Having typically endured post-TPi Awards hangovers, I found myself notably proud, albeit contentedly sober, during the return journey on the Phoenix tour bus from Evolution London to Stockport’s Strawberry Studios. I had spent the entire evening in solidarity with the remarkable collective responsible for orchestrating the event’s first-ever sober table in more than two decades – Roadies in Recovery. Joanne Croxford and the team successfully raised over £3,000 to secure their attendance, with any surplus proceeds earmarked for industry charities. They arrived at table 126 equipped with an array of tea bags and supportive allies, making a bold statement, challenging…
Author: Jacob Waite
Starting out as a modest team of four welders and a technician in Northwest Germany back in 1997, HOF, founded by Hans-Wilhelm Flegel, has upheld the mantra that ‘there is no idea that cannot be implemented’. A pivotal moment for HOF in its early years was when it was entrusted with the staging of German singer-songwriter Marius Müller-Westernhagen’s Live Tour 99, which necessitated an exceptionally sophisticated stage set. “We have remained true to this vision in the intervening 25 years, and we continue to live by the mantra of ‘not doing things by halves’ – an attitude and working ethos…
After 50 successful years of business, SGPS/ShowRig (SGPS) recently announced the company’s international expansion with the opening of its first European office. Located in Utrecht, Netherlands, the new office will enable SGPS to vastly increase its international service offerings – including enabling clients to utilise SGPS’s equipment more economically and quickly across mainland Europe and the UK. “The arrival of this brand-new European facility, in addition to SGPS’s seven offices across the United States, will allow us to continue to provide custom staging, automation and rigging solutions to the entertainment industry,” Benjamin Lampman, General Manager of SGPS/ShowRig Las Vegas and…
At TPi, when visiting crews out on the road, we spend most of our time darting from department to department to get the full 360 story of each production. As we jump between teams, we often pitch questions to crew members about some of the trends they are seeing within the industry. Naturally, the trends they often talk about tend to focus on the issues facing their specialisation. However, there is one overarching theme that seems to crop up again and again, no matter where on the crew list you sit: networking. With more and more data being sent all…
It felt fitting to cover The Prodigy for one of my first features at TPi, as they often echoed through the walls of my childhood home thanks to my parents. Now, 33 years after the band’s formation, it feels like a full circle moment for their staunch crew too, many of whom have spent decades bringing the bands vision to life. The Prodigy isn’t just bringing nostalgia but is introducing themselves to a new world of video content and a new generation of fans, paying homage to the rave-scene with lasers, colour, and lighting. While the loss of the legendary…
The FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX Opening Ceremony presented by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) marked the first pre-race spectacle of its kind, with a level of creative technical sophistication never seen before in the rapidly developing world of motorsports. TPi tracked down the creative and technical production team responsible for the undertaking to discuss how they made it happen and reflect on the trials and tribulations associated with staging an event of this calibre in the ‘entertainment capital of the world’. In the grand tradition of Las Vegas spectacles, the opening ceremony kicked…
The Bootleg Beatles wrapped up 2023 by touring the UK, painfully aware that this was the end of the year that witnessed the tragic summer passing of co-founder and partner, and original ‘George Harrison’, Andre Barreau. “It’s hit us all hard and I miss Andre so much, as we all do,” said Neil Harrison who, as ‘John Lennon’, founded the band with Andre in 1980. “He knew The Beatles’ history with forensic detail and was able to direct the authenticity of the costumes, the video content and the music with absolute precision.” At a time when the tribute band market…
Ending 2023 with a sold-out UK arena run, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds production team called upon Urban Audio to provide both PA and control for the tour. As the dust settled on the campaign, TPi caught up with some of the key members of the audio team to get their take on their latest outing with the band. Our first stop was Dan Lewis, Technical Director of Urban Audio as well as FOH Engineer for the show. Lewis has a long history with Noel Gallagher, having been a system tech for Oasis in the early 2000s as well as…
On the brink of releasing their first album in five years and celebrating their 20th anniversary, Bring Me The Horizon kicked off the first set of gigs for the NX_GN WRLD TOUR with a sold-out run in the UK and Ireland. The tour integrated an ambitious, futuristic video and lighting design that comprised an arena-apt 500-panel LED display with processing from Brompton Technology Video Design was tasked with the supply and implementation of the tour’s visual design and after working with the band and its production team for many years the company has won its kudos in the industry with…
Since 2022, the Live Events Summit has provided a space for meaningful discussion about the dynamic, fast-paced, and ever-evolving world of live touring and events at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE). This year, TPi Magazine welcomed several esteemed guests to provide an insight into the corner of the events industry. Sponsored by zactrack, the Live Events Summit kicked off with a special presentation by STUFISH Entertainment Architects’ Ray Winkler. During his talk, he explained how the STUFISH team go about creating the designs for some of the world’s biggest shows – taking an artist’s original idea and turning it into something…
Working at TPi, we’ve become accustomed to the privilege of getting early access to venues on show days before the doors are open to the public, walking around some of the biggest stages while interviewing the hardworking working crews that put them together. However, as I dropped by The O2 at the end of 2023 and was greeted by Madonna’s Production Manager, Chris Coffie, who swiftly took me up onto The Celebration Tour’s stage, I can honestly say I’ve never stood on anything quite like it. Returning for their fourth Madonna tour design, with a massive stage set designed by…
A show doesn’t just happen – it requires building blocks that fit together to create something amazing. It was this thought that was bounced around the heads of TPi Commercial Director, Fran Begaj and Marketing and Events Manager, Alice Clarke when speaking to the longstanding production duo – Ryan Esson and Jess Webb of Go-To Live. Fast-forward to February 2024 and the result was one of the most complex stage designs ever seen at the TPi Awards with projection mapping, integrated scenic elements, and striking content on LED screens all wrapped up with a striking lighting design. With brand new…
“For crew, touring often means long days of constant work, so to have those same people see you in catering every day and be that ‘home away from home’, can make a real difference to health and well-being out on the road,” began Mary Shelley-Smith – long-time employee of the TPi Award-winning rock ’n’ roll catering company Eat to the Beat. She was speaking to TPi days after Eat to the Beat hosted a party to celebrate its 40th anniversary, which saw both clients and crew from over the years descend on the company’s HQ to reflect on the Eat…
Discover the winner and nominees of this year’s Green Award; the companies and products that have gone above and beyond to promote sustainable practices within the live touring sector. https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/tpi280_digitallr/30 www.tpiawards.com
You can view the full gallery and download any images from the TPi Awards website here. www.tpiawards.com
At the Grammy Awards only the PA system most chosen on tour by the world’s most popular acts would suffice: cue Cohesion. ATK Audiotek, a Clair Global brand, deployed a Cohesion system to help revel in the culmination of a year of scintillating live performances and record-breaking sales. Cohesion products, starring in their first deployment at the Grammys, delivered next-level sound while minimising the physical space of the system itself. The Recording Academy’s biggest gala of the year deserved audio that would provide crystal-clear intelligibility at all distances within the arena while the world’s top musicians performed and distinguished winners…
PJ Harvey’s audio engineers chose Skan PA Hire for the singer-songwriter’s first tour of the continent since 2017. Playing live in support of 10th studio album, I Inside the Old Year Dying, avant-rock artist PJ Harvey played a string of sold-out dates at carefully chosen venues. As a close-knit touring family working with one of the industry’s most talented musicians, her engineers required audio solutions from a supplier that understood the calibre of detail needed on her production. Monitor Engineer, Magali Couturier has been with PJ Harvey for some years now, and has exact expectations from her vendor, including knowing…
After our record-breaking 2023 event, which saw 1,736 industry professionals from across the globe descend on Evolution, London, the 2024 event is set to be bigger and better than ever. We’ve made some significant changes behind the scenes – most notably with the introduction of the TPi Academy. Comprising last year’s individual winners alongside other prominent industry figures, the TPi Academy will be responsible for curating the shortlist for each individual category. We will then call upon the wider industry to vote for their winner. Another major change will be in the company awards, with businesses now required to submit…
