International News

MANCHESTER, U.K. – Staged on June 4, less than two weeks after a suicide bomber killed himself and 22 others as attendees were leaving an Ariana Grande concert, and one day after another terror attack in London killed eight, the “One Love Manchester” concert drew 55,000 to Manchester’s Old Trafford Cricket Ground and raised funds for Manchester victims and their families. The British Red Cross reported it received more than £10 million ($13 million) in donations in the 12 hours following the concer.

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[caption id="attachment_277119" align="alignnone" width="800"]Heaven on Earth press launch at Wembley[/caption]

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. – ‘Heaven on Earth’, which will be touring U.K. arenas between Dec. 4 2017 and May 12, 2018, will feature a lighting design by LD James Bawn. The show, focusing on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve, is relying upon Avolites technologies for lighting and video support. The large-scale musical is produced by Eden International Productions. It was written by Sara Jeffs and directed by Racky Plews, with an original musical score and arrangements by Geoff Alexander.

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[caption id="attachment_277116" align="alignnone" width="800"]Robe fixtures used for a Banks show[/caption]

LONDON – Singer/songwriter Banks toured Europe and the U.K. earlier this year with a lighting rig supplied by Neg Earth Lights that included 13 Robe Spiiders (and one spare). LD Ali Pike designed the show, which traveled from Antwerp, Belgium on Feb. 24 to London on March 13. The tour, in support of last year’s Altar album release, is now underway in the U.S. and Canada through late June. Banks then heads to Australia before heading back to North America, the U.K. and Europe for another run of shows later this year.

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MANCHESTER, U.K. – Ariana Grande and others will perform at the “One Love Manchester” benefit concert set to take place June 4 at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, England. Tickets, some of which were offered to attendees of the May 22 concert at no charge, have sold out.

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[caption id="attachment_277098" align="alignnone" width="800"]Robe gear used at the Tropicana Singapore[/caption]

SINGAPORE – LD Yo Shao Ann made use of Robe’s new Viva CMY LED spots, Spiider wash beams and CycBar 15 battens on the recent production of Tropicana the Musical in Singapore. Tan Kheng Hua and Beatrice Chia-Richmond served as producer and director of the show for Spare Room Productions. The 10 VIVA CMYs used in the show were part of the first shipment into the region of these brand new fixtures from Robe, shortly after their launch at Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt in early April.

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[caption id="attachment_277086" align="alignnone" width="800"]HSL supports John Mayer for UK show[/caption]

BLACKBURN, U.K. – Whatever HSL, the UK based lighting rental specialist couldn’t source from their extensive stock, they purchased for John Mayer’s “The Search for Everything” tour. This including brand new VL4000 Beam Washes, which were on lighting designer Nathan Alves’ plot, together with Robe BMFLs and Claypaky Sharpy Washes. HSL project manager Jordan Hanson co-ordinated everything from their end and three of Nate’s regular crew, chief Chris Coyle, Benji Meserole and Holly Lloyd, went to HSL ahead of the tour and prepped the lighting rig, which was supplied as a complete dry hire package for the European and UK legs of the tour.

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[caption id="attachment_277080" align="alignnone" width="708"]Aurora invests in Rosco soft silks[/caption]

UK – As part of a pan-company program to invest in both products and people, broadcast lighting specialists Aurora are expanding their range of LED and low energy light sources with a significant intake of new equipment. Commenting on the investment, Head of Lighting at VER and Aurora, David March says “As lighting technology continues to move forward we are witnessing a definite shift in the preference for specifying LED products. To properly reflect this growing trend we are making sure we have the very latest technology available to clients operating throughout all areas of our industry”.

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[caption id="attachment_277074" align="alignnone" width="800"]The Claypaky staff and John Allen, chairman of Showlight at Palazzo dei Congressi, Firenze [/caption]

FLORENCE, Italy – Leading Italian lighting manufacturer Claypaky is proud to have been the Headline Sponsor and host of the Showlight 2017 conference, which closed on 23 May after three extremely successful days in Florence, Italy. Over a three-year period, the Claypaky team has worked closely with the Showlight committee to help produce this extraordinary event.

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[caption id="attachment_277068" align="alignnone" width="800"]Robe Mahatma Argentina 01[/caption]

BUENOS AIRES  – Argentinian LD Ariel del Mastro designed the lighting for Mahatma, choreographer / producer Flavio Mendoza’s production, recently staged at the Luxor Theatre in Villa Carlos Paz, Cordoba. The elaborate production, lit with Robe moving lights, is opening this month at Teatro Broadway in Buenos Aires.

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BRISBANE, Australia – A newly completed memorial to World War II submariners is the centerpiece of the 300-metre Submariners’ Walk Heritage Trail on the Brisbane River boardwalk in Tenerrife, Queensland, Australia. The walk features a series of plaques and submarine-shaped seats commemorating the sailors and their service. The memorial itself comprises a landmark sign illuminated by Firefly’s Digital FloppyFlex RGBW LED neon.

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[caption id="attachment_277005" align="alignnone" width="800"]Ed Sheeran Tour[/caption]

BOGATA, Colombia – U.K.-based Major Tom, Ltd. is supplying Kinesys system on Ed Sheeran’s 108-show, three-continent tour in support of his third studio album, Divide (stylized, simply, as a division symbol). The Kinesys system and control was recommended by Mike Oates, director of UK based Lights Control Rigging (LCR), the tour’s lighting equipment and crew supplier in combination with SES in the U.S.

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[caption id="attachment_277002" align="alignnone" width="800"]Armin Rocks Amsterdam ArenA[/caption]

AMSTERDAM – For Armin van Buuren’s two mega-shows at Amsterdam ArenA May 12-13, designers Andre Beekmans and Marc Heinz collaborated on a visual extravaganza that included the use of more than 900 Robe fixtures. Focus Amsterdam B.V. and Rent-All supplied the fixtures, which included 200 BMFL Spots, 112 BMFL WashBeams, 186 Pointes, 180 LEDBeam 100s and 231 Spiiders. The show filled the home stadium for the Ajax soccer team with music and light.

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