Dave Matthews Band took their signature live show on the road this past summer, delighting fans across North America with their deep catalogue of eclectic hits and jam numbers. Wrapped in August, the tour featured a large Elation lighting package, including PROTEUS, PULSE, and SŌL series luminaires, part of an artfully-designed production that helped reinforce the band’s status as a must-see touring act. Production design was led by Fenton Williams, who has been with the band since its beginning in 1991, with Williams and Aaron Stinebrink handling lighting design on this latest tour. Stinebrink, who has worked with Dave Matthews…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Brandi Carlile returned to Morrison, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre for three back-to-back concerts. André Petrus acted as Lighting Designer and Programmer for the shows, which featured 88 Ayrton Rivale provided by Brown Note Productions in Thornton, Colorado. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America. Petrus, a Lighting and Production Designer who heads Nashville-based Outrage Media Group, has been using Ayrton fixtures for at least a decade but had not previously deployed Rivale. “I actually asked for a different fixture, but Brown Note recommended Rivale,” said Petrus. “I’m cool with anything from Ayrton and had heard…
Taieri Musical staged Jesus Christ Superstar at Dunedin’s Regent Theatre with a full JBL Professional sound system. The Regent Theatre, with its ornate baroque-revival interior and 1600 seats, is a landmark in its own right. But for sound engineers, its scale and architecture present a serious challenge. How do you make sure every audience member from the front row to the circle under the balcony, hears every word and every note with the same intensity? That task fell to the team from Strawberry who supplied the sound equipment, with system engineering led by Dave Bennet. “In a theatre like the…
Unusual Industries has announced a planned transition in its senior financial leadership. Mark Wylie has been appointed Finance Director, and will fully succeed Brian Rose, following his distinguished service in the role since 1988. Rose will not be stepping away entirely. In a move that reflects his ongoing commitment to the company, he will continue to support Unusual Rigging’s success in an advisory capacity, remaining as a Director, providing strategic guidance and insight to the leadership team. Wylie joined Unusual Rigging in 2022 as part of the company’s structured succession planning strategy, designed to ensure continuity and stability across key…
Lana Del Rey’s distinct breathy vocals and 1950s Americana aesthetic took over stadiums across England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales this summer, marking her debut as a UK & Ireland stadium headliner. How her sound was conveyed was down to a team of hand-picked mixers, engineers and techs, supported by audio vendor, Sound Image, which has worked with Tour Manager Emily Holt across Lana’s shows for years. “I am so lucky,” began Holt. “We’ve got an amazing team who go above and beyond, and my suppliers have been with me for so long now. A key factor in that is good…
DirectOut has been selected by TJ Bechill, the CEO of NEAT Audio, to serve as the core of their playback engines. These playback systems are highly sought after by numerous high-profile stadium and arena tours across the United States, featuring renowned artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Ariana Grande, Cardi B, and Post Malone. Bechill’s journey began as an artist liaison and technical support engineer at Sweetwater USA, one of the nation’s largest musical instruments and audio distributors. In 2011, he received a phone call from his client, Twenty One Pilots, informing him that a significant technical malfunction in their…
Sensaphonics has announced the conclusion of its partnership in ASI Audio. Effective immediately, Sensaphonics will assume full responsibility for the marketing, sales, and support of the 3DME In-Ear Monitoring System. The announcement was made by Dr. Michael Santucci, Au.D., founder and president of Sensaphonics, further underscoring the continued growth of the Sensaphonics brand through proprietary products such as the 3DME, while ensuring customers maintain direct access to Sensaphonics innovations, service, and the trusted support the company has built over the past 40 years. The 3DME system has helped redefine live monitoring by combining high-fidelity in-ear sound with adjustable ambient input…
Students from the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, once again had the opportunity to learn live mix techniques from professional audio engineers in real time before and during a concert. On 26 August, Pantera FOH engineer and a 1997 CRAS graduate Eddie Mapp invited CRAS students to witness his set up and how he performed the live sound mix during the band’s recent concert at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater in Phoenix. “During this terrific all day experience, our students had the opportunity to visit with Eddie’s entire crew, learning on-the-job tips, tricks, and techniques from his systems engineer, monitor…
100 ADJ fixtures were deployed by production companies Laserframe and Creative Sounds Veranstaltungstechnik across two stages at the recent Into The Madness festival in Zülpich, Germany. Vizi Beam RX2 moving heads and Jolt Bar FXIP linear LED fixtures created mesmerising effects in the Core arena, while IP65-rated Hydro Beam X12 automated luminaires filled the night sky above the open-air Dunes stage. Located within a huge ‘big top’ tent, the Core stage at Into The Madness festival 2025 was dedicated to Uptempo and Hardcore dance music. Working collaboratively, Laserframe and Creative Sounds Veranstaltungstechnik were responsible for the complete technical production of…
Solotech have been servicing the South Facing Festivals since the transformation of the dormant Crystal Palace Bowl in South London, back in 2021. Promoted by Marcus Weedon, and with production duties back in the capable hands of Method Events (in the shape of Mia Barrett and Matt Hendry), Solotech again fielded Martin Audio’s WPL line array, which had last year replaced its long-serving forerunner, the MLA multicellular array. This combination made for an event in which the sound quality, to which daily audiences of up to 8,000 were treated, was generally considered the best yet. Since this year’s programme leaned…
Over 100 industry leaders, movers, shakers and influencers from Australia and New Zealand rocked up to NIDA – The National Institute of Dramatic Art – in Sydney for an official launch event hosted by “LSC: The New Home for Robe in ANZ”, which represents Czech Republic-based moving light and LED manufacturer Robe lighting s.r.o. sales in these key territories. LSC Control Systems has appointed Darren McLanders as the Robe sales manager for ANZ, filling out a team that now represents an impressive triumvirate of leading brands – Robe moving lights, LSC power and distribution and Avolites visual control – with stock…
TAZAAR has entered a new phase in its development, leaving the proof-of-concept stage as its GeoTag line of GPS solutions gains industry acceptance. To mark this shift, TAZAAR has unveiled a new website that puts a greater focus on its available GPS range alongside information designed to explain how its technology helps to meet new regulations and protect high-value mobile equipment. “TAZAAR has evolved rapidly as we proved how we could solve an industry-wide problem,” explained Lisa Stafford, CEO of TAZAAR. “We have been through a fast-paced development phase, working hand-in-hand with industry professionals. At PLASA London 2024, we had…
On 27 September, the 2025 Global Citizen Festival once again transformed Central Park into a global stage for music and activism. This year’s event was headlined by Cardi B and Shakira, with performances by Tyla, Ayra Starr, Mariah the Scientist, and Camilo. It drew thousands of fans on-site and millions more tuned in worldwide. Concert Stuff Group (CSG) was a key partner in making the large-scale production possible, with several of its companies providing critical infrastructure for the festival. G2 Structures debuted as the provider of the festival’s main stage along with the delay speaker towers, designed to deliver the…
Allen & Heath’s dLive was at the centre of Barry Can’t Swim’s headline show at All Points East in Victoria Park, London. Supplied by Patchwork London, the audio package covered front-of-house and monitors, with a fully networked system providing flexibility and integration across all positions. At FOH, engineer Greg Smart mixed on a dLive DM0 MixRack with an S5000 control surface, paired with a DX168 expander for outboard integration. Monitor engineer Jane Datony mixed the band on a DM48 MixRack and S3000 surface, with additional monitor engineer Med Rann covering the orchestra on a DM48 and dLive S5000. The audio…
Solotech has announced the appointment of Stéphane Lefebvre as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 29, 2025. After over eight years of guiding the company to its distinctive position, Martin Tremblay, former President and Chief Executive Officer, is handing over the reins to his successor, who has been serving on Solotech’s Board of Directors. This leadership transition embodies both continuity and renewal. With it, Solotech is well-positioned to achieve its strategic goals of global expansion, sustainable growth, and to pursue its ambitions of being the catalyst in the evolution of audiovisual technology solutions and the preferred partner in…
Elation Lighting has acquired the X-Laser brand and assets and launched X-Laser USA, a new independent company that will continue operating under the X-Laser name. Founded in the U.S., X-Laser has become one of the most recognised high-powered entertainment laser manufacturers in North America. The company has earned a reputation for innovation, compliance, and customer-first service, delivering industry-leading laser projectors for entertainment and industrial applications. Known for its FDA-varianced safety systems, advanced optics, and engineering excellence, X-Laser has consistently made high-powered laser effects more accessible and reliable for productions of all sizes. X-Laser USA will operate from the X-Laser facility…
DiGiCo has introduced its smallest and newest addition to the family – the Quantum112, a single-screen, 12-fader desk that is DiGiCo’s first true flypack mixer. Designed to fit within a rugged and robust Peli Air 1637 case, the console, when packed, weighs only 23 kilograms – a perfect 50 pounds – qualifying it as a standard checked bag option on most flights. But despite its ultra-compact form factor, the Quantum112 is still a giant on features and functionality, every bit a Quantum in terms of its pedigree. Based on the latest seventh-generation FPGAs, DiGiCo’s latest product offers 80 input channels…
Taking place in August, Live at Wythenshawe Park saw two nights of shows from headliners, Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender, as well as guest appearances from Kneecap, Olivia Dean and Murder Capital, among others. For the 2025 edition, local production company Engine No. 4 (EN4) enlisted the creative capabilities of Serious Stages’ “production-led” Stellar Stage to enhance to experience of visiting artists and production teams. The company, based in Somerset, unveiled the Stellar Stage in 2024, featuring goalpost trusses on either side to create a 40m frontage, making it more accommodating for complex productions and gives audiences a better view.…
