UK - Natural History Museum has strengthened its venue hire team with two new appointments, ahead of the Museum’s relaunch of its main event space Hintze Hall on 14 July.
Joining the team is Gavin Bevan who has recently been welcomed to the Museum as operations manager, bringing over a decade of hospitality and events experience including six years delivering conferences, private banqueting and match day hospitality at the Kia Oval. His responsibilities will be to ensure a smooth collaboration between clients, accredited suppliers and the museum, resulting in world-class event delivery.
Susie Williamson, will join Bevan as the second operations manager, bringing with her five years of events experience within the heritage industry, having worked with the National Trust and the Royal Geographical Society. Susie’s experience ranges from organising family-friendly eve

UK - Garsington Opera Pavilion has undergone a number of major additions to its existing structure ahead of its summer 2017 programme of events that started at the beginning of June, thanks to Unusual Rigging. Visitors to the pavilion will this year experience enhanced protection from the unpredictable British weather as well as additional flexible space beneath the seating tier which will increase the champagne bar area as well as acting as a gallery space.
Angus Boyd-Heron, events manager for Garsington, said: "The award winning pavilion which Unusual constructed in 2010 was built as a demountable structure and has gone from strength to strength. Each year, we bring Unusual Rigging back to make some additions and improvements, which have escalated into some pretty major works as our ideas have become larger. As our ambitions grow and our season now extended enabling more p

UK - WI has supplied staging, elevators and extensive automation elements to the Take That ‘Wonderland’ tour which kicked off at the Genting Arena, Birmingham.
The lively, colourful carnivalesque aesthetic is the vision of the band’s creative director Kim Gavin and the result of some serious creative and technical talents who have collaborated to bring action packed drama to a strong, highly entertaining performance by the band.
The WI team was led by Hans Willems and Koen Peeters and the company was asked on-board by production manager Chris Vaughan. They worked closely with production designer Ray Winkler for Stufish, scenic designer Misty Buckley, lighting designer Tim Routledge and video designer Alex Leinster to specify and construct the numerous custom elements.
To deal with the complex and rigorous health and safety aspects of the project WI brought

UK - Liz Hobbs Group, one of the leading promoters and producers of concerts and events in the UK, has invested in a complete LED video wall system from the video division of A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd. (AC-ET).
Liz Hobbs, who are promoting and producing tours and concerts by Tom Jones, Little Mix, Olly Murs, Craig David and Shane Filan this summer, started using the system at the first gig of the UB40 tour, which opened at Inverness‘ Northern Meeting Park in late May.
The 33sqm, IP65 rated ProLights AlphaPIX6T LED wall consists of 72 panels and was supplied with a full range of rigging, networking, control and ancillary equipment. It will provide the main stage backdrop for many of the shows this summer.
In addition to the LED wall itself, AC-ET supplied video transmission equipment including, Luminex GigaCore data switches, tvONE video switcher / s

USA - Describing Father John Misty’s recent shows as “concerts,” doesn’t quite do them justice. There’s plenty of good music on the artist’s current tour in support of his Billboard chart topping Pure Comedy album, but his engrossing and provocative performance is almost as theatrical as it is musical.
Throughout his two-hour plus show the artist, whose real name is Josh Tillman, moves from captivating the audience with his rich lush sound, to startling them with theatrical flourishes. Dropping to a knee and clutching the mic to his heart one minute and emulating the hand gestures of a preacher the next, he enthrals audiences with his mix of music and drama.
Supporting this multi-faceted performance every step of the way is an equally engaging and varied lightshow that designer Peter Zellan is running with a ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 console.
Zellan,

USA - After 14 years of prayer and patience, Grace Orlando church recently opened the doors of its first designated worship space. A critical consideration from the outset was pristine and even audio coverage across all 600 seats, and thanks to a carefully researched sound system built around Adamson Systems Engineering S-Series loudspeakers, that’s exactly what they got – and a lot more.
“Full coverage is something we’ve lacked over the past 14 years at our part-time facility,” comments Worship Pastor Chad Wyatt, who boasts a background in production technology. “We wanted everyone to hear the word clearly and feel like the music is totally immersing them in the new space.”
The music ministry is a vital part of the church’s dynamic and spirited services, with a worship band that includes everything from full drums to guitars and keys to a horn section;

USA - An extensive renovation project at Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon, Mississippi, saw a complete sanctuary AVL refresh over the course of two years. Beginning in 2015, AVL systems integrator Paragon 360 designed and installed all new AVL systems, custom scenic and staging elements, motorized rigging systems, and acoustical treatment.
And the centrepiece of the project, which was completed in January 2017, is a RoomMatch loudspeaker system from Bose Professional. Paragon 360 chose the RoomMatch system because of its track record in attaining high speech intelligibility and touring-level music quality in acoustically challenging spaces.
The sanctuary had a number of challenges, including an odd geometry that saw a traditional balcony design considerably extended with additional seating elevated along the sides of the room. “That meant there were going to be

UK - PRG XL Video recently supported production manager Iain Whitehead and Production North with lighting, video and rigging services for The X Factor Live tour 2017. Stopping off at 19 venues around the UK, the tour featured the stars of the 2016 series of the popular prime-time weekend television show.
Lighting designer Peter Barnes returned for his sixth X Factor Live tour to design the set, lighting and video screen layout. Peter explained the creative process behind the show: “I worked closely with creative director, Beth Honan, on her staging requirements and overall artistic look of the show. The general design complimented what the audience would be used to from the TV show.
“Although there was no particular brief given to me, with this particular show, there’s always been a video screen which opens upstage centre, and the rest just falls into place from

The Netherlands - Shelter nightclub in Amsterdam is home to a new, four-point Funktion-One Evo sound system from Think! AV. The venue has quickly established itself on the international clubbing map, thanks to an uncompromising approach to quality.
Located beneath A’DAM Toren – a large tower behind Amsterdam's Central Station on the northern banks of the river IJ – Shelter is a 700-capacity, underground clubbing space. A’DAM is short for ‘Amsterdam Dance and Music’, which reflects the direction of the owners and businesses that now occupy the building. The tower was built by Shell in 1971 and was a base for the multinational oil and gas company up until 2009. When it moved out, music moved in.
Shelter’s general manager, Merijn van den Heuvel, explains the idea behind venue: “To be a clubber’s club, with sound, quality and vibe as top priorities in eve

UK - At the end of 2016, Autograph Sales & Installations completed an extensive installation at the New Adelphi Building at The University of Salford, providing an audio system that accommodates the needs of a multipurpose, flexible venue. A DiGiCo SD9 digital mixing console adds extra versatility to the 350-seat main theatre.
The theatre has been designed to be re-configurable to allow it to host a wide variety of performances. This includes seating and stage placements that can operate in five main modes: end firing; long traverse; short traverse; thrust; and in the round; as well as a dedicated cinema set up.
The SD9 and a DiGiCo Orange Box are key to the system - which includes an extensive EM Acoustics loudspeaker system, QSC digital signal processing and Sennheiser microphones - with system inputs being fed through it as required. It is programmed as an LCR

UK - “Our current count is nine Audient desks,” says Richard Liggins, technical production manager at the University of West London (UWL). “Seven ASP8024s and two ASP4816s, plus a number of ASP510 5.1 monitor controllers and an ASP800,” which puts it in the running for the facility with the most Audient desks in the world.
Most recently, London College of Music (LCM) - part of the UWL - opened Paragon Annex Studio complex, an investment of more than £1m in the development of seven new recording studios, which includes two each of these Audient consoles.
Liggins explains: “Audient desks reflect a very clear design ethic in terms of the signal flow through the desk. We teach audio studio recording from first principles, and that means an understanding of signal flow through a traditional multi-track studio as a base for all other techniques in audio recording.

Canada - Located within an old church building in Little Italy, Revival Bar has become a live performance hangout for the Toronto music community and fans since opening in 2000. While its designation as a Toronto historic building requires preservation of the building’s frontage, there is nothing to prevent modernization inside. That is why general manager Mathew Saturnino recently decided to upgrade the 400-capacity venue’s sound system with the Electro-Voice X1 system from the X-Line Advance line-array loudspeaker family.
"There’s a lot of competition in live entertainment, and quality of the sound system is one thing that sets one venue apart from another," notes Revival Bar general manager Mathew Saturnino. "We wanted a system that would sound great, with really good, tight sound output within the room. We did a lot of research, and the X1 from Electro-Voice seeme

UK - Following a record year working with Jockey Club racecourses, Arena Group has been appointed to oversee the full interior design of Newmarket’s’ temporary infrastructure during its most notable dates in the equestrian calendar including the Qipco Guineas Festival and the Moet & Chandon July Festival.
Arena’s interiors team, operating as the newly-launched Arena Concept division, will utilise the latest design and CAD technology to transform creative client briefs from initial concept drawings and 3D visualisations, to seeing the project through to on site delivery and completion. From branded areas, ambient decor and VIP hospitality, the team will help Newmarket Racecourse to create luxurious, temporary event environments with a high-end permanent feel. Following a series of recent product investments, sister company Spaceworks will supply contemporary new ev

Switzerland - A compact Allen & Heath dLive S Class system has been installed in Teatro Sociale in Bellinzona, Switzerland, following an upgrade to its audio equipment. Supplied by Battaglia Light Services, the system consists of a S3000 Surface equipped with a Dante network card, and a DM32 MixRack.
Built in 1846, Teatro Sociale is one of Switzerland’s most historic theatres, which was refurbished 20 years ago following a period of neglect. The venue hosts theatrical productions, and also a variety of concerts, from classical to rock.
“We selected dLive because it has a simple workflow, which is easy to learn for guest engineers, and has a quick setup time, so you can configure the desk in seconds. Another major factor for choosing dLive is that the sound quality is first class, and the system has the best FX, compressors and dynamics, thanks to the DEEP proce

Azerbaijan - The opening ceremony of the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games, produced by Catherine Ugwu’s Betty Productions, featured spectacular visuals throughout the show.
Responding to an initial brief to deliver projection across the back wall and floor of a stage covering half an athletics stadium, Creative Technology (CT) specified 78 Panasonic DZ21 projectors driven with VYV’s Photon Media Server system. While the original brief and specification regarding the projection area and projector count was a little smaller than the Rio Olympics ceremony that CT were involved in last year, many of the same challenges applied.
Following the first test set up, the projection surface was changed from a gauze material to a solid white fabric, the contrast in the content was increased and further 40 projectors were added to ensure that the quality and brightness of the overal

The Netherlands - One of the most historic buildings in Goes, Netherlands, Slot Oostende is a former castle located in the old centre of the city. It opened to the public in April this year as a multipurpose venue, with a Yamaha Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS)-based audio system meaning its spaces can be used for many different purposes.
Some original parts of Slot Oostende survive, while others have recently been rebuilt following excavations in 2009. This mixture of ancient and modern architecture provides a pleasant atmosphere, which was ideal for a restaurant, meeting venue and brewery producing the venue’s own beer.
Slot Oostende officially opened to the public on 19 April this year, with a planned programme of varied entertainment, as well as meetings, presentations and speech events. To ensure every activity enjoyed high quality sound, Peter de Graaf o

UK - Blitz|GES has secured a multi-year deal with event venue, the Design Museum. Blitz|GES was awarded a preferred supplier contract, placing it on the museum’s accredited production list.
The museum hosts a range of events each year, from conferences and awards nights, to major brand activations and product launches. Blitz|GES has worked with the venue since its move from Shad Thames to Kensington in late 2016, and will continue to deliver full AV and technical event production services to its clients.
Livia Puggini, head of events at the Design Museum commented: “I am delighted to continue our relationship with the team at Blitz|GES over the next three years. I’m looking forward to working alongside them to provide exceptional service to our clients.”
Graham Pope, group commercial director at Blitz|GES added: “We are proud to have been appointed a p

Germany - Markus Heinzel of Liquidstudio is the proud owner of the first Audient ASP8024 Heritage desk to be installed in Germany. Based in Freiburg, he has recently upgraded his professional recording and music production studio, wanting to “rely on my technology, so I can get on with making music”.
It was last year that his finances finally allowed for the improvements to his space, for which the biggest investment was the Audient. It took him the best part of a year to find the right desk which also suited his budget. “The combination of a well processed and proven, big analogue desk with DAW integration is perfect for me,” says Markus. “I use the DLC module mostly to make automations, it's great to play with that.
“After working with a digital console for 10 years, I wanted to come back to analogue. I wanted to record using the excellent analogue EQs an

UK- Underneath the Victorian railway arches in London’s Shoreditch district lies Cargo, one of the capital’s edgiest late-night bar and club venues. While the venue’s genuine Banksy graffiti art-filled courtyard is a magnet for art aficionados and tourists alike, the club itself has been busy building up a formidable reputation of its own thanks to an eclectic music programme.
To install an appropriately multifaceted lighting rig, Cargo recently approached London-based installation specialists, Halo lighting, which specified a number of Chauvet Professional and Chauvet DJ fixtures.
“Cargo approached us wanting a lighting rig capable of supporting a wide variety of dub, house, techno and electro events,” commented Yann Guenancia, director of Halo Lighting. “The combination of Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 Wash and Legend 230SR beams, in addition to Chauvet D

UK - A top of the range light and sound system is now delivering all the right notes at The Borderline in Soho, a 300 capacity intimate basement live music venue transformed by new owners DHP Family.
The venue has been remodelled to create a flowing space that provides the best possible experience for both performer and audience. As well as creating improved sight lines, more than £100,000 has been invested in a high spec audio and light system.
With excellent audio established as a hallmark for all DHP Family venues, top of the list was the installation of an L-Acoustics PA system to deliver a signature hi-fi quality sound throughout the venue.
DHP Family technical manager Dave McVea said: “The audio system we inherited was an eclectic mix of gear that had clearly been amassed over a period of time. While it did the job, there was no real design to the sys

USA - There are no straight lines in Time, the new Orange County club designed by Davis Ink, Ltd. That’s one reason why the dance floor is visible from anywhere in the venue. The lighting design by Steve Lieberman’s SJ Lighting features a “digital chandelier” made of Chauvet DJ MotionOrb fixtures along with some power packed spot and wash lighting from Chauvet Professional Rogues.
“The space inside this venue is almost amoeba-like,” said Lieberman. “It’s a single flowing and very immersive unit. Davis Ink completely ripped the former retail store apart down to the bone to create the new structure. We identified focal points throughout the space and used those locations to create our dimensioning and distribution of fixtures. Since the space is so different we spent a lot of time evaluating how each space would transition into the next.”
Among the foca

Ireland - INEC Killarney, the largest music and multi-purpose venue in Ireland outside Dublin, has successfully completed the first stage of a significant production upgrade plan with the help of A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET).
AC-ET worked with the venue, which has hosted many national and international music acts including The Script, Tom Jones, Snow Patrol, Hozier, Walking on Cars, Kenny Rogers and Tom Jones, to specify and supply a complete new lighting rig including a full range of fixtures, cabling and lighting control desk.
ProLights fixtures form the cornerstone of the rig, which uses a variety of moving lights including Pixiewash and Diamond19 RGBW LED wash lights, Luma1500 LED profiles and Ruby discharge beam lights. These were supplemented with ProLights StudioCOB FC full colour LED PARS and Solar IP65 LED wash lights. ETC Source Four profiles and

Russia - Allen & Heath’s dLive S Class mixing system was recently used at the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow for a performance by the Astrakhan Opera and Ballet company.
The Astrakhan performed its production of The Damnation of Faust opera, which has been nominated for the Russian national theatre award, The Golden Mask.
Provided by MixArt, the dLive system consisted of a DM48 MixRack and S3000 Surface, which was used as the FOH and monitor system. A DX32 expander rack was installed in the orchestra pit to enable local connection of multiple orchestra microphones, and the DM48 was equipped with a Waves network card to allow multitrack recording and virtual soundcheck. There was also an IP8 remote controller to manage special sound FX and playback.
“At rehearsals and at the last rehearsal I controlled the dLive system using the S3000 install

South Africa - The Blue Man Group visited South Africa for the very first time in February and March this year and, whilst performing at The Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg, they celebrated the 200th performance of their world tour. South African sound engineer, Christo Davis, has worked with Blue Man Group for the past year, mixing an average of four shows or more a week on a DiGiCo SD7, with his deputy sound engineer covering the rest.
The Blue Man Group, established in New York by three friends in 1991, are known for their award-winning shows that captivate audiences with music, comedy, fresh stories, custom instruments and technology.
“I did a show with them in Australia about four years ago and I just hit it off with the sound designer,” says Christo. “We have similar philosophies and approaches on how we like to do things and he’d been trying to ge

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