Star Events Group director Pete Holdich liaised with ClearChannel's Emma Hodgetts and production manager Neil McDonald to develop a tailored staging solution for each venue and had to manage the complex logistics as the shows took place simultaneously. Jake Piper was brought in by the group to manage the project on the ground, overseeing the impressive logistics operation including some 50 plus truck movements and several hundred crew days across all the sites.
Pete commented: "This series of shows has highlighted how well Star Orbit has integrated into the business and showcased the benefits we can offer clients by drawing on the wide range of equipment and specialist engineering and events experience within the group."
The Cardiff, Leeds, Warwick and Chatsworth venues drew on the skills and resources of three of the divisions within Star Events group. The Star Orbit stages were 20m wide two-bay structures that housed the various stage sets, lighting and back-line equipment required by the different artists. The Orbit division also supplied the front-of-house towers, delay towers, wheelchair users platform and spot platforms. These stages were built onto a VerTech flooring system and there were also two VerTech screen supports erected either side of the stage. A pair of Star Rigging's new V-Towers sat between the screens and the stage supporting the line-array PA systems.
Summer Nights production manager Neil McDonald commented: "I've been very impressed with Star Events Group across all of the sites and the new investments they've made would seem very shrewd. The shape of the Orbit stages has worked well in these settings and they have stood up to some very severe weather conditions. The V-Towers are also great pieces of equipment, which are very quick and easy to use."
In Edinburgh Castle the promoters were Castle Concerts, where the Star Mobile division of the group supplied their SS 15-12 (SAM) mobile stage. The speed of the set-up and load-out times for the mobile stage was the key to it being selected for this venue, as the Castle needed to be open between the three shows on consecutive weekends. The Star Events Group team completed the four load-in/load-outs in on schedule over the two-weeks of concerts.
(Lee Baldock)
