USA - Vail may mean skiing, snow and outdoor activities to most people but the area is known for its educational and cultural opportunities as well. Take Vail Mountain School (VMS) as an example. The independent K-12 school has a reputation for excellence and an important part of their challenging academic curriculum is fine art, music, and the performing arts.
VMS puts on its own productions in a 384-seat, state-of-the-art theatre. In order to maintain its high standards and offer students the latest in cutting-edge entertainment lighting technology, in 2017 the school replaced its standard conventional lighting rig of discharge-based fixtures with an automated Elation Professional LED-based rig of intelligent spot, wash and batten luminaires. .
Media production company THD Productions, Inc. of Leadville, Colorado, was called on to complete the install while freelance

USA - The stars truly unite for Dead & Company, the celebrated group featuring original Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir alongside singer/guitarist John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.
Reflecting the stature and profile of the band, the first gigs of their recent tour were two sold out nights at Madison Square Garden for which LD Chris Ragan of Raygun Design created a fresh and spectacular lighting scheme utilizing 24 of Robe’s new MegaPointes, 36 x Spiiders, 37 BMFL Spots and six BMFL Blades, all of which are at the core of the rig.
The tour followed a series of summer stadium shows where Chris’s rig included 70 x Spiiders and 60 x BMFL WashBeams, also supplied by Upstaging, the lighting vendor for the tour.
The tour trussing configuration comprised

UK - Adlib supplied lighting, audio production and crew for the highly festive Christmas with the Overtones tour, renewing a long term working relationship with the popular five-piece harmony group.
This was among the highlights of a number of shows and tours wrapping up a busy year for the Liverpool based rental and production specialist.
Adlib’s audio team was led by Mario Leal who was tasked with getting the Coda PA fine-tuned and sounding crisp each day for the band’s FOH sound engineer Mark Clements. Paul Allen was the tour and production manager steering the ship.
The PA was specified by Mark and monitor engineer Cristiano Vuolo, explained Mario, and he, together with account handler Dave Jones, all worked together to ensure everything was co-ordinated smoothly and efficiently.
A typical set up was 12 x ViRAY left-and-right with three senso

Croatia - Croatian pop singer Petar Grašo completed a trio of sold out high-profile arena shows - at the Spaladium Arena in Split, the Roman Arena in Pula and finishing up at Zagreb Arena - with lighting, video and scenography designed by Sven Kučinić.
Sven uses Robe as his go-to moving lights whenever possible, for which 24 x BMFL Spots, 24 x LEDWash 600+s and 24 x MMX WashBeams were supplied for two of these three shows - in Spilt and Zagreb - together with sound video, trussing and staging, by ELDRA.
The production supplier for the second show was the IVAS Group, and the Robe kit included 20 x Pointes, 28 x LEDWash 600s, 16 x BMFL Spots and 20 x CYCFX 8s.
Sven, one of the top Croatian LDs working with a raft of music clients both regionally and internationally has collaborated with Petar Grašo for the last two years. He was given complete creative freedom

Belgium - Entertainment engineering specialists WIcreations supplied flying - both people and objects – and stage automation equipment, expertise and crew to the recent Marmalade production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, staged in Halls 7 and 8 of the Ghent Expo in Belgium, which ran from 17 December until 7 January.
Directed by Frank van Laecke, this eye-catching original production with a detailed and intricate set design by Stefan Haudenhuyse was based on the 1989 animated musical fantasy film from Walt Disney Features, in turn inspired by the Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1837.
Hans Willems project-managed for WIcreations, who were asked to design and co-ordinate flying systems and stage automation having provided similar services for Marmalade’s 2016 production of another Disney musical, Beauty and the Beast

Philippines - Resorts World Manila (RWM) is the first and largest integrated resort in the Philippines. It is a one-stop, non-stop entertainment and leisure destination. Bar 360’s circular layout presents an audio production challenge, especially since Bar 360 is located right in the centre of the casino’s gaming floor generating its own dissonant sounds.
The purpose of the upgrade was to have a clear and dynamic sound all the way around the audience area that delivers a great live show to the customers at a level of 95-100 dB without fatiguing anyone’s hearing and not disturbing the casino operations.
Ernie De Leon, director of entertainment operations, RWM at Bar 360, comments: “We want our guests to experience the real live sounds of our bands. The challenge is we’re in the middle of a gaming floor, so we also need to consider our other guests outside the

Denmark - For the third year in a row, lighting designer Martin Holst was commissioned to illuminate Realdania’s beautiful building during Copenhagen’s Culture Night 2017. Realdania’s 50m tall building was hard to miss with a fiery red illumination created with various SGM fixtures.
“We used SGM’s LED tubes for the square in front of the building and the P-5 in the atrium behind the building to illuminate trees, bushes etc. But the fun and challenging one was definitely the huge facade on the tall building,” said Holst.
The annual Culture Night in Copenhagen attracts participation from more than 230 museums, theatres, libraries, churches, ministries, and parks.
“On this evening, there are so many activities all around Copenhagen. Therefore, we really had to make the building stand out; creating a spectacle that drew people's attention,” ex

USA/UK - Hamilton is one of the most successful productions to hit Broadway since Phantom of the Opera. Blending American history with hip-hop and the magic of live theatre, the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning musical is now taking the Broadway smash hit across North America and overseas. Thanks to the powerful low-end sound reinforcement of PK Sound’s Gravity 30 subwoofers, featuring Powersoft's M-Force amplification technology, fans of the runaway hit will get to feel all the magic of the Broadway version of Hamilton.
Broadway sound designer and Tony Award nominee, Nevin Steinberg reports, "On a tour, agility and adaptability are paramount. Any show that is moving over just a couple of days and has to deliver a perfect opening night performance in a new venue every few weeks must be able to solve a wide array of challenges. For theatre shows anywhere

UK - The Royal Albert Hall recently decided to invest in a range of Robert Juliat Cyrano 2500W HMI followspots and approached White Light to make the purchase.
The lighting design manager at the Royal Albert Hall is Richard Rhys Thomas. He comments: “My role covers a few broad areas, namely overseeing the running of the lighting department as well as delivering a high-quality lighting service to incoming as well as internally produced shows. I also have to oversee the upkeep and maintenance of the systems and installations, specifying new lighting equipment and improving the design of the lighting rig as needs change.”
It was Richard who decided that the previous rig required an upgrade of its existing followspots. He comments: “We wanted to replace our followspot provision with up-to-date and more efficient technology. Having used the Robert Juliat Cyrano magne

USA - Philips Lighting’s new VLZ range of LED-based stage luminaires have been chosen for the busy Novo by Microsoft, a live entertainment venue at the L.A. LIVE sports and entertainment district in LA.
The 2,356-capacity Novo by Microsoft is a flexible venue hosting live music of many genres, as well as comedy shows and a full and varied events program. Consequently, its lighting demands are of the highest order. In their search for new lighting tools, theatre manager Jennie Perkins and lighting designer Keith Mitchell prioritized fixtures that were bright, silent and responsive, with state-of-the-art LED technology to bring the benefits of energy efficiency and low maintenance.
"We do over 200 events a year and energy consumption is very important to us," says Perkins. "Equally, the busy programme means we simply don't have time to have fixtures out for repair."

USA - Control products from ETC have been specified to modernise the lighting control at the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum in Albuquerque.
The museum’s facade is the silhouette of a hot air balloon, with the top of the building a dome ­ newly washed with colour-changing LED fixtures. The museum wanted to take advantage of capabilities of the LED fixtures and reinforce the iconic nature of the building. The solution was an ETC Paradigm system. Lighting looks were programmed into the system and now the museum staff can choose custom colours for different themes or special events.
“Because we are used a lot and we do a lot of activities all year round in the very early morning or late at night, it gives us a way to add an element of beauty to the building,” says Paul D. Garver, manager of the museum. He has plans to let the lights react

USA - The Gordon Centre for the Performing Arts is a 550-seat venue in Owings Mills, Maryland, Baltimore that hosts all manner of musical acts from local to national, dance performances, comedies, plays, lectures, family shows, and films.
With the help of Baltimore-based A/V integration firm HP Electronics, the Gordon Centre recently upgraded its sound reinforcement system with Danley’s Pure Groove PG-96 loudspeakers, Danley TH-118 subwoofers, and Danley’s new DNA-Series amplifiers, with onboard DSP and presets for every Danley loudspeaker and subwoofer.
“When the Gordon Centre decided it was time for an upgrade, several loudspeaker shootouts were arranged that ultimately pitted a dozen or so loudspeaker manufacturers against each other,” explained Joe Schwartz, A/V sales designer at HP Electronics. “At the outset, they wanted to avoid a line array solution b

UK - For the dance anthem generation, it seems there’s nothing in the musical universe that cannot be enhanced by the augmentation of a classic orchestral string section.
Pete Tong, with conductor Jules Buckley leading the New Heritage Orchestra, have just completed a triumphant campaign that saw them present Ibiza Classics through the major arenas of the UK. Whereas once the dance rave genre relied heavily upon the use of light and laser to animate what is essentially a static DJ performance, now the combination of live video and the addition of so many musicians makes for a heady concoction.
The stage was dominated by visceral images portrayed upon a set of moving LED screens immediately upstage of the musicians and Tong. Veteran concert director Mark Davies was shooting the show with all video equipment and camera system provided by Video Design.
“B

Belgium - Luc Peumans of Painting With Light created the lighting and stage design for the 30th anniversary tour by rock band Clouseau.
The visual concept of Clouseau 30 tour - an extensive itinerary visiting 500 2000-capacity venues across Belgium - is based around a lounge-style environment with carpets on the floor, standard lamps dotted around and an upright piano onstage.
Charismatic lead singer Koen enthusiastically engages with the audience as he tells assorted stories related to each song. The set list can also change - with no warning - depending on this audience interaction, as they will often shout out requests for specific songs the band might decide to play. This improvisation keeps Luc and the crew on their toes and is an exciting and invigorating way to work ‘live’.
Luc is celebrating his own anniversary, being back behind the lighting

Europe - Feeling the heat and helping create the energy and industrial-strength visuals for award winning Swedish heavy metal band In Flames, lighting and production designer Fredrik Stormby of creative practice Greenwall Designs AB used 156 x Robe BMFLs - a mix of 102 x BMFL WashBeams and 54 x BMFL Spots for their most recent tour.
The band was founded in Stockholm in 1990, since when it has been highly successful and prolific, steaming through a full-on career that’s seen them produce multiple best-selling albums and be credited for founding the nuanced metal sub-genre ‘Swedish melodic death metal’. They have built up a loyal international fan-base over time and tour extensively, known for the passion and vitality of their live performances.
This tour is still part of the 2016 Battles album cycle, and the very latest autumn-winter European arena section

Europe - Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting and crew to the most recent UK and European leg of synth pop duo Hurts Desire tour which included many adventures and the presentation of some superlative shows in more off-gig circuit reaches of Europe.
These included Moldova, Siberia, Belarus and Ukraine, and was a test to the tenacity, ingenuity, commitment and camaraderie of production manager Craig Sherwood and his team combined with the ardent enthusiasm of the band’s fan base.
Award winning production designer Rob Sinclair created the scenic and lighting design and worked with Matt Arthur as lighting director / programmer and operator on the road. It’s the third Hurts’ album cycle for these two, who have worked together in a similar format for the last 10 years.
The band’s production and the relationship with Colour Sound as a lighting and

USA - New Year's Eve festivities at the luxury hotel Fontainebleau Miami Beach isn't just another NYE celebration. The oceanfront resort, with its celebrated poolscape, has featured the likes of Lady Gaga, Drake and Justin Bieber at past celebrations and this year saw Demi Lovato and popular DJ KYGO ring in the New Year.
Lighting director and production designer Tyler Frank and the team at Everlast Productions created a lasting memorable experience for Fontainebleau and their guests. By blending a creative solution with innovative technology and technical expertise Everlast produced an engaging live event experience. The South Florida-based production company supplied the entire production; from dynamic graphic content, to impactful lighting atmospheres, to premium audio quality, cutting-edge technology that adapted perfectly to the environment
Everlast’s Tyler Frank

Bahamas - While an estimated one million people crowded into Times Square on New Year’s Eve to watch the famous ball drop, a far smaller crowd was gathering 1,102 miles away, under much balmier conditions, for another NYE tradition. The ringing in of the New Year is as eagerly anticipated at Albany Resort, a 600-acre upscale island paradise (poolside condos go for $6,000 a night), as it is in the heart of the Big Apple.
Every New Year’s Eve, organisers of this paradisal resort’s Albany White party (named after the white outfits that guests wear) try to outdo their previous year’s celebration. 31 December 2017, was no exception, with 50 different performers, including DJ Ignite, providing entertainment and a gourmet dinner worthy of a world-class restaurant.
The centre of attention for much of the evening was the Las Vegas-style dancefloor that was create

Egypt - Philips Lighting reports that the prestigious new National Army Conference Centre in Cairo has chosen a state-of-the-art lighting system and data infrastructure from Philips Entertainment Lighting for its 1,700-capacity main auditorium.
Requiring a top quality, professional lighting system suitable for a modern, multi-purpose venue, the specifiers needed a trusted brand - one with a product catalogue capable of encompassing a complete system solution. State-of-the-art LED technology, where possible, was a key requirement, as was first-class technical support throughout the project.
Working closely with local specialist installer Egyptian Engineering Projects (known as Quality Egypt), the team from Philips Lighting helped to make these demands a reality. Philips Lighting's sales and technical teams from both EMEA and USA provided comprehensive on-site support th

UK - It’s panto season again and as innuendos fly, slapstick humour is trowelled on and extravagant costumes and characters abound, entertaining thousands of people up and down the UK. Lighting and visuals rental and production specialist HSL supplied equipment to a record 31 premium UK pantomime productions for the 2017-18 season for leading pantomime producers, Qdos.
That is 11 more shows than last year’s schedule of 20, which are taking place all over England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as far north as Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh and as far west as Plymouth and Llandudno, as far south as Southampton and also including Belfast, Cardiff and London.
The equipment has included lighting – conventional and intelligent fixtures (LEDs / moving heads), rigging and a raft of special effects like smoke, fog and atmosphere, together with humungous amounts o

World - Imagine Dragons are members of a group of current rock bands that have gone from playing basements and dive bars to major arenas within the past 10 years, and for their Evolve World Tour in 2017, it was an Adamson E-Series system rocking the crowds from continent to continent.
“Adamson is always my first choice when it comes to Imagine Dragons,” says FOH engineer Scott Eisenberg. “The E-Series offers a perfect blend of power and musicality and I love the overall impact we get with this system.”
The trek was the band’s biggest to date in terms of scale and overall production value and featured a unique stage design that wraps the audience around the band in an almost 360-degree configuration. That necessitated an equally unique audio system design with a package that, like those for all of the band’s previous production-carrying tours, was su

Europe - After lighting the band for nearly 13 years, experienced Irish LD Steven Douglas knows how to bring the best out of The Killers’ dynamic stage set.
Now in the midst of the Wonderful Wonderful world tour, he has been exploring new dimensions and challenging perspectives by introducing GLP’s hybrid JDC1 strobe to his toolbox, along with the GLP X4 Bar 20 battens, to help maintain the band’s status as being one of the world’s leading touring rock bands.
Whereas on previous albums there has always been jumping off points such as artwork to inspire the design, he says that this time the process began while the band was still recording. “Therefore, we were able to start with a clean sheet.
“We knew there would be Las Vegas references as it’s such a huge part of the band’s DNA. Once the set designers, Fireplay, were onboard, we moved quic

Poland - The city of Zakopane in southern Poland kicks off each year in a spectacular fashion with a high-energy NYE party hosted by television station TVP2. This year the show, with its massive stage, which was produced by TVP, was even more impactful than usual, thanks to lighting and video delivered by ARAM, lighting designed by Adam Tyszka and a stunning stage design by production designer Giorgos Stylianou-Matsis.
Central to creating this unforgettable experience was a collection of 44 Chauvet Professional STRIKE 1 fixtures, which Tyszka utilised to produce a multitude of stage and audience effects such as blinding and strobing.
Positioned at the very top of the custom built cosmic influenced stage structure - which was located at the foot of the spectacular Tatry Mountain range, the STRIKE fixtures were used to accentuate the performances of the Polish and inte

UK - Among the most exclusive live music venues in London, The Arts Club has recently invested in an Allen & Heath dLive digital mixing system as part of a significant audio upgrade programme.
Founded in 1863 by Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope and Lord Leighton, The Arts Club is a premium members-only venue that attracts a top-end clientele, for live music, art and fashion events, and private parties.
Supplied by SSE Audio Group, the new set-up is based around a dLive S5000 surface – with both Dante and AES3 I/O audio networking cards installed – and DM48 MixRack. An Allen & Heath ME-1 personal mixer is also now employed for drum monitoring duties.
“The mainstays of The Arts Club tech team use dLive systems out on the road,” explains Richard Watts, SSE Audio Group sales manager, “including Jonathan Lewis (Travis FOH) and Dave McDonald (Frank

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