USA - Bandit Lites provided the lighting for the third annual Black Music Honours. Hosted by Rickey Smiley and LeToya Luckett and held at the Tennessee Performing Arts Centre, 16 August, the show’s honorees included Bobby Brown, Dallas Austin, Faith Evans, Whodini and Bebe and Cece Winans.
“On this show, the award winners/honorees are the true stars of the show,” says lighting designer Mark Carver. “The idea is to showcase their body of work through various musical artists, and both work hand in hand so that the music and the award fit the genre of each particular honorees, giving them a true honor for their body of work.”
Bandit Lites supplied nearly 200 fixtures for the soirée including GLP X4S, Elation ACL 360 Bars, Chavuet Rogue RH1 Hybrids, Robe BMFLs, Claypaky B-EYE K20 and Bandit’s exclusive GRNLite Moving Washes.
Carver utilized the B-EYE K20

USA - My Name’s Not Indian Joe, the Elizabeth A. Davis blues-tinged musical about the unlikely bond formed between a homeless Native American man and a young aspiring Texas beauty queen recently played Manhattan’s Davenport Theatre. Zach Blane’s lighting design utilised over 70 Chauvet Professional fixtures. Working with Emmy Award-winning director Don Scardino and set designer Ann Beyersdorer, Blane used lighting to convey the passage of time and place as well as the current of emotions that run through the play.
“There are actually more than 20 locations in this cinematically written musical,” says Blane. “The story takes place in ‘Grandpa’s South Field’ in Texas, a homeless shelter, under the I-35 bridge, on a park bench, in a ratty dirty motel room, and in a car during an eight-hour drive, among other settings. The list goes on. All of these wor

USA - Church of the Highlands recently updated its main Birmingham, Alabama, facility with a complete lighting package by Harman Professional Solutions comprised entirely of Martin fixtures.
Founded in 2001 by senior pastor Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands is a non-denominational multi-site church with headquarters in Birmingham and 16 additional satellite campuses across Alabama.
With technology playing an integral role in creating meaningful worship experiences for the church’s thousands of members across separate locations, church leaders wanted to ensure high production standards for the video simulcast
Lighting director Patrick Hentz made the decision to upgrade the church’s aging lighting system with a state-of-the-art lighting solution. Hentz selected an extensive range of Martin fixtures to ensure premium image quality for the video simulcast, i

USA - Matrix is supplying their PPU, camera systems and LED to the North American segment of the Phil Collins tour - Phil Collins Not Dead Yet, Live (see LSi September 2017 for a production report).
This is the first tour Phil has performed in the US, in 12 years. The North American region forms part of the Worldwide tour which runs for three weeks from 3-28 October. The concerts commence in Fort Lauderdale, travelling up the west to Canada, into the Mid-West and onto the West Coast – all in all 15 shows in 25 days.
Phil Collins and the band will be supported with a range of Matrix supplied equipment - most notable is the PPU, camera systems and LED inventory.
The Matrix PPU with Ross Carb

USA - Although its moniker may only suggest visual facilities for a specific geographical area, Phoenix-based Video West is a full-service AVL rental and staging company that supports corporate and festival clients across the entire United States.
To best serve its national client base, Video West has invested in a sizable L-Acoustics K2/Kara system, which has been kept busy this summer on a number of events, including the North Dakota State Fair, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and Citadel Country Spirit USA music festival.
The L-Acoustics system - primarily comprising 48 K2 and 24 Kara enclosures, 24 K1-SB and 24 KS28 subs, and a full complement of LA12X and LA8 amplified controllers - joins Video West’s pre-existing inventory of L-Acoustics V-DOSC and Kudo enclosures, which it purchased when Precise Corporate Staging’s David Stern joined the company as vice president

Columbia - Nearly 200 Robe moving lights graced the spectacular lighting scheme devised for the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Central Americana & Caribbean Games, staged in the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, in the key Colombian port city of Barranquilla.
LD John J Orduña Sarmiento was part of a highly talented team involved in the show’s technical production, for which lighting equipment - including all the Robe fixtures - was supplied by leading Colombian rental company, Línea Estratégica based in Medellin.
The vibrant and highly visual OC included stunning projection mapping onto the field-of-play with the images also appearing on a large video wall at the back of a large stage built at one end of the stadium. A cast of several hundred dancers thrilled the crowds along with several special collaborations and music performances by top artists embrac

Germany - Housing 22,000 plant species within its 43-hectare complex, the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum stands out as a verdant oasis in midst of Germany's bustling capital, just as it has for over a century. A highlight of the year at this world-renowned facility is its Summer Festival, which features botanical exhibitions and a specially crafted Botanische Nacht live show.
This year’s show, which featured 160 artists, musicians and other performers, was built around the theme The Light of Nature. Lighting designer Denny Arndt helped to bring their performance to life by using 150 Chauvet Professional Épix Strip IP fixtures, supplied by TLT Event AG, to create a vibrant and flexible lighting panorama at the Botanical Garden’s central greenhouse.
With the performances leading visitors through various botanical themes in the main

UK - Stage Electrics returned to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama to install its house lighting systems to significantly improve energy reduction.
Having previously integrated technical infrastructure and production lighting for their venues, back in 2013, Stage Electrics have returned to fit over 90 new house lights within the Richard Burton Theatre and the spacious foyer area.
The Royal Welsh College wished to upgrade their pre-existing light fittings; their new house lighting system consists of GDS’s range of modular LED lighting, the ArcSystem. Whilst offering highly efficient LED’s, low glare optics and energy reduction, the ArcSystem also comes with very low maintenance requirements.
“GDS’s ArcSystem is the fitting choice for the Royal Welsh College for several reasons” explains Martin Woodage of Stage Electrics. “The huge potenti

UK - Tech hire and events company SLX has restored the Rose Theatre’s rotational lighting on a long-term hire as a part of the theatre’s 10th anniversary celebrations.
The company provided Rose Theatre Kingston with 34 Martin by Harman MAC Encore Performance CLD fixtures on a five-year hire basis. SLX will also supply the theatre with 24-hour support and an annual maintenance visit as a part of the deal.
Dave Starmer, head of lighting and sound at the Rose, comments: “Due to the theatre’s intimate nature and configuration, our lighting was no longer effective as the units were becoming rather noisy and losing their brightness. We met with SLX to specify a new system and a new long-term hire deal to help us consistently upgrade and maintain it.”
SLX’s new head of lighti

USA - Signify reports that the famed Warfield Theatre in downtown San Francisco has upgraded its stage lighting with its latest LED technology. Now using the new Philips Vari-Lite VLZ Spot fixture, plus wash lights from Signify’s Showline range, the venue is enjoying the many benefits of the company’s latest innovations.
The Warfield, operated by Goldenvoice, has a rich history. Since opening in the 1930s it has hosted a Who’s Who of stars, from Al Jolson and Charlie Chaplin to Bob Dylan and Nirvana. With an eye on the future, the lighting upgrade had two aims. Firstly, to continue to deliver the highest standards of performance lighting, and secondly, to exploit the latest advances in LED technology to reduce both environmental impact and operating costs.
The choice of the VLZ Spots, along with the SL BEAM 500fx and 300fx wash fixtures, meets all these criteria

USA - 311’s Unity tour is criss-crossing North America with a full video rig powered by Avolites’ Ai.
The American rockers worked with production designer Bobby Grey, from Sightline Design Group, who created a video-focused show to add dynamic and fast-paced eye-candy. The band is backed by a 38'x16' 5.9mm upstage LED screen and considerable lighting rig.
“For this tour, the band and their management felt strongly about bringing hi res video into the mix,” says Grey. “Touring with full video is somewhat new territory for 311, and the song catalogue that they pull from nightly is well over 120 very different sounding songs. This means that while we have mainstays that are frequently used in the set that we can plan for and timecode, there are also some deep cuts that require some fast, on the fly punting.”
To find the right solution, Grey teamed

UK - To mark its 30th anniversary, HSL will stage two special open days at its HQ in Blackburn - on 3 and 4 October 2018.
This will include a Supplier Showcase, a lively expo-style environment located in HSL’s Gallery Space - complete with panoramic views across the undulating Lancashire countryside just outside of Blackburn - where HSL’s industry partners will demonstrate and highlight their latest technologies and innovations.
Brands like Robe, Philips, Martin, Claypaky, Chauvet, High End Systems, ETC, Avolites, MA Lighting and many more will have a presence in this relaxed, convivial and highly social atmosphere featuring 32 x stands and three bars.
Other highlights will include guided tours of the 165,000sq.ft HSL premises including its extensive training facilities, warehouse and prep areas.
There will be presentations by different companies within

Thailand - Mahajak Development and Baan Rig recently deployed a complete Harman Professional Solutions audio system featuring JBL, Soundcraft, Crown and BSS solutions at Rajamangala National Stadium.
Home to Thailand’s national football team, Rajamangala is a 65,000-seat sports and entertainment venue that also hosts international events such as the AFC Asian Cup, pop concerts and political rallies.
Rajamangala’s management recently decided to upgrade to a high-impact audio system that could deliver even coverage and intelligible sound to every seat, while also streamlining and simplifying production requirements. They hired audio integrators Mahajak Development and rigging experts Baan Rig to deploy an array of JBL Precision Directivity loudspeakers along the roof of the stadium. The system also includes a robust network of Crown DCi Series amplifiers, Soundcraft

Located on a picturesque bend of the Brda river in Bydgoszcz, Opera Nova is one of Poland’s leading opera houses, and it has recently upgraded the audio installations for its two main performance halls with Allen & Heath dLive digital mixing systems.
With a world-class repertoire including The Nutcracker, Orpheus in the Underworld, Swan Lake and Madame Butterfly, Opera Nova opened in 2006 and completed its latest audio installation last year.
Supplied by Konsbud Audio, the new dLive systems were installed in two locations. The Main Hall features a dLive S5000 surface, alongside a DM32 MixRack, a DX32 Expander and a Dante card. While the Chamber Hall has a dLive S3000 surface and a DM48 MixRack combined with another Dante card.
Adrian Michalski (head of the acoustics department and main sound engineer for Opera Nova), comments; "I’

The Netherlands - Dutch supergroup De Toppers take over the 68,000-capacity Amsterdam Arena annually for a string of sold-out shows billed as “the sing-along party of the year”.
As usual, the 2018 Pretty in Pink - The Circus Edition concerts were among Holland’s hottest tickets so far this year, and it was a substantial Adamson E-Series system from Ampco Flaslight Rental that brought the hits to the capacity crowd on 25, 26, and 27 May.
The high-profile foursome - consisting of singers Rene Froger, Gerard Joling, Jeroen van der Boom, and Jan Smit - combined a spectacular circus-inspired stage design with a set list combining crowd-favourite covers and originals for the one-of-a-kind experience. Presented in-the-round, the shows were supported by over a dozen flown E-Series arrays to ensure complete coverage and high-impact sound for every single seat.

India - With its large glass doors and smooth tile interior, the Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham ashram in Muddenahalli is an awe-inspiring place of devotion. These very same features also make the edifice a highly reflective - and acoustically challenging - space.
Coupled with the sheer size of the hall, which can seat close to 10,000 faithful, it was clear that a sound system was required inside the venue to maximise intelligibility during talks, concerts, and devotional activities. For this landmark project an L-Acoustics Kara system, provided by the French manufacturer’s certified distributor provider for India, New Delhi-based HiTech Audio Systems, offered such a solution.
“For the management of Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham, the project is a milestone and the audio install was a prime consideration,” adds Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham’s, Bharat Kumar. “We didn

Germany - The Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin was transformed into a giant live e-sports battle environment for the PUBG Global Invitational 2018, the first major international live tournament organised by the PUBG Corporation, and the first world championship in competitive PUBG. Teams of 24 competed for a share of some serious prize-money over four days.
The first-person shooting action was boosted by an energy-fuelled opening show. Event producers Production Associates asked visual specialists Live Legends to create a high-impact lighting design for the Opening Show and the championship, for which around 600 Robe moving lights played a central role.
Between the start of the project and getting to site in Berlin, Live Legends’ initial brief for the lighting design was also considerably expanded to include lighting control, set design, video content and control and fu

Belgium - Pukkelpop, held over four days at the end of August, showcases a variety of musical genres and also hosts theatre, street entertainment and food from around the world.
A major part of the audio production for this eclectic mixture of entertainment that has elevated Pukkelpop to being Belgium’s biggest and best alternative festival, is handled by production company PRG. DiGiCo was its choice of console for three of the festival’s stages including the Main stage, which hosted some of music’s biggest acts, including Dua Lipa, N.E.R.D, Arcade Fire and Kendrick Lamar.
The DiGiCo line up was SD10s on the Main and Marquee stages at both Front of House and monitor positions, and SD7s at both spots in the Dance Hall. Most bands took advantage of the house consoles, but if they did not, it was because they had brought their own DiGiCos with them.
“In the

Canada - Since its inception in 2013, the Glowfair Festival in Ottawa has grown substantially with the two-day event attracting roughly 60,000 people this past June. The name itself is an indication that lighting is an integral part of the event hosted along 10 full blocks of Bank St. in Ottawa.
As it has for the past five years, Ottawa Special Events (OSE) provided a substantial package of Elation lighting fixtures for Glowfair - some drawn from their own inventory and others rented from Christie Lights. In all, nearly 100 Elation fixtures were deployed, a combination of Platinum HFX hybrid moving heads, ZW19 LED moving head beam/wash effects, compact ACL 360i beam effects and SixPar 200 LED Par lights.
This year the festival featured performances by EDM act Cash Cash, Virginia to Vegas, Iskwé, Ria Mae and others on the main stage, as well as DJs and street artists

Germany - The television programme Let’s Dance has been a perennial fan favourite throughout Germany. Now in its 11th year, the show, which features 14 celebrities and their professional dance partners competing for a coveted trophy, has added even more colour and glamour to its presentation by expanding its lighting rig to include 12 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK1 Hybrid fixtures.
Lighting designer David Kreileman explained why he specified the 440W moving fixtures for the programme: “For one thing, the price-performance ratio is remarkable, and that's no exaggeration. A further factor is that the Maverick MK1 Hybrid that we are using on this set is unique and unbelievably versatile. Above all, I would single out the CMY colour mixing system, which is superior to fixed colour images.”
As a hybrid fixture with advanced optics, overlapping 8-facet and 4-

USA - Created to bring the high-energy of Lucha Libre professional wrestling to the United States, the sports and entertainment media firm Aro Lucha produces a number of live events and television productions.
Led by founders who have already achieved success in the professional wrestling industry, the production team understands they must create a dynamic environment that can match both the passion of the fans and the wrestlers taking the ring. Working with their partners at UNO Branding, Aro Lucha decided to enhance the impact of their design even further with the addition of a high-resolution video wall using a FLEXCurtain HD 6.25mm LED video solution from PixelFLEX.
“This is a relatively new production design as we only started the company in late 2017,” says Jason Brown, chief executive officer, Aro Lucha. “When we decided to launch the promotion, we wanted

China - When car maker Audi introduced its A8L luxury saloon to the Chinese market, technical service company Redline turned to the BlackTrax real-time motion tracking system to help deliver the wow factor to the launch show.
Each of the cars featured in the show was fitted with ‘BTBeacons’ which transmitted the exact position of the vehicles as they moved around the stage to ‘BTCams’, which then relayed the information to the lighting console so that any lighting look could be designed while automatically following the cars on the stage, regardless of speed or direction, with an accuracy that would not have been possible to achieve manually.
Another big part of the reveal, was the futuristic graphics projected on the floor and not only accented the car, it also helped explain some of the A8L’s new built in technology and features. The mapped projection int

USA - Bandit Lites has added a complement of Claypaky A.leda B-EYE K20 high-performance wash and beam fixtures to its inventory.
“We invested in the B-EYE K20s for their output and versatility,” says Jake Tickle at Bandit Lites. “Claypaky is a tried-and-tested industry standard.”
The B-EYE K20s have already been deployed on a number of shows and tours. Bandit provided the lighting package, including K20s, to Rascal Flatts’ Back to Us Tour and the K-LOVE Fan Awards show in Nashville’s famed Opry House. Bandit also furnished K20s for Logic’s set at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama and for Chris Young’s Losing Sleep 2018 World Tour whose lighting designer Mike Stanley specifically requested the fixtures for their kaleidoscopic effects.
The B-EYE K20s have also been used by Garth Brooks, Steven Wilson, Ha

Spain - Medusa Sunbeach presented the fifth serving of its electronic music festival to a 300,000-strong crowd this August. Held in Cullera, Spain, the festival offered the very best of world-class DJ’s to entertain audiences over three days of performances.
Madrid-based rental company, Delta Sound Spain, was appointed to provide audio for the Little Bird stage which was one of three stages within the public access festival area. Having only acquired their Bose ShowMatch system this year, they worked closely with Bose distributor Gaplasa to quickly secure a busy summer schedule for the new system.
The agreement to debut ShowMatch for one of its first appearances on a European festival stage was one which at first raised a few eyebrows. Jose De La Torre, CEO of Delta Sound Spain, comments, “As we loaded the system into the Little Bird Stage, operators of the sound s

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