The day was officially opened by four-time Olympic gold medal winner Matthew Pinsent followed by a performance by popular classical band Amici Forever. Other acts included Asian pop group Punjabi Hit Squad, Inspiration choir and Peter Andre. Many shops on Regent Street also opened their doors to host in-store concerts by up-and-coming musicians. SSE Hire provided audio services for the live music element of the day, using a combination of Nexo Geo T and Nexo Alpha speakers at the BBC/Bovis Sound Stage. More Nexo Alpha was supplied for the Zinc Bar and the Pineapple Studios International Stage.
SSE sound engineer Rob Hughes commented: "The eclectic mix of music was well matched by the PA combination of Alpha and Geo T. The PA mix provided wide spread coverage throughout, with the Alpha directly dispersing the sound to the audience in front of the stage and the Geo T providing maximum coverage along the street."
Also, Birmingham city centre was buzzing with art and culture last weekend as the seventh annual Artsfest took place. Artsfest is the largest free arts festival in the UK aiming to support and encourage all genres of art to a broad range of people.
This year's Artsfest showcased over 300 performances and workshops through the streets of the city, Centenary Square and a mixture of indoor venues promoting the West Midlands arts scene. Attractions for the festival ranged from theatre and dance productions to music concerts and film. Centenary Square particularly stole the show with its two stages of entertainment. Acts included Birmingham Royal Ballet, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham School of Pan.
SSE Hire has supplied audio systems for the Centenary Square stages since Artsfest began in 1998 and continued this year, using a Nexo GeoT PA system with Geo S delay speaker positions. Front of house were two Midas Heritage 3000 consoles operating a flip-flop system alongside a Midas XL3 console and Innovason Grand Live digital console for monitors.
Artsfest monitor engineer, Martin Hutt, commented: "Artsfest is always a pleasant end to the festival season and, apart from the weather, this year was no exception. Due to this year's new staging we used a mixture of consoles on monitors to fit into the limited space. The Innovason was the most practical choice to address this challenge due to its compact size and extensive capabilities.'
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
