Hip-hop icon Ja Rule is touring across North America with an electrifying visual show that uses Elation’s PROTEUS RAYZOR BLADE as a multi-dimensional lighting effect. In the capable hands of Shepherd Lowrey of Cactus Creative Studio, the powerful linear LED fixture supports an entertaining show that combines raw energy and futuristic flair with reflective appreciation. SLX Productions provides lighting, scenic fabrication and design engineering for the tour, with Lowrey serving as production designer, creative producer and lighting designer. Lowrey also created much of the show’s content. He and SLX principal Ariel Afar have collaborated on past high-profile projects, including a…
Author: Jacob Waite
Stageco was delighted to have been chosen as a key technical provider by French production company Teckoff for a run of major shows at the Stade de France in Paris this April. Notably, the 26 April performance by Marseille-born rapper Jul smashed the venue’s attendance record with his audience totalling 97,816 – this eclipsed the previous record set in 2022 by Indochine, another of Stageco’s clients. Working closely with Lies Rombouts, Stageco France project manager Thierry Nataf liaised with the chart-topper’s show designers Gwen Gauthier, Paul Chapet and Cédric Babin, Stageco’s R&D technicians Jan Claes and Bart Bleys, and structural…
Clair Global has expanded its footprint with the opening of a new location in the US territory of Puerto Rico, bringing onboard the experienced team from Wichie Sound Performance, Inc. a well-established local audio services provider. Fernando ‘Wichie’ Martínez, founder and owner of Wichie Sound, will continue to lead the Puerto Rico operations under the Clair Global banner. His guidance, combined with his team’s expertise and dedication, will be integral to delivering the high-quality service to which Clair Global clients are accustomed. The new location further strengthens Clair Global’s commitment to the region by combining local talent with global resources…
Back in high school, we all had our absolute favourite albums, the ones we played over, and over, and over again without end until adulthood intervened. For most of us, those records continue to play themselves in our mind on occasion long after our high school days are over, giving rise to some great memories. But Andre’ Petrus was lucky, he not only got to remember that special record, he is also turning it into a spectacularly dynamic visual experience as the production and lighting designer on John Legend’s Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour. “Getting the chance to design John…
50 Cent and Charlie XCX headlined Parklife on a Serious Stages 25m TZ roof, with a new Big Top stage, courtesy of Serious Stages, added to the festival for 2025. Serious answered the promoter’s request to increase the capacity of Parklife’s main ‘Valley Stage’ and supplied the platform for the new Big Top Stage, continuing a long history of supplying stages and buildings to Manchester’s premier dance festival. Parklife’s event production partners, Engine No 4, have constantly refreshed the site and infrastructure since the festival moved to Heaton Park in 2012. For 2025, they entrusted Serious Stages to support their…
Eat to the Beat – the specialist production, artist and crew catering division of Global Infusion Group – has expanded its operations team with four new team members and announced several senior promotions as it responds to a surge in demand and sets its sights on further international growth, with a focus on the US. With 2025 set to be a record-breaking year, the company has seen significant growth across touring, sporting and corporate events, prompting a strategic boost to its operational capacity to support new and existing clients around the world. Kim Joyce and Olivia Morris, both long-standing team…
Each Backup Partner brings its own motivation and story to the partnership, yet all share a common goal: supporting the vital work Backup undertakes to assist industry professionals during their times of greatest need. The first new partner is Core Pro Audio, a professional audio sales company and used equipment specialist headquartered in the UK, with international trading capabilities. The partnership was cemented following the hugely successful Core Pro Show 2025 at the Mount Hotel, Tettenhall in January, which attracted over 200 attendees from the pro audio scene. The event was packed with networking opportunities, educational product presentations, and hands-on…
Music can be life-changing and Beats Give Back is using that power to support underserved communities in Florida, particularly children in foster care. The nonprofit, formed in 2023, recently held its first major fundraiser at Sheltair Aviation at Tampa International Airport, raising $8,000 to support a new music education studio at the Joshua House Foundation in Tampa Bay. The event featured Funktion-One sound from Nomad Sound Systems. “My journey has always been rooted in music and Beats Give Back is a natural extension of that because it uses music to uplift and empower the next generation,” said Founder and President, Manny Lopez. “We’ve seen…
Creativity cannot be used up, wrote the iconic Maya Angelou. The more you use, the more it grows. To that, we might add, “the more it is shared, the brighter it shines.” This empowering concept is at the heart of Showlight, and it is why CHAUVET Professional and its sister company, ChamSys, have become so invested in sponsoring this beloved lighting educational/networking event that takes place in a different city every four years. In 2025, for the first time in its 44-year history, Showlight took place in France at Le Parc des Expositions et Congrès de Dijon. This year also…
In early 2025, the city of Hagerstown came together for an unforgettable evening of live music and community impact at the Ladders to Leaders Recovery Benefit Concert. Organised by Ladders to Leaders, a local non-profit that supports individuals in achieving lasting recovery, and powered by All Sound Pro LLC, the benefit celebrated those transitioning from addiction to recovery and raised vital support for three local recovery homes operated by Ladders to Leaders. “This concert was important to our community as it provided an evening to celebrate those who have faced the challenges of substance misuse and have succeeded in overcoming…
HK Audio is launching a major software update: DSP CONTROL Version 4.1. The focus is on the new Milan integration for the LINEAR 5 MK2 series, which further expands HK Audio’s industry-leading Milan-certified loudspeaker portfolio. With this update, the LINEAR 5 MK2 series is officially Milan-ready. The open AVB-based Milan network standard stands for maximum reliability, manufacturer independence and extremely low latencies – a decisive advantage for modern audio networks in live and installation applications. Another highlight: LINEAR 5 MK2 loudspeakers will now indicate Milan operation by inverting the preset LED. In addition, the fan control has been further developed…
The second annual Montreux Jazz Festival Miami, an extension of the iconic Swiss music festival, brought three days of sold-out, world-class performances to The Hangar at Regatta Harbour in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami. With technical production support from IPS and a striking lighting design built around Elation lighting gear, the event featured powerhouse sets from music legends Jon Batiste, Chaka Khan, Janelle Monáe, and La Descarga, among others. ACT Productions returned as the local production company, with ACT Director of Operations Barbara Goicoechea noting: “The cooperation with IPS was excellent as always and our client was extremely happy.…
For Wincent Weiss’s arena tour in March 2025, the renowned design studio ST. ROBO developed a fully integrated show design – including set, lighting and content, as well as IMAG and creative direction. The design concept and implementation were developed in close collaboration within an interdisciplinary team dedicated to developing a new visual language for the artist. The focus was on emotional impact, technical finesse and a deliberate departure from traditional stage conventions. Pop singer and songwriter Wincent Weiss became known for his authentic German-language songs and energetic live shows – characteristics that also played a central role in the…
girl in red’s latest headline tour has marked a creative and logistical milestone – not least her triumphant night at OVO Arena Wembley. Behind the scenes, Production Manager, Eric ‘EZ’ Wade of EZ Services and Tour Director, Andy Lewis of JTW TOURING led a tight-knit, trusted crew through an ambitious international routing, balancing design innovation with on-the-ground feasibility. With support from Artist Manager, Ben Blackburn, Creative Director, Isak Jenssen, and design studio, Human Person, the team built a visually iconic and emotionally resonant live show, translating seamlessly from intimate club venues to arena stages. “This campaign was about scaling up…
L-Acoustics in collaboration with Black Meteor, today launched The Art of Sound, an illuminating three-part documentary series that merges scientific discovery with artistic insight to explore sound’s fundamental role in human evolution and its continuing influence on our daily lives. Directed by Andrew Lancaster (Accidents Happen, starring Geena Davis; The Lost Aviator; and Joud), the series premiere, Sound is Fundamental, debuts today on The Art of Sound by L-Acoustics channel on YouTube. The episode features musician, performer, writer, and multidisciplinary artist David Byrne alongside researchers Robyn Landau (Kinda Studios) and Dr. Erica Warp as they investigate our primal connection to…
Portman Lights, the Polish manufacturer known for its iconic, eye-catching fixture designs seen on stages from global tours to top TV shows, has just flipped the script — and the switch. They’ve opened their factory doors to musicians. In a move that bridges craftsmanship and creativity, Portman has transformed the heart of its Gdynia-based factory into a fully functional concert stage — using only their own static lighting fixtures, including the latest hybrid product, OMNIRAY. The launch of Portman Factory Sessions, a new YouTube series, invites artists to perform live in the very space where the company’s renowned lighting products…
AllofUs is a creative design firm based in Los Angeles, founded by Ricardo Rojas and Alec Maassen. The collective offers a unique, all-in-one creative solution for clients, operating across multiple creative disciplines — combining show design, lighting design, production design, creative direction and visual content into a seamless, integrated package. This setup brings a “clear, focussed, and united creative vision” to projects, allowing all creative and technical departments to work in perfect harmony and balance with one goal in mind: creating the best show possible. “We take a harmonious and intentional approach, blending creativity with technical expertise to seamlessly bring…
Originally constructed for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, France’s national stadium has played host to countless iconic sporting moments in recent history. The latest chapter in the Stade de France’s rich legacy was a cultural triumph, as the stadium set the stage for Burna Boy’s latest performance – a landmark event that saw the Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer become the first African artist to sell out the 80,000-seat venue, supported by a collective of creatives and production specialists driving the carnival-inspired, high-energy spectacle. On site, Production Lead, Temidayo Oladehin was supported by Lolade Akinsiku, Temilade Kadri, Kemi Odeyemi,…
