Las Vegas based designer Jeff Maker believes every song evokes an emotional state. The mission of a lighting designer is to reflect this aura on stage while supporting the music. In the case of Maker and his client, I Prevail, those moods are deep and varied, but they all share one thing in common: head-banging intensity. Setting the tone for this intensity during the band’s Summer of Loud Tour, which united multiple metal giants, were the 12 pyro effects that Maker positioned upstage, mid-stage, and downstage. Throughout I Prevail’s shows on the tour, the fiery effects underscored the core character…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Robert Juliat has announced the official launch of Morgane, its new 825W LED 13°-24° followspot, which is now ready to ship worldwide. Made for the demands of today’s productions, Morgane combines the renowned craftsmanship of Robert Juliat with a new approach to performance and design, offering a modern, versatile and low maintenance solution. Morgane (ref 1489) is the smaller sister of Tristan (ref 1189), the long-throw (7°-14.5°) model which was launched in 2024. Together, the pair represent compact and powerful upgrades that replace Robert Juliat’s traditional 1800W MSR followspot. Like its larger sibling, Morgane offers a significant increase in output…
As Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake embarked on its landmark 30th anniversary tour, White Light (WL) once again supplied the lighting rig for this iconic production. Since its groundbreaking premiere, this bold reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s classic has become the most successful dance theatre production of all time. First staged at Sadler’s Wells in 1995, it has since become the longest-running full-length dance piece in both the West End and on Broadway, earning over thirty international accolades, including Olivier and Tony Awards. Featuring a lighting design by Paule Constable, Swan Lake continues to captivate audiences with its visual storytelling. WL is honoured to…
IPS (Impact Production Services) has announced a major investment in 100 Claypaky Ultimo Sharpy fixtures, creating the largest UK rental stock of the next-generation beam moving head. The fixtures are available to hire now from IPS. With an IP66 rating, the unit is built for extreme conditions and delivers faster movement, bolder colours, and brighter output than ever before. Its sleek, lightweight design makes it an adaptable choice for touring, broadcast, live music, festivals, corporate events, and outdoor spectaculars. IPS’s investment includes the infrastructure to support the deployment of the new fixtures at scale, reinforcing its commitment to providing the…
Delta Live has underlined its position at the forefront of live sound with significant investments in cutting-edge audio systems that have been deployed across some of the UK’s most iconic live events and venues. The BBC Proms, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and London’s Roundhouse are all beneficiaries of the company’s investment in 2025, which has seen a range of new equipment, audio systems and vital infrastructure deployed across the venues. In May 2025, Delta Live renewed its partnership with the Roundhouse in Camden to be its exclusive audio solutions supplier, and has since been overhauling the venue’s digital infrastructure, cabling, rack…
The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the updated release of Guidance Note W3: Mental Health & Well-being in the Workplace, published, Friday 10th October, to coincide with World Mental Health Day. This updated version of Guidance Note W3 includes revised content, new graphics, and dedicated guidance on being a witness to bullying—offering essential advice for those who observe bullying and harassment in the workplace. These enhancements aim to promote a safer, more respectful, and supportive culture within the performing arts sector. To support the launch, the ABTT will host a free online seminar on Thursday 17 October…
Elation has announced that Jacob Coakley has joined the team as Marketing Brand Manager. In this cross-departmental role, Coakley will lead efforts to align brand messaging and execution, ensuring a cohesive brand strategy across all channels. “Jacob’s breadth of experience in the industry makes him an invaluable addition to the Elation team,” stated Eric Loader, Elation Global Vice President of Sales. “His role at the intersection of marketing, sales, and product development will be key in aligning our strategy and driving market messaging to support our continued growth. We look forward to the energy and insight he brings.” Coakley has…
ETC has announced the release of Hog version 5.0.1, the latest update to the powerful Hog software platform. This release is the first version 5 software recommended for all Hog users, including those operating Hog 4 consoles. Introduced earlier this year, Hog v5.0.0 brought support for the latest generation of Hog consoles – the Tour Hog, Stage Hog, Flex Hog, and Gig Hog – which are now shipping worldwide. These new consoles combine the familiar Hog workflow with updated industrial design, modern hardware, and enhanced flexibility to meet the needs of today’s lighting professionals. The refreshed user interface, introduced in…
Backup has announced Sarah James as a new Trustee of the charity. A long-standing member of the Backup team as its PR consultant, James will continue to spearhead the charity’s outreach to industry media and now, also play a part in guiding its direction. Through her work with Backup and as CEO of industry PR company, Gasoline Media, James has seen the challenges freelancers face first-hand and is passionate about promoting the work Backup does in helping when times are tough. As part of her work for Gasoline Media’s clients and through her interviews for the Backup Podcast, James regularly…
d&b audiotechnik has appointed Markus Zimehl as Commercial Director for the DACH region, effective 1 August , 2025. In this key role, he will drive growth in the strategically important DACH region, further shaping go-to-market models, developing partner programs, and strengthening team structures. With more than a decade of experience in the pro audio industry, Zimehl brings a proven track record of strategic leadership and market expansion. He most recently served as Area Manager DACH & North Europe at Adam Hall, overseeing ten sales regions across DACH, Benelux, and Scandinavia. Previously, he managed global inside sales and export departments and…
LIVE has announced the appointment of Antonia Lines to the position of Senior Programmes Manager, LIVE Trust. .They will be based in London and will report to Jon Collins, CEO, LIVE & Kirsty McShannon, Chair of the LIVE Trust. Lines joins LIVE Trust having held senior posts within music charity operations & programming and brings with them a wealth of experience from across the live sector. Most recently they co-ran a music development CIC (Come Play With Me) and previously worked at labels, ticketing outlets and in both on-site roles at festivals and operational roles for venues. Throughout their career,…
After sixty years of career, The Who is taking a final bow with their North American Farewell Tour. From mid-August to early October 2025, the band will perform across Canada and the United States for 18 exceptional shows. In charge of the video technical design for this last tour, Canadian company Monochrome Project selected Modulo Pi’s Modulo Kinetic media server solution to power the show. “We are now halfway through The Who tour, and everything is working perfectly,” said Louis Buxin, Innovation Director and media server specialist at Monochrome Project. The scenography relies on a central ROE LED wall positioned…
Production Pool made an investment in Robe products in 2024, 20 PAINTES, four ProMotions with another 10 T1 PCs recently delivered by Robe’s Serbian distributor LSD (Light and Sound Design), which, founder of Production Pool and Lighting Designer, Milos Sorgic, now has at his fingertips. He still designs all the major events for clients needing a creative input from Production Pool,as well as technical planning, services, and equipment. Serbia is still an emerging market for the world of entertainment production. While there is plenty of potential, it is challenging, highly competitive and being successful requires flair, imagination, and the ability…
Lilas ir Innomine returned to the capital city Vilnius for a career-defining performance at the Vingis Park Amphitheatre, with a striking visual design driven by Green Hippo Hippotizer Media Servers. The group — comprised of Konstantinas Kiveris-Lilas and Rolandas Venckys-Innomine — took the stage for the first time in five years, supported by dynamic visuals from design and production studio Marfa Lights. The team created an immersive video experience while working closely with the lighting crew, programming both visuals and video content in-house. “We wanted the video elements to complement the lighting design without being overpowering, keeping the visuals abstract and gritty,”…
Back in 2020, Newport Folk Festival introduced a bike powered stage, following the organisers’ desire to incorporate bicycles into the festival experience and provide an alternative power source for performances. Masterminding this was Illiterate Light, a two-piece rock band from Virginia who had first experimented with the idea of carrying a simple sound system powered by bike, after setting up in 2015. Eric Shy took over production manager duties as the tech scaled up, and the idea really took root after the band played the Quad Stage at the 2019 Newport Folk festival where 2000-plus bikes commuted to the festival.…
Vari-Lite has announced the VL3200 LT Profile IP, a compact, long-throw production profile fixture with over 20,000 lumens of output in a small, outdoor-rated format. “Smaller outdoor-rated moving lights are becoming highly desirable for use both in production systems and installations. The VL3200 LT Profile meets that need without compromising in specification or performance,” said Martin Palmer, Vari-Lite Marketing and Product Management Leader at Signify. “Unfortunately, many midrange IP6X fixtures currently being offered are not being built to the same robust quality and performance as that of the larger fixtures. Compromises in the design of many current offerings result in…
AEG Europe has announced a landmark agreement that will make its UK venues the first in the industry to run on the country’s greenest energy, setting a new standard for energy provision across the live entertainment sector. The new supply agreement combines PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) with a 100% renewable energy supply, backed by hourly-matched REGOs (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin), through a pioneering collaboration with Ecotricity. The PPAs allocate specific renewable energy assets to AEG’s world-class portfolio of live entertainment venues in the UK, including The O2, indigo at The O2, Eventim Apollo, Watford Colosseum, and University of Wolverhampton at…
MDG has announced the appointment of LightNeq as its new, exclusive distributor for the Czech Republic. The appointment takes effect from 1 October 2025. Founded in 2011 with the express purpose of providing top-class consultancy in the field of lighting and sound, LightNeq brings with it a team of employees with many years of experience in the industry. The company’s portfolio has expanded to include major manufacturers in tracking technology, video distribution, stage technology and more. Now with the adoption of MDG, LightNeq has added a professional range of fog, haze and low fog machines to its offering. “We are…
