The Week in Light & Sound
- Details
The theatre membership bodies issued a joint statement warning of the devastating impact that proposed restrictions on lighting would have on the industry to their members, which include all West End Theatres and regional theatres around the UK.
Due to concerns over energy efficiency, the EU is considering banning the sale of most lighting fixtures that are currently in use in theatres from 2020.
UK Theatre and SOLT, along with industry leaders including West End theatre owner Nica Burns, are campaigning for an exemption for theatre lighting to be included in the new regulations.
The statement from UK Theatre and SOLT says: “The proposed new EU Ecodesign regulations, expected to come into force from September 1, 2020, will severely affect the equipment available for stage lighting.
“In doing so, the changes will dramatically affect the way lighting for performances is created, and will impact heavily on performing arts organisations and other venues, from major commercial West End theatre to venues throughout the UK, to school and village halls, some of which may be forced to close.”
Manufacturers have told UK Theatre and SOLT that there are currently no specialist lighting fixtures suitable for production lighting that will meet the new lighting standard and be available by 2020.
Guitar Break - Gibson, the guitar maker behind some of the world's best-known rock music, has filed for bankruptcy in the US after being weighed down by $500m (£365m) in debt. The Nashville-based company has for decades produced the guitars under brands such as Les Paul and SG favoured by the likes of Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, Jimmy Page and Slash.
It has been brought down by debt linked to the acquisition of its overseas consumer electronics business, where sales have been in sharp decline. This division will now be wound down under plans which will allow the core guitar-making and audio business to continue.
Details were set out in a filing in a US bankruptcy court in Delaware. The company plans to exit the Chapter 11 bankruptcy arrangement in September and has secured $135m in financing to fund operations during this period.
Lenders including Silver Point Capital, Melody Capital Partners and funds affiliated with KKR Credit Advisors will swap debt for equity ownership in the reorganised company. Chief executive Henry Juszkiewicz says: "This process will be virtually invisible to customers, all of whom can continue to rely on Gibson to provide unparalleled products and customer service."
Dry Run - Florence Welch says keeping off the booze helped get her straight back into the studio after her last tour instead of going "on a bender". The lead singer of Florence + The Machine was speaking to Radio 1's Annie Mac about her "tour energy". "It's interesting because I think I never knew how to come down after a tour before, so I would just go on a massive bender. And I wasn't doing that so I just went straight back in the studio." The first song she recorded, called June, went on to become the first track of her new album, High As Hope. "I had that same excitement as when I made Dog Days and that song really opened up the rest of the record."
(Jim Evans)
