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UK - Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout has appointed Ken Nock as senior project manager, to work closely with managing director Steve Tuck and existing project managers, Chris Brain and Kevin Monks to deliver creative solutions to Blackout's expanding global client base.

With over 30 years' experience handling complex large-scale rigging projects across corporate and entertainment sectors, he brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the Blackout team. Well known for his work with Unusual Rigging in the nineties, Nock was before that Head of Rigging at the NEC and has a prestigious history in project safety management. His most significant and lasting impact has been felt in the area of rigging safety at large venues, not least getting a proper, movable rigging grid into Wembley Arena.

In his new position he will lead Blackout's growth in exhibitions and corporate events

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UK - Summit Steel has designed, co-ordinated and installed a versatile rigging scheme for Cliff Richard's current month-long run at the Royal Albert Hall. In addition to the usual production rigging requirements for a large V-Dosc PA and four lighting trusses, this also allows for the straightforward staging of a variety of other shows during the 'dark' slots in Cliff's standard two days on and one off schedule.

The diverse selection of 'other' shows include a tribute to Ronnie Lane, an Islamic Relief event and shows for Classic FM and 19 Management as well as a gala dinner. The Cliff Richard run continues Summit MD Jon Bray's long standing association with the artist, and his production team, which stretches back over 20 years to 1982, and includes the galvanising Cliff 40th Anniversary Tour, staged in-the-round at the same venue in 1998.

This year sees him renew his acquaint

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UK - Stage specialists Stage Technologies has seen a marked increase in its exports to America in recent years, with high profile projects including the Lyric Opera House Chicago and the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, the latest additions to their already impressive client list. It is with their American clientele in mind that Stage Technologies have recently become a UL-listed company, now authorized to produce UL-approved electrical control panels.

John Hastie, sales and marketing director for Stage Technologies, commented: "UL is a universally recognized standard and it provides our growing global client base with an instant assurance that Stage Technologies conforms to the highest standards of quality and safety."

(Lee Baldock)

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Italy - Proel S.p.A. has recently reached a strategic commercial agreement with Litec Srl. In just two years, Proel's Lighting division has gained strong results in both turnover and export, in addition to its already positive performance in the domestic market. Litec is a leading trussing company, finding innovative solutions in the field of aluminium structures.

Fabrizio Sorbi, Proel chairman, said: "This agreement will allow both companies to develop several strategic activities. Litec means research and development, design and skilled mechanical planning. We will research advanced solutions for a new range of products, thus enabling us to meet the different needs of the market and to be closer to our customers in terms of pre-sales and after-sales services."

Giuliano Luvisotto, Litec general manager, commented: "We consider this agreement interesting and ext

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USA - Kurt Kern, long-time TMB sales representative, has relocated to Cleveland to join Vincent Lighting Systems. TMB's East Coast sales manager, Brian Dowd, said: "Kurt has been a great asset and friend to us all. We respect the devotion to his family that prompted this move. The growth of our New York office over the past few years would not have been possible without Kurt's knowledge, talent and hard work. Paul Vincent and everyone at Vincent Lighting are very fortunate. Meanwhile, we now have to deal with our worst nightmare: a customer who knows our deepest, darkest secrets!"

"Who can blame Kurt for moving to a town with such an awesome football team?" said TMB's sales manager, Tommy Stephenson, famous follower of lost causes, adding: "Paul, did you get a chance to look at my resumé yet?"

"These have been great years," comments Ke

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UK - The exciting new season planned at the English National Opera, the first in the restored Coliseum, left the ENO's technical and production department looking for a new solution to allow them to update their flying system. With a technically ambitious season ahead, the system needed to enable them to stage some of the company's largest shows to date, such as their current production of Phyllida Lloyd's Ring Cycle.

The ENO approached Stage Technologies for a solution with the view to purchasing a Nomad control console and renting 36 Big Tow winches. This would allow them to move very heavy loads quickly and safely, including a two-tonne suspension bridge, which is part of the set for Rhinegold, and allows them to stage some complicated and impressive effects for forth coming productions such as Valkyrie and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The well-pub

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UK - The brief was to retain the original architectural vision of wood floors in the studio of London's Jerwood Space and yet provide a suitable dance surface for a range of dance disciplines. Housed in a converted Victorian school in London's Southwark district, the Jerwood Space was created to help dance and theatre professionals by providing the best rehearsal space at a price appropriate to their means.

As director Richard Lee explained: "Our four main studios were equipped with pine sprung floors but the differing demands of theatre and dance companies, as well as public events, meant these had to be protected with a practical roll-out floor - practical but unattractive and requiring frequent taping."

The solution proved to be Harlequin Fiesta, a floor originally developed to stand up to the rigours of percussive dance, while Fiesta's oak-strip patterned hard su

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UK - Le Mark Group has introduced one of the world's most extensively-used gaffer tapes to its range. Pro-Gaffer from Pro Tapes & Specialities replaces Scapa 3101 as Le Mark's heavy-duty all-weather tape.

Pro-Gaffer is one of the best vinyl coated cloths available and is used by leading movie technicians and engineers worldwide. The advantages over Scapa 3101 are that the range offers 20 standard colours plus a superior matt surface thus reducing light reflection. Vinyl coated cloth tapes offer advanced performance in both high and low temperature applications and a high adhesive weight ensures a strong hold for extreme conditions such as 'off shore location-filming' and extreme rigging and fixing. Pro-Gaffer now companions Permacel P665 within the ever-growing Le Mark waterproof cloth based specialist tape range.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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International - The June 2004 issue of Lighting&Sound International magazine (published 9 June 2004) will feature a Technical Focus on the new Working at Height Regulations. PLASA's Health & Safety consultant, Ron Bonner, has been delivering a seminar to the industry on the subject of the new regulations, including at the PALME exhibition in Dubai in February, and at this week's A.C. Lighting North trade show in Leeds. He comments: "This legislation is being forced on our industry - and a number of others - very soon. As so much of the work in entertainment technology is carried out at height, I believe it is vital that professionals working in this industry have an understanding of what is in store for them."

The Technical Focus article will also go on to provide a round-up of chain hoist motors and their control systems. The review will examine standards and safety,

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UK - Star Events Group has hired out its first Star Orbit stage since buying the range of stages earlier this year. The stage, hired to the Rockingham Racetrack over the May bank holiday, also marked the first of the venue's summer series 'Days of Thunder' shows. 20,000 visitors enjoyed an exciting day's racing before being entertained by Freefaller, D'Side and V, with Blue closing the evening.

Since opening the UK's first purpose-built motor racing circuit in May 2001, with grandstand seating and modern facilities for visitors' comfort, Rockingham has encouraged family audiences to visit the state-of-the art venue by adding funfairs and pop concerts to the racing days.

Rockingham's Jeff Carter commented: "Last year we hosted several successful concerts with Star Mobile and this year we have bought in Star Orbit with their dome-shaped stage, which looks great and the arti

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UK - The BBC brought live music to Northern Ireland this spring with their BBC Music Live week, which kicked off with 'One Big Weekend' and closed with the 'Beautiful Night' concert. Star Events Group was bought in to provide the staging and rigging services for both events. 'One Big Weekend' took place on 24-25 April, incorporating both a dance day and a band day. Faithless took to the stage on Saturday whilst Sunday's headliners Ash got the crowds bouncing, and were warmed up by performances from Avril Lavigne, Kelis and Franz Ferdinand.

The event took place in a huge Kayam tent, in which Star Events Group created the show's focal point. A 20m x 15m Vertech stage was erected inside the structure with an impressive video and lighting set-up. The stage was branded with BBC Radio 1 and Music Live logos. A crew of 10 built the impressive structure over three days with Pete Englis

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The Netherlands - LGH Rigging Services, specialists in the hire, sales and service of rigging and associated equipment, has recently expanded into Holland in order to meet the increasing demand for its services in Europe.

LGH Rigging Services was established as a dedicated, back-up, equipment resource for the entertainment industry in 1997 by LGH Group plc, leaders in lifting and winching equipment for over 30 years. The business has until now been solely UK based at Three Mills Island Studios, London and is managed by Bob Dean.

Following its success in the UK, it has been decided to further support and develop European customer relationships by establishing a new mainland European base at Utrecht in Holland. Paul Fulcher, operations director, LGH Group, explained: "Our personnel's lifting and rigging expertise in the entertainment industry has been combined with a vast h

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USA - On Thursday 6 May 2004, just before David Bowie was due to start his A Reality Tour at the James L. Knight Centre in Miami, a local lighting technician, later identified as Wally Thomas, fell 50ft to his death from a metal wire and rod ladder. Investigators are now trying to determine the circumstances which led up to the death of Thomas who had worked in the industry for 25 years and was an extremely experienced stage technician.

The Miami Herald reported that Homicide detective, Ed Avila told them: "Wally Thomas and two other workers - who were looking after stage spotlights - were all wearing full body harnesses. However, the speculation is that Thomas was not clipped into the safety line when he fell to his death.

According to colleague and stage hand Chris Ryan - who has worked with Thomas since 1978 - he was stunned to hear he was on a truss spot

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Balanced Technology is a new distributor on the Australian entertainment production scene, supplying an eclectic mix of products ranging from inline 5-pin to 3-pin DMX adapters and followspot sights, to Littlite task lights and complete aluminium truss systems.

Balanced Tech was featuring two new products. Brown's Precision Welding have developed a 500mm stacking truss system which, due to its advanced webbing design, is rated for higher loads than 500mm box truss. One person can comfortably move eight 3m lengths of this truss on a simple dolly.

Also on stand, Nic Moreau of Enttec was demonstrating his unique DMX Datagate, a sophisticated DMX device with one Ethernet port and eight bi-directional DMX512 (RDM) ports. The device can be configured, via its web interface, to perform any conceivable function with its ports: DMX distribution and routing, Ethernet to DMX, DMX to Ethernet,

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UK - Summit Steel has purchased a large rigging automation and movement system by Kinesys from Brilliant Stages. It consists of 30 model LL Lodestars, operating with Elevation 1+ vari-speed hoist controllers and Kinesys' Vector Motion Control software. The purchase is part of Summit's ongoing commitment to the specialist area of movement and motion control, say the company.

Each Elevation 1+ Variable Speed hoist controller allows the variable speed running and full positional control of an electric chain hoist via an RS485-based protocol. The unit itself also incorporates a full variable-speed manual control plus remote handset control for basic running. Units can be daisy-chained together for easy set-up of multi-point lifts.

Summit is using Kinesys' Vector Motion Control software as the primary show control. Vector is a fully-featured motion control sequencing system that c

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UK - Star Rigging provided the rigging requirements for Westlife's Turnaround tour, to ensure the group could incorporate their latest stunt to get them close to their fans. The production focal point of the show was an aluminium catwalk lowered from the ceiling, on which the band performed four numbers over the heads of the audience. Star Rigging ensured the catwalk was rigged and lowered safely at each of the shows. The complete catwalk was 120ft long and incorporated an aluminium mesh walkway with a circular stage at the end, with Perspex flooring allowing the crowds to see the band throughout their performance. During the show, the giant catwalk was lowered out of the arena roofs to a 3m height above the heads of a delighted audience.

Star Rigging's Phil Broad designed the rigging plots and programmed the company's Ibex motion control system, ever mindful of the safety of th

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France - Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout has collaborated with set and lighting designer, Alain Lenchampt, to help realize the set for French superstar Henri Salvador's recent tour which celebrated 70 years of the jazz/cabaret crooner's illustrious career and covered all of France's main cities, starting with performances at the Palais de Congres in Paris, attended by over 3,800 fans per night.

Blackout France's project manager, Damien Slaney, headed up the team and was responsible for designing and supplying a massive 27m x 9m drop cyclorama, which played a central role in the set design. Fabricated out of ecru-filled cloth at Blackout's UK headquarters in South London, it divided the set between a jazz combo downstage centre and a 40-piece orchestra behind.

Offering a huge semi-circular blank canvas, the cyc was used by Lenchampt, to create a stunning barrage of light

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UK / France - The grand finale to the Cannes Film Festival - a concert promoting the new movie De-Lovely - made the most of its stunning beach-side location, with a stage in the middle of the sea. De-Lovely, a drama based on the legendary American composer Cole Porter, is the latest musical to come out of the studios of MGM. To create a stage set which was in keeping with the theme of the movie and also elegant enough for the performers, including Robbie Williams, Alannis Morrisette and Sheryl Crow, MGM turned to scenic artists Hangman to come up with a concept for the design. Hangman in turn called upon LiteStructures to help them realize their ideas.

"MGM asked us to come up with a concept for the stage set, sending us to a top secret preview screening of the film to give us the opportunity to sketch out some ideas", explained Hangman's Sam Booker. &qu

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UK - Stage Electrics recently managed the technical requirements of the Conservative Party's campaign launches for the European Parliament and the local council elections. The two launches held in two very different venues were given a unified look, coordinated by Stage Electrics' Stuart Miller, who handled the account for CCO Conferences.

For the European election launch Stage Electrics provided a full set in Studio 12 at Granada TV Studios. Placed in front of 100m of white cyclorama, the opaque polycarbonate set was applied to a white steel frame grid of squares. Two large projection screens were incorporated into the set with projection also provided by the company. The huge stage consisted of four varying height linked circular platforms which ranged from two meters to six meters in diameter. The set was constructed in short order by the Stage Electrics scenic workshop and m

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UK - Prolyte Products Group, one of the world's leading truss manufacturers, has announced that Andy Trevett, its UK account manager, is to leave the company at the end of May. Trevett has been instrumental in the establishment of Prolyte's trussing and staging products in the UK market since 2000.

"I have been delighted to have been associated with Prolyte for the past four years," said Trevett, "It has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with so many great people, both distributors and co-workers. Moreover, having been involved with the company during one of its most innovative phases - as it brought so many radical products, for example ProTrac, to the market - has been very exciting. However, I feel that I need to seek a new challenge, particularly as the Prolyte UK Distributor network is now in place and functioning very well."

A Prolyte spokesper

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The PLASA Awards for Product Excellence are being relaunched as the PLASA Awards for Innovation, with the focus on products which genuinely advance the industry. All nominees for the Awards - which take place during the PLASA Show in September - will feature in the Innovation Gallery (pictured right). Unlike previous years, the awards will not be categorized according to sector, but will be judged on the grounds of innovation alone. Eight Awards will then be presented at the Awards Ceremony on Monday 13 September. Call us if you want to know more.

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Uk - At this year's ABTT show (16-17 June, London) James Thomas will show its comprehensive ranges of theatrical lanterns. Its asymmetric Cyc lights feature a high quality electrostatic paint finish and robust yoke, complete with T-bar for positive lock-off. Cyc lights can be used flown or floor-mounted - the body of the unit having an inbuilt 30 degree angle floor-mount facility - optional floor mounting plates are also offered. The units have adjustable lamp-holders and feature ventilation slots to prolong bulb and gel life.

Spot banks are available in various configurations of Par 36 lamps. Lamp changing is simple due to quick-release knobs on lamp's front retaining ring. Units can be supplied with stand-off colour frames if requires, and with two or four-way barn doors. Adapters are also made for all the major brands of colour changers. Spot Bank units can also be supplied w

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UK / Italy - Following a meeting at SIB Rimini in March, Hall Stage has secured a UK distribution deal with JAB Italy for their superb ranges of riggers' tools, bags, torches and accessories, all of which will be available from Halls direct, or from their many distributors around the Country.

"We've been looking for a good manufacturer of this type of kit for a while and came across JAB in Rimini this year," said Charles Haines, Hall Stage commercial director. "They have a fantastic sense of design, quality and detail and fit very well into our catalogue."

Featured here is the WingNut spanner set, for use on 13mm, 17mm and 19mm wings as well as the standard bolt hex heads. The second spanner in the set is specially designed for mini Omega bracket hooks and wing nuts found on moving heads. The set is laser cut from aero-grade aluminium and comes in a neat b

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UK - Star Events Group supplied Homelands' organizers with an Orbit structure that was used as the 'Hydration Station' for the festival. Star Orbit erected a 12m, two-bay structure at the centre of the event site. With Orbit-style structures usually used for performance stages at Homelands, this year the 'Hydration Station' was created using a Star Orbit stage and became a central sales outlet for refreshments. The stage stood out from other structures with its distinctive dome shaped roof and contained a dance floor with a lighting rig and screen, together with a kiosk selling water and energy products.

The 17-hour event took place at Matterley Bowl in Hampshire, and brought together live bands and DJs for thousands of visitors. Faithless and the Scissor Sisters topped the live act bill, with the likes of Erik Morillo, Paul Van Dyk and Judge Jules taking to the decks. Star Orb

  1. Variable-speed Prostars in World First for Kinesys
  2. John Jones is on the Move
  3. Hall Stage & ASM launch DGS system
  4. Another Award for new wave truss
  5. 'Don't stop now' says ILMC Safety Group
  6. Vertigo rigs Harry Potter premiere
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