Notwithstanding a global pandemic and a financial crisis, TAF has gained a reputation as a stalwart of the truss industry – from the TAF headquarters and factory in Olomouc, Czech Republic, to TAF USA, TAF Hong Kong, and its newest office that will open soon, TAF UK. TAF aims to continually increase its market share across Europe, the UK, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia via its offices and dealer network, while pushing the standards of aluminium truss and support structures. “Our history is filled with many achievements that have contributed to TAF’s reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality…
Author: Jacob Waite
Every month or so, we check through the events listings at The O2 in London and Manchester’s AO Arena to work out what our next production profile might be. What has been amusing is that the listings for 2023 could have been torn straight from the early noughties with the likes of Busted, S-Club and JLS all reforming to provide some nostalgia to crowds in the UK and Europe. It’s almost as if people might be wishing to look back at simpler times… One of the reunions which caught our attention at TPi HQ was the on-stage comeback of the…
“I’m not sure if you can tell, but I’m having the time of my life right now,” stated Shania Twain an hour into her Queen of Me Tour on the second sold out night at The O2 in London. With a career that has spanned three decades, it’s incredible that Twain still enjoys the rigours of life on the road. Not only does she seem to be enjoying her live performance, what TPi discovered was that this was an artist with a shared passion for understanding every aspect of her production. From overall content themes through to her hands-on approach…
Production Futures has grown exponentially since 2016, and recently concluded its busy ON TOUR series of events at Production Park in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, offering young people networking opportunities and industry insights: the event also celebrated young talent in the industry with the Breakthrough Talent Awards, supported by TPi Magazine. The event consisted of workshops throughout the day from companies such as Vectorworks, Sennheiser, ChamSys, and CHAUVET Professional, including interactive tours of Production Park. Business leaders, nonprofit initiatives, key decision makers and industry professionals from the BBC, Rock Lititz, TAIT, 4Wall Entertainment and Riedel Communications held talks with a further…
“The first gig of my career was with Showforce, aged 17 from there I was just completely infatuated with the whole industry. Although I was doing music tech at college, I didn’t get on with it. I knew I wanted to do something with music, but I didn’t really consider production to be a ‘thing’ – I still think that’s a problem for the industry – not enough young people really know about the opportunities. It was only when I started working as a member of local crew that I fully realised the scale of the production industry and what…
With bases in the US and UK, rental company Major Tom has continued to work its flexible Optocore Festival Boxes to full capacity in high profile deployments during 2023, none more so than on Ed Sheeran’s extensive +–=÷x (Mathematics) Tour. The company first invested in the Festival Box point-to-point converter (with 12 SFP modules) back in July 2021. They recognised the advantages of being able to tunnel any audio protocol, as well as video and data, over a single fibre providing time, cost, and space efficiencies in multi-act scenarios. Major Tom Project Manager, Richard Wonnacott commented: “We have found [Festival…
Amid the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of live entertainment technology, Megapixel has earned a reputation as a pioneer in the field of LED processing, real-time monitoring, and bespoke live event solutions. Founded in 2017, the firm has emerged with a clear vision – to be an engineering-first, solutions-driven organisation that tackles the most ambitious and technically challenging projects the sector has to offer. From the outset, Megapixel has been driven by a ‘relentless passion’ for ‘flawless’ project execution. “We saw an opportunity to revolutionise the manufacturing space by setting new standards for quality and performance. Our journey began with the…
Touring the European continent can be challenging at the best of times and with a greater focus on cultivating accessible spaces for the live events industry, Marisa Rinchiuso, who has a deteriorative neuromuscular disease, muscular dystrophy, recently embarked on her first experience on the road, assuming the role of Assistant Stage Manager on the European leg of The Weeknd’s latest stadium tour. “The interesting dynamic of progressive disabilities is that it is constantly evolving. My first time working onsite with TAIT was at the 2019 VMAs, I had no mobility aids and worked 15-hour days. I’m mortified when I think…
When did you first get you start in the music industry? “I started working for a small recording/rehearsal studio/promoter hub in Plymouth called the Plymouth Music Collective (PMC) back in 2004 after I’d finished my degree. I’d been in several bands across my teens in South Wales and in my early 20s when I moved down to Plymouth. It was a world I was already very much a part of within the pubs and clubs around the city. However, prospects at the time were limited and I was turned down for a temporary job in a department store a few…
In the fast-paced world of technical production, myths and misconceptions often overshadow the truth about innovative technologies like real-time tracking. As a pioneering solution in the industry, it is essential to debunk these myths and reaffirm trust. Tracking not only offers an extensive list of benefits, but also improves existing, even outdated equipment and technologies, a fact that is often overlooked. MYTH 1: BLACKTRAX CALIBRATION IS TIME-CONSUMING BlackTrax calibration typically takes between five to 20 minutes, depending on venue size. For lighting integration, allocate an additional minute per lighting fixture for calibration and you are set. Accidental sensor bumps will not…
What was the inspiration behind the creation and development of the REM Series? “The development of the REM Series started from listening to the needs of our customers and the needs of other brands within the CHAUVET family. Users wanted a more versatile solution with integrated convex/concave curving capabilities, corner protection, and low latency performance for both the indoor and outdoor rental markets. While Kino Flo (a CHAUVET brand) saw the need for a solution with top-tier performance and signal processing for VR/XR environments, this led to us pushing for DCI-P3 colour gamut LEDs which offer 26% more colour possibilities…
Depence R3.1 is the most recent free update for the latest iteration of the Depence multimedia show design and visualisation software, developed and distributed by Syncronorm. The new release builds on the improvements and enhancements of R3 released earlier this year, which for the first time also enabled the visualisation of fireworks in multimedia shows among other dynamic show elements in real time. The update was developed for the creation of huge shows with the possibility to work with up to 1,024 DMX universes via known industry standards like ArtNet, sACN or the grandMA3 Vizkey hardware tool. For this purpose,…
Keeping it in the family and acting as the FOH Engineer for his brother’s band, Peri Birtles has been with the group since their formation in 2017 and can boast career highlights such as mixing for Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage, touring the world, and engineering sessions at Maida Vale and Abbey Road Studios. “The main highlight I take from it all is looking back and seeing what we’ve achieved together, with the same core crew that we’ve built and turned into an amazing unit,” Birtles explained. Supporting him in these career highlights is an Allen & Heath CTi1500 console, supplied by…
Green Wall Designs, a creative studio based in Sweden, is renowned for crafting captivating visual experiences in the world of live entertainment. Specialising in video, lighting, and scenic elements, the firm has contributed to some of the most thrilling live productions in recent memory. With 15 years of experience as a studio, Green Wall Designs has evolved into a fully-fledged (and ironically green wall-less) studio featuring a collaborative team who seamlessly bring their clients’ visions to life. Among Green Wall Designs’ impressive portfolio are remarkable projects such as Loreen’s winning performance at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, ABBA Voyage, Beyoncé’s…
Demonstrating the rising popularity of non-English speaking artists on the global stage, Karol G – the first female artist to reach number one on the Billboard 200 with an entirely Spanish album – recently wrapped up a sold-out stadium tour of North America, backed by an impressive production. Lighting Designer, Ignacio Rosenberg of Lightswitch began working with the artist in 2021. Despite Karol G’s rapid rise to fame and the ever-increasing scale of her live shows, Mañana Será Bonito feels very personable to the LD. He elaborated: “It’s a very communal environment, to the point where we did the show…
Luke Combs’ touring camp has recently entrusted a catalogue of Shure solutions to ensure reliable and interference-free audio transmission of its wireless microphone and in-ear monitor systems on the American country singer-songwriter’s Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old World Tour, as it traversed the globe, performing in arenas across the UK. With streaming services pushing country music to the forefront of the UK music scene, and the triumphant Country to Country (C2C) music festival taking place annually, country music has never been more accessible. On site at London’s The O2 ahead of Luke Combs’ final night of back-to-back shows in the…
The last time TPi sat down with the team from ER Productions was back in March 2022, following the announcement that it had acquired Pyrojunkies. Since then, the company has had an incredibly busy year, having been involved in some of 2023’s biggest productions including The King’s Coronation Concert and The Eurovision Song Contest, not to mention working with the likes of Yungblud, Muse and Bring Me The Horizon. It’s also been a key period in the company’s development, with ER opening its Ibiza warehouse in April to support clients on the island while also continuing to expand its presence…
With its unique layout and 5,500-person capacity, The Piece Hall presents unique acoustic challenges, including a stage that is positioned in the corner, an open courtyard and VIP balconies. The PA system had to deliver high-quality sound to an audience standing in compact spaces, while minimising spill behind the stage. Hull-based L-Acoustic Certified Partner, HPSS shares a longstanding relationship with The Piece Hall team, built on a mutual commitment to creating high-quality sound experiences. HPSS have been working with The Piece Hall since 2017, as the Live at The Piece Hall events have grown in both popularity and ambition. Tasked…
