In July 2024, TPi attended Backup Tech’s Village Fete, where the industry gathered to raise money for the charity to continue financially supporting industry technical workers. Backup Tech and Music Support donated a MHFA England training course as part of the event’s raffle, where I was the lucky beneficiary of the prize. The free training course was taught by the charity’s Learning and Development Specialist, Davey Shields, over two weeks in four-hour sessions “I’ve always tried to make the training personable, sharing my personal experience – just in case it inspires someone else in the training session to speak up…
Author: Jacob Waite
In what has become a staple of the touring industry’s calendar, THE Conference: Live at Lititz saw organisers make notable changes to the event, off the back of feedback from the past two editions. This included ensuring access for younger people earlier on in their career to the seminar topics presented throughout the three-day conference. With the event showing year on year growth, 2024 saw well over 1,000 people visit the Rock Lititz campus with a packed scheduled of sessions bringing over 130 speakers. “You’ve got to leave the industry better than you found it,” asserted co-founder, Charlie Hernandez during…
Unusual Rigging played a pivotal role in the technical setup for Cameron Mackintosh & Nick Grace’s Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular World Tour. The firm took on the full design of the rigging infrastructure for the entire show, as well as manufacturing and assembling a custom mothergrid, which supported the lighting and scenic elements for this ambitious production. “Our involvement with the concept of The Arena Spectacular World Tour began way back in 2020,” Luke McBride, Design Engineer at Unusual, explained. “This was a time when COVID-19 was at its peak and theatres had gone dark. At the time, it…
Following the release of for KING + COUNTRY’s 2024 biopic, Unsung Hero, the duo embarked on a tour across the US with an ambitious stage design created by their brother, Daniel Smallbone of Lumina Design. Speaking to TPi, the designer ruminates on his special relationship with the band and their live offering. “I’ve designed shows for my brothers since day one,” Smallbone recalled. “We grew up in a music family; our father was a concert promoter, and when we were younger, we all had our roles – be it background singing, stage setup or lighting.” Amid the first tour meetings,…
In 2021, Amazon Music launched City Sessions – a series of performances broadcasting unique performances directly into the homes of live music fans. Piloted in the States, the programme has featured performances from the likes of Kings of Leon, through to Glass Animals and Nelly Furtado. Given the success of the venture, Amazon has expanded City Session’s remit to the UK, Europe and LATAM. Ahead of Ella Henderson’s episode, Amazon Music’s Head of Production and Creative Mish Mayer caught up with TPi to share the guiding principles and evolution of the programme. “The impetus of the City Sessions is to…
Fontaines D.C.’s sound is ever evolving and the band has proven this with their biggest touring campaign to date, outgrowing the club venues they cut their teeth in. Supporting their live sound as it moves into a more full-bodied direction is Patchwork London, which has been by the band and crew’s side since the post-punk outfit began touring with an audio package, as TPi finds out behind the scenes at Manchester’s Aviva Studios. “The production has really stepped up,” commented Monitor Engineer, Mathew Acreman, who has been with the band for five years. “We’re now mixing in arena-sized venues, and…
For over a decade, the autumn season in the historic city of Prague has played host to Signal Festival – a cultural gathering that sees digital artists present their artwork across various installations throughout the city. Having garnered quite the following, the annual event has welcomed over five million visitors to the city over the past 11 years. Key to the success of the festival is supporting the next generation of local artists with 70 citywide installations. Speaking to TPi on-site, Christie shared how its line of high-brightness projectors are responsible for showcasing the visual art on to various architectural…
Following the success of her debut album, Fake It Flowers, Beabadoobee and her team hit the road as soon as live events were permitted post-pandemic, earning widespread acclaim. As the singer-songwriter’s following has grown, so too has the level of production, with crew members rising through the ranks and new personnel and vendors being welcomed who complement the DIY ethos and camaraderie of the camp, aptly dubbed ‘crewbadoobee’. Ahead of the singer-songwriter’s Ally Pally show – which, by a twist of fate, is the venue of the first show Beabadoobee ever attended independently eight years earlier – TPi goes behind…
Although the world first got to know Donald Glover via his standup and comic acting in the late 2000s, since then, the modern-day renaissance man has held a huge amount of cultural capital from his acting roles to his music. Every time he drops a new single or album using the Childish Gambino moniker, it becomes an ‘event’ in the zeitgeist, often with an accompanying music video that is then pored over in multiple cultural think pieces. In TPi’s world, Childish Gambino and his production team have certainly had a track record of pushing the envelope when it comes to…
Marking her much-anticipated return to the UK and Europe, the introspective indie star took to the stage at OVO Arena Wembley in November 2024 with a grungier and darker production than fans have ever witnessed from the artist – aiming to bring the audience closer to the action with an intimate staging design. Before the doors opened to thousands of NIKI fans, TPi went behind the scenes to reveal the hard work that goes into staging the Buzz World Tour, which sees the artist and her team visit varying-sized venues with a dynamic production. Welcoming TPi at the production entrance…
Hot on the heels of a successful UK and European tour celebrating three decades of his iconic debut record, Illmatic – hailed by many as the greatest hip-hop album of all time – Nas, backed by the Heritage Orchestra and his transatlantic touring outfit, showcased the 1994 body of work, culminating with a selection of his greatest hits at the Royal Albert Hall for two nights. Behind the scenes equal measurements of orchestration ensured the production was worthy of the milestone, as TPi discovers. Tour Director, Charlie Bradshaw, who has worked with Nas since 2012, retraced the origins of the…
Breaking onto the scene in 2020 with his debut album, Kid Krow, Conan Gray has risen to fame with hits such as Maniac, Heather and People Watching and has moved up to command arenas in the US. His live performances are marked by an eclectic production design that complements the singer-songwriter’s back catalogue with his Found Heaven signature star iconography ever-present centre-stage. TPi caught up with the crew to discover more. “Conan’s engagement with his fans is really something else; they scream along to every word,” Matthew Chequer, Production Manager for Found Heaven on Tour, began. “It’s why we have…
Having designed and manufactured amplifiers and DSP for the best part of two decades, Renkus-Heinz is well-versed in exploring emerging technologies and experimenting with unconventional approaches. In September 2024, the California-based loudspeaker manufacturer introduced OmniBeam – a new beam-steering software tool available for free with the latest RHAON II 2.5.0 release. Speaking exclusively to TPi, Renkus-Heinz Product Manager, Brandon Heinz, reflects on the company’s decades-long pursuit of research and development in steerable technology. “We are incredibly excited to bring OmniBeam to our customers,” enthused Heinz. “OmniBeam will help deliver dramatically better results when using our beam-steered loudspeakers in as little…
ROE Visual’s LED technology took centre stage at Black Hat USA, transforming the keynote with a display crafted by ETS. As a long-standing partner of Black Hat, ETS has trusted ROE Visual’s products for years to deliver dynamic visuals that set new standards for engagement and sophistication. The Black Hat conference covers critical developments in cybersecurity, balancing visually engaging presentations with informative content. ETS has been a key partner for over 15 years, adapting its production design to meet the event’s growing prestige and scale. Having worked on the design seven months in advance, this year’s concept cast the LED…
Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Integrity Lighting has invested in Ayrton Cobra2 laser source luminaires for its production and rental inventory. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America. “The Cobras are our first Ayrton fixtures, and they won’t be our last,” said Lead Lighting Designer, Joshua K. Hall. “When ACT demo’d several Ayrton fixtures, we were so impressed by the Cobras that we couldn’t not buy them. Their versatility as a searchlight and a great hybrid light on stage is great for us.” Hall likes “the smoothness of the overall beam – no hot spot, very even throughout”…
The Obsidian Control Systems team is excited for LDI 2024 in Las Vegas, where we will highlight the ONYX platform at a dedicated booth designed to offer hands-on demonstrations, showcase the latest products, and provide expert insights into how ONYX can elevate professional lighting control for a wide range of productions. Lighting designers, programmers, and operators have increasingly discovered the benefits of the fast-growing lighting control brand and are invited to explore the latest innovations from December 8 to 10 at Booth #2243 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. “At this year’s LDI, we’re showcasing products in an interactive, purpose-built…
ROE Visual will unveil its latest advancements in LED technology at the Live Design International (LDI) show from 8 to 10 December 2024 in Las Vegas. Located at Booth #2333, the exhibit will feature an impressive lineup, including the versatile Topaz series, durable Vanish ST outdoor panels, and other favourites from its acclaimed product range. The Topaz series, available in flat, curve, and cube formats, offers versatility for event organisers and AV rental companies. From immersive stage designs to crystal-clear indoor displays, Topaz sets a new standard for stunning visuals. For outdoor applications, the Vanish ST (VST) series combines exceptional…
Sound Devices, an Audiotonix company, has launched many disruptive technologies over the years, and it is once again changing the game with the introduction of the A20-HH digital wireless handheld microphone. The A20-HH handheld microphone features Sound Devices Astral functionality, such as a 470-1525MHz global tuning range, as well as the impeccable sound quality Sound Devices products are known for. The A20-HH wireless microphone is unlike any mic the industry has seen before, but one audio professionals will want for their gigs. One of the standout features of the A20-HH handheld microphone is its customisation. That starts with its reversible…
