Smashing Pumpkins’ “The End Times” Tour Features Philips VL4000 spots

CONCORD, CA – When “The End Times” tour kicked-off at the Concord Pavilion in California, it was the first official tour for the Smashing Pumpkins following the release of their latest album Monuments To An Elegy. As the longtime tour lighting designer, Lawrence Upton of UV Lighting was once again designing the lighting rig for the alternative rock band, and the co-headlining line-up with Marilyn Manson presented a unique set of challenges. So working with tour lighting provider DPS, Upton created a festival-type lighting rig complete with 24 VL4000 Spot luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite to give himself the creative freedom needed to surpass those challenges.

WASHINGTON, DC — For ‘Nitro Circus Live,’ a tour originating in Australia that features daredevil bike riders, skateboarders and stunts with props ranging from water coolers, rocking horses and La-Z-Boy furniture, LD Francesco Calvi’s lighting design includes 18 GLP impression X4 fixtures. Calvi, also based in Australia, worked with production manager Brendan Maher on the project. Upstaging is providing the fixtures for the U.S. tour legs this year.

SEABROOK, NH – Port Lighting Systems added 16 Clay Paky Alpha Spot QWO 800 fixtures to its inventory recently. The fixtures were sourced via A.C.T Lighting, distributor for Clay Paky gear in North America. 

NEW YORK – The deadline for ordering 2015 Behind the Scenes Holiday Cards is Sept. 14, 2015. These unique cards were created especially for Behind the Scenes by designers William Ivey Long, Robert Mendoza, Bruce Rodgers, Court Watson, Paul Weimer, and Paige Weintraut.

CHICAGO – Zac Brown Band’s Jekyll + Hyde North American Stadium Tour presented by Bai is the band’s largest tour to date and features a production design created by James Scott and Louis Oliver, of UK-based creative specialist Okulus. The design includes several moving elements with a Kinesys control system at its core.

SAN FRANCISCO – Auerbach Pollock Friedlander noted that Steve Pollock has been with the design firm for 30 years. He joined the company’s San Francisco office in 1985 and was named Vice President in 1993.  He has been responsible for the planning, programming, design and management of hundreds of national and international projects during his tenure.