USA - Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden's new King Animal tour has hit the road with a grandMA2 full-size console supplied by Upstsaging. The national tour is in support of the rockers' sixth studio album, also called King Animal, which was released last November.

"We designed a show very specific to a theater space," says Justin Collie, production designer with PEDG. "The tour is a high-tech 'old school' theatre production. We used 60 of Chromlech's Elidy-S panels, arrayed as truss fascia. We selected them for the novelty of the fixture and because they fit in very well in terms of the color temperature. They feel like an old-school lamp but have an ultra-modern effect. They give a nice warm tungsten color temperature, and you can map media servers to them. It's very easy to get effects, and we can make specific QuickTime Movies to get very precis

Canada - The new smaller, more powerful BTBeacon for CAST Group's ground-breaking BlackTrax 6D tracking system has earned a Certificate of Conformity by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and exceeded the rigorous standards required to display the CE Mark. Subsequently, the BlackTrax Solution Version 1 is in full production and the first systems are expected to ship within weeks.

While a fully-functional prototype of BlackTrax won both IABM (International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers) Game-Changer and PLASA Gold Innovation Awards, the market-ready version of the system is even more advanced, thanks to some ingenious tweaks made to the revolutionary BTBeacon, says the company. CAST engineers have reduced the BTBeacon's thickness by about 50 per cent, making it smaller than an iPhone and less intrusive than a microphone belt-pack, "yet much more powerful

USA - Bandit Lites has revamped its website, www.banditlites.com, with a vibrant, dynamic new look. The website includes updated information regarding lighting tours, special events, system sales and solutions and LED technology.

Galleries showcase photos ranging from concert tours with Garth Brooks to special events such as the Presidential Debate. Additionally, an installation gallery highlights projects including Dollywood, The Hollywood Wax Museum and Pirate's Voyage.

The site will be a one-stop site where people can not only discover Bandit Lites current news and projects, but also find manuals to Bandits' GRN Lite fixtures, apply for employment opportunities, read about the rehearsal facilities and even shop for used gear.

"I feel like we hit the mark on this site, as we updated it to include many of the Internet's best practices such as social media integration,&

USA - PRG (Production Resource Group) has stepped up its use of CAST Software's wysiwyg in the programming of world-class productions, among them, the recent Superbowl XLVII Halftime Show.

R&B star Beyoncé's performance for the show was watched by over 70,000 people at the New Orleans Superdome and broadcast to 108m viewers, with its breathtaking visual design by Al Gurdon, known for his work with Madonna and The Who. It was Gurdon's fourth year on the Superbowl and the fifth for wysiwyg, however, this year, around 90 per cent of the design was programmed virtually using the latest release of the suite, R30, more than a month in advance of the show, at PRG's purpose-built pre-visualisation studio in London.

Lighting director Rich Gorrod worked with Gurdon to design a system in AutoCAD, before uploading it to wysiwyg with the help of previz expert, Chris Burnage, and pat

Germany - At the upcoming ProLight&Sound 2013, Ayrton will show a range of products including the NandoBeam 302 - an elegantly designed, compact 300W LED moving head providing ultra bright, concentrated beams and the possibility of concentric circles, individually controllable for special effects. NandoBeam 302 uses 19 RGBW 15W Osram light sources coupled with an ultra fast 8° to 40° zoom (beam angle). An innovative and advanced optical system allows bright, very concentrated beams to travel far and wide, with deep and colourful wash capacity, says the company.

The WildBeam 302 benefits from a large colour screen, an internal battery to run the unit when without access to power distribution and new Neutrik PowerCON True One power connectors. The internal structure is made of steel and aluminium which makes the WildBeam 302 road ready, says Ayrton.

Also showing will be

UK / Ukraine - Devon-based drapes, starcloth, LED and visual effects specialist S+H Technical Support (S+H) is again supplying its innovative LED Video Floor product to the latest UK series of BAFTA Award winning games show, The Cube - via producers Objective Television.

Presented by Philip Schofield, Cube contestants can win up to £250,000 of prize money by completing straightforward tasks within a 4x4m Perspex cube, which becomes extremely challenging with the addition of disorientating visuals and sonic effects coupled with the pressure of performing in front of a live audience.

The video floor is an integral element of the show's overall concept

S+H also supplied the same quantity of 36 x Video Floor panels making up a 3.6sq.m surface area to the latest Ukrainian series of The Cube, which has now finished being filmed in Kiev. It is the fourth series

Finland - SGM has made an important breakthrough with its revolutionary LED products in Finland, notably with Jaakko Peltomäki Ltd. After the Helsinki-based events company saw the Danish company's impressive display at Prolight+Sound 2012 Jaakko Peltomäki himself made the decision to invest, after being particularly impressed by the LB-100 LED Balls.

"We were looking for some new ideas for our productions - and these were perfect," he said. Seeing how they could be formed into curtains to deliver alluring 3D spatial effects, they invested in 550 strings, each containing seven 34mm Balls, 20 TLD-612 pixel drivers to run it ... and some extension cords.

The 21-year-old company has a versatile work roster, ranging from fashion shows to retail, and they have full turnkey capability, with sound equipment, trussing, video and LED screens. "In fact I was looking for

Slovenia - Ljubljana's Top 6 night club has just had a complete refurbishment and technical lighting upgrade which features the first Robe Robin DLX Spots and LEDBeam 100s in a club installation in Slovenia.

It was a "Logical" move for Ljubljana based specifiers and installers MK Sound Light to suggest some of Robe's latest Robe moving light technology for this installation explains project manager Dean Karov.

Apart from hosting the beautiful people in the metropolis, the venue has stunning views across the centre of the city and up to Ljubljana's historic Castle from the glass fronted lift that whizzes seamlessly up and down the six floors to the top of a high profile downtown apartment store.

Top 6's owner, local entrepreneur Anthony Tomzin, asked MK Sound Light - who also supplied the sound system - to come up with 'something special and cool' for his 700 capaci

Austria - Wireless Solution Sweden AB, manufacturer of the award-winning W-DMX wireless DMX technology, worked with Ampco Flashlight Rental, based in Utrecht the Netherlands, to use the new Wireless Solution W-DMX G4 system to control dozens of moving lights, LED fixtures and conventional lighting fixtures at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championship 2013 Opening Ceremony in Schladming Austria on 4 February 2013.

Lighting designers Frank Lischka, Daan Oomen and Jeffrey Goes from The Unit Showcontrol placed lighting fixtures over a very widespread area along the ski slope and the finish area. Some of the many lighting positions were only accessible by helicopter. W-DMX transmitters and receivers were placed in distances from 50m to 500m of each other. W-DMX allowed the lighting team the opportunity to get DMX512 at places that were impossible to get to with hard-wired connections.

Sweden - Leading Swedish technical solutions provider AV1 has invested in its first Robe MMX Spot moving lights to add to their growing lighting rental stock.

They have been using Robe products since around 2004, when the Göteborg based company purchased its first Robe ColorWash and ColorSpot 575E AT units ... which are still in constant use and have proved exceptionally reliable over the years.

AV1's owner Kristian Kavale first saw the MMX Spots when he visited Prolight+Sound Frankfurt last year with one of his clients. The client was very keen on using them on an upcoming project and so he knew already that he was guaranteed a quick ROI.

Since then, the MMX's have been out on a whole string of different jobs, many of which have been LD'd and operated by AV1's Albert Engvall.

Engvall comments, "Robe was the first manufacturer to come out with a smaller, brighter and

UK - ETC's Eos family of lighting control systems is popular the world over. Now, ETC is adding even more gear to the family, by introducing the new Eos Titanium (Ti) control desk, along with two new accessories: the RPU3 (Eos Remote Processor Unit 3) and Net3 RVI3 (Remote Video Interface 3), and offering new Eos v2.0 software.

Ti takes the place of ETC's flagship Eos desk at the head of the product line, with new hardware and features that make designing and programming even easier. "We took the solid foundation of Eos and built on it to create Ti," says ETC Controls product manager Anne Valentino. "We added hardware adapted from the design of our Gio desk, such as integrated, articulating, multitouch displays, backlit keys and an anodised finish.

"We also gave programmers room to spread out. Ti includes a larger multitouch encoder display and dedicated pa

USA - A.C. Lighting Inc. will be showcasing a range of the latest entertainment technology innovations from a selection of the leading brands which it distributes in North America, including products from Chroma-Q, Jands, ArKaos, LedGo and Prolyte - at the 2013 USITT Stage Expo held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Showing exclusively at A.C. Lighting Inc.'s booth is Chroma-Q's popular Color Force range of RGBA LED fixtures.

Providing power across the spectrum, from deep cold blues to red hot lava looks, the Color Force range utilizes Chroma-Q's advanced ColorSure™ technology to give you a radically increased color palette with enhanced color consistency.

Also on show from Chroma-Q is the brand new, award-winning Inspire LED house light. Fusing entertainment, theatrical and architectural lighting capabilities, the Inspire was designed to seamlessly transform the look and feel o

China - No sooner had the curtain been brought down on China's LED Show than the four-day GET Show 2013 opened for business at Poly World Trade Expo Center, Guangzhou. Most major lighting manufacturers attended, although Prolight+Sound Guangzhou 2013 was also taking place the following week.

Leading Chinese manufacturer, PR Lighting's booth was located in the middle of Hall 3, and due to its elegant and eye-catching display, remained extremely busy throughout the show. The hottest new items included the PR 5000 series, XLED 336, XLED 1037, XR 200/300 Beam, the newest LED Studio series and new LED Lasers. All were greeted enthusiastically by customers at the booth.

PR Lighting then invited both domestic and overseas customers to the company's dinner, for which there was an overwhelming response, with almost 800 guests filling the banqueting hall.

(Jim Evans)

Regional Support Plea - BECTU general secretary Gerry Morrissey has called on the West End to "give more support to regional counterparts", in a bid to prevent theatres closing as a result of cuts. The backstage union's head also called on local council funding for the arts to be a "statutory obligation rather than an optional extra". His plea comes as councils around the UK slash their arts budget, which is resulting in less funding for many regional theatres.

Earlier this month, Sheffield Theatres was hit with a £106,000 cut to its £529,000 grant from Sheffield City Council, while Stoke-on-Trent City Council has said it will reduce its annual grant of £67,500 to Staffordshire's New Vic by £23,000 in the next financial year. Meanwhile, Moray Council in Scotland has announced it is to cut its entire arts budget. Morrissey said, "N

USA - Chauvet Professional kept the crowds energized at the main performance of the College Invasion Tour headlined by Tiësto and featuring Tommy Trash and Alvaro, at the Staples Centre. Los Angeles.

Creative director for Tiësto Koen De Puysseleir specified 26 Nexus 4x4 eye-candy wash lights to build the booth façade. The Nexus 4x4 wall of two fixtures by 13 worked for a powerful visual impact and became the centrepiece of the stage, visible from the back of the venue.

"In my search to a new and unique effect to use as a centerpiece DJ-booth design I stumbled on this product on the ArKaos website," Koen said. "After reviewing the Nexus 4x4 I was very confident this product would give me the high-end look I wanted for the show. Used in the right way this product has infinitive ways to create mesmerizing new effects. To achieve the desired looks I used t

Sweden - Singer songwriter Petra Marklund, who also performs under the name 'September', has been touring the country's concert halls this spring with one of the most dynamic stage sets imaginable - fabricated largely from more than 3,000 SGM LED Balls (LB-100) ingeniously rigged as an overhead, interactive spatial canopy.

The design is the brainchild of top lighting designer Henrik Lundin, of Stockholm-based company Satellite Live.

With a quest to constantly provide different solutions to inspire his creativity, Lundin has bought into SGM's pioneering LED products immediately. Having used the new X-5 LED strobes on tour with Veronica Maggio and Maskinen last year, he has now conceived his most outrageous design yet for the beautiful Ms. Marklund. When the tour opened in Stockholm the impact of the pixel-mapped 3D LED balls, and the way in which the artiste interacted with the

UK - As boy band sensations One Direction (1D) embarked on the much anticipated 117 date Take Me Home world tour, the tried and trusted production team of Production North, Lite Alternative and Wigwam were brought in to turn the cityscape arena concept of creative designer, Elizabeth Honan, into reality.

Lite Alternative's highly creative production designer Paul Normandale used 30 of SGM's new X-5 white LED strobes for the first time, replacing conventional xenon-driven devices. And after evaluating them over the first leg of 34 shows stretching across the UK and Ireland, he vowed that it certainly won't be the last.

Supplied by SGM's UK and Ireland distributor, A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd., the strobes are largely mounted on vertical pipes and bases, positioned under two special ramps, stage left and right, and used mostly for "impact and accent&q

Australia - War Horse, the now legendary World War I drama depicting the devotion of a boy to his horse, has moved stage audiences in the UK and US, winning five 2011 Tony Awards. One of the most striking elements of the show is its highly evocative lighting design by Paule Constable who calls lighting 'the secret language of theatre". Constable won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Design for A Play for her design work on War Horse.

Australia now has the chance to experience this landmark theatre event with audiences packing Melbourne's Arts Centre State Theatre night after night. The show will move to Sydney in March followed by Brisbane in July.

The lighting rig, supplied by Chameleon Touring Systems, has only a small amount of moving lights; a couple of Vari-Lite 3500 Washes, six Vari-Lite 3000Q Washes, three VL500 Arcs and twelve ETC Revolutions.

"The

UK - BBC Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton has done many things to raise money for charity such as trekking the South Pole and this year she is getting the public and viewers involved by helping her complete Helen's Magnificent 7 for Comic Relief.

Over recent weeks Skelton has flown a jet with the Red Arrows, walked a rope bridge and appeared in a West End stage show.

To help celebrate Red Nose Day and the completion of the challenges, there will be a special Blue Peter episode from its old home at the BBC White City, one of the last to be filmed there before it closes for redevelopment at the end of this month. This went out live before the main Comic Relief show is aired later that evening.

The show's LD Lee Allen designed an exciting lighting show which as ever is provided by Richard Martin Lighting (RML). The show was filmed outside and with this in

USA - Philips Entertainment, representing Philips Vari-Lite, Philips Strand Lighting, Philips Selecon, and Showline, has announced the realignment and consolidation of its Americas commercial group to provide better service to their authorized dealers, sales representatives, and all lighting professionals throughout North and South America. The realignment includes changes in the management, sales, and support teams within Philips Entertainment, and will focus on continuing technology innovations while creating a streamlined customer experience.

"The realignment of the Americas commercial group truly represents an exciting time for Philips Entertainment," said Julie Smith, commercial general manager of the Americas. "We have great brands with great histories and this consolidation will better allow us to grow the resources within each brand while refocusing on tec

USA - Video equipment rental company Pete's Big TVs is providing the video equipment, cameras and d3 media servers for the new 2013 production of the Dreamgirls tour which kicked off in late December 2012/early January 2013. It tours North America until early June, followed by Japan, with more dates expected.

Working with MB Productions, Pete's Big TVs is providing the main set of the show, comprised of 400 digiLED MC15 (15 mm) LED video panels in three screens, which all track and fly in different configurations. They are also supplying two d3s from d3 Technologies. More than a media server, the d3s serve as a 3D stage simulator, combining a timeline based sequencer, video playback and video mapper all in one.

Howard Werner of Lightswitch designed the media content and the show system in 2009 when an older production of Dreamgirls began an eight-month run in Seo

UK - For a while now the Mercury Music Awards have been seen as one of the most credible and prestigious awards that a musician or artist can receive. The award is for best album in the UK and Ireland and is chosen by a panel of fellow musicians, executives, journalists and other key Industry figures.

As part of the build-up to this and to keep those who are really into music involved, Barclaycard now sponsors the Mercury Prize Sessions - a celebration of the best live music in the UK now. Acts in include Tom Odell, Suede and Johnny Marr. Each session is filmed at the Hospital Club, Covent Garden.

Richard Martin Lighting (RML) support lighting designer Nigel Catmur for the show. The cool and urban look is achieved simply with Sharpys and smoke. The Sharpys create such a strong and recognisable look, that in some situations, they are all that you need. Various lengths of truss

South Africa - American electronic musician, Skrillex entertained South African fans in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban at the start of March 2013. The main technical supplier in Cape Town was Gearhouse, while in Johannesburg it was supplied by CES and in Durban by Insane Sound.

At the Wavehouse in Durban, lighting and video freelancer Thomas Peters assisted with the lighting.

"Reading through the Skrillex rider and adjusting accordingly for Durban, Vimal Rawjee (Insane Sound) and I came up with what we thought would be a viable rig for the show, which the production's management (Skrillex's Production Manager is Baptiste Chavaillaz) quickly approved," explained Thomas Peters. "While we did not have most of the first-choice fixtures available in the quantities requested, the substitutes we offered were all perfectly acceptable. The MMXs blew the touring LD aw

Sweden - The charismatic Stora Teatern in Göteborg is one of Sweden's second largest city's most active receiving houses, hosting a wide variety of entertainment - bands, theatre and dance shows, comedy..

The theatre has recently taken delivery of its first Robe moving lights - 10 Robin 800 LEDWashes - which were specified by Joel Karlberg, the venue's chief lighting technician. They also happened to be among the first of this new fixture off Robe's production line in the Czech Republic.

The spectacular neo-Renaissance building designed by Carl Malmberg was originally opened in 1859, and from 1920 to 1994 used to stage opera, operetta and musical productions. Stora Teatern is run by the City and stages up to two or three shows per week in a very lively programme as well as accommodating longer running touring productions sometimes lasting several weeks.

The main stage can b

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