Since the mid 2000’s, Fall Out Boy have been one of the most well-known names to have emerged from the American mainstream pop punk explosion. After a brief hiatus – before returning in 2013 with comeback album, Save Rock and Roll – the band continues to go from strength to strength and is supporting their latest release American Beauty / American Psycho with a tour of the same name. TPi was at Manchester Arena to see how this live show translates on the other side of the Atlantic. Throughout their career, Fall Out Boy – despite their name – has had a…
Author: Stewart Hume
Alternative dance pioneers The Prodigy are known the world over for their blistering live shows. For the band’s latest tour in support of The Day Is My Enemy, a suitably outrageous production was in order. TPi’s Ste Durham was in attendance at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena to meet the minds behind the madness. Since their beginnings 25 years ago, The Prodigy have rarely left the limelight; courting controversy and critical acclaim in almost equal measure, while performing the seemingly impossible task of earning respect from ravers and metalheads alike. Rather than spawning imitators, the band has carved out a niche for…
To commemorate 25 years of performing as Opeth and 10 years since the release of the monumental Ghost Reveries album, the Swedish metal band set out to play a handful of exclusive shows across Europe and the US. TPi’s Ste Durham ventured to the band’s only UK date to discover the design behind Opeth’s brand new production. Known for their trailblazing blend of metal, folk, prog, blues and jazz, Opeth have rarely strayed from underground music’s forefront since their death metal beginnings in 1990. While their rise can hardly be called meteoric, perhaps thanks to the band’s propensity for 10-miunte…
As the only UK festival dedicated to showcasing the very best in math-rock, post-rock and noise-rock, the award-winning ArcTanGent festival was back again for its third edition. TPi rolled out in force to brave the wilds surrounding Bristol and discover why more and more people are flocking to this boutique event. Despite capacity being strictly limited to 5,000 attendees, word hasn’t stopped getting out about what ArcTanGent has to offer. The event has gained the backing of a powerful sponsor in Orange Amplification, and continues to see fresh recognition – namely its appearance on the shortlists for Best New Festival,…
Starting its road journey in November 2013, Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience tour – of which he is the Creative Director – was a truly captivating technical masterpiece. The Nick Whitehouse-produced show was playing live in support of not one, but two studio albums, and has become a critically-acclaimed box office hit. TPi’s Kelly Murray spoke to the ground crew on the tour’s UK leg and the creative team in the US, to hear the insider thinking on the intricate details of this extensive live project. Walking into Manchester’s Phones 4U Arena to behold Justin Timberlake’s magnificent stage set for the…
Following the release of their critically acclaimed 2014 album, The Mindsweep, British post-hardcore troubadours Enter Shikari returned to UK stages in February 2015 to deliver an eclectic mix of punk rock, dubstep, and drum ‘n’ bass, all tied together by the band’s famously energetic show design. TPi got acquainted with the team behind the tour. Having emerged from the emo furore of the early noughties, Enter Shikari quickly distinguished themselves as a band with staying power. Determined to show they were capable of more than just teen angst and hairspray, the band has spent the last eight years garnering an impressive…
In less than a year Sam Smith’s distinctive style and honest, personable approach to pop stardom has seem him rocket to fame. Singles from his debut album, In the Lonely Hour, regularly top the charts and, as his popularity has escalated, so too has the size of the venues that he can fill. In just six short months Smith has collected four Grammys and two Brit Awards. This public recognition has seen his tour visit a diverse mix of venues. To facilitate this, his creative team have had to respond quickly, adapting the stage design and scale of the show…
Completing their third UK arena tour with a pair of electrifying, sold-out shows at the 02 London, Irish band The Script solidified their position as the perfect pop-rock outfit. Fronted by Danny O’Donoghue, a former judge on TV’s The Voice UK, the trio performed an unstoppable blend of hits, with anthems pulled from their latest full-length release No Sound Without Silence. TPi reports from behind the scenes of the tour’s all-encompassing show design led by LD Jamie Thompson. The Script’s current tour opened in Tokyo in January and arrived in Britain a month later led by Bob O’Brien, the band’s…
February 2015 saw US punksters, All Time Low, and Brit Rockers, You Me At Six, join musical forces to successfully storm and conquer five UK arenas. For the screamingly loud, bra-lobbing fans it was a double whammy – two very different sets for the price of one – and for the creatives and crew that put it on the road, it was a diplomatic coop that delivered an international partnerships that royally paid off. Sarah Rushton-Read got into the mix. You Me at Six – also known as YM@6 – and All Time Low – ATL – presented a formidable…
In 2009, British singer Paloma Faith released her debut album Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? and became a mainstay on the UK airwaves. Her infectiously bubbly personality soon gained her an army of fans, and her live performances have become a huge selling point for the artist. The recent recipient of a Brit Award, Faith is going from strength to strength as she embarks on her first full production arena tour. TPi talks retro glam and customisation at Leeds First Direct Arena. There’s a distinctly chipper atmosphere inside the Leeds First Direct Arena – it’s only a…
It’s a place where Skrillex DJs in an igloo, The Prodigy once (allegedly) played so loud the cows didn’t produce milk for three weeks, and PA equipment is ferried 2,000 metres up a mountain via cable car. Welcome to Broadwick Live’s Snowbombing – the greatest show on snow, which TPi discovers, is far from the usual run-of-the-mill festival. Nestled in the foothills of the Austrian Alps, less than an hour’s drive from Innsbruck, is the town of Mayrhofen. The last week of the ski season (6-11 April) sees the town welcome over 7,000 ‘Snowbombers’ who get their kicks on the…
Created and designed by Baz Halpin, 18-month long tour Prismatic is Katy Perry’s biggest and most demanding to date. Achieving creative perfection throughout, alongside the plethora of props and costumes, there are technical firsts with software integration never seen before on a tour of this size. TPi’s Kelly Murray chats to the crew… As we pulled up to the LG Arena in Birmingham on an uncharacteristically hot and sunny English day, troupes of crew members and trucks full of wardrobe changes filled the back of the venue. At the helm of the tour was Jay Schmit, Katy Perry’s Production Manager,…
Harman Professional Solutions’ technologies provided sound and uniform coverage for the AdvoCare National Success School 2015 held at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Approximately 24,000 people attended the training and motivational event hosted in September by AdvoCare, a provider of nutritional, weight-management, skin care and sports performance products. The HARMAN Professional Solutions’ components, including JBL VTX line arrays and Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers, were configured and installed by Multi Image Group. Edward Gonzalez, Director of Audio Services for Multi Image Group, said: “As corporate events go, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. The setup was elaborate, with a…
When phenomenally successful R&B star, Usher, embarked on his latest tour – The UR Experience – he relied on the cream of production providers. Kicking off in Montreal, Canada, in November 2014 and ending at the O2, London, in March, it spanned the globe, visiting various continents and thrilling fans the world over. During its final leg in Europe, TPi’s Kelly Murray visited the crew to talk tech talent and creative vision. The UR Experience’s touring team is led by industry veteran and Production Manager, Harold Jones [Beyonce, Destiny’s Child] and new addition, Tour Manager, Vizion Jones. Facilitated by an…
Following the launch of the ZEDi-8 hybrid mixer / interface, Allen & Heath has released two more ZEDi models; the ZEDi-10 and ZEDi-10FX. Designed for recording / gigging artists and AV rental and installation companies, the ZEDi-10 and ZEDi-10FX models combine a compact mixer with a 24bit 96kHz four by four USB interface, which enables multi-track recording and playback to a Mac or PC or to an iOS device (using a Camera Connection Kit). The units also have flexible source routing options to adapt to different workflows, and are bundled with Cubase LE music production software and the Cubasis LE…
Southampton-based lighting rental company, and newest member of the growing HSL family, just celebrated 20 years within the pro lighting and entertainment technology industry. Staged at the Dancing Man Brewery, housed in the charismatic old Wool House dock warehouse in the historical heart of the town’s thriving port facilities, the event was attended by close to 100 guests, prompting GLS MD Ian Turner to declare: “Finally after 20 years in business we are proud to say that we can organise a piss-up in a brewery!” HSL’s MD Simon Stuart, right at the forefront of the party, commented: “It was an…
Matthew Cotter has joined d3 Technologies as Technical Sales Specialist based on the US West Coast. Cotter has been a lighting director and media programmer for the past 15 years, primarily working in television and on theme park spectaculars. He shared an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Series with his colleagues for Dancing with the Stars in 2014. Cotter joins a growing US team representing d3 nationwide. Hans Beijer, Vice President of Sales for d3 Americas, said: “Matthew is a very strong addition to the team, and we’re excited to welcome him. “He came highly…
Dave Gilmour’s 2015 world tour started in the UK in September and will continue until a show at New York’s Madison Square Garden in April 2016. The guitarist and vocalist had already impressed fans and critics, drawing on nearly 50 years of Pink Floyd and solo work, with a prominent place reserved for his latest album, Rattle That Lock. Gavin Tempany was the Monitor Engineer on the tour and he had chosen an SSL L500 Plus console. He commented on his choice: “I had the choice of a couple of consoles but they were the only ones that would do the…
