, including the new MagicQ Compact Connect, a lightweight USB control surface that connects to a PC or Mac to deliver robust and flexible control of lighting, media, and LEDs. Visitors were universally impressed with this product, which is small enough to travel inside hand luggage, yet can send up to 64 universes of ArtNet and sACN directly from its onboard network port without the need for additional licenses or dongles. This compact powerhouse is packed with features, including via eight rotary encoders and live show control through 10 playback faders featuring Flash, as well as Go and Select buttons.
ChamSys’ impact at the show was not limited to exiting new products, the company sponsored a series of well-attended education sessions that covered a wide range of topics including Timecode & Audio Timeline, Group Based Programming, and Execute Window and Basic Pixel Mapping.
A highlight of the show were the
The Netherlands - Unlimited Vision & Sound is a busy full production and rental company based just outside Den Bosch, known for its flair, innovation and dedication to quality service. The company has recently invested in Robe T1s and LEDBeam 350s.
The core business is servicing mid-to-high end B2B events and corporate activations, across the Netherlands and sometimes wider afield, and there are some very well-known clients on the books including the city of Den Bosch.
The business was started by Pascal van Engelen in the 1990s, initially servicing his own DJ shows whilst studying electrical engineering at Den Bosch University, to which he started adding corporate clients, a process that’s never stopped! He’s currently joined by 13 full time employees plus a raft of regular freelancers.
One aspect that has consistently underlined Unlimited Vision & Sound’s investment strategies is to keep up with the quality and most recognised industry brands.
Pascal explained that his very first ‘Robe’ purchases actually date from the 1990’s when he was still enthusiastically DJ’ing and Robe was still an OEM manufacturer, making hardware for brands like Movitec and Futurelight. “We all saw then that there was a great company in the background producing this stuff. It was extremely well engineered,” he noted.
Fast forward to 2002 when Robe launched as an ‘own brand’ and then again to 2021, when Unlimited - even in the midst of the pandemic - continued making investments including these latest Robe products, the T1 Profiles
The Netherlands - The 10th edition of the Op Dreef music festival took place at the BillyBird Park Drakenrijk in Reuver on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May. Ritmo Productions supplied a large number of lights by Showtec and Infinity for the event.
The festival, which plays house, r&b, techno, urban and hip hop music, was attended by thousands of people over the course of two days and saw more than 60 artists perform across five different stages.
More than 200 lighting fixtures by Showtec and Infinity, supplied by Ritmo Productions, were in use at the festival and 175 of these were fixtures by Showtec. Bright, colourful and dynamic lighting came in the form of 14 Spectral M800 Q4 spots, 36 Helix S5000 Q4 washers, 45 Sunstrips and 80 Pixelstrip 40 lights.
The Pixelstrips were controlled by seven Showtec Pixel Controllers. Infinity added to the atmosphere with 19 of its powerful, fast moving B401 Beams, 6 iB-2R beams, 17 iW-1915 Pixels and 5 iw-720 washes.
The lighting together with the music and the crowd surely made the 10th edition of the Op Dreef festival one to remember.