USA - Country star Thomas Rhett is out on tour with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites. The mutli-Platinum singer is currently lighting up the music charts with the Top 10 and climbing hit Crash and Burn, the first single of his upcoming album Tangled Up, slated for 25 September release.

Bandit worked with lighting director Andrew Hunt and tour manager Logan Kornegay, supplying 14 Chauvet Legend Beams which span the top of the set, with four downstage on the right and the left, and another six in the middle of upstage to add depth. Additionally, 16 Martin MAC Auras are on the lower part of the set as eight fixtures light the drums and keys, while the other fill the outer parts of the set.

"I love the punch these beam fixtures pack, and they stand out really well, whether they are shooting out over the crowd in an arena, hitting Thomas Rhett on a cat

USA - Since their inception in 1977, the Psychedelic Furs have never shied away from making sharp musical turns. Much to the delight of their fans, the legendary UK rockers have weaved like a speedboat from austere art rock to new wave, to rhythmic tunes like their mega-hit Pretty in Pink to hard growling sounds, leaving an impressive body of work in their wake that has influenced a generation of musicians. Apparently, the group applies their daring creative spirit to lighting as well, as evidenced by their sudden decision to enhance their stage presence with an LED rig that features Rogue R1 Spots and COLORdash Batten-Quad 6 linear fixtures from Chauvet Professional.

"The band decided pretty last minute to spice up the show with lighting, so we had a bit of a rush to get things together and get the show cued out," said LD Victor Zeiser of Squeek Lights (New Yor

South Africa - One of the most popular and well-attended events during the biennial Mediatech Africa 2015, held in July, were the Lighting Designer Sessions, sponsored and organised by Italian lighting manufacturer Clay Paky.

Presented by multi award winning theatre and opera designer Paule Constable and large-scale arena spectacular lighting designer Durham Marenghi, both sessions were quickly over-subscribed from the moment they were announced and two further sessions were quickly scheduled to absorb the overflow.

Constable, who is also associate director of the National Theatre, London, talked passionately about her preferred collaborative approach to the design process and illustrated this with images of her recent designs for shows including the award winning Warhorse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

In contrast, Marenghi focused on t

USA - Eight PLASA draft standards are in public review. The draft documents, review forms, and instructions for submitting comments may be downloaded from the Technical Standards Programme website at http://tsp.plasa.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php. Anyone with a material interest is invited to submit comments through the end of the day 28 September 2015. Listed in order by working group, they are:

Control Protocols Working Group

BSR E1.31 - 20xx, Entertainment Technology - Lightweight streaming protocol for transport of DMX512 using ACN

This standard describes a mechanism to transfer DMX512-A packets over a TCP/IP network using a subset of the ACN protocol suite. It covers data format, data protocol, data addressing, and network management It also outlines a synchronization method to help ensure that multiple sinks can process this data concurrently w

USA - San Francisco rockers Train continue their Bulletproof Picasso tour with the current two month US leg playing a selection of major arenas and sheds, for which LD Brock Hogan has specified 90 x CycFX 4s, 40 x Pointes and 15 x LEDBeam 1000s.

The CycFX 4s and LEDBeam 100s were both new purchases for Orlando based lighting vendor, LMG.

A prominent feature of the design are 10 lighting pods - that move into different positions during the show - providing an interesting, fluid and ever changing geometric element to the stage space.

The LEDBeam 1000s are used as wash fixtures due to the excellent zoom. Their individual ring control also opens up a whole range of new effects, together with the smooth dimming and color mixing, explained Brock who positioned them all over the rig. "The output is amazing," he stated.

The upstage truss is made up of five individual sec

USA - American hard-rock band Shinedown recently wrapped their summer tour with lighting provided by Bandit Lites. After celebrating their ninth No. 1 single with Cut the Cord off their upcoming studio album Threat to Survival, the band will be back on the road in November with a co-headlining tour with Breaking Benjamin.

Lighting designer Carter Fulghum used GLP X4S's to provide front light and colour for the stage. Robe Pointes brought punches of colour, cutting through the VL 3000s, the fixture Fulghum deemed "the workhorse of the rig".

Clay Paky B-EYES were utilized as dressing and backlight. "I really liked working with the B-EYES," said Fulghum of the recently added fixtures. "They have a lot of effects that help you keep each song looking different and new."

With the summer tour taking place in more intimate settings such as

UK - Avolites Titan consoles reigned supreme at Bloodstock Festival, with all stages running Titan for the rock and metal festival that drew more than 15,000 metal heads to Derbyshire this month.

Bloodstock's main 'Ronnie James Dio' stage featured metal heavyweights such as headliners Trivium, Within Temptation and Rob Zombie. LD Ben Coxon controlled using two HSL-supplied flagship Avolites Sapphire Touch consoles, networked together with a TitanNet Processor (TNP). HSL also supplied a dimming solution in the form of two 48-way Avolites ART2000 dimmers for the stage, as well as further Avolites consoles and dimmers across the festival site.

"Due to the busking nature of the festival, Avolites was the perfect choice," says Andy Whittaker of HSL. "The range of Titan consoles, going from the Quartz all the way up to the Sapphire Touch, suited each stage of the fest

Australia - Queensland's Fifalite Effects Lighting has taken delivery of a new MA Lighting dot2 XL-F, a compact lighting console designed for small to medium sized productions up to 4,096 control channels

Fifalite's managing director David Pfeiffer has always leant towards a different brand of lighting console but he happened to be visiting Brisbane Show Technology on a different matter, when Adam White showed him a brochure for the new dot2 console.

"I had always admired the MA brand in so much as everywhere I go, the grandMA2 seems to be the console of choice," commented Pfeiffer. "I never thought I would own one as I run a fairly small business and they are quite expensive for me. Plus the type of shows that I do would not warrant having such a fancy console. However, the dot2 brochure got me interested and once I found out the price, I was hooked."

Mu

Rwanda - DWR Distribution teamed up with DimBright for an LED installation for Cube Communications Limited in Rwanda.

Johnny Scholtz from DWR advised the client on a cost effective way to light up the set of their new News Studio. Jakes Mogale from DimBright was then commissioned to carry out the installation.

"While it was a very basic install, which included a power supply, controllers and LED strips the end result looked great," commented Jakes. "It was a wonderful experience as it was my first time in East Africa. Johnny had worked out a solution from South Africa for the client, but when I arrived, we had to alter the set somewhat to accommodate the lights."

The set was made out of Perspex and was showing spots. A simple vinyl print put over the Perspex set allowed the light to disperse evenly.

(Jim Evans)

South Africa - TechRig has now joined SGM's rental portfolio in South Africa with the company's initial purchase of the Q-7 flood blind strobe.

As a leading specialist technical solutions agency, TechRig approached SGM's local distributor S.E.T Africa to expand their rental stock with SGM luminaires. "We were looking for cutting-edge LED solutions, and that's why we selected the SGM products," says director of TechRig, Michael Collyer. He adds, "The Q-7 is a nice small multipurpose unit, which can be used as a colour washing set piece to eye candy extravaganza."

SGM's profile matches well with TechRig's vision. This well-established and experienced company seeks to implement the latest technological developments with top quality gear that is constantly updated, and, as Collyer underlines, "SGM applies a different way of thinking to their products makin

Denmark - The cities of Detroit, Geneva and Frankfurt have something in common. Each plays host to one of the world's biggest and most prominent auto shows. Manufacturers often leverage the attention garnered by these international events to launch new flagship models that will be the core of their business for the year to come.

With so much at stake, brands like Ford, Bentley and Jaguar Land Rover understand that an audience-engaging show booth is worthless without camera-ready, visually stunning displays of their new vehicles. That's why they tap design firms like Imagination and lighting suppliers like Static Light Company, which are staffed by experts who understand the challenges of illuminating a car's sleek curves and metallic sheen in an indoor convention hall. To meet those challenges, they rely on Martin Professional's lighting fixtures.

"Our MAC series of premi

USA - Striving to make the undergraduate student experience as fulfilling as possible, the University at Buffalo Student Association hosts a series of memorable events throughout the year. As the organization got set to produce the EDM concert Electric Tundra headlined by Bingo Players and featuring 3LAU and DNNYD, the local production staff was asked to create a high-energy atmosphere inside the Alumni Arena, and needed lightweight LED video panels that could also create quality HD projections so they chose the FLEXCurtain HD from PixelFLEX.

"On Electric Tundra we had the challenge to present a national headlining act with limited setup time on a small stage with a video wall, all on a tight budget," began production manager, Katie Gilliland, University at Buffalo Centre for the Arts. "Inside the 6,500 seat arena, equipment cannot be hung from the r

Italy - Mario Biondi is one of the few Italian artists who can claim some sort of esteem and saleability outside Italy, perhaps on account of the characteristics of his kind of music, or perhaps because he sings in English.

Before taking on a huge number of concerts in major European and Asian capitals, he embarked on a tour of theatres in Italy to mark the release of his latest work Beyond This album also features foreign artists and producers.

Jo Campana, the lighting designer who has worked with Biondi for several years, briefly described how the tour lighting design came about: "After a discussion with Mario and after listening to his new album, I tried to steer my work so that it diverged from the Mario's past and supported his intention to seek out and discover new musical horizons.

"My idea was to create an elegant stage concept, with just a touch of

UAE - The first half of 2015 was a busy one for Protec - the Middle East's largest event equipment rental company - another sign that the region's events industry is as prominent and dynamic as ever.

While Protec's core business is corporate events it also provides production for rock and roll events, and the year kicked off with #DBXNYE, Dubai's biggest New Year's Eve party, which featured Pharrell Williams, Busta Rhymes, Paul Oakenfold and others. Protec supplied the audio, an L-Acoustics K2 system with a DiGiCo SD5 desk; lighting which included many Clay Paky and Vari-Lite fixtures ran on a GrandMA2 Full desk; video, which was displayed on 150sq.m of Protec's Mambo 9mm LED screen; plus staging, rigging and the company's EHD Mark 2 concert roof system.

Another spectacular event was the opening ceremony for IDEX 2015, which won the 2015 Middle East Event Award for Best Tempor

USA - It's easy to see why, the Pacific Amphitheatre became an instant favourite among touring artists when it opened in 1983 with a concert by Barry Manilow. Located on the Orange County fairgrounds, the 8,000-capacity venue combines beautiful southern California scenery and gentle Pacific breezes with excellent acoustics. For one month this summer, the setting at this legendary venue sparkled even more brightly, thanks to a collection of Next NXT-1 panels from Chauvet Professional.

Ray Woodbury of RK Diversified Entertainment (Los Angeles) used the moving LED panels to create a captivating lighting display over mid-stage for the Toyota Summer Concert Series during the Orange County Fair. Woodbury flew 16 Next NXT-1 panels on overhead truss for each of the 24 concerts in the series. "They were the workhorse of our rig," he said. "Of course they were also much mor

UK - Utopium Lighting lit up 10 stages at this year's BoomTown Fair, which took place at Matterley Estate in Hampshire from 13-16 August 2015.

This is the fifth year running that Utopium has been called upon to supply its lighting and rigging for the creatively themed BoomTown Fair, which is well known for its imaginatively themed cityscape. Utopium provided festival lighting and rigging to 10 stages, including the expanded Lion's Den stage, The Town Centre, The Old Mines, The Jolly Dodger, Crazy Calamities Saloon and The Hidden Woods, as well as providing lighting for all the woodland areas.

Utopium provided a range of its LED fixtures to support the organiser's ethos of reducing energy use to minimise the festivals carbon footprint. This year the Lion's Den stage was re-located to a larger area and Utopium were called upon to supply all the lighting control, dimming, distrib

Sweden - Robe's news team met the Larssons at a special 10th anniversary edition of Let's Dance in Sweden, where they were busy in Magazin (warehouse) 7 at the Frihamnen container port and ferry terminal in Stockholm, a frenetic site specific location that has provided a gritty and visceral juxtaposition to the glamour and glitter of the hit ballroom dancing TV series.

Maverick LD Pelle Larson's lighting design included 24 x Robe Pointe moving lights installed in prominent positions around the dancefloor and amidst the orchestra.

Pelle is a well-known and respected industry figure in Sweden and in addition to a host of top LE TV shows, including Let's Dance for national channel STV4 since the series began and many other TV productions, he has also been active as a touring and concert designer.

He likes to keep the business of his company, LD Sweden, literally '

UK - Blackout continued its longstanding relationship with Somerset House, supplying rigging and drapes for this year's Summer Series and Film4 Summer Screen events during July and August.

Blackout worked alongside production manager Jon Howes, within a team of contractors, who year on year collaborate with the venue's management and sponsors. The team work to facilitate both events and aid Somerset House's transformation into a concert setting and then an open air cinema.

This is the eleventh year running Blackout has worked on the Summer Series concerts, supporting promoters Metropolis Music. This year the concert featured performances from Passenger, George Ezra and Jessie J and attracted crowds of up to 3,000 people.

Blackout provided all of the stage rigging as well as two truss wings, which flanked either side of the stage, to hang the PA systems and branding, negating

USA - Lighting designer Herrick Goldman recently designed Evita at the Cape Rep Theatre on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and turned to Elation Professional's Platinum Profile 35 Pro moving head light to create the compelling mood lighting. Herrick and his associate Susan Nicholson designed both the lighting and the projections for the production, which is directed by William Roudebush with scenery by James Dardenne.

Using four Elation Platinum Profile 35 Pro fixtures amongst a plot of LED lights and conventional sources, it was Herrick's task to carve out a black and white world that was later colorized by the presence and strength of will of Eva Peron, in stark contrast to the character of Che and the various political elements that she was constantly beset by.

Herrick relied heavily on the Elation fixtures to define areas of the relatively small stage and make the world of

South Africa - Lighting designer Peter Rieck is the owner of one of MA Lighting's new dot2 XL-F consoles. Peter, an industry professional for 15 years and one of the country's leading television lighting specialists recently launched a new company, Rieck's, headed by himself. Having been an MA user for the last seven or so years, the first thing the new venture did was purchase its own dot2.

"It made complete sense" he stated, "It's small and light enough to easily fit in my car or go on the plane, and powerful enough to run the majority of the shows on which I am currently working." Having his own console means he can always have his control platform of choice. Peter was delighted that MA's small and highly versatile dot2 was also within a reasonable price range. The console was supplied via MA's South African distributor, DWR Distribution.

"It's the

UK - Colour Sound Experiment continued its frenetic 2015 summer festival season supplying lighting to 12 major stages, 24 smaller performance areas and eight bars at the 2015 Secret Garden Party (SGP) event staged in Abbots Ripton near Huntingdon UK.

This tightly planned and executed operation - which this year battled with inclement weather for the first time in the festival's recent history - involved the supply of nearly 500 moving lights, 228 high powered Dragon LED PARs and a mix of other kit, including LED screens for the Main stage and other areas.

Colour Sound's crew of 22 was chiefed by James Hinde and Alex Ryan. James co-ordinated the get-in and set up of all the operated stages, while Alex looked after all the other areas, and together with Woody (Stuart Wood), oversaw the whole operation during the show days.

Colour Sound regular Jon Rickets was working as techni

The Netherlands - At 25m wide and 10m high, lighting the Nederlandse Reisopera (Dutch Touring Opera)'s cyclorama for a touring production of Orphée et Eurydice was always going to be a tall order. With a limited budget, they needed to be in and out of the venue in a day. With the help of 40 ETC Source Four LED Series 2 Lustr fixtures with CYC adapters, and some clever rigging choices by chief lighting technician Richard ten Hof, they succeeded.

The opera, held across the Netherlands on 12 dates throughout May and in the first week of June, tells the story of Orpheus, a mythical musician, poet and prophet in ancient Greek religion, who is said to have been able to charm all living things and even stones with his music.

Ten Hof first came across the new Source Four LED fixtures a year and a half ago, when he was working with Dutch dealer Lightco. "I was amazed

USA - Lighting and visuals designer Fenton Williams and co-LD / programmer Aaron Stinebrink again collaborated to produce the production design - incorporating lighting, set and video - for the current Dave Matthews Band (DMB) US summer tour.

For the first time, they specified Robe's BMFL Spot fixtures, 22 of which are being supplied by the tour's lighting vendor, Theatrical Media Services (TMS) from Omaha, Nebraska.

The band is well known for their long annual summer tours and sets featuring involved improvisations of their songs - always played differently - accompanied by eye-catching visuals and lightshows, an aesthetic that has been carefully crafted by Fenton since he started working with the band in the early 1990s.

Fenton and Aaron developed the design together, often drawing on architecture and art for inspiration as they build a visual stage concept.

This is the

UK - Matthew Griffiths is to step down as PLASA CEO. A statement from PLASA reads: Over the past few months it has become clear to the boards and executive management of PLASA that a fundamental redesign of our business model and structures are necessary due to the increasingly difficult trading conditions currently being experienced. For the organisation to remain of service & benefit to the membership we represent, it is imperative that our expenditure can be funded by an affordable and sustainable income. To that end, the PLASA Governing Body has decided that there needs to be complete review of its businesses.

In light of the above and after 17 years as PLASA's chief executive officer, Matthew Griffiths has decided that now is the right time to step aside which would help kick start and facilitate a fresh set of ideas and approaches needed for the next chapter in PLASA's dev

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