Dry-hire company NicLen has invested in VL3600 Profile IP fixtures from Vari-Lite, a Signify entertainment lighting brand. The German firm has purchased a large quantity of the high-output, IP-rated fixtures, citing superior optics and build quality as the reason for the purchase. “We have a long history with Vari-Lite and strong fondness for the brand,” explained Jörg Stöppler Co-CEO/CCO at NicLen. “We have VL2600 Profiles and VL5LED Washes in dry hire at the moment, so we know that Vari-Lite makes quality fixtures. It was unsurprising, then to find the VL3600 had a premium feel and build quality with a solid…
Author: James Robertson
Showsec has appointed Simon Battersby and Mark Logan as Co-CEO’s with immediate effect. This follows the recent retirement of Mark Harding after twenty one years as Managing Director of the Company. Battersby and Logan have been with the company since 1994 and 1991 respectively, working their way through the operational structure in numerous roles before joining the Board of Directors in 2007. They have been jointly responsible for Operations within the business, alongside other directorial responsibilities. Both have been hugely influential in shaping the development of the company in the last twenty years and have been at the forefront of…
Powersoft has appointed Thomas Howie as a Business Development Manager in the US, to further support the company’s exponential growth in the region. Howie, a pro-AV industry veteran, will be responsible for new and existing clients, as well as global key accounts. Howie brings a combined 40 years of experience in the AV industry to his new role. In his most recent position as vice president of sales and marketing at Glidecam Industries, Inc., he successfully led the department that developed, coordinated and conducted live and remote training programs, an area where Powersoft has built an excellent reputation by making…
In each of his shows, Bad Bunny gave himself body and soul to his fans, supported every step of the way by a fast-moving lightshow that featured 96 Color STRIKE M and 40 STRIKE Array 2 fixtures from CHAUVET Professional, supplied by different vendors in various countries. The lighting designer for the World Hottest Tour, Travis Shirley reflected the transformative mood created by the beaches of Puerto Rico. Tour Director, Roly Garbalosa, and the LD/programmer Krizia Velez helped bring this imaginative panorama to life at every venue. “The looks were inspired through music and even many of the songs have…
Shure has introduced its new and improved GLX-D+ Dual Band Wireless system, providing the perfect solution for guitarists, bassists, vocalists, and presenters who want to go wireless with confidence and without complexity. A major enhancement from the previous generation that more than doubles available bandwidth, the system’s new Dual Band Wireless Technology can operate in 2.4GHz and now 5.8GHz, providing reliable and consistent signal by automatically scanning for and selecting the cleanest available frequencies. GLX-D+ Dual Band intelligently avoids interference and ensures dropouts won’t stop the show, enabling users to focus on performing while benefitting from superior, transparent wireless audio.…
‘Own Our Venues’, the campaign launched by Music Venue Trust (MVT) to make a radical intervention into the ownership of the UK’s grassroots music venues (GMVs), is nearing its £2.5m fundraise target and has set a final deadline of March 30th to secure the remaining investment needed to commence the purchase of properties. ‘Own Our Venues’ was launched as a crowdfunded project by Music Venue Trust in June 2022 and is the first step in a long-term campaign to take control of the freeholds of music venue premises and bring them under a protected status of benevolent ownership. The ‘Own…
You can view the full gallery and download any images from the TPi Awards website here. The winners are… Alex Howell, The Dennis Sheehan Tour Manager of the Year, sponsored by TAG Helen Himmons, Production Manager of the Year, sponsored by EFM Global Matt Caley, Stage Manager of the Year, sponsored by WICREATIONS Spartan Crew, Favourite Crew Company, sponsored by Blackout UK Rigging, Favourite Rigging Company, sponsored by Ox Event House Steve Walsh, Rigger of the Year, sponsored Rigging Services Adlib, Favourite Sound Rental Company, sponsored by Sennheiser Steve Pattison, FOH Engineer of the Year, sponsored by d&b audiotechnik…
The lighting department of leading Danish rental and technical production specialist, European Touring Productions (ETP), based just outside Copenhagen, has enthusiastically started investing in Astera wireless LED lighting products. The first purchase of 32 Titan Tubes – four sets of 8 – was recommend by project manager John Askwith, who came on board last summer and swiftly made a list of 10 “must have” products to service ETP clients, shows and events, especially in the corporate and television sectors. Before this, ETP had rented assorted Astera fixtures as and when needed. However the increasingly frequent requests together with John joining…
A dynamic lighting design featuring over 130 CHAUVET Professional fixtures lit Curaçan singer Raynor ‘Raey’ Lauferat the Tumba Festival. The CHAUVET Professional fixtures were supplied and installed by Massive Productions, which also set up the event’s audio system and LED screens. Massive Productions’ Jimmy Lo-A-Njoe, came up with the concept and LD Ramon Ramirez who designed the lighting rig, used this power-packed rig to connect the large outdoor crowd to each performance on stage. “Our goal was to create an experience for the client, the public, and the crowd at the event as well as those watching TV at home,”…
The Event Industry Forum (EIF) has awarded Vision: 2025 a grant to lead on development of the Green Events Code, for the Outdoor Events Industry in 2023. The £30,000 EIF grant from the Purple Guide Grant Fund will underpin Vision: 2025’s development of a Green Events Code, to establish sustainability best practice and standards for the outdoor events industry. The grant will contribute to further development of the industry Green Events Code and producing the 2023 edition of the Sustainable Events Summit at the Showman’s Show, October. Steve Heap, Chair of EIF, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the…
7,000 ancient trees have been protected with the introduction of the Stand For Trees scheme by Nordic Wristbands, strengthening the Company’s ongoing quest to minimise its carbon impact. Nordic Wristbands’ front-line approach to saving the environment has been to introduce a range of environmentally friendly, organic material products over recent years. With that still promoted as the preferred route to carbon reduction, the new agreement with Stand For Trees adds a significant layer in the journey to Net Zero, compensating the carbon dioxide emissions caused by fabric wristband and smart tag manufacturing, in 2023 and beyond. Based on 2022 production…
In response to significantly different market conditions in the UK following Brexit, ADJ moved distribution of the brand’s products to a new UK-based company. Audio Visual Security Limited – AVS – will be led by two familiar faces to ADJ customers in the region and provide vastly improved delivery times – next day in most cases – as well as local service, support, and repairs. Kris Dawber and Andy Howarth are the Directors of AVS. Kris has been a part of the ADJ family for 15 years, was instrumental in first bringing the brand to the UK, and has previously…
Lighting Designer, András Praksch, knows the importance of keeping intense, contemporary looks front-and-center in his shows supporting Republic’s blend of traditional Hungarian folk music infused with new electro-rock sounds.. “Republic is legendary, and they’ve been around for over three decades, but they are definitely not ’old school,” he said. “Their sound is always evolving, and so are the looks we create for them. We use LED walls with a lot of break out patterns and pyro for their shows, except when indoors. Instead of going with traditional cues, we try to create a WOW feeling that connects to younger fans.”…
American rapper Pitbull’s Can’t Stop Us Now tour has been zigzagging its way around the US with a backdrop of energetic visuals displayed on three vertical LED screens driven by Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers. Presented by Live Nation, the Cuban-American musician was joined by stars including Iggy Azalea on the tour, which visited states across America and played more than 50 dates. Florida-based YC3 Lighting Design stepped out again with Pitbull for the new tour, delivering creative direction, production design, and lighting and video design. “Pitbull is a great guy to work with, and he trusts us to create…
The Marburg based lighting and video design company loop light recently purchased ten PIXERA four RS media server systems, that were specifically developed with the international rental & staging market in mind. PIXERA four RS media servers are pre-configured to be used for particularly demanding real-time graphics applications and cross-rental scenarios. In addition to powerful processors and e.g. framelock and genlock, the AV Stumpfl systems also feature 25GbE dual network cards. This major investment makes loop light and Faber Audiovisuals the largest European provider of PIXERA four servers. loop light CEO Matt Finke explains his decision to invest in the…
Built on decades of technical production experience, Laura Frank’s ‘Real-Time Video Content for Virtual Production & Live Entertainment’ doesn’t dwell on the past. Acutely aware of its history and trends, Frank looks at the passage of time through the valuable, transferable skills that serve so many entertainment production uses and how we can build upon them. The book is an attempt to capture history in the making, while drawing a roadmap for those who are learning how real-time video technologies relate in a fast-moving industry. “This textbook not only reinforces the path many chose to focus on during 2020, but…
In mid-2022, pop musician Alice Merton released her second studio album, S.I.D.E.S. After a few dates in the USA, she began her European tour in mid-July to promote the new work live. LD Tobias Schwietz took 12 GLP impression X4 Bar 20 with him on the trip. The idea behind the lighting and stage design was primarily about creating as tidy a look as possible, with little visible technology on the stage. As the designer explains: “We basically worked with the three classic layers of light – of ‘alley’ light (side lighting at head height), backlight and backdrop lighting so…
The application of TagMix technology in five venues at this year’s Independent Venue Week yielded a significant amplification in online engagement. The analysis has landed, reporting that all five venues, along with 20 of the 28 artists, posted and shared TagMix clips of their live performances on their social media channels, creating an audience uplift of 317%. Sybil Bell, Founder of Independent Venue Week commented: “We were excited to work with TagMix for Independent Venue Week’s 10th anniversary this year. With more venues than ever taking part and some really amazing shows across the week, having the ability to tag…
