SWG Events extended its long association with the Glastonbury Festival, again deploying Martin Audio systems in a number of feature areas. According to Head of Audio, Simon Purse, SWG made significant changes to two stages; BBC Introducing and Woodsies, while also providing Martin Audio systems for The Park Stage and Leftfield. BBC Introducing embraced Martin Audio for the first time, having traditionally had its sound delivered by another brand. The move from its usual enclosed tent behind the Pyramid Stage to a more open, saddlespan structure required a fresh, upscaled approach to the PA, as it was able to attract…
Author: Stewart Hume
Two companies within the TAIT Group – productionglue and Thinkwell – will now operate under the a singular TAIT brand. “TAIT has always pushed the boundaries of storytelling,” stated Adam Davis, Chief Executive Officer of TAIT follow this latest announcement. “With the creative and producing capabilities of Thinkwell and productionglue, we are offering an unmatched depth and breadth of skill to our partners. We bring a legacy of innovation and a desire to solve impossible problems. Solidifying this singular brand represents a fusion of creativity and technology, which provides unparalleled possibilities for our partners.” TAIT’s transformation and evolution with Thinkwell…
Founded by Tour Manager Carl Lewis, TourStock is an industry pro-shop based out of the famed SW19 Studios, London. Launched this year, Lewis, who TMs for acts including Holly Humberstone, Thomas Headon and Kamal, speaks to TPi’s Stew Hume about this new venture and what he thinks it will bring to the live events community. What was the original idea behind TourStock? “I was kicking the idea around in my head for a while. I wanted somewhere that had all of the efficiency and online availability of sites like Amazon, but more bespoke, tuned to suit our business and the…
With a headline performance at London Stadium alongside an appearance on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury, Patchwork London discusses the company’s experience working with the Afrobeats artist and his crew. How did Patchwork’s relationship with Burna Boy and his production begin? “They reached out to us on Instagram then came to visit us at Patchwork. After a meeting to discuss how things might work, they offered us the chance to do their album launch at Prism and underplay at Roundhouse, London in August 2023. Both shows went well, we’ve been working together ever since.” When did you start planning for…
CH Vintage Audio’s Chris Hewitt is noted for his collection of salvaged pieces from classic rock concerts of the 1960s and 1970s, which are curated and presented as exhibition curios. Last year’s PLASA Show drew the great and the good from that era to his stand like moths to a flame and the recent ISE Show even more so. Having famously rebuilt (and displayed) Floyd’s Live at Pompeii WEM PA the missing piece was the original Allen & Heath 28/4 quadrophonic Allen & Heath mixer, built by Andy Bereza and Ivor Taylor, which was no longer in existence. This was…
In what has become a major date within the annual events industry calendar, Kart-Fest 2023 was a historic year for the incentive with the Backup Tech organisers announcing that it smashed previous years fundraising targets, raising £50,000 – money that will go on to provide financial support to industry technical professionals, crew/production personnel and people working in the technical supply chain across the UK entertainment industry including those from live events, theatre, TV and film. Under the theme of a traditional British Fete, 350 of the industries finest came with cake, bunting and a healthy dose of competitiveness all in…
Fresh off the back of the European leg of Avril Lavigne’s much-anticipated Love Sux Tour, Jake Roeber talks to TPi about curating the visuals for the Canadian singer-songwriter’s latest live production, his experience behind the desk, and what it was like to collaborate with Christie Lites, Pixl Evolution and TAIT. How long have you been working with Avril Lavigne? “After leaving AREA15 Las Vegas as the Senior Production Manager, I joined the Avril Lavigne team last spring as Lighting Director when she joined the Mainstream Sellout American tour as direct support for Machine Gun Kelly. Initial design scribbles for the…
Taking place from 14 to 17 May 2024, TPi Magazine will host an event aimed at uniting tour managers and service providers – including hoteliers and travel companies – for several days of networking and discovery. “In an era where every business trip must be accounted for, the GTL Sessions pledge is simple: to provide an equal platform for hoteliers and transport companies to meet with tour managers looking to book their services for upcoming tours,” explained TPi Commercial Director, Fran Begaj. For tour managers, GTL Sessions is a chance to come together at a stunning five-star resort to network…
Sterling Event Group has recently completed a multimillion pound investment in new equipment. Managing Director, Richard Bowden spoke to TPi about the latest investment and what it means for the Manchester-based rental house moving forward. “This recent investment is part of our plans to service our production work but also to facilitate our growing trade dry hire department,” Bowden explained. “Part of this investment included the purchase of almost 300 CHAUVET Professional fixtures. Many of these lighting fixtures are IP-rated which gives us the flexibility to use them anywhere, from outdoor stages to intimate indoor events, and they require less maintenance…
Last year TPi was invited to UK Rigging’s Bolton HQ to hear all about Project X – a new scheme with the goal to train new riggers and address the mass shortage of those qualified to work at height within the live events sector. Project X in its first year saw UK Rigging welcome six new recruits who underwent an intensive six-month program that resulted in all achieving their National Rigging Certificate (NRC). The scheme also saw UK Rigging take care of all upfront costs that the recruits might need for equipment which could then be paid back in installments…
Technical business development specialist Neutral Human (NH) has appointed Christian Dickens as Co-Director of the business. With decades of high-end experience behind him, Dickens first established a solid working relationship with NH founder, Sarah Cox, while working at media server manufacturer disguise as Head of Support and Sales Director EMEA, respectively. “At disguise, Christian and I laid out many successful strategies for onboarding and managing client adoption of complex software and hardware tech as the company grew,” said Cox. “We both understand what each other does and where our strengths lie. Between us, we seem to create the perfect hand-off…
Independent production company Method Events delivered a blockbuster edition of Tramlines festival this summer, cementing its commitment to deal with local suppliers. This event built on the success of the award-winning Tramlines 2021, which was one of very few festivals to go ahead as a pilot event. For its work on the pilot, Method Events were the recipients of both the Supplier Team of the Year and Best Production/Site Management awards at the Festival Supplier Awards 2022. Building on this experience, Method planned a record-breaking event for 2022, which sold out its 50,000 capacity faster than ever before. The five-stage…
One of Shure’s recently new models, the KSM11, which claims to accurately present artists’ vocals in top tier live and broadcast productions, has recently been selected by leading Sound Designer, Gareth Owen for use in the production of MJ the Musical on Broadway. Owen shares his thoughts on the new model and how he’d utilised them in the show. What are your initial impressions of Shure KSM11? “I have a great relationship with Shure and I’m a big fan of their handhelds. They reached out asking if I’d want to try a new mic head. I’ve been using SM58 and KSM9 heads across…
The O2 has announced a series of new measures to make the popular music, leisure, and entertainment venue even more sustainable for fans, bands and brands. Coinciding with the venue’s 15th birthday and Billie Eilish bringing her Happier Than Ever tour to the venue this month, alongside a cross-campus climate festival Overheated, The O2 will be implementing various changes within the arena to reduce single use plastic, promote a plant-based menu, and better enable customers to make informed and responsible choices. Within The O2 arena, together with the venue’s catering partner Levy UK + Ireland, the venue has committed to…
STUFISH Entertainment Architects has designed the ABBA Arena – a brand new performance space in East London. The 3,000-capacity arena will serve as the home for ABBA’s virtual concert ABBA Voyage, which opened 26 May 2022. The building is set to become a new cultural destination in the city, situated close to Pudding Mill Lane DLR station. The steel and timber building has been conceived as a mysterious, intriguing object that demands attention, whilst creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors to enjoy their experience. Designed from the inside out, the 25.5m high hexagonal form of the arena is in response…
4Wall become the first UK rental house to acquire Elation Professional Artiste Monet, Artiste Mondrian and Artiste Rembrandt. Acquisition through Elation UK distribution partner Entedi continues Elation’s growth in the European market. Leading full-service video and lighting company 4Wall has extended its stock of Elation Artiste series LED moving heads into Europe with the purchase of the Artiste Monet Profile, Artiste Mondrian Profile FX and the Artiste Rembrandt Wash. Following on from 4Wall’s positive acquisition of Artiste series fixtures in the US earlier this year, and in the wake of a series of favourable product demos at the 4Wall facility…
Outline’s unique FPGA processor assumes a key operational role at Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals. Both returning after a two-year break. As they have been for every Coachella since 2000, Camarillo-based Rat Sound Systems were the principal audio reinforcement provider for the 2022 event, providing complete live performance systems across the seven largest performance areas: the Coachella Stage, Outdoor Theatre, Gobi Tent, Sahara Tent, Mojave Tent, Yuma Tent, and the Sonora Tent, respectively handling around 180 acts in each of the two three-day weekends. At the Stagecoach Festival, Rat Sound delivered multiple stages worth of audio including the Mane, Spotlight, Honkey…
More AV has extended its Funktion-One distribution to include Belgium and Luxembourg, making it the loudspeaker manufacturer’s representative for the entire Benelux region. The company, which is headquartered in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, has been a key Funktion-One partner for almost 20 years. More AV, which is led by founder Remco van der Werff, will build on the strong foundation left by the outgoing distributor, Soundsystem.be, whose owners – Tia Broodcoorens and Lieven Pillaert – have decided to close the company and pursue personal projects. For Pillaert, that includes working closely with More AV in a consultative capacity. Funktion-One’s Ann Andrews commented:…
