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Rammstein 2017 Tour

Roy Bennett's pods flew in fixtures from the Motherland. Photos and text by Steve Jennings.

Rammstein 2017 Tour

For those fans lucky enough to see Rammstein’s tour on their limited 2017 U.S. run, one might ask — was it hotter that day in Las Vegas at temperatures of 110 degrees F. outside, or hotter on stage inside the T-Mobile Arena where the band’s pyro is the biggest of any band in the world? We spoke with the tour’s production and lighting designer Roy Bennett, associate lighting designer and programmer Jason Baeri, production manager and ffp managing director Nicolai Sabottka, pyro/SFX crew chief Nick Thompsett and the tour’s two lighting directors, Faren Matern and Bertil Mark.

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Nook Schoenfeld, Editor, PLSN

Moved by a Show

Have you ever gone to a show, and been totally overwhelmed by your senses to the point that you were actually moved? I mean, seriously touched by a performance?

There are those rare moments in life where you are just overcome by emotions of happiness caused by witnessing something that was just so spectacular it left you posing a question to the patron standing next to you along the lines of “Holy Cow, did you just see what I just saw?” I count five times in my life.

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LD Günter Jäckle is lighting the 71-year-old performer with 28 GLP JDC1 strobes, 24 impression X4 Bar10 fixtures and 24 GT-1 hybrids.

Udo Lindenberg Tours With GLP

PAPENBURG, Germany – When “panic rocker” Udo Lindenberg goes on tour it becomes total art for the eyes and ears. In his locker Udo Lindenberg has everything that makes a show the absolute highlight: artists, UFOs, sensations and, as always, his own secrets, which create a light and video show with extra class and perfect sound.This was certainly the case with the recently completed tour of the new album “Stronger than Time” (“Stärker als die Zeit“). The 71-year-old does not think he will ever stop, and promises his fans another 30 years of well-refined panic with orchestra.

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VER is supplying lighting, control, truss automation and media servers for the tour.

Bruno Mars Tour Includes 214 Solaris Flares

LOS ANGELES – The North American phase of Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic World Tour is now in full swing, with 63 dates from July to November.  Opening in Las Vegas after 44 dates in Europe, the tour will continue to Latin America and Australia through next year.  214 Solaris Flares are key components of a spectacular show that celebrates the artist’s musical roots. 

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NAMM 2018 diagram

2018 NAMM Show Expansion Announced; Show Map Released

ANAHEIM, CA – NAMM has announced expansions to its 2018 show including additional event technology and pro audio areas, a new building and new education and professional development areas. The event, which annually draws more than 100,000 attendees from 139 countries and regions, will take place Jan. 25-28, 2018 at the expanded Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.

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Pointing Out the Premios Max Awards

[caption id="attachment_278535" align="alignnone" width="800"]Robe fixtures work at Premios Max Awards 2017[/caption]

VALENCIA, SPAIN – The annual Premios Max Awards celebrate Spanish individuals and organizations who have making outstanding contributions to the performing arts and are organized by the General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE). This year they were staged at the Palau de les Arts in vibrant Valencia. Lighting designer Juanjo Llorens took up the challenging task of lighting the high profile event which was also broadcast live on TVE2, for which he utilized luminaires in the venue’s house rig, together with some specials, notably 30 x Robe Pointes, 6 x BMFL WashBeams and five PATT2013s.

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Phish logo

LD Chris Kuroda, Others Discuss Phish’s Baker’s Dozen Shows at MSG in Audio Podcast

NEW YORK – LD Luke Stratton, an LD and FOH audio engineer for jam-rock quartet Dopapod, who posts a series of podcasts called The Light Side, shared a link to an audio podcast of his interview with Phish lighting designer/director Chris Kuroda and associate designer and programmer Andrew Giffin. The designers discussed the abstract video and lighting looks for Phish’s recently concluded Baker’s Dozen Shows at Madison Square Garden, including the morphing light rig used for the shows. Phish performed 13 shows over a 17-night span that ran from July 21 to Aug. 6, touting both the shows (and free Federal donuts) as being jam-packed.

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ABCOMRENTS Debuts Indoor 2.6mm X2v Absen LED Tile For Rental And Resale

[caption id="attachment_278528" align="alignnone" width="608"]ABSEN X2v[/caption]

CHICAGO, IL — ABCOMRENTS, the leading provider of IT & Digital Signage Solutions, has expanded their inventory once again! This time, the company has added the latest Absen LED tile: the indoor 2.6mm X2v from Absen’s Mobile Indoor/Outdoor Xv-series. ABCOMRENTS purchased 4,000 of the X2v tiles, with 2,000 available by August, the balance due in by September.  They are available for both rental and resale. Designed specifically for the rental & staging industry, Absen’s Xv-series sets a new standard for modular LED tiles. The unique 500×562 pixel size and 2.6mm pitch means each tile provides true HD clarity allowing for native 16:9 content design and application.

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ADJ To “Light Up” DJ Expo 2017 with 13 Brand New Products

[caption id="attachment_278525" align="alignnone" width="960"]New ADJ Products[/caption]

ATLANTIC CITY – The annual DJ Expo event is always an important date on the ADJ calendar, and this year is no exception. The ADJ team are preparing to demonstrate a total of 13 brand new products at the show (5 of which are new product debuts), all of which will be of interest to DJs. Moving to a new home this year – the Atlantic City Convention Center – DJ Expo attracts thousands of DJs from across the USA for a week of networking, learning, partying and checking out the latest gear.

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