Stone choose to employ the services of Load Cell Rental to provide him with independently certified weight loads for all the different elements of the show's rig. Load Cell Rental's Colin Luke visited production rehearsals at the Millennium Studios during the initial load in.
Luke explains the process, "The itinerary includes a wide variety of gigs, from arenas and theatres to festival stages. For each type of venue the production team may want to rig a different version of the show so we weigh various combinations of lighting fixtures to cover all eventualities. This gives a clear picture of the total weight that might be hung at any given venue. The cells are installed on each point during the load in and readings are taken throughout the rehearsal period so nothing is left to chance."
As Luke says, "The final report generated by Load Cell Rental is backed by calibration certificates and is accepted by insurance companies as objective and independent. This removes any doubt when it comes to negotiating the installation of particular elements of the show into a festival setting or indeed at any venue where weight loading may be a concern."
The value of Load Cell Rental's services from an insurance perspective is corroborated by the entertainment and event specialist brokers, Doodson Entertainment who have been involved in event insurance since 1964. Director James Dodds comments, "For large tours and productions, the Load Cell Rental offering looks excellent, in terms of the potential safety and risk management benefits. From an insurance perspective we can see how it might offer some additional claim defensibility for users of the service and product, if the worst happened. We can see the benefits to touring bands and their production team, and also why event organisers and promoters might want to look at this service."
For the Pet Shop Boys, Stone sums it up succinctly, "By using the services of Load Cell Rental I can feel 100% confident that the rigging information I am sending in advance is tip top."
(Jim Evans)
