UK - UKCA is a new product marking that will soon be required for manufactured products placed on the market in Great Britain. The UKCA marking is intended to eventually replace CE marking and requires that certification of construction products, such as voice alarm control and indicating equipment, is performed by a ‘UK based approved body’.
Baldwin Boxall confirms that all VIGIL2 and VIGIL3 voice alarm products and systems are certified to UKCA and the certificate is available to view on the company’s website (baldwinboxall.co.uk/ukca-certificate-for-vigil2-vigil3-voice-alarm).
Further guidance and information regarding the new UKCA mark can be found on the Government website (gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-market-in-great-britain).
UK - Birmingham-based event services partner Taylex Group has unveiled its new look to mark significant post-pandemic growth and expansion of its event and exhibition services.
During 15 years of continued expansion, Taylex Group’s team has been synonymous with the delivery of exhibitions and event builds for the likes of Kawasaki, Raleigh, Commonwealth Games 2022 and BST in Hyde Park. Following post-COVID reflection, the business is now primed to enter 2023 with an evolved, expanded range of services and solutions.
The all-new Taylex Group offers full in-house CAD and technical expertise, production and fabrication of state-of-the-art special projects, events, interiors, environments, design and exhibitions.
A supportive and collaborative approach is taken with all clients, reflected by the launch of Taylex located at the NEC, providing modular solutions for exhibiting brands, Expo Supplies strategically located on site to help any business overcome last-minute show hurdles, plus two Londis store fit-outs to assist with retail requirements.
Karl Clark, Taylex group managing director, explains: “I am immensely proud Taylex Group has emerged from testing economic times in its strongest position to date – ready to support a wealth of global brands returning to a once-again flourishing European event market. Working not just as a contractor but as an integrated project partner, our client-first mentality is whole-heartedly adopted by our talented, fast-growing team.
“As we all look to the year ahead, we’ll be championing new educ
Germany - Kramer has announced its distribution partnership in Germany with Exertis Pro AV, headquartered in Uhingen.
With this new partnership, Exertis Pro AV will be able to market Kramer's entire portfolio while delivering the most intuitive audio-visual experiences through its wide network of resellers, integrators, planners and architects in Germany. Customers will now have access to a dedicated team offering reliable support that drives the business forward.
Marc Issan, global VP sales at Kramer, said: "Partnering with a distributor as credible and professional as Exertis Pro AV makes me excited for the future of this collaboration. With each other’s help, customers in Germany will gain access to Kramer’s secure and reliable AV products while experiencing seamless support from Exertis Pro AV through innovative audio-visual experiences that power creativity, collaboration, and engagement in the physi-digi world.”
Rainer Sprinzl, managing director DACH at Exertis Pro AV adds: "Kramer stands for a high level of innovation. We will gladly use this for our customers and ourselves to increasingly offer holistic solutions. The partnership with Kramer combines an A-brand manufacturer with an A-list distributor. In doing so, the range of solutions ideally complements the existing Exertis product range."
Spain BikeFest, the fundraising cycle event, will return to Spain for a second year from 27-29 January 2023, cycling up to 400km towards ISE in Barcelona. By doing so, the BikeFest team will raise money for industry charity Backup Tech and create lasting friendships across the live events and AV industries.
Organised by PLASA, #WeMakeEvents and AFIAL, the growing BikeFest team is seeking new members to join them for the upcoming ride, as well as sponsors who are interested in aligning with important industry values. Furthermore, those who wish to support the event from afar can donate or buy branded merchandise.
The three-day route will begin in Valencia and travel along the stunning Mediterranean coast via Peñiscola and Tarragona toward Barcelona. Once at ISE, the BikeFest team will be invited to a drinks reception and presented with their medals, where they can celebrate their achievement and network with like-minded industry peers.
People can sign up for the full 400km route or join in for the last leg on day three which is a more manageable 95km. As part of the entry fee, team members will receive meals and accommodation. Plus, a support vehicle will on hand throughout the route and specialist bikes are available for hire.
Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available for those companies who want to align their brand to the cause. With additional team members and sponsors, the BikeFest team hope to exceed what they raised last year. Once the basic event costs are covered, Backup will use these vital funds to help industry profess
Europe - Nearly 45 years after founding Belgian event staging pioneer Stageco, Hedwig De Meyer is stepping down from his leadership role, and has named Hans Willems as Stageco Belgium’s new executive CEO, effective 1 January 2023.
The move, says De Meyer, 68, was intended to take place two years ago but was delayed due to the pandemic lockdown. “Now that our business has begun to stabilise after a very busy summer, the time feels right to pass the baton to Hans, who gave us every confidence that he was the most logical choice of successor,” he explains.
Formerly head of R&D at Stageco, Willems, 51, established his own business, Wicreations nearly 18 years ago. As CEO, he has driven his company to become one of the global live industry’s leading creative players in motion technology. Together, Stageco and Wicreations have collaborated on many of the world’s leading concert tours by the likes of U2, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé and Rammstein among many other premier acts.
“Hans knows the industry inside out, and possesses exemplary leadership skills,” comments De Meyer. “The manner in which he has grown Wicreations is extraordinary and while our two companies will remain independent of each other, there is now greater potential for partnership and creative collaboration.”
Until the end of 2022, Willems will divide his time between the two companies, working with his teams to align their cultures and shape a new ecosystem that further exploits their already existing organic synergies.
Says Willems: “I have always h
Germany/UAE - Neumann&Müller Veranstaltungstechnik has sold its subsidiary companies for the Middle East and system integration as a spin-off. The current managing directors of the two companies, Jens Gießler and Felix Erdmann, take over 100% of the two and will run them under the name BeWunder. They will act independently in the Middle East event market with a new brand.
N&M projects were previously planned and executed by two Neumann&Müller Veranstaltungstechnik subsidiaries. The teams in Dubai, Berlin and Munich created technical solutions such as those for national and thematic pavilions at Expo 2017 in Astana (Kazakhstan) and the World Expo2020 in Dubai; other system integration jobs include projects for Porsche in Stuttgart and Topgolf in Oberhausen. The team for the Middle East implemented large-scale events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi and the World Government Summit in Dubai.
In future, an N&M spin-off will look after clients in these segments and execute their projects. Jens Gießler and Felix Erdmann have acquired the subsidiaries Neumann&Müller Event Technology LLC and Neumann&Müller System Integration GmbH and are now operating as an independent company in these markets.
Says a statement, “The independent BeWunder will create optimised framework conditions for its clients. Organisational structures and workflows in the company are aligned to the demands of event clients in the region as well as to the needs of system integration customers. And the spin-off will still be able to draw on th
USA - At LDI 2022, Behind the Scenes’ booth (#2551) will promote all the tools and resources available through BTS’ Mental Health Initiative alongside industry-themed holiday cards and decorations.
Visitors can also order signed copies of Queen: The Neal Preston Photographs with a show special of free shipping in the US. All proceeds go to support your colleagues in need who are seriously ill or injured and the Mental health Initiative.
On Saturday at 3:30 on the LDI Stage in the Circle Bar and Lounge join Steven Michelman, Founder of EPS, and Lori Rubinstein, executive director of Behind the Scenes, for an in depth look into mental health challenges and the available support in our industry. Steven will be speaking publicly for the first time about his own mental health journey and about trying to provide a psychologically safe workplace for his employees.
Lori will speak about the Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative and how it can benefit you, your family, and your colleagues. The presentation will provide an overview of the tool and resources developed specifically to support entertainment industry workers and promote mental health and psychological safety.
Creative Careers - The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched a £950,000 careers programme aimed at giving young people from under-represented backgrounds opportunities in the creative industries. The Creative Careers Programme, which will include theatres, is being led by ScreenSkills, and will target 53 priority areas across the country, including Barking and Dagenham, Wolverhampton, Rotherham, Slough and Swindon, the DCMS said.
Delivery partners include Get Into Theatre, One Dance UK, UK Music, UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre. The programme aims to help young people from under-represented backgrounds "break into the creative industries" and will offer guidance on careers, help pay for lesson plans, establish a dedicated careers website and provide training for careers advisers.
ScreenSkills chief executive Seetha Kumar said: “It is difficult to contemplate a career you don’t even know about, which is why we are delighted to be working with so many innovative partners to ensure we can secure a strong and inclusive workforce that meets the demands of our brilliant, fast-paced sectors." In addition, creative businesses in six English regions are to benefit from a £17.5m funding pot to help them expand and create new jobs under a programme called the Create Growth Programme.
Disposable Income - Four in 10 theatregoers who purchase the cheapest price band of tickets are concerned about having a fall in disposable income in the coming months. The findings from the October 2022 UK Performing Arts Survey f
USA - More than 350 touring professionals, students and mentors gathered at Nashville's SoundCheck rehearsal studios for the 11th Annual Touring Career Workshop (TCW). There they participated in workshops and heard from experts from a variety of fields including affordable health care, tax and savings advice, mental health wellbeing, personal safety, diversity and touring as well as giving back.
Bandit Lites chair and founder, Michael T. Strickland delivered the keynote address where he addressed current legislation before Congress and the industry’s need of The Entertainment Association.
“As we returned back live to our flagship event after a three-year hiatus, we were truly honoured to have Michael Strickland join us to talk about the work he has been doing with Congress and his fantastic initiative with the Entertainment Association,” said Chris Lisle, co-founder and executive director of TCW.
In the event of another industry wide shut down, the entertainment industry requires a single organisation as a representative before Congress. With no PAC, Lobby, or unified NAICS Code to establish the industry’s real size, legislators cannot and will not listen to the thousands of voices from the entertainment sector.
“I want to thank Chris Lisle and Erik Parker for their dedication to the industry and for holding this very important event,” said Strickland. “Huge numbers of people gain greatly from this amazing gathering. I was proud that TCW was the world premiere of The Entertainment Association informational tour as we educate p
UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has launched Guidance Note W2: Mental health and well-being in the workplace – A practical guide to conducting Stress Risk Assessments and creating well-being policies. This is the second in the ABTT’s ‘W series of Guidance Notes which deal with legal duties and best practice for ensuring the welfare of all workers.
Guidance Note W2 is launched to coincide with International Stress Awareness Week 7-11 November 2022.1 The guide provides guidance for risk assessing stress in the workplace. It is closely aligned with the HSE’s current advice provided as part of the Working Minds campaign2 . The guidance note offers concise guidance and a step-by-step methodology by which to begin risk assessing work related stress.
Guidance Note W2 is part of the Code of Practice for the Theatre Industry in the UK which is produced by the ABTT with the support of the national Theatre Safety Committee and which is recognised by the HSE as an Established Standard.
Work-related stress is a major cause of occupational ill health and can cause severe physical and psychological conditions in workers. It can also lead to poor productivity and human error, increased sickness absence, increases in accidents, high staff turnover and poor performance.
HSE statistics show that work-related stress is a significant issue with more than 15.4m working days lost as a result of stress, anxiety or depression. This equates to an estimated cost of £5.2 billion.3 Stress, anxiety and depression ar
Open Air Abba - Mamma Mia! is to perform outside at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre next year to celebrate 24 years since the show premiered in London in April 1999. The show will run at Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the largest open-air concert arena in the UK, from 14-18 June 2023, as part of the show’s UK & International Tour. It marks the return of theatre to the venue, which has hosted music acts in recent years. More than 30,000 tickets are on sale for the six performances.
Creator and producer Judy Craymer said: “We are so excited to be bringing Mamma Mia! to Scarborough Open Air Theatre next summer. With its heart-warming story told through the wonderful music of ABBA, Mamma Mia! lends itself perfectly to the outdoors.”
Closure Threat - The future of a Manchester music venue which has hosted bands such as Wet Leg, Elbow and the Arctic Monkeys hangs in the balance after a noise complaint. Owners of the Night & Day Cafe will appear in court this month over alleged breaches of statutory noise levels. It comes after Manchester City Council issued the venue with a noise abatement notice last year. If found in breach, the bar - which has been a Northern Quarter staple for more than 30 years - could close.
The row centres on a complaint from neighbours in an adjoining property, which has recently been converted for residential use. Owner Jennifer Smithson, daughter of the late founder and Manchester icon Jan Oldenburg, has said she now "faces an impossible task". Ms Smithson said to comply with the requirements of the a
UK - Following the extensive report released by PLASA and #WeMakeEvents last winter, they have now released a follow-up survey, investigating the ongoing recovery of the supply chain to the live events, entertainment and installation industries. Companies and individuals are invited to complete the survey, which closes at midnight on Sunday 20 November.
This new survey will build upon last year’s findings which were sourced from nearly 2,000 industry professionals in over 40 countries. The subsequent 2021 report revealed huge challenges: 45% of companies took on additional debt to survive the lockdowns, 94% of manufacturers experienced delays in components, 69% of companies faced skills shortages, and full-time freelancers in the industry dropped by 52%.
With last year’s survey serving as a solid benchmark, the new follow-up survey will accurately measure the progress made and clarify outstanding challenges, including emerging issues such as spiralling living costs and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The resulting data will strengthen the position of the industry at government-level and will provide key insights for business leaders to plan for the future. Once the data is analysed, the full report will be available to download for free on PLASA and #WeMakeEvents’ respective websites.
Nicky Greet, PLASA director for membership, skills & technical, and member of the #WeMakeEvents Steering Group, comments: “The results of the 2021 report were striking, demonstrating the huge – and ongoing – impact of recent years. We now need to upd
UK - The live production industry faces mounting pressure to operate more sustainably, despite a multitude of persistent challenges. A newly published whitepaper by Sony aims to present the key opportunities for businesses within the industry to implement change.
The report underlines that sustainable practices are not one-size-fits-all, as each production has unique requirements. By analysing the key areas of challenge for the industry, Sony has been able to look for spaces where creating change that benefits business and the environment is possible.
The report suggests that the key challenges at hand are:
Quantifying environmental footprint: Without clear knowledge of current emissions, it is difficult for companies to accurately perceive their carbon impact and justify the disruption and cost of moving to new systems and processes.
Considering individual production needs: Transport and logistics are core to live production, and perhaps its biggest challenge in terms of sustainability concerns.
The limitations of OB trucks: Providing the lion’s share of a production’s emissions, these cannot be removed from the process, but opportunities to lighten their loads can and should be explored.
Battling uncertainty around power supply: A reliable power infrastructure and network is essential on a live production. This leads to overprovision to account for possible energy failure, and subsequently, copious unused resources.
The whitepaper explores a modular approach to live production that enables companies to redu
Germany - DirectOut has named Aspen Media (UK) as ‘Distributor of the Year’ for the third time in the history of the company, while Tonspur AG (Switzerland) and tm stagetec systems (Australia) are recognised with the ‘Best Sales Performance’ and the ‘Prodigy of the Year’ awards.
Aspen Media previously received the accolade in 2013 and 2018. Chris Collings, director of Aspen Media accepted the 2021 award.
Jan Ehrlich, CEO of DirectOut, comments: “This award is our special thanks to Aspen Media for a great and long-lasting cooperation and for the very special commitment Aspen Media shows according to their clients and us as a manufacturer. The last few years have been quite challenging for everybody, but Aspen Media is one of the very few examples which is always demonstrating comprehensive performance at its best.”
The second award handed out by DirectOut recognises the sales performance of business partners operating in smaller markets that have proven to be reliable and successful distributors: this is the case for Tonspur AG. The company based in Lucerne has been the official DirectOut distributor for Switzerland since 2017. Over the years the knowledge of the products by Hansjürg Meier and his team has been steadily growing and the sales have followed the same trend.
For the third time in a row, tm stagetec systems has received a DirectOut award collecting the full set of different trophies handed out by the company. This time it receives the Prodigy of the Year award for being one of the distribution companies which not on
USA - A 3D stage production featured at the Red Rocks amphitheatre in late September for Rowdytown X, the 10th anniversary edition of Big Gigantic’s flagship party. Lighting and production designer, Justin Casey of Helms Projects and the production team created a deep and evocative stage presence that made it easy for fans to feel like they were entering a 3D space as they watch performances by the event’s hosts, as well as guests Joyryde, Mitis, Jantsen, and INZO.
A variety of design elements, from a curved set that wrapped around the artists on stage, to blow-through video walls with generative content, were seamlessly fused to create this immersive panorama. Contributing to the overall effect was a collection of 40 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Helms Projects and Brown Note Productions.
“This production took a village to complete, so big thanks to all the vendors, not just Helm Projects, and Brown Note Productions, but also Pyromix Pyro, Laser Wolf, Photon7, Gallagher staging, Antic Studio and PSI,” said Casey. “There were also so many people involved like Jonathan ‘Jdub’ Watson, Tommy Mercer, Sean Ginsburg, and Bryan Saltarelli from the lighting team, Max Kohler, Collin Thielen, Andrew Gross, Daniel Fennell, John Batts from the video team; Marshall Rawley, Conner Ash from laser, Alex Curry our rigger; and Sean Mullens, Whitney Wangsgaard, Mike Norfleet, and Bryan Fletcher from the Big Gigantic team.”
Creating a distinctive focal point in the middle of their dimensional stage, the design team positioned a giant mirror
Austria - With the new Mythos Mozart exhibition, situated right in the heart of downtown Vienna, visitors are introduced to the life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the form of an immersive experience.
The timeless beauty of the musical genius’s legacy meets the latest audio-visual technology, with this process becoming a work of art in its own right that succeeds in entertaining both young and old.
“Mythos Mozart connects tradition with modernity, art and music, creativity with technology and creates a new space for innovation and culture to honour Mozart in a way that’s never been seen before,” explains Mythos Mozart managing director Hans Gasser.
Mythos Mozart enchants and informs across more than 1,500sq.m, at precisely the same location where the composer, who was born in 1756, spent the last year of his life and created unforgettable masterpieces like The Magic Flute. Nowadays the STEFFL department store can be found here.
The exhibition consists of five different rooms (‘Mozart’s world') that each offer a distinct access point to Mozart’s body of work and general legacy.
Equipped with a ticket and QR code, each visitor has their photo taken at the beginning of their audio-visual journey. Within two seconds, the photos are turned into digital 3D portraits with the ability to wink back at the visitor and to jump from one picture frame to the next.
The general soundscape, indispensable for the overall experience of the exhibition, was composed and re-arranged by musical director, Walter Werzowa. Mozart’s
UK - Andy Bell, former operations director at KB Event, has joined Truckingby as events operations director.
Andy has over 23 years' experience in live event trucking, working with bands and artists such as Ed Sheeran, Rod Stewart, the Stereophonics and many more.
“I’m looking forward to bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge into Truckingbyand being a valuable part of their team in expanding their live events division,” says Andy.
Kevin Hopper, Truckingby managing director said Andy’s appointment to the company adds additional strength and knowledge to our live events logistics operation, we are all looking forward to working with him, and wish him all the best for the future with Truckingby.”
Expensive Tastes - Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival will cost £340, organisers have confirmed. Festival-goers will be charged £335 plus a £5 booking fee for standard tickets, plus a £50 deposit. The last time tickets went on sale, in 2019, they cost £265 plus the booking fee for what should have been the 2020 festival, but was postponed due to the pandemic.
The music event will return to Worthy Farm in Somerset from 21 to 25 June 2023, and tickets - which usually sell out in minutes - will go on sale on 6 November. Fans must register before purchasing in a bid by organisers to stop ticket touts.
Bittersweet - The Lord Mayor of Liverpool said winning Eurovision was "bittersweet" and vowed to do his utmost to honour the Ukrainian sister city. Councillor Roy Gladden has written to the Mayor of Odesa after Liverpool secured the right to host the 2023 European Song Contest last week. He said it will celebrate Ukraine's culture with a "scouse twist".
It comes as BBC director general Tim Davie praised Liverpool for its "energy" and "warmth" and "record of delivering great events", after meeting the city's culture team to discuss the forthcoming show.
In his letter to Mayor of Odesa Gennadiy Trukhanov, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool said he was "proud" the city would host in Ukraine's place on 13 May, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "When it was announced that we were the winner, it was a bittersweet moment. We know this is your event - it should be you and your colleagues across your country working together on pl
USA - This month, the American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC) welcomed Michael Nishball as its newest full member. Membership into the ASTC, follows a highly selective process that considers a candidate’s range of capability and experience, their past industry achievements, and the quality of service they provide to clients.
“I can think of no person more deserving of full membership,” offered Scott Crossfield, Theatre Projects principal and fellow with the ASTC. “Michael’s experience in equipment and systems design is unparalleled, and he is the type of person we want in the ASTC: committed to the industry, dogged about the appropriate use of technology in the design of performance spaces, and invested in safety for audience and performer as his number one priority.”
Michael is Theatre Projects’ principal theatre equipment designer and one of the industry’s leading voices on structural systems, rigging equipment, and specialty stage machinery. He makes the eighth Theatre Projects employee currently on the ASTC membership roster and brings over 40 years of experience to the elite organisation.
Theatre Projects has been Michael’s professional home since 1995. Prior to Theatre Projects, he worked with Pook Diemont & Ohl, Inc. as a rigging contractor, and earlier on, he was a stagehand, production designer, and rigger with a variety of theatre companies. He supervised lighting and rigging for the Wooster Group all over the world and worked with the Boston Shakespeare Company, the American Repertory Theater, and several mode
UK - Production Futures exists to create opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop real careers in production across every area of the live event, music, touring, theatre, TV, broadcast and film industries. The organisation’s Breakthrough Awards, presented in association with TPi magazine, recognise the impact of up-and-coming talent in all areas of production, with nominations made by tutors, mentors, colleagues or peers.
This year, the six winners received their awards at the Production Futures ON TOUR event which took place in late September at Production Park in Wakefield. The event was the first of a series taking place across the UK in the coming months and saw more than six hundred young people through its doors. Thirty-five brand partners from the worlds of audio, lighting, TV, virtual events and global logistics, were on hand to offer information, insights and advice about careers in production. A number of industry associations were also represented, joining the commercial brands in presenting panels and workshops on a range of subjects designed to explain and inspire.
Hannah Eakins, CEO of Production Futures comments, “this year’s awards were presented at the conclusion of what was a fantastic day. We received a record number of nominations this year - an indication that our campaign to highlight and deliver opportunities for young people in the production sector is moving in the right direction. Our brand partners, many of them market-leading global companies, have really bought into our ideas, recognising the
USA - From 2014 to 2017, the University of Houston Cougars football team won 16 straight games on its home gridiron - the John O’Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium - marking the longest active home winning streak in the nation at the time. However, the PA system for the facility, which opened in August of 2014, didn’t share quite the same success, quickly falling victim to the area’s increasingly volatile weather and early component failures.
In response, LD Systems was recently able to step in and remedy the situation with a loudspeaker design from L-Acoustics that offered vastly better audio quality via a streamlined combination of K, A, and X Series products.
TDECU Stadium - its official name derived from the Texas Dow Employees Credit Union, the largest credit union in Houston - is built on the site of the former Robertson Stadium and also hosts the XFL's Houston Roughnecks.
Matt Rhodes, sales engineer at LD Systems, University of Houston’s long-time AV partner, commented on the stadium’s sound over the past few years: “We had been helping the school nurse its existing sound system through football seasons for the past two years, but it became clear that they needed a new, more modern audio system. We looked at a few options with them and found that L-Acoustics offered the right mix of components to create a powerful yet cost-effective system for the client.”
The stadium’s new system now comprises two hangs of 12 K2 enclosures over six Kara II per side of the scoreboard, flanked by a combination of A15i Wide and A15i Focus enclos
The Netherlands - Indie rock stalwarts Kensington have been widely praised by critics for bringing layers of added dimensions to their music without sacrificing any of its immediate power to engage emotionally. For six days this September, the quartet from Utrecht were supported by a light and video show that reflected the multi-faceted appeal of their songs.
The intricate and tightly coordinated show turned the 17,000-capacity Ziggo Dome into an immersive 3D galaxy of images that flowed in perfect harmony to the music being produced on stage. At the centre of it all was a massive 800m² ‘tree’ made of blow-through and solid LED panels that worked cohesively with intense, fast-moving displays of light.
Like the entire production, the mesmerizing video-and-light combination was the product of intense collaboration, as well as some seamless integration between two ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium consoles. (A third MQ500M was on site as a backup.)
“The thing that made this show much easier was that we did everything from the same show file,” said lighting director and programmer Leon Driessen. “I first made the cue stacks/cues on my MQ500M, and later we imported them into the video console using the Load Show Structure feature on the MQ500M used by our video director, Fabian Fisniku, who programmed on disguise servers. This worked out very well, as we only needed to make the show file once for all the cues and stacks, including timeline events.”
The 50-universe show (40 for light, 10 for video) was a tribute, not only to the skill of th
UK - The Roadie Cookbook has raised thousands for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for professional touring crew.
The Roadie Cookbook was curated during the first lockdown by production manager Nick Gosling and industry friends production coordinator Julie Cotton, band assistant Athena Caramitsos, backline tech Rich House and industry publicist Kel Murray.
The book showcases a collection of 50 recipes, anecdotes and advice from seasoned touring professionals working at all levels. It features contributors who have toured with Dolly Parton, Bryan Ferry, Chemical Brothers, Kylie Minogue and many more.
Following World Mental Health Day, the friends can now reveal the book has raised well in excess of £13,000, with 100% of profits being donated to charities Music Support and Stagehand.
World Health Organisation (WHO) describes the objective of World Mental Health Day as a time to “raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health. The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide”.
The professional roadie community is one of the most affected by mental health, with up to three in four experiencing an episode over the course of their career. The pandemic magnified this. Two years on, the touring industry is navigating how to practice better self-care and help peers.
Tour manager Suzi Green who works wit
Ticketing Issues - A new Ticketmaster pricing system, which alters the price of tickets based on demand, is being criticised by both fans and industry experts. Called dynamic pricing, it has been used in the UK for recent sales by Harry Styles, Coldplay and Blackpink. The system is regularly used in the US, where the resale market is a lot bigger, and touting is more prevalent. Ticketmaster say it is being used to try to stop touts, and to give more money to artists. But fans say they are being priced out of concerts, with some tickets doubling in price.
On the Ticketmaster page for Harry Styles' tour, a notice explains: "These tickets vary in price driven by demand from fans, similar to airline tickets and hotel rooms. We give fans an opportunity to safely buy official tickets for the events they love, right up to the date of the show."
The pricing system means Ticketmaster does not publicise ticket costs ahead of time - as they will change constantly, based on demand. Adam Webb is a campaigner for the FanFair Alliance, a group that aims to stop ticket touting in the UK. He said "there's a whole bunch of issues" with trying to price tickets based on demand.
In Ireland ticket touting - selling tickets above face value - was banned last year. But tickets for Harry Styles's 2023 gig at Slane Castle are being sold for more than double their original face value on Ticketmaster - €195 instead of €97.
Cashing In - Organisers of next year's Eurovision Song Contest have warned visitors not to book accommodation at over-inflated prices durin