With lighting control professionals crowding the Obsidian Control Systems booth at LDI in Las Vegas, the show was a testament to Obsidian’s position as perhaps the fastest growing lighting control brand on the market. Lighting designers, programmers and operators all made their way to the Obsidian booth over the course of the three-day show to check out the trending NX1 lighting console, as well as other consoles in the NX line and a full line of NETRON data distribution products. The NX1 has created quite a buzz in the lighting control community since launching at the Prolight + Sound tradeshow…
Author: Jacob Waite
Adlib has invested in Robe FORTE moving lights and RoboSpot remote followspot systems to service its busy ongoing work schedule. Some of the new kit went directly out on the recent Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Live Show – The Battle for Moore Street tour, with lighting designed by Mike Summerfield, who was delighted to make use of two FORTES on the front truss controlled via two RoboSpot BaseStations positioned side stage by the racks. “This is one of the best remote follow spot systems out there,” commented Adlib Account Manager, Jordan Willis. “Our team has praised this system’s additional flexibility. The…
Vari-Lite are “overwhelmed” at the response to the new products showcased at LDI 2022 and by the strength of the brand within the industry. Three major new flagship products made their US tradeshow debut at the event. A highlight was the Vari-Lite VL3600 Profile IP – a large-scale, high output production profile fixture with an IP65 rating and pitched for touring and TV productions, stadiums and arenas, and large theatres and houses of worship. The other new luminaire showstopper was the VL1600 Profile – an advanced moving head profile luminaire designed for theatrical key lighting applications. The team also unveiled…
Seizing the excellent opportunity to demonstrate the latest LED technology as the ideal display solution for live event applications and more, the centerpiece of ROE Visual’s LDI 2022 booth was a large 21ft by 12ft curved wall constructed of cinema-grade Black Pearl BP2V2 panels. The screens on both sides included some LED rental products in Carbon MarkII, Graphite 2.6, Ruby 1.5, and Vanish. Attendees could find preferred LED solutions that adapt to various spaces, from touring and events to virtual production. The on-screen visuals attracted much attention and interest from visitors. During the three-day trip, the team received many compliments…
After a two-year, COVID-19 pandemic-related wait, The Weeknd’s 19-date After Hours Til Dawn Tour, surpassed even the loftiest expectations. Supporting each two-hour set was a visual show that featured over 1,100 fixtures and a 180ft video wall, supplied by Solotech. Solotech Account Executive, Robert Kennedy and his team accomplished this feat by drawing on global resources. The resultant lighting and video rig was a key part of a remarkable production design, which, like the music being performed on stage, defied expectations with its boldness and vision. Going beyond scenery, the design created an actual “city” on stage with 17 custom…
Phoebe Bridgers has been captivating an ever-growing fan base since her first album release in 2017 with Lighting Designer, Spike Kienholz Inglis of Spike Design lucky enough to have been lighting the artist since those early days. For the US leg of Bridgers latest tour, Kienholz specified a full Robe moving light rig – with 24 MegaPointes, 24 Spiiders, 16 Tetra1s and six FORTES – supplied by Gateway Studios & Production of St Louis. Kienholz first encountered Robe’s products whilst touring Europe in 2014 and has been a big brand advocate ever since. He is delighted that Robe has become…
The passing of Foo Fighters’ drummer, Taylor Hawkins, left the music industry in a state of shock, with some even speculating as to whether the band would ever perform again. However, in true fighter spirit, the remaining members decided – with the blessing of Hawkins’ family – to hold two all-star concerts in tribute to their late friend, colleague and bandmate, which were held at London’s Wembley Stadium on 3 September and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on 27 September 2022. Britannia Row Productions, which has supplied audio equipment and crew to the Foo Fighters global touring activities for…
It’s a unique moment in the music-touring business right now. A combination of pandemic exigencies and shortages means tours often have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. That was the case for the first week-plus of theatre dates in the Midwest to kick off The Manhattan Transfer’s 50th Anniversary & Final World Tour. The GRAMMY Award–winning vocal group was founded in 1969 and has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, pop music, and more in that half-century span. But as the foursome prepared for the initial dates of their 50th Anniversary outing…
The Elation Professional booth was crowded from the minute the show opened on Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center and lighting pros continued to make their way to Booth #1142 to talk about lighting and demo Elation Professional, Obsidian and Magmatic products throughout the weekend. The Elation team was excited to be back at the show after a three-year hiatus. “We had a fantastic show!” enthused Elation Director of Sales & Marketing, Eric Loader. “We expected a lot of contact and interest from customers leading up to the show so the crowded booth didn’t surprise us in the least.…
BikeFest, the fundraising cycle event, will return to Spain for a second year from 27 to 29 January 2023, cycling up to 400km towards ISE in Barcelona. By doing so, the BikeFest team will raise money for industry charity Backup Tech and create lasting friendships across the live events and AV industries. Organised by PLASA, #WeMakeEvents and AFIAL, the growing BikeFest team is seeking new members to join them for the upcoming ride, as well as sponsors who are interested in aligning with important industry values. Furthermore, those who wish to support the event from afar can donate or buy…
PK Sound has formally welcomed Chicago’s High Frequency Productions to the PK Alliance following the company’s investment in a T10 robotic line source system. As a Member, High Frequency can augment their T10 system with large-format Trinity Black robotic array elements from the Alliance’s dry-hire inventory. “We’ve always prided ourselves on being a technology-forward company, and when it comes to live sound reinforcement, PK Sound’s robotic systems are at the cutting-edge of acoustic performance and operational efficiency,” commented Juan Ocampo, Owner and Production Manager at High Frequency Productions. “Not only that, but the PK Alliance model has a lot of…
To provide My Chemical Romance (MCR) with immersive and stylised lighting for their highly-anticipated world tour, lighting production house Penlight designed a custom-built rig featuring Martin Professional solutions. After officially disbanding in 2013 and several postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MCR embarked on their highly-anticipated, world tour in May 2022. The band aimed to exceed fans’ lofty expectations with massive, immersive visuals that accentuated their music’s raw energy and adapted to their constantly changing setlists. To meet these requirements, Penlight worked closely with the band to design a detailed and versatile lighting rig featuring Martin MAC Ultra Performance, MAC…
One of the 2000s most successful hard rock bands is Breaking Benjamin, whose guitar heavy sounds and powerful vocals delivered by Benjamin Burnley have endeared them to fans for two decades. The band teamed up recently with another iconic group, Alice in Chains, to co-headline a tour that also saw Bush on the bill as special guests. The 30-city co-headlining tour kicked off on August 10th at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania before wrapping up October 8th at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Ty Veneziano of Bandit Lites designed, programmed and operated lighting for the Breaking…
DAS Audio of America, the North American subsidiary of Valencia, Spain-based DAS Audio has appointed Michael Palmer to the position of Vice President of Sales – Pro Audio. Palmer will be integral to the efforts of expanding the company’s sales channel through its representative and partner network. He will also have a direct impact on the company’s initiatives to grow its presence with products such as the recently introduced LARA cardioid line array system in addition to other forthcoming product groups — all with the goal of increasing DAS Audio’s brand recognition. He is based remotely out of San Antonio,…
L-Acoustics announces the creation of a new sales organisation that allows the company to drive its vision to deliver audio experiences for audiences worldwide through constant technology innovation, product development, and educational outreach. Renowned for creating the tools that deliver exceptional audio performance, the company is now poised to extend even more robust commercial support for global partners and clients across diverse markets and territories. The new L-Acoustics sales organisation is focused on sales strategy, business development, and building territorial sales channels. Under the general management of L-Acoustics CEO, Laurent Vaissié, the new team will be spread across three divisions: Sales…
Main Light has increased its rental inventory of Ayrton lighting fixtures with the purchase of a large complement of versatile new Zonda 9 FX fixtures. The company currently has offices in Delaware, Tennessee, and Las Vegas, with a fourth location coming February 2023 to Teterboro, NJ. Main Light has seen a steady demand for its Ayrton Perseo, Khamsin and Diablo fixtures, which were acquired during the past two years. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America. Main Light’s acquisition of Zonda 9 FX represents one of the first investments by a US company in the…
Christie Lites and representative Martin Kelley supplied the Xtylos fixtures, featuring Claypaky’s proprietary RGB laser source, for the arena tour supporting the American folk rock band’s Brightside album. The tour played dates across the UK and Europe before moving to North America for the spring and summer, wrapping at Wrigley Field in Chicago in September. Haslauer has worked with The Lumineers since early 2019. Production designers, Sooner Routhier and Robert Long of SRae Productions came onboard in 2016 and have three tour cycles to their credit. Routhier suggested that Haslauer use the small form factor Mini Xtylos HPE in his…
Following its acquisition of Quantum SFX at the tailend of the COVID-19 pandemic, Strictly FX has spent its maiden year in the UK investing in people, processes and technology. “We’ve been building our team from the ground up, investing in new equipment and preparing ourselves for another year of business,” Strictly FX UK COO, Shaun Barnett informed TPi as the dust settled on 365 days of providing special effects and pyrotechnics expertise throughout the continent. Addressing the growing demand for pre-visualisation and rehearsal rooms post-pandemic, Strictly FX UK has unveiled a space where performers and creatives can build tours and…
