The show was devised by Kirstie Blakeman (also the event manager) from Liverpool Culture Company and Steve Boothman from Fantastic Fireworks. They created a soundtrack encompassing an array of music styles - kicking off with Leftfield's 'Phat Planet' and ending on the Can-Can.
They wanted to focus attention on the building rather than the sky, and integrate the City's '2005 Year of the Sea' theme with its 2006 one - 'Year of Performance'. With this in mind, all the technology was largely kept within the dimensions of the building, including a series of low level pyro and firework effects woven into the show. LCC tuned to some new and some of its regular production industry suppliers for the technology. Sound and lighting gear came from Manchester-based Audile.
Lighting was designed, programmed and run by Rob Leach using an Avolites Pearl console. The front of St George's Hall was lit with 10 Studio Due City Color fixtures providing the colour wash, and eight Clay Paky Alpha Spots in between every other pillar. Two Martin MAC 500s scanned various LCC sponsor logos across the building. Molefays, Martin Atomic strobes and additional lighting supplied by French company Atlantid were used as lighting effects on the fountains and 15m x 10m water screen.
For sound, Audile specified a Funktion One Resolution 5 system - two stacks of 12 a side (left and right). They have used this system for other events at the same location and it's proved very successful for getting an even sound coverage all across the viewing area. The entire show, apart from the lighting, ran from a time-coded audio track triggering the various-DMX controlled devices. The FOH Midas Venice 240 audio console was run by Rob Ashworth.
The water fountains and screen also came from Atlantid, supplied via their Hertfordshire-based sister company, Aquabatics. The fountains were housed in two 15m long by 3m wide troughs and reached up to 10m high. It's the first time that LCC has worked with the company, but they have used similar effects for other events.
LM Productions provided the lasers, comprising two 5W YAGs, a full-colour Ion Whitelight Chroma 10 and a DPSS 3.5W Whitelight laser. The Chroma 10 was in the middle, used for creating effects and scanning the audience, while the DPSS Whitelight projected text on to the building. The operator was Lawrence Ryan.
MTFX supplied a 12-way DMX controlled flame jet system operated by Mark Turner. The pyro was designed and provided by Steve Boothman and Ian Woodroof of Fantastic Fireworks.Power for all elements was supplied and distributed by locally based Pyramid, crowd barriers came from Event Solutions and John Sutch Cranes provided the 50m reach crane that lifted all the fireworks onto the roof of St George's Hall. LCC's site and production manager was Bill Howard.
Blakeman commented: "All our suppliers put enormous effort in to the show, and the audience's appreciation came with a huge, prolonged roar of applause, whistles, shouting and much foot stomping feet the end!"
(Lee Baldock)
