Stradale Profile embodies the principle of perfect homothety within Ayrton’s Ultimate range, standing as the first ultra-compact luminaire of the brand-new 1 Series. Following in the footsteps of Rivale, it reduces its visual footprint by 15%, achieving this through meticulous engineering and extreme miniaturisation. Every detail was optimised—streamlining the structure, refining effect modules, and minimising component size—to push integration to new limits.
Luminous Flux 20,000 lm
Variable CRI 70 to 86
Zoom Aperture 4 ° to 52 ° Weight
FROM GTL TO GLASTONBURY
The past few months have truly been a whirlwind for us at TPi Towers. What started in May with our second edition of GTL Sessions (p14) was followed by not one but two events in the Middle East for the TPiMEA team – the TPiMEA Awards and the SET Awards. Then the remainder of May and June saw Jacob, Alicia and I hitting the road and catching several tours that were making their way through the UK and Europe, including Tate McRae (p34), Shirin David (p70), Incubus (p84) and Twenty One Pilots (p52) to name but a few.
Meanwhile, Fran and Alice, following a visit to InfoComm, headed to the site of Rock Nashville ahead of its grand opening. Finally, before sending this latest edition to print, I gathered my tent and suncream for a visit to Worthy Farm to catch up with some of the hardworking crew behind the scenes of Glastonbury Festival 2025. And looking at the weeks ahead, the summer is only getting started for the TPi family…
While it is easy to continue running on the metaphorical hamster wheel, it’s been great to reflect on some of the learnings from this latest edition. Take our coverage of Tate McRae. During my time with the crew in Munich, it was striking to hear the levels that Production Manager, AJ Sutherland and Tour Manager, Hope Sutton went to in order to improve the health and wellbeing of the crew on the road – specifically their collaboration with the MITC [Music Industry Therapist Collective].
It was also great to read Jacob’s coverage of Shirin David, which tells the story of a production that is investing so heavily in technological innovations that will undoubtedly be rolled out on more shows in the future. Both of these stories are examples of productions pushing the envelope and bringing something new to the touring conversation.
On t he topic of new developments, I conducted a roundtable with some experts
from the video world, with representatives from Brompton Technology, ROE Visual and Universal Pixels all gathering around their respective webcams to give their thoughts on the innovations within their corner of the events landscape [p96].
Elsewhere, Jacob travelled to Dijon, flying the flag for TPi during the long-awaited return of Showlight. With over 400 attendees, the conference was a melting pot of ideas, which you can read about it on p104.
During such a busy time for the industry, I’d like to thank everyone who has made each of these articles possible, taking time out of their working days to give us insights into the touring machine; it’s always greatly appreciated. Until next time,
TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published
ON THE COVER
Meet the well-travelled and road-tested production team bringing the latest chapter of the band’s unrelenting lore to life on-stage.
12 PSA remembers Dave Keighley.
Remembering Denis Richard.
Tour managers and tour service providers unite in Mykonos for the second year of GTL Sessions.
Chase & Status’ visual crew bring flames and frames aplenty to UK arenas.
Jean-Christophe Aubrée utilises Naostage for Indochine.
Adamson supports Imagine Dragons’ UK and Europe tour.
Djo takes to the stage with a dedicated audio team. 32 Lucy Dacus hits the road with sonic support from Worley Sound.
The breakthrough artist steps up to arena touring for the first time.
A fi ve-act t heatrical performance piloting touring technology.
A celebration of 20 years of the band’s album, Morning View
92 An insight into the Showstop Procedure training course.
96 ROE Visual, Brompton Technology and Universal Pixels talk video.
100 Solotech provides a 360° solution for Kylie’s Tension Tour
104 Lighting professionals gather in Dijon for Showlight 2025.
IN PROFILE
108 ER Productions launches new entertainment engineering company, FABER.
PRODUCTION FUTURES
112 Jess Price reflects on an unusual pathway into the sector.
GEAR HEADS
114 LD Systems and Powersoft develop the ADA Series.
115 Lifting the lid on WYSIWYG 2025.
FEEDBACK
116 Bringing the world of online gaming to the live stage.
117 How community-driven tools are streamlining workflows.
118 The benefits of eATA Carnets.
BACK CHAT
122 Andreas and Daniel Sennheiser retrace 80 years of business.
PSA PAYS TRIBUTE TO DAVE KEIGHLEY (1958 – 2025)
The live event production industry has lost a respected leader with the passing of Dave Keighley, whose dedication to advancing the sector and supporting its professionals leaves a lasting legacy.
Dave’s journey spanned over 40 years with leadership roles at LSD, PRG Europe, Syncrolite and SGM Lighting.
What set Dave apart wasn’t just his strategic insight. It was his approach to leadership that made him truly exceptional. In boardrooms and on production floors alike, Dave was known as someone who listened – really listened – to the challenges people were facing. Whether you were a seasoned professional grappling with complex problems or a newcomer seeking career guidance, Dave made time.
His role as a founding council member of the Production Services Association, along with several other industry players, in the early 1990s exemplified his commitment to elevating the entire industry.
Dave understood that individual success meant little if the sector wasn’t professionalising and growing. Through the PSA, as part of the Council he championed better standards, improved working conditions, and greater recognition for skilled professionals who make live events possible.
His tenure as Chairman from October 2020 until May 2024 demonstrated continued dedication to these principles, even as health challenges took their toll. Those who worked with Dave consistently speak of his straight-
talking approach – there was no corporate speak or diplomatic hedging when clarity was needed. Yet this directness was always tempered by his genuine care for people and their development.
He was equally comfortable advising a lighting designer on their first major tour or guiding a CEO on strategic direction. This rare combination of industry understanding and human empathy made him a trusted advisor across the live event production sector.
Dave didn’t just adapt to change – he anticipated it, positioning the companies he led and the industry he served to thrive in whatever came next. His ability to see beyond immediate challenges to understand broader market trends and human needs was invaluable.
Dave Keighley was more than an industry leader; he was a friend, advisor, and advocate who understood that behind every challenge was a human being trying to create something extraordinary. His passing leaves a void that won’t easily be filled, but his influence on countless professionals ensures his legacy will continue shaping the industry.
As a fitting tribute to Dave’s dedication to the welfare of those who bring live events to life, we would appreciate donations to Stagehand, a charity that was originally set up by the PSA that helps live production crew and technicians who may fall on hard times through illness or injury. More details, including a link to the Just Giving page, can be found on our website: www.psa.org.uk
REMEMBERING: DENIS RICHARD (1956 – 2025)
During his nearly 50-year career, Denis Richard made a significant and lasting impact on the growth of the entertainment lighting production and rental industry in Canada. In that time, he toured with and managed lighting and production services for live artists and supported multiple popular TV productions.
For the last 30 years, Denis was a key account handler for Christie Lites’ Toronto office. Denis led by example, always demanding as much from himself as he did of others. He loved and was fascinated by people. His curiosity about what drove others meant Denis got to know those he worked with and what they wanted swiftly. Many of the lighting and production designers who worked with Denis saw him as so much more than a service provider and fast embraced him as a close partner and friend.
Longtime colleague, close friend, and founder and Managing Director of Christie Lites, Huntly Christie, said: “Denis had a knack for seeing and celebrating people for everything that they were, embracing their strengths and accepting their flaws. People instinctively knew he was genuine. Somehow this allowed Denis to push boundaries that others would not dare. He was the kind of man who could look you in the eye and insult you while at the same time making you feel loved and respected. He was a wonderful friend.”
He was a dedicated and loving father to his cherished son, Matt, and a doting husband to his late wife, Fran. Denis’ passion for the industry was so infectious that his son, Matt, followed in his footsteps. Today, Matt is proud to carry forward Denis’ legacy in his own professional values and vision.
Matt recalled: “I remember, at school, being asked to describe what our parents did for work. I said my dad doesn’t work; he just talks to his friends all day on the phone! My friends thought my dad was cool and loads of fun. I went to many concerts, and he developed my
passion for music early on. Dad was a get-stuffdone kind of guy. He was also very protective. He wanted me to get good grades in school and do right by other people.”
Matt says that his father brought the best parts of the roadie mentality to every part of his life. “He was focussed on teamwork, taking care of people, always putting the greater good first,” explained Matt.
“He told me when we started working together that the only thing people ask for is good service. If you can do that, you’ll do well, and your clients will be yours for life. He taught me about masculine vulnerability and being respectful to others. Dad was emotionally intelligent, which enabled him to see other people for everything that they were. This gave him an ability to push boundaries, always with charm and kindness. He never had a hidden agenda. He always operated with positivity. He had a way to push his team, to help them see how much they could achieve. If they struggled, they always knew that he had their back.”
Denis’ close friend, colleague, and client, Lighting Designer, Steve Baird, said: “Denis was a passionate man; he believed he was lucky to do the job that he did. Denis was intrigued by other people, their ideas, and their beliefs. It thrilled him to be part of something bigger than himself. Nothing was too much trouble when it came to getting the job done. He was never possessive of a position or project; he saw each job as a partnership that had to be delivered collectively by a team. He made you feel that together you could achieve anything, that no challenge was insurmountable. His passion was infectious; everyone who met him loved him. Over the years we have become part of each other’s families; I will miss him terribly.”
Denis found his calling early, trading his place in a school band for the technical disciplines of backstage. At 15, he discovered a lifelong passion for lighting and live production. Prior to his role at Christie Lites, one of Denis’
many career-defining moments was as lighting designer for Anne Murray. Insight Productions, which worked closely with Denis on the awards for many years, said: “Denis was a trusted friend and lighting supplier to The JUNO Awards and many other Insight Productions for over 30 years. His infectious laugh, charm, and warm hugs will be deeply missed by everyone on our technical teams, our production teams, and his family at Insight. His reach went far beyond the lighting department. In 2024, Insight inducted Denis into its Crew Hall of Fame. We were so thrilled to have shared that special moment and so many incredible memories with him. We will miss you dear friend.”
Long-term colleague and friend, Ken Alexander, added: “Denis was one of those rare people whose presence could be felt even before he was seen! He had an uncanny ability to electrify a space simply by being in it. You could recognise a project that Denis had touched: the energy in the room was charged, the team on the ground was always top-tier, and the standard of work was unmistakably high. He was exacting – quick with praise when earned but uncompromising when it was not.”
To his colleagues and clients, Denis was much more than a co-worker; he was a friend, a driving force, and a setter of standards across the board. He was a source of inspiration, whose presence shaped careers, alongside the tone and culture of the industry he worked in.
His motivation was never simply about the technical delivery or the processes of business – it was about the web of relationships he wove, the sound of the music, the thrill of the chase, the art of communications, the performing artists, and the passion.
For more than 30 years, Denis Richard gave everything he had to his craft and to those around him. In doing so, he left behind a remarkable story of a life that was intensely and brilliantly lived.
www.christielites.com
GTL SESSIONS
For the second year running, GTL Sessions brings together tour managers and tour service providers for a three-day gathering in Mykonos. With twice as many tour managers in attendance, the event provides a unique platform to share ideas and network ahead of the summer season.
Photo: Charlotte Moore
There is always apprehension when you go into the second year of an event. Year one is all about establishing proof of concept and often comes with the euphoric excitement of an idea that has been brewing for months coming into existence. However, for year two, it’s important to see genuine progress. Suffice to say, GTL Sessions 2025 certainly ticked this box. The latest addition to the TPi event portfolio saw almost 50 tour managers assemble in Mykonos in May, for a three-day networking experience with tour services suppliers including hoteliers, travel agents, insurers, logistics specialists and many more.
One of the main focusses this year was to see greater diversity among the tour managers in attendance. This included having TMs that represent an array of acts operating at different levels – from club through to stadium tours. We saw a huge array of industry experts, from certified veterans to those only a few years into their career.
In line with this goal, TPi introduced the GTL Bursary scheme for 2025. Sponsored by Rockit Cargo and Accor, the scheme saw Monique Oshunrinde and Dalal Rajhi attend the event
with all travel expenses taken care off. Along with the bursary spots, the broad range of experiences on the island led to some amazing dialogue between the TMs and suppliers. Between the rounds of ‘speed-dating’ style meetings in which TMs sat down for 20-minute conversations with suppliers, this year also offered a wide range of talks during the Symposia Session. This year’s line-up included Tour Managers, Ade Bullock and Suzi Green along with Gary Brooks of SR Entertainment & Sport and Mike Bolton of Go For Wardrobe.
Another key focus was mental health –specifically how to deal with the pressures of being a leader. To this end, GTL once again partnered with the MITC [Music Industry Therapy Collective] and brought along Chris Madden for two presentations on the subject.
“GTL Sessions strikes the perfect balance between inspiration, connection and concrete industry insight,” commented Etienne Matichard of MAMA Shelter. “As a hotelier, it gave me a deeper understanding of the touring world and how we can better support it. It’s not just an event – it’s a real bridge between people who rarely get the chance to speak openly.”
As a return attendee, TAG’s Kel Hayden shared how GTL Sessions is now a “staple” in the company’s yearly calendar: “We are keen to know what challenges tour managers are facing, and this event gives us the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding,” she said.
Speaking from a tour manager standpoint, Joanne Croxford, added: “Being among peers who understand the innuendos of this unique lifestyle was truly fantastic and a chance to instigate real relationships with suppliers was invaluable and will inevitably save the day when the going gets tough on the road.”
During GTL Sessions, Croxford – a member of Roadies in Recovery – hosted a meeting open to attendees in recovery or who wanted more information about addiction.
Reflecting on her experience, Tour Manager, Julz Walker, stated: “It’s so rare to have that many tour managers in one place and it was so nice to be around like-minded people. Everyone was so lovely, and I really enjoyed networking and making new friends.”
GTL Sessions will return in 2026. Visit the website below to register your interest. www.gtlsessions.com
CHASE & STATUS FLAMES AND FRAMES
Eschewing the polished finish of modern electronic music productions, Chase & Status bring raw energy to UK arenas, blending ’90s rave culture, pyrotechnics, and gritty, filmed content.
Trading digitally rendered content for real life footage, Chase & Status’ latest arena run is a homage to ’90s rave culture – part warehouse rave, part post-apocalyptic theatre. Behind the controlled chaos is a roster of TPi Award-winning live event professionals and technical partners, who collectively brought the electronic music duo’s vision to life. From blowing up cars in central London to integrating live camera feeds through a custom ‘letterbox’ LED screen, this production pushed the boundaries of what live electronic music can look and feel like, as TPi discovers.
Chase & Status’ latest arena tour began in April, with dates scheduled across several UK cities. The tour’s vendors included PRG (video and rigging), Lights Control Rigging (lighting), BPM SFX (lasers, pyrotechnics, and special effects), Ox Event House (set), Protect and Tour (tour management), Only Helix (agent), and Production Park (production rehearsals).
The visual team consisted of Show Director and Production Designer, Sam Tozer of Vision Factory; Production Manager, Mike Clegg; Lighting Director and Co-Lighting Designer, Olly Walker; Media Server Programmer, Charlie Rushton and Artist Manager, Sophie Kennard.
FRAY Studio began working with Chase & Status in 2024. “They had previously used and reused a lot of similar content, and last year, they were exploring other options for visuals in the dance and electronic music world but didn’t want to replicate anything else being done prior,” FRAY Studio’s Adam Young told TPi.
This project marked FRAY Studio’s first foray into the genre. “We had no preconceived notions,” Young stated, pitching the idea that the show shouldn’t feature any animation –every piece of content should be filmed and feel authentic.
The first round of content was captured last year, then revisited and reworked ahead of the tour. The main piece revolved around a 1991 BMW with the engine stripped out. In one sequence, cast members Clare Hough, Chay Ballard, and Etienne Lutanki smashed the car to pieces – filmed at 600 frames per second –before setting it on fire and blowing it up. “The band believe that dance music has become too polished and pretty, so we wanted to bring some rage and punk back into the scene,” Young explained.
Another clip involved two experienced television and film dog handlers whose dogs were trained to appear incredibly aggressive
on demand – a nod to the duo’s No More Idols album artwork. Producer, David Dunnage discovered a warehouse in London Bridge where all filming took place. “The owners were remarkably chill about everything we wanted to do – including graffitiing the inside of the building, smashing up a room, and setting fire to a stunt performer,” Young recalled, laughing.
Planning took six weeks, followed by two days of filming. The shoot’s suppliers included Two & Eight (production company), MJ Knights Military Effects (special effects), Sunbelt Rentals UK (camera equipment), and Gav’s Kitchen (catering). “Every time we need to film something for a show, we partner with Two & Eight because they don’t shy away from our ridiculous ideas. The car, specifically, required a lot of paperwork. Everything had to be stripped out. MJ Knights Military Effects were brought in to sign it off – they spent an entire day in south London equipping it with explosives and setting up cordons,” said Young.
In addition to FRAY Studio team of Designers, Editors, and Graders, Adam Young, Norvydas Genys, Kira O’Brien, Letty Fox, and Grace Arnott-Hayes, as well as Studio Producer, Georgia Young – the wider creative team included Director and DOP
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Luke Dyson and Dave New
Bobby Goulding; Producer David Dunnage; PM Nathan M. Legger; PA Luke Clifton; Runner Jack Dunnage; First AD Samuel Fullerton; 1st AC Lewis Watts; Second AC Roisin Byrne; Camera Trainee Beth Lamyman; Gaffer Samuel Hilaire; Spark Chay McGill; Production Designer Delphine Fyrst; Props Master Henry Minden; Props Assistant Stuart Manning; Dog Handlers Liam McArthur, Melissa Isidoro, and Dale Fastnedge; Medic Michelle Franey; BTS Photographer Dave New; and BTS Videographer Tyler Palmer.
Gi ven the location, blowing up a car in London Bridge was understandably not simple to organise. Emergency services and the local council had to approve the plan, with Pinewood Fire Department present on-site. A production assistant leafletted neighbouring addresses to inform them that an exploding BMW wasn’t a cause for alarm. “It’s one of those ideas you never really expect to become a reality,” Young smirked. “Six weeks later, there you are, watching a car being blown to smithereens. That’s the thing with Chase & Status – they don’t shy away from big ideas and concepts.”
The content drew inspiration from the band’s back catalogue – album artwork, stage iconography, and music videos – revisiting
earlier material when their image was less polished, with subtle references to archival material. Footage was captured using anamorphic lenses in an anamorphic ratio on a RE-35 digital camera, allowing it to be enlarged without distortion.
Additional cameras captured footage at 700 frames per second. Adobe Premiere Pro was used to edit and assemble 18 terabytes of footage in Adobe After Effects.
Seven songs on the setlist featured live camera visuals with Notch real-time generated effects used to create new live looks. Contrast and grain were added to roughen the visuals, complemented by footage captured using vintage ’90s camcorders.
“Everything about this project pushed back against the overuse of fancy, new technology. There were plenty of conversations about how it would be easier to blow up a car in Unreal Engine and put it on a filmed backplate, but the band wanted authenticity. There’s something about those two days of filming with 25 people, dressing a physical space, all working towards the same vision. It’s a different feeling to being sat in an office behind a screen,” Young reflected proudly. “We’re used to collaborating digitally via Microsoft Teams and Notch, so assembling
Adam Young and the FRAY Studio and creative team behind the scenes of the Chase & Status film shoot, capturing content for the duo’s
tour.
a team of Adobe After Effects compositors and editors, who understand the fast-paced world of live music, was quite a unique challenge.”
The centrepiece of the stage was the unusual “letterbox” LED upstage screen, mounted on MoveKet automation to reveal the band as the show began.
ROE Vanish V8T LED panels were used to construct the 27m-wide, 4m-deep structure. The V8Ts were chosen for their vibrant colour depth and 50% transparency, which enabled lighting integration as the screen moved, adding dynamism to proceedings.
Flanking the stage were two 3m by 5m IMAG screens, supported by a camera package, consisting of a Grass Valley Karrera system with four Sony system cameras: two with Fuji long lenses at FOH and two wide-angle pit cameras. Six floating trusses hovered above the audience, powered by the MoveKet automation system. During the show, they rose to form a dramatic V shape before then lowering it right above the crowd’s heads.
The PRG crew comprised Video Crew Chief, Steve Jones alongside Max Timpson, Paul Borthwick, Chris Hobson, Nick Edwards, Chris Keating, John Carr, Izzy Everatt, Will Gallegos, Jack Dixon, and James Andrews.
‘EXECUTING WITH PRECISION’
Having supplied a range of special effects and laser packages across several of Chase & Status’ live shows since 2013, BPM SFX delivered a bespoke package that replicated the overhead flame effects featured in the duo’s headline set at Creamfields 2024.
The stage design incorporated a dynamic combination of lasers, flames, and confetti to heighten the live experience. Twelve Atom58 laser fixtures were rigged on truss ladders positioned behind the band and used throughout the show to accentuate key moments with precision and impact. Fourteen MagicFX STADIUMSHOT III units provided spectacular confetti hits, showering the crowd amid the track, Blind Faith
A total of 34 Galaxis G Flames were deployed to fill both the stage and arena with immersive flame effects. Of these, 24 were mounted on Kinesys-tracked trusses suspended above the audience, delivering dramatic overhead bursts. The entire effects package was programmed and controlled via a grandMA3 Light console to ensure seamless synchronisation throughout the show. “The flame effects were a standout moment of the show, energising the entire arena and drawing an incredible reaction from the
crowd,” commented BPM SFX’s Liam Haswell. “We continually strive to push the boundaries of what’s possible in live shows, bringing innovative ideas and concepts to the table – and then executing them with technical precision.”
The flame effects for this show presented unique challenges. Owing to the requirement for timecode, the team were unable to rely on standard wireless functionality. Additionally, integrating the system with Kinesys automation demanded a custom solution. To address this, BPM SFX designed and fabricated bespoke external canister enclosures to ensure the cartridges remained in a vertical orientation, guaranteeing reliable ignition.
A host of guest vocalists appeared throughout the show, including NADIAH, IRAH, Ethan Holt, and a special appearance by ArrDee during Liquor and Cigarettes, prompting further roars from the Manchester crowd. Reflecting on the project Young concluded: “The beauty of this project was freedom – we weren’t restricted or held back by what’s considered standard.”
Aubrée utilises Naostage as his preferred tracking solution for the French band’s latest arena tour.
Indochine are renowned for spectacular productions, utilising the latest technological innovations. The band’s Central Tour graced the pages of TPi in 2022, bolstering a new LED solution that could be rigged in front of a PA hang – a concept that would later feature on Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour
Although the French band’s latest run was through arenas rather than stadiums, this did not mean there was any shortage of innovation. Taking up the story was the band’s longserving Lighting Designer, Jean-Christophe ‘JC’ Aubrée. Also known for his work with The Chemical Brothers, JC has worked with Indochine for the past 10 years.
“We started planning this production 18 months ahead of the tour with Nicola Sirkis the band’s leader,” began JC, explaining the origins of the tour, named after the band’s 2024 album. “Nicola is always trying different stage shapes for Indochine, but the idea is always to have the audience at the core of the show.”
The result was an end-on stage production with a long catwalk that led to a B-stage. “We had a combo of both a 360° and a regular endon show,” stated JC.
This combination of performance areas created an interesting challenge when it came to key light. “We’ve always done big shows with Indochine, including large 360° performances in stadiums, but when it came to follow spots, we really didn’t have any solutions that worked for us,” stated the LD. However, during the lockdown, JC learned about Naostage and began to think this might be the right path to go down. Naostage offers a ‘beaconless’
tracking system that captures and transmits 3D positional data – X,Y and Z axis – from all performers on stage. This data can then be used by designers, allowing them to select any fixture on the rig to track any performer.
The tour featured four Naostage KAPTA sensors, each made up of multi-spectral cameras. “Each bar just has one CAT6 cable and a power cable with all four sensors being able to map the whole stage area,” the LD explained, noting that all the tracking information went into the KORE server, which then fed into the MA Lighting grandMA3 via PSM protocol. “Getting the system set up each day is simple,” continued JC. “We have 22 Robe ESPRITEs on the rig and during the load-in I simply focus them at four different points on the stage and then that is the calibration done. It tends to take 15 minutes then you just need to adjust the Naostage system, which never takes any more than an hour.”
He also commented that the system never requires any dark time in the arena while setting up. “It gives you such flexibility in that I can simply decide what light I want to point at any band member,” he continued. “Key lighting in a 360° environment is very tricky in that you need to have multiple follow spots rigged at various points, but this is ideal.”
The LD believes that the system will offer him a greater level of creative freedom in the future. “When I design for bands, the first thing I have to think about is front light to ensure space on the rig.”
But now with any light potentially acting as a follow spot, the LD suggested that he’d be
able to focus more on the design of any future performance. “I also think that Naostage could really be useful in TV studios, where space on the rig is at even more of a premium,” he added.
The innovative follow spot system was not the only element of note, with the band opting for a dual PixMob setup, with the audience all wearing the company’s signature LED wristbands and 45,000 NOVA Mini hung in the roof above the crowd. “The initial brief focussed on covering as much venue surface area as possible with special effects,” commented PixMob’s Melissa Mulligan. “This led to the creative goal of turning each tour stop venue into an immersive ‘box of light’, using every inch of the ceiling and crowd to enable dynamic effects that could travel in any direction.”
This vision required a lightweight LED product that could be installed safely and effectively across a wide range of ceiling structures in different venues. “The NOVA Mini is a super-light, rechargeable, wireless LED that can be attached almost anywhere,” stated Mulligan. “By installing these in a grid above the audience, our NOVA Minis created effects in parallel to the LED wristbands worn by fans, creating real-time wave effects, patterns, and colour transitions across the entire space.”
Like the wristbands, the NOVA Minis were also controlled via infrared. “It operates slightly differently but still leverages PixMob’s infrared control system,” explained Mulligan. “The wristbands and the ceiling rig use infrared and are divided into two separate groups. This creates a dual layer of setup that allows for independent control and intricate effects.”
Words: Stew Hume
Photo: Naostage
The rest of the lighting rig was supplied by MPM. “The company has worked with the band for a long time, providing audio for the past 15 years, but this was the first time they also provided lighting,” said JC.
Alongside the Robe ESPRITE that were used heavily for the follow spots, MPM also supplied Robe MegaPointe and Martin MAC Aura PXL 64s. “We also have a few other smaller fixtures such as the Starway Floodlight
HD,” commented JC. Alabama provided the video for the tour. While the band and crew take a break over the summer, the Babel Babel production will be back on the road in September with dates all the way into March next year.
www.indo.fr
www.mpmaudio.fr
www.naostage.com www.pixmob.com
Lighting Designer, Jean Christophe ‘JC’ Aubrée. Naostage’s KAPTA sensors.
IMAGINE DRAGONS TOUR WITH ADAMSON
FOH Engineer, Scott Eisenberg, selects an Adamson Systems Engineering system for the Imagine Dragons’ Loom World Tour
Photos: Adamson Systems Engineering
Running from late May through to July 2025, Imagine Dragons’ latest European tour marked their first full-scale stadium run, spanning 17 countries, carrying a full production. Having worked with the band since 2012, FOH Engineer, Scott Eisenberg has witnessed the band’s evolution from club gigs to amphitheatres, arenas, and now, soldout stadiums. As the venues grew, so did the technical requirements, and professional audio solutions from Adamson Systems Engineering have been a part of the touring story.
“It was with a little bit of luck that I encountered Adamson,” recalled Eisenberg. “I was moving up in my career and had come across Adamson products at festivals, so when the E series was released, I immediately checked it out, liked it, and have been working with Adamson products ever since.”
That relationship quickly turned into a longstanding professional partnership, as Adamson loudspeakers have become a core component of the Imagine Dragons touring setup, providing clarity and power across a range of venues.
“This is t he first one we’ve done in a w hile with our own PA,” said Eisenberg, on the topic of t he European tour. “ We’ve toured Europe a lot before, but t his is our first r un since COVID with all of our own gear; all our own shows, all stadiums, some two-night performances.”
With venues holding anywhere between 30,000 and 75,000 fans, the tour demanded a reliable and scalable audio system that delivered exceptional coverage and audio quality, regardless of venue size or acoustics. The 2025 European tour was powered by
Adamson’s fl agship VGt line array as t he main PA and aux system, w ith a total of 24 VGts per side for the main hang, complemented by E-Series arrays for delay. The combination of 24 flown E219s and 44 ground-stacked VGs subs ensures powerful low-end frequencies and wide coverage throughout the entire venue.
Front and t hrust fills are t aken c are of by Ad amson’s CS series loudspeakers. T his set-up ensures high-end throw, punchy low-end and smooth integration across venues, thanks to the lightweight and compact form factor of the VGts. “ We used t he VGt for our recent US tour, and we’re glad to be c arrying t hat experience into Europe,” confirmed Eisenberg.
T he system’s scalability is an advantage for the touring crew. O ver t he summer in t he US, the team adjusted t heir configuration nightly, accommodating venues from low-ceiling amphitheatres to outdoor spaces, and even the acoustic challenges of outdoor venues such as the Red Rocks A mphitheatre in Colorado.
“Adamson makes it easy to work with these different spaces and overcome problematic acoustics,” continued Eisenberg. “The size of t he boxes is smaller, but t hey’re still really powerful. The active loudspeakers help with logistics too, w hen we’re t hinking about how many trucks we need, how the audio integrates with t he rest of t he production. W hen you’re on tour, you need to minimise as much as possible, but maximise the experience. Adamson helps to make this possible.”
For Eisenberg, the biggest win is the consistent performance Adamson delivers across a vast variety of venues. “As FOH
FOH Engineer, Scott Eisenberg.
BEHIND THE LIGHTS
engineer, my goal is for everybody in every seat to have a consistently brilliant experience. When I was a kid, it was always a bummer to sit far away and not hear the show well. That sentiment stuck with me into adulthood and my profession,” Eisenberg said. “With the Adamson system, the people in the highest seats are getting powerful sound without clobbering the people in front with overly loud low-end. We’ve worked closely with Adamson to develop different configurations and presets to make that happen.” For a band like Imagine Dragons, whose discography spans from ballads to electronicinfused anthems, versatility is essential. “I love the way Adamson has a nice clear sound, powerful but not abrasive. That’s the thing I keep coming back to,” remarked Eisenberg.
“T he tonality suits every genre: whether it’s an intimate acoustic moment or a full-on rock track, Adamson delivers. This is especially true for the VGt series, which has enough power and definitely enough high-end throw to suit almost any type of musical genre.”
With the European tour continuing and a strong foundation built over several years of collaboration, the Imagine Dragons technical crew are confident in the road ahead. “I really enjoy using Adamson speakers on our tour,” confirmed Liam Walker, Systems Engineer. “They sound great right out of the box, and Array Intelligence is intuitive and allows me to have a fast and efficient workflow. When the box sounds great as is, and I can work quickly, we end up getting great results!” shopuk.imaginedragonsmusic.com www.adamson.ai
SCAN ME
Interview with Harry Smith
DJO: BACK ON YOU TOUR
As the breakthrough US artist plays UK venues for the first time, TPi catches up with the hand-picked team of live touring professionals dedicated to recreating Djo’s music live…
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Following on from his hit single, End of Beginning, Djo – the stage name of American actor and musician, Joe Keery – and his six-piece band hit the road with a scalable production design curated by creative studio, Human Person, with lighting delivered by Colour Sound Experiment and audio supplied by Triplex Productions. TPi heads to Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse to get an insight into the making and mixing of the tour.
The artist’s rise in popularity saw his management team get in touch with Only Helix, who appointed Tour and Production Manager, Dan McKay to oversee the tour’s execution.
“One of the great things about this tour has been the rare opportunity to build it from a blank slate straight into a 10-person-strong crew, it has been special for the band to be able to start their touring career playing, and selling out venues of up to 6,000 people,” McKay said.
This support extends beyond the crew, with McKay praising the consistency of the tour’s technical suppliers on both sides of the Atlantic. “They have gone above and beyond
what we expected, they are just as invested in the project as we are, and to be in that position is incredible and truly seamless for our operation on tour,” McKay added. “We even have the privilege of having Triplex’s Senior Account Manager on the run as our Monitor Engineer, which has given us a direct line to audio support if we need it.”
Monitor Engineer, Barney Cushman mixed on a Solid State Logic SSL 350 Plus console bolstered by a Sourcerer plug-in. “Sonically, we decided this console would be a good fit,” he said. “The SSL stage rack design and ADPSM format allow us to have 64 channels of audio and 14 IEM mixes all within a double 12U rack. Perfect for wheeling on and off festival stages.”
Si x wired sE Electronics microphones and a Shure Axient Digital RF microphone with sE Electronics V7 capsules made up the mic package with 64 Audio A12T and A6T in-ear moulds adorned by the seven-piece band, covered by an Axient Digital PSM in-ear monitoring system. “The support from Ricky and Jared at 64 Audio has been amazing in
Photo: TPi
Tour and Production Manager, Dan McKay, FOH Engineer, Anna Dahlin and Monitor Engineer, Barney Cushman.
Attention seekers scan here:
The console that deserves ALL THE ATTENTION
Representing a dramatic leap forward in power and connectivity within a remarkably compact format, Quantum 338 Pulse follows the Quantum 7 in defining the future of audio mixing. Boasting a wealth of new design features and enhancements to create ultimate flexibility of use plus the speed of operation that only Quantum can deliver, Quantum 338 Pulse is based on seventh generation FPGAs with an entirely new system architecture.
Main Features:
• 156 Input Channels
• 72 Aux / Sub -Group Busses
• LR/LCR/LCRS/5.1 Master Buss
• 24 x 24 Full Processing Matrix
• 330 Dynamic Equalizers
• 48/96 kHz Sample Rate
getting us on the road,” Cushman said. The artist’s longtime producer, Adam Thein, also toured with the band, acting as one of the many moving parts on stage.
“Having him on the road has been exciting for me as we can delve into the vision of the album. The entire band was involved in the album-making process, so it’s trying to recreate it in their ears for them, which is a fun challenge for me,” Cushman said, further citing the support of the tour’s audio supplier and his employer, Triplex. “I’ve been with the company for four years, and it has been great and for this particularly tour, I’ve been directly involved in fixing problems as they arise.”
The benefit of having Cushman as a direct line on the tour also extends to FOH Engineer, Anna Dahlin, who also mixed on a Solid State Logic SSL 350 console. “They have an invested interest in making the package easy to deal with. The way their audio packages are put together is both space-efficient for travel, and time-efficient when loading in and getting ready for show,” the engineer said.
“T he band is very vocal-driven, so it’s important to get clarity on both Joe’s
microphone and the six backing vocals. This is where the SSL Sourcerer has been very useful to get rid of inevitable stage noise on the vocal channels. It’s a very rewarding show to mix with many intricate keyboard parts and stringed instruments carefully arranged.”
According to Dahlin, the band are attuned to how they want the gig to sound – with sound levels sometimes even hitting 104dB given the loudness of the adoring crowd. The engineer elaborated: “Given that they are relatively new to shows of this level – it’s interesting to be able to guide them and show them why certain things sound better in a live environment.”
In t he build-up to the tour, Dahlin – who was mixing the show on an SSL 350 console for the first time – was supported by Solid State Logic’s Jen Watman and Sam Bath, who were on hand amid production rehearsals and on-site for the first few shows.
“W hen you jump on something you’re not 100% on, it feels good to know that the team at SSL are there to support us. Jen was basically a walking manual, who knew the answers to every single one of our questions,” she laughed. Having had an extensive history mixing in the
TPi_half page-vokal+_print.pdf 1 02.07.25 14:24
pop and dance world, the move to mixing Djo changed the FOH Engineer’s workflow, she explained: “It’s an interesting change. Pop and dance shows often have a foundation of playback, with a live band functioning as an added layer on top. This is different since it’s a live band with minimal playback. The only parts coming from a track are sound effects and some minor parts that nobody on stage has time or spare hands to play,” Dahlin said. “With a fully live band, there are more changes from day to day, which ultimately leads to more involved mixing.”
Having successfully navigated both sides of the pond, Cushman was reflective about the close of the band’s latest inaugural live chapter: “It’s an excellent show, with a fun rock band that is still finding their feet but still absolutely dominating the stage while they figure it out. It’s fun for us as crew, so to have that passed on to the crowd is all we can ask for.”
TPi catches up with Lucy Dacus’ audio team to discover the intricacies behind the Worley Sound-supplied package.
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Emily Anna and Teisha James
Following the release of her fourth solo studio album, Forever Is A Feeling, Lucy Dacus hit the road with her latest live campaign, stopping off at some of the world’s largest festivals on her way, with Worley Sound providing sonic support for the run.
“I started working with Lucy in 2017, we started out sleeping on a mattress on Lucy’s floor as a FOH engineer, tour manager, and even mixing wedges – it has been so cool to see it evolve and be part of the process,” Aly Carlisle-Steinberg, FOH Engineer, reminisced.
Car lisle-Steinberg wanted the Forever Is A Feeling live mix to act as a dramatised version of the record. “Lucy has always trusted me with the sound, but she will also be honest if she has any notes, which I really appreciate,” CarlisleSteinberg explained. “If I am getting chills or tears in my eyes, I know it is coming across how I want it to, and equally, if she and the band are happy, I know I have done my job well.”
Mi xing on an Allen & Heath dLive S5000, the engineer bolstered the desk with Waves Axis Scope hardware and an Extreme-C server for plug-in processing, and a Lake LM44.
“I love this desk because it’s intuitive to navigate, and customisable while still maintaining structure,” Carlisle-Steinberg noted. “I’m able to get the sound I want – the shows sound so full, warm and punchy as hell!”
Car lisle-Steinberg doesn’t consider herself an ‘engineer’s engineer’, because she isn’t a ‘gear head’, especially for the Lucy Dacus show, where most elements of the show are played live. “It’s a lot of fun to feel like part of the show rather than just amplifying mastered tracks,” Carlisle-Steinberg said. “I never want to over mix, as there are great musicians on stage, with great tones already.”
Monitor Engineer, Caeleigh Featherstone mixed on a dLive 3500 console, overseeing the deployment of the band’s in-ear monitoring
solution with Shure Axient Digital PSM. “I am constantly hopping through each band member’s mix to scan for changes that might be needed, if you were to listen in on my cue mix, you would probably want to scream,” Featherstone laughed. “I have scenes set up to help me get close to the ballpark with everyone’s individual needs, but I like to run through it live, especially coming from and still being rooted in the punk world.”
The audio pair have worked together with Dacus to test new microphones, eventually landing on a Shure SM58. “The SM58 just works with her voice!” she enthused. To mitigate additional stage noise, the engineer relied on a Rupert Neve Designs 5045 Primary Source Enhancer, which Featherstone dubbed which the “biggest tool in my kit.”
Despite the artist’s ascension to bigger venues, the show still feels like an indie DIY show. Featherstone elaborated: “There are minimal tracks, and some band members don’t use click in their ears for most of the songs, which I personally love as an engineer, I love seeing and being a part of a big, impressive show that does so much without all of the fanfare,” she said, praising the audio vendor. “Worley has been amazing to work with. Their attention to detail and care for our success is unmatched compared to any other audio rental company I have worked with! I couldn’t sing their praises any more. Worley Forever!”
Carlisle-Steinberg echoed: “This is a beautiful, clean and organised audio package. I’ve been pushing for their inclusion since subbing for them on another tour and I feel so lucky to finally put together a package with them. They have taken fantastic care of us this year and I don’t think I’d go with any other company after this if I have the choice.”
www.lucydac.us
www.worleysound.com
Monitor Engineer, Caeleigh Featherstone; FOH Engineer, Aly Carlisle-Steinberg.
TATE MCRAE: MISS POSSESSIVE TOUR
TPi travels to Munich to meet the production team behind an ambitious stage show and backstage ethos that strives to challenge touring conventions.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Beth Saravo (@baeth)
The past 12 months has been an interesting time for arena tours coming through the UK and Europe – notably with the number of newer acts that have made the step up to the big leagues such as Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and, the subject of this profile, Tate McRae. All three of these women have made huge headway in the past five years, cementing themselves as arena headliners on the world stage
As McRae explained during her Munich show from her elevated B-stage, she got the attention of many by uploading videos as part of her Create with Tate YouTube series. Then partnered with her unquestionable skill as a dancer, she had become a force to be reckoned with as a live performer with a dedicated fanbase.
Well into the European leg of her Miss Possessive Tour, TPi got the chance to meet the Tate McRae crew at Munich’s Olympiahalle. What became evident was that this tour challenges the conventions of touring life – all for the betterment of the crew overseeing this audacious production.
A NEW WAY OF THINKING
With McRae’s growing success and an arena tour on the horizon, Andrew Thornton of 24/7 Productions took on the role of Production Director for the project. “She’s on the same management as Harry Styles whose stadium run I oversaw,” explained Thornton, who aided
in the initial crafting of the team. “Tate had commented that she wanted a younger team and as such we started putting the right people in place.”
With Thornton also handling on-the-road duties for Mumford & Sons, his role was as a remote support for AJ Sutherland, who took up the Production Manager mantle. “Both AJ and Tate’s Tour Manager, Hope Sutton, are smart and capable,” Thornton enthused, commenting on how great it was for the production to be headed up by a younger group of professionals.
Meeting TPi at the load-in bay, Sutherland quickly walked us through the main area as the crew were busy putting all the pieces together for that evening’s performance.
With t wo massive scenic cranes t hat fl anked the stage, there was an industrial construction aesthetic to the set that spilled out to the show floor, w ith a long t hrust as well as a large circular B-stage behind FOH.
“Her last European tour had three trucks; and now we are at 22,” chuckled Sutherland, acknowledging the quick growth.
For this run, Sutherland engaged suppliers 22live (audio), Colour Sound Experiment (lighting), Solotech (video), TAIT (staging and automation), TRUCKINGBY Brian Yeardley (trucking), Beat The Street (bussing), Rock-it Cargo (freighting), and Bite Tour Catering.
Although there were many established members from McRae’s previous run, the team inevitably expanded. “As well as having
a slightly younger crew, it was a great chance to continue developing overall diversity – that goes for age, experience and everything else. We’ve found everyone brings their own energy and skill set and that mix has created a great culture and atmosphere.”
To f urther ensure this policy, the production employs many crew members directly and even vendor crew are interviewed before being confirmed to be sure of a good personality fit. “ No department is f ully staffed by vendors,” st ated Sutherland. “Every crew member was selected in collaboration with vendors and production as we are the ones that have them with us on the road all year. It’s important that they fit in w ith t he crew d ynamic. It breaks things up adding a different perspective and br ings new ideas rather than having a crew staffed solely by people w ho have been w ith one vendor for a long time.”
The PM explained that the interview process also allowed the potential crew to be sure this is the right tour for them too.
“I t ried to make sure everyone on this crew knows at least two people on the tour before starting, w ith at least one being f rom a different department to bridge gaps and make more connections. It’s important to have social cohesion as we are together 24 hours a day. We spend more time not working than working, on the bus or during d ays off.”
Sure enough, while TPi was in the production office, t wo crew members for
different departments were musing how they might go and play golf during the next day off – a clear indication of cross-department ties being made. The wellbeing of crew was also a theme that was ever-present throughout the day and continued when speaking to Production Coordinator, Sarin Moddle.
“A head of the tour, we did a lot of work with the MITC (Music Industry Therapist Collective),” she began. “AJ and Hope organised MITC to come along during our rehearsals at Production Park to conduct a session about how to deal with stress and relationships.”
She emphasised her admiration that a budget had been put aside for these incentives as well as having MITC counsellors available on request for any of the crew during the tour.
“T hese are not therapy sessions but more of an introduction to the concept,” she added, explaining that these sessions could signpost where to get further help.
“T he MITC is a great resource as they are all familiar with the industry,” Moddle furthered, referencing the issue of more ‘traditional’ therapists’ ability to understand the demands of working in live touring.
Moddle was also keen to highlight the positive effects from the production pushing for greater diversity on the road. “There are so many women out here! It’s a great problem when we are having to wait as long for the showers as the men,” she enthused. “We’ve also got people out here who have never
toured in Europe. What’s nice is that the older crew members are all willing to support those coming up rather than be gatekeepers, which has led to a very robust team.”
On t he note of collaboration, TPi caught up with Stage Managers, Leo Toste and Jack Dunnett. Last year, Dunnett spoke to TPi about the importance of sharing the stage manager role for larger tours, and he was keen to highlight how this dual dynamic worked within the Tate McRae camp.
“W ith this 22-truck tour, I’m the ‘production’ stage manager dealing with the build and loadout whereas Leo deals with the show and artist. I tend to hand over by the time barriers are set and he then runs the floor from line-check to the end of the show.”
Unlike Dunnett who was new to the camp, Toste has been with McRae for the past three years and had a front row seat for her success.
“It’s insane how we went from a House of Blues show in the middle of nowhere to world arena tours. It’s amazing to see someone as sweet and caring as Tate get what she deserves. When I started, I always used to say how great it would be to have a large PA and lighting show, and to see it happen and be a part of it is an honour.”
THE OTHER TAIT
Show design for the Miss Possessive Tour came from the mind of Creative Director and Production and Lighting Designer, Parker
Genoway of Silent House. With the tour starting in the UK, the construction of the stage took place at TAIT’s Wakefield base, which came with an added advantage as the production was also rehearsing at Production Park’s Studio 001 on the same site.
“It was a great experience at Production Park as we not only had the main rehearsal space to build the set but also the dance studio for Tate and the dancers and the band room from the musicians,” enthused Sutherland. “The nature of pop shows means things are always changing with new creative ideas in rehearsals, so to have TAIT on-site was fanatic for quick turnaround edits to the design.”
The set comprised two large scenic cranes that flanked the main stage as well as the thrust that made its way out into the arena floor all the way to the ‘T-stage’. At the end of the thrust were five automated lifts that were utilised in varying configurations during the show.
Walking though the automation deployment was Yoshi Fidelman, Head of Automation. Leading a large automation team of six –featuring Ryan Chrosniak, Sean Groves, Mikey Wells, Natalie Dennison and Will Koch – Fidelman pointed out the moving elements of the show.
“T he five lifts on the ‘T-stage’ are the JT Lifts, which were originally designed for Justin Timberlake’s tour,” stated Fidelman. “What makes them so special is that there is no other hydraulic lift that can tour and go down this flat.
Office UK Groundtransport: ian@beatthestreet.net | mark@beatthestreet.net | courtney@beatthestreet.net
Office USA: tim.king@beatthestreet.us | alex.mistry@beatthestreet.us | john.aikin@beatthestreet.us www.beatthestreet.net | www.beatthestreet.us WE ARE PROUD TO BE INVOLVED
It’s a specialist piece of kit and to have five in a row like this is quite special.” The other thing that made the JT Lifts impressive was they can move independently or together, which led to interesting creative looks during some of the dance moments of the show.
The set also featured a circular B-stage that was elevated by three hydraulic lifts as well as Kinesys motors in the roof, which lowered pantograph lighting fixtures to provide key light during that portion of the show.
Along with a toaster lift on the stage, the last piece of major of automation was used on the video screen, which was able to be split on the horizonal centre and was used at the top of the show to reveal the singer as well as throughout the concert to showcase the lighting rig behind and to reconfigure the LED screen.
“T he billboard backdrop [video screen] was one of the most challenging elements and required some collaboration between our Wakefield and Lititz teams to provide the custom solution to create a system that was effective and was easy for the crew to load-in and -out,” commented Holly Saul, TAIT’s Project Manager. “The custom cranes framing either side of the stage required some extensive engineering to create a tourable system that can be built in 25 minutes, which is much easier on the crew.”
A TAIT Navigator system controlled all the movement of the show with a control station
setup at FOH. “Our Project Designer, Lottie Wellesley and I were heavily involved with Parker and AJ throughout the design process,” explained Saul. “Our very close knit and collaborative partnership was ultimately what led to a result that was so close to the original creative. It was nice to help bring their vision to life, and we’re happy with the result. We had a very special time in Lisbon seeing the first show come to life.”
Overseeing all rigging responsibilities for the tour was Head Rigger, Simon Lawrence, with the assistance of Hilary Taylor Kench and Peran Odgers. Meanwhile, Head Carpenter, Jem Nicholson, had a brotherhood of seven crew including Izak Arida, Darren Davidson, Pete English, Stu Simms, Synee Wallace, Adrian Typkiewicz and Jake Grogan.
A LL ONE FAMILY
From the automated video wall to the lighting rig being built into the arms of the crane, department integration was the name of the game on the Miss Possessive Tour. “We share a bus with automation and call ourselves ‘Team Vidimation’,” chuckled Taylor ‘Gator’ Olson, Acting Video Crew Chief. Gator has worked as with Tate McRae for a long time as an LED tech, joking that during her career there “hasn’t been an LED screen she’s used that I haven’t put up.”
He continued: “There is a lot of integration, especially with us and automation during the
Tate McRae’s Production Manager, AJ Sutherland; Tour Manager, Hope Sutton; Production Coordinator, Sarin Moddle; Stage Managers, Leo Toste and Jack Dunnett; Head of Automation, Yoshi Fidelman.
build. We have to constantly switch back and forth while also working closely with the carps, who fit the facia around the screen.”
The screen in question – provided by Solotech – was ROE Visual Vanish 8. The IMAGs were made up of ROE Visual CB5 with processing coming from Brompton Technology SX40s with visual content delivered by Disguise GX 3 media servers.
The Server Operator for the tour was Brittany Mena, who worked alongside LED Technicians, Laura Pope, Chris McLymont, Alan Shields and Sarah McRobb; Video Crew Chief, Max Kinsella; Camera Operator, Angus Butcher, and Video Engineer, Luc Dubé.
Behind the screen, TPi found Video Director, Gareth Nunns. The visual look of the live content came via a close collaboration between Nunns and Director, James Barnes, who was brought in via Silent House to assist with the live capture of the show.
“During production rehearsals, I would make a cut of the songs and record what I had done and both James and I would hone it as well as speak to her choreographers,” stated Nunns, explaining how the visual team built up the live looks of the show.
One of the vital tools in Nunns’ toolkit for this production was CuePilot, which was used to map out various cuts for each song. Each camera operator then had an iPad loaded with CuePilot, which listed all their cues in real time, outlining the shots needed. “The camera
operators have been really receptive to the system,” stated the Director, admitting that having an iPad might have been a bit awkward. “They have all responded well – particularly our rail-camera operators, as it gives them a visual marker of how long their move should be so they can hone the speed of the system.”
As t he video was very much cut to the beat, Nunns even used CuePilot to trigger many of the cuts during the show. The camera team had two long lenses out at FOH alongside multiple PTZ cameras. Also onboard were Luna Remote Systems, providing two rail cameras that were placed on the thrust and a tower camera that was situated stage left halfway down the arena. Rail-Camera Operators for the tour were LJ Busby and Tom Kelly. “The tower camera is used to ensure we have an eyeline shot of Tate when she’s on the B-stage and T-stage lifts,” stated Nunns. He went on to explain how the circular B-stage alone required several cameras to ensure they captured that intimate moment of the show.
Another element of the camera setup was a wireless roaming camera that was used to capture some intimate shots on stage of McRae and her dancers. A highlight was when one of the dancers took control of the camera to capture images of the entire troupe walking back up the thrust to the main stage, creating a cinematic, almost made-for-TV moment that was then streamed onto the screens. On that camera was a wireless Astera LED HydraPanel
Acting Video Crew Chief, Taylor ‘Gator’ Olson; Video Director, Gareth Nunns; Lighting Crew Chief, Rick Carr and Lighting Operator, Tyler Owings; FOH Engineer, Curtis McKenna; Monitor Engineer, Melvin Godfrey; TRUCKINGBY Brian Yeardley’s Lead Driver, Lee Davis.
which was controlled by the Lighting Director. The purpose of this was to use specific light tones that would be used to illuminate the performing artist – or in some cases the audience – without needing to use the whole lighting rig to light the stage, maintaining the mood in the room.
In control of the HydraPanels along the rest of the sizeable lighting rig was Tyler Owings. From FOH at his MA Lighting grandMA3, he pointed to some of the highlights of the rig including Ayrton Rivale Profiles, Robe LEDBeam 350s and iFORTEs, ACME Superdot Lines, CHAUVET Color Strike-Ms and Astera Titan Tubes – all of which were provided by Colour Sound Experiment.
“T his is a big, energetic pop show with the idea of the design being Tate developing herself as a professional pop icon – hence the construction theme,” stated Owings, giving his thoughts on the design. “There’s a lot going on with many moving elements and we are also lighting both for those in the room as well as those watching through social media.”
The growing trend of needing to account for the show being recorded on phones is nothing
new, although arguably still brings some animosity with some working in the industry. However, Owings sees this extra dynamic of lighting for phones as an interesting challenge.
“At live shows there is now this element where fans want to share with others online. Creating something that people want to document on the phone as a core memory is really quite rewarding.”
This meant that keylight was a vital part of Owings’ process. “I spend a lot of time metering keylight to make sure everything is balanced. As we are working in a 360° environment, when it comes to the runway, you must think about all the angles.”
He was keen to shout out the Robe iForte LXT and the RoboSpot, which were “great for key light”. The other product that had a huge presence on the rig was the Ayrton Rivale Profile with 102 deployed in total. “They are super punchy, and we love them for that,” stated Owings.
TPi also caught up with Lighting Crew Chief, Rick Carr. Although more commonly holding the role of dimmer tech on tours, he made the step up to Lighting HOD for this project. “AJ
reached out directly and said I had been put forward for the Crew Chief role,” stated Carr, commenting on the overall trend of this tour giving people the chance to take a step up as well as giving opportunities to young people.
“I ’m 37 and I feel like one of the older people on this tour,” he laughed. “That is not a bad thing – it’s nice to see some faith in the future and I always like showing people new skills.”
The lighting department was a team of eight, with Carr and Owings joined by Amelia Ludt, Jordon Lightfoot, Ben Rogerson, Alex Bratza, Wei Chen, Lavz Reindorf and Lewis White. “It’s a great mix of crew that have come from Colour Sound Experiment and others from the production,” enthused Carr while complimenting the work of the supplier.
“T hey have a new prep warehouse in London and during prep we had seven artics of kit in the building before we headed up to rehearsals,” enthused Carr.
While also providing numerous new fixtures for the tour, the rental house also designed and manufactured several touring dollys and brackets to ensure smoother load-in and -outs. LED Creative was brought on for
Are you looking for
Groundbreaking LED technology for the Pro AV Solutions Market
some additional visual elements for the show design – specifically five rolling doorways that illuminate on the inside edge to be integrated into the choreography. “The LED needed to be bright, battery powered, and controllable by the dancers,” commented Tim Rees, Senior Project Manager at LED Creative. “We used our ALPHA 120 cool white product – a high-density, highoutput, high-CRI product.
While Rees described the project as “simple from a technical standpoint”, he described the artistic impact as “great”. He added: “It was great working on a Silent House production again. While visiting the show at the O2 arena, I was impressed by the show design as well as all the work that was going into making it a fun and captivating show.”
MIXING FOR TWO WORLDS
While the visual team was focussed on creating a show that translated just as well for social media as it did for those in the room, this was also a serious consideration for the audio departments. “For most of the show, as soon as she’s off-stage, clips have gone viral on TikTok or Instagram,” began FOH Engineer, Curtis McKenna.
“On the past tour I did with her, we wanted the audio to come across the same for everyone in the audience, including the audio that would be captured by their phones.”
On that project the team was not touring with its own PA. However, with Miss Possessive, McKenna and his team toured with a full d&b audiotechnik GSL/KSL system from 22live, meaning they could dial in a system to ensure greater consistency.
“During rehearsals I walked around the arena with my phone and altered my mix according to what I was able to capture,” he continued.
“Obviously, the room must sound great, but I’ve incorporated a bit more outboard processing using a bit more saturation, which gives me ‘perceived loudness’. You don’t hear it so much with your ears, but phones are more tuned to pick up certain frequency ranges like a voice.”
The Engineer utilised products inducing Rupert Neve Designs Portico II and Shelford Channel with this endeavour.
McKenna mixed the show on his trusty Allen & Heath S7000. “I’ve owned a few dLive’s over the years and know them inside out.” He even had a smaller Allen & Heath C1500 out with him on the road so if McRae had a one-off or a festival slot, he could bring his outboard gear and smaller desk footprint and yet still have the audio consistency for those performances.
“I t ake the DiGiCo Preamps from the stage via a MADI feed into the DM32 that feeds me at FOH.” he explained. “I run 93 inputs, which includes talkback and audience mics. This saves us carrying a big split rack and with just
four Madi cables I have the full show. My FOH setup only takes me 15 minuets to prep.”
The large thrust created an interesting challenge for the audio team, who were keen to keep as much of the PA energy as possible off the stage to avoided it being picked up by McRae’s microphone. The result was a setup where the main PA hangs were right at the end of the thrust, well into the arena floor.
System Technician, Joseph Pearce, walked TPi through the setup: “The biggest challenge was the implementation of this system but thanks to collective experience that our team had with tours with similar PA designs – such as Sam Smith’s past run – the process was made much simpler.”
Pearce spoke of the ‘hybrid’ system that is become more common with more designs where the stage extends into the audience necessitating a need for a PA design that is a mix of an end-on left and right and an in-theround design.
“It’s 20m to the main hang and 10m to the side hangs, meaning that it’s not a ridiculous ‘off the wall’ design but there is some complexity in installing it as there is a lot more cabling alongside ambitious staging, video and lighting elements. There is also some complexity in time aligning it.”
Audio Crew Chief, Colin Walker, also had his say: “With the main PA being so forward, there
COLOR STRIKE M
STRIKE V
STRIKE BOLT 1C
STRIKE ARRAY 2C
STRIKE ARRAY 4C
STRIKE SABER 10
STRIKE ARRAY 1
STRIKE ARRAY 2
STRIKE ARRAY 4
STRIKE 1
STRIKE P38
was also the issue of providing audio for those that stood between the main stage and the thrust,” he chipped in. “After a few iterations, we opted to run front fills down the thrust for that whole region.”
The main PA comprised 12 d&b audiotechnik GSL8 and four GSL12 per side along with eight SL-SUBs per side. The side hangs were 12 KSL8 and four KSL12 per side with a 270-hang setup of 12 XSL8 and four XSL12 for the left and right. Ground sub arrays of 12 SL-SUBs were also used. Up to 16 E8 and eight Y10p loudspeakers on custom mounts were used for the fill setup on the thrust with pit fills coming in the form of two more Y10p and a three-high stack V8 per side.
“T he d&b system is one of the most flexible out there,” commented Pearce. “You can get a lot of stuff done before loading-in, which has been beneficial on some of these dates when we’ve been running behind schedule due to travel logistics.”
Simon Gladstone, Technical Director at 22live, was complementary of the d&b system. “The control of the d&b system, particularly the cardioid nature of the SL-Series, helped us to deliver the results that would please everyone.
Having a B-stage with a lifting platform that raises the artist several metres into the air
directly in front of 32 GSL cabinets might seem counter-intuitive in providing a positive experience for them.” However, thankfully, d&b’s R1 control software, gave Pearce a new tool to use in situation like this.
The rest of the audio team was made up of RF Technician, Beth O’Leary, Monitor and Stage Technician, Meaghan McEachren, and PA Riggers, Matt Potesta, Sammi Goundry, and Kieran Dale.
With 22live only being created two years ago, Director Paul Timmins expressed to TPi what it meant for the firm to be looking after and arena tour of this scale. “To get this tour confirmed underlines the growth of the business,” he commented. “To be recognised as a serious option and to follow up by being asked to supply one of the biggest arena tours 2025 on both sides of the Atlantic is an incredible and proud moment for all at 22live.”
The company will also be servicing the tour for the upcoming US tour, where it will be working in conjunction with Spectrum Sound.
CONTROLLING THE NOISE
Overseeing McRae’s in-ear mix – alongside mixes for dancers, musicians and crew members – was Monitor Engineer, Melvin Godfrey. Having worked with the singer for
a few years, he has witnessed her fanbase grow, not to mention the crowd noise he was competing with.
“We’ve tried several different microphones with her over the years and for the live show we landed on the sE Electronics V7,” stated Godfrey. “We’ve found that it is much tighter and gets far more rejection.”
Each day, McRae also put on a VIP experience after soundcheck where she performs a few of her songs with just her and her guitarist. With less noise in the room, the audio team opted for the DPA d:facto.
“It means during those sections she can sing a bit more off axis and more ‘naturally’,” stated Godfrey. “Both for Curtis out front and I, the goal is to make her vocals crispy. She likes a lot of air in the vocal and therefore there’s a need to reduce the noise from the room.”
Like McKenna, the Monitor Engineer was also making used of the Silk function on the Shelford Channel to treat her vocals. “Her vocals are always compressed but not to the point where it effects the tone. If she has a louder moment, she needs to feel how much pressure she is putting into the mic so as not to over-singing.”
For control, the Monitor Engineer used a DiGiCo Quantum 338. “Over the years, I’ve
JEDDAH
ESTONIA
LONDON
used many desks and can mix on anything but recently DiGiCo has become my number one choice. I’ve got so used to the structure and the flexibility with so many channels, which was beneficial in this camp as during rehearsals things just kept growing. We also did a lot of recordings during that time, so I could send over a full drum performance to our playback team via MADI.”
Handling playback duties for the tour was Silas Wong. All wireless came via a Shure Axient system, which Godfrey described as a “step-up” from the PSM1000. “It feels as though you have more bandwidth in the mix.”
Gladstone described some of the challenges with the RF set up for the tour.
“Allowing the artist to move between the stage, thrust and B-stage while maintaining seamless coverage for IEM transmission is no easy task,” he explained.
“But 22live’s investment in Shure Axient Digital IEMs made this possible. Using the new Spatial Diversity in Shure’s implementation of WMAS, we were able to have multiple helical antennae to cover all areas, with the added benefit of improved audio quality.”
22live’s fibre network backbone allowed the team to deploy Showlink access points at multiple positions around each venue, enabling monitoring and control of performers IEM beltpacks to maximise the system’s performance. In addition, Bolero show comms were also piggy backed onto the Agora Ghost network switches.As for IEM moulds, McRae
used Ultimate Ears while Godfrey personally used JH Audio Roxanne. “Some people have asked why I won’t use the same IEMs as my singer, but I use my IEM as a reference point, and these are the ones I know the best.”
The entire dance troupe was also on ears along with the live drummer and guitarist as well as some key members of the crew.
PUT ME ON THE GROUP CHAT
Ensuring that crew and kit got from show to show were TRUCKINGBY Brian Yeardley and Beat The Street, with Rock-it Cargo managing freight during the campaign.
With several tours under his belt, Lead Driver, Lee Davis was keen to emphasise the difference in attitude within the Tate McRae camp in terms of inclusivity. “What has really made a difference to us as drivers is that we’ve been invited into the tour WhatsApp groups. It gives our drivers a chance to be involved in activities on off days, which I’ve never seen on tour. Everyone in the production office knows the first names of all our drivers and they are not always just talking via me as the Lead Driver. Those little things make a huge difference and have made it a really enjoyable tour,” Davis said.
“I ’ve worked with Tate McRae and her Tour Manager, Hope, since early 2024 and they have been a pleasure to work with since day one,” added Beat The Street’s Dan Chitty. “Tate’s rise has been a credit to her and the team she has around her. Going from a two-bus tour in 2024
to an eight-bus tour in 2025 shows the huge strides she’s made in a short time.”
Chitty continued to describe the feeling among his team of drivers on the tour.
“They have commented on what a closeknit team they have in place,” commented Chitty. “Whenever logistical challenges have presented themselves, it has always led to a conversation with the Lead Driver and an inclusive decision is made, which invariably suits all parties.”
With Munich’s Olympiahalle filled with McRae’s loyal following, the artist hit the stage to blast through her set complete with loud singalongs and her signature choreographed dance sections.
As her tour makes the step-up into the arena market, that fact that her team is using this elevation in her career as an opportunity to change the status quo of how a tour should be run for the betterment of the touring family is what truly stands out.
Accurate punch, fast operation. This wireless spotlight with Fresnel lens features a 13º–60º zoom, zero stray light, and delivers 8,000 lux at 3 meters—all with just 75 W of power (650 W equivalent). It’s not only a future-proof investment, but also a fixture every event, film or broadcast production crew will want to work with.
A True Workhorse Long-throw Luminaire
No compromise IP65/66 high-output low footprint
LED WashBeam and FollowSpot
TWENTY ONE PILOTS: THE CLANCY WORLD TOUR
Meet the well-travelled and road-tested production team bringing the latest chapter of the band’s unrelenting lore to life on-stage.
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Mason Castillo and TPi
On the road in support of the release of their seventh studio album, Clancy, Twenty One Pilots made their much-anticipated return to the touring circuit on 15 August 2024 at Denver’s Ball Arena. Over a year, multiple continents and 73 shows later, the production’s curtain call took place at The O2 arena in London with TPi on site to meet the team powering The Clancy World Tour.
Enlisted by the band in January 2024 to take this new tour on the road, experienced Production Manager, Matt Doherty’s brief was to work with production design collective District 5 to build a show that was going to tour multiple continents, while also being able to scale up for larger audiences with the band’s biggest show of the entire campaign taking place in Mexico City in front of 63,000 people.
“T he band are invested in ensuring that every member of the audience experiences the same show. Their primary focus is to entertain,” Doherty said. “I’ve been around for a while, and this tour has reignited ‘the love of the show’ for me with a scalable production while being consistent and commercially viable.”
In Europe, the tour’s vendors included All Access Staging (staging), Beat The Street (crew buses), Clair Global (audio and communications), Coach Services (band buses), Cybermotion (automation), McGuiness Trucking (logistics), Neg Earth Lights (lighting), Nighthawk Video (video), Shockwave Cargo (freighting), and ffp effects (special effects and pyrotechnics). “The vendors in Europe largely share pre-existing relationships with
the touring camp and provide excellent service and support on the road. I brought in Nighthawk Video because the quality of their work is premier,” Doherty said, explaining the tour’s choice of suppliers for the continent.
Production Coordinator, Sonja Stevenson; Backstage Coordinator, Laura Proepper; Production Assistant, Gillian Miller; Venue Security, DeMartris Williams and Dan Spohn were key members of the touring party.
The PM further enlisted the support of Head Rigger, Daniel Lowe; Second Rigger, David Ardale; Third Rigger, Florian Jordan; Stage Manager, Brian Kountz and Assistant Stage Manager, Kirk La Rocco and assembled his trusty team of Carpenters, Travis Schilling, Lino Lutke and Piotr Mizik to oversee the load-in, build and break of the show.
With long drives required, Doherty was able to set aside budget for a secondary rigging package. The crew trained in the US with a few late load-ins in preparation for Europe. “You can’t be doing a show this complex while running around before doors – time must be allocated accordingly to achieve the right result,” Doherty underlined. “It costs extra money, but that investment in ensuring the crew eat and sleep well makes touring viable.”
On a t ypical day, if the team don’t need to do a pre-rig in a unique venue, the rigging team arrive on site between 6am and 7am to chalk. Local crew work with the riggers to hang steel in specification with the design of the building, motors follow, with each department arriving two hours later to set up. “We have 117
points and six safely lines,” explained Head Rigger, Daniel Lowe, who has toured multiple continents with this design. “The venues in Europe are less geared to our industry, as opposed to the US, so it requires a little more effort. Each country also has unique rules, which you must manage around, but it’s not something we’re unfamiliar with.”
The riggers also have their own rigging language, Lowe explained, however he makes a point of learning the basics – such as how to say ‘thank you’ to the local crew and venues – in every country he visits. “Munich was interesting due to the grid, which hangs from a tent, which is more unique,” he recalled. “Some other rigs required a pre-rig like in Bologna –which required me to fly ahead with a team and implement motors ahead of the crew’s arrival.”
With five automated pods in the centre of the rig, there wasn’t much room for changing things on the plot once the tour hit the road, so load cell data during production rehearsals was paramount to ensure the safety of crew.
In closing, Lowe praised rigging and lighting vendor, Neg Earth Lights: “They provide a good package, and the European crew are dedicated to optimising the show,” he added. “Collaboration between carpentry and rigging with the wider departments is essential.”
‘ENHANCING THE MUSICALITY’
Production and Lighting Designers, Tyler ‘Shap’ Shapard and Dayne deHaven of District 5 devised the overall creative. “We didn’t hear any new music, but we understood where the
THANK YOU TWENTY ONE PILOTS FOR L ETTING U S M AKE A D IFFERENCE
band were in their storyline. Every album has ‘lore’ songs, so when we were designing the show, we were trying to figure out a way to provide a transformative experience for fans within budget, while trying to get as much out of the equipment we tour with by designing a rig that is versatile and dynamic,” Shap explained, reciting an elementary rendition of band’s storied lore and the connection between them and their fans.
“T heir on-stage chemistry is infectious. There is a world that has been built behind the music, which ties a lot of this show together. Many of the show’s themes revolve around mental health,” he said. “The sacrifices we make, as touring crew, are outweighed by the fact this band regularly save the lives of those who come to see their live shows.”
Indeed, as TPi arrived hours before doors were due to open, thousands of fans were camped outside The O2 dressed in regalia. Every show, the team film and broadcast a short VT of their fans, expressing how much the band and their music means to them.
The show was made up of three acts and a four-song encore. District 5 collaborated closely with the band to marry up the setlist in line with the show. “The focus is to enhance the musicality of the band and to grow as time progresses. We have a self-imposed fixture quota, and we don’t even physically move a light until the end of the third song,” Shap
said, highlighting how the team harnessed automation to manipulate the rig to show movement, “holding back as much as possible”.
The stage and set design, including the inflatable Dema towers, are a reference to a world built by the band. Shap elaborated: “This is not a concert. It’s a theatrical performance unlike any other tour. We have all kinds of people who come to this show, from the super fans to complete unknowns; we had to create a show that is accessible, doesn’t alienate, but evokes emotion from both parties.”
Multiple performance spaces were curated with three drum kits plus auxiliary instruments dotted across the main, T and J stages. The band also work the pit, with clever camera magic tricks thrown in for good measure, whereby frontman, Tyler Joseph disappears from the stage and suddenly appears among the crowd on the rafters within seconds, which, given the proliferation of AI-generated visuals in the live space, was refreshing. “We studied magic to make the transition seamless. My favourite thing is hearing the audible gasps of the audience each night!” Shap remarked.
‘TAPPING INTO THE PERFORMANCE’
District 5 drew the start of the lighting rig in Vectorworks and programmed the show using MA Lighting grandMA2 software, operating the show on grandMA3 hardware. The team harnessed the creative capabilities of MADRIX
software to pixel map looks for the automated pods. “We wanted to design a show with lights that can be found on multiple continents,” Shap said, explaining the fixture selection.
“We’ve always used Robe lighting fixtures in our designs. We have Spiiders, FORTEs and LTXs on this show. There’s not a better light out on the market than the FORTE and a better spotlight than the LTX, in my opinion. While we float to Robe for all of our spot fixtures, most of the LEDs, like the bars and strobes, are generally GLP – I love the JDC1 and X4 Series, however, we switched to CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Bar 16 in Europe due to availability, and they’ve impressed me.”
With an almost all-Robe rig in the US, the swaps in Europe included the arrival of Ayrton Boras and Rivales. “I really like Ayrton’s powerful LED engines. I’ve been overwhelmed by their dimming and 360° pan tilt. It’s brighter and the beam is nicer,” he said.
TMB Solaris Flare Q+ Rayzr 100 and 50 solutions also featured heavily, while MDG Fog Generators and theONE hazers provided atmospherics. Fixture specification aside, Shap believes he could put a single spotlight on the rig, and the band would still “crush it”.
Instead of rolling out the biggest and best gadgets, the designers have learned how to “tap into the performance” of the band with this show with the support of Lighting Crew Chief, Graham Jelly; Lighting Operator, Trenton
Photo credit: Mason Castillo
Vernell; Senior Neg Earth Technician, Harry Smith and Lighting Technicians, Martin Strods, Matt Flood, Amy Hewitt, Bryce McGeehan and Chloe Boucher on site.
Neg Earth Lights Project Manager, Martin Garnish, commented: “It was a pleasure to continue our working relationship with Matt Doherty, and we were thrilled with the opportunity to work with Tyler ‘Shap’ Shapard for the first time. Shap’s attention to detail is exemplary, and we share the same ethos, ensuring a flawless realisation of the design.”
From a rigging standpoint, three cable bridge systems serviced the tour. The upstage had four trusses on one, the mid-stage automation was on another, while four downstage trusses sat on another cable bridge. This design meant the team could load in three different parts of the rig at the same time, overseen by each department head. “I considered the load-in when I designed the back end of the show,” Shap noted, citing the “excellent” support of Neg Earth Lights. “One of the compliments I get from vendors is their surprise that I draw the cable bridges, which is the beauty of having the designer on the road.”
The show includes several jaw-dropping moments. During the third song, Vignette, an entire automated pod of lights transformed into a giant, singular, solo followspot for key light –tracking frontman, Tyler Joseph, as he moves across the stage. The track, Nico and the Niners, sees some of the best lore-inspired visuals, including interesting interplay with the Dema
towers; Heavydirtysoul, the third song coming back from the B-stage is, in Shap’s words, one of the “best looking and sounding songs” of the show, while the musical transition from Midwest Indigo into Stressed Out with lasers and strobes aplenty is, as Shap remarks, “phenomenal”. He noted: “It’s all synchronised and looks clean, despite being difficult to do.”
Remarkably, Stressed Out – one of the band’s most-played tracks – still impresses after 73 shows. “We’ve breathed new life into it; it’s a very fun ending. We take the restraints off and let everything go with pyrotechnics, special effects, streamers, and more. I’m going to miss this iteration of the show,” he said. “However, if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change anything. We’ve experienced highs and lows, but that’s what has made this tour so special.”
‘IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING’
In the build up to the tour, SFX Designer, Nick Arnold designed and programmed all special effects and pyrotechnics. “He did an incredible job giving us the icing on the cake we needed,” Shap commented.
In Europe, ffp effects SFX Crew Chief, Damien Kivlehan; Operator, Lukas Riffel; Pyro Technicians, Sebastian Huss and Carla Susana Da Encarnac were supported by ER Productions Laser Operator, Finn Hobson to oversee the pyrotechnics and laser package. “There are a variety of effects from every imaginable position, which makes for a dynamic spectacle,”
Riffel explained. The package featured 16 Galaxis PFE Advanced Receivers, six of which were fitted with 50-way matrix modules. For low fog effects, the team employed four MDG IceFog Compack units, while CO₂ effects were delivered by six MagicFX CO2 Jets and two Clubcannon Quadjets. Of the six G-Flames positioned on the performance deck, four were upgraded for enhanced power. A further 18 G-Flames were installed behind the LED fascia in front of the city of Dema, along with nine additional G-Flames paired with flamebars to handle pyrotechnic elements.
For confetti, 12 MagicFX Stadium Blasters were triggered via Galaxis PFE Advanced Receivers – eight located in the pit and four at FOH. During the track, Jumpsuit, a soft confetti rain in custom yellow dogwood was created using five MagicFX Swirlfans mounted in the roof. “It really immerses the audience in the storytelling,” Riffel remarked.
Control was provided by an MA Lighting dot2 console and two Galaxis PFC Advanced Controllers. One PFC operated the six wireless G-Flames on the performance deck, while the other managed all pyrotechnic functions.
For Riffel, this tour felt like a ‘full circle’ moment. He cut his teeth as an intern at ffp effects, listening to 21 Pilots in his first ever car – a beat-up Renault traffic van, which he and his friends dubbed the ‘tour bus’ – “and now I’m helping to deliver their SFX package across Europe,” he quipped.
‘A SPECTRUM OF VISUALS’
Given the host of special effects and automation triggers, the show was well-balanced, with an emphasis on artistry over gags. Take the camerawork, for example.
“We leaned hard into letting the camera breathe, and in Craving, the first ballad, there’s a beautiful Steadicam behind the band, and the crowd with their flashlights creates a beautiful look. The camerawork on this show is unbelievable and the show is lit for that. We go in and out of lighting for camera versus lighting for the show frequently,” Shap explained, praising the support of longtime friend of contributor, Video Director, Adam Peck – who has been with the band for a decade in various guises.
“As the band has grown in popularity, so has the fanbase. We’ve gone from two tour buses to 10 and multiple trucks of touring equipment – seeing the production grow and mature over time has been impressive. A lot of the camp have progressed and grown into leadership roles,” Peck commented, having started life with the band as a lighting technician. “A lot of the time I’m tucked away from the fans, so I like to remind myself regularly of the importance of the band’s connection with their fans, and make sure that isn’t lost in translation.”
The entire stage’s screens were content driven with two layers of video. A large upstage wall bridges the two IMAG screens with a lower LED wall in additional automated panels, which the team dubbed the ‘garage door’ – the show grew as it progressed, morphing into multiple stage designs. A team of four handheld cameras operators were stationed in certain places for key moments of the show with Furio track cameras capturing choreographed movements from the pit.
“We want to capture moments with intention. We don’t make mistakes, we make art, but not all the art is on purpose,” Peck laughed, coyly. “It’s live, so you must be ready to adapt at a moment’s notice, and it keeps it fun and entertaining. The handheld cameras are the hardest to run and direct because I’m not out there on the stage with them. It’s up to the operators to find those sweet spots of interaction between the band and the crowd. I give them creative freedom to fish for the best shots. I can’t praise them enough!”
In addition to the handhelds and Furio system, seven POV cameras, and a robotic camera rigged in the rafters provided a variety of angles to play with. “The three POVs on the main drums give me a nice moment to cut away
to when I know there is a drum fill coming. I can do a wrap and the POV on Tyler’s pianos are nice to have when the room is full of atmospherics – they’re close up and provide much better definition than if we were shooting through the smoke, haze and pyro dust,” Peck said, explaining his camera selection.
“Being able to have the handhelds has been hugely beneficial; each camera is an important part of the show. We want the people at the back of the room to experience the same emotion as those in the first few rows.”
Peck cut cameras on a Ross Video TouchDrive switcher. “It’s my favourite switcher in the family because you can incorporate Elgato Stream Deck, which allows me to control Notch for all kinds of transitions and real-time generated effects,” he said.
One of Peck’s favourite songs to capture was Next Semester. “It’s all about the camera work. I cut between the stedi and handheld cameras, and there’s a battle for the best shot. On the flip side, one of my other favourite songs is Paladin Strait because it’s super slow and atmospheric. We do this light colour correction, which makes everything look black and white and there’s a monochromatic aberration on it, so I call it chrome, but it looks neat and tasteful.”
Indeed, there were a full gamut of video looks – from high refresh rate, clean colour space through to “crunchy and impactful” looks with Notch whereby Peck added film grade and cut the frame grade in half to make it feel more chaotic, as well as basic colour correction. “We try to cover the whole spectrum as much as we can,” Peck remarked, praising the support of the video vendor. “Nighthawk has quickly become my favourite vendor. They call themselves a boutique vendor, and they demonstrate it with their support and equipment. Working with them has been phenomenal.”
Nathan ‘Barney’ Barnier, Media Server Programmer and Operator, oversaw the visuals. From FOH, Barney ran two Disguise GX 3 media servers, using four inputs, aux sends, and split screens effects, running MA3 to help control the show’s tight programming and Notch effects.
An 8 ft LED lightbox of The Clancy World Tour logo was built by Go Live Productions with assistance from Rich Porter. This was pixel-mapped into Disguise, allowing content to flow seamlessly across both the logo and the main LED wall. Barney worked closely with long-time content creator, Chris Schoeman, during pre-production and rehearsals in Ohio. “All visual elements work together well on this
show; nothing is overpowering. It’s the perfect blend of visuals,” Barney noted, pleased with the cohesive result. It was Barney’s first time with Nighthawk Video, whose support he found “fantastic” with “pristine” equipment. He was particularly impressed by the Saco LED product’s “very clean camera image with excellent colours and contrast,” he remarked.
Navigating a global tour brought unique challenges, especially adapting to local screens in South America. “Colour matching the screens was challenging and equally rewarding,” Barney shared, highlighting the power of Disguise and the skilled engineers to maintain visual harmony across continents.
Elsewhere, Video Crew Chief, Rob Brewer; Video Engineers, James Gardner and Tony Doucet; Steadicam Operator, Rob Hubbard; LED Assistant and Handheld Camera Operator, Mauricio Villalobos; LED Assistant and Camera Operators, Hannah Erken, Matt Lindstrom and Alan Cordova; and Furio Operator, Jeremy Miget ensured every angle was covered.
“I c an’t do this job without my team; it’s called video village for a reason – it takes a village to make this happen. They are the unsung heroes of the tour,” Peck said, speaking fondly about the crew. “Touring is 85% vibe check; you go from being complete strangers to sharing a bus, and it’s tough and taxing, but an incredible
experience. I’ve made some lifelong friends on this tour.”
‘SYNCHRONISING THE VISUAL ELEMENTS’ Striving for the show to double in size, automation added fuel to the fire. The show sits in act one for close to an hour, with fans conditioned to the staging design, before it radically doubled in size for the second act. By the time the show reaches the crescendo of third act, an all-out encore ensues with the band performing amid the crowd.
Martijn Beverwijk operated the winches as part of Cybermotion. “We are currently operating 30, 500kg CyberHoist IIs and nine 50kg C-winches, developed specifically for this tour to achieve the city of Dema inflatables, as well as automating the surrounding lighting and video pods,” he reported.
“Our CyberHoist IIs live in the flown trusses, provided by Neg Earth Lights, making the rig tourable, fast, and importantly, failsafe. However, collaboration among all departments is extremely important to deliver this spectacle.”
The team comprised Automation Operator, Christian Burdette and Automation Technician, Ryan Furr, who were supported by Staging Crew Chief, Simon Rackham and Staging Technicians, Skylar Vinning, Arturo Martinez, and Sam Hollidge. “The dynamic build-up of the show
Production and Lighting Designer, Tyler ‘Shap’ Shapard; Production Assistant, Gillian Miller, Production Coordinator, Sonja Stevenson and Production Manager, Matt Doherty; Head Rigger, Daniel Lowe; Cybermotion’s Martijn Beverwijk, Automation Technician, Ryan Furr and Automation Operator, Christian Burdette; Video Director, Adam Peck.
is amazing. The interaction between the band and the audience energises us during the show. There’s never a lull. It’s a show that keeps on giving,” Beverwijk stated. “All our colleagues who have come to see the show have been wowed – not only at the amount of automation, but also the design of Shep, which creates the different shapes of the stage and layers of depth with automation. For me, this show is why timecode is invented – to synchronise the entire visual elements of the production.”
Using Cybermotion’s patented visualiser, Burdette created a virtual 3D area of the rig and set the Z limits. Within a virtual 3D box, the system can set the parameters for the automated set pieces to manoeuvre freely within that box, with a ‘deadstop’ to prevent kit from clashing. “We have load cells on the equipment, so we know we are within safe limits and the maximum weight capacity of the rig. When kit begins rolling and pitching, the weight changes, so when we run in the dark, we have a system to evaluate the safety and limits of the fly zones,” the operator explained.
The only challenges the team faced were trim heights in certain venues, which required reprogramming the looks within reason. “We’re able to achieve the same look in each venue in Europe,” Burdette reported proudly. “I especially like the look during Backslide; it’s epic.”
‘STAYING IN THE DIGITAL WORLD’ Nashville-based FOH Engineer, Kennith ‘Kenny’ Sellars mixed on a Yamaha RIVAGE PM10. “I tipped this console amid the pandemic and was immediately blown away,” he said.
For outboard, he relied on a couple of trusty Bricasti M7 reverbs and a DAD Core 256 to get in and out of LiveProfessor to run a few plug-ins, mostly on vocal and master busses, in addition to Waves servers and RMP-D8 8-Channel Dante Mic Preamps, the latter for Tyler Joseph’s B-stage piano – plus a couple of UAD servers which help with the plug-ins in LiveProfessor and a redundant LiveProfessor rig.
Both FOH and monitor engineers have known each other for close to two decades. The former was the best man at the latter’s wedding, so trust and collaboration was strong. Ahead of the tour, the duo educated themselves on network topologies to continually streamline their setup, doubling down on not being afraid of technology. Their goal: more Cat5 and fibre, fewer analogue hoses all over the place.
“I t ry to stay in the digital world. Everything we have is 96K Dante from the Shure Axient. We do our best to stay in that realm, and it’s treated us well,” Kenny commented. With multiple performance spaces and a section of the show with the band performing in the concourse, a complex RF over fibre system was deployed with
Monitor Engineer and Operations at Clair Global, Cliff Skinner; Systems Engineer, Josh De Jong with FOH Engineer, Kennith ‘Kenny’ Sellars; Media Server Programmer and Operator, Nathan ‘Barney’ Barner; Playback Engineer, Koley Bolen of Neat Audio Technologies; ffp effects Pyro Technicians, Sebastian Huss and Carla Susana Da Encarnac with SFX Operator, Lukas Riffel and SFX Crew Chief, Damien Kivlehan.
Wave-Based LF Prediction. A New Standard in System Design.
Funktion-One’s Projection system design software introduces a fast, wave based low frequency model. This breakthrough technology fully predicts the complex wave behaviour of bass arrays, including the effects of the physical presence of enclosures on directivity and wave propagation. funktion-one.com
antennas situated behind the camera riser at FOH to make sure that wherever the band went, they had full coverage.
“As far as challenges are concerned, vocal in front of the PA is our biggest, but Tyler is aware of it, so he does his best to keep the mic away when he’s not singing, and I know the rhythm of the show, so I can ride the faders to ensure it doesn’t feedback, and it’s been stable.”
In addition to mixing drums, bass, and vocals all in front of the PA, another challenging part of the mix was the fact the frontman started the show with a Shure SM58 microphone with LEDs embedded, performing while wearing a face mask. “The first few songs are a different vocal to the rest of the show. The first time he’s without a face mask and a regular mic he’s at the 300 level in front of the PA,” Kenny laughed. “So, there are six songs in the set before I understand what his vocal really sounds like for the night. It keeps me on my toes, but I love it!”
As to be expected, the FOH Engineer pinpointed Heavydirtysoul as his favourite song to mix because he gets to “use all the subs” available to him. Kenny said: “We really let the bottom drop out of that one and it’s supposed to relate to an emotional experience; it takes your breath away. It’s got the ups and downs and lots of fun low end.”
The engineer, like most of the camp, shared a great relationship with Clair Global, the tour’s sound supplier and manufacturer of the
Cohesion PA system. “I got to design this rig the way I wanted – more subs than most people would take into an arena, but I tested a version of the system at Rock Lititz, and we worked together to create a rig that can handle this show. Since I come from an SE background, I was able to communicate clearly what I want to [Audio Crew Chief and Systems Engineer] Josh De Jong, who I trust implicitly,” he said.
The PA system featured 18 CO12s on the main hangs, 16 on the side, 16 CO10s on the 270°s, nine CP218s on the side as flown hangs and 14 CPT18s on the ground with CF28s and CF10s chosen as front fills. The system was processed using DirectOut PRODIGY.MP, with Lake Processing for zoning.
“T his setup is working very well,” De Jong said. “The advantage of this PA system is the smaller footprint. We wanted a lot of subs, and it fits in two trucks, and one in the US. The fact that we can get this system anywhere we visit is also a bonus. The consistency for us, knowing we could walk into a venue following a travel load-in day in South America and know the presets and have the system exactly as we want it straight away is a huge advantage. Kenny and I share similar concepts and methodologies. The added support from Clair Global, with [Monitor Engineer and Operations at Clair Global] Cliff Skinner on the road, helps immensely. When we wanted to redesign the entire networking side, we had the support to do so.”
Kenny echoed: “The support from Clair Global has been phenomenal. We’ve got a brilliant crew. We’ve visited four major continents and the consoles and PA, provided locally, have been exactly as specified – from stadiums in South America through to European arenas. We have access to the R&D teams and those pushing the boundaries of technology, and they welcome our feedback from the field.”
Sk inner joined the conversation, reflecting on his journey in monitor world with the band: “We’ve done all sorts of shows, from underplays with custom-built control packages, through to this setup – a Yamaha RIVAGE PM5 with Wisycom. The sound of the board stands out to me; it doesn’t take much work at all. In my opinion, it has the best built-in effects and dynamics of any digital console.”
His board included 14 mixes of wireless, a lot of general purpose and tech mixes, tonnes of talkbacks, and a lot of routing and some backup mixes for the artists, as well as RF over fibre to cover the entire arena.
With Skinner busy mixing, Monitor Technician, Mike Mangan oversaw the deployment of four active and spare Shure Axient Digital microphones with KSM9HS capsules, while RF and Communications Technician, Tom Gardner handled 35 beltpacks and the fibre system featuring 14 channels of Wisycom and 12 channels Shure Axient Digital. A Clair CP-118 drum subwoofer and two tiny side
FURION FX402 BAR
10 x 60 W RGBW LED | 60 CW and 60 WW strobe pixels
200-degree tilt | Wide motorised zoom from 2.7° to 31.4°
Edge-to-edge mounting and easy alignment | IP65-rated
fills, matching the front fills – made up of Clair Global’s new Cohesion CF28s – provided “single channel, full range, good dispersion” coverage on-stage. For in-ears, the on-stage duo donned 64 Audio A12T in-ear moulds.
“Josh’s mix is what you’d expect but Tyler really feeds off the energy of the crowd, so there’s a lot of riding the DPA 2017 ambient microphones. We have two shotgun mics either side of the main stage. He likes to feed off the energy of the crowd, but doesn’t like a loud mix, so it’s about balancing that,” Skinner explained.
The drumkits were all equipped with a mixture of DPA Microphones. Namely, 4055s on the kick, 2011s and 2012s on the snare tops and bottoms, and 2012s on the hats. “Every single symbol has a microphone underneath it and they’re all 2012s, and 4099s on toms,” Skinner explained. “A four-piece drum kit with 14 microphones on it!”
‘CELEBRATING DOING WHAT WE LOVE’
Playback Engineer, Koley Bolen of NEAT Audio Technologies built the playback rig. “This band was my first ever tour in 2022,” he recalled. “The deployment of playback is different to your usual tour. Mainly because there are only two people on-stage, who cannot physically perform every instrument from their back catalogue, so playback plays a key role.”
The engineer shared the cavernous understage area with Drum Technician, Bryan Ratay and Backline Technician, Turner Wood. While on other modern touring productions, playback
may be front and centre, the role of playback on this tour was to shave away as much from the computers as possible and create a live show, instead of a pristine studio version.
Along with all the MIDI automation, “there are tonnes of drum triggering and samples coming from playback, vocal processing and SMPTE timecode, controlling all the visuals,” Bolen further explained. “This is basically the core of the show.”
The backbone of the rig was a pair of M3 MacBook Pro Maxes running Ableton. “The thing that has made this setup really streamlined is this third-party software, AbleSet, which allows us to navigate the sessions in a freer way, change the setlist from night to night, if required, and loop spontaneously,” he said.
Looping was crucial amid moments when the band interact with the crowd or move from stage to stage. “AbleSet is IP-based so Josh has an iPad on stage, mirroring what I see, and a footswitch for him to start and stop most of the tracks, but at the points he’s not able, I can disable a loop if needed – which is where my multiple viewpoints and talkbacks with the wider crew built into this system – come to the fore,” Bolen said, controlling everything via TouchOSC on his iPad. “I made a custom layout to control everything playback, like drum samples and vocal effects. It’s all automated, but if something goes wrong, I can recall swiftly.”
As far as vocal effects go, the team recently switched over to a Digital Audio Denmark Core 256, which provided low-latency Dante for the
vocals in and out of the M3 pro. Described by Bolen as ‘the heart of playback’, a DirectOut PRODIGY.MP let the team pass 32 channels of audio, digitally, to FOH and monitors via Dante. A PlayAUDIO1U provided two independent USB connections to the computer and created a MIDI network. An iConnectivity mioXL connected to the vocal effects computer, to send programme changes, and MIDI information to the drum sample brain, as well as sending MIDI to fire tracks. “This was the first tour where I had a say in building the rig and it’s been incredible,” Bolen summarised. “I have many great memories.”
As t he confetti settles on the 73-date extravaganza, Sellers’ words at FOH affirmed the consensus of the wider crew: “Chasing this band around the world has been incredibly rewarding,” he said, having toured with the band for close to a decade. “This show is very exciting, but I equally enjoy the travel, the days off, and the camaraderie behind the scenes – celebrating doing what we love.” www.twentyonepilots.com www.district5.live www.unusualcompany.net www.negearth.co.uk www.cyber-motion.com www.nighthawk-video.com www.allaccessuk.com www.clairglobal.com www.neataudiollc.com www.ffp-fx.net www.er-productions.com www.beatthestreet.net
SHIRIN DAVID: SCHLAU ABER BLOND TOUR 2025
As live events professionals pilot new touring technology for the German artist’s abstract, five-act theatrical show, TPi travels to Berlin’s Uber Arena to witness the extravaganza first hand.
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Tom Levin and TPi
It’s not every day that an invitation lands on your desk to witness one of the most striking live shows in recent memory. However, when it does – and it features automation, layer upon layer of drapery, special effects and pyrotechnics, eclectic video content, and a Flashdance -inspired ‘rain shower’ moment – it’s certainly a gig worth attending. With cutting-edge technology at its core, creativity and coordination played key roles in Shirin David’s SCHLAU ABER BLOND Tour 2025
To meet the artist’s creative vision, Production Director, John Pryer and Production Manager, George Doherty of 24/7 Productions advanced the project – enlisting the expertise of Morgan Evans of Tim Routledge Lighting Design as Lead Production Designer. With a tourable design decided upon, an extensive shopping list was assembled before the project was put out to tender.
Step forward, some of the best in the business in Fly By Nite (trucking), Phoenix (buses), BBM Clair – part of Clair Global (audio and communications), Adlib (lighting, video, and rigging), Ox Event House (set, staging and lifts), TAIT (set and automation), Blackout (drapes and tracks), ER Productions (special effects and pyrotechnics), Delico Catering, Road Ramps (ramps and washing machines), and Equinox Charter (travel). When it came to support, Doherty noted, “there are a few numbers that you ring,” that always come through.
Production Stage Manager, Felix Baird, alongside Stage Manager and Vibes Coordinator, Rishi Gowry, oversaw the build
and derig, with Doherty “offering solutions or workarounds” where needed. “Ruby, Mia and Siobhain in the production office all make my life easy every day. We’ve assembled a great crew,” the PM informed TPi, backstage at Berlin’s Uber Arena amid the penultimate date of the tour.
“Different-sized venues make for a challenging and exciting tour,” added Production Coordinator, Ruby Pring. “With us turning up to some venues at midday, given the routing, it has required advance planning of where everything needs to go, like signage, to make the transition as seamless as possible.”
As a Production Assistant, Mia Cartwright of 24/7 Productions lent a hand with signage. “This is my third tour, and I’ve learned a lot by working with the team. I find being involved in production a rewarding experience,” Cartwright said. “My favourite part of the role is making sure everyone feels as comfortable as possible away from home.”
The role of tour manager is often quite separate from production management, but on this tour both teams were closely unified under the 24/7 Productions banner. “It’s helped pull it together,” commented Tour Manager, Siobhain Brackenridge. “I’m acting as the main person liaising with artist management and feeding that information back to the production.”
During showtime, the TM doubles as an extra pair of hands for the stylists, working alongside Pring and Cartwright to assist Shirin David and her team through multiple costume changes between acts. Reflecting on her
favourite moments of the show, Brackenridge shared: “There’s a swing, confetti, pyrotechnics – there’s a lot going on – but I’ve never seen rain on a show before!”
‘MOVING FROM VENUE TO VENUE WITH MILITARY PRECISION’
On a typical day, the team arrived on site by 5:30am, with all trucks unloaded around five hours later. The show’s on-stage arches were constructed first, followed by the rest of the stage design, interconnected by an ‘S’ truss. This spanned from far stage downstage right, running across the entire upstage area and finishing at far downstage left, complete with drapes and tracking.
“We lift the front drape track first –once that’s up, the S truss is implemented underneath, and then everything else can be built individually and added as the day progresses,” Doherty explained. “With it being such a wide show, we had to trim 10ft off each end at the narrower, Frankfurt am Main Festhalle. However, the show was intentionally designed to fit into most spaces.”
The tour’s routing added complexity to the project. Doherty elaborated: “We’ve got a few long drives, so we added an extra rigging truck carrying hoists and steel, and two additional riggers – Rick Hopkins and Max Stewart – who travel ahead to three of the shows on this 14date run to complete the pre-rig. That saves us time when the main crew arrive on site.”
Head Rigger, Colin Raby oversaw the 136-point rig. “It’s quite demanding for two
GOING THAT EXTRA MILE ...
SCHLAU ABER BLOND TOUR
riggers, but my right-hand man on this tour, [Automation Engineer and Second Rigger] Giulio Ligorio is a skilled rigger. I couldn’t have done this tour without him. The schedule is tight. We’ve done three back-to-back shows at arena level, which is rare, but we’ve met all the challenges head-on and there’s good teamwork between us and the local riggers.”
Raby was especially pleased to return to some familiar venues. “The last time I was in the Westfalenhalle Dortmund, Germany, was 1992 – and the crew found my name written up in the roof,” he laughed. “It’s been great working with the likes of 24/7 Productions, Adlib and Clair Global on this rig.”
Reflecting on t he four-hour r igging process and the project overall, Ligorio stated: “Working with Colin is a pleasure. He is one of the best in the business – it has been brilliant to pick his brains. He runs a tight ship, and we move from venue to venue with military precision.”
Adlib provided the rigging elements, while Ox Event House built a lift and assisted with the set and staging. This aspect of the production was overseen by Head Set Carpenter, Stephen Jeffrey, alongside Set Carpenters, Scott Turnbull, Chris Aram, Ross Deeker, James Erving, and Lift Technician, Noah Roy.
TAIT supplied the automation tools –specifically, t wo Kinesys A pex hoists operating via TAIT Navigator software, triggered using a NAV:Compass control system. “I visited TAIT in the UK to prep for t his show, and A lex Burrows and Adam Bullet’ Bettley were incredibly helpful. TAIT’s gear is leaps and bounds ahead
of any other automation equipment on the market, so it’s been a pleasure to use it for this project,” Ligorio said.
“The performer fl ying system is probably t he best on the market,” he continued. “It’s used only once – between two songs – where there’s a heart-shaped set piece that’s pre-rigged. The heart comes in, she lies on it, we deck it, and then it spins with her on top of it for an American Beauty -style moment. Then there’s an interval – the drapes close and we pre-rig a chair, preset it to 7m, and as the curtain opens, she begins to rise on the chair, with wings.”
Thanks to t he flexibility of t he Compass console – which Ligorio likened to an iPad –he had the freedom to activate movements stage-side, with the system literally in hand.
“Everything’s loaded into this tiny system, which makes the gig easy for me. I can start the derig while the show is still happening, which is always nice,” he remarked.
AN UNCONVENTIONAL CONCERT
The team began assembling the show in October 2024. Lead Production and Lighting Designer, Morgan Evans of Tim Routledge Lighting Design created an initial creative brief, which was revisited in January and developed in collaboration with Shirin David and her creative and support team. “She wanted it to be a unique experience – theatrical, straying from the conventional concert,” Evans said.
Beige drapes took centre stage, paired with translucent voile drapes that allowed the lighting design to cut through and add depth.
Three architectural arches brought a luxurious feel to the townhouse aesthetic. Each arch featured a video wall integrated with GLP JDC1 Strobes and served as an entrance and exit. “The show is split into fi ve acts. T he idea was that each act includes opening and closing curtains and VTs at the beginning and end. We stagger how the set is revealed; initially, just the drapes are seen, then we start punching the strobes through, then one arch is revealed, followed by all three, before the video wall is finally shown,” Evans explained.
In t he run-up to the show, Evans sourced specific textiles to match t he brief. Everything had to match the beige colour closely and tie together while achieving that full draped look –it needed to feel grand and expensive but still be tourable. There are so many textiles on this show, and getting them to go up daily without damage, while looking clean and modern took a lot of attention,” he explained.
Due to tight deadlines, the team couldn’t see all fabrics in the same space during prep, so advance measurements and rigging plots were crucial. “I spent a lot of time analysing the length, fullness, and the placement of entrances and exits. There are no wings on this show; instead, there are slits in the drapes to maintain a clean look. Monitors and playback are backstage and operated over camera, keeping the stage as clear of visible technology as possible,” Evans added.
The VTs were conceptual and abstract, leaning heavily into music video aesthetics and foreshadowing the themes of each act. The
What we Offer
Unrivalled Scale & Capacity:
FBN Studio offers a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility with the floor space (138’ x 130’), height clearance (60’+ trim height), and 500-tonne rigging capacity to rival any major European arena.
Exceptional Facilities:
Benefit from 6 x 400a 3ø power services, multiple Ceeform outlets, underfloor heating, and 4 loading docks (3 sunken for easy access). Our comprehensive amenities include two fully equipped production offices with Gigabit internet, Wi-Fi, five dressing rooms, a wardrobe/green room, laundry, kitchen, dining area, rooftop terrace, sauna, and 21 en-suite bedrooms.
Strategically Located:
Easily accessible via the M5, M6, M40, and M42, we’re also close to Birmingham International Airport and a major national train hub –London is just 90 minutes away.
Versatile & Welcoming:
From dramas and game shows to product launches, theatre, and concert tour rehearsals, FBN Studio caters to every market.
show’s modern, clean aesthetic of elegance meant that Shirin David was “beauty lit” using pastel tones. Evans elaborated: “Everything is soft-lit, and we’re very restrained with colourways. The lighting starts all beige, with subtle pinks, roses and blues. My favourite part is when the palette shifts to red, accompanied by lifts and pyrotechnics. The final rain sequence – where the audience instantly reach for their phones – features blue steel visuals and dynamic choreography after a grand reveal.”
With three individual lifts, a rain shower moment, and two flying gags, the production was packed with technical flourishes. “Getting all those elements in and making them tourable was tricky, to say the least. The lift worked out well and adds an extra layer of dynamism that the audience doesn’t expect from such a clean stage,” Evans concluded.
SOFT AND MOODY LIGHTING
During the previsualisation stage, Lighting Programmer, Guy Knox Holmes spent over a week programming the songs, while Lighting Director, Tom Levin Schwenzle and Evans continued programming during production rehearsals for another week. The show was drawn in Vectorworks, previsualised using Syncronorm Depence R3, and programmed on an MA Lighting grandMA3 console.
“T he focus was on creating a modern, sleek show, integrating that into the ethos of the design by hiding cables and selecting soft light sources that could also deliver strong, impactful, moody effects,” Evans explained,
crediting the influence of Schwenzle. “We wanted a German lighting director so they could liaise with the local crew and bring prior knowledge of the venues. He ensured the show looked great every day and provided us with insights into trends and what’s current in the German live events scene.”
The Munich-based Lighting Director highlighted the use of Depence R3 and a beta version of CuePoints software. CuePoints introduced new features that enabled the team to align rig elements with rehearsal footage and manage timecoded countdowns across departments – all key elements of the previsualisation process.
“It’s the first time I’ve worked with British lighting designers; it’s a different approach, but I’ve learned a lot,” Schwenzle said. “It took me a little while to adapt to their style, but Tim and Morgan are down to earth; it was great spending time with them and collaborating. Interestingly, we’re using an MA Lighting grandMA3 system with Recipes. There’s not a single hard value in the show file – everything is written in Recipes.”
The main workhorse fixtures of the rig were Martin MAC Ultras, used on advance trusses for key lighting and general washes. Robe MegaPointe moving heads were mounted on the header truss and on the floor to provide surrounding light and “eye candy” effects.
Across four ladders, Martin MAC Ones added further “eye candy” and beam effects, with MAC Ultras positioned behind the arches. Rather than traditional beams and spots, the fixtures were run in ‘open’ mode to deliver a soft
light aesthetic. Integrated into the three arches were approximately 160 GLP JDC1s, while two ladders per side featured 20 additional JDC1s to reduce shadowing on the drapes. Three 5K Mole Beams added depth to the arches.
ACME Lighting Tornados provided soft beam and strobe effects as part of the ground-floor package, with PIXEL LINE IPs mounted on the header truss. Robe LTX fixtures on a RoboSpot followspot system provided key light, with a FORTE offering backlight. Flown Chroma-Q Color Force IIs lit the drapes, while a single MAC Ultra with a custom gobo filter at FOH projected Shirin David’s name onto the drapes as the audience entered. CHAUVET Professional 2 Lite blinders mounted on the advance trusses illuminated the crowd, supporting the artist’s frequent crowd interaction.
“It’s important that the dancers and backing vocalists are as visible as Shirin David, while maintaining the architecture and mood of each song,” Schwenzle noted.
For the rain shower sequence, IP-rated SGM P6s were positioned beneath the stage grills in IBC tanks, enabling uplighting for the water effect. “It allows us to keep the scene moody, with thunder and lightning effects, and reduced key lighting to give the stage a glow and make the rain pop,” Schwenzle explained.
Around 20 architectural light bulbs with E27 mounts provided a Hollywood mirror-style glow around the perimeter of the stage. These were powered by Avolite dimmers, with a Source 4 dolly beneath the stage to supply enough power to dim them. Three MDG theONE hazers
delivered atmospherics throughout the show. Lighting was controlled using MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles at FOH, with a Compact console as the tech desk, running four NPUs.
“M y favourite song is Be a Hoe/Break a Hoe, where we have a lot of tight lighting and flame effects,” reflected Schwenzle. “There’s another track where she performs on the B-stage – it’s the only song with a ‘congo’ look. It’s a striking contrast to the rest of the show. She’s in an eggwhite dress, and skin tones always look beautiful against a blue background.”
Shirin David was closely involved in the lighting design process. The use of beige and soft pastel tones was important to her – evident in everything from the drapes to the vocal microphones and backing vocalists’ styling. “The first six songs use this palette, which can be difficult to reproduce consistently across multiple fixtures and sources – especially for camera and social media – so it required careful tuning,” Schwenzle noted, praising Lighting Crew Chief, Craig Lewis, and Lighting Technicians, Ross Gilmour, Owen McIlreavy, Martin McLoughlin, Peter Lea, and Jonathan Barlow. “Adlib’s crew and equipment are amazing. Owen manages a fully redundant Luminex network with fibre loops and split switchers to ensure MA3 Net control is solid.”
Evans echoed the praise for Adlib: “The integration and spacing of the GLP JDC1s in the arches and the Martin MAC Ones in the curtains had to be dressed scenically, not just as standalone lighting. Adlib took that brief and ran with it, making everything look neat and clean.”
With 15 trucks – three dedicated to lighting –plus set pieces, the lighting load-in and build can take anywhere from six to eight hours. “I get the rig in stages, which allows me to focus properly on site,” Schwenzle added.
“Lewis Underwood – normally an audio engineer – looks after all the drapes and ensures the tracking system runs smoothly in coordination with multiple departments. He’s done an incredible job. Everyone on the crew has gone above and beyond to support each other and bring this production to life.”
FLAMES AND 300 LITRES OF RAINFALL
SFX Technician, Adam Benton – who triggered the rain shower from FOH using a bespoke ER Productions control unit – and SFX Lead, James ‘JJ’ Gregory – operating a grandMA3 from stage right – oversaw the special effects and pyrotechnics package. “We both spot all the special effects and pyrotechnics, with six cues throughout the show, which change depending on the song and the look,” Benton explained.
Alongside the rain shower, the package also featured Galaxis G Flames and confetti – the latter recreating the rose petal scene reminiscent of American Beauty. RE2 fans – six on the downstage edge and two on the B-stage – contributed to the signature ‘big hair’ looks.
“T he rain system is the unique element of this show. We use a Luminous Hydro Tech rain system arranged in a two-by-four grid pattern, measuring 240cm in length, to create a large cube of rainfall. We trim some of the nozzles to form a circle of rain on the B-stage using a TAIT
Capture system – a semi-circle that funnels all the water into IBC containers beneath the stage,” Benton said.
The team releases around 300 litres of water per show, although the units have a capacity of up to 1,200 litres. Around 30% is the highest volume of water we’ve dropped in a single show,” Benton noted. “Assembling a production in venues with an ice rink beneath can be challenging. If that’s the case, we can’t allow water to fall directly onto the floor, as it freezes and the rink must be re-tempered. So, we drain the entire system each night to avoid this issue and to prevent bacterial growth.”
‘THE BEST VISUAL EXPERIENCE’ Head of Video, Nicholas Whitehead, acted as the conduit between the video department –comprising Video Engineer, Tim Brennan; LED Technicians, Stuart Thatcher, Adrian Moore and Harvey Thompson; and Camera Operator, Stuart Hurst – and the creative team, overseeing all aspects of video management.
“T he interesting aspect of this tour is the ARRI ALEXA 35 Live camera system. The image quality is a step beyond what we would ordinarily tour. Despite the advance in technology, it’s important that this system acts like any other broadcast camera package – it needs to be plug and play, while outputting better image quality and processing.”
The 12m by 8m upstage wall and 5m by 7m portrait IMAG screens were built from ROE Visual Black Quartz 4.6mm LED panels complete with touring frames, powered by
Technology
Megapixel HELIOS processors. “HELIOS allows us to manage the colour workflow and ensure we get the best out of the cameras with accurate colour,” Whitehead noted, explaining the setup.
Lupixx’s Saskia Olma created the video content, guided by a brief that was cinematic and abstract, intentionally avoiding geometric elements. Media Server Programmer, Thomas Wood of Framesync, operated two Disguise GX 3 media servers running a 10-bit colour grading workflow in Rec709 through the HELIOS processing units.
The fully timecoded show featured a series of pre-recorded VTs, filmed on the same camera system and played between song blocks. The remaining video content was created using a mix of Notch, Cinema4D and Adobe After Effects. “This is my first gig with Adlib, and they provided a great media server package,” Wood said, highlighting the virtual rose petal visuals during the track On Off as one of his favourite moments.
A Ross Video Carbonite Ultra served as the vision mixer, supported by a pair of Ultrix routers. “This is Adlib’s large camera package, so we have a production core and an engineering core. The operators have their own separate bridge, allowing them to sit in a dedicated operating space without being cramped by a rack,” Whitehead explained.
Two 25-1,000mm long-lens cameras were positioned at FOH, with two additional 24-
300mm lenses in the pit, either side of the thrust. “We’re using Fujinon Duvo series PLMount, which is a first for Adlib. The Alexas have a larger sensor, so we’re using bigger mounts with the PL Mount – and the Duvo lenses look amazing,” Whitehead enthused. “We also have networking in place between the console and media servers, as well as an integrated Riedel Communications Bolero platform between departments, supplied by Clair Global.”
In Munich, Jannik Abelt, Technical Specialist Multicam at ARRI, brought 10 R&D technicians to observe the team’s touring setup. In addition to a mutual exchange of knowledge, ARRI rolled out a new software update for the LPS1 midway through the tour, incorporating features suggested by the crew. “ARRI has delivered firstclass support,” Whitehead remarked.
Abelt commented: “I am always happy to attend shows to see how systems behave in a working environment, to understand how we can improve things and gauge the reaction.
“T he workflow of a modern touring production requires cameras that can deliver night after night. The ARRI ALEXA 35 Live system and its predecessors are well established in other sectors, but their plug-andplay usability and robust nature make them ideal for touring productions,” he added.
As V ideo Technical Manager, Ashley Ball regularly advises on Adlib’s more unconventional projects. For this tour, he took on the role of Technical Manager, educating
Stage Manager and Vibes Coordinator, Rishi Gowry, Tour Manager, Siobhain Brackenridge and Production Assistant, Mia Cartwright with Stage Manager, Felix Baird and Production Coordinator, Ruby Pring; Second Rigger, Giulio Ligorio and Head Rigger, Colin Raby; Media Server Programmer, Thomas Wood, Camera Engineer, Tim Brennan, LED Engineers, Stu Thatcher and Ade Moore, ARRI’s Jannik Abelt, Camera Technician, Stu Hirst, LED Engineer, Harvey Thompson and Head of Video, Nicholas Whitehead; ARRI’s Jannik Abelt; SFX Technician, Adam Benton with SFX Lead, James ‘JJ’ Gregory; Lighting Director, Tom Levin.
the touring crew on how the cameras operated and what set them apart – while coordinating between production, ARRI and Adlib teams on logistical matters.
“ALEXA 35 Live is a big step up, but the nuances these cameras offer are particularly interesting,” he said. “The image has a cinematic look, which is hard to achieve with typical IMAG camera packages. The way these cameras complement skin tones, and how great Shirin David looks on screen, is thanks to the sensor technology that ARRI is known for.”
Historically, IMAG packages have been dictated by broadcast sector standards, but that technology has since evolved. “Artists are becoming more conscious of how their show appears on IMAG screens, as that’s how most of the audience experiences it. It’s a sign that we should aim to deliver the best visual experience for everyone,” Ball concluded.
A SOUND SYSTEM WITH ‘PLENTY OF GUTS’ FOH Engineer Karl ‘Snake’ Newton mixed on an Avid S6L console, using a Solid State Logic Bus+ and a Fusion on a music submaster, alongside his “trusty” TC Electronic DBMax. A Universal Audio Apollo x8 supported LiveProfessor offboard with Waves SoundGrid and Pro Tools
completing the rig. “The brief was to make the mix ‘hip-hop-y’, but during rehearsals I became more convinced it’s more of a pop show,” Snake explained. “I’ve got a working template where I run a vocal submaster and a music submaster, blend them together as a mix, and then master that. I have a loop-round pathway that comes in right at the end, bypassing all the mastering stuff. If you want impact or noise, like a special effect, you’re not subject to the chain mastering. Apart from the live vocals, all the music is coming from the box.”
The PA began in an end-on configuration but evolved after the first few shows. The team added 40 CO12 boxes and 12 subs (six per side) after the debut performance, creating a setup just shy of ‘in the round’. Snake added: “This has been my first proper outing with Cohesion, and it’s done a really good job – the coverage is solid, and it’s got plenty of guts. The sheer number of speakers we’ve got could cover a decentsized stadium, but it’s more about coverage and avoiding noise bleed from her microphone and the runway when she’s performing in front of the PA. I don’t walk the room – I trust System Engineer Jonathan Brook implicitly.”
Brook picked up the story: “It was a challenge to implement in a day, straight from the shop
to show day. There are very few companies globally that could prepare and turn that around in time. Fortunately, Clair Global had the capacity to send us a couple of extra people for that first load-in, allowing us to focus on making it a touring rig. We run the PA at a higher crossover than usual, so there isn’t too much low end coming from the PA – it stays in the subs for real punch. It’s also a convenient PA choice because it’s versatile – we can remove boxes and still maintain the show’s tonal integrity.”
From unloading the first trucks to trim, it takes about four hours to assemble the rig, with teardown taking just half that time – an impressive feat considering the 14 caddies’ worth of heavy Clair Global cabling for the flown PA alone. Audio Technician Lukasz Szatarow and Sound Engineer Maximilian ‘Laude’ Lautenschläger lent support on-site. “Another advantage of Cohesion is the ability to run longer cable lengths without any loss in the speakers,” Brook concluded. “It’s been a pleasure working with Snake and the team.”
Snake hasn’t mixed in the room for any length of time on tour since the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ve enjoyed being back with the crowd, but I usually refine the mix and solve problems during the tour’s quieter moments,” he revealed. “My
biggest improvements come from hours spent backstage with the console, going through multitrack recordings, identifying issues and creating snapshots to make improvements. I have got different EQs for her vocals –sometimes radically so – to enhance her vocal across a range of frequencies, given the show’s dynamic nature.”
Snake’s favourite song to mix was the ballad, Unsichtbar. “It’s quite difficult to sing – it features a high head voice section, and I think Shirin David is brave to even attempt it, let alone nail it each night. I also enjoy the rap and powerful sections of the show, which come in the middle of the set.”
Monitor Engineer, Oliver Weeks inherited TPi Award-winning engineer Robyn Hannah’s setup and has since developed a strong working relationship with Shirin David.
“It’s mostly a playback show, so I implemented a Solid State Logic Fusion, which is great as there are a lot of electronic beats in the mix. I use the Fusion Violet EQ to take some of the ‘sizzle’ off the high frequencies – there are some crispy hi-hats and snares – and a bit of a widener to create space for her vocal, along with a Fusion Transformer,” he described.
Rupert Neve Designs 5045 Primary Source Enhancers help remove room sound from vocals, and an Empirical Labs EL8X-S
Distressor provides distortion. “Shirin likes an aggressive vocal sound for certain songs, so that’s on a parallel channel, which I can push in, depending on how aggressive she wants it.”
Both Snake and Weeks used different processing approaches to ensure clarity across the genre-spanning setlist. Weeks used a DiGiCo Quantum 225 console, mixing the artist on his left and right faders, with the rest of the team mixed via auxes.
“It’s a vocal-to-track gig, so all the mics are stereo,” Weeks explained. “We have got a new Sound Devices system – the A20-Nexus –which is interesting. It’s the first time it’s been used outside the US, and we have been working with Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson on the training – it’s been rock solid.”
The mic package featured seven microphones in various colours and designs, ranging from pearl to leopard print, beige, and a custom Swarovski-style mic on customised Lewitt W9 condenser capsules – one of which was sprayed gold by Rebel Trading. A Radial Engineering Gold Digger facilitated switching between them live, with two backing vocalists using beige microphones through the same system, while guest artists performed with Shure Axient sticks with Beta58 heads.
A Shure PSM 1000 in-ear personal monitoring system and P10R+ Diversity
Monitor Engineer, Oliver Weeks; System Technician, Jonathan Brook; FOH Engineer, Karl ‘Snake’ Newton.
bodypack receivers handled RF. “All the dancers are on in-ears, with one mix duplicated across their packs. It’s generally an SSL Fusion leftright mix with vocals layered on top to help them lock into the beat,” Weeks noted.
With 10 mixes and 44 packs to coordinate, communication was key. “We use a button on the microphone that routes to another RF receiver channel, allowing the artist to communicate with the crew across all departments – either via the Riedel Communications Bolero system or an in-ear reference mix pack – at various times during the show,” Weeks explained. We even waterproof some of the packs with balloons ahead of the encore when there’s a rain shower.”
Weeks was supported on-site by Monitor System Engineer, Mateusz Strauchman. In closing, Weeks emphasised Clair Global’s support: “We thought it was 16 channels of track, vocals and BVs, but it’s turned out to be far more to achieve the necessary separation. Plus, an expanding entourage with chat mics meant the rig had to scale up almost daily – and Clair managed it, seemingly overnight.”
‘IT’S NOT JUST PRESSING A SPACE BAR’
Playback Engineer Andrea Hope looked after vocal effects and served as an interim show
caller. The classic MADI-style system was based around Ableton Live. “I’m using AbleSet for show control and to support visual elements for show call cues for team members across departments. We’ve tried to automate a lot of lift cues and curtain calls to keep them in sync – everything from timing them in the morning to ensuring the playback system delivers consistently across venues is key,” Hope said.
Most vocal-to-track gigs remain static, but this show evolves night to night. Hope elaborated: “Shirin has brought fans on stage to sing, which keeps us on our toes – but that’s what audiences want. They want to hear a pristine pop record, see all the glitz and glamour of the show, but also enjoy a unique, spontaneous experience.”
Gi ven the revolving door of guest artists – from classically trained pianists to modern producers – Hope embraced the playback role. “It’s not just pressing a space bar,” she said. “It’s about finding smart ways to ensure everyone gets the information they need, in the right format and at the right time.”
For monitor world, that’s an AbleSet monitor on an iPad showing mic changes; for FOH, it’s timecode references, block sections of songs, or alternate versions depending on guest artists and choreography. “AbleSet has been key,”
Hope noted. “We’ve been trying to automate as many show calls as possible using a playback session cue line through Riedel Bolero, with me stepping in when needed – it keeps me busy!”
With RME interfaces and Apple M3s, the ground equipment provided Hope with the foundation to busk sections and manage cue communications. In conclusion, Hope – echoing the sentiments of the wider touring party –attributed the project’s success to crossdepartmental collaboration. “This system has worked because the crew has been outstanding. The equipment we’re using is also pushing boundaries, so it’s made for a fantastic tour.”
Celebrating 20 years of their careerdefining album, Morning View, Incubus return to the stage to perform the album in full, with a dedicated crew at their side. TPi goes behind the scenes at London’s O2 arena to discover more.
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Joe Okpako
Taking it back to the early 2000s, alternative rock band Incubus graced arena stages for the first time in the UK in over a decade.
Staging the band’s first ever O2 arena show was a tight-knit crew, which included three members of the same family along for the ride. From Persian rugs to lasers, the Incubus show had it all…
Production Manager, Eddie Kercher caught up with TPi on a break during the tour, while driving to go fishing with Lighting Designer, Graham Rolak, to discuss his longevity with the touring outfit after being a part of the Incubus crew for 25 years. “I’ve been touring for 48 years, and I think it is the fishing that has extended my life,” Kercher laughed. “Coming back to the Incubus camp has been refreshing; it is like being with family – especially because we’ve had the same crew for so long.”
But the Incubus crew isn’t just a found or chosen family, with Kercher’s children, Myah and Zephyn, both taking up roles on the tour –Myah overseeing logistics and production, and Zephyn supervising the tour’s video elements.
“T he reason I’ve stayed with the band so long is that they are a democracy, and that makes a difference in how a tour operates, plus being with my family and the same crew every day makes it so much easier when you’ve been on the road as long as I have.”
Running a tight ship, Kercher brought along Entec as a supplier for the lighting and rigging elements, as well as Clair Global for audio, Creative Technology and Screenworks for video, Strictly FX for special effects and All
Access for staging. “We were first introduced to Eddie and Graham through our colleagues at PGP, Nashville. Entec and PGP have a great relationship, supporting each other’s projects across various continents,” Noreen O’Riordan, Managing Director/Head of Lighting at Entec commented. “Working closely with Anthony ‘Geddy’ Kordyjaka, our prep team ensured the design’s global consistency. The touring crew’s finishing touches led to a successful production day at The O2 arena. The shows went very well, and we look forward to welcoming Incubus, Eddie, Graham, and their talented touring team back soon so that more people can see and hear a great production.”
Transam Trucking provided seven trucks for the tour. “As always, it was a pleasure to work with Eddie and his team who have been supporting and been part of the Transam family since the 1980s,” stated Natasha Highcroft, commenting on the company’s involvement. “Having worked with Incubus for many years, it was great to see the band selling out these big shows over in UK and Europe with such a great album. Hopefully it means they will be back again for more soon!”
Loyal to his suppliers, Kercher praised them all for the hard work that had gone into supplying the one-off UK show. “It is the relationships I have forged with the people behind these companies that are most important to me both in my personal and professional life,” Kercher said.
“I am true blue to all of our vendors; I am old school, and I don’t like to pit people against
each other – I don’t like to work for free, so I don’t expect my vendors to either.”
Beginning with the band just before the original release of Morning View, the Production Manager reflects on how the industry has changed in that time: “The technology, for one, has got 1,000 times better. I’m biased, but despite having seven trucks, the show looks like it has 12,” Kercher said. “It feels full circle to be doing this tour with the band now, and this is more than a job to me. I could retire and not work another day in my life if I wanted, but I enjoy it too much to let it go.”
Touring for nearly half a century, life on the road is second nature to Kercher. “There are no limitations to this line of work,” he enthused, offering up advice to aspiring roadies. “If you want to be great, it is all truly what you’re willing to put into it… Oh, and pick up fishing.”
The first port of call on a show day in a new venue is Stage Manager, Dan Monsees, who oversees the seven trucks of production for the tour, but for Monsees, setting up the Morning View tour at the O2 arena was a ‘piece of cake’. “It’s an easy-breezy arena to work in. The staff are very accommodating, and the venue has every amenity you could need,” he said.
Taking a couple of hours to unload the kit into the venues on the tour, Monsees told TPi that his load-out process takes him longer than loading into a venue, due to carefully organising the trucks in a particular order.
“At this point, the show is really dialled in,” Monsees concluded. “It’s a beautiful production all around, from the lighting and
video content to the onstage riser configuration – it really is the culmination of hard work from a dedicated crew that love what they do and a group of talented veteran musicians. I always love to see that first interaction between the band and the crowd when they first walk out. The entire crew puts in a tremendous amount of effort over long days and to hear that excited roar when the lights go down and the band steps onto the stage reminds me why I do this job. It doesn’t get old for me,” Monsees concluded.
AQUEOUS TRANSMISSION
Lighting Designer, Graham Rolak – who also took care of the video content on the run – focussed the show on the original Morning View aesthetic. He worked alongside frontman Brandon Boyd to finalise the creative for the tour. “I tend to create concepts and build the whole thing in my brain, and then I’m able to show Brandon what I have come up with,” Rolak began. “This past couple of years have been free-flow for us, and in my eight years of working with Incubus I have only ever had to change two or three things.”
Including fishing with Kercher, Rolak often spends his spare time designing stages and pulling reference from his everyday life, he elaborated: “I’m a city guy so I often use a lot
of references from differing architecture and museums, for this particular run I looked at the staging concepts from the original Morning View tour and was able to build the rig from that.”
Included on his rig were 36 Ayrton Eurus, eight GLP impression X4 Bar 20, 33 JDC1, 13 Martin Professional MAC Aura PXL, 32 Robe MegaPointe, six Robe BMFL WashBeam, and nine Elation CUEPIX Blinder WW4 lighting solutions – all controlled by an MA Lighting grandMA3 console in MA3 mode. Rolak doesn’t just control the fixtures from the MA Lighting console, but also his curated video content, using Resolume media servers.
Talking TPi through his favourite looks on the tour, Rolak was eager to inform that the show wasn’t timecoded in any way, and that the design varied night by night to keep the show fresher for returning fans.
“It makes it more fun to not do timecode, the band aren’t on it, so I didn’t want to be either. I think not using it leads to more mistakes,” Rolak said, further explaining his reasoning. “There is something organic about running the show live, this way happy accidents happen, and I can make something more of it later.”
Busking the show and looking after the video content is no easy feat for Rolak, but for him, it
is what makes the show most fun. “I like to keep it fun, and making sure every show is different, even if only slightly, keeps it fresh,” Rolak added.
Kercher praised the lighting design, noting the designer’s strategic rig and how big the show felt with a clever rigging pattern. “Graham really does a lot with the lights alongside Nick, our Laser Operator,” he said. “The show feels much bigger because of how it is designed.”
Growing up listening to Morning View on his way to school, Rolak reflected on how it is to be involved in the anniversary tour and to work with Entec: “It’s so fun having this piece of history, where I remember driving to school listening to this album in its entirety and now getting to listen to it start to finish every night we do a show. I’ve been working with Entec since 2017; they are just so easy to work with – Noreen will do anything for us, and Patch is an amazing person to work with. They have great gear and provide wonderful staff for the road. I do this role to be a part of cultivating joy,” he continued.
“People work so hard, save up money and set aside time to come see a show. I maintain that the most important part of my job is to make sure the crowd leave having had a good time, then I will enjoy this job for a long time and feel very happy about what I am designing.”
Working closely with Rolak was Laser Operator Nick Meyer, who has been at StrictlyFX for 15 years. “Graham came up with the design and the placement of the lasers; he then trusted me to decide what lasers we would use,” Meyer explained. “We trialled some 15W lasers, but then I felt we should bump the power right up and we decided on some 40W ones.”
The lasers Meyer decided on were the StrictlyFX Coral Series, which he discussed the strategic use of within the show, noting that Rolak dials the content back in certain moments to let the lasers speak for themselves. “Lasers are the one special effect you can bring out to the audience; it makes them more interactive because they feel like they’re inside or a part of the light show,” Meyer said.
The lasers were controlled by a Pangolin BEYOND system and were used for 13 songs out of the 18 on the setlist. “The lasers really fit in with the music; they are there for a purpose and add to the light show that Graham created, rather than just being there for the sake of it,” Meyer said. “I have fun with every show that we do, getting to interact and hit the cues on time is a lot of fun. It’s hard to pinpoint a favourite part of the show because there is so much going on and that’s what I really live for.”
ARE YOU IN?
Bringing the sound of the 20-year-old album to the 20,000-strong venue is an audio package from Clair Global and a FOH mix by John Kerns. “This is a big rock show; they are a rock band with all the rock band bits,” he began. “Drums are maybe a bit more forward than the records, but that’s what gets people moving. Big guitars
and bass, and a bunch of keys and DJ spinning to fill out the picture. It’s fun to mix and the key is making each element sound big, while leaving room for everything else at the same time.”
With 80 inputs, Kerns is occupied during the show, especially with the entire show featuring no playback, and each element played live. To keep his ducks in a row, Kerns employed the use of an Avid S6L-32D mixing console.
“It’s my board of choice most of the time. It’s easy for me to get around. I can see what I need to, it sounds great and has been very reliable for me,” he explained.
Kerns’ outboard effects included an Eventide H9000, Tube-Tech SMC 2B Multiband Opto Compressor, Rupert Neve Designs 542 Tape Emulators and 535 Compressors, as well as a 545 Primary Source Enhancer and 543 Compressors. “I’m also using a long-delay on the mixing desk, I’ve always found the reverbs on most of the digital desks to be lacking, but this 2RU Box has made dealing with that very easy,” Kerns informed TPi.
“M y favourite piece of outboard has to be the Eventide H9000 – the wonderful folk over there make sure I have one at all times, and it is an amazing box, and does anything you could dream of. I’m only using around 25% of its capabilities and with that I can have a harmoniser, triple shift on vocals, vocal and drum reverbs and a rotary phaser effect that is used on a couple of songs,” he added.
For the one-off London show, the PA was an L-Acoustics K1/K2 rig, supplied by Britannia Row. “This and Cohesion are my favourite boxes; they both have something that makes vocals jump out without offending anyone,” Kerns added.
Production Manager, Eddie Kercher; Lighting Designer, Graham Rolak; FOH Engineer John Kerns and Logistics and Production Coordinator, Myah Kercher.
“They both have a smooth high end, which I find lacking in other boxes.”
Reflecting on working with Clair Global, Kerns told TPi that he works as an Account Manager for JPJ Audio – a Clair Global company – in Sydney. “It’s amazing working with this network; whatever you need, wherever you need it, whenever you need it is possible. It’s all tied together,” Kerns concluded.
Self-described Swiss army knife, System Engineer, Ben Michelsen took on the responsibility of Monitor Engineer for the London show, inheriting the role from Daniel Williams, who was taking a break from the road to welcome his new baby into the world.
“To me, attitude is everything, so I try to keep a positive one, help out and be a team player; I’ve found that is what really opens doors in this industry,” Michelsen said.
“W hile I’ve been able to fill in for Daniel Williams on these couple of shows, I have also in the past had the opportunity to fill in at FOH for John, so that versatility has been key.”
Also working from an Avid S6L-32D, the entire band is on IEMs, with four wedges positioned downstage for sound reinforcement and apparati for the band to use in their performance. There is also a sub for Chris, ‘DJ Kil’ Kilmore on keys, and two drum subs for Jose Pasillas, drummer.
“T he Avid console is a great board to mix and get around on, it’s been a trooper even after getting knocked around South America for a month,” Michelsen added.
The engineer’s workflow on the show, he described as 10% proactive, and 90% reactive, working from snapshots for each song to take care of the known song changes.
The monitor world setup also featured a Rupert Neve Designs 545 Primary Source Enhancer for frontman Brandon Boyd’s vocals, with the band’s mixes centring around
their instruments and fed to them through JH Audio’s Roxanne IEMs. The audio team further implemented the use of sE Electronics microphones for the instruments on stage, with V KICKs on the drums, and V BEATs on the percussion rig, while the vocal mics were switched to Shure Axient wireless vocal microphones with V7 capsules.
Having undertaken a different role than usual, Michelsen praised the handover from Williams. “He did a great job going over the tasks and responsibilities, not just on the console but all the nuances to the flow of the show,” Michelsen added. “We did a few trial runs beforehand where I mixed soundchecks and then onto a couple of shows, and because everyone sets up their console differently, it can often be challenging. But a fun challenge, going from being the person who ‘tops off the fluids’ to the ’person behind the wheel’.”
Michelsen also noted the support from audio supplier, Clair Global: “The people at Clair Global have been amazing, from catering to our every need with this tailor-made touring rigs, overnighting us show dependent gear if it fails, and helping us over the phone step by step if we need to reset or update something,” he enthused. “Clair has been there to bail us out of some pretty tight squeezes. Hats off to them.”
Reflecting on the success of the tour, Kercher said: “I always go out into the arena to catch the first three and the last two songs, it reminds me why I do it – and there is honestly no better reminder than seeing the reaction of the crowd.”
"We’ve always used Entec, its just easy – the relationships are so important to me. I am true blue loyal to all of our vendors and Entec always make it work for us when we’re on their side of the pond."
Eddie Kercher, Tour Production Manager, Incubus
“I’ve been working with Entec since 2017. They are just easy to work with and bend over backwards for everything even though I don’t ask them to. They have great gear and their crew are one of the nicest i've ever worked with.”
Graham Rolak, Lighting Designer, Incubus
BELTERS ONLY, 3 ARENA, DUBLIN, SAT 22ND FEB, 2025
SHOWSTOP PROCEDURE
Having trained over 150 people on how to plan and implement the proven Showstop Procedure, Steve Allen and Mark Hamilton sit down with TPi to highlight the importance of sharing vital safety and security knowledge with the sector…
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photo: Showstop
Following the lasting impact of The Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021 in Houston, Texas –where 10 audience members died because of a crowd crush – Pink Bows Foundation, with two of their industry veterans are on a mission to standardise a global Showstop Procedure to further enhance the safety of music and sport fans around the world.
Steve Allen FdA MIFireE FIIRSM RSP, who has managed safety and security at major events for the past 30 years, and has toured with Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Oasis and Eminem, among others; alongside Dr Mark Hamilton FdA MA (Dist.) HonD Univ, whose work includes being Director of Ground Operations at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Director of Security for Sir Paul McCartney,
are working with the Pink Bows Foundation to provide professional development for control room staff, touring and production crews, venue management, safety and security professionals. The Pink Bows Foundation was created in the wake of the Astroworld tragedy by the family of Madison Dubiski , aged 23, who was one of the 10 victims, beginning its work with Allen after he served as an expert witness in the Astroworld litigation.
“Madison’s Dad, Brian, reached out to me following the litigation, wanting to create some light out of the darkness they were facing,” Allen recalled.
“He was focussed on creating safer events and asked me to put together a crowd safety course, but we went further and decided to
make a definitive Showstop Procedure course as there wasn’t one available.”
Allen then brought on Hamilton to aid in the creation of the course. Allen had pioneered the procedure in 1998 with Oasis, having now implimented 32 successful Showstops worldwide, each with safe outcomes.
Allen told TPi it felt right to have Mark on board. He explained: “We were both together when I named it Showstop Procedure, in Scotland, 28 years ago, so it’s great that after all of these year’s we’re able to put a definitive course together to train people from the industry how to plan for and implement this proven procedure.”
Hamilton attributed the need for the course to experiences that he has had on tour recently,
citing instances in which he had attended established venues on a tour and discussed the Showstop Procedure, and there then began a discussion on who would take on the responsibility of calling it. “In the case of an emergency, we aren’t afforded the time to discuss because people could be in serious distress, and in some cases, dying,” he noted.
“Showstop is the most important tool available to anyone who needs to stop a show in an emergency. There are swathes of people in the industry who are experienced but have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to a Showstop. It is the training part that has been missing for the procedure for all these years.”
One size does not fit all for the Showstop Procedure, with Allen and Hamilton working hard on creating a framework that can be adjusted within the context of different events and crowds. “It’s very well to have a document titled ‘Showstop’, but it’s about whether the procedure fits the event and how it will be
implemented. It comes down to a competency framework and asking if this the right person for this venue or crowd,” commented Hamilton.
With competency and clarity at the forefront of the roll out of the course, Allen elaborated: “Undesirable occurrences, even with comprehensive planning in place, can and do happen, so we want to ensure that the person standing side stage can make a judgment decision efficiently based on their experience, knowledge and training in a high-pressure situation that requires a rapid response.
“T here are certain parallels between the Roskilde tragedy in 2000 compared to Astroworld and that is because we’re human and have a normalcy bias where we underestimate what could happen,” Allen continued. “Which is where the course comes in. We’ve worked with Professor Chris Kemp to combine our practical experience of Showstop, with academic principles to enhance learning adding the key principles of what expert
witnesses will consider in the event of a major injury or death.”
Af ter the inaugural course, in Houston, Texas in March 2025, the demand for training has since led to events held in Denmark, Ireland and Scotland, with the goal to expand it globally. The duo also hopes in time that those doing the course might, in turn, become trainers themselves.
The demand for the course to be rolled out further is expanding as more people partake and talk about it. Allen and Hamilton, alongside the Pink Bows Foundation, expect to see the course become the standard in the next decade, especially after receiving approval from The Institute of Risk and Safety Management, CPD accreditation, and other support from UKCMA and The Global Crowd Management Alliance. If your role relates to the safety of audience, look out for the Showstop Procedure course coming to a city near you. www.crowdsafety.org
optical CON ® MTP
Easy cleaning. Easy maintenance. When the show must go on, trust opticalCON.
Reliable, ruggedised fiber optic solution. Available in 12-channel, 16-channel, 24-channel & 48-channel
ALL THINGS PIXELS
From complex integration into stage design to the move over to ST 2110, the world of video in live events is evolving at a rapid pace. Here, we gather representatives from ROE Visual, Brompton Technology and Universal Pixels to give us a greater insight into all things pixels…
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Universal Pixels
At TPi, we often explain to readers how we split our focus between all three major segments of the live production machine – touring crew, rental houses, and manufacturers. However, recently, we had the opportunity to bring some of these segments together, as we gathered three notable voices from the world of video, to get their thoughts on the growing developments in the sector, and some of the changes we’re likely to see.
Joining the conversation were; ROE Visual’s Marketing Manager, Marina Prak, Universal Pixels’ Head of Technical, Gareth Manicom, and Brompton Technology’s UK Technical Sales Manager, Patrick Goodden.
All three companies are likely to be more than familiar to TPi readers, with Brompton’s processing driving some of the most impressive LED shows in the world, ROE Visual’s screens adorning some of the biggest stages, including the record-breaking Adele in Munich, and UK-based rental house, Universal Pixels, providing video crew and equipment for a broad range of music acts including Massive Attack, The Chemical Brothers and Robbie Williams for the best part of a decade.
To get the ball rolling, we asked each of our guests to highlight some of their favourite shows from the past few years, which they believe demonstrated the most innovative use of video in the live events space.
“I always like it when LED is incorporated into the show rather than simply being a screen at the back of the stage,” began Goodden, using
Taylor Swift’s famed ‘swimming gag’ during the Era’s Tour, where the singer appeared to dive into the stage and then the content on the LED floor showed her swimming back to the stage.
“Enter Shikari did something similar during their Wembley show when their singer ‘fell’ into the LED wall and then appeared to be swimming inside the screen,” he recalled. “I really enjoy those moments when LED is thought of as creative tool.”
Manicom concurred: “Video being used within choreography always makes a huge difference,” he said, citing a P!nk performance back in 2019. “In terms of a more modern examples, we worked on Snow Patrol’s latest tour where we had ROE Visual Vanish V4ST upstage as well as projection onto gauze, which gave an almost 3D effect that looked fantastic.”
Prak was keen to highlight the use of ROE Visual screens at last year’s ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) – especially when ROE Strips were used to line the structure of a building to create some mesmerising effects.
“Hozier’s latest show where his team used a combination of LED and a scenic design cloth on the panels to create some amazing looks was also one that comes to mind,” she stated, sharing another of her highlights.
EVOLUTION
A common thread that all the video experts shared was their admiration for creatives that push the functionality of what an LED screen can be in a live show, with all three marvelling
at the strides that had been made in a relatively short time.
“Recently, I was watching some archive footage of previous Eurovision Song Contest’s and compared to this year it was stark how video has evolved,” commented Manicom.
“T hese days it’s almost like shows are designed around video rather than the other way round.” Prak agreed. “I think the best shows are those where there’s complete integration with content and lighting.”
She pinpointed to innovations such as ROE Visual Vanish LED and its transparent nature, which has opened multiple design options for integration between lighting and video departments. “When we started to see transparent LED, I thought it was a bit of a gimmick,” admitted Manicom. “But the way people are using it now is fantastic. Some of the latest transparent technology can create almost a hologram effect.”
The round table also pointed to other LED innovations that have made waves in the industry, including curved LED as well as the overall trend of products getting much lighter. “From ROE’s perspective, we like to listen to input from our clients and users to hear what they are trying to achieve and put that into our products,” stated Prak. “Curved LED is a great example of this as the demand has grown and it’s so gratifying to see what people do with it.”
Communication was also something that Goodden stated was key for Brompton’s customers. “Our main objective is to ensure
that what the content creators produce gets on screens, accurately. That is why we’ve developed a huge range of calibration tools to make sure the colours being sent appear on the LED properly.”
He went on to explain how at an outdoor live event, LED was generally running at full brightness, and why Brompton has now got options such as thermal compensation or Thermacal as it’s known. This mean that as the panels heat up, users can bring in the inverse thermal patterning, removing any heat related artifacts on the LED.
“We are trying to build the bridge between us and the creatives,” stated Prak. “Rental houses are invaluable as they are always between manufacturers and end users and can voice requests well. That said, we like to be involved in the conversation because users might be thinking of solutions from ready-made products whereas we have a whole roster of other solutions we could produce.”
THE MOVE TO 2110
Along with the development of the physical hardware, one undeniable change in the world of video is the data requirement for live productions and the overall adaptation to more complex networks on the road. “Networking is nothing new to the video world, but even
our control networks have now become very complex,” reflected Manicom. “These days I push all my team at Universal Pixels to take a networking course.”
When it comes to the innovations, Manicom and the rest of the roundtable pointed to the adoption of ST 2110. “We are mostly still using traditional SDI or HDMI systems in the rental market but over the next few years we will start seeing a move over to 2110,” he continued. ST 2110 refers to the system in which data – in this case video data – can be transported over IP networks, compared to the current standard SDI [Serial Digital Interface] connectivity.
Manicom continued to explain the advantages that 2110 will bring to the video market, such as the ability to send multiple signals down one cable.
“We’ll also be able to work with higher resolutions and frame rates,” he added, stating how there was already a show coming up later this year that was struggling to get that number of inputs needed for the media server. A possible solution came by looking into the option of 2110 meaning that multiple signals can be routed and transported within a single connector. He also noted that the move to 2110 would also give production true redundancy – a clear benefit for the live events environment. Both representatives from Brompton and ROE
Visual expressed how each of their companies were preparing for the inevitable move to 2110.
“At Brompton, we are completely focussed on getting our 2110 integration out, ensuring that those boxes are ready for shows of all scales,” stated Goodden, giving a nod to the company’s upcoming Tessera SQ200. The new LED video processor, capable of capacities up to 8K provides support for ST 2110 and IPMX protocols, including ST 2022-7 network redundancy, with maximum interoperability across broadcast and pro-AV applications.
“At ROE, we are 2110 ready and already for shows such as The Eurovision Song Contest, where our screens were used. 2110 has now become the standard,” stated Prak. “People really must be aware of this overall change and the whole world that exists behind the content and LED screens.”
Prak also noted how this move to a protocol that can handle more data also helps futureproof touring productions to the growing demands of artists. She elaborated: “Many artists wish to stream their live concerts, which puts a real demand on the entire system to be very stable.”
VIRTUAL STUDIOS
Away from the live stage, our panellists shared their thoughts on virtual studio. During 2020
and 2021, this side of the industry moved in leaps and bounds as the need to create alternative performance spaces became essential. “At ROE, we treat virtual studios very much as its own vertical, with separate account managers that deal with those sales contacts,” stated Prak. “That said, it is still very much integrated in everything we do – especially as we find a lot of rental houses are also engaged in building studios or setting up temporary screens for virtual productions.”
Prak went on to explain that it was noteworthy how compared to the film industry, it was the live sector that made enormous strides in the development of virtual studios in the lockdown years.
“You speak to DOPs or producers for the film world, and they are only really now learning about virtual productions and in some cases, we’re still convincing them that they are a good alternative to making films.”
LOOK TO THE FUTURE
To close, we gave each of the three interviewees a chance to highlight some of the projects that TPi readers should be looking out for. One of the highlights that all three commented on was Robbie Williams’ latest production, which was said to be visually impressive. “The production put a big focus on colours and the look of the camera, so we recalibrated the IMAG screens with the Brompton Hydra system,” explained Manicom – outlining some of the work Universal Pixels had done on the tour. Prak was also keen to highlight the recent production from Dutch
rock band, DI-RECT. “They are doing some really creative work with our Visual Black Quartz BQ4 and automation.”
Away from working examples, Prak also highlighted some of the areas in which ROE was looking to improve. “We’re looking for more ways to reduce power consumption and to be more sustainable,” she said, stating the importance of creating a product that lasts.
“We also want make sure our processors are future proof,” chipped in Goodden. “We want to be sure the same processors can deal with the demands customers might have both now and in five years’ time across all verticals.”
“A nother consideration that we’ve been focussing on at Universal Pixels has been how we can secure outdoor screens,” stated Manicom. “Everyone wants lighter and bigger screens, but that’s not ideal in the outdoor environment. We are now experimenting with being able to build a framework that could be erected then screens could be secured to it, making it safer in windy conditions.”
Manicom revealed news of the company’s busy summer which included some large stadium shows including Oasis in the UK, which Gooden also noted would be featuring Brompton Technology processors.
Su ffice to say, we can expect to see many more innovations from the video world in the coming months that no doubt will lead to some stunning productions that continue to push those working in this corner of the industry. www.universalpixels.com www.roevisual.com www.bromptontech.com
ROE Visual Marketing Manager, Marina Prak; Universal Pixels’ Head of Technical, Gareth Manicom and Brompton Technology’s Technical Sales Manager, Patrick Goodden.
SOLOTECH SUPPLIES KYLIE’S TENSION TOUR
Robin Conway, Senior Account Manager at Solotech, discusses the logistical feat of achieving cross-market consistency for the latest world tour from the highest-selling Australian female artist of all time.
A trend we’ve seen at TPi is the higher demand for production value at live events, and a part of this ever-growing pressure is the stipulation that shows must remain uniform, venue on venue, continent on continent, especially with fans now able to access shows from across the world on their mobile phones. Consistency was a prerequisite when it came to Kylie Minogue’s Tension Tour, for which Solotech provided a 360° package.
“Kylie has seen the value in having bespoke systems to support the production to the right standard for her, which is why we are seeing more of the same production equipment supplied across all markets – more so now than was initially planned,” explained Solotech Senior Account Manager, Robin Conway. “It has been great to continually develop working
internationally and across multiple disciplines alongside Kevin [Hopgood, Production Manager], and the wider Kylie team, who are fantastic.”
The Tension Tour marked the camp’s first opportunity to work with Solotech on a 360 ° basis, after beginning a working relationship in 2009, Hopgood elaborated: “Kylie and I have a long-standing relationship with Solotech. Since the supplier established itself in the UK and acquired Capital Sound as part of the SSE Group, that relationship has developed even further and built on the 25-year relationship that Kylie had with Capital Sound as an audio supplier. The 360°-service certainly streamlines the lines of communication, logistics and overall coordination of planning. Having Solotech project managers across all
departments working under Robin’s overall direction has made for a really cohesive experience, which has very positive effects on time management and costs.”
With 25 Solotech employees on the tour, the camp was familiar to Conway, who began as the Project Manager at the beginning of his Solotech career in 2013 – with him even teching some shows in the early days. “With such a large portion of the team coming from Solotech, you can feel the collaboration within the team and no matter the department, the team are proud to work and support each other, which you can really see in the dynamic of the tour,” Conway reported.
As t he tour started in Australia, Solotech worked with third-party suppliers for the bulk of the technical supply, shipping over any
equipment that the local companies weren’t able to provide.
“At the start of the process, we were organising meetings between creatives on the West Coast of the US, third-party suppliers in Australia and our teams in the UK and Nashville, which was tricky but entertaining to organise,” Conway said. “Starting in Australia was challenging, but we made sure the equipment delivery was perfect; we even had a man on the ground overseeing our relationships on the tour.” Combatting an 11-hour time difference, the Solotech team introduced the production to Australian suppliers TDC for video and Chameleon Touring for lighting after creating t he tour’s specifications.
“We worked hard to pre-build the tour beforehand so that even though it started in Australia, we were heavily involved with the project management in the territory, which allowed us to ensure the consistency of equipment to guarantee smooth running when the tour landed in the US.”
Although the production was introduced to the lighting and video vendors through Solotech, the audio for the run Down Under was JPJ Audio. “They were the best choice for audio
and even though this wasn’t a Solotech introduction, we worked with the vendor in the same way we always would, ensuring the same consistency show on show, country on country,” Conway added.
Load-ins on the Tension Tour also looked different, w ith t he crew able to unload into venues by order of requirement, rather than by department.
Outside of Australia, Solotech supplied a d&b audiotechnik PA system; DiGiCo and Solid State Logic consoles; Robe and CHAUVET Professional lighting solutions; MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles; ROE Visual LED video screens along with Panasonic cameras.
Conway concluded: “Kylie is an inspiring person to be around and we all try to keep up with her level of energy and creativity. All tours have their challenges, but this one has had many special shows and has been an absolute pleasure to work on. The reaction has been very positive, and Kylie and her team have been happy with the result and delivery of the tour. It’s inevitable that a touring team will bond but the Kylie camp feels like a step beyond that.”
www.kylie.com www.solotech.com
� IP65 rated for protection against rain, dust and particles
� RGBW plates for enhanced color performance
� Increased pixel count for more creativity
� High speed 180° tilt movement
SASCHA TIETZE PYRO DESIGNER www.fogsfx.de
Timing and clear commands are absolutely critical in show productions.
The Artist intercom and the Max headsets guarantee clear sound and comfortable communication, even at loud events.“
ARTIST INTERCOM
Professional and reliable live communications.
Seamless integration of Riedel‘s SmartPanel and Bolero wireless intercom. Easily scaling from 16 to 1024 ports with flexible licensing.
Become an ARTIST www.riedel.net
#iamanartist
SHOWLIGHT 2025
Lighting professionals gather in Dijon for a record-breaking return to the industry’s most cherished quadrennial conference.
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Jean Nguyen
After an eight-year in-person hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-awaited return of Showlight – the quadrennial gathering of lighting minds – took centre stage at Le Parc des Expositions et Congrès de Dijon. With over 400 attendees, 40 exhibitors, and an enthusiastic cohort of students and emerging professionals, the event proved that its community spirit remains undimmed.
In May, some of the world’s leading lighting professionals gathered in eastern France for Showlight 2025. As a journalist who reports on touring technology, I was fortunate to be able to engage with both seasoned veterans and rising stars of the lighting design world either during early morning group runs, in paper sessions, workshops, or over dinner. Departing Dijon with a sketchbook of leads borne out of the event, I tracked down some representatives of the volunteer-led Showlight committee members to reflect on its orchestration.
“T his is my 50th year as a professional lighting designer, and I’m prouder of what we achieved at Showlight than any show I’ve worked on,” announced Showlight Chair, Jim Tetlow – who’s lit everything from the US presidential debates to the handover ceremony of Hong Kong.
Showlight 2025 attracted participants from across Europe, the US, Australia, and Brazil. “There was concern that Showlight
wouldn’t return post-pandemic,” admitted Tetlow, praising the support of the Showlight committee and the wider lighting industry for resurrecting the much-loved event. “We typically host around 350 attendees – I optimistically budgeted for 400, and we ended up with over 420! We’ve all learned a lot that will help shape Showlight 2029.”
Christie Lites’ Jess Allan, co-Chair of the Papers Committee, outlined some of the major changes made for 2025 like the addition of Whova – a platform for attendees to foster communities, and the organisers to manage administration and ticketing. “Previously, everything ran off Excel. I’d seen Whova in action at THE Conference: Live at Lititz and suggested we give it a go,” she said.
Paper presentations and their lively Q&As were made more dynamic thanks to a foam CATCHBOX microphone. All discussions were translated into five languages.
“We received over 90 proposals, up from 40 to 50 in previous years,” reported Tetlow. “We work hard to present a balance of sectors, scales and subjects.”
Hosting the event in France was a longstanding ambition for headline sponsor, Robert Juliat. After two cancellations and a virtual edition in 2021, the partnership finally came to fruition. “Dijon offered the perfect mix of culture, accessibility and intimacy,” said Robert Juliat’s
Séverine Zucchiatti. “It’s a city rich in history yet ideally suited to hosting an international event. And, of course, being in Burgundy helped – nothing sparks creative dialogue quite like a good glass of Pinot Noir after a full day of lighting talk!”
According to Zucchiatti, the event encourages deep conversations – not just networking, but genuine exchanges of experience across generations and disciplines. “It reaffirms the value of creativity, mentorship, and community. Robert Juliat is grateful to the entire volunteer committee – that’s what Showlight is about: people,” she commented.
‘CHALLENGING CONVENTION AND SPARKING INSPIRATION’
Originally a peer-to-peer broadcast lighting event, Showlight has evolved into a broader educational platform for professionals and students alike. “Travel costs being what they are, we raised additional sponsorship to provide travel allowances and accommodation for the students,” Tetlow explained. “They also ran the show’s production – from stage management and lighting programming to audio and A/V.”
A new Emerging Professionals scholarship successfully bridged the gap between students and early-career designers and, like the student sponsorship programme, was oversubscribed. “People were so eager for Showlight to return,
they supported it in all sorts of ways,” echoed legendary Lighting Designer and committee member, Rick Fisher. “I remember the cost challenges when I was starting out – the pass, travel, hotel, and the potential loss of paid work. Thanks to Ayrton’s generous sponsorship, we brought in 20 emerging professionals from around the world, which is incredibly rewarding.”
Wit h nearly 30 speakers, sessions ranged across concert, film, television, theatre, art, themed attractions, public installations and fashion. “Showlight was borne from a desire to explore the many facets of lighting,” said Fisher. “It’s about people’s journeys with light – how it inspires and connects us. The breadth of discussion is always thrilling.”
From Willie Williams’ illuminating journey with U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere through to Sophya Acosta’s emotional love letter to small venues, the programme had something for everyone. “The mixture of papers is curated to challenge convention and spark inspiration. We’re an industry that thrives on connection – and at Showlight, that connection happens freely, across experience levels. I’ve seen students go on to successful careers across the industry and credit their time at Showlight, for inspiring and creating a unique networking experience. Also, for seasoned professionals it offers a rare experience… after all how often does a rock ’n’ roll LD and a DOP
of a blockbuster film, get to hang out and chat creatively. We work hard to create an open, welcoming space where ‘light’ is the spark for conversation,” commented Allan.
“Showlight is where I meet up with likeminded friends and colleagues, and those I have admired from afar, to share case histories, tales of victory and defeat, and what has been learned in the process. The exhibiting manufacturers were able to devote quality oneon-one time, and the evening get-togethers cemented the experience,” added Bruce Springsteen’s Lighting Designer, Jeff Ravitz.
“This year’s conference proved how Showlight can evolve and improve on the extremely solid foundation of past gatherings. The logistics were smooth, the presentations were varied in topic, and the projects ranged in scale from ‘do-more-with-less’, to oversized shows with king-sized challenges, to new or rarely explored technology. I enjoyed the workshops, too!”
Workshops were held in three locations in the venue and proved hugely popular. “Though we have exhibitors, we’re not a trade show,” Tetlow clarified. “Exhibitors don’t showcase full product lines. They spend meaningful time with attendees. We even close the exhibition area during presentations so everyone can attend –it’s the backbone of this entire event.”
This year’s conference dinner brought a touch of magic with a champagne reception and
David Mullen, Jesper Kongshaug, Jess Allen; exhibition networking.
Showlight Chair, Jim Tetlow opens proceedings; A Q&A session with Roger Simonsz, Clara Daguin, David Gray, and Fiffi Thorsteinsson; Q&A session with Martin Kuhn,
candlelit meal at Château Vantoux’s Orangerie, set to the soundtrack of a live string quartet.
Fisher added: “People are so generous – with time, money, and support. In return, Showlight is generous with knowledge-sharing and hospitality. Once you’re there, you won’t need to reach into your pocket. The atmosphere is relaxed, social, and a celebration of our shared – if slightly unusual – passion for light.”
While the 2021 virtual edition kept the community connected, it’s the in-person interaction that remains at Showlight’s heart. “Selling booth space was a challenge at first,” admitted Ayrton’s Matt Hallard.
“Past participants signed up immediately, but those new to Showlight needed more convincing. I admire the companies who took that leap without fully knowing what it was about – they’re the real heroes of our exhibitor story.”
Reflecting on his first year as a committee member, Hallard said: “It’s been an honour to work alongside such a dedicated team, most of whom donated their time or were supported by their companies. We filled the exhibition hall with 40 manufacturers and four industry organisations. If you’re curious about getting involved, now’s the time – get in-touch at: exhibit@ showlight.org .” www.showlight.org
ER PRODUCTIONS LAUNCHES ENTERTAINMENT ENGINEERING COMPANY
FABER Entertainment Engineering will focus on manufacturing all of ER Productions’ bespoke fixtures as well as client integrations and fabrications.
ER Productions, now in its 18th year, has been designing and manufacturing award-winning products for over a decade. ER’s first product – the BeamBurst – was released in 2013 for Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz Tour. Twelve years later and the company is now manufacturing the BB5 (BeamBurst 5), the latest evolution of that original design and the backbone of ER’s compact yet punchy laser fixture range.
However, ER’s innovation doesn’t stop with lasers. The company has also developed two flame-based special effects: the Vulcan – a 40m liquid flame head – and its latest hot
property, FlamebER, a chasable flame wall fixture designed specifically for high-impact visual sequences.
In an industry where spectacle is king and innovation is relentless, keeping pace is no small feat. That’s why ER Productions has launched FABER – a bold new fabrication company focussed on Entertainment Engineering, at the intersection of mechanical precision and artistic vision.
Whether it’s jaw-dropping stage FX or bespoke set pieces, FABER aims to be the go-to name in live experiences, film production,
and immersive installations. With an inhouse team that combines expertise in CNC machining, metalwork, advanced electronics, and digital fabrication, FABER is already making waves in the industry, having produced the FlamebER and ER’s latest laser fixture – The Laserblade 2.
CR AFTING THE IMPOSSIBLE
Founded by a team of engineers and designers, FABER was formed to create the extraordinary. With decades of combined experience in fabrication and large-scale installations, the
Photos: ER Productions
BRILLIANT IDEAS
FABER Entertainment Engineering is the new dedicated manufacturing arm of ER Productions - one of the world’s leading providers of laser, SFX and drone systems to the entertainment industry.
Benefitting from ER Productions’ industry expertise FABER Entertainment Engineering is positioning itself as the go-to name for pushing boundaries in live experiences, film production, and immersive installation.
• New purpose-built fabrication facility equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and tooling.
• Proven track record designing and manufacturing innovative laser, SFX and custom products.
• Tailored solutions with increased speed, precision, and efficiency.
• Founded by a team of engineers, designers, and dreamers with a passion for creating the extraordinary.
• Decades of combined experience in fabrication and large-scale installations.
company is set on redefining how audiences engage with entertainment.
“We don’t just build; we innovate,” commented Ryan Hagan, ER Productions’ coFounder and Creative Director. “Every project presents a new challenge, and that’s what drives us – solving the unsolvable and bringing ambitious concepts to life.”
Leading FABER’s projects are Technical Director, Tom Vallis and Fabrication Engineer, Daniel Eske. Both started their careers in the live touring sector, so they have a strong understanding of the complexities of entertainment design and delivery.
THE FUTURE OF SPECTACLE
As the world of entertainment evolves, so too does the need for fresh, boundary-pushing ideas. FABER is embracing that challenge head-on, working with creatives across industries to realise projects once thought
impossible. From flame sculptures to intricate laser FX that seamlessly integrate with live performances, FABER’s projects are designed to captivate, surprise, and inspire.
“Technology is changing the way we tell stories,” Hagan explained. “We’re here to make sure those stories are told in the most breathtaking way possible.”
With its unique blend of engineering expertise and creative vision, FABER is quickly becoming a key player in the world of entertainment fabrication.
Whether it’s building integrated SFX within mind-bending installations, or one-of-a-kind mechanical creations, this company is proving that no vision is too ambitious, and no dream too big. For those looking to turn imagination into reality, the message is clear: FABER is ready to build it. www.faberengineering.com hello@faberengineering.com
FABER Fabrication Engineer, Daniel Eske.
JESS PRICE
From warehouse shifts to busking light shows in the alternative and Balearic disco scene; Jess Price reflects on an unusual pathway into the sector…
How did you break into the sector?
“After graduation, I took a job doing logistics for an AV production company, which helped me develop an understanding of the technical side of live events. I later decided to go freelance. My first job was a corporate awards show, and not long after, I shadowed some friends at Goldsmiths Students’ Union who taught me how to busk lighting on a ChamSys MQ50. I also learned the basics of touring with 3T. However, just a couple of weeks later, I tore the MCL in my knee during a show – only a month after I’d started doing lights. After a few months of recovery and physiotherapy, I began a shadow shift at Night Tales in Hackney in February 2024, busking shows for Hot Chip and Jarvis Cocker. I’ve been working as one of their house technicians ever since, as well as at their sister venue, NTS Loft, lighting some amazing DJs.
“T he Lexington also gave me the opportunity to shadow their in-house lighting technicians, which really helped me develop my skills, working with artists like Geordie Greep, SISTRA, and Silver Twin, among others. Most
recently, I was invited to help with the rig for You Me Bum Bum Train with Christie Lites, setting up stage and domestic lighting as a volunteer lighting technician.”
Tell us about your recent collaboration with Limehouse Town Hall...
“I met Sam Valiant at Limehouse Town Hall for Liberation laser training in 2024 and I have been working as their house lighting designer ever since. I immediately felt welcomed there and accepted as a disabled neurodivergent queer person, and I have been given the creative freedom, space and time to gain new technical skills including rigging. Being a community first organisation, I’ve repaired a lot of donated 20-year old moving heads and scanners for our annual Party Utility event, which takes place every February. As well as gaining skills, I’ve been able to pass my knowledge and skills on to Sam and other volunteers at Limehouse Town Hall. In return, I’ve brought up the production value for their events and brought enthusiasm to their technical team which then
in turn has created a lot of joy and excitement for their future shows.”
What advice would you give to others?
“Reach out to your friends, the 3T crew, and Production Futures. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek advice and help. The scariest part of going freelance is thinking you’re alone, but you’re not. And it’s so important to advocate for yourself and your access needs.”
Where would you like to see yourself five years from now?
“I’d love to be operating in live music and festivals. Right now, I’m working on a design for the Basket of Light Festival. I really enjoy creating or enhancing the atmosphere of an entire festival site. I’ve also started learning laser design with Seb Lee and Abby Shum, who are developing a new software called Liberation – it could open exciting new creative paths. Ideally, I’d like to be part of a team that’s genuinely passionate about their craft. I like to stay fluid and see where the journey takes me.”
LD SYSTEMS ADA SERIES
Viktor Wiesner, Senior Product Manager of Pro Audio at Adam Hall Group delves into LD Systems’ partnership with Powersoft
Words: Viktor Wiesner
Photo: Adam Hall
When did talks with Powersoft about the partnership first begin and why were they a natural fit for LD Systems?
“We started exploring the partnership in early 2023. It became quickly clear that there was a shared understanding of where modern amplification is headed: energy efficiency, network integration, and reliability in challenging environments. Powersoft has a strong track record in those areas. For us at LD Systems, it wasn’t about branding or image — it was about solid tech and a supply partner we could count on to deliver at scale, with consistency.”
What will this partnership mean for the feature sets of the ADA Series?
“The integration of Powersoft modules and DSP into the ADA Series gave us the ability to push the technical boundaries further than we could with off-the-shelf components. We’re talking about full network capability with Dante and AES67, very low idle consumption, universal
power supply with Power Factor Correction, and remote access via ArmoníaPlus. It’s a very complete package for users who demand more than just power output – they want stability, control, and system insight.”
What will be some of the immediate benefits that ADA users will enjoy?
“First and foremost: less downtime and easier setup. The Speaker Lock auto-setup feature, for example, helps avoid configuration errors. With built-in FIR presets and remote monitoring, users can dial in their system faster and manage it more precisely. Also, the low idle power consumption is a practical advantage, especially for fixed installs or when you’re powering multiple amps in a rack. The idea is to reduce friction technically and operationally.”
Will this partnership be rolled out to other LD Systems amplifiers?
“The ADA Series is our pilot platform, and we’ll
see how it performs in the field. If the response from users aligns with what we’re expecting, then yes, we’ll consider rolling out Powersoft integration to other product lines. But that’s a decision we’ll base on real-world data, not assumptions. Each product series has its own requirements, and we’re not in the habit of applying the same solution across the board without validation.”
What effect do you think this partnership will have on the brand recognition of LD Systems?
“We’re not doing this to chase visibility – it’s about making the product better. If we gain more recognition as a result, that’s a side effect, not the goal. What matters is that our users – touring techs, integrators, system designers – notice the difference in performance, usability, and long-term reliability. That’s the only reputation that sticks in this industry.” www.ld-systems.com www.powersoft.com
WYSIWYG 2025
Following its highly anticipated new update release in April, TPi gets the lowdown on WYSIWYG 2025 by chatting to Technical Support Manager at CAST Software, Danny Tancou...
Words: Dany Tancou
Photo: WYSIWYG
What were some of the overarching goals of this latest software update?
“To start 2025, we’ve taken a bold new step into the world of cabling. It’s a complex and ambitious feature, but an essential one; no lighting design software feels truly complete without the ability to plan and calculate cabling requirements. While there’s still more to come, this addition already marks a significant leap forward for WYSIWYG, greatly expanding its capabilities and strengthening its position as a comprehensive production solution.”
What advances have been made to the Cables feature and how will this aid end users?
“The new Cables feature gives users the ability to easily add Single Cables, Multicables, and related components, such as twofers, quad boxes, and breakouts to their WYSIWYG projects. Each cable object is driven by a Profile, which defines its attributes and properties. These Profiles can be saved for future use, shared across multiple WYSIWYG installations, and only need to be configured once. Built-in
options for Tolerance and Rounding allow for precise cable length calculations within the Cable Spreadsheet, while a convenient Daisy Chaining tool, designed much like a Quick Tool, makes it easy to link fixtures together. Altogether, these tools form the foundation of the first release of the Cables feature.”
How will this benefit the user experience?
“A variety of nearly 60 new, realistic people models have been added to the Library, featuring different poses and styles of clothing. New Particle Effects have also been added to the Library, including confetti, spark machines, and multiple types of fireworks, such as Comet, Flash Pot, Gerb, Glitter, Multi-Mine, Multi-Fx, Sparkle, and Starburst, delivering a unique and dynamic visual effect. These effects enable you to plan and visualise more of the production experience by providing an extra layer of realism and visual flair. To further enhance usability, the animation of Particle Effects can now be paused, enabling users to capture precise, high-quality screenshots. Altogether, these
updates contribute to a richer, more immersive design environment and give users even greater control over how they visualise and communicate their creative ideas.”
Which standout features will lighting designers and operators enjoy experimenting with?
“Highlights include the visualisation enhancements, the new Color Sketch option, improved truss exports to DWG, and the ability to add textures to Library Objects.”
What has the response been like?
“The feedback has been very positive. End users who have commented on the new Cables feature acknowledge that there’s still room for growth, but they appreciate its current functionality and see strong potential in its flexible and intuitive workflow. One user even remarked, ‘You’ve given me a very dangerous tool here, Dany!’ - ‘dangerous’ in the sense that they now find themselves happily spending even more time working in WYSIWYG!”
www.cast-soft.com/WYSIWYG/
THE ART OF LIGHT BEHIND THE PLAYSTATION CONCERT
After two years of preparation, The Art of Light and André Beekmans reflect on bringing the world of online gaming to the live stage...
Words: Louise Stickland
Photo: Zdenko Hanout
PlayStation: The Concert tour is proving a great opportunity for Netherlands-based visual design studio The Art of Light. Under the creative direction of André Beekmans, the team energised its interdisciplinary skills and vast experience of lighting large concerts, events, and spectaculars to enhance this new and exciting stage presentation.
Pl ayStation: The Concert is a thrilling foursegment fusion of live music, the intrigue and excitement of online gaming and the highly visual environments that immerse and weave all these dynamic elements together.
Each ‘chapter’ is inspired by one of four iconic PlayStation titles – The Last of Us, God of War Ghost of Tsushima, and Horizon, and peppered with themes from Bloodborne, Astro Bot, Journey, Uncharted, and Helldivers 2, delivering a dramatic, action-packed performance to an enthusiastic fanbase.
Beekmans was delighted to be part of a wider creative collaboration and take an out-of-the-box approach to the project, which resulted in producing a series of multi-layered and highly detailed illuminative treatments.
When The Art of Light was contacted by GEA Live, an initial visual draft of the stage environment was in play, created by Londonbased immersive and multimedia design studio, NorthHouse. Technical Director, Stefan Hoohenkerk of Creative Control joined the team shortly after.
NorthHouse also produced the visual mood boards and video content, and for all these
aspects, including an 18-piece band to flourish in a live context, they needed a large clean elegant stage, which was a key starting point for Beekmans’ lighting.
Challenges for lighting were not so much in the specification and hardware placement, they lay more in the abstract realms of imagining and mapping out effects and a performance space hosting highly specific and individual gaming characters – and their worlds – that impressed an incredibly focused fanbase who notice every detail.
Lighting was vital in the translation of these hyperreal gaming worlds into a live 3D space and in creating an authenticity that exhilarated and fascinated guests. Beekmans embraced the rich, colourful, and exhaustive precision of these gaming universes each with its own very unique style of lighting.
“T he whole Art of Light team needed to properly understand how lighting functioned in relation to the games, in addition to lighting the stage and musicians appropriately for a concert set up,” he explained. “Our brief was to complement the video content and music perfectly so fans would become immersed –just as if they were playing.”
This included assigning lighting effects as visual leitmotifs to different characters appearing onscreen as well as all the usual practical tasks of good stagecraft. Other design considerations were ensuring the whole production was practical, tourable and packaged to work on the road. With a large
upstage LED screen in place, the creative team wanted an ‘opera gauze’ projection effect at the front to add another dimension, and Beekmans and Hoohenkerk proposed a series of five motorised roll-drops downstage. Being able to vary the gauze layers added to the general dynamics of the bigger picture and enabled specific lighting effects to feature and amplify for accents and impact.
The Art of Light team took their knowledge plus the adrenaline rush of creating memorable visual moments working on massive EDM shows, theatrical productions, festivals and other live performance show scenarios which can only be augmented with dramatic lighting.
Beekmans and The Art of Light’s collaborators included Lighting Programmer and Operator, Tom Pietermans; Lighting Programmer, Rik Verschuren; Niels Kieboom who managed and coordinated all the WYSIWYG and Syncronorm Depence visualisation files and Project Manager, Romy van Schijndel.
As lighting for each section of the show was developed, visualisation render files were sent to the PlayStation team to review and then discussed and noted at the weekly online meetings that took place throughout the design process period, so all arrived organised and ready to roll at production rehearsals. The tour kicked off at the in Dublin and then toured Europe. It will continute later in the year. www.playstation.com www.theartoflight.nl
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Peter Kirkup, Director of Innovation at Disguise, highlights how groundbreaking new community-driven tools are streamlining live events workflows.
Words: Peter Kirkup
Photo: Edgar Sanchez of XR Creative
Working in show control within the live entertainment space is one of the most dynamic and rewarding roles in the industry. It’s where creativity meets technology, and where a talented global community brings performances to life.
However, alongside the excitement, live events specialists often face time-consuming technical processes, repetitive tasks, and the challenges of juggling multiple systems.
These issues can slow down creativity and complicate production workflows, taking some of the fun away.
That’s why the latest updates to Disguise’s Designer software have been developed with a clear goal: to eliminate common pain points and give live events professionals more time and freedom to focus on what they do best –delivering unforgettable experiences.
Unlike updates that add bells and whistles for the sake of it, this new toolset is grounded in real-world needs. Each feature is built in direct response to feedback from the live events
community, with the aim of simplifying day-today tasks and removing workflow roadblocks.
Take the new Coloured Layers feature, for example. Inspired by renowned Lighting and Video Designer, Dan Scully, who had previously created his own workaround to streamline timeline visuals, this now-official tool lets users colour-code show timelines for faster, clearer sequencing. It’s already being used in productions like Disney’s Hercules in the West End, helping teams implement faster creative changes and smoother show control.
But some workflows are highly specific to the individual, and live events specialists want greater agency in defining and selecting the tools that work best for them. That’s where the new plugin framework comes in.
Intended to extend Designer’s functionality without disrupting existing systems, it gives users access to a growing library of readymade plugins, as well as offering the ability to build their own. Whether it’s triggering Python scripts, integrating third-party systems,
or building web-powered UI widgets, the framework puts powerful automation tools directly in users’ hands.
The impact of these tools is already being seen in major productions. At Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2025, Video Director and Show Programmer, Charly Camina used the new framework to integrate his own software, StageSync, into Designer for Latin star Junior H’s main stage set. The result? Seamless cueing and triggering across lighting, video, and pyro, ensuring smooth, efficient show control from start to finish. Among the plugins available, Luma AI’s Video Generator stands out as a gamechanger for early-stage design. It allows users to generate AI-powered video content from simple text prompts and instantly import clips into the timeline, saving hours in the ideation phase by allowing quick access to customised visuals and easing stakeholder buy-in. Even more transformative is Ask AId3n, a built-in AI assistant that doesn’t just answer software questions – it can also execute tasks directly in the project. For example, when programming repetitive cues for something like an awards show, Ask AId3n can automate the sequencing itself in seconds.
Cr ucially, AI tools like these aren’t about replacing human talent - they’re about amplifying it. By removing repetitive steps and simplifying complex workflows, they empower workflow specialists to do what they do best and focus fully on the creative and collaborative elements of show production.
The live events community asked for smarter, faster, and more intuitive tools – and we listened. With these updates, production teams now have more power than ever to streamline their workflows, solve technical hurdles, and bring bold creative visions to life with less friction and more freedom. www.disguise.one
THE DIGITAL ATA CARNET
Business West’s Head of International Trade Services, Catherine Stephens, outlines how the development of eATA Carnets will benefit the touring sector.
Words: Catherine Stephens
Touring professionals know all too well the challenges of moving equipment and ATA Carnets have long been used for temporarily moving gear across borders. However, since Britain left the European Union, their usage has increased dramatically.
Every item, from guitars, lighting rigs to sound desks and staging, must be listed in detail for an ATA Carnet, including its description, country of origin, weight, and value. For major productions transporting container-loads of kit, it’s a monumental logistical task, and one we support our customers with every day. The stakes are high, and deadlines are tight because there’s no margin for error at international borders.
At Business West, we’re proud to be pioneering the next evolution in international touring logistics with Digital ATA or eATA Carnets. The ‘passports for goods’ are going paperless, and that’s good news for bands, artists, crews and tour managers.
We k now, Carnets are not always popular within the music industry. From the extra admin and costs involved, they can feel like an added hassle. But for larger, more complex tours, Carnets can be the difference between smooth touring and customs chaos. Compared to the total value of all the equipment, they represent good value for money, as they eliminate the need to pay duties or taxes at each destination and simplify re-entry into the UK.
We hear from musicians that the Carnet process can feel overly bureaucratic or unnecessary, but in reality when you need one, you need it quickly and compliantly. That’s why we have been so committed to improving the experience. A Digital ATA
Carnet does everything a traditional Carnet does – but faster, more securely, and with much less paper. Whether you’re prepping for a global tour, a one-off festival, or a run of European shows, the benefits include no loss of paperwork, fewer admin headaches, better for the planet due to less paper and touring friendly with tour managers able to manage Carnets via a dedicated desktop platform.
For the music and live events sectors, Digital Carnets represent a smarter, faster and greener solution that matches the pace and complexity of modern touring.
The journey toward digitalisation of the ATA Carnet scheme is picking up pace. Across the UK and participating countries, preparations are ongoing with customs teams and port authorities. Here in the UK, training has now been completed at Heathrow, Edinburgh, Holyhead and Dover, where several successful digital transactions have already taken place. These early test cases provide valuable insights into how the eATA Carnet app performs in real-world scenarios. Hot on the heels are Southampton, Portsmouth, Felixstowe, and Harwich, which will begin accepting test eATA Carnets shortly.
The UK is starting with a hybrid-based system, so digital and paper Carnets can be used alongside one another as the rollout progresses. As more UK ports join the eATA Carnet pilot, we encourage all Carnet users to familiarise themselves with the digital process. The transition from paper to digital is expected in early 2026, so now is the time to get ahead of the curve and even influence how the eATA Carnet app evolves in the coming year. www.businesswest.co.uk /digitalcarnets
Business West’s Head of International Trade Services, Catherine Stephens.
ANDREAS AND DANIEL SENNHEISER
Sennheiser’s co-CEOs celebrate the company’s 80-year history…
When TPi last sat down with brothers Dr Andreas and Daniel Sennheiser, we discussed the company’s strategic restructuring following the sale of its consumer brand. Three years later, the company is celebrating its 80th anniversary.
While acknowledging the monumental milestone, both brothers were keen to emphasise that they looked to use this anniversary as a chance to tell stores that made up the fabric of the Sennheiser brand. “For us, it’s not so much about the number of years, but about what we’ve learned over the years,” commented Daniel.
“We’re celebrating our 80th anniversary by looking back to our past; both the successes, but also the struggles and even failures.”
He went on to state how despite the company being in existence for eight decades, they are proud that Sennheiser is still a familyowned, independent business with a “clear vision and the courage to do things really right in the market”.
Andreas agreed, stating how many decisions came down to Sennheiser’s “relentless customer orientation”. He gave the example where the company worked closely with P!nk and her team to create a solution that allowed her to sing while performing her signature aerial acrobatics.
“T he creative dissatisfaction of our end users creates new problems for our engineers to tackle,” said Andreas, highlighting the company’s wish to find solutions. “Sennheiser has an ‘innovation spirit’ where everybody goes
“For us, it’s not so much about the number of years, but about what we’ve learned over the years...”
Daniel
Sennheiser, co- CEO at Sennheiser
the extra mile, sometimes branching into areas where we don’t know yet how they will be used. We began investing in 3D audio algorithms 25 years ago, way before AR and VR and 3D audio was in everybody’s thinking.”
Throughout 2025, the brothers and wider Sennheiser team are hoping to share some of these stories through their various channels.
Andreas impressed the importance of these examples shining a light on those working behind the scenes in live events rather than the artist. “The people who make the whole experience happen, that are often under the stage and strapping things together with gaffer tape, I think this is a real opportunity to celebrate these rock stars that are never up on stage but actually make the experience for 80,000 every night.”
This focus on the workforce of the live events industry very much aligned with the new structure of the company that was announced three years ago. “As a German family-owned
company, self-financed, we saw that we would be the better owner for the pro part of the business,” explained Daniel.
“It has allowed us to stand for something. To be the professional partner that is reliable and creating meaningful innovation.”
On t hat note of innovations, he pointed to the launch of Spectera – the wideband, bidirectional digital wireless ecosystem, engineered to meet the highest demands of live performance and broadcast.
“It is a product that has been received extremely positively by our customer base because it truly represents a new era in wireless,” stated Andreas.
Daniel added: “We also have examples such as HD25s, which have been a workhorse for DJs for the past 30 years.”
Follow Sennheiser’s social media channels to stay informed about the company’s anniversary-related content. www.sennheiser.com
