International News

ITALY – Following the extraordinary success of their summer tour, and after winning the 65th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival and representing Italy in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, Il Volo have given a long series of performances in Italy and abroad this year. Show designer Francesco De Cave, who was called upon by the production team to create a new show image, used Claypaky lights to illuminate the young tenors’ world tour dates.

Read More »

OWATONNA, MN – Although North America and Europe have long been leaders in building signature performing arts facilities, one of Wenger Corporation’s partners in Latin America is helping raise this region’s profile through a number of notable projects.  “For years a trend of theater renovation has been growing in Latin America,” says Juan Pablo Rozo, architect and founder of Arquitorium in Bogotá, Colombia. “Many iconic 19th and 20th century buildings with obsolete and unreliable technologies are being renovated.”

Read More »

[caption id="attachment_273400" align="alignnone" width="800"]YES Events takes delivery of their Fuze fixtures[/caption]

WOKINGHAM, U.K. — Yes Events Ltd has been investing in Elation Professional products for years to service a huge variety of applications. Recently, the company, based just west of London, chose to further strengthen its stock with several of Elation’s newest offerings – the Fuze Wash Z350™, Fuze Wash Z120™, Platinum HFX™ and Satura Spot CMY Pro™. Fuze Series fixtures’ non-pixel lens face and ability to wash without multi-shadows are striking a chord with LDs looking for that classic wash look from an LED light.

Read More »

EUROPE – Kinesys automation is central to show designer Jvan Morandi’s visual concept for the current Placebo “Retrospective” tour, which features some of the musical highlights and moments from 20 years on the indie rock frontline for the band, known for their intelligent visceral, raw and creative approach to live performance. Ten Kinesys Elevation 1+ vari-speed drive units, used with 10 x half ton Liftket motors and Kinesys Vector control are being used to move five I-shaped trussing pods rigged in the roof above the stage.

Read More »

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE -– “Jazz music is the power of now,” Wynton Marsalis once observed. If that is the case, then Maputo is flourishing in the moment. A bustling city of gleaming new high-rises, Mediterranean-style villas and wide boulevards lined with jacaranda and flame trees, the Mozambique capital teems with the sound of jazz from its lively club scene and internationally acclaimed festivals.

Read More »

LONDON – Drapes and rigging expert Blackout, working for CPL Productions, returned to supply Sky One’s sports comedy panel show ‘A League of Their Own’, October 2016. Growing with the show over the last seven years, a team of six Blackout riggers lead by project manager Alex Duke, was entrusted to supply, install and operate a range of drapes and rigging equipment to transform a sound stage in the well-loved TV set playing host to the likes of James Cordon, Jack Whitehall, Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp.

Read More »

EUROPE – Lighting designer Francis Clegg of London-based design house MIRRAD turned to control technology by British manufacturer Avolites to drive his atmospheric lighting for electronic retro-rockers Public Service Broadcasting’s (PSB) ‘The Race for Space’ album tour.The band’s unique sound features samples of vocals from old public information films and propaganda material with a goal to “teach lessons of the past through the music of the future”.

Read More »

LONDON – Stars of stage and screen join the BBC Concert Orchestra at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the European premiere of Disney’s Broadway Hits – a celebration of the songs behind some of the world’s best loved musicals. As the rental partner for the Disney production, VER London supplied equipment, crew, logistics and peace of mind to allow the US creative team to hit the ground running at the venue, fully serviced via the local VER operation, fully backed by a global leading provider of quality equipment and support.

Read More »

LONDON – The London-based company has just invested in a large number of BlackBox F-2 G4S transceivers for an upcoming tour. For this project, Wireless DMX was critical to get data to audience trusses for an in-the-round stadium tour. At each venue, the power would be sourced local to the trusses, which would require potentially hundreds of meters of extra cable for the sake of two DMX universes on each side of the stadium.

Read More »

SINGAPORE – The 2016 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore tennis tournament was staged at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang over a seven day period at the end of October. Over 100 Robe moving lights illuminated the court as part of a lighting scheme designed by Michael Chan and Tom Langridge. While Tom ensured that the court was lit specifically for the TV cameras Michael looked after lighting for the Opening Ceremony and then for general ambience and effects lighting including creating WOW-moments for the player entrances.

Read More »

ROME – Lighting manufacturer Osram, which celebrates its 110-year brand anniversary this year, is joined by another famous institution: the Westin Excelsior in Rome. To mark the occasion, Claypaky – a company of the Osram group – illuminated the venerable hotel in a particularly spectacular fashion from November 5 to 20. Following the video projection shown at the Patent Office in Berlin during the Festival of Light in October, this was the second lighting installation being presented by Osram for its brand anniversary.

Read More »

LONDON – For the current Placebo “Retrospective” arena tour, which wraps up with a big show at SSE Wembley Arena Dec. 15, visual designer Jvan Morandi turned to UK rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment for the full lighting, video and rigging package. Color Sound is supporting the shows with recently acquired gear including a new Kinesys automation system; new robo and static video cameras and new Robe Spiider WashBeam moving lights, among other recent additions to the company’s rental inventory.

Read More »