IBIZA, Spain — On the recommendation of U.K.-based LD Alan King, who was brought in by Microchunk to add new gear for Pete Tong and Groove Armada’s “Wonderland,” Ibiza’s Eden nightclub upgraded to an Avolites Diamond 4 console before the busy summer season.
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DUBAI, UAE — Igloos don’t last long in a snowless desert, and the dome tent structure billed as “the first igloo in Dubai” won’t last forever as well. But the first Gearhouse South Africa In2Structures MaxiDome temporary venue will be used for at least 15 months before it’s disassembled — about 14 months and 30 days after a real igloo would turn into a useless puddle of slush.
Read More »RICHMOND, VA — What started out as a one-shot motorcycle charity ride is cruising into its sixth consecutive year for the Long Reach Long Riders. So far, the group has netted over $170,000 for the ESTA Foundation’s Behind the Scenes charity and other causes. Next summer’s tour starts July 31 in Richmond, Va. and ends Aug. 6 in Dahlonega, Ga.
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MANCHESTER, U.K. — An opening screen for entrances and exits and lots of video-driven LED elements played a big role in Simon Kimmell’s over-the-top set design for Peter Kay’s talent show spoof, Britain’s Got The Pop Factor … And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice.
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INDIANOLA, MS — Bowen Technovation selected Christie projectors to introduce the career of blues legend B.B. King — 60 years and counting — to visitors at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, a 20,000-square-foot facility that profiles the artist and the musical traditions of the Mississippi delta region.
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YORK, U.K. —E/T/C London lit the Yorkshire Museum and ruins of the 10th century Benedectine Abbey of St. Mary’s with video, film and still images for the fourth-annual “Illuminating York” event. The 10-day sound and light show, called Accendo, celebrated the illumination achieved by both religion and science.
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KNOXVILLE, TN — In the midst of their own separate tours, ZZ Top and Brooks & Dunn came together for a 17-date run across the U.S. and into Canada. The result: a merger for ZZ Top’s “In Your Face” tour (shown here) and Brooks & Dunn’s ongoing “Cowboy Town” tour, which continues on its own through the end of the year. The challenge for the two LDs was to keep the looks for each band as distinctive as their respective musical styles.
Read More »LAS VEGAS — The 2008 Parnelli Awards may have all been presented. The winners have flown home and they’re already working on gigs that may be considered for next year’s awards program. The lighting gear for the 2008 show has long been packed up and taken away. But the event lives on, available on PLSN-TV (www.plsn.com/tv), with highlights from the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dennis Sheehan, the inaugural Visionary Award to Michael Tait and this year’s emcee, Alice Cooper.
Read More »While the entertainment world was busy romancing the new generation of LED sources, physicists and electronic techs were busy marrying two technologies that would soon… Read More »A Bulb the Size of a Tic Tac
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TORONTO — Tina Turner’s current tour is getting more than a little extra spark with attention-getting visuals engineered by Pyrotek Special Effects. Vice President Lorenzo Cornacchia collaborated with LD Baz Halpin to add everything from Dragons to Gold Flitter Mines, Red Mines with Glitter, Aqua Mines, Blue Mines and an all-fire cue of 20-by-20 Gerbs firing upstage at the conclusion of Turner’s song, “Hero.”
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NASHVILLE — The 42nd annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, a three-hour telecast on the ABC Television Network with 19 performances, including songs performed by co-hosts Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and the Eagles, shown here, was lit by LD Bob Dickinson, who added A&O Technology’s xenon Falcon luminaires to this year’s show.
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CHICAGO — U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama gave his election night speech before a hometown crowd of more than 100,000 and a TV audience of millions. C3 Presents, meanwhile, gave its vote to stage lighting rental and production company Christie Lites, which elected to use Martin MAC 2000 Wash XBs to light the historic moments for both the crowd and for TV.
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