Rigging / Staging

Blackout's touch of magic for <I>Hitchhikers Guide</I>

Details: 14 March 2016

Uk - Blackout supplied three bespoke fibre-optic starcloths to exhibition expert Silver Knight Events, which are currently being deployed in London's Science Museum for its new pan-galactic interactive visitor experience -the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy Exhibition.

The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from Arthur Dent's kitchen to the far reaches of outer space. It brings to life the witty and satirical narrative of Douglas Adams' iconic story. Blackout's hire and sales co-ordinator, Nico Beukes, collaborated with Silver Knight's project manager, John Nearn, to ensure that the three bespoke drapes met his exacting specifications.

Designed in a range of sizes, the fibre-optic starcloths, measured 12.2m x 12.2m, four metres by one metre and three metres by four. They played an integral role in the rich set design, which combined over 200 original props, creature

Kinesys ups the ante with K2

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Automation specialists Kinesys has teamed up with cutting-edge product designers, Carallon, to develop a brand new motion control software solution - K2. The product will be officially launched at PLASA 2005, staged in Earls Court, 11 - 14 September. K2 is a ground-breaking motion control technology that is more powerful, logical, easy to operate and accurate than anything seen before say the company.

Kinesys initially approached Carallon to help realize K2 because: "Their pedigree is second to none" explains Dave Weatherhead The Carallon design team has extensive experience producing specialist entertainment industry hardware and software, including iconic products such as the WholeHog range of digital lighting consoles. The team's track record, combined with their energy and enthusiasm for K2, meant Kinesys knew they'd found the right partner with the right skil

https://www.claypaky.it/products/ultimo-hybrid/

Pete Doherty performs on the Other Stage.

Serious Stages at Glastonbury

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Serious Stages supplied a variety of stages, PA towers, roofing and decking elements at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival including to the Pyramid, Other Stage, Jazz World, East and West Dance stages, Roots and the John Peel Stage. Glastonbury 2005 has already been hailed as one of the most memorable, action packed and fun events for entertainment value, despite a violent thunderstorm and torrential rain for three hours on the Friday morning, which also rendered it one of the muddiest!

This year Glastonbury's famous Pyramid stage was flanked by two of Serious's new Goal Post PA towers, enabling SSE's Nexo Geo-T PA to be flown at a height of 60ft. The deck for the towers was two metres above the ground and each tower was ballasted by eight tonnes of concrete. This allowed SSE to angle the PA to throw right back across the hill. Pyramid highlights included headliners the White St

Huge boost for Mersey River Festival

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - The 25th anniversary of the annual Mersey River Festival in Liverpool - celebrating the life, times and history of the city's river - benefited from additional investment and an injection of new ideas and enhanced production and entertainment elements this year. This included a massive increase in family facilities and children's activities, a fully equipped performance stage located at the Pier head site, which offered a diverse programme of artists throughout the three days and nights, plus large format building projections after dark.

It was the first year that the new events team from Liverpool Culture Company organized this event. "It was the 25th anniversary, 2005 is the 'Year of the Sea' and we wanted to refresh and revamp the event, make it more contemporary and broaden its appeal to a wider public than the traditional River Festival audience. We also wanted to

A silver celebration at Stagecraft

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Stagecraft, one of the UK's leading staging and live events companies, is celebrating a milestone of 25 years in business. The Salisbury-based company, which has achieved massive growth since completing its first year of trading in 1980, has been presented with numerous awards during its 25 years for commitment and dedication to the industry.

Stagecraft produces conferences and exhibitions, as well as providing equipment and technical support for corporate events, festivals, parties and meetings in the UK and abroad. Stagecraft Theatre Services supplies and installs equipment from all leading lighting and sound manufacturers to the educational, amateur and professional entertainment sectors.Managing director, David Goodrich commented: "It is incredible to think that 25 years has passed and I am proud to be part of an exciting and innovative industry . . . the trend has

Tomcat Hoist & Rigging Workshop 2006

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Tomcat has announced the dates of its 2006 Hoist & Rigging Workshop. The annual school includes workshops pertaining to hoist, rigging, truss, and fall protection taught by leading industry experts. Workshops will run over four days, from 1-4 March 2006, in Midland, Texas.

Making its second appearance after becoming a huge success among participants in the 2005 Workshop will be the Advanced Workshop. This two-day workshop covers a variety of interesting topics on hoist motors and truss design and is meant for those who have already completed Tomcat's four-day workshop and/or those with extensive experience working with motors and truss in the field. The advanced workshop is scheduled to take place from 3-4 March, also in Midland, Texas. Further information is available from the e-mail address below.

Mojo Barriers get vertigo with U2

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Mojo Barriers has supplied the crowd barriers for all of the dates of U2's sold-out Vertigo World tour.

Mojo Barriers MD Patrick Jordan liaised with U2's Jake Berry from its Netherlands head office, to ensure the barrier design integrated into the U2 stage set to create a safe environment for both the band and their audiences. The tour started in San Diego (USA) where the Mojo Barriers US office supplied them with 130m of black powder-coated aluminium Mojo Barriers to go around the 'egg'-shaped walkway and to create a pen inside the 'egg'.

In Europe, Mojo Barriers supplied a total of 300m of its proprietary aluminium stage barriers for the outdoor shows. The U2 Vertigo outdoor stage has two 'bull horn' like thrusts on stage left and stage right and the Mojo Barriers followed the contour of these with its front of stage barrier. The company also provided a large curved sec

Summit and Kinesys on Oasis dates

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Summit Steel is supplying a 45-way Kinesys Elevation 1+ vari-speed automation and control system to the current Oasis stadium tour - as specified by lighting designer Andi Watson. It is the largest ever Kinesys Elevation variable speed chain hoist system used to date.

Lighting contractor PRG Birmingham, and account handler Robin Wain contracted Summit to supply the system which is being used to move 12 lighting 'Quads' customised frames each holding 4 MAC 2000 moving lights and lined with PixelLine LED battens on the top rail and DJ Flash rope. There are two motors per quad, and these glide seamlessly in and out and up and down to create different patterns and configurations - effectively making a constantly moving stage set.

There are four further moving trusses taking up thirteen points, each of varying lengths and containing a total of 12 Syncrolite SX 3KW moving light

Summit's Smart start to summer

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Summit Steel kicked off a hectic end of June and early July with SmarTmast mayhem on a huge variety of events and festivals.

SmarTmasts, a Summit designed and constructed product, have become hugely popular with PA companies, production and site managers for their rugged load bearing capacities, easy construction, elegant aesthetics and small footprint.

In Portsmouth for Mice International at the Trafalgar 200 event, Summit supplied eight SmarTmasts used as PA towers for Capital Sound. These were dotted all over the Portsmouth Royal Naval Dockyard site at various performance stages and screen sites.

For the Leeds Castle Summer Concerts in June and July and for Clear Channel 's Summer Nights in July at the same venue, Summit supplied two SmarTmast2s and four SmarTmast1s, for PA companies RG Jones and Major Tom. Summit is also providing Major Tom with a single dela

Pearce Hire powers WWII Commemorations

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Specialists in lighting, sound and power provision Pearce Hire was contracted to manage the temporary power requirements for Birmingham's National Day of Commemoration with a spectacular Victory Fireworks Fantasia and a stage set on the lake in Cannon Hill Park. Continuing work with Birmingham City Council, after successfully providing power in recent years for the Jubilee celebrations, New Years Eve events, Diwali and Centenary Square, Pearce Hire has become a regular provider to the City Council.

Over 15,000 people enjoyed the fine weather and music at Cannon Hill Park's Victory Fireworks Fantasia. Chaired by Nick Owen of Midlands Today, a fabulous 1940s-themed afternoon concert starred British favourites Max Bygraves OBE and Joan Regan, while extracts from the Rat Pack Live featured music from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior. Rousing the crowd th

Slingco install UK's largest memberless CABLEnet

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Slingco has installed an 8.6m wide by 18m long CABLEnet tensioned wire grid at 6.4m above the main stage and auditorium of the new Junction 2 Theatre in Cambridge.

With no intermediate members below the grid - it's completely clear to the venue floor - and capable of supporting 250 Kg vertical loads. It's believed to be the largest grid of this type to date in the UK.

Junction 2 is a brand new flexible 220 capacity arts, theatre and education space, with a new technology laboratory aimed at inspiring the next generation of artists, musicians and audiences.

Designed as both a receiving and producing house, it's the first purpose built theatre to open in Cambridge since the 1930s and is operated by Junction CDC. Robin Townley, development director of Junction 2 knew that full flying facilities would not be required for the type of productions they would be staging, so he

HUB 2005: Festival of the future

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Liverpool's third HUB Festival - a mix of art, music and extreme sports staged at the Pier Head - expanded and featured several new elements this year.

The event is the brainchild of the Council's Liverpool Culture Company and included music, skateboarding and BMX competitions, graffiti art exhibitions and music performed by many excellent local bands

Kirstie Blakeman, event manager, explained that they had created a new look main stage under the cover of a single king pole, purple membrane tent supplied by Wangos, which was chosen for its aesthetics. She added: "With the event being held at Liverpool's waterfront World Heritage Site we wanted something unique and different looking, something really special and dynamic for the music zone this year - not just another standard stage or marquee."

The same was true for the DJ tent, compared by Spykatcha - which sa

Tomcat USA - a Force of Destiny

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - In June, Tomcat USA completed a custom project for the San Francisco Opera, designing and building a tetrahedral barrier for their production of La Forza del Destino, which is scheduled to run in November. The components of this special barrier are three 37ft legs of custom medium duty spigoted truss (each leg consisting of three sections of custom spigoted MD). These legs are connected with slew rings in the centre of each section, including spring-loaded pins that lock each section into place when they twist. The chords of the truss were constructed with box tube, making it easier to connect the cladding set pieces to be created in house at the Opera.

Custom stage sockets were another part of the project: these allow the barrier's legs to lock into the stage floor, after it is lowered from the grid. The design allows the legs to rotate as it is lowered, revealing

60th Anniversary of the end of World War II

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - For the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II the Ministry of Defence engaged Unusual Services to provide production services for a weeklong programme of events.

The main focus of the week was on Sunday 10 July with an event staged on Horse Guards Parade for 11,000 veterans. Edwin Shirley Staging built a 40m x 25m stage with sound supplied by Wigwam, lighting provided by PRG Europe and a 160m scenic wall from Centrestage. Other key suppliers included Search, Power Logistics, Arena Seating, Unusual Rigging, Screenco, Show & Event, Dobson Sound, Delta Sound, Thorns and National Radio Bank.

During the week leading up to the celebrations, images of previously unseen World War II photographs were projected onto the façade of Buckingham Palace. In addition an 85m x 30m tented Veterans Centre was installed in St. James's Park along with a Living Museum, Press Centre, a BB

Festival of Music - Tower of London

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Star Events Group was recently involved with the series of spectacular shows that took place at the Tower of London during July this year. The client, Planit Events approached Star Orbit requiring a 20m five bay flat back Orbit stage structure to be positioned in the moat surrounding the Tower for five nights of grand opera and six nights of jazz.

One of the main stipulations from the client was the need to effectively seat and protect from the elements a 60-piece orchestra without obscuring the onstage artists and disrupting audience sightlines. Mike Goodwin (Star Orbit) and the Star Design team collaborated with Planit to devise an under-stage Orchestra pit that provided the shelter the orchestra members required whilst maintaining the sound quality. This was achieved by extending the front of the stage floor out and over the heads of the musicians. Onstage the stunning c

Kinesys team expands

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Automation designers and engineers Kinesys has expanded its closely knit team with the addition of Martin Honeywill as senior design engineer, who joins founders Dave Weatherhead and Andy Cave at the South London HQ.

Honeywill has worked with Unusual Rigging for the last 12 years and before then, with various lighting companies since his graduation from Keele university in 1985 with a BSc in Electronics and Computer Engineering.

Kinesys' Weatherhead and Honeywill originally met whilst the former was also working at Unusual after leaving University. Honeywill headed up the automation department, and Weatherhead was there for four years before leaving to go freelance and then on to form Kinesys.

"It's great having Martin onboard" says Weatherhead "Apart form his wealth of experience, he's a known quantity - both by me personally and at large in the industry

PCM

Details: 14 March 2016

PCM was showcasing its extensive range of electric and manual winches as well as the industry standard CM Lodestar hoists, Böcker Alp personnel lifts and the award-winning Unibar system. The focus, however, was on the GIS range of electric chain hoists, boasting a number of innovative features designed to make use and maintenance even easier. The company reports increased growth and profits across all areas of the business since summer 2004.

B-Live, Clapham Common

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Star Orbit provided a 20m two-bay Orbit stage for the recent B-Live event on Clapham Common which was sponsored by Bacardi. The three evening event opened on Friday 1 July with a Latin Splash night, featuring latino dance bands and R&B acts, the second evening featured world class dance DJ's and the event closed on the Sunday with the headlining act Jamiroquai creating a giant party atmosphere across the park.

Along with the impressive stage, Star Events Group provided the two large PA towers that were rigged at 10m, an 11m high follow-spot platform and a large front of house structure.

Star Orbit were called in at the last minute to provide all of the staging structures after the organizers were let down and were left without a stage just three and a half weeks before the event was due to take place. Despite it being one of the busiest weekends in the outdoor event calen

Hall Stage

Details: 14 March 2016

Hall Stage hosted Visual Act, the Swedish creator of the Advanced Wagon system, which allows for cable-free horizontal movement of any type of stage element. The wagons use a laser locational system to position loads of up to 600kg - to millimetre accuracy - without any tracks or guides on the stage.

Triple E

Details: 14 March 2016

Track systems specialist Triple E, exhibiting at ABTT for the 21st time, announced the successful launch of its 3Way curtain track system. The product scooped the coveted Engineering and Rigging Product of the Year award at the annual gala dinner - its fourth ABTT award to date. Also on display was a Harley Davidson to promote the charity ride across the USA that David Edelstein recently participated in to raise funds for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids charity. "ABTT this year was the best yet," said MD David Edelstein. "The quality of the attendees was a league above previous years, which underlines the growing value of ABTT as a vital showcase for our industry." Triple E also used the show to make the announcement of J&C Joel's appointment as the principal UK distributor of its product line.

Stage Electrics

Details: 14 March 2016

Stage Electrics showed new products from Prolyte, Apollo and Teclumen, plus its own brand, Encore. The company reported a good response to Prolyte's trussing, staging and chain hoist ranges after its appointment as distributor earlier this year. Apollo's colour scrollers are also a new product to Stage LX, as is the wingnut spanner, which incorporates a handy bottle opener and is new to its own Encore range. It's designed to be used on 10, 12, 17, and 19mm wingnuts.

Hoffend

Details: 14 March 2016

A European first at ABTT was the Vortek rigging system - a theatrical system designed and manufactured by Hoffend in the USA and represented in the UK by Slingco. The hub of every Vortek system is a patented brake, designed specifically for theatre applications. This continuously applied, variable-load, back-up brake is claimed to eliminate overspeed brake and 'shock-load' problems and operates independently of any electrical or drive-train system. It also features overload and underload protection, and is capable of operating multiple battens, controlling up to 250 Vortek units as a system.

Hawthorn Theatrical

Details: 14 March 2016

Having recently opened its own WYSIWYG design studio, Hawthorn took exhibition space for the first time this year to raise awareness of its Hire, Sales and Installation teams and to give staff the opportunity to meet the people they talk to on the phone. Hawthorn was started nearly 20 years ago by MD Martin Hawthorn, hiring equipment out of his garage, and has now grown into an international company with over 85,000sq.ft of warehouse space in Old Dalby, near to Melton Mowbray.The company has also announced further Hawthorn@Home open day dates - including on 2 September Generic Lighting, featuring product representation from Selecon, ETC, Thomas, ADB and Strand, and on 7 October Flash, Bang and Feedback - a demonstration of pyro by Le Maitre plus radio mics from Sennheiser, Sony and Trantec. More details from the website.

AVW Controls

Details: 14 March 2016

AVW Controls was highlighting the latest software upgrade for its Impressario stage automation control system, currently in use with Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre and The Far Pavilions at the Shaftesbury Theatre. The latest version of the Impressario offers control of up to 255 pieces of scenery and rigging simultaneously.

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