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ONE KEY challenge facing the Stereophonics’ sound team on tour is to keep bass notes under tight control, according to monitor engineer Harm Schopman, who says the band like the vocals of frontman Kelly Jones and the guitars to be prominent in the mix. He and front-of-house engineer Dave Roden…
Read morePREFERRING NOT to influence their stage designer Andy Hurst, Rick Astley and his team gave him free rein to create a look which he felt reflected his latest album, Beautiful Life. Hurst felt it warranted a “classy, sculptural” design which he achieved by inviting production company HSL to provide lighting….
Read moreWHEN CLIFF Richard toured his 60th anniversary celebration, lighting designer Derek Jones says he was keen to deploy traditional and high-tech effects for a show which divided the singer’s career chronologically into 20 minute sections per decade. Deploying a rig which included MAC Auras for band key lighting and full…
Read moreINCORPORATING PROJECTION mapping for the first time into The Human League’s performance, alongside the strong video content that the act is traditionally known for, required both invention and logistical flexibility according to Nick Dew of Really Creative Media (RCM). The company designed content and effects for a set based around…
Read moreTHE PINEAPPLE Thief required a compact but sophisticated console for their brand of progressive rock when they toured venues including The Leadmill (cap. 900) in Sheffield, The Liquid Room (700) in Edinburgh and London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2,000), says sound engineer Simon Baxter. Working with the band’s tour management…
Read moreALONGSIDE GIANT inflatables, puppets and confetti blasts, Elrow Town (cap. 20,000) in London’s Queen Elizabeth Park, deployed large format projection systems for its main and second stages to provide what Mike Radford of projection specialist CPL calls an “eye-popping spectacle”. The event, which has grown out of rave-style club nights…
Read moreSOFT CELL’S farewell concert at The O2 (cap. 21,000) in London used a high, narrow stage to display the band’s 1980s artwork, while the image magnification (IMAG) side screens were designed to be a seamless part of the display, according to lighting designer Rob Sinclair. While the Stufish-designed set required…
Read moreTHE WAR on Drugs, who play London’s The O2 (cap. 21,000) this December, have chosen an L500 Plus mixing desk by Oxford-based manufacturer Solid State Logic to manage the sound. Monitor engineer Laurence Eaves and front-of-house engineer Bob Strakele need to balance up to 80 inputs, with each band member…
Read moreEXPANDING THE series of 7,500-capacity Classical Ibiza concerts this year, Revival Productions and partner Ministry of Sound needed an audio system which provided a smooth sound in sensitive settings, according to Revival’s Lisa Ward. They also needed a provider capable of logistical back up on unusual sites including Yorkshire’s Harewood…
Read moreINVESTMENT IN a full-sized Martin Audio MLA system by Stourbridge-based Stage Audio Services (SAS) allowed the company to deploy a smaller system at Shambala Festival (cap. 15,000), yet provide better coverage than previous years, according to SAS MD Kevin Mobberley. Acquiring the system also, says the company, gives it capacity…
Read moreLIGHTING DESIGNER Hayden Borgars says he was aiming for atmospheric lighting with a modern edge when US rock band Glassjaw played a showcase at London’s O2 Academy Brixton (cap. 4,900). Instead of using a backdrop, Borgars created a curtain of light by deploying Philips Vari-Lite VL800 BeamLines by manufacturer Signify,…
Read moreSHROPSHIRE’S ROCK and Bowl Festival (cap. 6,000) wanted to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a dramatic visual impact on stage, according to lighting designers Ashley Heritage and Nic Farman. Headlined by REWS and Think Floyd, the three-day event chose a “dynamic, fast moving” lighting rig provided by Chester-based CSP AV,…
Read moreMOVING THE site of MAMA Festivals-organised events Citadel and Lovebox (both cap. 40,000) to West London’s Gunnersbury Park this year, required keen logistical precision according to electrical contractor for the events, Pearce Hire. The two festivals moved from Victoria Park after rival promoter AEG Presents won exclusive rights to stage…
Read moreFOLLOWING ITS decision to clear the 700MHz band of radio spectrum for mobile phone use by May 2020 (see Festival, issue 32), government regulator Ofcom has announced a compensation scheme for the live music and broadcasting industries. The scheme will cover companies in the sector known as Programme Making and…
Read moreLIGHTING DIRECTOR Tim Routledge needed “vast quantities” of fog effects for two songs by Stormzy at London’s Wireless Festival (cap. 45,000). The artiste aimed to produce a “supersized” set which involved 75 performers, 48 crew and over six trucks’ worth of production. “We had an enormous thrust stage with inbuilt…
Read moreROGER WATERS’ performance at British Summer Time (cap. 65,000) in London’s Hyde Park required structure supplier Star Events to adapt its VerTech stage to the performer’s outsized visual effects, including graffiti-strewn flying pigs and a recreation of the smoking chimneys of Battersea Power Station, towering over the stage. According to…
Read moreINTIMACY AND precision were important qualities for the sound on Ray LaMontagne’s Just Passing Through tour, according to front of house engineer Ryan Pickett. Working with Liverpool-based AdLib, who provided all production for UK dates including London’s Eventim Apollo (cap. 5,050), Manchester’s O2 Apollo (3,500) and Sheffield City Hall (2,250),…
Read moreWHILE MANY artistes keep their food and drink riders a closely guarded secret, the Rolling Stones have attracted attention by tweeting images of their No Filter tour shepherd’s pies. The personalised dishes were commissioned by catering supplier GIG for each of the band members and achieved national media attention when…
Read moreA NEW seamless ground protection trackway for stadium and festival use promises a significant leap in the quality of temporary ground cover with its continuous surface and durability, according to developer Live Trakway. Formed in 2016 by the merger of Eve Trakway and Lion Trackhire after both were acquired by…
Read moreTHE FOUNDERS of Arcadia, which celebrated its 10th anniversary at a 20,000-capacity festival in London’s Queen Elizabeth Park, believe the project has developed new ways of handling complex live production challenges. Lighting, video and pyrotechnics at the event were operated using Titan and Ai control systems from Avolites – a…
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