WIcreations moves it for Vasco Rossi in Modena
- Details
As well as working closely with StageCo, who provided all the black steel for the event, WI’s project manager Hans Willems liaised with Claudio Santucci from Gioforma, the show’s creative director. WIcreations has a long history of collaboration with IK Projects from Milan who provided automation operators and crew for this project.
The show was also televised live by national broadcaster RAI and streamed live to selected cinemas, extending the reach yet further as well as being recorded for DVD. It was a BIG deal!
The four towers that needed moving included 9m wide by 15m LED screen surfaces on the front, lighting pods, some that moved which were part of Giovanni Pinna’s elaborate lighting scheme - and rigging elements, video processors, power distros etc., so Hans came up with the genius solution of putting the generators on the towers.
This enabled all the production equipment on each tower section to be neatly and ‘locally’ cabled, while the generators doubled as ballast for the towers. Each tower – fully laden with kit – weighed 44 tonnes.
The four wheels on each tower alone were rated at 18 tonnes of weight loading each – variable depending on how the wind was blowing - and each tower glided gracefully up and down 125m of track powered by two special drive trolleys.
All the safety calculations, risk assessments and general health & safety requirements for this aspect of the show’s automation were completed by WI in conjunction with the H&S experts, The Blumano Group.
The project was managed for WI by Hans Willems who commented, “It was great to work with StageCo and PRG on this - we all have an excellent rapport and this is a great example of all how our interdisciplinary skills and expertize can symbiotically combine.”
The results were truly spectacular and appreciated by Vasco’s numerous fans at one of the biggest single-artist concerts in Europe this summer.
WIcreations is also providing automation for another leading Italian artist, Tiziano Ferro, who is currently on tour with many members of the same production team.
(Jim Evans)
