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Van Halen 2015 Tour

Van Halen 2015 tour photo by Steve Jennings

Van Halen 2015 Tour

Eric Cathcart is out directing the 2015 Van Halen tour designed by Paul “Arlo” Guthrie. Back on stage are the Van Halen brothers, Alex on drums, Eddie on guitar with his son Wolfgang on bass and original lead singer David Lee Roth on vocals. The outdoor shed tour will head back to the West Coast where it started, ending the tour in the band’s hometown of Los Angeles in October with two nights at the Hollywood Bowl. Guthrie and Cathcart were in Los Angeles’ Sony Pictures Studios for about 10 days for rehearsals and programming, then moved everything to the first venue outside of Seattle for four days.

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Members of the DPS team hanging out in their Burbank warehouse. From left: Alan Sherin, Rob Kurtz, Jon Tunstall, R.J. Lynn, Anthony Dever, John Lee and Andrew ‘Hamish’ Mills.

DPS Inc. – Multi-faceted Production Company Rides Explosive Growth

I’m in an Audi riding over to the DPS warehouse from their HQ in Burbank along with GM Robert “R.J.” Lynn and the director of marketing, Alan Sherin. At a stop light, CEO/Creative Director Anthony Dever pulls up in his Tesla, rolls down his window and jokes, “Wanna race?” Lynn laughs and points out that maybe that’s not prudent, cop-wise. The light turns green and Dever hits the pedal, if only for a short spurt.

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Vickie Claiborne at FOH during the inaugural Rock in Rio USA festival, which took place in Las Vegas May 9-10, 2015.

Preparing FOH for a Festival

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to head up a talented team of programmers for a major music festival making its USA debut, Rock in Rio.  Having worked in concert touring throughout my career, I am no stranger to music festivals; however, I had never been the “go to” person for a main stage at a festival, so I eagerly took on the challenge and began preparing myself.

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DMD S7udios used eight 40K Barco projectors to create two 4K images on the north and south sides of the building. The projection, a first for the exterior of the arena, promoted Phish’s NYE concerts.

Turning a Projector Positioning Nightmare Into a Fairytaile for Phish

Have you ever worried about losing your job to a robot or a software program? Sometimes in our industry, the same products that are designed to help us be more creative, achieve greater technical results or show a client in advance what they are going to get for all the money they just dished out can be the bane of our existence. Software bugs, technical limitations or just simply being unknowledgeable of a particular product or feature can be a showstopper. This is exactly what we were faced with when we were asked to projection map imagery on the American Airlines arena in Miami for Phish’s run of shows over New Year’s Eve.

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Leatherman Surge multi-tool

Video Technician Summer Camp!

The following is a list that we have compiled to help you, the budding video technician know what to pack for camp this year.  It is by no means a complete list, but it’s a good start for the young camper.  We’re excited that you chose this path and can’t wait to meet all the campers and have them learn this fun, exciting craft!  We’ll do most of our work indoors, but sometimes we’ll be outside so don’t forget the rain gear.  Also, as much as we want you campers to be comfortable and have the right stuff, the bus is a little limited on space- so try not to pack too much.  Even though we have a strong returning group of people, many of you are new to this camp and are pretty nervous.  That’s okay!  We’ll help you out and make sure you have a fun, safe trip!

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Lighting 'American Ninja Warrior' Aboard the USS Iowa Battleship

Lighting ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Aboard the USS Iowa Battleship

Called the “hardest obstacle course in the world,” American Ninja Warrior runs its athletes through such grinding physical trials — i.e. dangling in mid-air while swinging from one set of sharp spiked grips to the next — that no contestant has ever been able to complete them all and emerge a winner. The big winner has been the top-rated NBC reality show itself. Now in its seventh season and drawing over 5 million weekly viewers, ANW has tackled its own challenge of maintaining edge and excitement by continually affecting new themes as it takes its famed truss course to different locations across the U.S.

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Vari-Lite VL4000 BeamWash

Vari-Lite VL4000 BeamWash

Ever since the creative minds behind Philips Vari-Lite fired up the VL*1 in 1981, the company has been at the forefront of automated lighting design and creation. Coming on the heels of the VL4000 Spot, the VL4000 BeamWash enters the market as a very high-output wash and beam effect, with a few tricks up its proverbial sleeve. Physically, the unit bears a resemblance to the VL3500 Wash, with a very large clear lens. The lamp source is a 1200-watt Philips FastFit lamp overdriven to 1,400 watts by default, and outputs a native color temperature of 6000 Kelvin. Changing the lamp is very easy, just two screws on the back, and all parts remain captive during installation.

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The Stageline SAM575

The Stageline SAM575

If you’re in the touring industry, chances are that at some point you’ve done (or will soon do) a show on a Stageline mobile stage. For over 25 years, they’ve been providing mobile staging for not only outdoor concerts, but also marketing events, mobile theatres, and custom projects of every sort. With an eye for detail and a team with years of experience, their stages are used on the biggest festivals and events around the world, with their popular SAM555 model providing staging and protection from the elements for hundreds of shows since its inception.

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The Perfect Programmer Recipe

Making the perfect programmer requires a host of carefully selected ingredients mixed together. When this recipe is followed, the result is a highly talented and creative individual capable of orchestrating his/her fingers over a lighting console to direct lighting and video elements into a carefully crafted piece of art. A perfect programmer requires much more than just knowledge of console commands, so it is essential to follow this recipe completely. Mixing the elements together to form a programmer necessitates careful selection of the correct quality ingredients. Let’s take a look at what it takes to make a perfect programmer: 

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Photo of Candace Brightman and Paul Hoffman by Joshua Timmermans

‘Deadicated’ Designers Discuss ‘Fare Thee Well’ Tour

Call her “Deadicated.” Forty-seven years ago, in 1968, Candace Brightman lit The Grateful Dead for her first time at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Her first tour with them was in 1972, she recalls. She’s held the key as the overall production designer and lighting guru since then — keeping alive the psychedelic ballroom vibe no matter what the venue.

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Illustration by Andy Au

High Horse Hazards: The Importance of Knowing Who’s Who

We’ve all had those moments. A familiar face catches your eye and you think, “That guy looks just like fill in famous name. The thing about being backstage after a show is there is a pretty good chance that the person you’re seeing is actually who they look like. About 20 years ago, I met Sarah McLachlan after a show in Toronto. A pleasant conversation ensued between the two of us and a fellow crew member, who was lamenting on the length of our tour. When Ms. McLachlan commiserated, it got interesting.

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lighting, video and rigging for the three main stages.

Love Saves The Day Festival Helped by Fineline

BRISTOL, UK – Bristol’s ‘Love Saves The Day’ Festival moved to the new, expanded location of Eastville Park this year, dramatically increasing its capacity from the previous city center site. The move allowed for 27,000 music fans to enjoy the line-up and good weather. lighting, video and rigging for the three main stages. Fineline provided lighting, video and rigging for the three main stages.

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