TPi #289 Sep/Oct

NINE INCH NAILS

A contemporary show design befitting the band’s revered back catalogue

BILLIE EILISH

An in-the-round spectacle with production prowess on display from every angle

DUA LIPA Crew welfare, inclusivity and innnovation combine on this world-class production

The singer entertains stadiums and arenas, backed by a loyal crew

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

ZOOM YOUR MOOD

SolaBulb, the new addition to Astera’s Bulb Family, is a zoomable bulb with a 15º–50º adjustable beam, the refined look of a classic Fresnel, power equivalent to a 50 W PAR bulb, and silent, fan-free operation.

CHANGES AT TPi HQ

As some may have seen in our recent newsletter and LinkedIn posts, we’ve made some changes here at the TPi editorial table. I’m very pleased to say that our own Jacob Waite will henceforth be taking up the mantle of Editor of TPi Magazine. Having been with us since 2017, he has firmly established himself within the industry, bringing a ‘no stone left unturned’ attitude to every assignment he undertakes. Armed with his trusty notebook, he’s more than ready to jump into the driving seat of the magazine, and I’m sure he will make the title stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, I’ll be taking on the role of Managing Editor of TPi and its associated brands. I’ll be looking at the strategic direction of the title and our associated events as we aim to expand the offering that we provide to the sector.

Finally, Alicia Pollitt, who has been with TPi for over two years, has been promoted to Assistant Editor. With an unquestionable passion for the industry, in her new role, she will be aiding more in the production elements of both the magazine and our online platforms.

Elsewhere, Peter Iantorno remains as Editorial Director, heading up TPiMEA Magazine and ensuring editorial standards are maintained across the group. And Jack Needham – our newest member of the editorial family – is getting his feet under the table as Head of Content for Festival Insights | UK Festival Awards.

Despite the staff shuffle, we’ve still managed to keep pace with this very busy summer season. I paid a visit to London to witness Billie Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR. From the production’s dedication to sustainable practices to deploying cutting-edge video technology, the tour is more than worthy of this issue’s cover.

From one previous Glasto headliner to another, Jacob got to document Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tour as it made its way through arenas and stadiums throughout the UK. As well as keeping pace with the artist’s growing cultural capital; the production maintained a ‘paying it forward’ ethos, with crew welfare and shadowing opportunities all baked into the touring practices.

Meanwhile, Alicia served up a cocktail of industrial metal and pop as she caught up with the production teams behind Nine Inch Nails and Robbie Williams. She also spoke to sound engineer, Jon Burton about the Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance (HELA) Certification and why more in the industry should be taking notice of hearing health.

In addition, we check-in with several industry insiders about some of the notable trends from this year’s festival season, while profiling the sustainable steps taken by Unusual Rigging.

As t he leaves begin to change, we are set for the next few months of trade shows, company visits and, of course, the arena touring season kicks into gear.

We’re also busy working on our own events. GTL Sessions 2026 will be hosted in a brand-new location in Málaga on 28 April to 1 May. Autumn ‘26 will also see us take the event to the other side of the pond with GTL Sessions: The Americas. More details to be announced soon.

Before I forget, tickets are now on sale for TPi Awards 2026. This will be our 25th anniversary, so get your glad rags at the ready, this will be one you’ll not want to miss.

Until next time...

Stew Hume Managing Editor

Issue #289

September / October 2025

Managing Editor Stew Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360

Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk

Editor Jacob Waite

Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360

Mobile: +44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk

Assistant Editor Alicia Pollitt Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7508 441986 e-mail: a.pollitt@mondiale.co.uk

Commercial Director Fran Begaj Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360

Mobile: +44 (0)7852 336728 e-mail: f.begaj@mondiale.co.uk

Senior Account Manager Matilda Matthews Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7413 555978 e-mail: m.matthews@mondiale.co.uk

Account Manager Tom Dyson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0) 7306505230 e-mail: t.dyson@mondiale.co.uk

Account Manager Sophie Edwards Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 e-mail: s.edwards@mondiale.co.uk

Digital Content Manager

James Robertson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7725 475819 e-mail: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk

Marketing and Events Manager Alice Clarke Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7752 392465 e-mail: a.clarke@mondiale.co.uk

Marketing and Events Assistant Charlie Moore Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 c.moore@mondiale.co.uk

Editorial Director Peter Iantorno Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637 e-mail: p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk

Chief Executive Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk

Accounts Lynette Levi / Sarah Healey: ar@mondiale.co.uk Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh

Graphic Design and Production Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk

Jez Reid: j.reid@mondiale.co.uk

Cover Billie Eilish by Henry Hwu

Printed By Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk

Annual subscriptions (including P&P): £42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW).

Subscription enquiries to:

Subscriptions, Mondiale Media Limited, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580 e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk www.tpimagazine.com www.tpiawards.com www.gtlsessions.com

Total Production International (TPi)

ON THE COVER

BILLIE EILISH

The artist’s latest production blends cinematic style and awe-inspiring automation, ensuring the focus remains on the performance.

OBITUARY

12 Remembering Craig Sherwood.

EVENT FOCUS

14 Martin Professional hosts the ColorLab: Innovation Panel.

16 Pulp and their crew celebrate the band’s legacy while pushing creative boundaries.

22 Behind DI-RECT’s farewell shows, assembled by local talent.

28 Bill Sheppell discusses his approach to mixing Shakira.

PRODUCTION PROFILE

54 NINE INCH NAILS

An innovative tour befitting the band’s back catalogue.

64 DUA LIPA

The well-travelled crew champion a culture of innovation and care.

82 ROBBIE WILLIAMS

The singer’s 80-strong crew stage an ambitious show across varying venues.

FESTIVAL FOCUS

92 Creamfields, Glastonbury Festival, Rock Am Ring and more.

INTERVIEW

98 Lotje Horvers reflects on Bloc Par ty’s latest touring campaign.

102 Jason Ahn pens the book

Neu roaesthetic Stage Lighting

Design: What Makes Good Light

IN PROFILE

106 Unusual Rigging unveils its new HQ, with sustainability at its heart.

PRODUCTION FUTURES

110 Holly van der Rest reflects on her first tour.

GEAR HEADS

112 SIXTY82 unveils the Olympion Roof System.

113 Lifting the lid on Laserworld’s improved Purelight Series.

FEEDBACK

114 PSA looks back fondly on the busy summer season.

116 Jon Burton provides an insight into the HELA initiative.

118 Touring and Mental Health: The Mu sic Industry Manual goes audible with guest contributors.

BACK CHAT

122 Backup Tech’s new Chair, Lee Dennison takes the hot seat.

REMEMBERING: CRAIG SHERWOOD

Craig Sherwood, a much-loved husband, father and respected production manager, passed away on 16th June, after a short and courageous battle with cancer.

Born in Australia and later making his home in the UK, Craig lived a life full of travel, music, and adventure. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Vlad the Impaler’, he was known for his fierce organisation, sharp wit and ability to keep even the most chaotic tours running on time.

Over the years, he worked with bands including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Depeche Mode, Foreigner, Spear of Destiny, and many more, leaving his mark on festivals and events.

Craig was to see out his career with Hurts and Louis Tomlinson, with whom he worked for more than a decade.

To his colleagues who became his friends, he was more than a manager - he was a steady hand, a wise guide, and a kind friend who made people feel safe and supported wherever they were in the world. Away from the stage lights,

Craig was a man of habits and passions that made him unmistakably himself. A double espresso in hand, dressed in his signature black with square-toed boots, he carried both style and presence wherever he went.

A lover of history, he held a deep fascination with Tamerlane, the 14th Century Medieval Mongol Conqueror, and filled his shelves with books that fed his ever-restless mind. Though he travelled widely, one journey he dreamed of was to Samarkand in Uzbekistan, to visit Tamerlane’s tomb, but sadly, never made it.

Craig leaves behind his wife Dawn, his stepdaughter Naomi, and his children Rosie and Kim Sherwood.

Friends and colleagues from across the world remember him as a legend in his field, a generous companion, and a man whose presence always lifted those around him. His light will be missed though one imagines somewhere, he’s still keeping everything (and everyone) running to time.

MARTIN COLOR LAB: INNOVATION PANEL

TPi heads to Norway to discover how industry trends are influencing Martin Professional and witness HARMAN products in action at ‘Scandinavia’s biggest beach party’.

Industry professionals descended on the Norwegian city of Kristiansand in July to attend a panel theorising on the future of live production and current industry trends, and see the deployment of HARMAN branded products over several stages as part of Palmesus 2025 – a two-day music event like no other.

The Martin Color Lab Innovation panel was moderated by Director of Global Corporate Communications at HARMAN, David Glaubke, and featured guests Mark Buss, Global Product Line Manager at HARMAN International; Henrik Kristensen, Product Manager, Stage Lighting at HARMAN International and Kevin Wetzels, Creative Director at TWOFIFTYK Media.

Wetzels began the discussion by delving into the move to digital for the events industry, and how different aspects such as sound, special effects and visuals stand within their own disciplines but that a move into an amalgamated would push the audience experience further. “For years, professional lighting has been the race for more lumens, but I think the race for the most output in a product is over,” Wetzels said. “We’re looking for products that are more flexible, hybrid, and can be everything at once.”

Speaking from a manufacturer’s perspective, and with an impressive product portfolio to cite from, Buss shared insights on what Martin Professional and the wider

HARMAN banner have learned from endusers, having spent decades developing new technologies.“It’s not about a lighting solution’s feature set, but how the industry wants to be able to control and access them,” Buss said.

“We are more open now as a company, its forms like this that allow us to feed into our own engineering teams, figuring what the trends are, pain points and what the future is.”

Kr istensen cited the innovation of the MAC One as a testament of creative output and functionality. He further highlighted the development of Martin Professional’s patented XIP Technology, which allows fixtures to be used in any setting.

“T he development of XIP Technology disrupted the market and went further than expected. It put pressure on our engineering team to create a product that fits demanding applications,” Kristensen said. “It showed that experimentation and innovation pays off.”

Glaubke pivoted the conversation to discuss budgets in the industry and how productions and creatives can adapt to changing circumstances. Kristensen unveiled that the company were now working on products with planned releases in 2028/9 that have a much longer lifespan. “From a sustainability and ROI point of view, we want our products to have more than five years of market relevance – from the materials they are created with through to how we service products already in the market,”

Opposite: Kevin Wetzels, Creative Director at TWOFIFTYK Media, Henrik Kristensen, Product Manager, Mark Buss, Global Product Line Manager and David Glaubke, Director of Global Corporate Communications.

Words: Alicia Pollitt

Photos: Allan Toft

Kristensen explained. “We do everything to make our service quick, but we also ensure we have parts to fixtures that haven’t existed in our market for 20 years but are still being utilised, to ensure everyone gets the same service, no matter how old the product has been out of production for.”

Gi ven the advance in technology and rising costs of tickets, Wetzels believes that audiences demand more. “It’s probably our biggest headache as production managers, our job is to look at the future and be fortune tellers for what the users want to bring to their audiences. A way in which we’re collaborating with the industry is running technology programmes where we work directly with end users to see what the industry looks like for them whether it be light engine, motor control, or lens technology. We know that customers want something new and exciting that looks amazing, so we discuss with end users, tap into our own knowledge as product managers to come up with cool ideas to bring to the market.”

On t he subject on data, Kristensen added: “We haven’t seen a big push on data in our industry, we have a strong strategy going forward, and our customers are going to see a further push for customers and ourselves,” he shared. “Right now, we design solid products, but the question is are we sometimes overdesigning? This request for information is going to change things going forward.”

Buss concurred: “We used to have more products in a line that would cover all bases, but now we put everything into one product, so it would be interesting to know how it is being used to mitigate risk.”

SEEING THE LIGHTS IN ACTION

The panel wrapped up with questions from the audience before a communal march over to the Palmesus Festival site, where attendees got a sneak peek of the main and Cupra stages as well as FOH before the doors opened to thousands of festival revellers.

The main stage featured 40 MAC Viper XIPs, 34 MAC Aura XIPs, 32 MAC Aura Raven XIPs, and a pair of P3-275 System Controllers while FOH included 155 VDO Sceptron 20s, 40 VDO Sceptron 10s and a P3-300 System Controller.

The Cupra stage featured 54 Martin VDO Atomic Dot WRMs, 36 VDO Atomic Dot CLDs, six MAC Aura XIPs and a P3-150 System Controller. The HARMAN Professional involvement didn’t stop at lights, the Cupra stage was equipped with JBL VTX-A12 and its VTX-G28 line array systems.

Nordic Rentals was at the heart of the technical package, ensuring visiting production teams – including the likes of Kygo, Fisher, Stormzy and Chase & Status – all had adequate kit.

Nordic Rentals Production Manager, Oscar Olsson has been involved in the technical

delivery of the festival for six years, previously assuming the role of Head of Light and Video at the festival. “It’s my first year doing production at this site,” he stated, proudly. “In Denmark, we like to work together and share our roles – if any department needs help we will always be there, with a helping hand.”

Reflecting on the rig, Olsson waxed lyrical about the legacy of Martin Professional fixtures: “Our house lighting at Palmesus has always included Martin Professional fixtures, they are workhorses and it’s important to have a lamp that works every time. The lamps are so bright, we tend to use lots of haze to help us through the battle of the midnight sun in Norway, but the quality of the fixtures mean that they always cut through.”

As t he sun set on the jam-packed weekend at Palmesus, and dozens of flight cases were rolled out of the festival, the words of Production Futures invitee, Abigail Skelton, who shared her sentiments with Martin Professional in the build-up to the festival were poignant: “I’ve worked with many Martin Professional fixtures at different venues, but there’s always been a degree of separation, so it’s been amazing to spend time with the company and discover the hard work, innovation and guiding principles behind their products.” www.martin.com pro.harman.com www.palmesus.com

PULP:

YOU DESERVE MORE (VISUALLY)

In a moment where the thirst for nostalgia tours is unquenchable, eschewing convention for experimentation and presenting something fresh is a neverending pursuit of Pulp and their creative production crew.

On the Summer Solstice, Pulp’s latest arena tour had its curtain call at Manchester’s Co-op Live with a bold, visually rich show that fuses nostalgia with innovation. Featuring bespoke lighting, wacky-waving arm-flailing inflatable tube men, AI-enhanced visuals, an orchestra, and sentiment-rich design, the production celebrates the band’s legacy while pushing creative boundaries.

In keeping with the title of the band’s new album, the aim was the addition of more production and originality.

“T he creative direction from the band is more about what’s artistically interesting and tells the stories in the songs,” Production Designer, Douglas Green said, recalling the project’s creative origins.

The iconic staircase, first seen during Pulp’s legendary 1995 Brixton Academy show, became the creative starting point. A bespoke curved drape, custom-dyed by Blackout, created an intimate, stripped-back setting for the final t rack, A Sunset, following the chaos of unofficial national anthem, Common People

Ahead of the tour, Michael Harpur at Drawn to the Light created technical drawings, which James Sturdy developed into a Syncronorm Depence file for previsualisation. “Collaborating with the team at Drawn to the Light allows

me to work at a speed and scale that’s just unachievable individually. They’re invaluable.” Green s aid. “ Each song looks entirely different because t hey all sound different. Pulp’s music is f ull of pastiche and cultural references, so we approach each song on it’s own terms, and then locate it in the wider arc of the show, scaling it up or down as the moment requires.”

This duality of old and new extended into the visuals. The show opened with black-and-white cutouts of t he band, Jarvis Cocker appearing in silhouette via a lift, before exploding into colour during the track, Spike Island

The visuals were based on a 30-year-old Dazed & Confused magazine shoot by Rankin, and a photograph Jarvis took of a mountain range in Iceland, digitised and animated by More Eyes using an AI Image Upscaler.

Fo r Di sco 2000, vintage Optikinetics Solar 250s were filmed at Insight Lighting and merged w ith modern effects, including AI and Notch. Acrylic Afternoons, a new addition to the set, featured “fizzy, amber-y” hues evoking the lyrics ‘lemonade light’, using pixel-mapped ACME Super Dotlines built into t he floor. “ We replaced t he ROE V isual CB5 LED r iser fascias with bespoke perspex-fronted light boxes w ith ACME Lighting Super Dotlines inside. T he different t ype of light engines on t he

lights g ave us incredible flexibility – t hey could resemble an old disco floor or be t ilted upwards to create light curtains, or even used for video playback,” Green explained. “Big thanks to Production Manager, Jerry Hough and Ox Event House for making these happen.”

In addition to truss and hoists, highlights of the lighting package included 74 Martin MAC Ultra Performances and 22 MAC Ones; 56 ACME Super Dotlines; 21 t wo-light blinders; 13 GLP JDC1s; fi ve Robe iFORTE LTXs w ith Robe FollowSpot base stations and a Mole Richardson Type 245.

“It’s a simple kit list, which makes replication easier across continents,” Green noted, praising support f rom Christie Lites’ Mathew Illot, Lighting Operator, Rob Gawler and the wider lighting crew.

“It is always great to work w ith Christie Lites and Rob is calm and meticulous. We have programmed about 52 songs so far between Lighting Programmers, Ben Cash and Jamie Trant,” he added. “The aim is to have the detail of a t imecoded show w ithout t he actual code –Pulp don’t play to track, so Rob and I have had to memorise every detail of every song. He has been fantastic.”

Alongside the lighting crew chiefs and four lighting technicians on the road, over 50

Words: Jacob Waite

Photos: Roberto Ricciuti, Harris Tomlinson-Spence, Lauren Krohn and Douglas Green

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

Christie Lites staff – including preparation crew, technicians, warehouse staff, project managers, cross-rental team members and transport coordinators – were involved in assembling the package. “It is always a huge pleasure to collaborate with Dougie – he always has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve. The lighting was a mix of retro and modern styles – a nod to previous Pulp tours,” added Christie Lites’ Mathew Ilott. “It was a massive privilege to support the team.”

Around 200 specific colour presets were used within the show, chosen more through emotion than science. “Pulp’s colour palette often comes from real-world inspiration – each song requiring its own set of colours to create its world,” Green explained.

A major visual highlight was The Sunlight – a custom rig featuring a central Mole Richardson Type 245 5KW Skypan surrounded by ETC Source Four PAR XWFLs and 2-lite moles.

Inspired by a photo sent by frontman, Jarvis Cocker, referencing the song A Sunrise, Green’s bespoke structure delivered an eye-catching moment before the curtain closed for an interval as Cocker danced within its blinding glow – an astonishing commitment to sartorial elegance with the frontman donning corduroy on one of the UK’s hottest days of the year thus far, coinciding with the Summer Solstice. “It is a powerful and unifying moment – the whole

audience and band bathed in the same light and heat,” Green commented.

ER Productions added further spectacle, supplying an EX25 laser, six BB4 lasers, six Stadium Shots, six Stadium Blasters, Viper and Unique hazers, and pyrotechnics, controlled via Galaxis. Additional confetti enhanced The O2 arena performance. Touring crew included Colin Clarke, Ed Chiswell Jones and Amber Forbes. ER Productions’ Managing Director, Marc Webber even operated the green laser during Sorted for E’s & Wizz back in 2011, evidencing the longstanding relationship with Pulp.

“Doug always brings fresh ideas, and his shows look fantastic,” ER Productions Project Manager, Ben Couch commented. “From project coordination to warehouse staff, everyone plays a key part. Working with Pulp is a pleasure.”

The team also handled Pulp’s secret Glastonbury Festival set. To preserve the surprise, even flight case labels were removed. “It was probably the worst-kept secret in Somerset this summer,” Green laughed. “But it worked. Jarvis wanted to reference Charli XCX’ promise of a ‘PULP SUMMER’ back at Coachella so we tweaked some video content, re-lit everything and made it bold for that moment.”

Poncho-clad crew on Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage, led by Emma Reynolds-Taylor, doubled as extras to hide the band during their entrance, stepping aside for the dramatic

ER Productions Laser Operator, Colin Clarke; Lighting Operator, Rob Gawler; Production Designer, Douglas Green; Lighting Programmer, Jamie Trant.

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

reveal. “We felt so welcomed by the Pyramid stage crew,” Green commented. “It was a special day – 30 years to the weekend after their first appearance on that stage – the reaction blew us all away.”

‘A NEW ERA OF PULP’ Screens Producers, Pete Thornton and Matt Sharp of More Eyes were tasked with transforming existing video content –reassessing, reprogramming, rescaling, and creating new material from the band’s avalanche of ideas.

Visual artist Julian House provided iconography, while Garth Jennings offered creative oversight. An existing Disguise show file, linked tightly with cues, provided a base. “We built upon it – a lot of filming, custom animation and Notch was involved,” said Thornton.

A notable development was the enhanced use of IMAG overlays. “This time, we had more video surface to play with. The IMAGs now carried content, not just live feed,” Green noted. Each song had a unique delivery format. “We previewed everything with the band. Not all visuals were ours – we also used analogue techniques like gel overlays on lenses, paired with digital Notch effects,” said Thornton. “It was controlled evolution,” Sharp added. “Each song had space for happy accidents.”

With only five weeks lead time, the biggest challenge was centralising all the visuals. From scanning hundreds of Rankin’s 1995 archive shots to sourcing a specific sunset image from

a book requested by Jarvis for A Sunset, every element was curated meticulously. “I reverse image-searched it, found the highest resolution online, ran it through an AI Image Upscaler, then animated four images to fade into each other –simple, but it took days,” recalled Thornton.

The band’s freeform style also created technical challenges. “With no click track, we had to build in leeway and buffers. We needed full-length visuals with enough overhang to adjust in real time,” said Sharp, crediting Media Server Programmer, Ben Gittos and Notch Programmer, Dan Williams for their “precision”.

“It’s low-fi creatively, but high-tech in delivery,” said Sharp, noting the use of Disguise GX 3 media servers and real-time Notch effects.

“I love Acrylic Afternoons – dark, sinister, but beautiful. Syncing those moments without code was very satisfying,” added Thornton.

For the interval section, More Eyes dug through 25 VHS tapes supplied by Rough Trade Records to create a five-minute montage superbly edited by Chris Allen. “It felt more like curiosity than nostalgia,” Green noted.

A retro-styled vote between two songs added an interactive layer. As Common People reached its extended chorus, and once the Pulp-branded teabags, fingers of fudge and handfuls of grapes were launched into the crowd, Jarvis used a spy camera on a stick – first used in the 2011/12 shows.

Notch Designer, Dan Williams created a filter that multiplied audience members on screen, turning them into “common people” – a symbolic

blurring of boundaries between artist and audience. “This band’s history predates me, and their style isn’t necessarily my own personal one, so it’s important that I do my research and deliver confidently,” Green said.

“E xperimentation is very Pulp and they’re all about taking risks on ideas. Tour Manager, Liam Rippon knows this all too well and has fostered a supportive environment for us to collaborate in, while also ensuring that the ideas that make it to the stage are delivered to a militarily high standard. Watching him guide this process is a real lesson in management.”

Asked about the responsibility of handling visuals for culturally significant songs, Sharp admitted: “The pressure was on – these are tracks we grew up with. You feel a duty to honour the band and the fans. It felt like a new era, not a nostalgia trip.”

Green concluded: “Two sold-out nights at The O2, a rammed Pyramid Stage and their new album going to number one in the charts. It’s been an extraordinary year and I think proves that resisting convention and taking creative risks can really pay off.” www.welovepulp.info www.douglasgreen.studio www.christielites.com www.moreeyes.co.uk www.er-productions.com www.drawntothelight.design www.insightlighting.co.uk www.lightsurgeons.com www.oxevents.co.uk

DI-RECT IN DE KUIP: STEEL AND SCREENS

The Dutch rock band celebrate their 25th anniversary with three sold-out shows, performing to more than 145,000 fans with an impressive production assembled by local talent.

Stageco steel and ROE Visual LED screens played a pivotal role in one of the most significant live music events in Dutch history – DI-RECT’s farewell concerts at Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium, home of Feyenoord. Tasked with delivering this historic production, Sightline Productions engaged Stageco to provide staging infrastructure and the build while Creative Technology (CT) Netherlands selected ROE Visual’s Black Quartz LED panels to create an impressive production for 145,000 fans.

The concerts marked the final chapter in De Kuip’s legacy as a live music venue. Over nearly five decades, the stadium has evolved into one of the Netherlands’ most revered concert stages. However, due to upcoming residential developments and increasing concerns over noise pollution, the City of Rotterdam has decided to discontinue large-scale performances at the venue.

DI -RECT embraced the emotional gravity of the moment. As the band paid tribute

to decades of musical history at De Kuip – following in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, U2, Madonna, and The Rolling Stones. CT Netherlands was entrusted with the execution of the LED installation, selecting ROE Visual’s Black Quartz Series. The final setup featured 966 sq m of ROE BQ6 and 56 sq m of BQ4, integrated into a striking 27m-tall LED canvas.

“T he specific requirements of the client naturally led us to high-end products like the ROE BQ series,” said Jeroen Boere, Project Director at CT Netherlands.

“We’ve deployed this product at many high-profile events, and the DI-RECT show once again confirms it was the right choice. Combined with the Megapixel Helios processing platform, it allows us to control each pixel perfectly – natively across 8K resolution canvases.”

With video content driven by Megapixel HELIOS LED processors and Disguise GX 3 media servers, the system operated across a dual 8K configuration, delivering precise colour

reproduction, high refresh rates, and real-time content synchronisation.

A st andout feature was its ability to handle full white brightness levels from 1% to 100%, offering creative flexibility for both subtle transitions and powerful visual moments.

One of the most striking elements of the show’s design featured two massive LED structures flanking the stage, representing a stylised hand (over 24m tall) and a profiled head of Spike, the stage name of DI-RECT’s Frans van Zoest.

These sculptural elements required a custom-engineered rear support structure, specially developed to handle the complex rigging loads and outdoor conditions. The 24m-tall shaped LED surfaces demanded bespoke steelwork and precise structural calculations to ensure safety and stability throughout the performances.

“T his was the highest video screen structure that I have ever built,” experienced Stageco Project Manager, Henkjan Luesink

Words: Jacob Waite

Photos: Nathan Reinds

XPRESSION 2000S

SPOT

- 12-facet circular and 10-facet linear rotating prisms with overlay

- 6 bi-rotational gobos + open

- 7 colours + open

- Frost lter and motorised focus

- GDTF xture les available

- 8 and 48-facet circular prisms with overlay

- 13 gobos + open

- 14 colours + open

- Endless tilt, motorised focus, and frost lter

- GDTF xture les available

- Motorised zoom from 3.8° to 35°

- 16-bit pan and endless tilt for smooth and precise movements

- Adjustable PWM from 1,200 to 15,000 Hz

- GDTF xture les available

said, reflecting on the tonnes of black steel gear supplied for DI-RECT and two support acts on the bill, The Indien and Son Mieux. “We built an elevator within the system to enable quick changeovers.”

The entire stage set fit into 30 trailers. In total, Stageco lifted 17 tonnes of material, including additional wind bracing, making for a heavy system.

“Our knowledge of De Kuip helped a lot. It’s a historic, tight space, not built for live events. It took a week and half to prepare how to transport the equipment and build different sections, in collaboration with the vendors.”

In addition to collaboration, the order of the unload was vital to the success of the project. Stageco deployed in-house constructor Paul Schijfsma to assess windloads, bracing and preparing the build within Eurocode regulation.

“T he most difficult part was actually centralising all the equipment as opposed to weight loads,” Luesink remarked. To this end, an experienced 36-strong team of Stageco staff, as well as some additional freelancers and production crew – making up approximately 450 people in total – were

What we Offer

Unrivalled Scale & Capacity:

With over 25 years of warehouse experience within the music -and theatre industry, we offer tailored storage solutions to meet both long-term and short-term requirements, we provide comprehensive storage solutions for all your storage needs—from securely storing band equipment in lock-up cages to housing larger sets in our fully climate-controlled 39,500 sq. ft warehouse . Our highly trained warehouse team are available seven days a week, always ensuring the safe handling of your equipment. For your peace of mind, every item is carefully photographed and logged upon arrival.

involved in the overall build, including 50 crew members assembling the smaller stage.

This project also coincided with multiple projects for the staging company, meaning equipment was allocated in advance and sourced from Stageco’s Tildonk warehouse in Belgium with further scaffolding infrastructure coming from across the Netherlands.

“95% of the gear was off the shelf with 5% custom made specials, which have since been recycled on projects,” Luesink reported, drawing paralell’s between Stageco’s material and the ease of implementation of Lego.

“Everything comes in varying sizes and configurations,” he continued. “In this case, we provided additional roller beams to lift the video screens into place, once they were built on the stage floor.”

Timing, in addition to collaboration and creative problem solving, was paramount. “The timeline was tight. We had several meetings with R&D departments and project leaders in the build-up to the show, and all those hours, ensured the smooth and safe implementation of the system,” he concluded.

“Fundamentally, we are a company that makes people happy, so we were proud to be

involved and collaborate with fellow companies on this momentous project.”

In addition to Sightline Productions, Stageco and CT Netherlands, the vendor roster featured stagebrothers (set construction), The Powershop (power generators), Ampco Flashlight Rental (lighting and audio), MisterBeam (visual content), and Production World (production). As De Kuip closes its gates to live music, DI-RECT and the entire production team leave behind a momentous farewell – one that seamlessly blends music, history, and world-class visual technology.

“T his wasn’t just a concert – it was the final chapter in De Kuip’s storied music history,” concluded CT Project Manager, Jordy Mulders. “We are incredibly proud to have contributed to this legacy and been able to deliver uncompromised visual excellence.”

www.di-rectindekuip.nl

www.ampco-flashlight.com

www.ct-group.com

www.roevisual.com

www.sightline.nl

www.stageco.com

www.stagebrothers.nl www.thepowershop.eu

Some of the production personnel engaged with delivering DI-RECT in De Kuip.

SHAKIRA: LAS MUJERES YA NO LLORAN

FOH Engineer, Bill Sheppell shares his approach to mixing the singer’s latest run, and how plugins play into his workflow.

Words: Stew Hume

Photos: Nathan Peterson

With an esteemed career behind the faders, Bill Sheppell has mixed for the likes of Beyoncé and Bon Jovi over the years. This year, he lent his talents to Shakira, mixing for her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour Sheppell sat down with TPi to discuss his workflow for the tour, which included the Universal Audio Apollo X16D.

“I started with Shakira in June, mixing the 2024 Copa América final halftime show,” began Sheppell. “Tour rehearsals started in October and went through to January 2025 with the first show taking place in early February in Brazil.”

When it came to his mixing approach, he stated how his main goal was to “keep her vocal out front, no matter what the song style”. He continued: “This went from thumping club stuff, to straight ahead rock, or a delicate ballad.”

For the South and North American tour, Sheppell and the audio team was supported by Eighth Day Sound and Clair Global.

“I work with them all the time, so it was fairly straight forward once we hammered out some details,” commented the engineer, outlining the d&b audiotechnik GSL system that he selected for the tour. “I had used a very similar rig on Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour and had very good results. Shakira came to that show in Miami, and I was contacted to do the tour the next day. So, I brought the product I had used that helped me get the gig. I have also used d&b systems on many other tours with great results, so it was a no-brainer – especially with the advantage of ArrayProcessing.”

The system design was one of the biggest challenges for Sheppell and the audio team due

to the large thrust as well as some stadiums where sound was “challenging”. He explained: “The main tools for these problems were proper PA placement, ringing out the vocal mics and using ArrayProcessing to clean up the room as much as possible.”

Sheppell selected the DiGiCo Quantum 852 mixing console for control. “It has been working out well and sounds great,” he enthused, explaining how he’s used various versions of the Quantum series for some time including the 852, the 338 or SD7.

Keeping the conversation on control, Sheppell described how he utilised the Universal Audio Apollo X16D within his outboard set. “I’m using the X16D for the reverbs as I really like the ones that UA has including the Lexicon 224, EMT 140 and AMS

RMX16. The quality of the plugins compared to the analogue pieces that I am used to made me want to use the unit. They sound great and all the UA gear I have been using has been holding up well on the road.”

Although the X16D was a newer addition to Sheppell’s spice rack, he was familiar with the Universal Audio brand. “I started using an Apollo 16 unit early on, as I like the plugins available. I went to the Live Rack as soon as it came out. The optical MADI allowed me to have it go with the Optocore DD2/4 and show up as a rack in DiGiCo world that cut down latency. It also could be used in the redundant engines of an SD7 easily, being on the Optocore loop.” He expressed his excitement to further explore the capabilities of the system, adding that he planned to explore the e1x Dante preamp when he gets some time.

“T he tour has been tough but rewarding,” he concluded. “The schedule and moving this stadium show around the world is hard, but the shows have been good with great reviews, so it makes it worth it. We are doing a second run of Mexico now and will be going back to South America to finish 2025.” www.shakira.com www.8thdaysound.com www.clairglobal.com

FOH Engineer, Bill Sheppell.

BILLIE EILISH HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR

Taking the in-the-round format to the next level, the artist’s latest production brings cinematic style and awe-inspiring automation, ensuring the focus remains on the performance.

Words: Stew Hume

Photos: Henry Hwu

Whenever I’m asked my thoughts on a show I’ve covered, I’ll admit that nine times out of 10, I’ll dive straight into ‘production talk’. However, when it came to Billie Eilish, my predominant memory was the sheer control that the 23-year-old singer exerted over her audience. Her mere presence on the stage, sometimes without even uttering a word, was enough to enrapture her fans. Few singers would be able to silence The O2 like she did when performing an a capella looped vocal for her song When the Party’s Over. What was evident from this show was how Billie was placed at the centre of the production with a fully automated set that metamorphosed with moving LED screens, lighting towers and a cinematic live video capture that only worked to enhance the artist’s ability to keep the crowd in the palm of her hand.

Having caught the show on the opening night of the run of six performances in the capital, the next day I headed to meet up with the production to learn the innerworkings of the HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR Our first stop was long-time Production Manager, and 2025 TPi Award w inner, Nicole Massey. Having been with Billie Eilish since 2019, Massey has become the linchpin in the camp as the singer’s production continues to grow. Following the release of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT in early 2024, the wheels started turning at Moment Factory, with the team drawing up the show’s design.

There were certainly a few changes from previous tours. Not only would t his be t he first t ime t hat Eilish toured in-the-round, but she would be w ithout her brother and cowriter Finneas O’Connell. Instead, a group of

musicians joined the singer, adding more of a live d ynamic to her back c atalogue. Performing from two band pits built into the stage, the performance area took up 5,824ft on the show floor w ith an overlapping, giant automated LED st ructure hung above.

“T here is no doubt that the show is massive,” Massey laughed. “That said, it still feels intimate. There’s so much dynamic movement in the songs that even though I’ve seen the show many t imes, I still find it exciting.”

Massey brought in several trusted suppliers including Clair Global (audio), Upstaging (lighting and US motors), Strictly FX (pyro, confetti and lasers) and TAIT (staging and automation). There were three video suppliers including V is-A-Vis (cameras and media servers), LED Shed (flown LED) and PRG (floor and automation tower LED) w ith CES (t ransformers), Actus Motors (rigging in EU/ UK), Eat Your Hearts Out ( plant-based c atering), Dutch B arrier Services (barriers), Beat T he St reet (artist and crew travel) and Stagetruck (logistics) adding to the roster.

Due to t he size of t he production, t he PM spoke of the importance of ensuring each department was crewed appropriately. “We didn’t expect the show to be as big, and once we started, we realised we were going to need some help,” she recalled. “I added eight people after t he first leg.”

T he production office was staffed appropriately for a tour t his size w ith

Production Coordinators, Dick Massey and Brad Kline supporting t he PM. “A lot of tours would not have extra Production Coordinators, piling more and more work onto the production office rather t han hiring more help,” noted Dick.

St age Manager, Jayy Jutting, aided the team with t he d ay-to-day load-in and - outs. “ Due to the scale, I also brought in Craig Finley, who I knew from my time on Coldplay,” explained Massey. “He’s really helped Jayy and I. We’ve even got a Dock Master – PJ A rmellino – on t his tour, who doubles as our Show Caller.”

Sustainability was another subject that was brought up quickly within the production office. “ It’s a huge driving factor for Billie and we have to think about it constantly,” Massey stated, highlighting actions including the use of HVO fuel and the tour’s collaboration with REVERB. As well as working w ith t he team –especially the catering department to provide plant-based meals – REVERB set up stands in t he foyer with activations to engage with fans in some of the tour’s pledges including a reduction of single-use plastics.

“From the beginning, Billie and her team made sustainability a central part of touring,” stated REVERB’s Melissa Jun Rowley. “On the Happier Than Ever, The World Tour, we eliminated more t han 117,000 single-use bottles, served plant-based meals t hat s aved 8. 8 million g allons of water, and offset over 15,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent through certified climate projects.”

REVERB continued t hese incentives for t his run along with optimising waste management through recycling and composting while making efficiencies in crew and artist t ravel and tr ucking. “More sustainable design choices and donation programmes help eliminate waste,” said Rowley. “ The entire production team is involved and t ruly buys into t hese efforts.”

This mission also extended to the fan experience. Every show, REVERB’s Eco-Action

Village became a hub for action where fans took over 133,500 steps in support of people and the planet. Support+Feed, founded by Eilish’s mother Maggie Baird encourage fans to take a pledge to eat one plant-based meal a day. “More than 88,000 single-use bottles were avoided through refill stations, and 56 nonprofits were featured in Eco-Action Villages across three continents, resulting in over 15,000 direct fan engagement actions. Billie’s touring model is changing the industry. In addition to reducing emissions, we’re reimagining what a concert can contribute to the world, and we look forward to seeing the impact data from HMHAS,” stated Rowley.

“Finding that balance of doing a big show and lowering our impact is a constant conversation for us,” stated Massey, expressing her hope for more incentives in the industry to make an impact such as the use of batteries to partially power Lollapolloza, which Eilish played on her Happier Than Ever, The World Tour festival run.

With multiple moving parts, Stage Manager, Jayy Jutting explained what it was like to keep the train on the tracks for this high-octane show. He cited the moment when Eilish had to get from the main stage to a B-stage for a toaster reveal during the song Guess as one of his interesting daily challenges. “Every venue is different and no matter the advance calls, it’s not really until I get into the venue that I can plan.” This highly choreographed move involved getting the singer off stage, then via scooters getting her in place on the B-stage toaster to be launched into the air to then sing her verse. During the show, Jutting and his

Assistant, Kurt Wagner had other marks they had to hit including getting the wireless selfiecamera on and off stage.

During the build, the team were supported by 120 local crew. “It’s been much easier to ask for these numbers – especially compared to the post-COVID years,” stated Jutting. “We come into these buildings, and we want everyone to be happy to be there. The show wouldn’t happen without these local hands!” While discussing the build, Massey was keen to highlight the hard work of Head Rigger, Matt Rynes and his department – especially due to the sheer weight of equipment being hung above the audience each night.

PRODUCTION ORIGINS

To learn about the design origins of the show, TPi spoke to Moment Factory’s Tarik Mikouthe tour’s Show and Creative Director, along with Live Video Producer and Director, Stuart Merser. Having provided equipment for Eilish since 2017, Merser has had a front row seat for the singer’s ascension on the live stage.

“I ’ve been involved before there was even really a need for a director,” explained Merser, emphasising how the medium of video has always been important to Eilish. This led to what Merser described as a “great collaboration” with Mikou when it came to the show design to ensure that the video was applied correctly. The four-sided video arrangement hung above the main stage expanded and contracted into various configurations during the show. There was an internal LED automated cube comprising blow through LED and containing and internal performance platform

Above: Production Manager, Nicole Massey surrounded by Dockmaster / Showcaller, PJ Armellino, Second Stage Manager, Kurt Wagner, Secret Weapon, Craig Finley and Stage Manager,Jayy Jutting; Production Assistant, Lauren McCarthy, Tour Dog, Reggie Massey, Production Coordinators, Dick Massey and Brad Kline with Tour Accountant, Jeff Mauss; Video Director, Stu Merser; Jack Sexton, Chris Griffin, Geoff Massey, Olivia McGahan, Crew Chief, Benji Meserole, Lighting Director, Will Flavin, Lexi Rose, Gavin White, Kyle Rutkowski, Erin Grace, Rizzo Mulholland and Bishop Sforza. Opposite: Finn Rankin, Connor Dexter, Freddie Hamlin, Jay Golder, Vendor Rep and Tech Tom Levitt, James Miles, Duncan Stinson, Crew Chief Luke Levitt, Ben Renschen and Luis ‘Bong’ Buno; Wardrobe Supervisor, Trish Forde and Backstage Coordinator, Judy Won; Screens Director Lorenzo Loche, Teddy Corrales, Landon Cable, Brandon Isbell, Crew Chief, Cam Dixon and Cole Peterson; Riggers, Jorge Machado, Brittany Kiefer, Matt Rynes, and Bobby Wright.

used to reveal Eilish, who began the set from within the cube.

“We’ve had the privilege of designing a few Billie Eilish tours and this one was a natural evolution of her as an artist moving into 360°,” stated Mikou, admitting that in-the-round shows can often be tricky from a design perspective. “We’ve done a lot of research and had many conversations with Billie to ensure she was the focus. Sometimes it’s confusing for audiences when there are lots of elements and obstacles that distract from the performance.”

Another goal for Mikou was to break up the room with the use of automation. “Arenas are big, and we wanted to make sure the experience felt intimate. The automated towers that hung around the stage really break up the room and each time they come in musically they make the experience more intimate. When they drop in you feel like you’re in a smaller room and ‘in the music’ with her,” he said.

“I love the fact that Mikou brought me in from the beginning,” said Merser, explaining that these early discussions meant he and his team from Vis-A-Vis were able to ensure they had the right camera positions in place. The camera package was a cut above the ‘standard’ touring package with the team opting for a setup more akin to a film shoot. “They are all PL mount camera and all Super 35 rather than B4, which is the standard touring camera lens. They’ve all got a Cinichip in there for starters and the lenses are all Fuji Duvo,” said Merser. “At Vis-A-Vis, we’ve invested $3m in those lenses this year. They’re not cheap, which is why they look so good. Let’s bring cinema technology into the live world!” This high-level package meant the video

team could live colour grade during the show resulting in “cleaner” IMAG looks.

Some of the highlights of the camera package included the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2s, L3 towerCams and Micro Studio G2 with Olympus 7-14mm lenses. There were four Canon CR-N500 PTZ used as spy cameras on each side of stage and two Motion Impossible Agitos with Mag Trax. “No one really tours with Agitos,” stated Merser. “It’s very much a cinematic setup, each with an ARRI SRH 360 Stabilised heads and both of which on a Vislink Hcam Systems.”

As well as quality the Agitos were able to achieve with their moving shots, the system used a magnetic strip rather than a track. “Not only was there no room in the pit to build a track, but the fact it uses a magnetic strip meant that it was very quick to set up and took up very little trucking space. We’re a very environmentally conscious tour and try and do everything we can to make it more environmentally friendly.”

The level in which the video department went to ensure the quality of the shots was impressive, all the way down to having a base on the long lenses containing nitrogen gas to compensate for the vibrations caused by the heavy bass mix of Eilish’s music.

One video element that was front and centre during the show was the incorporation of the camera used by Eilish to film her and the band. “The Billie-cam,” chuckled Merser, who explained that since its debut he’s had many others from the industry asking what he’d been using for those moments. “The idea came during a listening party we did for the album where Billie’s brother Finneas had a camera on

stage, which Billie grabbed and started filming herself with.”

This sparked the idea to incorporate this ‘selfie cam’ shot into the show. “We brought a new version of the camera to rehearsals and started looking at how long her arm was to get the right focal length on the lens so that if she was holding it at arm’s length, it was always going to be nicely framed and in focus.”

The camera in question for that look was a Blackmagic Micro Studio Gen 2. “It’s still a super 35 film sensor with a prime lens on it – a very particular prime lens with a wireless links. The wireless link was the bane of my life trying to find something that works in every region.” It was this wireless setup, however, which Merser was keen to keep under his hat – he won’t be revealing all his tricks.

Merser cut the show manually each night on a Blackmagic 4 m/e vision mixer alongside Screens Director, Lorenzo Loche and Engineer and Colourist, Ben Renschen. Tom and Luke Levitt of LED Shed provided all the flown LED, supported by PRG Crew Chief, Cameron Dixon.

“It’s been the first tour with this setup but since rehearsals it’s been nothing but easy going,” stated Dixon, whose team at PRG provided the large floor LED – comprising YesTech 4.8mm and powered by NovaStar processors. “The LED panels on the floor all fit into a 2x2 TAIT deck which is bolted together by the carp departments then we come in after it’s built to wire everything.” PRG also looked after the automated video towers which used ROE Visual Vanish LED panels.

“We’ve been supporting Billie and her team since the debut album run, and it’s been

impressive to see the creative vision evolve at every stage,” added PRG Account Executive, John Wiseman.

“T his tour was no exception. The in-theround setup with that striking video cube put the visuals front and centre, but the overall design was clean and minimal – no distractions, nowhere to hide. It takes a real artist to hold an arena like that. We were proud to deliver a rock-solid video system that supported Nicole’s production leadership and Moment Factory’s interpretation of Billie’s vision.”

LED Shed’s Tom Levitt emphasised the sheer amount of product the team were dealing with each day: “We’ve got around 800 sq ft of LED and there are few arena tours that have this much video surface, not to mention these types of cameras from Vis-A-Vis.”

Luke Levitt concurred: “Each part of the video delivery is so complex that it needed good people and dedicated teams to get it done.”

The fact that Luke as the Director of the LED Shed was out on the tour personally as well as Merser as Vis-A-Vis Director made a statement of the investment both companies were making with this project. “We’ve worked with Stuart for many years and between all of us I think we’ve really pushed the boundaries of resolution on this tour,” enthused Luke.

The flown screen selected by LED Shed was ROE Visual V4ST for the main surface.

“It’s t he company’s new fl agship product and it clips together fast making it quick to deploy. Importantly it’s as light as you can get while still having t he features and benefits of a touring LED screen.”

As for the centre automated cube, ROE Visual V8 was selected. Processing for the hung LED came from Brompton Technology processors. “We are running it 10bit,” stated Tom.

“Usually tours come in as 8bit, which compresses the image. In our mind there is no point going to all the trouble with deploying high-end cameras and lenses to then going onto a generic LED setup.”

Due to the quantity of screens and content, there was a collection of eight Disguise GX 3 media servers.

The video crew also featured SRH Head Op and Head of Cameras Jay Golder; SRH Head Operator, Finn Rankin; Agito Operators, Duncan Stinson and Bong Buno, with LED processing handled by Brandon Isbell, supported by crew members Connor Dexter, Roger Nelson, Cole Peterson, Anthony ‘Teddy’ Corrales, Landon Cable, James Miles and Freddie Hamlin.

LIGHTING THE ACTION

Brought in to add to the visual appeal of the show were Lighting Designers, Ben Dalgleish and Kasper Iseger from creative studio Human Person. The latter was onsite at The O2 to speak about the duo’s lighting goals. “Once we were brought in by the team at Moment Factory, we got to see the main direction and stage design and they outlined some of the looks stating that they wanted some big beam,” Iseger said.

On t he stage, the length of each side was lined with the CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12 solutions. “We got to use them on a shoot we did for the The Late Show With Stephen Colbert during the album

The Automation crew of Will Anglin, Ben Hammett, Monica Walker, Becki Oorbeck, Crew Chief Brian Benauer, Bob Fitts and Operator, Eamon Keane.

BILLIE EILISH

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT TOUR

WE ARE PROUD TO BE INVOLVED

Headoffice Austria: joerg@beatthestreet.net | hannes@beatthestreet.net | lee@beatthestreet.net | dominic@beatthestreet.net

Office UK: garry@beatthestreet.net | dan@beatthestreet.net

Office Spain & France: tristan@beatthestreet.net

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

cycle – which got nominated for an EMMY,” commented Iseger. “So, when I saw the look of the set, I really liked the idea of having a whole line of them stage.”

Although the PXL Curve were very visible on the stage, there were several fixtures that the lighting team were keen to keep hidden and only bring into view for certain moment.

“We’ve utilised the Wahlberg Motion Design lifting columns to bring in the ACME LEO to back light the singer for certain songs. We also have Wahlbergs in the band pit that bring in the Martin MAC Aura XIP to backlight her when she’s sat on the stage. We got very creative hiding and moving fixtures in and out.”

Iseger shared his fondness for pan and tilt fixtures and his excitement when he saw that Upstaging had taken stock of Elation Pulse Panels. “I knew they would work well for the songs ilomilo and bad guy which we have used on the towers. I’m in love with the GLP impression X5s. They are so powerful.”

CHAUVET Professional PXL Strike Ms, ACME LEO, Elation Pulse Bar S, PROTEUS, SŌL I BLINDER, Robe iForte and TMB Solaris Flare XL120 solutions also featured on the lighting rig. The show was operated by Lighting Director Will Flavin via an MA Lighting grandMA3.

“T his is my first run with Billie, joining the camp six months ago,” began Flavin. “The show is fully timecoded but there are several ‘special

moments’ that are a bit more complex,” To aid in key lighting, the visual team utilised FollowMe’s Track-iT system with Eilish always having a tracker on her as well as the company’s manual tracking system as a backup solution.

“We have over 20 beacons around the stage to track her movement,” explained Lighting Crew Chief, Benji Meserole. “The biggest concern on this show is time as we need time to calibrate the system, but at this point, we are very dialled in.”

Key to the integration of the tracking system was Head of Wardrobe, Tricia Forde. Put forward by Go For Wardrobe, Forde worked with the sound and lighting team to incorporate the IEM packs and the tracking system within the singer’s stage outfits.

“Commercially available holders and belts are rarely a good fit for most artists as they tend to be bulky, uncomfortable to wear, limited in colour and in the positions, they can be worn on the body. I created several configurations at the start of tour to ensure the trackers and IEM packs were as comfortable and as invisible as possible while also maintaining function for the artist, sound, and lighting department.”

Forde considers her main role as “supporting for the artist, ensuring her wardrobe is something she’s not thinking about on stage.” She added: “I’m one of the last people to see her before she goes on

stage and creating an environment of calm confidence is chief among my responsibilities.”

Back to the lighting team, helping to ensure that everything was built in time was a team of 13 crew members. “It’s a pretty big team,” admitted Meserole. “We have multiple departments working on top of each other so in that case it’s good to have this many people.”

The entire visual department, including video, lighting, automation and SFX operators, were all situated in the same spot in the upper ring of seating ensuring easy of communication as well as a clear view of the whole stage.

“We’re in a good routine. A large part of my role is working closely with Eamon Keane from our automation department to ensure they have everything they need,” Flavin said.

“We have been involved with Billie Eilish for the past several tours and the production led by Nicole Erin Massey is a great team to work with,” added Upstaging’s Dan Curley. “Ben and Kasper were great to work with and were open to suggestions on gear recommendations. There were a lot of newer lighting products that were coming in from the factories right up until two days before it had to leave our shop.”

He g ave a particular shout out to the CHAUVET PXL Curve 12 and the Elation Professional Pulse Panel FX and Pulse BAR S and L. He also commented that this was the “perfect show” for using Follow-Me’s Track-iT

system. “Track-it allows moving lights to know when the LED wall is in the way and it will fade it out, so you don’t get that big white circle shining on the screen when she goes too far to the opposite edge of the stage,” he commented.

PYRO AND MANY, MANY LASERS

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR was certainly not short of big SFX moments with a jaw-dropping 54 laser fixtures, pyro hits and custom confetti hit to close out the show. Walking TPi through the various elements were Crew Chief, John Lyons and Laser Operator, Maxime Rocher.

“We have lasers everywhere,” enthused Rocher, while pointing out the various fixtures he and the team deployed each day. “In total, we have 32, 30W, eight 80W, and 12 10W lasers. Each of the automated towers has two lasers with another six on both the left and right of the truss. There two other lasers up and down stage with three 60W for the band.”

The B-stage featured two 80W fixtures flanking the performance area. “All the lasers on the truss are aimed down on the stage with the bigger fixtures on the stage shooting to a safe location in the ceiling.”

Shooting from the automated towers, the fixtures helped create a laser cage moment at the start of the show. “We have physical blocks on each of the towers,” commented Lyons, explaining the safety protocol for his part of the show. “Once the towers are moved into place, we make sure everything is aligned and safe. We

check all the fixtures a few times during the day to ensure everything is where it should be.”

The lasers were operated by Pangolin BEYOND via two computers due to the size of the system. “We have one computer running the lasers in the air and another for the floor lasers.”

To launch the pyrotechnics, the team utilised an MA Lighting grandMA3 console with six Galaxis G-Flames located upstage, and six downstage used for four songs on the set list. “From the outset, Billie wanted an aggressive flame effect, so we’ve gone for a very natural organic look for these moments,” said Lyons.

The band that was out on the road had not really been exposed to pyro before and with all the fixtures being placed in the pit behind the musicians, Lyons stated how he and the wider team worked with them to ensure they were comfortable. “We want things to be as safe as possible and for them to be comfortable in line with the creative. I always say there is ‘concept’ and ‘reality’ with SFX, and our job is to find where these two elements meet.”

During the show, there were two spotters in the stage – one in each musician pit overseeing the Galaxis G-Flames.

“T hey are closer to the effect than anyone else and each have an e-stop as well as fire extinguishers and fire blankets,” commented Lyons. “Amid the show, I’m down on the floor watching everything and giving Rocher – who’s operating each of the looks – a verbal clear. Mainly making sure we are clear of the LED video screen which is constantly opening and closing.”

Head Carpenter, Jack Deitering and Carpenters, Robby Floyd, Pat Boyd, Dave Johnson, Dana Vanella, Trevor White and Stu Farnell; The SFX crew of Natalie Frew, Crew Chief, John Lyons, Kyle Omar, John Arrowsmith and SFX Operator, Maxime Roche missing Xavion Johnson; Playback Technician and Crew Chief, Kyle Fournier, Steeve Hennessy, and Mike Poorman, missing Trevor Jackson; FOH Engineer, Adam Stuart, Audio Crew Chief, Katie Hughes, Systems Engineer, Alex McCormack, Chris Hazelton, Monitor Engineer, Salim Akram, Jony Santoja Martinez, Bree Bradley, Acho Martinez Soler, Hugo Gudino, Julia Hom and Isaac Gennheimer; Power guy Matt Murphy and barricades, Rolf Van Elten.

The last effect was the confetti hit at the end of the show where thousands of initial logos of the current album cycle were fired into the crowd.

“People love the litter,” Lyons said, commenting on all the fans that were often filling their pockets hoping to take a memento home. “We have cannons around the perimeter of the stage in the barricade and the truss,” he continued. “Each day we have to bring in a lift to reload the flown rig.”

He went on to explain that the look had expanded throughout the run: “After the Sydney show, Billie decided she wanted more confetti. Since then, we now carry manual confetti blowers, which are operated by local hands each night who start firing their units after the first hit.” The effect was a continuous confetti drop as the artist closed the show during the outro for BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Scott ‘Bull’ Allen of Strictly FX gave his thoughts on the company’s involvement with the tour: “Working with Billie and her team is a great combination of pushing creativity and boundaries along with old-school rock effects. Collaborating with all the departments, the Strictly crew ensures the safety of artist, band, other crew and fans while integrating into this show with all its moving parts. Working on this tour is like being in a big family and is a great mix of veterans and young talent.”

SETTING THE STAGE

Walking around the stage, the first thing that stood out was how low the stage was, ensuring

Eilish was as close to the audience as possible. This certainly created a challenge for the crew working in the underworld. “We did move it up slightly in the early stage and added AC systems in Europe because most of the European venues aren’t sitting on ice like in America,” said Head Carpenter, Jack Deitering. “The low stage is amazing for the crowd.”

The Head Carp and some of his team of six start early with rigging starting at 2.30am most mornings. The stage is split into five different parts, which are built around when the flown mother grid is being put into place.

Overseeing the fabrication of the stage as well as all the automated elements of the show was TAIT. Shannon Nickerson, Senior Project Manager for TAIT, spoke to TPi about the various considerations during the build: “First, the weight in the roof and around the scoreboards was under careful consideration,” began Nickerson. “Second, the tour was already on sale, which meant sight lines and footprint for GA were going to be a driving factor. Finally, being in the round, there had to be somewhere for the technicians to be during the show.”

Going deeper into the issue of weight, Nickerson explained how TAIT determined a 58ft span for four tracking trusses and a 68ft span for two static trusses under the scoreboard.

“T hese spans were determined by the proximity of the truss systems to each other, the load each one carried, and the use case of the gear they held. The tracking systems were going to hold a three-sided video screen on each

side of the arena. Along with the video screens, there were going to be light trusses that hung and tracked behind the screens as well as a four-sided video cube that moved vertically throughout the show.”

The static trusses each held another video screen and took the load of the performer flying platform at the centre. “The concept was that the tracking screens would come together around the other gear, so that from the start of the show, the audience would only see a foursided video wall.”

During the performance, the tracking screens opened to reveal the inner video walls and then continued to track to the ends of the arena. The tracking screens came back together and opened several times throughout the show.

To oversee this choreography of screens in the sky, the team deployed TAIT Mother Grid Truss. “It was created not only as a way to house motors over larger spans, but has the ability to house a track and trolley system,” stated Nickerson. “We used this heavy-duty truss to make the spans under the scoreboards, and as the loads transferred to the main arena floor, we made a transfer connection to a slightly lighter truss. This was the first time we had done a transfer across these tracking systems, but by doing this, we were able to reduce some of the load in the roof.”

The smaller video cube and platform also presented a challenge – especially on the American run as it was hung under the scoreboard. “In order to get enough capacity in

www.novastar.tech

tony@novastar.tech

the trusses to fly the artist safely, we had to span over the fully loaded tracking truss system and into the static screen system where there was a little capacity to be found,” stated Nickerson.

“The trick in this aspect was not having to span the 50ft across all the other trusses; it was making sure we were high enough that the four tracking trusses didn’t see any of the load and the profile was low enough that we didn’t change any trim heights.”

Nickerson closed by described what it was like working with production on the tour. “I always enjoy working with the production team for Billie Eilish. The atmosphere is fun, and everyone is playing on the same team.”

On t he road the automation was handled by Automation Crew Chief, Brian Benauer and Automation Operator, Eamon Keane. “It’s a very complex layered mother grid with the performer fly beams spanning across the inside two VTT or Video Tracking Truss tracks,” stated Benauer, while explaining the complex nature of the build and the “carefully coordinated dance between departments working together”.

He added: “While our mother grid takes up the entire arena floor, which blocks access to a lot of other work, we complete our entire safety over looks performed by multiple crew members including our touring rigging team. This adds a little time to the load-in but contributes to the team’s successful and safe shows every night. Four hours in, the towers on the stage left of the arena would have already started their build cycle with one of our team members driving the

TAIT Nav Hoist for PRG and Upstaging teams to construct all four towers. The LED Shed team starts building the static screens on the mother grid as soon as it’s at trim and I give the go ahead, while starting the build of one side of the tracking screens while the stage is being built.”

Keane described safety as the “number one concern”. He commented: “For the performer flying platform, we are fortunate as most of the positions, if we were to lose power for example, we can perform a rescue from a ladder. For the toaster, there are interlocks that prevent the lift from moving if the door is open and plexiglass on the inside to eliminate pinch points. This is the only effect that is controlled locally. Instead of a cue being fired by me at the console, one of our excellent techs, Becki Oorbeck, is firing the toaster from an interface right at the lift.”

Keane explained the benefits of being based at the FOH position along with the lighting and video departments for the tour. “It’s especially helpful when dealing with SFX,” he continued. “Automation and SFX are the two most inherently dangerous departments of a touring production and when they are tied together, as we are with the lasers in the towers, being next to one another is immeasurably helpful to prevent an unsafe situation. As far the other departments go, it is very helpful during load-in to expedite things like lighting focus and aligning the tracking screens.”

He closed by describing how, “full cooperation from all departments is 100% necessary for its success”. He added: “With

everyone’s gear being interconnected, working together is the only option. To see that sort of teamwork daily is incredibly inspiring. When you pair that with an artist who is exceptionally talented and has a strong moral compass, it makes it very easy to come to work every day.”

Handling the barricades for the tour was Dutch Barriers. The company’s US arm, Guardian Barrier Service handled the American leg before handing over to its European partners this side of the Atlantic.

“T here are a lot of barriers, but it’s not a difficult setup,” commented Stanley Jilesen of Dutch Barriers, describing the deployment. “The only challenge is the area where Billie starts her show, and her entrance is a bit different every city. The system we provided has floorplate infills, so there are no gaps in the floorplate at all, taking away all tripping hazards.”

AUDIO IN-THE-ROUND

To close out the day, TPi walked over to audio FOH by the B-stage to meet up with FOH Engineer, Adam Stuart; Monitor Engineer, Salim Akram; Systems Engineer, Alex McCormack and Audio Crew Chief, Katie Hughes.

Throughout the entire run, the team carried a full Cohesion PA provided by supplier Clair Global. “The vertical coverage was the biggest initial hurdle,” mused McCormack, while describing the challenge of creating the in-theround setup for the tour. “We always wanted to keep the experience equal for everyone from the back to the front but having such a low stage

in the middle was quite tricky to find a front fill setup that would work.”

For front fills there were a total of 28 CO8s all around spaced on shelves and speaker stands. “They’ve got a lot of horsepower for such a little box,” enthused McCormack.

The rest of the rig was mainly made up of the CO10 with eight main hangs of 20 around centre stage, plus a hang of eight on either end to cover extended floor seating. “I think we’ve got a lot of the inventory of CO10,” joked McCormack. “If it was a larger format box, the weight would have been an issue so the CO10 proved to be the best solution. Adam also prefers the sound of the box, which works better for Billie’s material.”

Also on the rig were 60 CP218 II+ with 24 flown in four hangs of six in end-fire arrays, with an additional 36 on the ground in 12 stacks of three in cardioid configuration FOH.

McCormack harnessed Clair Global’s new modelling software for this run. “It’s really good –especially while making sure all areas are getting equal coverage,” he enthused.

From behind his DiGiCo Quantum 7, Stuart spoke about what he likes about the Cohesion system. “The PA has a great low-end curve and the point between the subs and the highfrequency boxes is very smooth, meaning you get a good ‘sub-bump’ without having any weird interaction between the two.”

The fact that this was the first time that Eilish was touring with a full band opened some new opportunities for Stuart to work with the mix of her back catalogue. “Even the things you would not expect to be live on this show, are

live,” enthused the FOH Engineer, commending the work of the band and Musical Director, Aron Forbes. “It adds a real energy to the show off the back of a tonne of time in the studio working out the various parts.

“T he DiGiCo Quantum 7 has been my desk of choice for many years due to its flexibility and the audio ins and outs are almost limitless,” continued Stuart. “I’ve got a whole lot of Waves with some outboard elements including Rupert Neve Shelford Channel for her vocals, distressors for the snare and a master bus processor on my master group and a couple of Bricastis for vocals, guitar and piano depending on the song.”

While the mix for the room was paramount, Stuart explained that the audio captured by fans’ phones was a consideration. “We spent a lot of time making sure that hangs reached down to the front and we had a few hangs on the far end for better coverage of the floor area. We want to give as much direct sound as possible. Intelligibility is the number one factor – if you don’t have that, you don’t have anything. Thankfully, phones have come a long way and are able to pick up much more, so having a nice low end always feels good.”

A st andout moment of the show was during When The Party’s Over, when Eilish silenced the audience and created a multi loop harmony of her voice to accompany the start of the song. “It’s real!” asserted Stuart when the topic was brought up at FOH. “I was sceptical when it was discussed in rehearsals if it would work live.” The team were “on the edge” of their seats on the

first night of the tour, according to McCormack, but were “so impressed” by Eilish’s ability to silence the audience.

Having been with the singer for the past seven years, Monitor Engineer, Salim Akram is one of the longest standing members of the production crew. “Although there are many new elements on the show this time, her mix really hasn’t changed too much. I just try to make her mix as full as possible,” he stated, discussing his process using an Allen & Heath dLive S7000.

For her vocal microphone, Eilish once again used the Sennheiser MD 445 capsule with all wireless coming via Shure.

“We are still on the PSM 1000s as that is what the artist has used for a long time and when we first were putting this one together, the new Shure products were not quite ready,” commented RF Technician, Hugo Gudino.

All microphones were on Axient Digital with Gudino using Workbench to master the rather challenging setup. “The show has been a challenge especially as the band is lower on the stage, which has LED – essentially, they are ‘inside’ a video wall.”

He added that during the show Eilish lies down on the stage, creating somewhat of a challenge getting the signal to her. “I’m using hight output combiners from Clair Global to punch through the noise floor. Then on the main deck I have two transmit antennas covering both arenas where the band are. I have one pointed at the B-stage for those few songs,” Gudino said. “In total there are 11 of us out here,” commented Crew Chief, Katie Hughes who

echoed the thoughts from other departments on the need to crew this size of show properly. “We are all kept very busy. When it comes to the build, we are fairly independent from the main mother grid bar a few cables we run up there. But we have our own truss, so we come in a few hours after when space opens on the floor.”

In closing, Hughes was complimentary of the service Clair Global provided her and the team during the tour. “Everywhere we go I have a point person and we’re never unsupported. We’ve been lucky to carry the same rig throughout the whole tour.”

McCormack furthered: “Due to the design of the show, it is important that everything stays the same. We have such a huge amount of CO10 I think we’d struggle to pick up those boxes in other territories. Not only that, the cable lengths we created took such a long time and it’s now in such a good flow. If we introduced too many variations, it could go south very quickly.”

Clair Global Account Executive, Justin Weaver commented: “Clair Global has been a proud vendor for Billie over the past few years. Seeing her distinctive sound define a generation as she delivers hit after hit has been wonderful to witness. The production team, led by the unstoppable Nicole Massey, and her touring crew, have developed a very slick operation and

it’s our pleasure to help enable the tour’s ideal live sound environment. We really appreciate all the hard work our crew undertakes; their dedication to the craft means they provide a consistent audio experience every night for Billie’s fans. They are some of the best engineers and techs in the game, and we look forward to doing it all again this fall.”

ON TO THE NEXT ONE

“It was great to be asked back by Nicole to provide buses again for Billie,” stated Gary Lewis of Beat The Street, discussing the company’s involvement with the tour. “We’ve provided buses for several tours in the recent years, and seen Billie grow from a relatively small artist to a top-level artist, which is wonderful to see. And of course, working with Dick and Nicole Massey is always a pleasure, long may it all continue.”

Joining Beat The Street on the road was Stagetruck. The HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR’s production certainly brought something new and innovative to the in-theround conversation. When an artist opts to move their stage into the centre of the room, the goal should be to give fans a more immersive experience. Suffice to say, this goal was one that each department took very seriously and achieved in spades. In fact, as I jumped on the

Tube to head to Euston, I picked up a discarded Metro newspaper, which featured a review of gig. The reviewer, now enamoured with the artist’s live offering, referenced the staging creating an “intimate venue” – a clear case of the perfect melding of production and raw artist talent.

For those who didn’t manage to catch the show, fear not, as during her UK tour, Eilish announced that she is collaborating with a littleknown director called James Cameron on a film that involves 3D, shot during her Manchester shows on this tour.

More details are still yet to be revealed, but no doubt, the result will have the same level of artistry and creative flair as the tour. www.billieeilish.com www.momentfactory.com www.taittowers.com www.clairglobal.com www.upstaging.com www.visavis.video www.prg.com www. ledshed.com www.strictlyfxuk.com www.stagetruck.com www.beatthestreet.net www.reverb.org www.supportandfeed.org store.billieeilish.com/pages/sustainability

A True Workhorse Long-throw Luminaire

No compromise IP65/66 high-output low footprint

LED WashBeam and FollowSpot

Discover more

NINE INCH NAILS: PEEL IT BACK TOUR

TPi goes behind the scenes of Nine Inch Nails’ latest tour to meet some of the crew powering a new-look production…

Words: Alicia Pollitt

Photos: Edmund Fraser, John Crawford, MTLA Studio, Coen Rees and TPi

Nine Inch Nails and their production crew descended on Manchester’s Co-op Live stage with an ambitious show design as part of the band’s return to worldwide touring. Technically orchestrated by Tour Advisor, Chris Kansy and Production Manager, Pierce Scott, the much-anticipated Peel It Back Tour featured reimagined versions of the band’s vast back catalogue across two performance stages and the debut of an exciting new touring product.

“I’ve been involved w ith NIN on and off for about 25 years. Before t his tour, Trent [Reznor, NIN f rontman], w ho I respect greatly, got a hold of me and asked if I could help out,” Kansy informed TPi.

“ I really enjoy working for artists w ho give so much of t hemselves, not only to t he music, but to t he brand,” he added. “ NIN are k nown for being technically advanced and creative, and this show doesn’t deviate f rom t hat level of drama and t heatre.”

Helping t he team achieve t his feat was a collection of technical suppliers including: Solotech (video), B ritannia Row Productions (audio), Neg Earth Lights and Upstaging (lighting and r igging), Carbon B lack Technology (soft goods), TAIT (staging and automation), St agetruck (logistics), and Beat T he Street

(bussing), as well as Silent House and MTLA

Studio for t he creative.

“ We’re using a lot of suppliers t hat I have worked w ith in t he past but a new one to t his project was Solotech, w hich has a strong background in projection, so t here was a drive to bring t hem onto t he tour,” Kansy explained. “Clair Audio has solid equipment, crew and support. We’re using a blend of Upstaging and Neg Earth Lights – it is great to work w ith t wo companies t hat share t he s ame ethos. O verall, it has been incredibly fascinating, challenging and rewarding to get t his show on t he road.”

Beat T he Street Tour Coordinator, Lee

Rees, commented: “ It was a pleasure working with T im [Krieg, Tour Manager] and his team to ensure t hings ran as smoothly as possible during t he month-long tour around t he UK and Europe. We want everyone to feel like t hey have a home away f rom home and get a good rest between shows w hen t hey r ide our buses. Our dr ivers understand t his philosophy completely and we provide both our clients and dr ivers with 24/7 support to keep t hings r unning smoothly. We always look forward to working w ith NIN and are proud to be involved.”

Scott added: “ The vendors on t his tour have been amazing team players and fantastic to collaborate w ith. Chris and I both share t he

mindset of leaning on your crew chiefs and suppliers for solutions and perspectives, and each company integrated well w ith t he others involved in t he tour. Everyone always has an at titude of being w illing to jump in and solve problems to make t he show happen.”

A logistical change for t his show was t he fact t hat t he support act, Boys Noize, had his ow n stage, meaning t he set f rom t he DJ could then lead straight into t he NIN show, w ithout any changeover t ime.

T his s aw t he crew implement a check-in procedure and cue system to identify any technical issues prior to t he t ransition song between t he support act and NIN. Boys Noize was not utilising in-ear monitors; in lieu, a visual system at FOH was created, so he could receive his cue w hen t he NIN show was ready to begin.

“ It’s been a privilege to work w ith t he NIN camp. From t he beginning of t he process, everyone on t he team was actively involved in planning and building t he tour – f rom Trent to management, booking and everyone else involved,” Scott recalled.

“ Everyone is committed to executing t he show at a very high level, and t hat is very exciting and challenging. It is nice to finally get t he tour off t he ground!” Kansy added: “ It

means a lot to me to be involved in something like this. This show takes audiences on an emotional, visual and artistic journey, and it is a pleasure to be involved.”

THE HAND THAT FEEDS

Arriving at the venue long before audiences was Head Rigger, Damian ‘Deezer’ Cullinan, who looked after 130 rigging points. “We have audience lighting trusses, a B-stage in the centre and a C-stage at the FOH mix position with automation looked after by the dedicated team of specialists from TAIT,” Deezer said.

The Neg Earth Lights-supplied chain hoists were D8+ certified and double-braked, which meant that the tour didn’t need to implement second safety, saving time.

“T his was fortunate in Paris when the local inspector wanted to see each certification for each hoist and rigging hardware component,” Deeze explained. “Luckily for us, Neg Earth had ensured that all our kit was suitably certified and compliant, so we had no issues.”

The rigging call involved 24 climbing riggers and 12 ground riggers, with Deezer beginning the load-ins by delivering a ‘toolbox talk’ to convey the importance of health and safety as well as the sequence of the load in, and tour’s priority points to the local crew.

He cited the importance of Dash Rowe, who came into the tour at the last minute to

help with the rigging on the run remotely by advancing and liaising with the show designers to keep him updated on any changes.

“I t hink every tour could benefit from a dash of Mr. Rowe. His hard work left me free to be able to focus on the here and now of everyday. His support and attention to detail was invaluable,” Deezer remarked.

The tour’s European run featured several festival appearances, which saw the production reduce in size from 16 trucks to four.

“T he Netherlands and Belgium really know how to do a festival right. We showed up, and all our hoists had been pre-hung in the correct position, and we couldn’t have asked for more,” Deezer recalled. “This is my first outing with Nine Inch Nails; there are a lot of very clever people on this tour that strive for perfection, and everyone has gelled together quickly.”

TAIT’s Robert Molina – supported by three automation engineers and two set carpenters – oversaw the deployment of over 100 Solenoids, 16 Navigator hoists, an Austrian System and two Chain Climber Lifts, as well as additional staging infrastructure for the B- and C-stages, which included decking, band risers and tech bunkers.

“T he show runs smoothly thanks to the team we have on this; it’s a giant moving machine that makes the show very different, but it is also refreshing to be a part of such a different show,”

Executive Creative, Cory FitzGerald; Tour Advisor, Chris Kansy with Production Manager, Pierce Scott backstage.

Headoffice Austria: joerg@beatthestreet.net | hannes@beatthestreet.net | lee@beatthestreet.net | dominic@beatthestreet.net

Office UK: garry@beatthestreet.net | dan@beatthestreet.net

Office Spain & France: tristan@beatthestreet.net

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

Molina commented. “The tour has been great; I knew a lot of the production crew from previous shows and working with the crew and band when they are happy with the product we’re providing is really nice.”

LIGHTS IN THE SKY

Cory FitzGerald, Executive Creative Producer for the Peel It Back Tour and Senior Partner at Burbank-based creative studio, Silent House, worked alongside Todd Tourso and Mel Roy of MTLA Studio, who looked after creative direction, design and stage direction.

“I worked with MTLA to facilitate their overall vision of the show. We started with several iterations, and did lots of virtual experimenting and in-person concept validation to get us where the show is now. Todd and Mel worked directly with Trent and Atticus to build the world of the show and generated the visual language that we see on stage,” FitzGerald said.

The show began at the B-Stage, bringing audiences closer to the action right at the top of the show. FitzGerald elaborated: “It’s much quieter than people expect from the start of the show. We build it up with Boys Noize’s set and then it opens with a raw, emotional piano moment that builds back up to the main stage. It gives fans not right at the front of the main stage a different perspective and makes the

show more intimate.” The show then moved into its second act, with the band gathering on the fan-named ‘unpeeled stage’ which featured a brand-new touring product from Carbon Black Technology – Echo.

“One of the things mentioned early on was creating a smoke-filled fish tank effect, and we wanted to reverse engineer that with the Carbon Black material and see how layering different things worked with it to create different imagery,” FitzGerald explained.

“We’re using projection on this, which means the nature of light is hitting different surfaces, so we spent a lot of time embracing that and working with it.”

STUFISH Entertainment Architects’ Ric Lipson introduced FitzGerald to the Carbon Black Technology team during Weekends with Adele [see TPi #276].

Fit zGerald subsequently invited Carbon Black Technology to demonstrate its product to the NIN camp, who were surprised by the ability to use lighting fixtures alongside the surface.

“Carbon Black is a light-absorbing material; it drinks in the light, which allows for the laser projector to shine against the surface,” explained Liam Mahon, co-founder and Director at Carbon Black Technology. “We demonstrated the original Carbon Black products, which stood as a replacement for the IMAG screens on the

run, and allowed the show to plummet into absolute darkness when it was needed.”

Af ter getting the green light for that product, Mahon also brought along a newer project the company was working on, which is more of a mesh product, with the same components of its original, but could be placed in front of the band to create shadowing looks.

“I didn’t bring any equipment to set up the screen properly and it ended up just being me and Cory holding it up as different images from previous shows were projected onto it and Trent and Atticus were just silent,” Mahon said.

“Nine Inch Nails love breaking the mould on their touring productions, and it was so amazing to see their reaction to it in real time and then to take it on the road with them and see its full potential was great. Any projection or display surface is only as good as the creative minds that come and do something with it, and with the talent the Nine Inch Nails team have, they have done some amazing things utilising a hologram screen, in a way you wouldn’t expect.”

Lee Moro, Vice-President, Live Productions Division at Solotech, delved into the vendor’s involvement in the camp: “As a childhood fan, it’s fun to be involved with such a focussed and determined group of professionals. I’ve been in the industry for 30 years now and Nine Inch Nails have always set a precedent about how

technically advanced their live shows are,” Moro said. “It’s great that Solotech was asked to be a part of the tour. Chris Kansy was great to talk through the project with, and it was fantastic that he wanted input from the crew and the vendors – it makes a world of difference.

“We want it to be a partnership with whoever we’re working with and wherever we are working,” he added. “Being a worldwide company helps that because Solotech can be on hand to help, whenever and wherever.”

To facilitate the projection, Solotech deployed 18 Barco UDX-U40 laser projectors with custom cages, designed to withstand the rigours of the road. “We have had Barco projectors as part of our inventory for years,” Moro stated. “Our team knows them; they are road ready and Barco knows how to create a fantastic touring product.”

The praise for the Barco equipment continued with Video Crew Chief, Simon Schofield, who was brought into the team for his previous experience in projection. “The colour reference and brightness are great; they are rock solid projectors, and we only lost one projector on the run, which is good going for a projector of that quality,” he said.

Schofield embarked on the tour just before its inaugural show in Dublin. “It’s funny because I was having a conversation recently about how I don’t get many projectionist jobs anymore, and then two weeks later I got the phone call

for this,” Schofield laughed. “What made it more special was that I was working with a crew that were the same ages as my children, so for them to have an interest in the industry, particularly the video, was pleasing to see.”

To keep each show linear, the projection locations had to be configured daily, to ensure there were no interruptions for other flown elements of the show, which in turn meant that the Disguise programmer had to home in the show at every stop, to perfect the vision.

“Helping a tour run smoothly is often down to the communication between departments, and for this one it was crucial for me to liaise with the other crew chiefs to ensure the order of loadin was optimal,” he added. “I admire Pierce’s tenacity when it came to communication; he worked so hard to ensure the show went on.”

For FitzGerald, this was one of the first shows in a while he had worked on that wasn’t using video panels, which was a challenge for him, but one he was willing to take on. “The imagery has a different feeling that I haven’t seen before; it reminds you that it doesn’t have to be a super crisp image with tonnes of cameras to stand out and be impressive,” he said. “Doing a show with just one camera closes a lot of doors that I have been used to for a long time, but it creates a new way of thinking with new opportunities.”

When the show moved into its third act, the band returned to the B-stage, but with a different feel than their previous appearance,

bringing a club environment with the help of Boys Noize at their side. During this time, the audience lighting trusses came to life and created a rave in the middle of the rock show. The fourth act of the show then returned to what is classically Nine Inch Nails. Kansy described it as the ‘middle finger’ part of the show with the band back at the main stage.

“It’s a good challenge dealing with such a dynamic show. We wanted to utilise the tools we have in exciting ways – a part of this included working with different renditions of the songs and how they can fit into the different acts,” FitzGerald said. “The setlist changes often but we wanted the core of the show to feel the same. I feel connected to Nine Inch Nails in a way that I haven’t before; this time you really feel as if you’re on stage with them, which is an interesting experience for the fans.”

AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE

Paul ‘Arlo’ Guthrie, who has been involved with lighting the band’s live vision since 2013, controlled the rig using an MA Lighting grandMA3 console. He formulated the early stages of the project using a mixture of Vectorworks, Capture and Sycronorm Depence previsualisation software.

“We started with some basic ideas of the two cubes and made many explorations into projection materials and techniques,” Arlo said. “We would meet in Los Angeles every few weeks

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

to try things out in person, which was the best way for us all to be together and see things with our own eyes in physical reality. A lot of what we were experimenting with was hard to render in a computer and seeing it in person enabled us to have a real-life reaction on how things took light and reacted to the environment.”

The fi xtures aiding A rlo’s overall show design were Ayrton Domino Profiles; CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12s and on Air Panel 2s; ACME LIGHTING Pulsars and Geminis; Elation FUZE Wash 500s; Minuit Une IVL Photons; GLP JDC1s; MEGA-LITE M-Spheres; Showtec Par64s and Claypaky Panifys. However, A rlo’s “ favourite” new toy on the tour was a TouchDesigner pixel mapper, designed by Kyle Meredith, and t riggered f rom an A pple iPad at FOH.

“ Having an Upstaging and Neg Earth coproduction has been great,” Arlo said, praising the tour’s co-lighting vendors. “ I’ve worked w ith them many times before, and the package and support are always good.”

CLOSER

Britannia Row Productions provided sonic support with the account looked after by Dave Compton. “ NIN are an incredible live band, known for their very energetic performance and huge, distinctive sound. The band has been around for a long time and with their expert crew, they know exactly what they want to achieve

with t heir live sound delivery,” Compton s aid.

“It’s been a real pleasure to work w ith Chris Kansy again, and to help facilitate t he tour’s audio needs by advising on system design, and supplying PA r igs f rom both our UK hub, and North A merica locations.”

The vendor supplied an L-Acoustics K1 PA system, chosen at t he request of FOH Engineer, Jamie Pollock. T he system comprised K1 and K2 on the main and side hangs supplemented by KS28s subwoofers, A15s for out fill and A10s for front fill. B ritannia Row Productions’ engineering and warehouse departments worked in conjunction with the touring engineers to develop custom-made flown amp racks.

“These bespoke pieces were used for t he tour, and the alterations made life easier for the day-to-day road duties when working at speed with total precision,” Compton added, citing t he benefits of being part of t he Clair G lobal group of companies.

“Clair G lobal is represented by dozens of brands around t he world. W hen B ritannia Row Productions, or any other Clair rental brand, is chosen as a tour’s audio provider, clients c an ex pect consistent communication throughout the pre-production period, and once the tour is on the road.

“Touring productions benefit f rom not having to ship pro audio systems to each continent, saving on routing headaches, helping to stay within the budget, and adding a much less

travel-intensive and greener element to the mobilisation of equipment.”

Compton highlighted t he “knowledgeable” st aff w ho helped to plan t he tour’s audio needs, mentioning t he likes of Operations Manager, T im Mole; Crew Logistics Manager, Carlene A nnon and t he touring road crew including: Systems Engineer, Terence Hulkes; PA Technicians, Richard Trow, Juan Beilin A ntuna as well as Q uad System Audio Technician, Daniel Holder.

Following t he UK and European c ampaign, the Peel It Back Tour made its way Stateside, impressing audiences with equal amounts of artistry, technical wonder and audio quality.

Production Manager, Chris Kansy’s earlier sentiments underlined the spirit of the show: “As any production manager w ill tell you, t he hardest work is in the build and development process, and this one has been incredibly fascinating, rewarding and now the show gets to roll out each night to an eager audience.”

www.nin.com www.solotech.com www.britanniarow.com www.negearth.co.uk www.upstaging.com www.carbonblack.technology www.taittowers.com www.stagetruck.com www.beatthestreet.net www.silent-house.com www.instagram.com/mtla.studio

DUA LIPA: RADICAL OPTIMISM TOUR

A blend of world-class production, emotional storytelling, and innovation, championing crew welfare and inclusivity.

Words: Jacob Waite

Photos: Luke Dyson and TPi

A year on from Dua Lipa’s headline appearance at Glastonbury Festival, and hot on the heels of multiple sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium, TPi headed to Anfield to catch up with a well-travelled touring production crew championing a culture of innovation and care on and off stage.

Ahead of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA)’s backstage tour, while walking through the tunnel pre-show, Tour Director, Pete Abbott shared how he has worked with Dua Lipa since 2016 – initially through tour management and direction, which evolved during lockdown into creative and show direction.

During t he student open d ay at A nfield, he recalled the artist’s incredible “drive and ambition” and hoped the presence of students on site would inspire them and raise awareness of the hidden roles within the sector.

“Speaking to students brings out the very best of our crew. Hearing them talk about themselves and their work, as well as praising their wider team, is special,” he enthused. “All of our heads of department started by loading a truck, so it’s important to share those stories and make the industry more accessible.”

Production Manager, Ross Maynard added: “You see the crew come alive and reveal why they tour, which is very easy to forget on a long and challenging production. Equally, for the students, you don’t know that those often hidden opportunities and roles exist.”

Abbott and Maynard were supported by Tour Accountant, Mike Darling; Production Coordinator, Monica Franco and Backstage Coordinator, Luana Quaglia De Carvalho;

Production Assistants, Megan Hood and Helena Robertson; Performer Tour Manager James ‘Finn’ Findlay; Artist Coordinator, Natalie Blass and Stage Managers, Jake Vernum, Patrick Briscoe, Adam Morris and Ryan Jenkinson in t he production office.

Following the conclusion of the student open day, LIPA’s Mike Roberts commented: “It’s incredible to hear the crew reinforce the same values we promote – hard work, being a decent person, resilience and persistence. Hearing from professionals on a major international tour brought it to life. Our students made the most of the opportunity, asking thoughtful questions and making useful contacts. Staff also built valuable relationships.”

The tour’s suppliers featured Britannia Row Productions (audio), Creative Technology (video screens, cameras, control, media servers), CSE Crosscom (radios), Cucumber Productions (scenic LED), Dutch Barrier Services (barricades in Europe), ER Productions (special effects, pyrotechnics and lasers), Event Safety Shop (risk assessments), Freight Minds (freight), Lights, Control, Rigging (lighting and rigging), Load Cell Rental (load cell monitoring), Luna Remote Systems (additional cameras and dollies), Motorstage Automation (automation), Ox Event House (additional set pieces), Phoenix Bussing (crew travel), Sarah’s Kitchen (catering), TAIT (automation, set design and staging), TESS (health and safety), The Flight Centre (flights), T he Tour Company (travel agent), TourJet (charter broker), and Transam Trucking (logistics).

“In addition to providing excellent support, our suppliers are good at the boring bits like the

infrastructure. Everything is interconnected – it’s a complicated show, but not needlessly fussy, and it is well executed,” Maynard remarked. Despite being a tour with a large production footprint, Abbott explained how every aspect of t he show design was specified for a unique goal. “Every piece of technology or software we are using is designed to elicit an emotional effect and reaction,” he stated.

CR EATING THE CULTURE

A demonstration of the camp’s innovative approach was t he addition of Welfare O fficer, Sascha Heeney – a skilled psychotherapist and a member of the Music Industry Therapist Collective (MITC). “There’s a lack of support in the music industry, so when asked to join this camp, it felt like a natural fit,” Heeney s aid.

Following a tour of Asia, Heeney was able to present data reinforcing the value of the role. “Touring is a microcosm that functions in a particular way. But it’s a long time to be away from your friends and family, so we try to emphasise that the emotions crew experience are totally justified and valid. A lot of t he responses were that they felt empowered, able to communicate their feelings, manage stress, had a better working culture, and a greater sense of belonging – they didn’t feel so alone,” she explained.

In addition to creating an increased sense of belonging, the role helps break down barriers between departments with social activities and tackles loneliness. While these responsibilities often fall to production personnel on the road, Heeney said it’s worth considering hiring someone solely dedicated to supporting

touring personnel. “I’ve witnessed the importance of the role. The camp has been wonderful and trailblazing,” Heeney shared.

Abbott added: “It’s a statement of intent to have someone who looks after the welfare of the people on tour, learning from other industries. We don’t want bad role models. We want to encourage positive behaviours without being patrician.”

This approach also shaped how the team staff the tour with the addition of Physiotherapist, Paul Jarman and Yoga Instructor, Francesca Dinardo. Maynard elaborated: “As I’ve been a beneficiary of, we like to provide opportunities to skilled individuals who want to progress – by giving them the support, knowledge and encouragement they need to succeed.”

Ar tist Coordinator, Natalie Blass, concurred: “Everyone is incredibly welcoming, organised and professional. Every day is different and it’s exhilarating. Despite the size of the touring camp, we are such a close-knit team. I’ve found that the beauty of this tour is developing and nurturing relationships.”

Performer Tour Manager, James ‘Fin’ Findley, noted: “Communication is key when there are this many people on the road. Despite the vast array of technology, people are the driving force. I’ve been touring for almost 30 years, but this is my first foray into large-scale production with a huge crew – it’s like a small village, with so many different departments and characters travelling the world. A big part of the success is the community we have fostered and the focus on continual improvement.”

LOAD MANAGEMENT

Technical Stage Manager, Jake Vernum worked alongside Stage Managers, Adam Morris, Patrick Briscoe, Nathalie Candel and Ryan Jenkinson. In an earlier conversation, Maynard highlighted the importance of shared knowledge: “Our team work incredibly hard, and they can’t do that to their own high standards without rest. We have overlap between roles, allowing departments to rotate responsibilities, ensuring everyone is well rested.”

The show is also carefully crafted to deliver the same spectacle across arenas, stadiums and festivals. However, in the former, space is at a premium. “We are maxed out in an arena –wall to wall. You could go bigger, but you’d need a production day, something which our routing doesn’t allow for,” Maynard reported. “We open doors bang on at 6.30pm and have never held doors for anything within our control.”

Vernum added: “It’s a big show to load into arenas on show day morning – 25 trucks is a challenge – but we have a plan in place to manage the transition from arenas to stadiums with 30 trucks. Transam’s Lead Driver, David Istead and his number two Mark Kirk and the rest of the drivers are excellent, especially as there have been some tricky shifts.”

To identify the 126-strong crew, each department’s high-vis was colour-coded. “We are getting more efficient as time progresses, but some venues required different approaches due to the floor covering or truck access,” Vernum remarked.

Head Rigger, Steve Belfield and Riggers, James Wright, Benjamin Baker, Jason Werner,

John Dunn, Robin Earle were responsible for the safe and efficient installation of all rigging equipment. The team sent an advanced motor package to Dublin, getting as many trucks as possible onto an earlier ferry to allow for a wider spread of drivers at the other end before driver curfews set in. Reflecting on the orchestration, Vernum was happy to be surrounded by a “strong, super nice team” on the road.

SETTING THE STAGE

“The basic design hasn’t changed between arenas and stadiums, but we’ve adapted surfaces – from Marley to grip – to work outside instead of inside, with the addition of parasols for weatherproofing,” Head Carpenter, Pete Geary explained. “One of our greatest challenges was the timeframe coming out of Antwerp Sportpaleis and converting the show into our first stadium show at Wembley. We liaised with our suppliers to make it possible.”

Set Carpenters, Ian Plimbley, Jamie Phelps, Cameron Geobey-Morgan, Ellie Bashford, Raymond Bogle, Mark Fitchen, Leam Flaherty, Matthew Fletcher, Glen Binley; LED Carpenters, Rhodri Morris and LED Carp (Stadiums), Sophie Botta collaborated with 16 members of local crew. A testament to the support ladder that local crew provide within the sector, Geary scouted carpenters from the local crew scene.

“T hey showed talent, and I’ve been able to offer them opportunities. This is Ellie’s first tour, and she’s had the privilege of going to Australia and New Zealand,” enthused Geary.

For the arena build, the team carried a TAIT substage, which allowed them to build in the

GOING THAT EXTRA MILE ...

middle of the floor and roll it into position with half of the top set already constructed on it. “We are a very heavy show, so there are challenges with rolling into position – not so much on a nice, concrete floor but more so in ice hockey arenas,” Geary stated.

“We work closely with multiple departments to get everything in place. There are parts of video that are interlinked with our system, so we liaise with them to make it work. Fundamentally, all departments work well together on this tour.”

The set pieces fill between five to seven trucks’ worth of equipment. “On an arena show, we have a video floor instead of a B-stage. Four tonnes of video floor, with our stuff built into it, makes for a heavy system!” he emphasised.

Marley was inlaid into the stage decks, trimming the time needed for load-in. “Inlaid Marley works for us, but it does cause problems with wet weather – and confetti turns it into an ice rink some days, which is a challenge for the dancers,” Geary explained, highlighting the unique nature of the wave designed by Set Designer, Jason Ardizzone-West.

“It was a challenge to initially assemble. We did a test build with Matthew Slee at TAIT in Wakefield to evaluate and modify the design to make it roadworthy. It comes in several pieces and fits across 12 set carts – basically a whole truck of bevelled sections of steel with lighting elements integrated.”

Head of Automation, Sam Jackson was supported by Automation Operator, George Davies; Show Caller, Alexander Hughes and Automation Technician, Joseph Rapson on site. “The C-stage lift is the ‘money shot’. The main stage lift is used more frequently throughout the

show. For the fly gag in arenas, we clip Dua Lipa in with multiple spotters and processes in place should we need to disable the system for her to disembark,” he added. “The quality of kit and support from TAIT and Motorstage Automation has been brilliant.”

Davies manned the C-stage automation using TAIT Navigator software to operate a Moveket lift at upstage centre. In arenas, automation was supplied by Motorstage Automation, also using Moveket infrastructure. Davies commented on the benefit of having a “automation bod” in the “big chair” referencing Maynard’s history in the sector.

Gi ven the complexity of the moving elements, Communications Engineer, Autumn Eve provided full coverage.

“It’s been one of those expanding remits, which has evolved as the tour has progressed. For this leg, we’ve incorporated the backline team, wider crew, creatives and performers – all on the same Riedel interconnect system,” Eve said, underlining the importance of crossdepartmental collaboration.

“As I cross different departments, I’m using different departments’ infrastructure. The complexity and size of coverage are the main challenges – especially on a stadium show, where we require coverage all the way down to the C-stage, each FOH, under the stage, and backstage,” Eve summarised.

PROVIDING ESCAPISM

The set design featured curves and waves that flow, inspired by the Radical Optimism album cover. “There’s an idea of immersing yourself in something elemental,” Abbott explained. “The

show starts in waves, emerging to the surface.” At the show’s peak, confetti and streamers immerse the audience; pyrotechnics add dynamism, and a stripped back band section provides an intimate moment on the B-stage, connecting and immersing Dua Lipa with both the band and the crowd.

“Dua’s shows are fun. We do everything we can to provide an escape from reality, and we think that everybody should have a great experience regardless of where you’re at in the stadium,” Abbott said, highlighting the clever transition on the B-stage. “We go from the biggest moment of production on Love Again and transition into an a cappella rendition of Anything For Love.”

Py rotechnics were fired from the roof of the stadium, and in a 360° configuration at Wembley. At Anfield, effects were positioned upstage and downstage, above and below the IMAG screens, as well as on the stage wings.

A ring of fire created by FABER’s new FlamebER system featured on the B-stage, with another ring of fire using Galaxis G Flames on the C-stage. Seven low fog machines provided stage atmospherics, with large quantities of confetti launched via blasters, and additional streamers situated around the pit and on delay towers. Biodegradable red streamers were added specifically for the Anfield shows.

B e The One, especially in wet weather, where the Stadium Shots chase her down the stage, makes for a great look,” said ER Productions’ Jasper Sharp.

ER Productions’ AT60 laser units were positioned both on the delay towers and on stage and triggered via Pangolin BEYOND

Photos: Luke Dyson / Jordan Munns

software by Sharp, using an MA Lighting grandMA3 console. Laser Operator, Cam Dominy said: “New Rules is the big laser track, especially the drop at the end.”

To ensure safety, the team carried out laser and pyro demonstrations ahead of each show, liaising with local authorities. Selecting his favourite cue, FX Crew Chief Jay Scrivener said: “Love Again has lots of flames – we have to liveset 18 units within a two-minute blackout, which is a challenge and makes for an exciting tour.”

SHOW CRAFT

Produced and directed by Pete Abbott, the creative team included Creative Director, David Black; Musical Director, William Bowerman; MD Assistants, Charles Monneraud and James Trood; Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain, Sammi Jayne Lee; Choreographer, Charm LaDonna and Associate Choreographer, Sharon June; Stylist, Lorenzo Posocco; Lighting and Production Designer, Matthew Pitman of Pixelmappers; Charli Davis of Luke Halls Studio; Set Designer, Jason Ardizzone-West; Lighting Programmer, Olly Martin; Lighting Design Assistant, Oliver Hynds; Stage Design Associate, Sean Sanford; Creative Associate, Isaac Fisher; Associate Producer, Finty Barton; Laser Programmer, Seth Griffiths.

“We wanted the spectacle of a stadium show without reinventing it, so our task was to creatively bolster the pre-existing show with new elements and refine production design

across varying venue sizes and shapes,” Lighting and Production Designer, Matthew Pitman explained.

Maynard added: “It’s not about ‘full-sending’ – it’s about show craft. Headlining Glastonbury and staging the first satellite crowd - middle stage? That was a proud moment. It took six months technically and logistically. We never take the easy route – we’re ambitious, and that comes from Dua Lipa.”

From a lighting perspective, stadium daylight required augmentation. “Lights Control Rigging [LCR] made it possible to install vast LED wash lighting everywhere, so even in daylight its presence was felt,” Pitman said.

Lighting and Production Design Associate, Tom Snell contributed extensively to CAD drafting and tour planning. Technical departments dissected each drawing, added their own elements, and Snell and Pitman merged them to assess feasibility across venues. They used Vectorworks and exported MVR into Syncronorm Depence R4 for various visualisations. “Pre -vis isn’t the endpoint – it’s part programme tool, part conceptual middle ground,” Pitman explained. “We’re still drawing this show – five years in, our level of modelling and pre -vis is why this massive machine has kept going.”

The lighting package included Astera LED FP6 Hydra Panels and AX2s; CHAUVET Colorado Solo Bar 1s and Color Strike Ms; Martin VDO Sceptrons, XB 10s and VDO

Creative Associate, Isaac Fisher, Performer Tour Manager, James ‘Finn’ Findley, Production Assistant, Megan Hood, Production Manager, Ross Maynard, Tour Director, Pete Abbott, Production Coordinator, Monica Franco, Tour Accountant, Mike Darling and Production Assistant, Helena Robertson; Artist Coordinator, Natalie Blass; Lead Bus Driver, Philip Allen; Stage Managers, Ryan Jenkinson and Jake Vernum; Automation Operator, George Davies with Head of Automation, Sam Jackson.

Sceptron 10s; Ayrton Argo 6 FXs, Cobras, Mambas and Veloce Profiles; Robe iFortes, RoboSpots and Base Stations; ACME Lighting PIXEL LINE IPs with MDG theONE and theFANs; Look Solutions Viper 2.6 fog machines; and Unique 2.1 fans for atmospherics.

To accommodate outdoor shows, the rig was IP rated. “Our arena setup remains unchanged when we head outdoors – no need for domes,” he noted. “With hotter summers and greater daylight, high-output lights must be built to withstand more sunshine than ever.”

As t he name suggests, Pixelmappers pixel - mapped fixtures – especially on Don’t Start Now. “We program complex colour-track sequences, so lights change colour hundreds of times per song, making lighting and video feel unified. In those cases, it’s smarter to pixel - map fixtures, sending video data to ACME Lighting PIXEL LINE IPs integrated into the set, creating a fluid look,” Pitman explained.

Media Server Programmer, Robin Senoner operated four Disguise GX 3 media servers. “I program everything from MA3 and map all layers manually. Pixelmappers’ philosophy is to dissect a song into hundreds of cues – kicks, hits, vocal bits – and MA3 lets me map all that efficiently, so tweaking during pre -vis or rehearsals is easy,” Senoner said.

All visual elements were timecode synced across five video surfaces: upstage wall, IMAG screens, the wave and the floor. “We use ROE Visual BQ6 LED screens for upstage and IMAG,

the wave is BQ3, and we keep a spare server as back-up,” Senoner explained.

Luke Halls Studio’s Charli Davies curated a mix of animated and live footage via Cinema 4D and TouchDesigner. Dua Lipa features heavily on screen, and Notch effects by Ross Marshall subtly manipulate the feed. Senoner and Marshall collaborated to program these blocks.

“Some songs split screens into five retrostyle panels. For the finale, we UV- mapped and rotated video blocks in Notch,” Senoner explained. “We recreated a heat- map effect of Dua used at Glastonbury and combined it with standard LUTs in Notch for a more cinematic look. Rendering at 4K at 25 f ps across our surfaces looks fantastic. My favourite moments are when the Notch visuals sync perfectly with the music.”

All programming was done via MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles. “The Grids, Recipes and workflows in MA3 make scaling changes simpler,” Pitman said.

Lighting Director, Aaron Veness added: “Working with Pixelmappers on the build-up was incredible. Everyone gets creative freedom. I programmed my own key-light system. Balancing contrast between Dua and the backwall in daylight is tricky, but collaborating with the video team on a 4K broadcast-quality feed made it possible.”

Colour played a thematic role too. “Pete, Charli Davies and I decided colour spaces for each song. This year’s creative treatment shifted

Emily Irish, Simon ’Sport’ Port, Neil ‘Dino’ Anthony, Dexter Bray, Alex Peters, Lee Jones, Marcos Ribeiro, Simon Chandler-Honnor, Sam ’Sworthy’ Worthy, Chris Dunford, and Gary Ebdy; Lighting Director, Aaron Veness; Media Server Programmer, Robin Senoner; ER Productions’ Jasper Sharp, Jay Scrivener and Cam Dominy; Camera Director, Phil Woodhead.

CONCERTSTUFF.COM

80% of the show into distinct colour spaces,” Pitman said. Highlighting his favourite moment, Pitman said he “absolutely loves” the C-stage lift.

“W ithout a doubt, that’s the highlight. Dua rising was spectacular. We built lighting and smoke around it, then ER Productions added flame units – an utterly mesmerising moment.”

For this, Dua needed a strong backlight, so LCR quickly rigged an Ayrton Veloce spot on a D-rig arm at Pitman’s request. “I realised on site how much thought had gone into the creative intention. Five minutes after requesting it, LCR had it rigged on a camera platform,” the designer said, praising LCR Crew Chief, Alex Peters; Lighting Systems Technician, Samuel Worthy; Lighting Technicians, Simon Port, Neil Anthony, Christopher Dunford, Gary Ebdy, Emily Irish, Lee Jones and Marcos Ribeiro; Power, Richard Griffin; Lighting Technicians (Stadiums), Iestyn Thomas, Adam Frost, Melissa Urban, Simon Chandler Honor and Dexter Bray.

Peters added: “The volume of cabling and truss in an arena show is astronomical. Departments must work in sync. What’s great about this tour is the established camp – many team members have toured with Dua for

years, so there’s no drama, just harmony under tight deadlines.”

The addition of 15 RoboSpot systems required bespoke barges for controllers – LCR handled the custom hardware to simplify setup. During Physical, Dua Lipa and her dance troupe performed with Astera Titan Tubes as part of the onstage choreography – a nod to Future Nostalgia

“It’s a roller coaster of a show, split into four acts with a beginning and end – by the finale, it’s a full-on party,” Veness explained. “Break My Heart is a silhouette moment. The intro to Illusion in a stadium, just after dusk, feels more like a rave than an outdoor show.”

Away from the stage, Pitman stressed the importance of wellbeing and commended the addition of a Welfare Officer: “I’m inspired by everyone making mental and personal health a touring priority. Dua Lipa’s team is proof of that,” he furthered. “This artist’s rise has been immense. Staying grounded as you go from clubs to stadiums matters. We must nurture lives outside work. It’s a privilege to design a show in venues like Wembley, and watching friends, colleagues and loved ones share that space with fulfilling lives beyond work is as vital.”

and FOH

The carpentry team of Glenn Binley, Ieam Flaherty, Ian Plimley, Jamie Phelps, Matt Fletch, Ellie Bashford, Cam Morgan, Pete Geary, Ray Bogle, Mark Finch; Communications Technician, Autumn Eve; Guitars and Backline HOD, Carl Lewis; RF Technician, Lucy Mackinnon; Sarah’s Kitchen Chef, Luke Jones.

Audio HOD, James Covill with Monitor Engineer, Alex Cerutti

Engineer, Will Nicholson;

VISUAL STORYTELLING

Camera Director, Phil Woodhead worked in close collaboration with the creative, choreography, lighting and wardrobe departments. “The crew and band are a pleasure to work with,” he said. “Dua Lipa is an absolute star performer – she even sings a song in the language of every country we visit.”

Woodhead embraced the scale of the stadium setup, which allowed for a much broader camera layout. “Usually, we’d have two cameras at FOH – one on the centreline for dance routines and close-ups of Dua, two more in the pit on a track and dolly, and a handheld camera for the B-stage,” he explained. “With the stadium shows, we introduce a C-stage, which adds four extra cameras. There are two long lenses at the back of the stadium, left and right, capturing semi-profile shots of Dua on the C-stage, plus a brilliant tower camera that extends up to 30ft.”

The C-stage features a platform that lifts Dua Lipa four metres into the air – requiring the tallest camera available from Luna Remote Systems. In contrast, the B-stage setup used in arenas is more intimate.

“Dua Lipa will travel out on a plinth for a couple of stripped-back songs, ending with Be The One, where she climbs down to the barrier and encourages the crowd to sing along. Then she runs back to the main stage to finish the number,” he commented, reeling off some of his favourite shots, which came from the camera team positioned on the extreme left and right of the stadium. “We have a 30ft upstage screen

that can show super-wide visuals. When Dua Lipa is on the C-stage, there’s a gorgeous slow zoom – her silhouette illuminated by flickering lights, surrounded by fans. It’s a beautiful shot. The crew really hit the mark. I encourage creativity, and I give them freedom to explore. Sometimes that leads to a lucky accident or something intentional.”

In arenas, three PTZ cameras are fixed along the wave-shaped stairs, with a Sony FR7 camera and 4K Canon Cinema lenses mounted on Polecam autopods on either side, rising slowly to add height to the composition. Around the B-stage, Woodhead and Technician, Sam Lamond assembled a track and dolly system with an autopod and another Sony FR7 camera.

A backstage PTZ operator used Companion software to programme shot presets and simultaneously control systems like the track and autopod. “Some of the images we captured – super wide shots with dancers in both foreground and background – looked spectacular with the lighting,” Woodhead said. “We got soaked on the opening night, but it made for some incredible visuals.”

Camera Operator, Harry Watkinson noted that a mixture of Panasonic UC4000 and PLV100 cameras, paired with Canon Cinema lenses, provided greater depth of field and a more cinematic feel, with improved colour fidelity. The Sony FR7s, with their 35mm chips, were deployed at strategic positions around the stage. All footage was cut by Woodhead on a Ross Video Ultrix Carbonite switcher – operated at FOH during stadium shows and backstage in

arenas. “Creative Technology’s kit is spot on,” added Watkinson, “and perfect for a production as specialised as this.”

Not designed for outdoor use, Creative Technology developed bespoke rain covers to protect the FR7s in unpredictable conditions. “A lot of the gear is originally intended for OB setups, so it handles the outdoors well,” Watkinson explained. “The backline and SFX teams often have obscured views, so we provide video panels so they can follow the performance. We also use a TSL TallyMan Advanced Broadcast Control System to manage routing and centralise data – a solution that’s becoming increasingly common in large-scale touring productions.”

Most of the video system was distributed via Ereca Stage Racer 2s, while all PTZ cameras ran on Ereca Topaz systems with SMPTE converters. Video Crew Chief, Matthew Canter oversaw a team featuring Camera Operator/ LED, Thomas ‘John’ Barrow; Camera Supervisor, Samuel Lammond; Engineer/Camera Operator, Arpan Patel; Lead Engineer, Harry Watkinson; Lead LED, Samuel James; LED/Camera 1, Daniel Barnicott; LED/Camera 2, Chris Everett; Media Server Engineer/PTZ Operator, Timothy Curwen; Video Director and Programmer, Robin Senoner; LED Technician, Ross Hayward; Video Technician (Stadiums), Dave Roberts; Camera Operator (Stadiums), Carlos Rubio; LED Technicians, Luke Thomas and Thomas Wiffen; Robotic Camera Operator, George Wing.

“T he first night at Anfield was something really special,” Canter said. “The cameras, the

lighting, and the atmosphere – especially with the rain – looked absolutely stunning.”

SOUND MEETS STYLE

FOH Engineer, William Nicholson has mixed Dua Lipa’s shows for several years, adapting to venues of all sizes. The team began preparing for this campaign in November 2023, following the launch of the DiGiCo Quantum 8 console.

“I chose this desk because of its channel count, redundancy capabilities, and because I prefer mixing in a DiGiCo format. One of the biggest benefits for me is the inclusion of 32-bit cards – the fidelity I get from that is a massive improvement. This desk is endlessly configurable, which is very attractive.”

His outboard gear combined physical units and plug-ins. “I’m primarily mixing into buses, which are processed through plug-ins, and most automation happens on the desk, with some from the plug-ins. I also have some physical outboard on later-stage buses – music bus, vocals and the master bus. I’ve been very impressed with the Fourier Audio transform. engine plug-in; having access to VSTs has been superb. The software and firmware improvements have really supported the way I like to structure my workflow.”

Nicholson was equally complimentary of the PA system. “This is a pop show, so I love the midrange response of the L-Acoustics K1. It’s very linear and suits how we put the show together, and how we want to present Dua Lipa and the band. For a pop show, it’s my first choice. Systems Engineer Giorgio Chiosso and I have worked together for four years; we understand each other’s workflows. He presents me with a brilliant PA design every day. We pride ourselves on delivering a consistent sonic

experience regardless of where the audience are in the stadium or arena.”

Citing Electricity as one of his favourite tracks to mix, Nicholson added: “Dua’s songs are great to mix; they’re so fun, and she’s a terrific performer. She’s got a lot of GRAMMY winners in her set – so many to choose from. The band are quality musicians.”

In closing, Nicholson praised the support of Lez Dwight and the Britannia Row productions team. “Their support has been fantastic and they’re lovely people. That’s the culture of Brit Row; they send out people who are happy to be here.” Case in point, RF Technician Lucy Mackinnon oversaw the deployment of microphones and in-ear monitors.

“Everything is Shure – PSM 1000s, Axient Digital microphones and capsules. I also implemented a lot of Wisycom; all the Shure mics feed into a Wisycom matrix, so I can have multiple antennas in different locations.”

Eight antennas cover the B-stage, main stage, on top of the stage and behind the screen. “There’s so much metalwork on the stage, so RF is challenging, and Dua Lipa also travels under the stage, so I need coverage for her in-ears everywhere she goes.”

Sennheiser AC 41 active antenna combiners, modified with +3 gain, were chosen to provide frequency headroom for the in-ears. Due to the height of the stage in stadiums, the team tours with four dedicated RF trusses in the air.

“Now there’s so much video wall and cameras, requiring a clever workaround to blend coverage with the show design,” Mackinnon explained.

“A nother reason I brought in lots of Wisycom gear is because we’re running a lot of RF over fibre, from behind the screen to the C-stage on a 150m multi-core fibre cable. One fibrecore

handles two receives and two transmissions to cover her main and spare mic packs. It’s the first time I’ve used this on a run, and I’m impressed.”

Monitor Engineer, Alex Cerutti mixed for 24 people, including backline technicians and a revolving door of guest mixes. “As the band has evolved, so has my setup. DiGiCo Quantum has always been my console of choice, mainly due to its ability to route groups to groups, but the Quantum 8 is a step up. It’s always interesting to pilot new technology in the field.”

His outboard gear included four Bricasti M7 reverbs – main, spare and snare reverbs – alongside Rupert Neve 5045s for backing singers, supplemented with Waves plug-ins on the console. “It’s a very live band, and it’s easier to create exciting, dynamic mixes when I’m not reliant on dull tracks. Excellent musicians all round. I really like the encore – great, fun, funky songs, which is enjoyable to mix,” he explained.

The entire band used JH Roxanne in-ear monitors, while the dancers use JH 7s. “I’ve had a long relationship with Jerry Harvey predating the company, and his products have always been excellent,” Cerutti said.

The wide variety of microphones includes Shure radio mics, Lauten on the drums, and Neumann overheads. “When we heard newer music, we chose mics that suit that style and environment,” Cerutti said. “We’ve played some great venues so far – Wembley and Liverpool are always good, Australia was fun, and I always enjoy visiting Asia on tour.”

The wider audio crew comprised HOD, James Covill; Stage Technician, Tobia Piatti; Delay Technicians (Stadiums), Gabriele Baronetto and Thomas Spencer; PA Technicians, Antoine Bataillard, César López López and Jonathan Santonja Martínez; Playback Technician, Steven

Cowley; MIDI Technician, Stacey Edwards; and Drum Technician, TJ Thuluxton.

One of the longest serving members of the camp, Guitar and Bass Technician and Head of Backline Carl Lewis handled an impressive array of guitars – mainly Fender, along with Music Man, Ernie Ball, Taylor Acoustics and Powers Electric Guitar models.

Gi ven the prevalence of in-ears, the camp opted for digital amps. Multiple Quad Cortex units ensured a wireless stage setup. “[Bassist and Musical Director] Matty Carroll and [Multiinstrumentalist] Alex Lanyon each have two units and always see signal. I have a button marked A or B, which sends lines to FOH and monitors without unplugging, making for a super clean, simple and effective setup.”

Lewis stays busy throughout the show. “Alex switches instruments almost every song, with different tunings. The B-stage keeps me very active with guests playing guitar, so I carry a personal Quad Cortex to dial in their sound in advance. At the second Wembley show, I had to swap six guitars on the B-stage, shared between Backline Technician, Jonny Hall and me. This is by far the best crew I’ve ever worked with,” he enthused.

Behind the scenes, Head of Wardrobe, Lorraine Jones has been working with the

artist since 2018. She now dresses Dua Lipa, her seven-piece band and backing singers in a range of designer-led looks across the show.

“I probably did Dua Lipa’s first ever quick change,” Jones recalled. “These days, there’s a lot more to manage – quicker changes and more detailed designs. Each designer provides a pack of materials and embellishments, and I often must adapt pieces to suit the demands of live performance. That could mean installing stronger zips, hooks, snaps, or quick-release fastenings – not to mention making room for the microphone pack.”

Ensuring morale remained high, Luke Jones was one of eight Sarah’s Kitchen chefs feeding nearly 300 people on site.

He described the camp as a “good crew” who enjoy a mixture of meals, especially roast dinners. “We always change it up with local options depending on where we are. Produce is sourced from various local butchers, supermarkets and grocers. It’s been an enjoyable tour!”

Af ter spending the day chatting with the crew backstage and in catering, it’s clear that the key to the relentless success of Dua Lipa’s touring machine, as Abbott and Maynard explain, lies in the camp’s ability to build and sustain a strong community. “The standard is high because we

foster a culture of continuous improvement,” Maynard concluded. “The unofficial mantra of the tour is ‘be better’ – always finding ways to improve across the board. We hold ourselves accountable, and the team works incredibly hard to deliver a product that looks beautiful.” www.dualipa.com www.britanniarow.com www.ct-group.com www.csecrosscom.co.uk www.cucumberproductions.com www.dutchbarrier.services www.erproductions.com www.eventsafetyshop.com www.freightminds.com www.lightscontrolrigging.com www.loadcellrental.com www.lunaremotesystems.com www.musicindustrytherapists.com www.motorstageautomation.com www.oxeventhouse.com www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.sarahskitchen.co.uk www.taittowers.com www.tess.uk.com www.flightcentre.co.uk www.thetourcompany.co.uk www.tourjet.com www.transamtrucking.com

210 mm x 150mm W x H

ROBBIE WILLIAMS: BRITPOP TOUR

Meet the dedicated crew setting the stage for the self-proclaimed King of Entertainment’s ambitious production...

Words: Alicia Pollitt

Photos: Charlie Lightening and TPi

The UK has certainly had its fair share of homegrown showmen over the years, and one who has more than stood the test of time is Robbie Williams. The self-proclaimed ‘King of Entertainment’ recently embarked on a tour, which saw him perform in stadiums, arenas and even to the backdrop of an historical landmark. Featuring a golden rocket set piece, multiple costume changes and surprise guests, the BRITPOP Tour was produced by an 80-strong crew, with Production Manager, John Lafferty at the wheel.

“T he thing with Robbie is, every tour is so different and this tour is much bolder than anything I’ve done with him before,” Lafferty began, lifting the lid on the camp’s first stadium tour with the singer in some time.

As quoted in our previous coverage [see TPi #283], Lafferty has an ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, which saw him enlist long-standing suppliers including: Beat The Street (bussing), Stagetruck (trucking), Lite Alternative (lighting), Britannia Row Productions (audio), Universal Pixels (video), ER Productions (special effects), EPS (barricades), Ox Event House (props), Actus Rigging (rigging), STUFISH Entertainment Architects (set design), and WICREATIONS (automation and set).

Each supplier had been involved with the Robbie Williams camp in some capacity before, apart from new kids on the block, WICREATIONS, whom Lafferty welcomed to the family. “They’re a new supplier for us, and

I cannot fault them. They have been amazing and have helped us create what is a bigger and bolder show than before,” he added. “What I look for in a supplier is quality of service, which is why we’ve been working with our other suppliers for so many years. It’s great to have WICREATIONS on board for this one.”

Lafferty didn’t neglect to mention the community the crew upheld on tour. “I like the family vibe on every tour – it’s fantastic that everyone gets on so well,” he said.

St agetruck provided 22 trucks to transport equipment with Beat The Street at the helm of ferrying the crew. Operations Manager at the bussing company, Garry Lewis, commented: “We’ve been involved in many of Robbie’s tours and one-off shows over the past few years. The tour and production management teams are first class, which makes liaising with them a pleasure. We put on nine buses in total for the tour – seven for crew and two for the band. Lead Driver, Michael ‘Fish’ McCartney, is a legend and an excellent communicator.”

At L afferty’s side and introducing TPi to the crew was Tour Accountant and GTL Sessions alumnus, Adrian ‘Ade’ Bullock, who was celebrating his 13th year with Robbie Williams. “This is our 10th tour together. We have done lots and been basically everywhere, so it’s nice to be back in stadiums for the first time in a while,” Ade said.

In t his role, Ade bridged the gap between production, artist and management, ensuring

the tour ran as smoothly as possible by taking care of the financial transactions a tour faces. Reflecting on the general landscape of how budgets have changed, Ade elaborated: “We’re very grateful that the kit is available now that the post-COVID surge has died down, although there are inflationary pressures across all aspects of touring. The onus is on the team to put on a shiny show that people are happy to spend their money on – and thus the BRITPOP Tour was created.”

By his side in the office, and in general life, was his son James ‘JB’ Bullock, who came into touring after growing up perusing backstage corridors on his dad’s tours. “I’ve always loved music, and after trying different avenues into the industry, I came into this side of it. There is nothing like a bit of nepotism in the industry,” JB laughed. “We’ve been working together for seven years now and have toured many productions in different roles – it’s great.”

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU

The tour had the theme of ‘The Future of Live Entertainment’, highlighting the rising popularity in short-form content, and the use of AI, but as the opening VT before Robbie took to the stage told the audience: “While technology has significantly transformed the entertainment industry, the human element remains irreplaceable.”

Creative Director for the tour, Kim Gavin, worked closely with STUFISH Entertainment

Architects to ensure that this human element of entertainment was front and centre in the stage design. CEO of STUFISH, Ray Winkler commented: “Robbie Williams’ BRITPOP Tour was all about amplifying Robbie’s legendary presence and celebrating the boldness of British pop with a futuristic edge. We knew this had to be more than just a concert; it needed to be a full-scale theatrical experience that matched his energy and charisma.”

At t he heart of the design was a gold rocket sculpture, created by WICREATIONS, which featured an automotive nod to Robbie Williams’ iconic Knebworth show in 2003, to which he dropped from the rocket upside down. The fl ying automation on t his show was r un from a winch on a tracking system, supported by 10 500kg hoists, which allowed the rocket to manoeuvre into different shapes, f rom stairs into angel w ings for t he final ballad, An gels There were also eight onstage mobilators for the movement of the video screens, and various set pieces – seven of which were wired due to video, lighting and backline cables already being in place, while one mobilator was controlled wirelessly in WICREATIONS’ usual style. The upstage video screen doors meanwhile featured actuators that aligned the screen perfectly when they moved back together. Pieterjan Nouwynck, Crew Chief at WICREATIONS, said this ensured the tour achieved a “pixel-perfect result”.

The RW rocket weighed a vast 1,440kg, and was utilised in different ways t hroughout t he

show, but Nouwynck could breathe a sigh of relief once Robbie’s flight was completed at t he st art of the show. “It’s an exciting moment in the show, and the part where my involvement is at its most crucial,” he commented. “I mainly spot for t he mobilators after t he flight, to ensure everything runs smoothly.”

He added: “The great thing about this tour is that every department helps each other; the focus for everyone is pulling off t he production and the team. Lizzie [Adshead, Production Coordinator] and John really care, and ease what they can. We’re the new kids on the block, but everything has been so smooth. It’s noticeable on this tour that it is one big family.”

Head Rigger, Steve Walsh, oversaw 170 rigging points and 56 tonnes of kit. “This tour has varying roofs, so it is a challenge going into each one to ensure everything is done safely and looks good,” he explained. “I started doing my drawings in mid-January, to set us in good stead for when we’re on the road. We have 24 climbing riggers, and 12 grounders to get us into the venues quickly so that the rest of the crews can work their magic.”

STUFISH’s Ray Winkler discussed the challenges that came along with staging the stadium shows: “The task was striking a balance between a massive stadium spectacle, and the personal and often cheeky moments that Robbie brings to his fans. The gold catwalk that stretches deep into the audience allowed for high-impact moments of intimacy and theatre,” he commented. “For STUFISH, this

Production Manager, John Lafferty; Lighting Crew Chief, Chris Roper; Lighting Director, Glen Johnson and Video Crew Chief, Pete Tilling.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS BRITPOP TOURING EUROPE

WE ARE PROUD TO BE INVOLVED

Headoffice Austria: joerg@beatthestreet.net | hannes@beatthestreet.net | lee@beatthestreet.net | dominic@beatthestreet.net

Office UK: garry@beatthestreet.net | dan@beatthestreet.net

Office Spain & France: tristan@beatthestreet.net

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

project wasn’t just about design; it was creating a space where Robbie could be both the largerthan-life entertainer and the intimate showman he has always been.”

With the BRITPOP Tour marking the fifth collaboration between STUFISH and the Robbie Williams camp, Winkler was full of praise for the team: “It was an honour to work alongside Kim Gavin, John Lafferty, IE:Music and the entire crew, who helped bring this bold vision to life.”

LIFE THRU A LENS

Supporting the theme of entertainment prosperity was a bespoke video package from Universal Pixels, which featured ROE Visual Vanish V8T panels with 4mm pixel pitch V4ST LED, powered by Brompton Technology processing and Disguise media servers. IMAGs were made up of INFiLED ER5.9 LED.

“It was our first time working with Kim Gavin and Video Director, Matt Askem and we wanted to make a good impression,” commented Phil Mercer, Commercial Director at Universal Pixels. “There was a certain level of production on this one where it really stepped up; we were learning techniques and technology that we hadn’t experienced before, so working on this project has pushed us forward.”

Video Director, Matt Askem, who collaborated with Kim Gavin on Adele in Munich [see TPi #283], picked up the story. “We have portrait screens on this show, so everything must be framed in the centre third. This then becomes a challenge when we want

to incorporate other band members, or the dancers. Robbie is so full of charisma, so we try to convey that as much as possible,” Askem explained. “I worked with Take That in 2011, but this has been my first time working with Robbie as a solo artist and he is a great showman. It’s good to work with someone who is clearly in the moment enjoying the show. He is a fun person to shoot cameras at.”

Colour grading for the IMAG screens was overseen by Richard Turner; Universal Pixels intentionally deployed its oldest IMAG products. “It’s no secret that they are the oldest screens we own, but because we recalibrated them before the tour, they work, and look, as good as new,” Mercer said. “The Brompton processing has really elevated its functionality. Being able to rejuvenate old products is important to us, because we don’t want to contribute to the carbon footprint of disposing equipment that still has plenty of life left in it.”

Video Crew Chief, Pete Tilling oversaw a crew of 13 and commended the team that Universal Pixels put forward for the run. “Universal Pixels always provides a great team; the technical competency is a given, but this specific crew’s ability to understand how things move, and have some flexibility to adjust to the things that are thrown at us is second to none,” Tilling said. “They’re a good group of people.”

T he BRITPOP Tour invested in HDR cameras to capture more detail of the stage antics, which made the show more dynamic, according to the Crew Chief, who can see the workflow being

Monitor Engineer, Dan Kent; PA Tech, Brooke Paterson; C-Stage Technician,Holly van der Rest; RF Technician, Fergus Mount and Michael Atkinson, Pyro and SFX Technician.

Right page: PA Tech, Brooke Paterson; System Engineer, Ville Kauhanen; FOH Engineer, Joe Harling; FOH Tech, Giacomo Gasparini; WICREATIONS Crew Chief, Pieterjan Nouwynck; Head Rigger, Steve Walsh; Tour Accountants, James ‘JB’ Bullock and Adrian ‘Ade’ Bullock.

utilised on more tours in the future. “I think it has legs,” he commented. “From using new cameras to colour grading, we’ve seen it work in static scenarios, and this tour is proof that it can work on the road. It’s something that makes a big difference to the quality and ensures the show looks its best at all times.”

DISCO SYMPHONY

Paul Normandale was appointed to oversee the lighting design of the tour, with Glen Johnson serving as Lighting Director on the road. Normandale described his involvement: “The show is a celebration of Robbie as an entertainer, with props, dancers and moving elements, and the content is central in that, so the lighting design complements the aesthetic that is being created through the content.”

The lighting package featured a plethora of Ayrton fixtures, including Veloce Profiles, Perseo Profiles, Mamba and Argo 6 FXs, alongside Robe iFORTE LTX WBs.

Johnson worked from a MA Lighting grandMA3, with the show operated to timecode. “It is one of the busier shows for me, which is surprising when you’re running timecode, but there is a lot of balancing when it comes to the show,” he said. “Many of the venues are openair stadiums, which can be a nightmare when it comes to haze, so I have 16 Look Solutions Viper fog generators to ensure we’re covered, no matter which way the wind blows.”

Working for Normandale for a 25 years, Johnson has become accustomed to utilising

and working with Lite Alternative as a supplier, as well as a design house. “It’s a real bonus,” he stated. “We’ve had a working relationship for around 25 years – we very rarely get different suppliers, and if we do, it’s for a show too far away for the freight to be worth it.”

Also among the eight-strong lighting crew was Lighting Crew Chief, Chris Roper, who started his preparations for the BRITPOP Tour in November 2024. “We started our drawings last year and then began our preparations around two weeks before we went into rehearsals, but Glenn had done another week before us in previs using WYSIWYG,” Roper said. “We now tour with a WYSIWYG system.”

Roper, in charge of loading and unloading the lighting equipment, saw the deployment of the nine followspot system on roll-out cases – the first time the dollys have ever made an appearance on tour – which halved the load-in time for the lighting crew.

“We have tried to streamline the tour as much as possible. As well as the roll-out followspot cases, a lot of the lighting rig is pre-rigged, which is great,” Roper commented. “It keeps us busy, but it makes our day much more manageable, and as a crew chief, I want to keep morale happy. This is one of the best camps I’ve ever worked with.”

Ty ing the creative together and giving the show its big picture moments was a special effects package from ER Productions. Looking after the pyrotechnics and special effects on the tour was Michael Atkinson, who has

recently completed the vendor’s Certified Show Technician training scheme.

The tour package included MagicFX Ecojets, which gave the illusion of the golden rocket launching, while a pyrotechnic waterfall cascaded from the ‘wings’ created by the rocket sculpture at the end of the show. The camp also carried 18 STADIUMSHOT IIIs utilised in one hit from the Vari-Lite Zero 88 FLX DMX Lighting Desk, and contained 20,000km of streamers.

“I ’ve been with ER Productions for two-anda-half years now; working for them and being able to be a part of the Robbie camp has been great,” Atkinson said. “While the special effects are quite simple on this one, they are big hitters and are able to be standalone moments – the Angels special effects is my favourite.”

ROCK DJ

“Britannia Row Productions has worked across Robbie Williams shows since 1994, and as one of the UK’s most-loved pop stars, it’s wonderful to be able to continue the relationship 30 years on,” commented Simon Hodge, Surfhire / Britannia Row Productions. “We’re proud to support Robbie’s live performances for his 14th solo outing by supplying the crew with a PA system and control package from Britannia Row Productions, and communications, radios and radio licencing through our communications specialist brand, Surfhire.”

FOH Engineer, Joe Harling, delivered a mix to audiences from a DiGiCo Quantum 338. “I try to make my mix as modern as possible,” he began.

“I want it to be powerful, without having to be too loud – so I sit at 98dB to keep it exciting, without hurting the audience’s ears.”

The engineer utilised different analogue outboard effects, including: UBK Fatso, Overstayer SFE, Sansamp RBI, Tubetech CL1B, Wes Audio Dione compressor, Rupert Neve designs 542, Audioscape AS78, Overstayer MAS, Vertigo Sound VSC-3 and a Terry Audio SEQ. “ Most of t he analogue choices are about adding colour, and reducing the crest factor of the mix,” Harling explained.

T he main hub at FOH featured a Digital Audio Denmark A X64, w hich handled 128 channels of record at 96k, 24 channels of analogue conversion t hough MADI inserts, as well as 64 channels of format conversion and SRC f rom MADI to Dante for t he Fourier Audio Transform Engine plugin host.

“ I am using t he Fourier Transform Engine to host a bunch of plugins and inserts such as dynamic EQs, compressors, and Sooth Live,” Harling s aid. “ This is a fairly new technology, and it is very liberating to be able to use VSTs f rom almost any manufacturer,” he added, praising the tour’s vendor. “ Britannia Row Productions are so supportive; they have always been great to work with.”

Harling’s r ight-hand man is V ille Kauhanen, Systems Engineer on t he tour, w hom he praised for his work optimising t he PA system of choice – d&b audiotechnik GSL. Ville ensures t he work

is done in a linear fashion. He ensures t here is minimal f requency overlap – t he result is much less of a t ilt upwards in t he low end compared to most tours,” Harling s aid. “ I find t his allows my mi x to t ranslate much better to broadcast but also allows a smoother t ransition f rom using near field studio monitors in rehearsals to t he show itself.”

He added: The one t hing in audio you c an’t argue gets better and better are speakers and for me, d&b audiotechnik has t he best consistency and sound great. I am using Smaart to monitor t he f requency response of my mix, using slow averaging. I find if a mix is objectively more or less linear, it sounds good in t he mix.”

At t he other end of the Optocore is Monitor Engineer, Dan Kent, w ho worked f rom a DiGiCo Qu antum 7 It’s great to be back touring w ith Robbie. T his is a bigger show t han we’ve done for a w hile w ith him, and it’s going really well,” Kent s aid. While being in arenas and st adiums on t his tour means different acoustic environments, my workflow is still t he s ame.”

Kent utilised an Optocore AutoRouter, w hich ensured the Optocore devices positioned around t he venue ran smoothly, as well as a Fourier Audio effects engine and a CEDAR Digital noise suppressor.

With 12 band members on stage, including Robbie himself, Kent also looks after t he mixes for the dancers on the tour, ensuring certain cues are met. Robbie is a great person to look

af ter ears for. He has been doing t his for so long, so he knows what he needs to get on with it,” Kent added. “ There have been a lot of guest visits on t he tour, so I have to be flexible to ensure t hat w hoever comes in to perform w ith Robbie also has w hat t hey need.”

Kent and t he audio team deployed an abundance of different microphones, such as Beyerdynamic, Earthworks and DPA Microphones for instrument microphones, while Sennheiser microphones were utilised as audience microphones; a Shure A xient Digital Wireless Microphone system took c are of RF on the r un, overseen by Fergus Mount.

“I’m in charge of coordinating f requencies, and I do a lot of walking on this one as we have a song w here t he band starts on t he main stage, walks t hrough t he barrier line to FOH, and ends on t he C stage in t he middle of t he field,” Mount said, explaining how he provides continuous coverage over t he 150m walk. We have a Wisycom RF over Fibre system to combat t his, which means we’re able to send 16 channels of transmit to t he C Stage, as well as have multiple receive antennas along the route.”

All of t he IEMs were monitored t hrough 56 channels of W isycom MTK952 t ransmitters that handled t he show’s 26 channels and other tasks around the venue, which was a challenge for Mount to set up. “ The W isycom t ransmitters are really efficient for spectrum usage. T he amplifiers are very linear, w hich allows us to

get more frequencies to use with very few intermodulation problems,” Mount commented. “It’s getting harder and harder to manage RF on the road, with the reduction of spectrum available to us, but it’s interesting to see all of the new products emerging that will help us tackle the challenge.”

Aiding Mount’s RF deployment on the tour was Holly van der Rest, C-stage technician, who embarked on her first ever tour with the Robbie Williams camp, after completing a two-year apprenticeship with Britannia Row. “I think it’s rare to be so young on such a big tour but that is because Britannia Row has supported me and trusted me in the knowledge that they’ve given me,” van der Rest said. “The tour has been going great. The crew are completely lovely.”

Looking after the C-stage for Robbie Williams’ five-song stint, van der Rest ensured the stage was set, and prepared for any potential special guests, of which the tour had many, including Michelle McManus, Self Esteem, Lucy Spraggan and Lulu.

As well as the arena and stadium dates, there was also a special show at Bath’s Royal Crescent. Resident of the Royal Crescent and audio specialist, Marc Aitken worked alongside the production team and other residents to ensure the show went off without a hitch, and

without noise pollution affecting those living in neighbouring homes.

“T here have been different performances on the Crescent before, but without any input from the residents, which was really important to us,” Aitken said. “It is quite unusual compared to other historical sites that hold gigs, because the front doors of residents are only around 20m from the back of the stage.”

Aitken had heard d&b audiotechnik’s GSL around the time discussions for the show began and sought it out as the only solution for the show to happen due to the minimal sound pollution at the rear of the system, where the residents would be most affected, and thus specified the PA in the contract for the show.

“For me, the GSL does something in the low mid that means you don’t have to fight it; it sounds incredibly clean,” he said. “I went into meetings with my hand on my heart and said this is the best-sounding PA on the planet and that got the rest of the residents, and my neighbours on board because they really felt looked after.”

Aitken also worked to introduce a levy on tickets bought for the Bath show, which saw them raise £50,000 for the Orchestra of Everything, which provides extra music lessons for schools in the Bath area. “It’s a positive thing for the residents to feel like they are contributing

to, and the show put a buzz into Bath that I’ve never seen in the 30 years that I have lived there,” Aitken commented. “It’s an amazing space and it would be great to use it more with the residents’ support.”

The fun didn’t stop in Bath, with the crew continuing across the continent with their ‘pocket rocket’ and dedicated suppliers in tow. For those wondering what they missed out on, Bullock put it best: “The Robbie Williams show is a couple of hours of pure adrenaline and entertainment, great outfits, lots of big TVs, swearing and a hardworking team behind the scenes ensuring everything goes to plan.” www.robbiewilliams.com www.beatthestreet.net www.stagetruck.com www.lite-alternative.com www.britanniarow.com www.universalpixels.com www.er-productions.com www.wicreations.com www.oxevents.co.uk www.surfhire.net www.popcorncatering.com www.actusindustries.com www.stufish.com www.kimgavin.com www.bullocks.co.uk

FESTIVAL SEASON 2025

From spatial audio and innovative stage structures through to a festival staged against all odds, TPi looks back fondly at some of the production highlights of this year’s festival season.

Words: Stew Hume

Photos: TPi (p92), Jan Heesen (p93) Jake Davis(p94), Justin Ng (The 1975), Liteup (The Lion’s Gate), Reiner Pfisterer (Stuttgart Jazz Open).

In what is shaping up to be one of the busiest summer seasons for the live events industry to date, we thought we would take a beat to catch up with the hard-working crew members and companies who have been busy creating magical experiences in the fields of the UK and Europe for the past few months.

Although there is an ever-present threat facing the festival industry with many events sadly having to close their gates – in some cases for good – there were still several production highlights from the summer.

There does seem to be a shift with the industry as was highlighted in Ticketmaster’s State of Play Report. The survey discovered a growing move of festival’s becoming more of a family destination. More than two in five parents see musical festivals as a replacement to the traditional summer holiday. Also, sustainable practices are proving to be a big sway on festivals-goers decision on the events they attend. In the report, 67% of fans say sustainability impacts their ticket choice with 77% desiring less waste and 66% desiring lowcarbon travel options.

This demand, has led to the production world having to find solutions for this demand seen at events such as LIDO Festival using Grid Faeries x Ecotricity battery solution to power the main stage and parts of the site with renewable electricity – demonstrating how a mainstream London festival can radically reduce its carbon footprint without compromising on safety, quality or experience.

The event also saw the use of MercedesBenz electric trucks, operated by KB Event to further lower the events carbon impact.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Early in the season, one story that shook the industry came from Belgium’s Tomorrowland where days ahead of its opening, a fire devastated the main stage. However, in a

true demonstration of ‘the show must go on’ mentality, companies including Stageco and PRG came together to install brand-new staging infrastructure.

PRG President of EMEA and APAC, Bob Walpot, spoke of the company’s involvement with the event. “PRG is responsible for the lighting and rigging on the main stage and other stages, but the most important thing to ensure when the call came in was that the people involved were safe,” he began. “We called all the crew personally to make sure they were OK after what they had gone through and everybody very clearly gave the message, ‘Let me know what we can do – we’re ready to go’. We turned the switch and started to pull lists together on available equipment.”

Trailers were scheduled for midnight with crew planned at 2am on the Friday. “Getting the crane on site, assembling it and assessing the situation, took a bit more time, but we were anticipating that, so we did as much preproduction work as we could and knew we had to be flexible in terms of timing,” continued Walpot. “We had clear communication with the other partners. It’s at that moment we really started to be one team, where it didn’t matter what the T-shirt or the truck said. It was one team that started to deliver that second stage and it really brought us all together. Everybody was focussed on the delivery together and it was amazing to see.”

Amazingly, the event went on much to the pleasure of the festivalgoers – a true example of the ingenuity of the live events sector.

A NEW DAWN

This summer also saw a relative newcomer make waves within the festival circuit. German staging company High Rise was founded back in 2020 and has quickly built itself up to this year providing all four stages including both main stages at Rock am Ring festival.

One of the founders, Kevin Jonas, spoke to TPi about the company’s rise to prominence. “I’ve worked in the industry for 16 years,” he said, highlighting his work in crewing and production companies. “With all the contacts I had, we were able to build interest in High Rise to the point where we provided the stage for Download Festival Germany in 2022. This was the first stage we ever built as High Rise.”

The company started with three smaller staging solutions, ideal for 10,000-capacity events before starting to provide larger packages. High Rise now owns two “monster stages” according to Jonas, each one measuring 24m wide. The founder explained that during the establishment of the business, they got a lot of feedback on what those working in productions would like to see in a festivals stage.

“A ll festival productions are getting bigger and bigger,” said Jonas, using Sleep Token’s headline performance at Rock am Ring as an example. “The band arrived with between 20 and 30 trailers; to put that into context, Metallica a few years ago had 14. It was huge!”

With more acts looking to run an arena-level production on festival stages, High Rise has built a product that is set up for these heavy loads. “Even with the Sleep Token setup, we still had 15% capacity spare in the roof,” enthused Jonas. “LED screens are also such a necessity on stages and as such in our construction books we have all LED wind loads stated.”

BIGGER AND BETTER

The increased demands for festival productions was also a trend that was picked up on by Production Park, which played host to several acts prior to summer headline shows. This year, this included The 1975 as well as Charli XCX ahead of their respective Glastonbury Festival performances, with production for the latter doing numerous tests

of the burning the ‘BRAT’ backdrop – an iconic look from The Other Stage at Worthy Farm.

“We had The 1975 in Studio 001 for almost four weeks working on their iconic Glastonbury set,” commented Dave Tomlinson of Production Park. “With festival productions growing ever larger and some stages now reaching up to 25m tall, our flagship studios continue to offer the space and flexibility to match the industry’s ambitions.”

Alongside artist’s incoming shows increasing in size, this year saw several festivals looking to push the boundaries of their production design. One such innovation was seen at the tail end of the season over August Bank Holiday weekend at Creamfields. No strangers to innovation, Lucid Creates again collaborated with the festival to create HALO –a monumental 45m-diameter, cyclical outdoor arena with a pioneering 360° and overhead video, lighting and sound package.

The overhead structure comprised 12, 15m towers, each lined with LED screen and lighting effects, with three huge rings lined with video screen and LED lighting suspended from the centre of the arena, above the audience.

e Lucid Creates team dubbed the new stage as an evolution of the RUNWAY Stage that made its debut in 2022. Chris Carr, Founder and Director of Lucid, said: “We’ve spent thousands of hours creating an innovative, unique truss system that places creativity, design and audience experience at the forefront. This heavy-duty truss system was borne out of a creative vision to achieve outdoor stage designs that would not be bound by limitations of products that were already on the market. The custom system allows for huge weights to be suspended from the ground support, resulting in an all-encompassing, overhead, 360° audiovisual experiences that have become a signature in our design style and what people have come to expect from a Lucid stage and show.”

Ella Willis-Nasseri, who works alongside Carr, added: “HALO takes what the studio has been working on over the past 10 years, both from an engineering standpoint and creatively, to the next level. This is the next step in both RUNWAY’s evolution, but also in Lucid’s – as artists, engineers and as show designers.”

RENTAL POINT OF VIEW

The industry’s rental houses were out in force and navigating a tricky year with a huge number of artists also heading out on stadium and arena runs. Rhodri Shaw and Graham Miller of 4Wall Entertainment spoke of the delicate balancing act. “The summer season has certainly changed over the years, with stadium and arena shows putting extra pressure on equipment demand,” began Miller, explaining how 4Wall had close to a 50/50 split between working with festivals and touring productions. “We try to get kit and crew booked into festivals months ahead while ensuring we have the capability to also pick-up last-minute tours.”

This was very much the case this year, with the company picking up 50 Cent’s tour along with a large K-pop act on the same weekend as Glastonbury Festival.

“T his year, we were working on The Pyramid Stage, The Other Stage, West Holts and The Common at Glastonbury, alongside multiple tours,” commented Shaw, highlighting the growing technical demands on event. “We’re seeing more 4K transmission at FOH and we’re having to deploy more 4K fibre systems to deal

Creative Event Production

Driven by passion for technical excellence and exceptional customer service

Th

with the demand. A few years ago, people used to rock up with a laptop and spit out HD, but now people are wanting to utilise all the pixels we have on stage.”

This growing demand is something that excites team at 4Wall, with more options to collaborate with show designers. “We are seeing more interesting designs like at All Points East, which has a curved LED screen on the main stage,” commented Miller.

Miles Hillyard, Commercial Director of PRG, picked up the story: “We have been very lucky to work with the best creative designers in the world this year,” he said, reflecting on the summer. “It’s been a challenge at times but rewarding in the end.”

One of the challenges he highlighted was the shorter turnaround times alongside the more complex demands. “Big shows with big specs coming in with only four weeks’ notice when previously, we would have contact with our clients a minimum of six months beforehand.”

PRG is often enlisted for complex planning, drawings and delivery solutions for clients looking for a bigger and more immersive experience for the audience.

“Designs that were exclusive to touring are now commonplace for one-off shows and local supply.” Hillyard noted, citing the growing demand for show automation alongside demand for LED. “As PRG have pushed the boundaries of what is possible with this technology, the expectation of the production managers, designers, artists and the audience have increased.”

Having been involved in multiple shows, including three headline sets at Glastonbury [The 1975, Charli XCX and Maribou State], Marc Callaghan of Liteup was keen to discuss the company’s involvement with the brand-new stage at Boomtown - The Lion’s Gate. “The set for The Lion’s Gate was an elaborate design with integrated lighting to highlight the structure and creative as well as provide show lighting,” he said, complementing the work of Lighting Designer, Mark Jones.

The structure was 75m wide by 30m high meaning the majority of the stage was only accessible via a cherry picker. “There were around 400 fixtures from Elation Professional, Ayrton, Martin Professional, Cameo, CHAUVET and Robe lighting that create an impressive display. We mounted lights into the set to minimise the profile on the structure. There was also a strong focus on the opening and closing show, and Mark did a week of pre-vis in Liteup’s pre-visualisation suite using Syncronorm Depence software.”

He continued: “It was a fantastic process working with Boomtown. They’re passionate about the theatrics of the festival and produces an incredible show.”

In closing, Callaghan shared his thoughts on emerging trends: “Artists and designers are favouring designs of integrated shows,” he stated. “Shows where the all the production elements are in sync and often under an overall creative are making for a much more harmonious show production.”

TECHNICAL INNOVATION

As is commonplace throughout the summer, many manufacturers headed to festival sites to provide support and get in-person feedback from their end users. Immersive audio was present on several new festivals this year, with d&b audiotechnik at the forefront of this trend. From Glastonbury’s Greenpeace stage to Stuttgart Jazzopen, Houghton and Shambala, Soundscape was seen across multiple sites, creating a spatial mix for all those in attendance. “When it comes to festivals operating within a venue with an installed Soundscape system, the adoption is nearly complete, as the number of installed Soundscape systems continues to grow,” commented Nick Malgieri, Director Immersive Enablement, d&b audiotechnik, discussing the growing presence of Soundscape during the season.

“In temporary setups, adoption is increasing steadily, albeit more gradually, due to the logistical demands of deploying immersive

The 1975’s Matty Healy rehearsing at Production Park ahead of their Glastonbury’s headline performance; Liteup providing support for Boomtown’s new stage, The Lion’s Gate; This year’s Stuttgart Jazz Open featuring a d&b audiotechnik Soundscape system.

systems. Still, artists are driving this momentum. Their rising expectations for audience experience are pushing festivals to explore the potential of d&b Soundscape.” Malgieri pointed to d&b’s new, Create.Control software as a new release that he was excited to see being utilised during the summer months.

“It expands the usability of Soundscape to the mix engineers – not just system techs. It allows for a simpler and more intuitive interface. This is particularly of value in festival situations where multiple mix engineers need their own software interface, even if a single Soundscape processor handles all the artists.”

Another manufacturer that also used the festival season as a testing arena for brand new solutions was Funktion-One. The company once again set up at The Glade Stage at Glastonbury. In recent years, Funktion-One Founder Tony Andrews has chosen this corner of the site as the playground for the loudspeaker manufacturer’s latest technological developments – where he continues a legacy that started at the very first Glastonbury Festival in 1970. For 2025, Funktion-One collaborated with Audio Plus to create “probably the best sonic experience of my life,” enthused Andrews. The Vero VX - Funktion-One’s medium format, vertically arrayable loudspeaker system -

delivered the audio for a wide range of bands, vocalists, and DJs. On one side of the stage, a mono-block of F124s was dedicated to bass frequencies and a column of newly upgraded F132s for sub-bass.

“We’ve sorted out the suspension, given it better control,” said Andrews about the F132. “It’s a different beast now.”

The real advantage of setting up at a festival such as Glastonbury meant that numerous engineers got to experience the system first-hand.

“I t hink that the overall impression that I came away with was just how unforced the whole thing was,” stated Goldie’s FOH Engineer, Alex Fienne “It obviously goes silly loud when you ask it to, but it does so in a way that isn’t aggressive, and the image remains totally consistent.”

Leftfield’s FOH Engineer, Martin Harrison, also commented: “When I saw the FunktionOne spec for the Glade, I thought it must be a typo – 18 F124s on one side of the stage! I hadn’t expected that. But I really like people who are doing things differently. I paced up and down that field to see if the theory worked and really liked what I heard. There’s something beautiful about having a single source for the subs like that – the coverage and coherence. I found it really inspiring.”

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

With the madness of festival season winding down, no doubt there will be a collective sigh of relief from the industry as workloads begin to return to normal levels.

Speaking to many in the industry, it seems that there are still some questions as to what future summers will look like from a workload perspective as new patterns of how artists wish to tour remain somewhat in flux. However, what is clear from even mainstream coverage is that there is still widespread interest in bands and artist performances at festivals, which in turn keeps the production industry very much in the public spotlight.

TPi looks forward to seeing which of the many events make the shortlist for this year’s UK Festival Awards, taking place in December at DIECAST in Manchester. www.festivalawards.com www.festivalinsights.com www.highrise-gmbh.com www.productionpark.co.uk www.dbaudio.com www.funktion-one.com www.prg.com www.4wall.com www.liteup.co.uk www.lucidcreates.co.uk

BLOC PARTY: 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Tour Manager, Lotje Horvers reflects on Bloc Party’s latest campaign, celebrating 20 years since the release of their landmark debut album, Silent Alarm.

Castlefield Bowl’s Sounds of the City has firmly established itself as a staple on Manchester’s festival calendar, with this year’s edition featuring artists such as Elbow, Rizzle Kicks, Basement Jaxx and Bloc Party. A familiar face to readers and GTL Sessions attendees, Tour Manager Lotje Horvers met with TPi to offer a glimpse into the logistics behind Bloc Party’s latest tour of festivals and venues on both sides of the Atlantic.

Horvers, a self-confessed fan of the band, coined the show a “dance party with non-stop bangers”. She elaborated: “I started with Bloc Party earlier this year and it’s been great. Band, crew and management are a pleasure to work with. I got to bring in my own crew for several key positions and shape some of the tour.”

The tour’s vendors included Lights Control Rigging (lighting and rigging), Solotech (audio), Fly by Nite (logistics), Rock-it Cargo (freight), and TAG (travel agent). Following the success of a headline

tour in the US, the team headed straight into the European summer festival season with the same lighting control and floor package and backline equipment. “It’s a modest technical setup that allows us to scale and get the same effect across various stage sizes,” she explained, praising the tour’s crew of ten. “We have a great crew who work together really well, which is lovely as it makes the days run smoothly and contributes to everyone’s general wellbeing, and ultimately results in us all putting on a great show.”

In a bid to improve the drab interior of festival backstage construction containers, the tour office was decked out with decorations, including art prints and a dangling pom pom curtain. “If I am going to spend my entire day here, I like the space to radiate joy,” Horvers said. “It’s a small thing but it makes my office just that bit more personable.”

Creating a personable environment for herself, and the crew is important to Horvers, who pointed out the time spent away from families, and home.

Words: Alicia Pollitt

Photos: Kevin Condon and TPi

Tour Manager, Lotje Horvers.

“Touring crew make great personal sacrifices to do our jobs, so to make it easier, I try to create a positive work environment. For example; I try to schedule travel in a way that maximises rest for crew, communicating logistics ahead of time and sending out flights for approval before booking them in,” she said. “Even small things can go a long way; such as taking everyone’s order for a variety of aftershow food, and making sure crew can invite their partners and families to shows and backstage. I have also introduced a daily team meeting right before soundcheck to go over plans for the next 24 hours, any specifics for the days production and discuss any issues from the previous show.”

Having been in the business for 22 years, Horvers cited the benefits of Eventric’s Master Tour and Google Maps in making the lives of those on the road easier. “When I started tour

managing there were no learning materials, I didn’t even have a laptop – I just had a notebook and box of maps,” Horvers recalled, further referencing of unity fostered by the touring community post-lockdown. “The industry has banded together to make a ton of educational tools for the next generation, which has been great to be a part of and benefit from.”

Passionate about creating greater access to live music careers for women and gender minorities, Horvers co-founded non-profit Backstage Pass.

As part of the collective, she organises open days for industry newcomers to visit venues and discover more about the sector. In collaboration with industry insiders, Horvers developed the Getting Your Foot in the Tour Bus Door workshop and the Diversity On Tour website which provides an insight into the sector and

a list of resources on diversity and touring, including podcasts about the industry and information about conferences.

“I t ry to be visible and approachable for women in the industry, I want to empower young women to pursue a career in touring because it has brought me so much joy and fulfilment over the years,” she concluded.

“I do think the culture is shifting, and more people are seeking women to be a part of their tours. I hope it continues to grow. Not because everything should be 50/50, but because everyone should be able to pursue their goals and be offered equal opportunity, equal respect and equal compensation regardless of gender or background.”

www.blocparty.com www.diversityontour.com www.backstage-pass.nl

Our best advert is what our customers say...

"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

Trusted Safety Partner

WHAT MAKES GOOD LIGHT?

Lighting Designer, Jason Ahn proposes an alternative framework to lighting design rooted in neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy with his new book.

Words: Jacob Waite

Photo: Min Kim (@i.minkim)

What really makes light feel right? Lighting designer and neuroaesthetics researcher, Jason Ahn is challenging conventional wisdom with an approach that draws on neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy. In his new Routledge-published book Neuroaesthetic Stage Lighting Design: What Makes Good Light, Ahn offers a framework for understanding audience perception – and why applying neuroaesthetic principles could transform how live events feel, not just how they look.

What inspired you to write Neuroaesthetic Stage Lighting Design?

“Every creative field has its own unwritten rules – for example, ‘in this situation, this arrangement and colour combination works best.’ I was curious to know why. While working with some of the world-leading lighting designers in the UK, that question became more concrete. This led me to study in a structured way, what kinds of light make audiences feel most immersed in a performance and most aesthetically satisfied. Along the way, I’ve discovered neuroaesthetics. By connecting it with research in neuroscience, biology, psychology, and visual design, I was able to understand the meaning and reasons behind how audiences experience light. Until now, most neuroaesthetic research has been confined to static visual art. I’m genuinely delighted that this book is the first to apply neuroaesthetic thinking to the worlds of performance, popular arts, and lighting design.”

Your work focusses on how light influences ‘perception, emotion, and experience’. How do these factors influence the way people approach lighting in live events?

“In the book, I suggest various ways these concepts can be connected to practical lighting design. One example draws on Gestalt theory. Humans tend to simplify shapes to interpret them quickly; we understand simpler forms faster than more complex ones.

For instance, when lighting a forest scene, using green, warm white, cool white, sky blue and multiple breakup gobos might overwhelm the stage visually. The audience may unconsciously process each colour and pattern separately, taking longer to identify the space, which can reduce visual engagement. In contrast, using just the appropriate amount of green and warm white with a frosted texture can allow the audience to instantly recognise the forest and enter the world of the show more deeply. Light is an intangible medium, so it is not easy to consciously affect the audience in this way – but through countless neural processes, it influences them far more than we might think, and plays a meaningful role in enabling them to experience the work as art.”

In fast-paced and dynamic world of live events, where time and resources are limited, how can neuroaesthetic principles be adopted without disrupting established workflows?

“The most important thing when applying neuroaesthetics to lighting design is to keep a few principles in mind and draw on them

Lighting Designer, Jason Ahn.

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

when making decisions. For example, in a show with rapid and frequent changes in the music, the lighting cues may follow suit. But if the differences in colour, intensity, or movement between cues feel too great, those gaps should be reduced. Our brains can only process a certain amount at once, and beyond that point, it becomes harder to focus. Changes on the stage should therefore remain within a level the audience can absorb in a time. If the changes feel excessive to the lighting designer or other creatives, reducing them is likely the better choice. By adopting the principles outlined in the book, lighting designers can make quick, intuitive decisions in the productions that are still grounded in neuroaesthetic thinking, even under fast-paced conditions.”

Do you think lighting design education needs to evolve to include even more interdisciplinary thinking?

“Absolutely. The time spent in school is about developing the criteria for making design decisions. That is why I structured the book to first build a philosophical and humanities-based framework, followed by a scientific foundation. For example, considering ‘what is light’ through Plato’s cave allegory about idea, and defining ‘what is good light’ through Marshall McLuhan’s media theory, allows us to then understand why our brains and bodies respond differently to various lighting conditions – why we might feel sleepy, energised, or emotional in certain environments. This naturally develops a set of criteria for judging different situations and spaces. If a lighting designer realises through interdisciplinary thinking that lighting plays a

key role in why we feel differently at home and workplace, then when they recreate home and workplace environments on the stage, the lighting will invite clearly the audience into those worlds.”

As immersive technology and experiential design continue to gather pace, how do you see neuroaesthetic lighting evolving with the future of live entertainment?

“These days, audiences are raising their expectations from simply ‘watching’ a performance to ‘feeling and experiencing’ it. In environments where the real and the virtual blend, understanding how the brain decides ‘what feels real’ and using that as a key design criterion is crucial. In immersive settings, cross-sensory stimulation often comes into play, involving not only sight and hearing but also touch and smell. It’s important to understand how these senses influence one another. For example, sight and hearing are closely linked: when a single visual flash is accompanied by multiple auditory beeps, people often perceive multiple flashes – a phenomenon known as the ‘flash-beep illusion’. This is one reason why listening to music at a live concert with lighting feels more intense and memorable than listening through earphones. Although research in this area is still at an early stage, the growing demand for AI and immersive technologies is likely to drive much more exploration in near future.”

If there’s one key message or principle you want live event professionals to take from your book, what would it be?

“It can be summed up as the answer of the

subtitle of my book – what makes good light: good light is that makes the audience feel they are inside the world where the events of the performance are taking place. To use a food analogy, a great Bolognese sauce preserves the acidity of the tomatoes and the umami of the beef rather than masking them. Lighting works in the same way.

“W hen colour, intensity, direction, and texture match the world of the show’s story perfectly, the brain accepts the scene as real – making the audience more immersed and more engaged. What I want to convey in the book is that creating this ‘good light’ is not just a matter of intuition; it is grounded in science and principle. Instead of relying on a floating set of references in your head, you can ask questions like: ‘What should the world of this show look like?’ and ‘What level of visual plan and complexity will communicate this most clearly to the audience?’ That, I believe, is how good light is created.”

Where can readers find Neuroaesthetic Stage Lighting Design and keep up to date with your latest work?

“The book is published by Routledge and is available globally. You can purchase it directly from the official Routledge website, as well as from other online retailers like Amazon and some local bookshops in your area.

I also share updates on my recent work and activities via my Instagram account.” www.jasonahn.pro www.instagram.com/artistjason www.routledge.com/Neuroaesthetic-StageLighting-Design-What-Makes-Good-Light/ Ahn/p/book/9781032970530

The Chauffeur Experience, Redefined & Sustainable

UNUSUAL RIGGING

TPi pays a visit to the new Unusual Rigging HQ to learn how sustainability and circular economy principles are playing a role in the company’s future.

Words: Stew Hume

Photos: Rachel Ferriman

With a 40-year history as a key player within the theatre market, Unusual Rigging has grown from strength to strength – which is evident from the major expansion at the company’s Northampton HQ. Opened last year, the wood-clad, two-storey building is a feat of engineering that pushes the boundaries of sustainable construction, reflecting some of the core principles of Unusual Rigging.

Founded in 1983 by Alan ‘AJ’ Jacobi following a successful career as a freelance

production electrician, Unusual Rigging started with the aim of providing a service for the theatre world. This remit soon expanded to providing large-scale national and international events along with grand opening ceremonies and national celebrations. While remaining an ever-present name within the UK and European scene, in recent times the company has also expanded into the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

While AJ passed away in early 2020, his spirit and memory is still very much maintained within the Unusual Rigging complex, with a

memorial spot that now looks over the brandnew HQ.

Meeting TPi as we rolled into the car park was AJ’s son and now Managing Director of Unusual Rigging, Tom Harper. With the aid of his wider board of Directors – including Brian Rose, Steve Porter, Simon Stone and Simon Tiernan –Harper has broadened the horizons of Unusual Rigging since taking over as MD, placing a greater focus on sustainability. “In the years since the death of AJ, the senior management team and I have been navigating completely

new ground,” commented Harper. “AJ was not just the owner of Unusual, but a great leader, mentor and friend who had the best interests of his workforce at heart always. Losing him at the height of the pandemic, dealing with the uncertainties that the virus had on the entire live production industry and rebuilding as we emerged from it, was at best, challenging and at times really traumatic.”

Harper has made his own mark on the company, forming a team of directors to support him in his endeavours, taking bold steps to realise his vision for the future of the company, while also paying homage to AJ’s long-term goals. Seeing the abundance of EV power points and the solar panel-clad roof, it was clear that sustainability was a central part of that vision.

Har per’s passion for sustainability started prior to him joining the company officially, with his MBA focussed on the topic of Circular Economy. He elaborated: “It’s a set of principles that looks at the possibility of a regenerative economy,” he said, explaining how this was the antithesis of a linear economy approach of “take, make and dispose”.

During his MBA, Harper posed the question: “How ‘circular’ is the theatre industry?” focussing on reusing resources and being more sustainable. “Netherlands-based Circle Economy produced analysis that stated the average global economy was 7% ‘circular’. But

during my research I found that the theatre world was 17%,” stated Harper, pointing out that this higher-than-average figure was due to the industry’s history of reusing staging elements and costumes.

Not content with taking this at face value, Harper wished to push these principles further. “We were involved in Shrek the Musical back in 2013 and 60,000kg of metal was required to hang that 30-tonne show,” he recalled. “In the past, that metalwork would have possibly been scrapped, but we posed to the theatre that we would be able to use a great deal of the infrastructure for the next show, which ended up being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

This act alone saw the reuse of 70% of the metalwork and, according to Harper, saved 6,000-tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Harper isn’t alone in his drive to investigate sustainable practices, with the Theatre Green Book, of which Unusual Rigging is a partner, one example of the industry coming together on the subject. “When it comes to our delivery as a business, we started looking at our own energy usage with the goal of running entirely on renewables,” stated the MD. “We started to redesign our fabrication department and move to standard brackets as opposed to making bespoke ones for each theatre.”

Af ter pushing the various sustainable practices with its customers, in 2023, Unusual had the opportunity to put these practices

Unusual Rigging’s Founder Alan ‘AJ’ Jacobi on one of the company’s roofs when the solar panels were first installed; Managing Director of Unusual Rigging, Tom Harper.

in place for the company’s new HQ. “It’s all about designing out waste, designing for disassembly, running on renewables and sequestering carbon,” stated the MD back when construction started back in 2023.

Now a year on from the completion of the building, the entire company seems happy with the result. From renewed paving tiles to the use of glulam (glued laminated timber) and timber frame, with natural biogenic building materials used throughout the building, there isn’t an inch of the build that was not considered for this mission. The company even utilised some world first building materials such as Breathaboard (a material made from agricultural crop waste and a lime-based binder) over plasterboard.

The entire building runs on 100% onsite renewable energy, and the surrounding grounds have been regenerated, adding ponds and specific landscaping bent towards rewilding. “At a cynical level, people only care about the service you provide,” stated the MD when asked about the impact this new build has had on its customers. “I think something happens when you walk the walk.”

To f urther this mission, in 2025 Unusual Rigging also initiated a full carbon audit of the company by Hope Solutions – a leading sustainability consultancy operating at the intersection of climate science and live events, best known to TPi readers for its work with the likes of Coldplay and Glastonbury Festival.

“We’re building something much bigger than a company checklist,” said Harper. “We’re mapping out how Unusual can act as a catalyst for broader industry change – creating tools, processes and partnerships that will allow us and others to align with fast-approaching sustainability regulations and expectations. To have an insight, with this audit, is invaluable and sends a message to other industry colleagues. We rise together.”

FURTHER EXPANSION

Speaking outside of the sustainability mission – but very much on the topic of the future – TPi also learned about some of the more recent projects Unusual had been involved in. While working on multiple theatre projects, the company has also grown its presence within the sporting sector, specifically collaborating with Ross Video for its Spidercam delivery. This was most recently seen during The Open in Portrush. “We first connected with Spidercam many years ago while working on the Olympic Games,” commented Jason White, Senior Production Rigger. “The setup relies on four winches, each pulling in different directions to guide the camera through the air smoothly. While widely used in stadiums and sports arenas, such a system had never been installed over a live golf hole before – largely due to concerns that it could distract players during high-pressure moments. But with this latest installation, those concerns were put to rest.”

Unusual’s work also featured prominently on the London skyline recently, with an installation led by Electric Sheep Events and Warner Bros where a giant Superman statue was hung above The Shard.

Meanwhile internally, Unusual continues grow, with some recent appointments including Matt Stott to increase the company’s engineering capabilities.

The company also offers training for those new to the industry, with its Trainee Rigger Programme providing new recruits with a strong foundation and a clear pathway for career progression within the organisation. Trainees rotate through key departments including Motorshop, LX, Fabrication, Warehouse, and Truss, gaining hands-on experience and a comprehensive understanding of the business. Once they have completed each placement, trainees progress to site work, shadowing and learning directly from senior riggers. Alongside this, they complete industry-recognised training courses to further develop their skills including the NRC Level 2 and eventually Level 3 qualification.

Whether it’s training the next generation of riggers or building towards a more sustainable delivery model of the industry – Unusual Rigging certainly seems willing to question the status quo to push the envelope. Not only internally but with the hope to set an example for the wider entertainment sector. www.unusual.co.uk

LARA isaverydifferent animal...Soundsgreat andthebandsloveit!

“ ”

RodRodriguez CEO ofRDZProductions

EPICSOUND STARTS

HOLLY VAN DER REST

Britannia Row Productions’ Live Audio Tech Apprentice graduate, Holly van der Rest details the value of apprenticeships amid Robbie Williams’ BRITPOP Tour

What inspired you to pursue a career in live events and touring?

“I’ve wanted to work in live audio since I was 14 years old. My mum took me to me to my first ever concert, One Direction, and I had the time of my life. I went into school the next day and told my music teacher about how cool I thought it all was, and she opened my eyes to the fact there was a whole career path around live audio. She inspired me to believe that it was a job I could achieve and helped point an excited teenager in the right direction.”

When did you start your Britannia Row Productions Apprenticeship?

“I started the Live Audio Technician Apprenticeship in July 2023 after working in the warehouse as a full-time Prep Technician for a year. It’s a two-year course split into a curriculum of Live Sound Fundamentals (LSF) and Live Sound intermediate (LSI). Over the two years, you get trained through practical work in the warehouse rotating your time across the multiple departments, such as speakers and rigging, cables, mics and RF. In rotating work

through the warehouse departments, you get to gain knowledge of how the equipment works, and more importantly, how to notice when it’s broken and how it can be fixed. The other side of the apprenticeship is lessons discussing subjects such as the physics of sound or electronics which gives you the deeper knowledge to how it all works.”

How has this apprenticeship experience benefitted your career?

“The practical training opportunities, like practicing flying PA or RF training sessions as well as gaining on-site gig experience is invaluable. Apprentices are sent out on jobs after completing a series of exams to learn from experienced technicians about how a gig works on site. The further networking opportunities and relationships you form with industry specialists are equally important and easily accessible.”

Where can we expect to see you on the road?

“I’m currently on my first tour with Robbie Williams. A highlight for me was the first show

in Edinburgh, when Angels started playing and I could hear 50,000 people singing along. I thought back to every concert I had been to for the past decade, pointing at the speakers or FOH and explaining to my friends how one day I wanted to work on something like this. To realise I was there felt like such an unachievable dream for so long and yet somehow, I was there doing it.”

What advice would you offer to those looking to follow in your footsteps?

“Get as much experience as possible, any experience is valid no matter how small and will provide you with a new piece of knowledge that can help build your skills up. It’s also important to pick yourself back up if you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world if you take accountability and importantly learn from these things. It’s not all plain sailing, sometimes you are put in stressful and irritating situations but it’s important to keep your cool and remain polite to people as everyone you are working with will be going through the same thing.”

www.britanniarow.com/training

Photo: TPi

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

SIXTY82 OLYMPION ROOF SYSTEM

SIXTY82 Sales Director, Rainier Smeding introduces the Olympion Roof System –designed to meet the demands of modern live productions

Photos: SIXTY82 and Mariza Kapsabeli

What challenges did you face during the development of the Olympion Roof System?

“The biggest challenge was the timeframe. We received the order in early January – for two roofs, each in a different configuration – with the first one to be delivered in the first weeks of May. In that short window, we designed the complete system, including two new truss types: the XL77TOW tower trusses and the XXL119 horizontal trusses. The team pulled off a huge effort: designing many new parts, building jigs for both the robotic and hand welding lines, and overcoming inevitable production setbacks. Delivering everything on time was only possible because of their relentless commitment. It was truly a pinnacle team effort.”

What guided the design of the system?

“The scalability – mainly in the stage width –lets end users adapt the roof to the size of the event and the artists performing. This came directly from customer requests. Since we had already based the truss design on scaffolding dimensions and combined that with our keder roof system, making the structure scalable was a natural step.”

How does the Olympion compare to other roof systems on the market?

“The Olympion is very quick to build. We

designed it around common logic: truss sizes match the 207.2 cm scaffolding dimensions, the tower bases use the same connections as scaffolding, and the XXL119 truss has a simple but effective connection that makes both precambering and grid building straightforward. Combined with strict QC and tight tolerances, it all comes together fast. That said, it is still a large roof system for experienced users. We provide extensive training and support – either during a test build or the first build to make sure crews get fully up to speed.”

How does this system meet safety expectations?

“Safety was central from the start. The roof was engineered in close cooperation with the civil engineering firm we’ve worked with for over 30 years. Every detail has been calculated and rechecked through countless meetings to ensure full compliance. The system meets the latest EN 17879:2024 standard.”

How far can the Olympion Roof System be pushed creatively?

“Every structure has its limits, of course, but within those boundaries there’s a lot of flexibility. Customers can discuss bespoke elements with us, and we’ll adapt as far as possible – whether that’s in height, depth, or load capacity. This will

become a custom solution, but we’re open to tailoring the system to fit unique needs.”

What sustainability considerations went into its design?

“The roof is mainly aluminium and steel – both highly recyclable materials. We’ve reshored most of our production to our HQ and work closely with local partners, which reduces the logistics footprint. In terms of lifespan, these systems are built to last. With proper maintenance and inspections, trusses can have a very long working life. Give them some TLC, and they will serve you for decades.”

How has the system performed in the field?

“We’ve only had the first builds this summer in Greece, but the feedback has been very positive. As with any first build, there were minor challenges, but the customer was impressed with how neatly everything fit together and how straightforward the design was. On the second build, the roof faced heavy wind – a common situation in Athens.”

What was the response like?

“The feedback was that it stood rock solid without flinching, which gave the customer real confidence in the system.”

www.sixty82.nl

LASERWORLD PURELIGHT SERIES IP65

Laserworld’s improved Purelight Series promises high output, efficient design, and accessibility for larger-scale productions without the premium price tag. Nobert Stangl shares how the series came to life...

Words: Nobert Stangl

How will live event professionals’ benefit from improvements to the Purelight Series?

“We redesigned the whole concept, including the internal optical design and the scanning systems, to sculpt a product series with different power levels for different use scenarios. The Laserworld Purelight Series IP65 is available as 5W, 10W, 20W, 30W and now with up to 70W overall power. This covers the requirements for high precision and suitability for graphics projections and mappings with the 5W and 10W systems and caters for the demand for high power festival grade lasers with 30W, which is the somewhat standard range now. The 70W which is the range seen more at top-of-the-range festivals and productions. The balance between scanning performance and low divergence for the high power units, make the Laserworld Purelight systems proper workhorses.”

Did you face any challenges bringing this range to market?

“The main challenge with lasers is to achieve a good divergence, because that is what maintains visibility over longer distances, and at the same time have a good scanning performance. Physically, the challenge is that you can use lens systems to make the divergence, the widening of the beam over distance, smaller, but then you increase the initial beam diameter. With increased beam diameter bigger scanner mirrors for deflecting the beam and creating the ‘image’ are required, which reduced the scanning performance

due to inertia. With the Laserworld Purelight Series, we managed to achieve as good as a beam performance possible as well as great scanning capabilities at the same time.”

What innovations allowed you to reduce production costs so effectively?

“Due to the large quantity of laser systems we sell, we can source very efficiently. We managed to get the most difficult part inside a high power laser system to be manufactured with optimised components and more efficiently. The laser modules are difficult to build the higher the power of the laser system, because it requires combining single laser diodes with limited maximum power to one big module, outputting only one beam, which should be as thin as possible – and this is where it becomes challenging. We found a very efficient way for doing this in our Laserworld Purelight Series systems.”

How does the range perform when it comes to power efficiency and energy use?

“The overall power consumption of a Laserworld Purelight laser system is rather low compared to other devices on stage. The Laserworld PL-30.000RGB IP65, as an example, only consumes about 900W in its maximum peak – but mostly ranges at around 200-300W.”

Can the Purelight Series withstand the rigours of the road?

“The durable metal housing provides proper protection, and the general design makes the

devices easy to mount and to handle on site. It comes in a durable plastic flightcase, too, which eases the handling on the road and provides protection during transport.”

Which control standards does the Purelight Series support?

“Purelight laser systems are equipped with the powerful and versatile ShowNET laser mainboard, which supports various direct software control, but it also has a powerful DMX / Art-Net control feature built-in which allows for directly controlling the laser like a moving head without the need of any software at all – it even allows for setting the projection area and safe zones just with the lighting desk and safely storing the settings back to the main board – just with DMX / Art-Net. Of course, the standard ILDA control is still possible, so you could hook up any external controller, like a Lasergraph DSP as an example. The Purelight Series units can also be equipped with an FB4 as an alternative mainboard, if required.”

What has the response been so far from touring professionals and production teams?

“The feedback is great! We just saw the huge UNTOLD festival in Romania beginning of August with 450,000 visitors being fully equipped with Laserworld Purelight systems on all main stages by our customer KLS Lasers – and many more big festivals and productions worldwide rely on the Laserworld Purelight Series systems.”

www.laserworld.com

Photo: Laserworld

A SUMMER OF ENDEAVOUR...

The PSA shares its thoughts on the past few busy months for the industry and some learnings to take forward for 2026…

This summer, the UK events industry demonstrated once again its extraordinary determination, professionalism, and adaptability. The PSA is proud to represent the hardworking individuals and companies underpinning our vital ecosystem of festivals, concerts, sporting fixtures, and cultural gatherings delivered over the past few months. The commitment to excellence and a shared passion for delivering unforgettable experiences have been the driving forces behind every event, large or small.

The summer is the beating heart of the UK outdoor events calendar – a time when months of planning, logistics, and creativity converge on fields, parks, stadiums, and city squares.

This year, the dedication and resilience of our industry professionals have yet again been stretched and tested. With a packed schedule of events, ranging from beloved heritage festivals to cutting-edge new productions, the demand on crews, suppliers, and organisers has been unrelenting.

From riggers at dawn to engineers working late into the night, site managers orchestrating complex builds, and caterers keeping crews and attendees fuelled, every link in the chain has played a vital role. Behind the scenes, our colleagues have worked hard hours, often in challenging conditions, to ensure that events run safely, seamlessly, and memorably.

The PSA has witnessed first-hand the extraordinary teamwork and problem-solving that characterise our sector, even under

intense pressure. This summer has not been without its hurdles. The unpredictability of the British weather is legendary, 2025 proved especially challenging.

From prolonged periods of rain and high winds disrupting build schedules and threatening stage infrastructure, to unseasonably hot spells requiring enhanced measures for audience safety and crew welfare, every event has had to factor in contingency upon contingency.

Logistical complications have been further compounded by post-pandemic supply chain issues and a skills shortage across many technical roles. The sector’s talent pool, already stretched by the loss of experienced personnel, has been required to innovate and upskill at pace. Furthermore, the cost of materials, fuel, and insurance has continued to rise, creating additional pressures on margins and planning. From delivering internationally respected productions, Oasis and The Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo among them, to rapid deployment of last-minute solutions as with Tomorrowland in Belgium, our UK industry professionals have remained agile and solutions-focussed.

The resilience shown by event professionals – often underappreciated and unseen – has ensured that the UK’s outdoor events have retained their world-class reputation.

As summer closes, our industry turns towards the autumn and winter seasons. The shift brings new opportunities and different

challenges. Indoor events, from arena tours to corporate celebrations and immersive theatre experiences, bring new creative and technical challenges, but also demand meticulous planning in terms of logistics, staffing, and sustainability management.

The growing popularity of illuminated trails, Christmas markets, and winter festivals signals a season of innovation, with production teams embracing new technologies and creative concepts. Focus must remain with contingency planning, crew well-being, and audience experience remaining at the forefront.

The PSA remains committed to supporting our members through advocacy, training, promoting safe working practices and fostering collaboration. As an industry, we continue to call on government and stakeholders to recognise the vital contribution of events to the UK economy and society. A recent stat in the LIVE 2024 Annual Report quoted that there was one gig every 137 seconds in the UK. The road ahead will always have obstacles, but as this summer has shown, the UK events industry is defined above all by its resilience, ingenuity, and unwavering dedication.

In t he coming months, as nights draw in and temperatures fall, our teams will be there –working, creating, and inspiring. Together, we look forward to another season of bringing people together, creating memories, and showcasing the very best of what our industry can achieve.

www.psa.org.uk

Words: Liz Madden and Tom Rees

Photo: TPi

HEALTHY EARS, LIMITED ANNOYANCE

Sound engineer, lecturer, and member of the Governance Board at HELA, Jon Burton, explains the importance of protecting ear health through the development of a new certification.

Launched on World Hearing Day, the Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance (HELA) Certification is the world’s first safe listening accreditation. The initiative is targeted at every job role in the live events sector – from bar managers to concert promoters, as well as those operating in technical positions. Speaking exclusively to TPi, Jon Burton – a respected sound engineer, lecturer at the University of Derby and member of the Governance Board at HELA – shares what went into creating the HELA Certification, and why it is so important for the future of the industry.

There are two levels of the HELA Certification. The Core, designed for those operating outside of managerial or technical roles, and the Complete – aimed at managers or technicians. Both courses, which TPi had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand, cover important topics such as sound level limits, personal hearing protection, noise pollution, audience expectations, and more.

At t he time of writing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over one billion young people across the globe are at risk of hearing loss due to avoidable recreational sound exposure – part of which may be attributable to concert-going, a damning statistic which HELA aims to help tackle.

“We need to be more proactive as an industry,” Burton stated, “Part of that is by

educating everyone in the industry about hearing and hearing health. We want to give everyone in the industry a basic understanding of how their hearing works, how they can look after it and provide examples of best practice. This is about giving people the knowledge to make decisions for the benefit of their colleagues and audience members.”

One of the key takeaways is that loudness is not the same as high sound pressure levels. A dynamic show can be more effective than one that relies on high sound pressure levels alone. However, as Burton commented, ‘this message is not just about turning it down’. Examples of best practice include drawing up a ‘sound plan’, setting out clear responsibilities and actions that involve all the stakeholders of an event, from staff to audience, and as in the ‘limited annoyance’ of the name, to neighbours and others impacted by events. Plans should look at audience expectations, venue acoustics, system deployment and take a holistic view for the benefit of all.

With more industry insiders enrolling onto the course, Burton hopes that the HELA Certification will become commonplace. “After all, you wouldn’t go to a restaurant without a hygiene rating, so why should you go to a gig or venue where nobody recognises the importance of sound?” he remarked. “We’ve done a five-year lifespan of the certification so

that as knowledge increases, the teaching can reflect the latest findings and best practices.”

HELA is a non-profit, and the nominal cost is used to help fund necessary research. “We’re very lucky to have recently received Seedcorn funding, which is going straight into establishing our research arm. All research will be linked to our sector and involve industry and academic partners. This work will help guarantee the sustainability of our industry and help contribute to even better experiences for those working in the industry and the audience alike,” he reported.

Founding members of HELA include Meyer Sound, MusiCares, NEXO, Rational Acoustics, RCF, Sensaphonics, Solotech, Adamson Systems Engineering, TW AUDiO, Vanguardia and many more. “We’re very grateful that around 30 founding members believed in our vision to get the course off the ground, despite it being a completely non-profit initiative,” he concluded. “With their support, we can educate people and hopefully make it a standard certification for those entering the industry.”

Personally, the HELA Certification was a valuable learning experience that bolstered my knowledge on best practice when it comes to hearing health and I encourage anyone in the industry to get involved in supporting the initiative or enrolling on a course.

www.helainitiative.com

Words: Alicia Pollitt

Photo: HELA

TOURING AND MENTAL HEALTH AUDIOBOOK

Music Industry Therapist Collective (MITC)’s handbook for navigating mental health on the road is available as an audiobook from 17 September...

Words: Tamsin Embleton

Photo: Music Industry Therapist Collective (MITC)

I realised when writing Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual that we needed to record an audiobook. Stress, exhaustion and competing demands can make sustaining attention tricky on the road. An audiobook would be a great option for neurodiverse people – like myself – who need content to be delivered in an engaging way.

Luckily, Jeremy Hindmarsh from the English alternative rock band, Swervedriver, contacted us stating that he loved the paperback. He offered to produce an audiobook, so we got to work trying to craft something suitable for the exacting ears of people who work with sound for a living. No pressure!

We w rote a script, and sifted through hundreds of hours of original audio recordings, clipping quotes to weave in from my interviews with the likes of Nile Rodgers, Philip Selway (Radiohead), Charles Thompson (Pixies), Katie Melua, Will Young, Pharoahe Monch, Justin Hawkins, Neil Barnes, Kieran Hebden, Laura Marling, Taylor Hanson, Erol Alkan, Emma Banks, Jake Berry, Dale ‘Opie’ Skjerseth, Suzi Green, Marty Hom, Tina Farris, David ‘5-1’ Norman, Wob Roberts, Nick Cua, Trevor

Williams, Debbie Gayle and many more. The finished product sounds more like a podcast than an audiobook, thanks to Nick Cave reading his epigraph; Rob da Bank leading meditation exercises and Edward Butler’s music. It was recorded by Gina Merrills, edited by the team at Soho Voices and narrated by the brilliant Laura Howard (Midsomer Murders).

All this was made possible by generous sponsorship from our friends at The Royal Albert Hall, Clair Global, Amazon Music, Support Act, TAG, TAIT, The Music Industry Therapist Collective, Live Nation, Stagehand, Kilimanjaro Live, Rock-It Cargo, Hilton, Rockpool Tour Catering, Universal Pixels, Music Minds Matter and Hipgnosis Songs Group. The appeal of touring is obvious, but the perks and opportunities it brings are only part of the picture. Over time, chronic stress exposure can wear down your natural resources and increase the risk of illness and injury. This audiobook is a deep dive into how touring can affect you psychologically, relationally and physically – whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction or relationship problems, or burn out, jet lag or

RSI. And now you can listen to it wherever you are in the world whether you are boarding a flight, chilling in your bunk or waiting for sound check. Bottom line; it’s designed to help you mitigate the impact of tour stress and foster a healthier, more sustainable career.

The book will be available at all the usual outlets from 17 September. We’ll give you a 20% discount – with a further 20% donated to War Child, supporting children and families in conflict zones – if you enter the code MITC20 at checkout on our own store.

Since the book’s publication, we have enjoyed putting the principles it describes into action by training a touring Welfare Officer currently out with Dua Lipa [p118], delivering tour health workshops during rehearsals, developing a 24/7 online welfare coaching platform, translating the book into Spanish –with another language soon to be announced – and providing backstage therapy in venues like Old Trafford, The O2 arena and London Stadium. If you or your team could use our support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: info@musicindustrytherapists.com www.musicindustrytherapists.com

Check our website www.sixty82.nl/ olympion

www.sixty82.nl

LEE DENNISON

A Backup Trustee of 13 years and organiser of the technical entertainment charity’s popular annual Village Fete, Lee Dennison takes over the reins as Chair.

How does feel to step into Piers Shepperd’s shoes as Chair of Backup Tech?

“Succeeding Piers Shepperd is a privilege. He took on the role after the passing of John Simpson, who had been such a driving force for Backup, personally dedicating so much time to every applicant, trustee, and aspect of the charity. What Piers quickly saw was that John had carried much of this work himself, and while it was done with huge care, it was a manual process which worked well for John because he had the available time, but not so well for others who were balancing work alongside the charity. As Chair, Piers worked tirelessly to change that, building the infrastructure and processes that now mean applications can be handled far more efficiently, which has been timely as the application rate for grants has increased significantly. Equally important was the way he kept the charity true to its purpose –Backup Tech has always been about removing stress and pressure from people in the industry when life takes an unexpected turn. We’re not professional practitioners, but what we can do is offer fast, dignified, practical support, whether that’s financial help, education, or access to mental health resources.”

What does this role entail?

“Taking on the Chair is about borrowing the role for a time and making sure the industry’s charity stays strong, relevant, and ready. The trustees, who are brilliant, are each focussed on key support areas and, together with our ambassadors, are helping to build on the

foundations of the charity. The aim is to keep Backup visible across the industry, grow and empower our partnerships and networks, and make sure the charity communicates the support available. Most of all, it’s about ensuring the right people and processes are in place so the charity can keep being there for our industry when it matters most.”

Are there any exciting new developments on the horizon?

“Industry people getting involved and creating their own fundraising activities. Recent examples are a donation from The Profile Awards, held at the ABTT Show, Jack Gomm, known on social media as ‘The Running Tech’, is fundraising through the Backup Challenge Fundraiser. On 28 March 2026, he’s running 40 miles from his childhood home in Ivinghoe Aston, Buckinghamshire to his house in Tooting. Ben Payne, Senior Director – Business Development at Harman, is also running for Backup, and has committed to completing a half marathon distance across eight days. Neg Earth Lights organised a charity plant sale, Marisa Beckman is organising a tea and chat fundraiser during the London International Horse Show this December, and lighting technician Urko Arruza completed his 220km Solidarity Walk for Mental Health in Live Entertainment along the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham. We’re so grateful to everyone who gets involved in fundraising for Backup, but of course we always want more companies and individuals to support.”

Why does Backup Tech’s work matter?

“On the surface, a busy year looks like success for our industry - more shows means more work. But the flip side of that is pressure: longer hours, financial uncertainty for freelancers, mental health challenges, and the risk of burnout or crisis. Backup Tech exists for exactly those moments. We’re the safety net when things go wrong, providing financial support, and assistance for counselling, and recovery services, but also investing in the industry’s resilience through training and education. In a year that is busier than ever, Backup Tech is important because the people behind the scenes need to know that if life takes an unexpected turn, we are there.”

What’s next for Backup Tech?

“The Financial Literacy workshops have proved a massive draw, and we have seen the need and want for the freelance community to be educated further around better financial planning and how they should approach the process. We’re also launching a Workplace Wellness initiative, which has been developed by newly appointed Backup Ambassador, Gemma Fletcher. Its aim is to provide some self-help tools which can be implemented in everydaywork routines to check in on their own wellbeing. Of course, we’re always there to help when things are tough, but if we can also help people help themselves by navigating the unpredictable nature and pressures of freelance work, that’s a win.” www.backuptech.uk