Staged in the grounds of Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, the three-day event saw a feast of metallic aristocracy, music and antics, headlined by Metallica, Biffy Clyro and Slipknot respectively, with some eccentric curved balls lobbed in the programming mix like Bill Bailey, who topped the Stage 2 line up on Sunday.
It was the first time that LarMac LIVE has worked on a Sonisphere event. The UK is one of 12 such events worldwide, making it the largest touring festival, and LML's Ian Greenway took up the production management reins, assisted by Anthony Norris. LML was working for Stuart Galbraith from Sonisphere's promoters Kilimanjaro Live.
The main technical suppliers for Stages 1 and 2 were PRG for lighting and Britannia Row for sound.
The Star Events group was contracted to build the four main stages plus all the other production staging infrastructures like FOH towers and follow spot platforms. Pete The Greek (PTG Productions) was the event's production rigger. Rich Gorrod and Gordon Torrington from PRG designed lighting for the show, (and Torrington was crew boss on site) for Stages 1 and 2. The Britannia Row team was led by Dan Orchard (in the office) and John Gibbon (on site). Blink TV co-ordinated and directed the video operations, with XL Video supplying cameras and screens.
LML brought in rental company STS from Manchester to supply combined lighting, rigging and sound packages for stages 3 and 4, which were both inside tented structures.
Ian Greenway comments that they have found this to be a much more expedient way of dealing with the production requirements of tented and enclosed stages, "Using one production supplier to supply full circle production in these tents is a much more efficient way to advance and deliver a show - simplified conversations, less trucking, streamlined technical cover ... all of which helps us to deliver the wider event," he comments.
(Jim Evans)
