OLIVIA DEAN Meet the engineer behind one of 2026’s most recognisable voices.
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SUPER FURRY ANIMALS The Welsh band reunite with touring crew to present a stunning return to form.
HARRY STYLES Tour All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
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JULY/AUGUST 2026 • #294
Photo credit: Julian Basjel
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WE’RE ONLY TOURISTS IN THIS LIFE...
Issue #294 July / August 2026 Managing Editor Stew Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 Email: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk Editor Jacob Waite Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7592 679612 Email: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk Assistant Editor Alicia Pollitt Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7508 441986 Email: a.pollitt@mondiale.co.uk Commercial Director Fran Begaj Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7852 336728 Email: f.begaj@mondiale.co.uk Senior Account Manager Matilda Matthews Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7413 555978 Email: m.matthews@mondiale.co.uk Account Manager Tom Dyson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0) 7306505230 Email: t.dyson@mondiale.co.uk Account Manager Molly Cummins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0) 7710427823 Email: m.cummins@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 Email: a.clarke@mondiale.co.uk Marketing and Events Assistant Charlie Moore Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Email: c.moore@mondiale.co.uk Editorial Director Peter Iantorno Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637 Email: p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk Chief Executive Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 Email: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk Accounts Jodie Matthews / Sarah Healey: ar@mondiale.co.uk Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh Graphic Design & Production David Bell: d.bell@mondiale.co.uk Jez Reid: j.reid@mondiale.co.uk
Invigorated from a recent cycling trip to Lucca Music Festival to see David Byrne [see pictured] and the Gorillaz at La Prima Estate in Italy, gigs sandwiched between a factory tour of dBTechnologies in Bologna [more on that in TPi #295] – and a recent conversation with Venezuelan-born, US-based sound engineer, Karl Milan [see p86] – it struck me that at a time of social and geopolitical uncertainty, live music brings people together. This much is demonstrated amid Harry Styles’ Together, Together Tour. Those familiar with the editorial team will be aware that Ali – 32 Harry Styles shows and counting – is the only person in the office worthy of covering this travelling, stadium-sized residency [see p34]. Elsewhere, Stew visits Manchester’s Co-op Live to meet the engineer mixing Olivia Dean, one of the most recognisable voices of late [see p12] and discovers more about Zeal’s unique
approach to show design [see p90]. Before heading to Italy, I visited the familiar, multiple award-winning individuals keeping pace with YUNGBLUD [see p52] in Leeds, and revelled in Super Furry Animals’ welcomed return to the touring circuit [p68] at the always delightful Grade II listed O2 Apollo Manchester. Beyond boots on the ground coverage, of which there is plenty to leaf through, RG Jones reflects on the evolution of wireless technology [see p80]; I unearth Le Maitre’s hidden musical history [p98]; ARRI, Riedel and Sennheiser unite on the world stage [p24] and LED specialist, ROE Visual, underlines the importance of aroundthe-clock support, customer relationships, and reinvention [p102]. Stay cool, Jacob
Cover Photo Harry Styles by Julian Basjel 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 Email: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk www.tpimagazine.com www.tpiawards.com www.gtlsessions.com Total Production International (TPi) is a controlled circulation magazine, published six times a year by Mondiale Technology Media Limited under licence. ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2026 Mondiale Technology Media Limited. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Technology Media Limited, nor the Editors, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential loss or damage resulting from information published. The views expressed are not those of the Editors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published six times a year by Mondiale Technology Media Limited. The 2025 US annual subscription price is 125USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Technology Media Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK.
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ITINERARY
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34 HARRY STYLES The singer embarks on a record-breaking residency tour with the ‘Avengers of touring crew’ and the occasional mirror ball in tow…
EVENT FOCUS 12 Callum Lloyd-Williams walks
68 SFA
16 AYMO presents a tour designed to
INTERVIEW 80 RG Jones reflects on the
through his setup for Olivia Dean. shift visual perspectives.
20 JBL Professional celebrates 80 years of business.
24 The Eurovision Song Contest
returns with Sennheiser, Riedel Communications and ARRI.
28 22live deploys a Martin Audio
PA system for James Morrison.
30 Iron Maiden marks 50 years with special effects and theatrics.
PRODUCTION PROFILE 52 YUNGBLUD
AED United Kingdom +44 1628 953 360 info.uk@aedgroup.com
Crew deliver a classic rock-inspired spectacle to a multigenerational audience.
Super Furry Animals make a stunning return to form.
evolution of wireless technology.
86 Karl Milan shares his mission to support local communities.
IN PROFILE 90 Steve Hough discusses Zeal’s
unique approach to show design.
98 Rediscovering Le Maitre’s hidden musical history.
102 ROE Visual highlights the value of sector support and relationships.
PRODUCTION FUTURES 106 Area Four Industries UK brings
EXE Technology training to IPS.
16
24
30
52
GEAR HEADS 108 Behind the creation of the
BeamZ Pro BRUTE Laser Series.
110 Cadac Consoles lift the lid on its newly launched CM-Series.
68
112 Obsidian Control Systems launches the NX3 console.
FEEDBACK 116 Viva La Visa details the
challenges of worldwide travel.
118 Suzi Green underlines the
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119 PSA shares how freelancers can market themselves.
BACK CHAT 120 Access Bookings’ Laura Slater takes the hot seat.
98
HEIGHTENING EVERY MOMENT WITH SFX MACHINE GUN KELLY - WORLD TOUR 2026
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EVENT FOCUS
OLIVIA DEAN: THE ART OF LOVING Callum Lloyd-Williams, the engineer behind one of 2026’s most recognisable voices, walks through his current setup, including his trusty Yamaha RIVAGE PM5, for the singer’s recent arena tour.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: Richie Gough
In the past few years, we’ve seen several female pop acts step up to arena and stadium touring. From Tate McRae to Zara Larsson, Olivia Rodrigo to Chappell Roan, many of these names were not part of mainstream consciousness five years ago. Among this new crop of up-and-coming stars now gaining huge popularity, Olivia Dean stands in a league of her own. By any classification, Dean’s music falls within the pop sphere, the unmistakable nods to a more old-school aesthetic and jazz/lounge sensibilities set her apart from many of her contemporaries. After walking away with Best New Artist at The BRIT Awards and selling out six nights at The O2, Dean’s music has clearly struck a chord with audiences. Rolling the clock back a mere two years, it was only a bare-bones production team working with the singer. One of the first recruits when the production family began to grow was FOH Engineer Callum Lloyd-Williams. “I’ve just passed my two-year anniversary working with
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Olivia Dean, having been brought in for her 2024 Coachella performance,” he began. “She had just brought on a new production manager that I’d worked with previously, and he brought my name into the mix.” Alongside her long-serving Monitor Engineer, Kevin Jianoran, Lloyd-Williams jumped onto the singer’s rocketship ascent. “Since coming on board, I’ve not done another show due to the schedule,” said the engineer, describing how her shows have increased from a one-bus to a 14-truck five-bus arena sized production. Working with the Touring Director SarahAnne Grill, Tour Manager Sophia Eras, and new Production Manager Rick Berger the team has grown significantly, although, when it comes to the mix, Lloyd-Williams has kept to the core of what the singer was looking for back in 2024. “I already knew her music before joining the camp,” stated the engineer, adding that the singer’s music takes on a somewhat different form when played live. “Especially with the
new album, the arrangements and the energy of the live performance are slightly different from the record. Because of this, I knew I had to approach the music differently, ensuring I worked with what came through my channels rather than trying to recreate the album’s sound,” he explained. “In some of my previous tours, recreating the album was the goal, and I’d spend hours agonising over a snare hit to ensure it was identical. That is not required in this show, and there is an old-school feel to everything.” Lloyd-Williams is a huge admirer of Olivia Dean’s voice. “The consistency of her vocal performances is amazing,” he enthused. “I never have to bury her vocals into the rest of the mix because she is having an off night. I just stick the vocals upfront.” He reflected that many industry peers have often been keen to know what he was doing with the vocals because of the unique quality they hear in the mix. “I’m really not processing her voice,” he explained. “And most people have
not heard a vocal that hasn’t been messed with for a while – especially in pop.” Given the need to elevate the ‘live’ feel of the singer’s show, Lloyd-Williams put his faith in the Yamaha RIVAGE PM5. Despite having worked with several Yamaha desks over the years, this was his first time on the surface, having decided to give it a try after noticing it being used on several major tours, from Oasis [see TPi #290] to Radiohead [see TPi #291]. For tours where capturing the live sound is the goal, LloydWilliams believes that Yamaha is the ideal choice. “Nothing compares to the pre-amp and low end that you get on them. The first time I got my hands on one, we loaded a virtual soundcheck, and when I pulled up the kick and the bass, I started to hear new things in the mix.” After nailing the Yamaha colours to the mast, the engineer went into research mode to learn as much as he could about the desk and its workflow. “The resources
that Yamaha has online could not be any better, even though there was not too much of a learning curve as it feels like an analogue console.” Lloyd-Williams was keen to push the desk and threw himself into the console’s IO and the Genius.lab – Yamaha’s macro programming environment. “During the song A Couple of Minutes, we have this massive sweep on the EQ,” stated the engineer, providing a use case of how he’d been able to program specific moments of the show via Genius.lab. “At one point, my whole band sweeps from 200Hz, and you see people’s reaction to it. That is all done with one button, and then it sweeps back up, all of which is timed to the song.” He was also impressed by the level of workflow customisation. Throughout the tour, he’d added elements, including having the whole desk dim when he switched to virtual sound check, so as not to confuse it with the live setup. “I’ve also fixed it so
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when Kevin, our Monitor Engineer, speaks via a certain channel, it sits way above the usual talkback mix, and the channel has a flashing LED so I know something needs my immediate attention,” stated the engineer. On the note of fixing issues on the fly, his ability to move around the entire mix was another part of the desk that Lloyd-Williams particularly enjoyed. “I was nervous about how I’d be able to navigate with a high input count, especially in line check. But the way I have the desk set up – the whole show is one custom layer, but I can access it on the screen at any point. I can see all my inputs one-to-one. If something was clipping, I can point to it and sort the issue. Essentially, there are two ways to get to everything on the desk.” He also enjoyed the power and ability of the desk’s effects unit. “If I were to replicate some of the stuff I’ve done with traditional outboard gear, I’d be rocking up to shows with a rack of 12 Bricastis and people would think I’d gone mad,” he chuckled. “But you can do that at the desk, and I still have loads of processing left.” With most effects handled on board, the engineer was able to select specific outboard elements for very specific moments. “I’ve got the Fourier transform.engine when I’m using specific reverb and filters, which I find easier to
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punch in rather than automating a snapshot. I also have Soothe on her vocals and her acoustic guitar. I can’t do a pop show without Soothe anymore.” He also utilised Waves for some effects he specifically brought in for the bass mix. Lastly, regarding the hardware out at FOH, he also had the Rupert Neve Shelford Channel on Dean’s vocals. “It adds a bit more ‘analogue’ front end to the vocals along with a soft bit of compression. I also have the Neve Master Buss Processor bus on the left and right, which really transforms your show.” Back on the stage, the production opted for a Shure SM58 vocal microphone. “She’s a big fan of the 58 and is aware of the history and likes the idea of using the classic mic. The 58 just works on her, and it gives me the headroom that I need on that vocal. She is right in front of the PA for three songs, and if I had her on a big open condenser, I don’t think it would work. Not to mention that the stage volume is loud.” To ensure a clean, unprocessed sound, the audio team have often opted for a wired option, although for the B-stage element of the show and during festival performances, they have stated they will use a wireless option with the Shure Axient System. Clair Global was the audio supplier, providing a d&b audiotechnik GSL for the main hang and a KSL for the side hang. “Richard Gough is my System Engineer,
and he’s been great, helping me create the show I’ve always wanted. We didn’t want it to be super loud, and we’re interested in going for the coverage over volume and making sure every seat sounds the same.” The engineer enthused about the B-stage moment at the show, specifically the PA setup to not create separation between the singer and the artists. “I didn’t want it to feel like the mix was coming from behind the audience during that part of the show, and I didn’t want there to be a separation from the acoustic mix picked up by the phones and then what was coming through the system.” To remedy this, the team deployed d&b E8s. “When we got to rehearsals, I saw the B-stage used a soft cloth material that was very thin. So, we just put them inside and out of sight, which made our head creative very happy.” The engineer concluded by sharing his enthusiasm about working with an artist who is bringing back some old-school sensibilities. “It’s exciting,” he said. “Even if you had never heard her songs, you’d be excited by her and intrigued to know what was coming next, as musically it’s different from what they’ve heard on the album. It’s the reason we used to go to shows when we were younger. That energy is there, and you wouldn’t know what is coming next.” www.oliviadeano.com www.clairglobal.com
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EVENT FOCUS
DESIGNING AYMO’S ARENA TOUR Two of Germany’s newest rap stars – Aymen and Amo – team up to present a show designed to break connections and shift visual perspectives.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: Rosie Wills
There is something special about a coheadline tour. The ability for two artists to join forces to create some truly unique, memorable moments. But it was not just the collaboration of two of Germany’s newest rap stars – Aymen and Amo – that showcased the power of partnership during the AYMO Arena tour, but also backstage. With ambitious design goals, the design and production lead for the tour, Mångata Collective, brought in STUDIO/ to create the visual LED worlds for the intimidating 52-song set list. Following the successful run of the show in Germany through April, TPi caught up with Pete Hutchison and Edd Croft from Mångata alongside STUDIO/’s Alex Vipond to learn more. “We’ve worked with the management company that looks after both artists for the past two years and done four other tours with several of their acts,” stated Hutchison and Croft, discussing the origin of their company’s involvement with the project. This run of shows was a sequel to a smaller tour that had happened earlier this year. While that stage design was heavily “set-based” this time round, the production was keen to utilise more LED – but perhaps not in the way you might expect. Rather than a wall of LED at the back of the stage, the show design incorporated multiple layers of LED, allowing the production to create 3D landscapes that both artists could walk through and interact with.
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Mångata not only oversaw the creation and design of the show but also oversaw the production of the tour. “As a company, this means not only do we have the production managers, but as we’re producing the show, we have oversight of the entire designing process,” stated Hutchison. “This means we’ll only pitch something we know is deliverable with the budget. We don’t have a lot of time doing revisions, and we can ensure we have a good vision from the get-go.” Hutchison explained that this setup was imperative for the AYMO tour, as the two musicians and the surrounding team were still new to the world of arena touring. “The two rappers have risen to prominence via TikTok, and this is the most they have ever spent on a show. So, it was only right we ensured the budget was bang-on and there were no surprises for extra trucking.” When it came to the brief, Hutchison and Croft outlined that one of the major themes was “cyberpunk”. “Having worked with STUDIO/ on James Arthur, we knew the team had a real indepth knowledge of Unreal Engine and decided to approach Alex and the team to help us build out this LED world,” stated Croft. “It was a lot of work in a short space of time,” chuckled Vipond, describing how he and the team created unique looks for each one of the tracks. “You have to remember that these guys come from a TikTok background and therefore
are used to expecting content to shift and change quickly, and likewise their audience expects something new to happen each time,” he added, explaining the challenge. “It was nice to work with an LED structure that was layered. So often we just have a flat panel at the back of the stage, and it was nice to be able to break away from that.” The LED screens in question were made up of ROE Visual MC7, with a section of ROE Vanish used for the flown border, chosen for its weight. All the screens and camera packages were supplied by 80six. “Having the consistency of one product was key for this design to have perfect colour matching across the stage,” added Hutchison. “It was great to be working with Mångata on the AYMO tour,” commented 80six’s Dan Hamill. “They came to us with a stunning cityscape design concept, and we deployed ROE Visual’s MC7 to deliver it. The product remains a reliable workhorse in our inventory. Alongside the LED, we provided a full camera package for the IMAGs, which was directed by Barry Minter. John Haggart headed up an amazing crew of seven and managed a tight but well-executed run of shows.” The entire team wanted to move away from the traditional flanking IMAG screens for this show. “We wanted to design the IMAGs to be part of the set, on the buildings themselves in the cityscape scene,” added Vipond. “It meant we could make the artists look
almost like holograms in a very Ghost in a Shell style.” The layered 3D arrangement of the screen enabled Vipond and the team to create unique visual effects. “As soon as we saw the screen layout, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to play with anamorphic content on a big scale,” Vipond explained. “It meant that we could bring 3D depth to the buildings that really brought them to life. He noted that one of the key elements in ensuring the looks were up to scratch was adding long pre-vis days at Mångata’s new studio space in Stockport, just outside Manchester.” Content was powered by Disguise, with Notch extensively used for a lot of the camera looks that were integrated with content. “The show simply would not have been possible without Disguise and Notch,” Vipond noted. For the cameras, there were five PTZs scattered around the stage, along with a pit camera and a long lens at FOH. “Both the artists have a longtime videographer that is often on stage with them, capturing footage for social media,” added Hutchison, who was keen to make this characteristic also a part of the design. “We asked 80six to provide us with a Teradek so we could get hold of his footage and use it in the live show.” In addition to capturing footage of the rappers on stage, the videographer often went into the crowd, capturing dynamic shots that were then used on the LED. “Both artists were not interested in all the shots looking particularly beautiful, meaning we had the freedom to distort the cameras in a way that made it feel as if they really existed within this glitching, cybernetic universe,” added Vipond.
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With Mångata overseeing the entire production, their team could also ensure that the lighting matched the video content perfectly. All the lighting was provided by Neg Earth. “We used GLP JDCs to create accent lighting that came out from the sides, creating a nice symbiosis between lighting and video,” stated Croft. “We also have the CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Bar 16 that must be one of the punchy LED bars on the planet!” Both the lighting and video departments worked seamlessly throughout the show, with the lighting team, at times taking control of the Disguise media servers via their MA Lighting grandMA3 console. “Nick, our Disguise Programmer, had put in for us a number of individual chase framers, meaning the LED could be an extension of the lighting design,” Hutchison said. The artists also requested a lot of pyro, quoting Rammstein as a reference point. “We didn’t want to just have a row of the same fixture across the stage. We had around 18 flames on the downstage, featuring fixtures including
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Flame Blazers, Wave Flames and Firestorms, all provided by BPM SFX,” stated Hutchison. “All the pyro fixtures were arranged, and a special shelf was built into the stage. Several Robe ESPRITEs were also on a shelf with only their lenses visible, giving us sidelight optics while remaining out of sight.” Croft, Hutchison and Vipond were very happy with the result. “One of the benefits we have working with Mångata is that we come from different backgrounds,” stated Vipond. “We are all very theatrical at STUDIO/ and it was great to bring that to the video designing.” Hutchison and Croft added: “The collaboration was fantastic as it was great to have Alex with us. We already have a great working relationship, and it was nice to expand on it.” https://mangatacollective.co https://sdio.io www.80-six.com www.negearth.co.uk www.bpm-sfx.com www.stagetruck.com
Mångata’s Pete Hutchison; STUDIO/’s Alex Vipond.
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EVENT FOCUS
80 YEARS POWERING VOICES JBL Professional celebrates a milestone anniversary with a three-day journey of the brand’s past, present and future…
Words: Alicia Pollitt Photos: JBL Professional
From a history of live shows that include some of the most talked about events of all time, Woodstock, US Live Aid, the NYC New Year’s Eve ball drop, to some of the most renowned tours ever, including Bruce Springsteen’s The Rising Tour, Lenny Kravitz’ Always On The Run Tour and Heart’s Royal Flush Tour, JBL Professional’s history is steeped in legacy. Inviting guests to celebrate its birthday, JBL Professional had a jam-packed line-up for those in attendance. From an immersive walk through eight decades of history and even further back through founder of the company, James B. Lansing’s past where he was responsible for creating loudspeakers for radio manufacturers as well as his invention of twoway cinema loudspeakers in collaboration with MGM Studios. This subsequently led Lansing to create the very first studio monitor, The Lansing Iconic, as well as one of the first luxury home speakers in the world, the Lansing Iconic Salon. The Playback Gallery took place at HARMAN Professional’s base in its Northridge headquarters while attendees were also treated to a surprise performance from FINNEAS later in the trip at The Roxy Theatre. For the JBL team, its birthday celebration was at the forefront of the company’s mind years before it hit 2026. David Glaubke, Director of Global Communications at HARMAN Professional, elaborated: “The planning process has been many years in the making. So much of JBL’s historical material and products have been in storage for a long time, and a big part of the work was not just accessing those pieces but understanding how they connect to the brand’s broader story,” he stated. “It was as much about identifying which elements of our heritage could best tell JBL’s story – from luxury to professional, consumer, and automotive – as it was about creating a visceral experience showing the full breadth of what JBL has accomplished in 80 years.” The Playback Gallery started in the 1940s, following the company’s inception, where the D130 Driver was released, which went on to
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be used in a multitude of applications from cinemas to PA systems, Woodstock 1969 and even featured in The Grateful Dead’s famous Wall of Sound. The 60s and 70s took attendees through home-use kit and studio monitors, with an inside look at the C38 Baron and the JBL 4320, which was created for and with Capitol Studios in Hollywood. The 4310 was so popular in the late 1960’s for sound engineers that a commercial version was created, and by 1971 the JBL L100 Century was released. The 80s is where it heated up for live events, with the Cabaret 4623 debuting as part of the Cabaret Series, introducing portable packages for artists. The first model of the EON family was introduced in the 1990s, with EON Power15 – with its success accounting for a category of speakers utilised today. The 2000s saw JBL introduce its line array technology to smaller venues with the VRX928LA, further signifying the company’s approach to scalable solutions, while the 2010s saw the DD67000 Everest debut as a threeway system as well as JBL’s first all-in-one PA system with the EON One. Entering the 2020s, JBL introduced the Summit Makalu, its 12inch floor-standing loudspeaker, as well as its PartyBox 720, the JBL Flip 7 and, of course, the JBL Tour One M3 TX headphones. The celebrations didn’t just feature the Playback Gallery but also a tour of BMO Stadium and a visit to Larrabee Studios. TPi was also taken to the Griffith Observatory and also took in an event at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, which saw a performance from FINNEAS, who also interviewed HARMAN executives Young Sohn, Christian Sobottka, and Dave Rogers, who appeared “not in their usual party attire” having just attended a board meeting – showing that even in the midst of celebrating 80 years of legacy, the show must go on. The singer-songwriter and producer posed the question to the trio: “What do the next 80 years look like for JBL Professional?” To
Dave Rogers, President of the HARMAN Lifestyle Division with Young Sohn, Chairman of the HARMAN Board of Directors and Christian Sobottka, CEO of HARMAN and President of the Automotive Division.
EVENT FOCUS
that, Sohn replied: “The best part of JBL is the experience; it’s young – like my namesake... And for the next 80 years, we want to stay forever young. You don’t remember our products, you remember the experience, what we’re all doing is creating experiences and that’s what I want everyone to take away from the past and next 80 years.” Sobottka was questioned about the longevity of the company. “It starts in the past,” he commented. “If you want to build something for the future, you have to understand where you’re coming from. We have seen the legendary history, individuals pushing the limits. We have new technology pushing limits,
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changing customer demands, which influences our entire business – on one side, the respect for the past, and the other, the courage to challenge it and reinvent it every day. Being very proud, respectful and full of courage keeps us alive, and we will stay alive.” Looking back to the foundation of the company by Lansing, Glaubke recalled the “meaningful moment” of watching the founder’s family, including his two surviving children, walk through the Gallery. “It was a moment that made me think about Lansing’s entrepreneurship, the commitment to his craft, and how involved the family was in the infancy of the business. It was an unforgettable
moment for them and those who came to recognise the family,” he said. “Another highlight for me was the sense of pride our employees had when walking through the decades of products that came before them, and in some cases, products they were responsible for.” JBL Professional will continue the 80th birthday celebrations throughout the year, celebrating eight decades of excellence across multiple disciplines, from professional to consumer, to automotive and, like FINNEAS, TPi cannot wait for the next 80 years… www.jblpro.com www.harman.com
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UNITED BY MUSIC Sennheiser, Riedel Communications and ARRI partner to set a new technical benchmark for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Adrian Almasan and ORF
As official technical suppliers to host broadcaster ORF for the 70th anniversary edition Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2026, Sennheiser deployed its largest Spectera set-up to date at Vienna’s Stadthalle. This included pre-production samples of the yet-to-be-launched Spectera handheld transmitter; Riedel Communications resumed its long-standing relationship and enlisted newly acquired ARRI to capture the action. A total of four active base stations handled around 150 live streams covering wireless microphones, in-ear monitoring and control data, in what is widely regarded as the best live sound ever achieved for ESC, delivered by technical production company Agorà. Sennheiser’s technical application engineering (TAE) team, led by Jonas Næsby and Volker Schmitt, were on site to support the wideband system and the new workflows it enables. Schmitt commented: “In addition to the live television magic and creativity that ESC radiates, its scale and complexity have always invited the industry to bring – and often unveil – its latest and greatest technology. That applies not only to Spectera in Vienna, but also to video, lighting, lasers – you name it.” Valerio Motta, ESC Project Lead at Agorà, added: “Eurovision is a fast-paced, dynamic and highly demanding production. Everything feels calm if everything works, and having Sennheiser involved in such a delicate project made the entire audio team feel supported and confident. We all knew that even if any issues had arisen – which they didn’t – the manufacturer’s support would have been there to help resolve them in the best possible way.” Behind the scenes, technical crews, artists and broadcasters worked on every detail. The Stadthalle’s sound room, led by Head of Sound
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Gerhard Jansa, handled microphone audio, inear monitor audio, artist audio preparation and audio distribution to the OB trucks. The sound room accommodated two independent mixing desks, each with its own operator. The same principle of fail-safe reliability informed the deployment of six Spectera base stations. While four were active for audio and control data, operating on individual RF channels, a fifth unit was dedicated to continuous 24/7 spectrum scanning, while remaining fully preconfigured as a hot spare, linked to all antennas. A sixth base station served as a fully redundant backup. “We needed coverage across the entire venue,” recalled Schmitt. “We started with two Spectera DAD antennas at stage right and green room left per base station, which gave us full transmit and receive coverage for the hall. For additional resilience, we then added a further two antennas per base station. A firmware variant developed specifically for the event also provided a preview of upcoming functionality required on site, which included a level recorder.” An RF control centre in the sound room provided continuous oversight of the Spectera wireless microphones and in-ears via Spectera WebUI and the Sonoros app. Næsby highlighted the simplicity Spectera brought to arena cabling: “We used a fibre run from the sound room to FOH, converting back to copper using standard IT media converters. This gave us full performance from the remote antennas, without the usual compromises associated with RF-over-fibre systems used in conventional wireless setups.” Spectera DAD antennas were also installed behind the stage to ensure complete coverage when artists entered from behind the video
wall. Eurovision songs are limited to three minutes, and just like the stagehands working out of camera shot, the audio team had only 42 seconds for each changeover. With a maximum of six performers on stage per act, the team implemented a rotation system comprising six Spectera handhelds, six SEK bodypacks configured for in-ear monitoring only, and an “all-in” configuration of six bodypacks with headset microphones and in-ear monitors. “For artists opting for a hands-free solution, we used the bidirectional Spectera bodypack with a cardioid Headmic 4. This mic contributed significantly to the overall sound quality, performing extremely well in front of the PA and wind machines. For those preferring a handheld, we supplied pre-release Neumann KK 105 A capsules. This super-cardioid design helped reduce pickup from adjacent sources and room ambience,” Næsby noted. Schmitt concluded: “Overall, Spectera earned praise from engineers, production teams and delegations alike for its crystalclear audio, flawless wireless performance and exceptional RF stability in one of the most demanding and celebrated live music broadcasts in the world.” Sennheiser WMAS developers Jan Watermann and Sebastian Georgi were also on site. “A truly unique event, and we were delighted to see the system deployed at ESC for the first time,” said Georgi. “ESC in Copenhagen in 2014 was the birth of Spectera,” recalled Watermann. “It was there that we decided to address fading issues from a completely new angle. With standard wireless systems, adding more antennas does not solve the underlying problem of fading notches and cancellations. We wanted to eliminate those at the root.” He further highlighted another often-
HOW DO YOU LIGHT EUROVISION?
We Ask Tim Routledge overlooked challenge: “The second issue we addressed was phase alignment and clock synchronisation in digital systems, where multiple signals can cancel each other out when they converge.” He added: “A classic example is a broadcast host using both a headset microphone and a handheld at the same time. The engineer receives two unsynchronised signals, and on the mixing desk this creates comb filtering and phase cancellation. The sound can become thin or ‘out of tune’ for a few seconds before the issue is corrected.” Georgi noted: “With Spectera, we needed synchronisation for the TDMA architecture anyway, so we can now synchronise the internal clock of the microphones as well. That means engineers can mix all microphones without phase issues. This isn’t theoretical – we built a demonstrator and tested it with five open microphones, and listeners noticed there was no phasing.” This is where Spectera comes “full circle”, the developers concluded: “Development began as a response to the fading challenges posed by ESC, and in its 2026 edition Spectera has arrived at ESC, resolving these issues, streamlining workflows and delivering audio for artists and audiences alike.” COMMUNICATIONS AND CAMERAS Riedel Communications has been involved with ESC since 2006. This year, the company supplied over 160 Bolero beltpacks, 60 MediorNet frames, around 700 analogue and digital radios, 80 network switches and over 120 intercom
panels, spanning 15km of fibre across the arena. This year’s edition also marked the first deployment from newly acquired ARRI, which provided its ALEXA 35 Live system to capture the action. “MediorNet was the video backbone,” stated Riedel Communications’ Jeffrey Stroessner, who has played a key role in supporting the project within Riedel’s Managed Technology Division from the very beginning. “It also connected special camera systems – including cable cameras, telescopic cranes, wireless Steadicam rigs and remote dollies – alongside intercom, tally and return signals, ensuring that the new ARRI camera platform could be integrated without compromising the deterministic, low-latency signal layer required during the live show.” The international commentary workflow was supported by 35 commentary (via Artist intercom) panels and incorporated Riedel’s new Desktop SmartPanel Commentary Panel App. Preparation begins months in advance. “Our experience of the event helps us,” said Riedel Communications’ Serkan Güner, speaking to TPi ahead of ESC’s first semifinal. “We always aim to demonstrate new technologies and innovations.” This year, enhancing the cinematic elements of the production was a key priority. The company’s relationship with ARRI dates to founder Thomas Riedel’s work renting ARRI lighting as a DJ in the 1990s, and a successful collaboration at the Lillehammer Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies. “There is an emotional connection,” Güner said.
SCAN ME
WITH US, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE 025
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As widely acknowledged, Eurovision is a production like no other, requiring a specific mindset and its own technical and creative language. “We are technical enthusiasts, and like Riedel, ARRI – in addition to providing visual artistry, culture and aesthetics – helps extend communication capabilities. Together, we aim to preserve that heritage while enabling new cinematic approaches for technically advanced productions such as Eurovision,” he added. “Exploring new fields and partnerships is something we are excited about, and this is only the beginning.” Stroessner added: “Without communication, there is no show. It begins with a blend of analogue and digital radio systems, distributing the relevant parties to meet communications requirements. For production communications, everything is centred on our Artist intercom matrix, utilising up to 120 SmartPanels in different formats depending on requirements.” For roaming personnel, there are around 160 Bolero panels plus additional infrastructure for commentary, all connected via the Artist and MediorNet systems distributed across the arena. In total, around 26 positions house small racks with 60 MediorNet frames, redundantly connected and feeding broadcast trucks. On the camera side, around 24 ALEXA 35 systems were deployed. Eight in standard broadcast chains with fibre adapters feeding directly to the trucks, while the remaining 16 were a mixture of handheld, wireless and speciality camera systems, including cranes, which were all connected via
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MediorNet racks to the production trucks. Stroessner explained: “It becomes a fully integrated ecosystem in which each technical department and manufacturer plays its part in making this scale of production possible.” Riedel is often described as the central nervous system of Eurovision, with all departments passing through its communications backbone. “With Riedel’s infrastructure combined with ARRI’s imaging expertise, and supported by Sennheiser and NEP, we can deliver a seamless execution,” Stroessner said, noting that ORF’s involvement has been instrumental in Riedel’s development of the Artist intercom systems. “There has always been a close relationship with ORF as a client. Sennheiser, as a family-owned company, is heavily involved in the same way as Riedel, and for the 70th anniversary edition we are introducing ARRI’s cinematic camera capabilities, supported by NEP. Cinematic live is not new, but the gap between broadcast and live touring is narrowing, and this event demonstrates that it is more than theory.” Güner concluded: “To have three strong, family-owned German companies – Sennheiser, ARRI and Riedel Communications – working on the world stage sends a powerful message to the industry. Eurovision is one of our favourite annual events. ‘Uniting through music’ matters more than ever, offering collective escapism and a shared experience in a challenging world.” www.arri.com www.riedel.com www.sennheiser.com
Sennheiser WMAS developers Jan Watermann and Sebastian Georgi; The wider Eurovision Song Contest 2026 sound team; Jeffrey Stroessner, who has played a key role in supporting the project within Riedel Communications’ Managed Technology Division; Chief of Optimism and Spokesperson, Serkan Güner.
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Bolero User Chris Rostalski
www.riedel.net
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JAMES MORRISON 20 YEARS OF UNDISCOVERED The singer hits the road to perform his debut album, and a catalogue of hits across 22 shows supported by a Martin Audio WPC system, deployed by 22live.
Photos: Sophie Hoult
After topping the charts with his debut album, Undiscovered in 2006, James Morrison wanted to honour the anniversary properly – doing so saw a Martin Audio WPC solution deployed by 22live across venues over the UK and Ireland. “I’ve known Yaron Levy - the Tour Manager and FOH Engineer - for around 30 years,” began Paul Timmins of 22live. “We first met when he was the monitor engineer for Simple Minds in the ‘90s. More recently, we’ve worked closely with him in his role as Tour Manager for UB40.” Planning for the tour began in October 2025, following a successful short run of dates earlier in the year. The production required a system capable of delivering the natural, warm tonality essential for Morrison’s vocal- and also guitarled performance. “Yaron wanted a very natural sound,” Timmins explained. “He has used Martin Audio
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with Simple Minds and Ocean Colour Scene and likes the warmth it provides, but he wasn’t as familiar with Martin’s newer products.” To evaluate the WPC platform, Levy attended an Australian Pink Floyd show at Birmingham Symphony Hall. “He really liked the audio and the overall package,” continued Timmins. “From there, I designed a rig that would provide the necessary flexibility for the one-truck tour.” The system for 20 Years Of Undiscovered comprises up to 24 WPC elements, 12 per side, flown on single points with four grids to allow for flexibility in smaller venues, enabling boxes to be ground-stacked if required. Lowfrequency reinforcement is provided by 12 SXCF118 18-inch subwoofers, ground-stacked typically in configurations three high and two wide depending on the venue. Fill is provided by Martin Audio’s TORUS constant curvature
arrays – with four TORUS T820 for lip fill and four TORUS T1230 elements for both in- or out-fill duties. System Tech on the tour was 22live’s Chris Wilcock. Having progressed rapidly through the company after starting in the warehouse during his university degree, this tour marked his first full run as lead FOH system tech. Supporting Wilcock is Maria Head, who oversees stage operations and supports the monitor engineer. “My growth into this industry has been really organic and well supported by 22live and the people running it who trusted me,” said Wilcock. “There’s a very close team of people on this tour who have been working together for a long time. There’s a good vibe between the crew and artist; everyone looks out for each other. It’s a great tour... The WPC performance is remarkable and it’s versatile enough to fit
into venues of varied sizes. The rigging system is fast and smooth; it takes no time to get it in the air and back down on the floor. The 10° rigging angles give me the flexibility to design a better system for each room and reach the more challenging audience areas over or under balconies. It’s also a very light box for the power that it has.” The WPC’s consistent wide dispersion is a huge benefit given the varied nature of the venues. “The 100° dispersion is fantastic for theatre spaces where points can be in some very awkward places,” he added. “The T820 front fills we use are a perfect size to sit aesthetically on the edge of the stage without affecting sightlines. They produce a very defined sound to bolster James’ vocals in the front rows.” Martin Audio’s software is deployed to further enhance the performance. “The
non-audience and hard-avoid functions on DISPLAY work really well,” Wilcock described, citing Cambridge Corn Exchange with its glass balcony front as a good example. “Hard avoiding that surface successfully reduced reflections in the room and was able to steer HF back into the audience area. I’m impressed by how much the software can do and improve difficult spaces.” Paul Timmins is in no doubt of the Martin Audio WPC’s suitability and performance, he concluded: “In my opinion, the 12-box WPC hang is ideal for the largest UK theatres. You might open the PA up a little more than you would with a deeper hang, but that’s where the Martin Audio system excels - you get superb vertical coverage and consistency.” www.jamesmorrisonmusic.com www.martin-audio.com www.22live.com
James Morrison’s System Technician, Chris Wilcock and Maria Head, who oversees stage operations and supports monitors.
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IRON MAIDEN: RUN FOR YOUR LIVES WORLD TOUR Meet the team responsible for the band’s 50th anniversary tour’s numerous special effects – from pyrotechnic hits to custommade iron-forged burning torches.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: Iron Maiden Official
It’s rare for an act to make it past the 50year mark, and it’s even rarer to have toured and released new music as regularly as Iron Maiden has during that period. To mark the special anniversary, Maiden’s Run for Your Lives World Tour is a multiyear celebration of the past half a century. For anyone familiar with the band’s theatrics, it will come as no surprise that the creative team pulled out all the stops. Not wanting to rest on their laurels, the production featured several firsts for the band, including moving away from the traditional hand-painted backdrops to a video screen. Despite this modernisation of certain staging elements, the creatives still wanted to ground the show in set-based theatrics and therefore called on longstanding special effects supplier Pyrotek Special Effects to create several custom looks to help blend the physical and virtual worlds. Pyrotek has been working with the British metalers since 2008s Somewhere Back in Time World Tour. Once again, Keith Maxwell oversaw
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the delivery of special effects, alongside Eric ‘Mooch’ Muccio and newcomer to the camp Josh Brea. Reflecting on the suppliers’ involvement with the tour, TPi caught up with Pyrotek President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott Dunlop, and Senior Project Manager, Marie Kun. “Maiden always have an interesting approach when it comes to pyro and effects,” reflected Dunlop, looking back on the company’s 18-year history with the band. “It’s not understated, but it’s very tastefully done, and it’s always very thematically orientated. It always begins with the set list, and what we do, whether it’s a pyro hit or a fog element, is designed to enhance the mood of a specific song.” With this focus on thematics, the creative team were keen to ensure that the special effects married up to the content being played on the rear LED screen. This thought process led to a request to create some unique props. “The concept of creating bespoke flaming torches was aired very early on in the design,
and there were a lot of conversations on how that was going to fit into the set and what they would look like,” commented Kun. The torch effect was achieved through a canister system, which made it easy to obtain sign-off across multiple territories. The most intriguing part of the effect was how the outer casing was created. “The decorative elements of the torches were fabricated by a blacksmith located near our main facility in Sweden,” enthused Kun. “It meant we were able to create an aesthetic that the band were looking for. The blacksmith worked very hard to ensure they were all roadworthy while also looking very Game of Thrones,” she chuckled. “Credit to our European office, which found the blacksmith and worked to design the fuel delivery system for the products,” added Dunlop. “It also happened that the blacksmith was a massive Maiden fan, which was a bonus.” Dunlop went on to highlight his favourite moment of the tour, which exemplified how the torches enhanced the show’s overall look.
LIGHTING ICONIC ROCK BAND IRON MAIDEN
“When they play the song Hallowed Be Thy Name, there is an extended sequence that has a video of Bruce [Dickinson, Lead Singer] climbing some stairs to a hangman’s noose. In the content, there are torches, but then we also have ours burning on the stage,” he described, highlighting the extension of the look and the blurred lines between virtual and reality. Pyrotek also provided several other effects, including Salamander Flame Units, CO2 Jets and pyrotechnics, all of which were controlled and fired by a Fire Control G3 system, Pyrotek’s proprietary control platform. “This has been very beneficial as its controlling both the pyro and DMX,” stated Kun. “Having everything from fog to pyro all run through one control system is incredibly helpful for the team on the road,” added Dunlop. The President and CEO spoke more broadly about the benefits of the company’s transition to offices with bases in both Europe and the US – a
move cemented last year following the merger between Pyrotek and Unique Pyrotechnic. “Now that we have physical operations in Europe and North America, we can get a more seamless integration in all the thousands of tasks that have to happen behind the scenes to get the show supplied and rolling, including permitting and authorisation. The European team is handling the tour now, and it will move to the North American team in the summer.” Both Dunlop and Kun expressed excitement about the band having a Stateside tour later this year. “Any Maiden tour is a big deal,” closed Dunlop. “From Keith and Mooch on the ground to everyone else in the company, there is a lot of passion that goes into this show. Not only do we want to pay homage to the 50-year anniversary, we also want to reinterpret the show and find new effects to push it up a few notches.” www.ironmaiden.com www.pyrotekfx.com
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
HARRY STYLES: TOGETHER, TOGETHER The consummate performer embarks on a record-breaking tour with the ‘Avengers of touring crew’ and mirror balls in tow…
Words: Alicia Pollitt Photos: Julian Basjel and Anthony Pham
PRODUCTION PROFILE
Covering this tour stands as one of the most full-circle moments of my life, both professionally and personally. The first issue I worked on had Love On Tour as the cover story – making it even more special was the fact that I had just spent that summer following the tour across Europe and the UK with friends that I had met because of, or at Harry Styles shows. All of this to say, nearly three years to the date, I hopped on a plane over to Amsterdam to interview his crew myself. From the home of Ajax Football Club, I went behind the scenes of the Together, Together tour, revisiting my roots in his world and combining them with everything I have learnt about the production industry. Production Manager, Andrew Thornton, who began the journey for Together, Together in August 2025 picked up the story: “This is one of the biggest shows many of us have ever worked on. The extended lead time we have had has meant that the process has been focussed and organised.” Thornton brought together some of the industry’s best for the project, including: Solotech (audio, lighting, video), Nighthawk Video (LED runway), Core Control (cameras), Neg Earth Lights (rigging), Opto Live (playback), Rock-it Cargo (freight), Team Audio (communications), Ox Event House (scenic), Stageco (steel), Planet SFX (lasers, eco jets and pyrotechnics), KB Event (trucking), CoTour (travel agent), Twenty Three (LED infrastructure), TAIT (staging), and Sarah’s Kitchen (catering). “All the vendors have worked well together. I prioritised communication between me, the vendors and the design team. We communicated via Slack, with big team chats
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weekly,” Thornton explained. “We went into rehearsals feeling the most organised I think any of us had ever felt.” The production takes a team of 148 plus additional local crew two days to load-in, the contents of 80 trucks. Meanwhile, many of the crew are working behind the scenes to prepare for the 30-night Madison Square Garden residency. “MSG has been happening in the background, occasionally the foreground, and throughout the process I have been able to lean on my stage management department with Duncan [Ladkin, Stage Manager] running the show and future freighting and trucking,” Thornton added. Thornton told TPi that the team wanted to gather “the Avengers of touring crew”, which for him isn’t just about the ability to do the job, but to be a team player. “For my heads of department, I look for kind and patient team managers, which isn’t just the ability to work within your department but to work as one collective crew. One of the hardest things to get is the cohesive feeling from everyone that we are working together. This filters from the top down, from artist management to production management; we are all approaching this in the same way – with the same attitude of patience and kindness towards one another,” Thornton added. “Everyone is working towards the same goals and enjoying themselves.” The atmosphere among the crew was evident on site amid ‘funky shirt Friday’, where a clothes rail was positioned outside the production office for crew members to add a pop of colour to their outfits. Bales Karlin, Road Manager, created a tour library, while the Production Coordinator CJ Harrison and
Production Assistant, Ruby Pring, organised a World Cup sweepstake. For Harrison, the residency style of the tour has shown what is possible when it comes to crew health and wellbeing. “Mental health, and health in general on the road, is so important, and I’ve had a lot of crew members come to me on this tour and say, ‘We’ve never been taken care of this well,’ which is such a nice thing to hear,” Harrison commented. “We have a doctor on site on every show day, so people can be seen for those little things or even get their prescriptions on the road.” Harrison credited travel agent CoTour with “going above and beyond to make sure everything” was perfect. “Those guys are incredible and know the ins and outs of the way we like to do things; we even had one of our travel agents come to the airport for one of our big moves from London to Amsterdam,” Harrison laughed. “It’s that extra level of care that really matters.” Tour Manager Carlina Gugliotta appreciated the residency style: “It’s been a real delight for the whole team to be on a tour of this style, usually there are sacrifices across the board, whether its working out, alone time or socialising; something has to give,” she said. “Although we’re still working hard, going to sleep and waking up in the same bed really makes a difference for everyone’s overall health and lifestyle. We are lucky to have an excellent team from the top down, it’s been great to be working with management who have a clear plan and give us time to execute it.” PAINT BY NUMBERS “Starting without reference or moodboards allows us to create these moments that can
only be made with Harry’s audience. They are a community and want to feel everything, so we don’t shy away from asking them to participate,” Creative Director, Molly Hawkins said, retracing the roots of the project. Given the size of the stadiums, the primary challenge, she said, was creating intense, intimate environments for people to interact with each other. “We thought that if we made these small clubs, the pits, the audience would have a really intense experience and become a part of the show,” Hawkins explained. “Their energy is like a battery for everyone in the stands. While the catwalks bring Harry closer to the people in the back, the point isn’t the catwalks; it’s the spaces created by them.” Hawkins and the wider creative team utilised video and lighting as conduits to communicate emotion. “Gabriel Coutu-Dumont [co-founder of Silent Partners Studio] is the best person in the world at using video in an artistic, clever and innovative way,” she added. “He has the ability to be silly and playful as demonstrated by the bubbles of backing vocalists in Adore You, or the painterly psychedelic landscapes in Watermelon Sugar but when Harry and I ask him to help communicate the chaos, intensity and vulnerability of Season 2 Weight Loss he is right there, ready with a dozen and somewhat insane ideas.” Dumont enlisted the support of Notch designers led by Heath Saunders, who Hawkins says “dig and dig until they hit gold”. She added: “Heath is my hero.” Bráulio Amado – who did the graphic design and art direction for Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally and Together, Together’s marketing – worked on content and assisted Hawkins in some direction, creating a distinct visual through-line between the show and the new album. Lighting Designers, Eric Marchwinski and Silent House Founder and CEO, Baz Halpin collaborated with Lighting
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Programmer, Tyler Santangelo to reflect the emotional impact of the show. “Baz understands working in a space the scale of Wembley Stadium in a profound way because of his vast experience,” Hawkins said, praising the influence of the creatives and road crew. “This allows us to take big risks. Eric has incredible taste and is a clear, direct communicator. He has big, wild ideas and knows Harry and me well enough to simply get them done and debate it later, which on a project this big is a huge asset – not feeling you need permission to experiment. I love the lighting team so much. I trust that they inherently understand the music and the emotional intention behind each moment.” The elaborate mirror wall, designed by Vincent Richards at Silent House, alongside multiple programmable disco balls [more on them later] “enveloped the audience” to create, in Hawkins’ words, a “massive, euphoric, and sparkling environment”. Longstanding collaborator, Musical Director, Pauli Lovejoy – dubbed “my creative soul mate” by Hawkins – harnessed his “superpowers” to subtly bring in a familiar rhythm, horn line or bassline for a few bars to help translate an “ambitious music moment” during the climaxes of the show. Hawkins further praised Screens Programmer, Steve Foster, for his use of visual instrumentation, as well as Jeffrey Azoff, Tommy Bruce of Full Stop Management, and of course, the magnetic frontman and his support team, with whom she’s shared a decade-long relationship with. “They understand that collaboration can, and must, be messy,” she said. “Working with a great artist who wants the deepest experience for themselves and their audience, rather than demanding perfection, that’s when you can have the most gratifying experiences as a creative professional. Harry, Jeffrey and
Above: the production office featuring Sarin Moddle, Carlina Gugliotta, Andrew Thornton, Bales Karlin, Jack Dunnett, Rosie Lines, Ruby Pring, Duncan Ladkin, CJ Harrison and Sasha Molin; the rigging team of Giulio Ligorio, Colin Raby, Keith Boardman, Paul Kelly, Rick Hopkins and Jacob Rivenell; The wardrobe department including Dana Carr and Ash Bell; the barrier team’s Bjorn Steegen and Koen Daems. Opposite: the carpentry team of Stephen Jeffrey, Adrian Typkiewicz, Jani Botyanszki, Ray Bogle, James English, Izak Arida, Pete English, Stu Farnell, Will Koch, Jem Nicholson and Ian Bell.
HANGING WITH HARRY STYLES
Tommy allow the space to do big things because they create a safe place where you don’t have to fear imperfection. You can swing for the fences” I’VE SEEN IT IN STAGES With a show rig that weighed over 142 tonnes, Head Rigger, Colin Raby, deployed 192 motors with a rigging package from Neg Earth Lights and looked after a team made up of Keith Boardman, Giulio Ligorio, Ricky Hopkins, Paul Kelly and Jacob Rivenel. “I’ve done a lot of outdoor shows, but never one with a ceiling capacity like this,” Raby said. “I’ve got an amazing team of riggers with me, and working with the wider team is a pleasure. Andrew and I have done a lot of tours together over the years, and this one is a very nice place to be.” Neg Earth Lights’ Sam Ridgway commented: “We were delighted to supply the complete rigging package. With nearly 200 hoists incorporated into the production, the project required meticulous planning, coordination, and execution. It was a great opportunity to contribute our expertise to such a world-class touring production and help deliver a safe, efficient, and seamless rigging solution.” During the previous Love On Tour cycle, Stage Managers Jack Dunnett and Duncan Ladkin highlighted that major tours require two stage managers to share the load; and sure enough, at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, TPi was not only greeted by the two familiar faces and an additional team member, Rosie Lines. “With productions becoming more and more complicated, it has become essential to have multiple stage managers,” Ladkin said. “I have worked with Jack and Rosie individually, so bringing them together on this one has been great. Jack and I have very different styles, which is hilarious in
some ways, but we complement each other – and bringing Rosie in the middle of it has been interesting.” Lines looks after the local labour, while Dunnett as production stage manager is across load-ins and outs, and Ladkin oversaw production logistics. “We try to do the production stuff together, but naturally it has made sense for Duncan to take a step back, which is not in his nature because he is so hardworking,” said Dunnett. Three staging companies are involved in the project, with Ox Event House, Twenty Three, and TAIT coming together to create the elaborate stage design, which features long runways adorned with video panels and a cross-section down the middle, which creates four crowd sections inside the stage. The main stage featured a large mirror wall, which is interspersed with lighting fixtures, topped by a video header and sandwiched between two large video walls on either side. “Love On Tour was the biggest show I had ever worked on, and funnily enough this is the biggest tour I’ve done again,” Ladkin laughed. “It’s massive.” Despite the scale of the show, the load-in to Amsterdam, went off without a hitch, finishing earlier than anticipated. “We thought we’d be working through to 2AM, but we were done by 10PM,” Dunnett noted. “Amsterdam has a great local crew, great Live Nation reps and promoters.” Ladkin carried over Roadie of the Week from Love On Tour, where the crew members voted each week to present the winner with a gold hi-vis jacket and a certificate signed by Ladkin and Harry. The week TPi caught up with the crew saw two winners: the entire Sarah’s Kitchen team along with Head Carpenter, Jem Nicholson.
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
Nicholson, whose team crafted a red postbox that sat in the production office for the crew to send letters or postcards, commented: “A ‘normal’ show would be around 70 to 80 decks, but we’re looking at nearly 1,200 for this,” he laughed. “We have a team of 14 on this, and we get around 40 local crew to help.” The custom mirror wall from Ox Event House stands at an impressive 26m tall, 12m wide and weighs 32 tonnes. Ben Levitt commented on the feat: “What was important to us, and the streamlining of the tour, was to come up with a concept that would let the crew load-in and -out in enough time for it to be a part of the project, while not getting in the way,” he explained. “Integrating the lighting and rigging was key. Ox made the metalwork, the mirror and the lamp clamps, as well as prebuilding and populating it here in Hull.” Levitt praised his team, which included: Kieran Ward, Richard Carter, Steve Bottomley, Matt Bull, Ryan Render, and others. “We had about 90 days of creating mirror fragments, around 40 people fitting the mirror parts, 20 people making the aluminium parts, and then Fiona and I went on holiday in the middle of it all,” he laughed. “We were really impressed with our team back at base because we are a small family business; the scale of projects we do shows how great our people are.” TAIT supplied all custom LED decking structures in partnership with Nighthawk, as well as custom egress solutions to enable efficient movement between the pit areas. The company utilised its Mag Deck system for the
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central runway and main stage, with over 1,000 TAIT decks involved in the project. “To ensure consistency across every venue, we utilised custom adjustable legs throughout the staging system, allowing for precise levelling on a wide range of uneven surfaces,” explained Tim Schuler, Project Manager at TAIT. “The overall footprint is significant – 15 trucks of set, over 2,000ft of stage masking and more than 450 lighting shelves.” TAIT provided a fully integrated suite of custom elements, including a bespoke rain roof, custom band risers, and scenic fascia. “Supporting a production of this scale required a truly global effort with equipment sourced from both our Lititz and Wakefield facilities,” Schuler said. “The residency format allowed the production to scale up in ways that would have been much more challenging on a traditional touring schedule. Knowing the show only needed to move every four weeks or so enabled the team to make design and engineering decisions that prioritised scale and complexity.” Following TAIT’s acquisition of Silent House Group, the project marked one of the first as a combined unit. Schuler elaborated: “TAIT had already been engaged on the project since the summer of 2025. Having already established a relationship with the Silent House team over several decades, the transition felt natural and beneficial. Sitting at the table as longtime collaborators and now colleagues has created a streamlined and efficient way of working.”
Twenty Three integrated the lighting with the header LED screen, making it a uniform part of the show, as well as a wind bracing solution for the LED screens. Twenty Three’s Kristof Soreyn explained: “I call it an infinity look, which we have noticed as a trend in the market – productions want to have a cleaner look for audiences, without seeing rigging above,” Soreyn said. “It can make it quite complex, because with the header holding the weight of the screen and lights the centre of gravity is completely different – all the weight is in front, so we had to pick up in the back.” Soreyn described the material involved, as “substantial” and explained that the header alone required two trucks with the brackets and lighting integrated. “Because Twenty Three already has all of this technology in-house, it’s much easier for us to provide customised solutions to shows that demand it,” he commented. “We have a strong relationship with Solotech, who provided the ruggedised touring solution for the ROE Visual screen, as well as a unique wind brace solution, which offers wind bracing at all times even during load-in and out.” Solotech provided an extensive audio, lighting and video package. “There are many elements where we are introducing new kit, especially on this scale. Integration and making everything work harmoniously has been a big achievement,” Ian ‘Woody’ Woodall, Vice President of Business Development at Solotech, stated proudly. “This show represents a flagship moment for Solotech
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and is a testament to what we can do. From initial renders, to rehearsals, and its debut with a crowd in Amsterdam I had to just stand and look at it. It is a brilliant show, and Solotech is proud to be a part of three disciplines; lighting, audio, and video.” He went on to praise the wider Solotech team: “There was so much work to get to the show that exists now, and I am so proud of our team of project managers, technical specialists, crewing and administration teams,” he stated, giving special mentions to Paul ‘Macca’ McCauley, Steve-O GrInceri, Luther Edmonds, Oli James, Nick Lythgoe, Charley Nash, Hannah Reischer, Dylan Malugen, Lisa Lucero and Dianna Mariotti, among others. YOU GOT THE CINEMA The video deployment features 1,220 panels ROE Visual CB5 with Brompton Technology Tessera SX40 processing, with MD6 LED floor tiles utilised along the runways. Reinder Vandersteene, LED Crew Chief, praised the ROE Visual kit: “I’ve been working with CB5 for four years now; it’s a great product, very reliable, and since we started rehearsals, we have not had to repair anything,” he said. Camera Director Ant Barrett and Screens Director Josh Key fed content to the screens through Disguise GX 3+ servers. “It’s an IMAGheavy show,” Key said, explaining how his setup utilises an MA Lighting grandMA3 console. “It’s programmed as a lighting director would. We have a huge system of eight Disguise servers from Solotech and have broken it down into areas of responsibility – two for the LED floor, two for the screen stage left, and two for stage
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right. With the sheer amount of LED on this, we needed the firepower,” Key said, noting that he was doing a lot of internal processing on the grandMA3. “Silent House are doing some really cool stuff with the Notch effects that have been really processor heavy – for example, there are some generative algorithm driven things that are loaded into Notch and then we can calculate different depths. We’re doing a bit of image generation in Watermelon Sugar.” Key praised Early Bird and Silent House for their desire to “push boundaries” and “introduce new kit and use it in the most efficient way possible”. He added: “We’re using it all to our best advantage. It has also been great working with Solotech again; they are always fantastic. We have such a good relationship with them, they have provided everything we could have ever asked for, and the package is good.” Core Control provided an elaborate camera setup including 11 Sony F5500s, paired with Fuji Duvo lenses. To minimise seat-kills, the crew deployed three Egripment heavy lift tower cameras. “We can utilise remote operation for three of five of our long lenses, and then for extra reach, two of our long lenses are Sony 3500 cameras, paired with Fuji 125s,” explained Barrett. Five Agito Gen2 Rail Camera systems were also utilised, which allowed Barrett to track Harry around the expansive runways, and through its remote operation kept the operators focussed and gave fans a clear view of the stage. The Camera Director utilised a Ross Video TouchDrive 4, which allowed him to mix
The camera department of Lisa Baker, Christina Tee, Piotr Klimczyk, Ant Barrett, Jon Stutsman, Gordon Davies, Harry Watkinson, Drew Welker, Kate Chinnock and Manan Patel; The LED crew including Rishi Sheldon, Reinder Vandersteene, Josh Key ,Fraser Kerr, Harry Blackmore, Carla Vagland, Robert ‘Bob’ Aitkenhead, William Madden, Charlotte Emma Smith, Charles-Antoine Collard, Jack Gurdon, Steven Foster, Matthew Barnes, and Ismael Alicea; The lighting team featuring Leo Dumont-Frenette, Alex Huggins, Sally Tolley, Nate Plotsky, Dan Kaczan, Travis Maynard, Mathieu Cote, Anna Mac, Craig Hancock, Mark Hollis, Craig JR-Saunders, Jed Brook, Phil Taylor, Jordan Lightfoot, Gretchen Adickes, Chris Swain, Sarah Ng, Denis Ayotte; Nighthawk LED team featuring Phillip Johnson, Diondre LeGrand, Ashley Abate, Rob Brewer and Bryan Keyes.
cameras across four different outputs. He explained that this meant in some songs he could utilise the four feeds onto the different surfaces on the tour. “With the amount of runway, we’re looking at a show that is partly in the round and partly front on. When I looked at the design, I thought it was best to cover that from a show POV with a lot of robotic systems, because this can allow you to have more kit out in the field without impacting sightlines and the audience experience,” Barrett explained. “We’re also using quite a lot of tracking through zactrack, which recognises where Harry and the dancers are onstage and shows us on a model within the D3 GUI, which is really helpful to spot where he is on stage.” Key utilised the zactrack PRO system to create different masks within the content depending on where Harry is on stage, as well as to feed a lot of the footlights to come on when he’s in the area. Barrett and Key both noted a period of the show when the entire band is relocated to the centre of the stage, where it crosses over in between pits for the dance section. “I was asked to create a ‘dance club feel’ for this special, intimate part of the show,” Barrett noted. “For this, we used two Sony FX6 cameras with full broadcast spec RF links, which allowed our operators to move freely and whip-pan between band members as Harry introduced them. We also wanted to cover Harry’s band, and I didn’t want to sacrifice quality in doing so. So, we deployed three Sony FR7 large sensor PTZs on Autopods and Blackmagic Micro G2s which are hidden away on instruments.” Key added: “We get some nice camera shots from that section – it really gets the audience going and is something we have never done before.” Looking after the extensive camera package from Core Control, and even running around the venue pre-show to capture the audience on the IMAG were Camera Operators, Chris ‘Chip’
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Wood, Christina Tee, Kate Chinnock, Lisa Baker, Jon Stutsman, Simon Difazio, Manan Patel, Drew Welker and Gordon Davies – while Harry Watkinson and Piotrek Klimczyk took on roles as Vision Engineers. “This project has been great for us,” stated Baker. “We have some really good broadcast-quality kit – there is a lot of rigging, derigging, and learning new systems, but we like it because it raises the standard. Kate, Christina and I all started in the broadcast world, and Chip is very experienced in both, but with video becoming more and more complex on touring productions, it is being taken more seriously.” Chip added: “We are the younger sibling of lighting and sound, but it feels like cameras have their feet under the table; it has been a long time coming, but with a lot of new kit coming up, so seeing it all come to fruition has been rewarding.” Working with Core Control was a highlight for the video team. Jack Banks, Director of the company, said: “We’re supplying a huge package for this,” Banks said. “The residency style helped as we were able to push our camera package further, it did mean changing our perspective a little. We have thought about how to make things more stable rather than fast to load-in and -out and being mindful of ensuring the crew have a manageable routine on show days. The sheer amount of robotic grip on the show has really allowed us to push what a control package is.” Banks was conscious of the demand the complex video package could enforce on the crew. “It was important for the crew to buy into the story of what we wanted the show to be. They have all been supportive and patient.” TIMECODES, TOKYO SCENES “With a lighting design that features nearly 1,700 fixtures, an elaborate tracking system by zactrack was required to follow Harry around the stage – which Lighting Director, Travis
The power team of Darryl Kirby, Paul Traynor, Dave Lesh and Andrew McGillan; the backline crew made up of Jack Hughes, Kyle Henderson, Kodi Bramble, John ‘JC’ Colangelo, Martin Roberts and Louis Cohen; the audio department featuring Jake ‘Potter’ Gardner, Dominic Thorne, Marc Peers, Barry Tymms, Adam Field, Mark Pantlin, Nicholas Stover, Jack Hubball, Sebastian Richard, Morgan Beecher and Emily Pikul; the SFX department including Myles Wynne-Pedder, Steve Hunt, Dave Evans, Gabriel Crosse, Ryan Cocking and Jack Hooper. The Sarah’s Kitchen Catering team of Alison Jeoffrey, Stacey Leith, Sarah Nicholas, Mairead de Barra, Kim Drake, Pauline Clarke, Tristan Conway, Hannah West, Matty Pople, Summa Eastman and Karl Nicholson.
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Thank you to this incredible production for choosing ACT Entertainment in North America and Ambersphere in the UK to provide the products that give Harry the freedom to move!
PRODUCTION PROFILE
Maynard used as “an artistic tool to push the show forward,” he explained. Maynard looked after Eric Marchwinski’s design, which was programmed by Tyler Santangelo and utilised an MA Lighting grandMA3. Due to the stage configuration, the Lighting Director was positioned at an angle on the stadium floor, using video monitors to see the full stage. “We’re using a couple of different NDI cameras that are positioned in different places that I can switch between to get a complete look during the show,” Maynard revealed. The rig included 160 Ayrton EagleStrike, 420 ACME Lighting Thunderbolt, 640 PIXELINE IP 500 1M, 156 PIXELINE IP 500 0.5M, 128 Robe GigaPointe, 20 iBeam 150, four iFORTE LTX, 24 Elation PROTUS EXCALIBUR, two Astera HydraPanel lighting solutions with 17 HazeBase Base Hazers - with custom inline fans and 10 TMB ProFans providing atmospherics. The Disco, Occasionally part of the album campaign was highlighted with 62 MegaLite M Spheres. “We have four of the mirror balls at the base of each tower, as well as in the house trusses which are being hit by the Robe GigaPointes,” Maynard said. “Aperture is late in the show, so the sun has usually started to set. We fill the stadium with haze, and then you get the reflections from the M Spheres, and the mirror wall, which is stunning.” While zactrack isn’t traditionally used for touring, Maynard believes it should be used more. “It creates a lot of integrated moments between lighting and video – he can go anywhere, and he is tracked by a spotlight,” Maynard explained. “It took a great team to
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put it together; we’re hoping that people see it and give it a shot on further tours.” Werner Petricek, Founder and CEO, zactrack, added: “We are proud to see zactrack contribute to a production that continues to set new standards in live entertainment.“ Craig Hancock and Anna Mac teamed up to look after the lighting crew and noticed the residency style positively impacting the crew’s rest, and therefore their work. “Spending so long in one place makes the show run almost like theatre – so we’re putting a lot of care into looking after the kit,” Hancock said. “This residency has also opened up the spectrum to use as many lights as the designer would like, which means we’re pushing nearly 1,800 fixtures, with a lot of network.” Mac agreed: “For us, there is a lot more work to be done keeping lenses free of rain and haze fluid, aswell as focussing on the condition of the lights – things that wouldn’t be considered on a heavier touring schedule.” WALK THROUGH FIRE FOR YOU It’s no secret that the new album includes more dancefloor hits than any other of Harry Styles’ records and transferring that to a live show meant an extensive Pyro and SFX package from Planet SFX, bringing lasers, eco-jets and even fireworks for the Wembley shows. “We have 30 lasers in total, all X-Laser – it’s nice having one brand because it means we can have one system, and we don’t have to worry about integrating multiple things,” Jack Hooper, Laser Programmer said. “We are using six 100W Skywriters, 12 60W Skywriters and
12 40W Tritons, all programmed on Beyond Ultimate Licence from Pangolin over a Luminex Gigacore network that is integrated through the lighting department.” Hooper programmed the show, with the triggering kept within the lighting team utilising DMX. “I don’t take any timecode; I just have an Art-Net feed from the lighting crew,” Hooper explained. “For this show, programming was really about giving the creative team as much flexibility as possible while keeping the system simple and reliable on the road. We built the workspace so they could try different looks and ideas quickly.” Eight Look Solutions Viper Deluxe MKIIs are used for atmospherics, with 20 MagicFX ECO2 Jets and over 1,000 pyro shots from 24 positions, controlled wirelessly from Galaxis, for the open-air stadiums. “When the first pyro lift happens in Sign Of The Times, the audience screams. That’s the best part, seeing the designs become a reality is a great feeling,” Myles Wynne-Pedder, Pyro and SFX Crew Chief, said. “We have considered the environmental impact of our part of the show by reducing waste as much as possible, by using reusable zip ties and pyro, our crew t-shirts are made from recycled material and we specify the use of HVO fuel instead of standard diesel.” Shaun Barnett, CEO at Planet SFX added: “Driven by this tour, Planet SFX are pursuing B Corp certification to formalise our commitment to sustainability. We want to make this as a part of our long term approach to tour support. In May, Rob Edwards joined as partner; he’s also
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passionate about the environment and has spearheaded the tour from the beginning.” ARE YOU LISTENING YET? Together, Together is one of the first tours to use the new L-Acoustics L1, and its companion CS1. Sound System Engineer, Mark Pantlin, gave his thoughts on being the first official tour to use the PA. “It is exciting to be a part of it, and it is reminiscent of when I did a pilot scheme for K1,” he commented. “We have been impressed with the performance of it, it;s a big step forwards in live audio.” The system consists of main hangs of two CS1, four L1, one L1D; side hangs of six L1 and one L1D while flown sub hangs consisted of 10 CS1, with 270 hangs of L2 with KS21 behind. “On the floor and in the VIP pits we also have 16 CS1, delay towers which feature two CS1, four L1 and one L1D and our lip and VIP fills are Syva A10 and A15” Pantlin added. “We also have positioned the PA quite high above the LED wall,” Pantlin said. For Monitor Engineers, Francois Pare and Michael Flaherty, the new project stands at nearly double the inputs of the previous campaign with the addition of a string section and dancers, with DiGiCo Quantum 852 at the helm. “We have four 852s on the gig, and there is a tonne of RF to look after as well as a huge number of channels,” Pare smiled. “We’re trying out some Sound Devices kit that I have never tried before, which has been great.” This included Astral HH, HH Control Ring’s Control Switch, Astral TX, Astral Mini, Astral Outpost, Astral Opto, Astral ARX32 – about which RF Technician, Adam Field, commented: “Utilising Wisycom and Sound Devices together has given us a lot of flexibility – it gives us the ability to work in most places across
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different bandwidths and territories.” Pare introduced 64 Audio to the camp, which saw Harry move over to its A18Ts. “They’re a great company. Moving from a different manufacturer can be daunting but the care and delivery of the package has been excellent,” Flaherty said, extending his praise to Solotech. “They have been all over it since day one. Since the project is constantly evolving, they are always willing to accommodate and make it the best tour it can be.” While a high channel count can pose many challenges, Audio Technician, Jake ‘Potter’ Gardner is on hand to ensure they are overcome before they happen.”I worked with Francois, Michael and Parker at the start when we were designing the system,” Potter said. “Because we’re recording a high channel count at 96k, we needed a recording system that was both powerful and dependable,” Potter said. “At each console we’re using a DAD AX64 interface with a Mac mini, and the setup has been exceptionally reliable. It’s flexible, easy to configure, and has given us complete confidence throughout the tour.” The playback rig, supplied by Opto Live, featured a DiGiCo console, which the supplier is seeing become more commonplace on larger-scale gigs, allowing playback engineers Louis Cohen and Martin Roberts to monitor and mix playback. “We’re using RME Audio products, a lot of DirectOut kit, mainly PRODIGY.MPs, and we heavily use Optocore as the backbone for our audio integration,” Opto Live’s Andy Hamwee commented. “We’re using our proprietary Opto infrastructure for MIDI distribution across the stage. The main thing we’re doing for this project is designing the architecture of the playback and MIDI system and its integration
and deployment, which is what the engineering team brought us in to lead. Cal Owen is out with the tour as Opto’s lead support to the engineering team and the client. One of the things that has been successful for us is giving Pauli (Lovejoy, Musical Director and band member), Louis, Martin and ultimately the artist the facility to work with infrastructure where they can try new approaches throughout the tour. Our aim is always to utilise the technology to remove all creative limitations.” AJ Sutherland took the lead on communications, with technical support in Rehearsals and Amsterdam, by Sam Way of Team Audio. “It’s certainly different,” said Sutherland, who often sits in a production manager role. “I’m really enjoying being more directly involved in the show, and it has been nice to go back to my roots as a technician.” Team Audio’s communications design featured a fibre network linking Netgear Switches, two Riedel Artist Frames, Smart Panels for the camera director and engineers plus wired backup panels in each control position. On the wireless front, there are 14 Bolero Antenna for the 69 Bolero Beltpacks and six prototypes of the company’s unreleased Bolero Mini Belt packs. Team Audio supplied two way radios with 24 radio channels on 211 Motorola R7 handsets linked to the Riedel system with eight RiFaces. Two Motorola repeaters extend the range of the critical Production and Security channels. “It’s essential that all departments can speak between themselves and to others over a clear channel without interruption or missing information,” remarked Mark Isbister of Team Audio. “We were delighted to design and supply a comprehensive integrated communications package to enable them to do exactly that.”
For Sutherland, the deployment of the Motorola R7 radios was of note: “It’s nice to be able to program those onsite. Because we are out for so long, I can tailor them to specific people.’ WATERMELON SUGAR A mainstay within the camp, Sarah’s Kitchen had a team of 12 onsite in Amsterdam, with more joining for the Wembley shows. According to Sarah Nicholas, the residency style has given more possibilities to the catering department. “We can prepare more; we can marinate things longer. A lot of the team have enjoyed being able to think ahead a bit,” she said, going on to praise the unity of the camp – “it’s almost like a family.” KB Event supplied 61 of its Megacube Artic trucks, including some of its latest Volvo FH and Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor units. “Having worked together previously, there was already a strong level of trust and understanding, which always makes for a rewarding process,” commented Sales Director, Matt Jackson. “Being brought in at the early stages was extremely helpful in allowing us to allocate the right team and the right fleet. It’s always a pleasure working with Andrew and the wider camp, and being part of delivering such high-profile shows is something we’re incredibly proud of.” Rock-it Cargo handled freight. “My plan was to get every single person from Rock-it London involved in some way as an educational tool,” commented Rock-it’s Chris Palmer. “This size of tour doesn’t come around every day, and the opportunity for everyone to get involved and to learn our craft is too good to miss. It feels like the entire industry is involved. It’s amazing to be working with so many people who are at the top of their game. Duncan and I
work so well together, as we have known each other for years, travelled to various continents together, and we share a similar sense of humour, which is so important when things get complex and hectic,” Palmer stated. “We have great communication in that he tells me what he needs, and I do my best to provide it – and at the heart of it all is kindness, fun and the desire to do a great job together and to create some amazing memories.” The record-breaking tour brings a unique experience to audiences who partake in choreographed routines, embrace on the stadium floor, and above all, Treat People With Kindness. Perhaps Harry Styles said it best: “There are a large number of people who are first in the building and last to leave, and the show is impossible without them.” As for me, I will be in attendance at six of the 12 Wembley shows the crew are putting on, as a fan, but it will be hard not to keep an eye on all of the technology and intricacies involved… www.hstyles.co.uk www.24-7productions.co.uk www.solotech.com www.nighthawk-video.com www.corectrl.uk www.negearth.co.uk www.optolive.com www.rockitcargo.com www.teamaudio.co.uk www.oxevents.co.uk www.stageco.com www.planet-sfx.com www.kbevent.com www.cotour.co www.twentythree.be www.taittowers.com www.instagram.com/sarahskitchen01/ www.silent-house.com
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YUNGBLUD: IDOLS – THE WORLD TOUR A coming-of-age crew deliver a classic rock-inspired spectacle to a multigenerational audience while balancing affordability, innovation and relentless touring demands.
Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Tom Pallant and TPi
PRODUCTION PROFILE
In the build-up to the third edition of BLUDFEST, YUNGBLUD returned to the touring circuit, bringing a classic rock-inspired spectacle to arenas across the UK and Ireland, supported by a vibrant and road-tested crew. Production Director, Steve Down of Only Helix oversaw staffing, budgets and liaison with management and creative departments, handling the logistical groundwork before the tour hit the road. He enlisted a trusted network of technical vendors including Adlib (lighting and video), CSE Crosscom (radios), EFM (freight), KB Event (trucking), Kearsley & Sons (rolling stage), Multicast Audio (communications), Music First Partnership (travel), Opto Live (playback), Ox Event House (band risers), Popcorn Catering, Production Park (rehearsals), SETSTAGE (set pieces), Solotech (audio), Stage Miracles (local crew), Strictly FX (special effects), TAIT (monitor riser), Vision Factory (creative) and Zeppelin Nightliners (buses). “I’ve worked with these companies in various guises over many years,” Down said. “They are best in class and provide great technical support on the road. It’s an ambitious project within the available budget, and they’ve all gone above and beyond to deliver.” Down explained that the production needed to “step up” in line with YUNGBLUD’s ascent. “The first time I saw YUNGBLUD, I saw someone bringing back the spirit of ’90s rock ’n’ roll. Since joining the camp 18 months ago, it’s been a privilege to be part of the journey and help make his vision a reality.” YUNGBLUD’s shows commit to keeping ticket prices affordable. “That means getting creative; our suppliers are happy to collaborate on delivering something impactful within the budget,” Down said. TPi Award-winning designer Sam Tozer of Vision Factory worked alongside Set Designer Flora Harvey and James Lockey
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at Motion Department – Vision Factory’s new content division – to deliver the visual identity for the tour. Newly formed company, Once Held, managed the archival side of the production, centralising recorded material for repurposing across social platforms. “Everything was ingested into an online portal after each show,” Down explained. “Using cloud technology, three line cuts from the cameras were automatically transcoded into the cloud, allowing the socials team immediate access to edit content. It’s proven invaluable, especially when touring across different continents.” TPi Award-winning Production Manager Jake Mazzuca of Only Helix kept the show moving on the road, supported by Production Coordinator, Sam Brown and Tour Manager, Elliot Taylor. “This is the first tour where it’s felt like we’re playing the rooms we should be playing. The core crew has been around for a while, so it’s been about building on that with keen and talented people who want to grow with the artist,” Mazzuca informed TPi backstage in Leeds. “We’ve worked hard to bring everyone together and maintain a positive atmosphere despite the long hours,” Production Coordinator, Sam Brown added, crediting her background in cognitive psychology with helping her foster that environment. “Being honest, sincere and empathetic with the crew, and checking in during both the highs and lows, makes all the difference. This is also still a very male-dominated industry. Having a woman in the production office gives the women on the team someone they can confide in, while also bringing a different perspective and approach for everyone.” For Tour Manager, Elliot Taylor, joining the camp felt like a natural fit. The tour brought together a close-knit group with shared roots in the South Yorkshire music scene. In addition to supporting the artist, audience
welfare has become one of the most important considerations of his scope. “We’re no longer selling tickets exclusively to younger audiences,” he explained. “We now have a multigenerational fanbase with different needs and expectations. That’s why robust showstop procedures and clear communication are important. We work with venue security teams, and security staff regularly check in with fans before the show. Building that connection helps create a safer, smoother experience for everyone.” To ensure clear communication on site, Multicast Audio supplied a Riedel Communications Bolero system, implemented by Communications Engineer, Victoria Hofflin. CSE Crosscom supplied a further 72 Motorola Solutions DP4601e handheld radios, remote speaker microphones and Peltor headsets housed in rolling touring cases. “The team are well organised and collaborative, which makes it easy to coordinate channel layouts and ensure the radios are set up and ready well in advance,” CSE Crosscom’s Dan Howroyd commented. “It’s been a pleasure to be part of their touring journey.” Mazzuca, a Breakthrough Talent alumnus, also partnered with Production Futures to provide on-site shadowing opportunities. Band rehearsals took place at Production Park’s The Mill facility in London, while production rehearsals were held at Studio 5 in Wakefield, followed by an additional production day ahead of the first show in Sheffield. Reflecting on rehearsals at Production Park, Taylor spoke of the significance of preparing close to home. “There was a real sense that we were building something special,” he said. “Starting the UK tour in Sheffield was particularly meaningful for me. As a local show, it felt like the perfect way to begin the run.” After a run of consecutive dates, the production introduced a rolling stage to ease
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
the load-in. “It’s a bit of a beast and quite taxing on the crew,” Mazzuca admitted, reviewing the build. “We’re probably at our limit in terms of what we can achieve with the personnel we have. Fortunately, we’ve got some incredibly capable and talented crew looking. The biggest priority is keeping morale high, making sure people are looked after and feel valued. Some of the hours are grim, but everyone feels like the show is worth the graft.” KB Event supplied 17 trucks, including a custom-wrapped Idols trailer. The fleet included Scania, Mercedes, and Volvo trucks pulling specially modified Krone trailers. “By maximising the internal height of the trailer, we’ve been able to lower the bed height without sacrificing load capacity. This creates a shallower angle between the loading ramp and trailer bed, making it safer and easier for crews to move heavy flight cases, staging and production equipment on and off the vehicle,” KB Event’s Matt Jackson explained, recalling the time YUNGBLUD entrusted Lead Driver, Pete Gregory to give him his very first truckdriving lessons at Milton Keynes Bowl ahead of the inaugural BLUDFEST. “It’s amazing to see the next generation of the music industry stepping up to the plate and pulling on such a huge production to such an exemplary standard. They’re not afraid to do things differently and push the boundaries of what touring is traditionally supposed to be, and getting to be a part of it is beyond exciting.” Zeppelin Nightliners provided five Setra 531DT double deckers, including four 16-berth crew buses and an artist bus. “It’s an honour to support this camp,” Zeppelin Nightliners’
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Christian Weidenholzer commented. “YUNGBLUD is an exciting artist and his production evolves fast, so it’s crucial for us to stay on top of it. It’s an honour for a young company like Zeppelin to be part of his journey.” The UK run comprised 11 shows, with a demanding schedule of back-to-backs and limited downtime. Mazzuca embraced the “organised chaos” and “energy” of the production. Looking back, he said: “It’s great to see all the calls, emails and planning come to life in this show.” PRODUCTION DESIGN Ahead of rehearsals, the team spent 10 days previsualising the show at Vision Factory’s Plymouth studio. Lighting Programmer James Taylor and Media Server Programmer Charlie Rushton worked alongside Lighting Designer, Ryan Dennett developing a tightly integrated visual system. “This show draws on the rock legends he looks up to,” Tozer explained. “The proscenium arch creates a divide between him as an artist and those influences. It became a central set piece, inspired by ‘The Gates of Hell’ in Paris. The black tones and raw architecture, combined with new tech like camera feed manipulation, set the visual language.” Balancing old-school rock aesthetics with modern technology was central to the design. “We wanted moments where the screens drop out and you really see the lighting rig as a theatrical element,” Tozer said. “We used Ayrton Svobodas and 2K Fresnels to give it a classic feel.” Camera and IMAG also played a key role. Inspired by AC/DC’s Thunderstruck
music video at Brixton Academy, Tozer introduced a camera under Perspex with Aura Pixel underfloor lighting. “It gave us a new perspective. On Suburban Requiem, the final song, the lighting is entirely from below, which changes the mood completely.” Audience lighting was equally important. “YUNGBLUD likes to see every face in the room. It’s about community,” Tozer explained. “We used advanced trussing and more audience lighting than you can imagine, plus Robert Juliat Lancelot followspots to create those big, nostalgic beams pointing into the crowd.” As the show evolves from pop-punk roots into a stadium rock experience, the production follows suit. “The energy is constantly growing, so the design has to grow with it,” he added. “It’s a blend of old-school rock values with a modern twist.” Dennett highlighted the artist’s handson involvement: “He’s passionate about production and often comes to FOH for feedback. He’s an incredible performer, so you never get bored watching him.” Dennett also pointed to standout moments in the show, including the interlude into Ghost. “The Svobodas turn the black arch into something almost golden. There are so many layers of shadow and detail. It’s beautiful when there’s nobody on stage and the audience are just filming the light.” The lighting rig included Martin Professional MAC Ultra Performances and GLP JDC1s. Symmetrical rigging arrangements were designed for the fixtures to create bold, dynamic shapes and strokes of light. The show was programmed on an MA Lighting grandMA3
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
desk, built entirely using a Recipes-based workflow. “The Ultras are the workhorse,” Dennett said. “We can place light exactly where we need it, at any intensity.” Lighting Crew Chief, Elliott Michaels led the on-site implementation alongside Lighting Technicians, Martin Mcloughlin, Ash Heritage, Mason Foulkes, Mike Blundell and Alex Knowles. “It’s a great camp to work with. Everyone puts in the effort to get things done safely and efficiently,” he said. “With Adlib supplying lighting and video, collaboration has been key. We support each other throughout load-in so nothing clashes. After a week in rehearsals, getting the first show in front of an audience was special.” Special effects supported the high-octane, frenetic energy of YUNGBLUD’s stage show. SFX Lead, Raefn Webber and Operator Lucas White oversaw deployment of MagicFX flame Blazers along the downstage edge. “It’s a new system for us and our first time out on the road with it, and we’re really enjoying it. It looks clean and works flawlessly,” Webber said. “We also have pyro elements, including Flares on the set and downstage edge, partnered with Comets and Gerbs, plus two low-fog machines used throughout, and biodegradable confetti for the closing number.” An MA Lighting grandMA3 console controlled flames, confetti, and fog, with a Galaxis system used to trigger pyro. Flames were fired on five songs in the middle of the set, with extensive low fog at the beginning and end, and a lighter atmospheric layer running throughout. “The track, Changes is
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a fog-heavy number, as is My Angels, which also features flames. Confetti is triggered on Hello and Suburban Requiem – with the latter also including flares and pyrotechnics,” he continued. “There are a lot of great looks with flame chasers, and I like the low fog sweeping across the stage edge; it fills the space in seconds and adds another level of atmosphere. Overall, It’s a great-looking show with a really strong team.” Flares at the start of Suburban Requiem were particularly evocative, with the stage washed in red flare light alongside pyro bursts and confetti at the finale. “It’s a fun show,” Tozer concluded. “YUNGBLUD wants those at the back of the room to feel just as engaged as those at the front.” CREATIVITY AND LIVE CAMERAS Video Director Blue Leach embraced the camp’s newfound 4K workflow, with select shows captured in UHD and all cameras recorded ISO. “I pride myself on creativity and live camera directing,” he began. Having joined the production after a threeweek stint in Australia earlier in the year with a more stripped-back camera package, Leach described the current show as one of the most creatively rewarding projects he has worked on. “Within a minute of rehearsals, I understood what needed to be done. It’s more structured now, with defined beat points that sit in sync with lighting,” he said. By the end of the Australia run, a central visual concept had emerged. “We decided to make it all about the cameras to the point
where, in some songs, the cameras themselves almost become content,” he said. “We’ve turned it inside out in terms of how it’s cut, shot, framed and graded. Different colour effects, frame rates, shutter speeds and LUTs all help shape each section of each song.” Leach operated from FOH, a position he considers essential. “You need to feel the energy of the room and see exactly what you’re putting on screen. My responsibility is to only show what looks best,” he said – his scribbles and drawings for each scene decorating his workspace alongside a heavily annotated vision mixer. The visual language is deliberately bold and fluid. “It’s roughly 90% Dom, with two portrait frames and a wide landscape screen. If you shoot centrally, you can’t really go wrong – but it should still feel slightly oblique, strange, even off-kilter. That’s what makes each show feel different, driven by the individual camera operators,” Leach commented. “No two shows are the same, but the beat points are consistent, with space for creativity… that’s the beauty of live photography.” A 25fps workflow underpins the aesthetic. “That’s my preferred frame rate; it makes everything feel more cinematic and suits a rock show. The shuttering, occasional cross-fades to black, and subtle LUT work all help enhance the performance without overcooking it,” he said. “I push the camera team to emphasise the frenetic nature of YUNGBLUD. It all adds to the effect and really amplifies the performance.” The video team included Handheld Cameraman, Phil Laverty; Video Racks
YUNGBLUD IDOLS WORLD TOUR
PRODUCTION PROFILE
Technician, Lewis Quain; Adlib Video Crew Chief, Mark Taylor and Technicians, Matthew Cooper, Kerrie Mulhall, Adrian Moore, Stuart Hurst and Samuel Lammond. Collaboration was constant. “We debrief all day, every day,” Leach said, inspired by touring photographer, Tom Palant. “His work is sublime. If my live cuts can match the same level of impact, complexity and physicality, then I’m doing my job.” Leach maintains close integration with the lighting and social media department, while also bringing a series of inventive camera rigs into the show. A lowered swing camera comprising a PTZ system into a chain-and-motor rig, implemented by Riggers, Ali Fox and Fabian Depczynski, made for an interactive moment. YUNGBLUD catches the camera and throws it into the audience. He further cited Tozer’s idea of the AC/DC-inspired Perspex floor camera as among his favourite looks. “It’s great fun, especially when Dom looks down and it feels like he’s trapped under ice.” The wider camera package included four Panasonic 4K long-lens units, two handheld pit cameras, two auto-pod tower-style cameras, and three Sony FR7s with interchangeable lenses. Additional fixed positions include one behind the drums on a rising mount and another embedded beneath the kick drum riser. “He looks great from every angle, but the shot with him in the foreground and the audience behind is something special. He’s a camera director’s dream,” he said. SETTING THE STAGE With no straight trusses or set pieces, everything on stage was positioned at a 30°
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angle. The custom Perspex staging deck took up the middle three decks on the downstage edge, weighing 300kg a piece, and the rigging aspects of the set pieces made it far from a straightforward show to implement. Head Carpenter, Rob Taylor and Carpenters, Kris Van Haerenborgh, Ashleigh Tindall and Ross Burkin implemented the main stage, the central set piece, along with ancillary elements such as staircases, custom Perspex staging, and risers. “There’s a lot of flown gear on this show, and the trusses are both longer and wider than the stage footprint, so you must build from the floor and keep it efficient. We come in at first call at 6am, then it’s rigging, trucking, catering, then set, followed by lighting and audio,” Burkin explained, outlining the roughly 90-minute build sequence. “Once the lighting rig is flown, we fly the set piece, roll the stage in, and land the arch onto the deck.” Stage Manager Alastair Bell highlighted space as the main challenge: “Everybody is working in the same tight footprint. Lighting and set are effectively on top of each other, and you can’t bring certain lighting trusses down until the set is in place. Any misstep can impact the backline, audio, and control departments,” he said. “We’ve been fine-tuning it as the tour progresses.” Kearsley supplied the light deck, while SETSTAGE built the monolithic set piece, with rolling risers supplied by TAIT and additional staging from Ox Event House. “The Leeds crew have been excellent. I started out here as local crew over 15 years ago and still recognise some familiar faces. The touring crew are also great, I’ve worked with Pete, the Lead Driver before;
he’s a top guy and KB Event are a solid team. Leeds is a tight site logistically, especially for trucks, but they’ve handled it seamlessly.” Mike Hartley, Local Crew Chief at AC Crew – supported by Stage Miracles – commented: “The set is slightly different, and the stage layout isn’t symmetrical, but there’s a strong, experienced touring crew. I recognise a few people from previous jobs. Modern tech really helps with load-in speed. It’s a great production to support.” FOH SOUND Having witnessed the artist’s growth over the past nine years – from mixing YUNGBLUD’s first show to sold-out arenas – FOH Engineer Owen Charles credits the artist’s relentless work ethic. “There’s no surprise he’s reached the level he has. The band are incredible and he’s such a strong performer.” As the production has evolved, so too has the audio package. “We’ve added strings, horns and a lot more instrumentation,” explained Charles. “We’re up to around 110 channels now.” Charles mixed on a Yamaha RIVAGE PM7 console. Rather than overhauling the existing infrastructure to accommodate built-in preamps, the team opted for a shared-gain approach via Dante. “There’s a Dante card coming out of the system with primary and secondary feeds running into two separate network switches,” he explained. “Those feeds are sent to me via two HMAs and I’ve got the reverse setup at FOH feeding into another pair of network switches before reaching the desk.” While making extensive use of the platform, Charles continues to rely on selected Waves
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
plug-ins that have become integral to his workflow. “Smack Attack is crucial for me,” he said. “It’s doing some transient shaping, but I also find it useful for controlling low-end buildup on kick drums and toms in difficult rooms. If you’ve got a long RT60 on the low frequencies, pulling back the release helps control that extended low-end resonance.” Another indispensable tool is Waves’ Primary Source Expander. “I use a technique with a consecutive gate setup where two PSEs are keyed from the snare drums,” he explained. “When the snare hits, it ducks the sidechain input rather than opening the gate. Not many people realise you can do that, but it makes the system far more powerful. I can whisper into the microphone, and it opens instantly, but the stage wash doesn’t trigger it.” For vocals, Charles continues to rely heavily on Waves processing. “My entire vocal chain is still Waves-based because it works so well with him,” he said. “What I really like about the RIVAGE is that I can remove external processing and still have a very workable mix.” He has also embraced many of the console’s onboard tools. “I’m using the Dan Dugan noise reduction processing on the live strings, which are positioned right next to the drums. It’s a loud stage, so it helps reduce background noise significantly. The reverbs and effects are fantastic, too.” Among his preferred effects are a Yamaha room reverb for snare and Waves H-Reverb configured to emulate a classic Lexicon 480L setting. “It’s a sound I’ve used in the studio for years and it still works brilliantly,” he said. “The
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built-in Bricasti and Eventide processing is also excellent. I’m using a lot of the console’s internal processing and supplementing it with Waves tools I’ve trusted for the past 20 years.” Across the master bus, Charles employs a combination of tonal shaping and analoguestyle processing. “I’ve got a Manley processor on there with a low shelf around 45Hz to add weight when needed, and a high shelf around six to eight kHz that I’ll adjust slightly depending on the room,” he explained. “I’ve also recently added an SSL Fusion, mainly for the highfrequency compressor, which is really nice.” His outboard rack includes a Rupert Neve Designs MBT processor. “I love the Silk circuitry, particularly the red mode,” Charles explained. “I run the compressor in parallel at around 30%, which gives me some character while keeping things clean.” When asked about his favourite song to mix, Charles said: “It changes all the time, but right now it’s Ghost. There’s something about the arrangement – it sounds great and it’s really satisfying to mix. The guitars start tucked away and gradually get bigger as the song develops. Adam’s playing this heavily distorted riff while the strings build underneath it, and I love what Sharpy is doing on drums,” he added. “It’s a great song to mix.” Automation has become an increasingly important part of his workflow. Charles runs two Reaper sessions simultaneously: one for virtual soundcheck and another dedicated to timecode and MIDI automation. “The second session controls things like string levels, backing vocals and even drum
Production Manager, Jake Mazzuca with Production Coordinator, Sam Brown of Only Helix; Audio Technician, Sam Jones with Audio Technician, Freyja Lawson and Monitor Engineer, Scott Howarth; SFX Lead, Raefn Webber; Carpenter, Ross Burkin; Video Director, Blue Leach; Playback, Vocal Effects and Keyboard Technician, Luke Collins;
elements,” he explained. “I’ll automate hi-hats depending on whether they’re open or closed and bring crash cymbals up when they’re being played. It’s a classic studio technique. I haven’t gone overboard with it yet, but I’m gradually introducing more automation into the mix.” The PA system comprises d&b audiotechnik GSL main hangs, KSL side hangs and a combination of flown and ground-stacked subwoofers. “System Tech, Ali Hellard and PA Crew Chief, Jamie Moore have done a great job,” said Charles. “We’re using both vertical and ground-stacked sub configurations to achieve the right balance of coverage and impact.”
A long-time supporter of the manufacturer, he remains enthusiastic about the flexibility of the system. “I’m a big d&b audiotechnik fan,” he said. “ArrayProcessing gives you so many options for dealing with difficult rooms and controlling the PA system.” The audio package also incorporates AlphaLab’s DeFeedback plug-in, which uses AI-assisted analysis to identify and reduce mic spill. “Scott is using that on the monitor side and it’s been really useful,” Charles remarked. Looking back on the scale of the current campaign, Charles acknowledged just how much development has gone into the
production. “I’ve added a lot for this run,” he said. “I wrote a script for Reaper that automatically drops markers whenever I change scenes, and another script that collates the setlist markers and timestamps everything. Social content is such an important part of the workflow now, so being able to hand over accurate data quickly is valuable. I’ve also rebuilt and reorganised my rack and added the SSL Fusion.” Ultimately, however, Charles believes the success of the production comes down to the people behind it. “Everyone is constantly pushing things further and looking to improve,” he said. “That’s what keeps it exciting.”
IDOLS
THE WORLD TOUR
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Photo: Tom Pallant
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MONITOR WORLD Having worked with YUNGBLUD for the past five years, Monitor Engineer Scott Howarth has also witnessed the production’s growth first-hand. He has traded older in-ear monitor systems and consoles for an Allen & Heath dLive, Shure ADPSM, ShowLink and a whole host of modern solutions. “As the production grew, we needed greater continuity and control over what happens on stage,” he said. That requirement was particularly important given YUNGBLUD’s energetic performances. “He is incredibly active,” Howarth explained. “His in-ear monitors come out occasionally, he spends time in the crowd, and he covers a huge amount of ground. ShowLink allows us to lock packs, monitor RF performance, check battery levels and maintain consistency regardless of where he is. It gives us the flexibility needed to support that level of movement and audience interaction.” The scale of the performance has also increased dramatically. “When I joined, there were three musicians on stage; now there are 10,” he said. “We’ve transitioned away from wedges entirely and moved fully into the in-ear world. Since the release of Idols, he has also adapted his vocal technique, which has allowed us to clean up the mix considerably.” Howarth’s monitor package centres around an Allen & Heath dLive console, a platform he has used throughout his tenure with the artist. “I’ve been on dLive for five years now,” said the engineer. “I like the character of the sound and it has got flavour.” Beyond its sonic qualities, the desk’s flexibility remains a major attraction. “The workflow is fantastic. I love being able to put anything anywhere, and I prefer a one-to-one patching philosophy because it’s easy to understand and translate,” he added. “We’re using DX hubs connected to an I/O card on the
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DSP, giving us 128 inputs on stage. We’re pretty much at capacity now, but I’ve had a great relationship with Jack Kenyon at Allen & Heath, who has helped me optimise the desk and get the best from it.” The production also makes use of Allen & Heath’s CC control application; repurposing software more commonly found in installed systems. “It allows other technicians to access key controls on iPads, bring up levels when needed and manage things like talkback functions without having to come through me,” Howarth explained. With more than 100 channels to manage, efficiency is critical. “Everything is in the box,” he said. “The onboard dynamic processing is excellent, and I don’t personally see much need to go outside the console and just represent the instrument as naturally as possible.” Additional stereo and mono mixes are created for strings and horns, alongside sidefills and dedicated vocal and music monitor systems. Timecode from playback is used to automate elements of the show, with MIDI commands feeding Reaper to manage mute functions and streamline operation. “I’ve gradually programmed more automation into the show to make life easier,” Howarth stated, praising the support of Audio Technician, Freyja Lawson. “She has been incredibly supportive and recently we added Sam Jones as an audio technician through Solotech,” Howarth added, acknowledging the vendor’s support on the road. “They have always backed what we’re trying to achieve.” Lawson added: “As the production has become larger and more ambitious, we’ve had to be smarter about how we design and deploy systems. We’ve worked hard to build something that supports the show we want to deliver.” Significant development also went into refining the RF infrastructure. “Scott spent a
Lighting Designer, Ryan Dennett; Stage Manager, Alastair Bell; Production Manager, Jake Mazzuca in rehearsals with Guitar Technician, Ben Jackson; Lighting Crew Chief, Elliot Michaels.
PRODUCTION PROFILE
lot of time researching exactly what we wanted from the RF system,” Lawson said. “We had fantastic support from JD Broad at Solotech and Jack Drury at Shure. The result is a system that works brilliantly and gives us a strong platform to keep building on.” The microphone inventory reflects the diverse instrumentation on stage. “All vocals are on sE Electronics V7s,” Lawson explained. “Across the drums we use a mixture of Shure and Sennheiser. Keys and electronic drums run through Radial DIs, while the strings use Remic microphones and Schertler pickups because they’re versatile and built for touring.” With the channel count now approaching practical limits, Lawson and the team have looked for other ways to improve communication and workflow. One such addition is ProdCom, a software-based communications platform. “Most of the technicians and band members have access to talkback through the system,” she said. “One of the useful features is live transcription. If somebody misses a call, they can simply read it back on an iPad.” The team further implemented a dedicated ‘God mic’ system, allowing show callers and technicians to communicate directly without routing everything through monitor world. Additional Allen & Heath custom control pages provided technicians with real-time access to input levels and system information. “It just makes everything smoother for everyone involved,” Lawson said, adding that the strongest part of the production remains the human element. “I love everyone I work with,” she concluded. “It feels like home.” PLAYBACK What began as a relatively simple playback setup has developed into a far more complex, fully integrated system. “It’s evolved a lot,” Luke
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Collins, Playback, Vocal Effects and Keyboard Technician, said. “We now run a MADI rig using DirectOut PRODIGY and a couple of MADI interfaces. It’s solid infrastructure – it gives me peace of mind in rehearsals, soundchecks and shows knowing it will just do what it’s supposed to do.” Collins built the MIDI rig around iConnectivity hardware. “I’ve always preferred separating the control side from the audio side, and as the tour has progressed, we’ve pushed towards something more robust and ‘tour ready’.” The current system is rented through Opto Live. “They’re amazing. Andy [Hamwee] is a good friend and provides 24/7 technical support if we need it,” he said. Despite the technical scale, Collins thrives in the pace of the show. “There’s constant editing on the fly. It’s exciting, and I work best under pressure.” The system is split across multiple redundant control paths. “We’re running the console on two separate remote laptops and keeping playback and AmpTrack separate. The PRODIGY system was introduced for this tour as part of a move towards a more digital workflow,” he said. “Splitting the systems across machines is new for this tour, and it gives us more flexibility when editing vocal effects on the fly.” Collins collaborated with Musical Director, Adam Warrington to refine arrangements. “I use a lot of Mac MIDI routing to tie songs together rather than physically moving audio. I’ll trigger transitions via MIDI instead,” he said. “The setlist is rarely the same twice, so we must find ways to merge or link songs dynamically, which is fun.” For show control and planning, Collins used Leo Box. “It’s brilliant for building, storing and managing setlists and total show control.“ A Stream Deck setup also plays a major role in streamlining line checks. “I’ve got MIDI triggers mapped through the Stream Deck that align with tones, line IDs and patching across
the stage,” he said. “I work closely with the drum tech during line check – I send a ‘tone zone’ so he can play a 1k tone for the audio team to trace lines. It lets me move quickly through sessions and triggers, which makes line checks much more efficient.” The backline department comprised longstanding crew like Guitar Technicians, Ben Jackson and Elliot Russell alongside Drum Technician, Freddie Burnet. “This production is amazing, and it all comes from the top down,” Collins said, looking back fondly. “YUNGBLUD really pushes a family vibe. The crew are incredible, so it’s a great show to be part of.” Now in his late fifties, Leach fondly reflected on this modern-day production environment: “This is how tours should be: communicative, collaborative, and clear. I feel like these are my people. We’re all a bit strange, but I feel at home among strange people,” he said, gesturing to his bespoke lanyard bearing the words “be kind” on one side and “don’t be a dickhead” on the other. “I feel a great sense of belonging here.” www.yungbludofficial.com www.onlyhelix.com www.adlib.co.uk www.csecrosscom.co.uk www.efm.global www.kbevent.com www.multicastaudio.com www.musicfirstbybfpgroup.com www.optolive.com www.oxevents.co.uk www.popcorncatering.com www.productionpark.co.uk www.setstage.co.uk www.solotech.com www.stagemiracles.co.uk www.strictlyfx.com www.taittowers.com www.vision-factory.co.uk www.zeppelinnightliners.com
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS: TAITH SUPACABRA TOUR After a decade away, the Welsh band reunite with touring crew to present a stunning return to form…
Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Shirlaine Forrest, David AC Stewart and TPi
PRODUCTION PROFILE
In the decade leading up to Super Furry Animals’ (SFA) return to the stage, a wave of ‘90s reunions swept through the live music landscape, earning widespread critical acclaim. Yet, aside from active projects from the SFA orbit like Gruff Rhys’ solo work, Das Koolies and Neon Neon – the band remained entirely absent from the touring circuit. True to their reputation for defying convention, this reunion is far from a nostalgia exercise, as TPi discovers at O2 Apollo Manchester. Production Manager Shaun Kendrick collaborated with the band to devise “amazing” looking and sounding shows with a “confident and capable” crew. The challenges associated with SFA’s longawaited return to the touring circuit included scaling the production across historic and nuanced theatre and academy-sized venues, from the 7,500-capacity Utilita Arena Cardiff through to the 1,900-capacity Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. With the creative conversation steered by the band and design collective, Neon Black, Kendrick ensured the production took shape. “Cardiff was where we deployed the biggest and ‘best’ version of the show from a production standpoint, but it’s great to visit historic venues like the O2 Apollo Manchester or O2 Academy Brixton – it’s like putting a pair of old slippers on,” Kendrick informed TPi backstage in Manchester. “As a touring crew, we’ve been through here many times, and we know the local and support teams on site.” With a lot of technology to fit into each venue within tight timelines and limited
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personnel, the team “do everything they can” to make it happen, according to Kendrick, who is keen to strike a balance between supporting departments and not micromanaging. “I allow departments to breathe… Frustratingly, we haven’t been able to get into a ‘groove’ on this tour, given the varying venue demands and constraints, but the crew are at the top of their game,” the 56-year-old said, sharing his enthusiasm for the future. “The landscape has changed in terms of the age and gender balance of touring crew postpandemic. I’ve found that it’s a much healthier environment. This camp is no exception. We try to foster a warm and welcoming environment, which is integral when supporting a band on the road that is self-managed.” To this end, the PM enlisted Ox Event House (band risers), Fly By Nite (trucking), PRG (lighting and video), Stage Audio Services (audio) and Vans For Bands (buses) to support the production. “I share longstanding relationships with all the companies and account handlers involved; they are consummate professionals and provide a brilliant level of service on the road,” Kendrick said. For crew communication, CSE Crosscom supplied a compact touring package of 16 Motorola Solutions DP4400 handheld radios, remote speaker microphones and Peltor noise-cancelling headsets, housed in 12-way touring flight cases, creating a self-contained radio distribution hub that could be powered from a single mains connection. “With a clear structure in place, we were able to configure a simple but effective channel plan for each
show, ensuring the system was ready to deploy quickly and consistently across different venues,” CSE Crosscom’s Dan Howroyd said. “We look forward to supporting the team again on their upcoming shows.” Given recent headlines and the shifting face of politics, Kendrick believes it is a “refreshing” and “exciting” prospect, championing a band famed for the widespread appeal of Welshlanguage music outside of the country. “When society has had a kicking, harking back to times of hope and glimmer provides audiences with escapism. The songs are extremely fun, positive and catchy.” Cardiff-based Tour Manager Thomas Roberts, who shares a tangential relationship with the band – having toured as part of the Das Koolies camp and with a neighbouring recording studio to the band – joined the conversation: “It’s a dream come true to work with this band. In Wales, there is a broad, mass appeal across generations for SFA; they represent the most successful Welsh-language band of all time. They are the figureheads for Welsh language in alternative music culture,” he added. “I hope this tour is a positive thing for other Welsh bands to see and be inspired.” NORTHERN LITES Before hitting the road, Creative Director Paul ‘PJ’ Johnson and Production Designer Dom Smith of Neon Black spent time with the band refining the creative approach. As an old friend from Cardiff, PJ was able to reflect with the band on a 30-year career. “SFA’s live shows have always evolved and been ahead
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
of the game. This time around, we decided to pilot something visually generative – live and different every night. We took some of the historic characters associated with Super Furry Animals and embedded them into the content using Unreal Engine, with Easter eggs for diehard fans,” PJ said. “We started talking about this tour last summer and were pleasantly surprised to see it sell out immediately after 18 months of sharing concepts, scribbling ideas, and devising the setlist with the band to fit within two hours.” Smith, embarking on his first tour with the band, added: “They were looking for massive impact with a fairly limited budget and a desire to pick up where they left off – to make a statement but not sit in the past.” Given the cult status of the band, the everpresent yeti suits and inflatables return during a free-form section of Man Don’t Give a Fuck. “Nobody quite knows what is going to happen next, including us… Given Gruff’s advancing years, the yeti suit is now grey,” PJ said, laughing. “The show is driven by the music, and that is the essence of how to make it feel relevant for 2026.” Reflecting this evolution, the rig includes lighting fixtures that did not exist when the band were last on the road, helping to frame
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the stage while keeping the look current. “With a tour like this in varying-sized venues, it’s about practicality – designing a show that can function in spaces of different sizes and within the limitations of theatres. It’s designed to work in every space. I’ve been in and out of these venues regularly, so we can use that experience to shrink the truss or trim risers or the stage, as we did in the Barrowland Ballroom,” Smith explained. PRG Account Manager Ben Holdsworth worked with Neon Black and the production team to deliver the design within budget. “The great thing about PRG is there is a lot to choose from,” Holdsworth said, reigniting a working relationship with Smith spanning 30 years. “We’ve been friends for at least 25 of those 30 years. Relationships go a long way in this business.” Swansea-born Holdsworth last supported SFA in the early 2000s. “It’s lovely to support the band’s vision after such a long time away. I’m privileged to work with this team,” he said. “It’s a passion project.” PJ added that it felt “wonderful” to introduce the wider touring circuit to Welsh-language music. “To do anything that puts our little country on the map is a big deal. We are all unbelievably proud of where we come from,”
he said, smiling from ear to ear. “There’s some incredible work that jumps between Welsh and English, and SFA have led the way. I’m very proud of that.” In the build-up to the tour, production rehearsals and previsualisation took place at The BRIDGE, PRG’s facility in Longbridge over four days, with the final day attended by the band. The show was previsualised using Syncronorm Depence R3 software and MA Lighting grandMA3 control. “The global support network of PRG comes into its own on the road; crew can source kit and replacements swiftly,” Holdsworth said. “We’ve got the biggest and best ‘red button’ in the world, and the care and attention are the same regardless of 20 or 2,100 lights. We are all people who have toured and understand the realities of life on the road, and on-site visits like this help us improve our service.” With up to 30 tracks in the band’s catalogue programmed into the desk, songs can be interchanged freely to support a “musical and visual journey” in three acts. Smith explained: “The first section of the show is monochrome, devoid of colour, with heavy use of shadow and contrast from low angles. We try to make that act feel almost too long, building a sense of apprehension before moving into act two,
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
where it becomes psychedelic and richly coloured with Hello Sunshine. It becomes saturated and releases tension. Towards the end it becomes electronic and digital.” The grandMA3 file was programmed entirely using Recipes. “On a show where the rig can change daily, it’s useful because it’s quick and easy to update. This is the second time I’ve done a fully Recipes-based show, although there is still development to do – overall, I’m happy with it,” Smith said. Lighting specification included GLP X5 washes, described as “bright, punchy, and high output” fixtures with strong colour rendering, alongside Ayrton Diablo spots. “They are perfect for venues of this size – bright, punchy LED fixtures with good colour mixing,” he said, focussing the rig. “The framework around the screen and under the risers, which provides a digital feel to the show, uses ACME PIXEL LINE IP fixtures – versatile linear units with strong strobe capability. On the deck and flown, GLP JDC Burst fixtures provide low-level floor illumination and are equally punchy.” MDG haze units were used for atmospherics. “It’s a delicate balance with projection – keeping it hazy enough to feel immersive without compromising the image,” Smith remarked. The show begins in shades of white and subtle warmth, before moving into saturated ambers, blues and reds in act two. “We try to create a cohesive visual world, so whatever is
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happening on screen, the lighting stays within that language. We generally use white as an accent and rarely exceed three colours on stage at once. In addition to Hello Sunshine, tracks such as Demons and the finale of Man Don’t Give a Fuck are key moments,” Smith explained. “It is a show that has evolved. As we’ve warmed into it, we’ve refined the visual journey and tightened the three acts – from near minimalism through to a saturated, almost psychedelic world, and finally into something more digital.” For PJ, Slow Life and Receptacle for the Respectable are certified “bangers”. He added: “I like the songs where they go off on a five-minute crazy noodle, and some of the older stripped-back tracks like Do or Die. The music moves from stripped-back rock into psychedelic sections, with all these varying elements. Run! Christian, Run! is a lovely, floaty song. On tracks like Man Don’t Give a Fuck, Slow Life and Receptacle for the Respectable, the electronic section in the middle allows Cian to introduce more experimental elements.” (DRAWING) RINGS AROUND THE WORLD Video Content Creator and Operator, Samuel Wiehl, was enlisted to develop visual content from scratch, triggering 3D visuals live in a generative manner. Wiehl manually steered and manipulated the visual content using Unreal Engine and proprietary VJ software from his toolbox of tricks, ensuring that no two shows were alike. “There was a desire to make sure
there was video content in the show, thrusting the band’s production value into the modern age,” Smith explained. Wiehl drew inspiration from the band’s visual identity and created content to fill the backdrop, powered by four Panasonic 13K projectors – two main and a ‘hot backup’ – lining the lighting trusses to blend rear projection on an AV Stumpfl screen, with an additional Panasonic 31K projector situated at FOH, creating an enveloping and immersive effect for the audience. “We were looking for some anamorphic, widescreen feel,” Smith explained. “The FOH projector beams provide a dual layer of textural work, immersing the crowd.” Smaller flown projectors were specified due to the space available on the truss and to meet the weight restrictions of some of the venues. A pair of rack-mounted Apple Mac Studio M4 machines toured as a backup to Wiehl’s ‘video machines’ running the show. PRG further supplied a touring fibre system between FOH, the lighting truss with the projectors on it, and the racks backstage. “He knows this gig inside out,” Kendrick remarked of Wiehl, citing his collaboration with the band and Neon Black. In addition to preparing the visual package, PRG deployed training apprentices on the road to gain valuable experience from the touring crew. “Shaun has kindly allowed them to help with load-ins and -outs at selected shows. Some of our more experienced apprentices joined the team in London for their Brixton
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
Academy show,” Holdsworth said. “It’s exciting to support the band through previsualisation, on the road, and as they prepare for the summer festival season.” A second version of the show, with a floor package and three risers, has been devised for festivals. Kendrick said: “Whatever the band does moving forward, hopefully we have provided a good platform.” THE PICCOLO SNARE For FOH Engineer, Michael Brennan, this reunion represents far more than another tour cycle. Having worked with the Welsh outfit for more than two decades, the return of the band to the live stage has been equal parts “rewarding” and “emotional”. He remained closely connected to the musicians during the band’s hiatus, mixing Das Koolies. “It’s fantastic to see them back together, mix these songs again and hear them in a live setting,” Brennan remarked. At FOH, Brennan mixed the show on an Avid S6L-24C console, a platform he has become familiar with through years of touring and studio work. “It’s got a really good workflow,” he stated. “I’ve mixed tons of bands and shows on this console, and I love the fact that when I switch it on, I can see all the shows I’ve mixed in the past.” His processing approach is relatively restrained, relying heavily on the S6L’s onboard tools rather than extensive plug-in chains.
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“I’m using Pro Multiband Compressors on a few things, particularly kick and snare, which helps shape them and create space in the mix,” Brennan explained. “There’s some multiband compression on vocals too, alongside standard de-essers. The guitars sound amazing, so I’m mainly using the onboard BF-3A and BF-76 compressors to give them a little more body and clarity.” Vocals receive additional treatment via outboard Empirical Labs Distressors. “There’s a little EQ, but most of the work is done with the Distressors. Once the gains are set, I’m mostly just riding levels as required.” For Gruff Rhys’ distinctive vocal sound, Brennan embraces the band’s longstanding love of experimentation. “I use quite a lot of harmoniser-style effects, phasers, doublers and delays to add colour and make things weird and wonderful, but never too much.” While much of the touring package remains familiar, Brennan has made a handful of updates since the band’s last live outing in 2015. “We kept most of the microphone choices from the previous tour, but I switched the snare microphones to Beyerdynamic M201s and added a Sennheiser e945 for Gruff’s vocal. Cian has also expanded his setup significantly and now has 12 sends plus keys, running through a DAW interface with additional effects.”
Production Manager, Shaun Kendrick with Creative Director, Paul ‘PJ’ Johnson and Production Designer, Dom Smith of Neon Black alongside Tour Manager, Thomas Roberts; PA Technician and System Designer, Stan Saunders; Video Content Creator and Operator, Samuel Wiehl; Super Furry Animals return to the stage; FOH Engineer, Michael Brennan.
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PRODUCTION PROFILE
Long-time audio supplier SAS continued to support the production, maintaining a relationship that Brennan says has been “invaluable” over the years. In addition to providing audio control, the vendor supplied L-Acoustics K2 and KS28 PA systems for selected shows across the run, travelling on SAS’ own artic, with preparation, logistics, maintenance and technical support handled by SAS’ warehouse and operations teams. Across booking, prep, transport and delivery, around ten staff members were involved at varying stages of the run. “That side of touring is often overlooked, but it is hugely important,” SAS Audio’s Ste Banbury said. “The warehouse and logistics teams had to stay flexible and react quickly while still making sure the package remained reliable and consistent every day. A lot of that work happens completely behind the scenes, but it is what allows the touring crew to walk into a venue and concentrate on the show.” Banbury added: “There was already a lot of trust and familiarity within the touring camp, and that made the whole production feel natural. Combined with the reaction from audiences across the sold-out shows, the run reinforced just how unique SFA are. We are looking forward to a summer of festivals with the camp.” Stan Saunders, PA Technician and Sound System Designer, echoed: “It’s nice to be back
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after a decade. They’re as good as they’ve ever been.” The sound team deployed a forwardfacing sub-array because there is a brick wall behind them and an array of fills across the front to fill in the gaps. The system was modelled and remodelled in L-Acoustics Soundvision software ‘on the fly’, with L-Acoustics’ proprietary Network Manager driving the system, tuned using a mixture of L-Acoustics M1 and Smaart software, and driven by L-Acoustics P1. “The L-Acoustics ecosystem never fails,” Saunders said. “It’s a nice, flexible system.” SAS Audio also provided a pair of Allen & Heath dLive CTi1500 consoles with a split system for the support act, Getdown Services. “This show is ‘all killer no filler’. I’ve found myself walking around the warehouse singing Golden Retriever and Hometown Unicorn,” Saunders laughed, citing his favourite SFA songs. “It’s almost like we’ve never been away!” What continues to set Super Furry Animals apart, however, is their approach to live performance and experimentation. “The band always experiments with sounds and moments within the parameters of the songs,” Brennan said. “There’s room for things to happen, but the percussion is incredibly precise.” The emotional connection Brennan feels to the music remains as strong as ever. “From start to finish, the set is like a rollercoaster,” he reflected. “Run! Christian, Run! has been
my favourite song to mix for a long time. It’s so emotional and poignant. Sometimes I still find myself tearing up when they play it. It regularly gives me a lump in my throat.” Away from the live environment, Brennan cites Mwng – written and performed entirely in the Welsh language – as the definitive Super Furry Animals recording. “It’s my favourite record I’ve ever worked on,” he said. “To my ears, it captures the band perfectly. It’s the most complete piece of Super Furry Animals work.” Looking back on the run, several dates stood out. “The second night at Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow was special. We had recovered from the fever dream and excitement of the first show, and everything settled into place. The second night in Llandudno, Wales was another highlight, and Cardiff was equally special.” Perhaps most encouraging for Brennan has been witnessing a whole new generation discover the band alongside their fiercely loyal fanbase. “It’s been great to see new faces experiencing Super Furry Animals live for the first time, while the diehards are still there as well,” the engineer stated, reflecting on this latest run. “That combination has made the shows feel really special.” YMAELODI ÂR YMYLON “I was genuinely thrilled to get asked back,” Monitor Engineer, Mathew Acreman said,
rekindling a decade-long working relationship with the band. “When you’ve already worked together before, there’s an understanding and level of trust there.” The band spent a month in the rehearsal room before Acreman came on board. “I then spent a day in the room with my monitor setup and desk just to re-familiarise myself with everything ahead of production rehearsals. I was keen to move the band on to in-ear monitors. Historically, SFA had always worked with quite a traditional wedges-and-sidefills setup, but I felt there was an opportunity to get a lot more consistency night-to-night while also dramatically reducing stage volume.” Acreman used that rehearsal day to build some starting points for each band member’s mix. “The band adapted to it incredibly quickly, which made a massive difference technically and musically. Bringing the stage volume down gave us a much cleaner environment overall and made everything feel more controlled without losing the energy of the live show.” Acreman mixed on an Allen & Heath dLive S5000 with a DM64 MixRack feeding Shure PSM1000 in-ear monitoring systems. “I’ve been using the dLive platform for seven years, so it feels natural. For monitors, familiarity is important because it allows you to react quickly and focus on the artists rather than thinking about the console,” he added.
“I’ve always found the dLive workflow well suited to monitor world. The routing flexibility is brilliant, it sounds fantastic, and most importantly, it’s rock solid and reliable. Once the band adapted to the IEM setup, the desk gave me loads of control to fine-tune mixes and keep things consistent.” Acreman multitracked into Reaper via a Waves card for virtual soundcheck, general playback and reference purposes. He deployed Shure Wireless Workbench for RF coordination and management across the IEM systems, which he said was “essential” in dealing with multiple wireless channels in different environments on the road. In addition to in-ear monitors, supplemental stage sound came in the shape of L-Acoustics X15 wedges with SB218s and ARCs for sidefills. “It was great to be able to gradually reduce the sidefill volume each show. I’d just take a little bit more away each day until everyone naturally settled into the quieter stage environment,” Acreman said. The show was around 56 input channels, including shout mics, band and auxiliary inputs. Rather than trying to “over-automate” his snapshots, Acreman chose to employ “solid starting points” and then “actively mix” certain band members. He elaborated: “This approach suits the band because it kept things feeling flexible
and musical rather than overly programmed. It also meant I could react naturally to whatever was happening on stage each night rather than fighting against the structure of a heavily automated show file.” The wider Taith Supacabra Tour team featured Stage Manager, Jamie-Lee Warlow; Lighting Crew Chief, Dave Gibbon; Video Technician and Projectionist, Mike Dorrie; and Lighting Technician, Tom Comrie. “It’s been a brilliant tour to be part of. One of the really nice things about the SFA camp is that a lot of the crew have been with the band since back in the 90s, so there’s a real sense of familiarity and trust throughout the whole production,” Acreman said. “You can feel the history when everyone’s together.” Reflecting on the unquestionable success of the tour, PJ concluded: “It’s been wonderful getting the faces and family back together. Every show gets better and it still feels DIY. Going out on the road with this crowd of tip-top human beings is ace!” www.superfurry.com www.neonblack.design www.prg.com www.stageaudioservices.com www.oxevents.co.uk www.flybynite.co.uk www.vansforbands.co.uk www.csecrosscom.co.uk
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INTERVIEW
WIRELESS UNDER PRESSURE As it celebrates its centenary, RG Jones reflects on the evolution of wireless technology, with customers discussing how working practices have adapted to an increasingly challenging spectral environment.
Words and photos: RG Jones Sound Engineering
Wireless technology is now fundamental to modern live production. From radio microphones and in-ear monitoring systems to comms, tracking and data transmission, the demands placed on RF systems across touring, festivals and large-scale events continue to grow. At the same time, the amount of available spectrum has steadily reduced, creating it increasingly complex to deliver reliable wireless performance. For engineers who have worked across that transition, the change is not simply technical.
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It represents a broader shift in how wireless is understood within productions. What was once a manageable part of the audio system has become critical infrastructure and a layer that now underpins the entire show. This shift has not happened in isolation. It reflects decades of technical evolution across live production, from entirely wired analogue systems through to today’s highly interdependent, spectrum-reliant environments. In its Centennial year, RG Jones is uniquely placed within the industry
and benefitting from that history, its staff, past and present, have a shared knowledge of how expectations, tolerance and working practices have changed over time. It is this understanding that sits behind the perspectives shared here. To explore how this has played out in practice, RG Jones Pro Audio Commercial Manager, Sam Thomas, joined RG Jones alumni, FOH Engineer Steve Carr, Monitor Engineer Becky Pell and Mission Control’s Ali Viles to reflect on how spectrum pressure
is reshaping the way wireless is planned, managed and relied upon at live events. THE STATE OF PLAY The challenges facing RF today exist within a wider ecosystem. Wireless spectrum is shared with everything from consumer electronics and mobile communications to emergency services and environmental monitoring systems. Live production operates within a relatively small portion of that spectrum, meaning that any reduction in available bandwidth has an immediate operational impact. The lack of global harmonisation of spectrum regulation only exacerbates the situation for touring productions. Over the past two decades, spectrum auctions and reallocation for commercial use have steadily reduced the frequencies available for Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE). From early mobile network spectrum sales to more recent clearances, these changes have significantly constrained the space available for productions. As Ali Viles, Director of Mission Control added, the hidden cost of these changes include the exponential rise in additional hours of specialist work to make large format productions happen. Work has to happen far in advance, requiring detailed regulatory knowledge as well as communication skills
and intermodulation analysis. “Large touring productions often run 80 to 100+ wireless carriers, all of which need to work legally and interference-free, often in multiple countries,” stated Viles. “Each territory has its own regulatory framework, and licensing requirements vary significantly. These high channel counts and the continued reduction of usable spectrum around the world have raised the stakes considerably. There’s far less margin for error, making advance coordination with venues, local promoters, and regulatory bodies utterly essential rather than optional.” Those combined pressures have fundamentally altered how wireless is managed on site, too. Becky Pell has years of touring experience, and part of her role is managing RF devices for the band once on site. “If you’re a small rental company or band, it’s expensive to buy the new gear to stay ahead of the curve as your old equipment may become unusable long before it’s actually at the end of its life,” she said. “I’m in the fortunate position of having the support of a full-time RF Tech on my tours, but the sophistication of RF coordination software and networked systems has been a huge help technically as spectrum space has become more densely populated.” While tools have evolved, expectations have shifted even more dramatically. Demand for wireless is growing, shows are more
ambitious, and the creative possibilities that wireless devices enable are expanding. This is something that becomes particularly clear when looking at how wireless is now relied upon at FOH. “The majority of important sources come to FOH via RF,” said Carr. “Show designers and artists want to push the limits of what’s possible when delivering to a captive audience. Without RF, we couldn’t create the interactive situations that the artist and audience have come to expect. That makes the RF engineer’s role imperative to any successful large-scale production. Without an RF tech, FOH would be a very anxious place.” This growing reliance reflects a deeper shift within the industry. Where once wireless systems operated with an accepted level of risk, dropouts and interference being part of the working reality are simply not tolerated. “Twenty years ago, there were certain things you simply wouldn’t have trusted wirelessly,” Carr continued. “Now, entire productions depend on RF stability every night. The tolerance for failure is completely different.” FACING THE CHALLENGE HEAD ON That movement, from acceptable imperfection to near-zero-failure expectation, is something all three perspectives return to, albeit from different angles. As productions have become more ambitious and audience expectations
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INTERVIEW
have increased, RF has moved firmly onto the critical path of delivery. For Mission Control’s RF co-ordination team, the same shift is most visible in the level of legislative knowledge and forward planning required to set up a show. In Viles’ experience, the RF co-ordination industry is helping to keep PMSE afloat with better practice and specialist expertise, while industry bodies like WMSA Europe and BIERG are working to prevent further reductions in allocation to safeguard wireless technology. “Manufacturers have responded with improved tuning ranges and WMAS systems, but these are not magic solutions and often bring their own complexities and licensing challenges,” he continued. “Lighting fixtures and LED walls can also produce significant RF interference which needs to be taken into account at the design stage of a production, not handed to the RF coordinator to work around on load-in day.” Wireless allocation is no longer something that can be resolved at the point of deployment. It has moved upstream into planning, design and system integration, requiring more time, more coordination and a far greater understanding of how it interacts with every other part of the production. Manufacturers have responded to these pressures by developing more efficient
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technologies capable of delivering higher channel counts within tighter bandwidths. Advances such as wideband tuning and the development of Wireless Multi-channel Audio Systems (WMAS) have allowed engineers to make more effective use of the all the available spectrum. “Wideband frequency agility has been a really helpful development,” Pell added. “Early systems might have had a bandwidth of around 32MHz, and very early systems offered only one or two usable frequencies. Now we have far greater flexibility to move around problem areas. With developments like WMAS and the wider digital shift, we’re no longer thinking about frequencies in quite the same way. The way we work with RF is changing completely.” However, greater efficiency has not reduced the pressure. If anything, it has enabled further expansion. Productions now rely on significantly more wireless channels, while the wider proliferation of wireless technologies across other sectors continues to place additional demands on a finite resource. Regulatory bodies are continuing to examine how this demand can be managed. Ofcom’s recent Call for Input (CFI) into the future requirements of wireless technology highlights the challenge of balancing competing needs across multiple sectors. While emerging technologies and potential integration with 5G
Mission Control’s Ali Viles; Monitor Engineer Becky Pell; FOH Engineer Steve Carr.
TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES. PRINCIPLES ENDURE.
infrastructure may offer some relief, there is a shared understanding that the underlying constraints are unlikely to ease. “This is ultimately an infrastructure issue, not an enduser issue,” said Thomas. “The industry isn’t going to become less reliant on wireless technology. If anything, that dependence will continue to grow. That means the pressure on coordination, planning and spectrum management is only going to increase moving forward.” For those working at the sharp end of live production, that reality is already embedded in day-today practice. Wireless systems are no longer something that can be adjusted reactively on site. They must be designed, planned and protected as part of the wider production framework. As spectrum continues to tighten and production demands continue to rise, the discipline of RF coordination is becoming more formalised, more integrated and more critical to successful show delivery. What was once a flexible part of the audio toolkit has evolved into a constrained, essential system that forms the backbone of modern live events. www.rgjones.co.uk www.missioncontrolltd.com
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INTERVIEW
AMPLIFYING LATIN VOICES From Caracas to Miami, Sound Engineer and Founder of Milan Global, Karl Milan, retraces his roots and shares his mission to support and open the door to local communities amid global uncertainty.
Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Milan Global
Born in Caracas, Karl Milan relocated to Miami in 2010 at the age of 18 after his father moved to the US and sponsored his move from Venezuela. Although proud of his Latin roots, his entire professional career has been built in the United States, dedicated more than 16 years to mixing artists and bands within Miami’s thriving Latin music scene. “I started out mixing in the corporate world, working in bars, smaller venues and weddings – the typical rite of passage – before I got my first opportunity working with an artist,” he recalled, speaking to TPi from Nashville amid a US tour. Since then, Milan has worked with a host of leading artists, including Iván Cornejo, Xavi, Natanael Cano, Justin Quiles, Yahritza y su Esencia, Tainy, Álvaro Díaz, Mariah Angeliq, Claire Rosinkranz, Ivy Queen, Gabito Ballesteros, Myriam Hernández, Cristian Castro, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Claire Rosinkranz and Elena Rose, among others. “Once you’re in that circle, you’re in,” he said, highlighting Miami’s vibrant live music ecosystem. “The city has been the decisive factor in who I mix. Venezuela and Miami are deeply interconnected. There are a lot of Venezuelans in Miami, and the live music scene is heavily influenced by Latin music, although it has become more Americanised over time.” Originally, Milan aspired to become a guitarist and study music professionally. However, he quickly realised that Miami was home to an abundance of exceptional musicians and, by his own admission, he was unlikely to compete at that level. Prior to moving to the US, he spent a year studying audio engineering in Caracas before pursuing a career in live sound. Opportunities soon followed, and Milan found his niche mixing live sound. “It was about recognising the gaps in the market and understanding where I could thrive,” he reported, modestly. “Latin music teaches you to understand the concept behind
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what you’re mixing. Once you understand that concept, you can mix merengue, Latin pop, salsa or any genre. As long as you can immerse yourself in the music and translate its intent on stage, you can make it work.” Milan believes there are two distinct approaches to mixing Latin music. The first is the urban and reggaeton style, often centred around a backing track and lead vocal. “It has to be super clean,” he explained. “Sometimes you’re working with no more than three channels, and the goal is to make it sound like the biggest thing coming out of the PA. With a left-right track and vocal, you must find a way for the vocal to sit within the track. It sounds simple, but it needs to be powerful. The music was created in the studio without live sound in mind, so you have to wrangle the vocal and make it work.” At the other end of the spectrum are large salsa productions, often featuring more than 60 inputs, multiple musicians and extensive microphone counts. “That style of mixing forces you to pay attention to every channel,” he continued. “You have to evaluate how you’re approaching each instrument and build a world where everything can coexist within the mix. Preparation comes down to understanding the concept and being intentional, making sure everything has its place while still translating to the audience.” In the current climate, Milan believes cultural representation is more important than ever. At a time of social and political uncertainty, providing a platform for regional Latin music and recognising the people behind it carries significant cultural value. Although he has lived and worked in the US for close to two decades, Milan acknowledged that the current political landscape has affected how many members of the Latin community view their place within the country. “I became a US citizen eight years ago, but I know a lot of people who are
worried,” he said, before praising the impact of Bad Bunny’s Apple Music Super Bowl Half Time Show and hugely successful global tours by Latin artists like Karol G. “The biggest thing is representation,” he stated, earnestly. “Our culture is being represented. We can all see parts of ourselves in artists like Bad Bunny or Karol G. These are huge stars putting our culture, language and perspectives on some of the biggest stages in the world.” According to Milan, Bad Bunny performing on one of the largest televised live music performances is greater exposure for Latin music and culture. “It struck a chord with so many people,” he reported, enthusiastically. “It represented Puerto Rico. Hearing a cuatro and traditional Puerto Rican folk music – music that shares similarities with Venezuelan and Colombian traditions – on one of the world’s biggest stages was special.” In addition to mixing live sound, Milan founded Milan Global in response to growing staffing challenges within the Latin touring market following the COVID-19 pandemic. “A lot of people who worked in the industry realised they didn’t have to leave home, travel constantly or miss important family occasions and life milestones,” he acknowledged. “Many chose different career paths. At the same time, many of the clients I was working with were just beginning their careers, so I was able to bring people in and support the community. It grew out of a shortage of available staff and a desire to help other professionals break into the industry.” For Milan, gatekeeping remains one of the industry’s biggest obstacles to growth. He elaborated: “If you’ve been in the industry for a while, there’s no need to gatekeep information. I’d encourage people to share knowledge and help each other. Nobody is going to take a job away from you because you taught them something, and if they do, then
INTERVIEW
maybe that opportunity wasn’t right for you in the first place. The more you teach, the more relationships you build. Your network grows, and new opportunities emerge from that.” Looking ahead, Milan believes the future of Latin live music will be driven by two key factors: expansion and representation. Regional music continues to serve as a powerful connection to heritage for the Latino diaspora. In challenging times, strengthening cultural ties through music can foster a sense of identity and optimism. “The biggest artists
are becoming less afraid to show their roots and celebrate the music they grew up with,” he noted. “We’re seeing artists move from trap into salsa and other genres that are more connected to their heritage.” While English continues to dominate streaming platforms, music in other languages is experiencing remarkable growth in recent years. “The biggest names in Latin music can do whatever they want creatively, and I think they’re beginning to realise they don’t need to emulate American music. What they are
doing is already connecting with millions of listeners and thousands of fans in the crowd. If anything, it’s making them bigger,” Milan said, radiating optimism about the future of the sector. “I’m passionate about live music. I love mixing a show and seeing the audience react in real time. My goal is to be of service – to help translate what the artist and musical director have in mind and deliver it through the loudspeakers in a way that creates an emotional response.” www.karlmilan.com
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IN PROFILE
A NEW RENTALDESIGN PARADIGM Zeal’s Steve Hough reveals the company’s unique approach to show design and how this alternative model can lead to more synergistic, impactful designs.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: Zeal
No matter the industry, innovation often comes from an outsider’s perspective on established frameworks. Given the increasingly complex nature of live touring, many companies are looking to break the long-held convention of ‘how things should be done’ and offer an alternative. One such company that seems keen to explore new methods of production design and workflows is Zeal. In the relatively short time since it was founded, the company has been heavily involved in designing shows for the likes of Tom Grennan, Barry Can’t Swim, and Bicep, to name
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but a few. Rather than simply being a rental house or a design agency, Zeal’s USP is that it handles everything from design through to equipment provision, offering a more holistic service to clients. With the company celebrating its move to a new warehouse, TPi sat down with Zeal’s Steve Hough, to learn about the company’s unique offering and how it is preparing for a busy summer season. FROM BACKFLIPS TO BACKLIGHTING Hough has a less-than-conventional live events origin story, having been a gymnastics
coach. “Alongside teaching gymnastics, I began running an agency that would supply acrobats to live events, which led me to work in the production for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.” After getting a behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest productions in the world, he was very much bitten by the live events bug and looked to transition into the industry. “I started Zeal that same year and initially started looking at becoming a traditional lighting rental house,” Hough explained. “I just knew I wanted to be involved in the industry. Fast-forward a few years, and I got some
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experience in design and operating shows and even did a few stints in both tour and production management.” With this wider experience in other aspects of the industry, Hough and his colleague Jon Trincas ventured to start another branch of the business called Colab to provide design services. “We listened to the advice that both disciplines could never be provided under the same company.” However, after a few years, Hough and the team opted to ignore this advice and instead bring everything under a single umbrella, Zeal. FULL-SERVICE SOLUTION Although Zeal still operates as a traditional rental house for some tours, over half of the work the company engages in sees it providing a full-service product where it will work on the creative, design for a tour, all the way to supplying and prepping the gear before sending it out on the road. As one might imagine, Hough has faced naysayers poking holes in the business model. “People sometimes presumed that, for instance, when it comes to designs, our team will only use the fixtures we stock,” stated Hough, with the implication being that designs and creativity might be limited. “I might wish that to be the case,” chuckled Hough, who exemplified that often when he
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received a design from his team, there would be plenty of fixtures that Zeal did not own and therefore must be sub-rented in. He further commented that some industry peers suggested that LDs outside the organisation would not want to use Zeal as a rental house because they would “feel threatened”. “But it turns out that is not true, and we work with loads of other LDs,” stated the Managing Director. “It all comes down to relationships and trust.” In fact, Hough thinks Zeal’s approach leads to more creative shows that align with what is possible, especially given the available budgets. “What we do, I call ‘strategic imagination’,” explained Hough. In his mind, the usual way a show is created is a “linear process” – creatives come up with ideas, then suppliers get involved, and naturally, creativity is shaved off out of necessity. “I speak to so many LDs who are having to compromise their shows – they might want 10 fixtures but can only afford six – and everything becomes squashed. Whereas in our model, albeit sometimes messy, we’re more than happy, and often have thrown out an entire design if it’s not working early on the creative and financial side.” Zeal also values the ‘team approach’ over the individual creative voice in show creation. “There is a psychological safety of creating
Managing Director of Zeal, Steve Hough.
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IN PROFILE
when working in a group,” he explained. “The entire team is never focussed on who takes credit for a design.” He continued to talk about the inspiration he and the team have drawn from Pixar, which has a method called Braintrust, a feedback system in which directors, writers, and senior storytellers openly critique works in progress to help improve the story. “Everyone at Zeal is happy to muck in, and everyone wants their team to succeed, rather than having a level of resentment of one individual having loads of credit.” As a working example, he commented that when a show is being prepared in the warehouse, teams often offer a better build solution that dramatically alters the design and, according to Hough, creates a far more cohesive show. “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from our recent work with Barry Can’t Swim,” stated Hough. “The show is not overly complex, but it’s executed very well and seamlessly.” With a real focus on every element of the production as part of a whole, each aspect has a greater impact. “My view is that everyone should care just as much about another department as they do their own specific area. We care a lot about lighting and visuals, but we don’t discount the importance of audio. We know that if lighting and audio don’t match up, people leave thinking it sounded worse. But
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when they work together, they both elevate each other.” He added that Zeal’s passion to be involved in all aspects of the production goes beyond the triad of audio, video and lighting. “On the programming side and for our clients in the dance market, such as Barry Can’t Swim or Bicep, we try to keep laser design inhouse, with several team members LSO [Laser Safety Officer] certified,” he stated. “From several shows, we have brought in an SFX supplier just to provide and set up equipment, but then we’ll be in control of the lasers during the show – again feeding into the concept of one team overseeing and working toward a seamless visual goal.” ADD TO CART The MD believes that having a finger on the pulse of design has had a huge benefit for stock investment. “We can make a decision very early on if we are going to buy a product, as we can ask our designers when they generate ideas for a show whether they’d get multiple uses out of a fixture or whether they think it will be used for just one project.” In essence, Zeal doesn’t need to guess if a fixture would become a reliable workhorse in the industry and invest in technology the team collectively enjoys. The extensive investment has led to a need for more space, with the company moving to its new building in Basingstoke this year.
“In our previous space, it became a bit of a joke how often we needed to spill out into the car park and play a complex version of Tetris to get everything back in again at the end of the day,” he laughed, noting that in recent days, as the team were simultaneously loading out shows for The XX and Kneecap, even the new space was starting to feel tight. Currently, Zeal employs 20 full-time staff who cover everything – from the design team to the warehouse crew, not counting a dedicated pool of freelancers brought in during busy periods. On the topic of a growing team, another core principle Zeal believes in is educating the next generation of industry specialists, particularly those seeking to make their mark in the design realm. “We are in a unique position for young people wanting to get into design and visuals. We can offer internships for three months where they get to see everything from creative direction, design, planning and delivery all in one house.” Over the past year, Hough and the team have developed a project for each of their interns to complete during their three-month period of work called Project X. “It’s a hypothetical project where we ask them to put together a show from initial creations to how they would deliver,” stated Hough, who commented that some entries have been so strong that they have led to the
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IN PROFILE
company employing the intern full-time. The company has been housing apprentices for some time. In fact, a previous apprentice, Holly Jackson, won Apprentice of the Year at the Breakthrough Talent Awards at the 2024 Production Futures event. With an ever-increasing stock list, the MD explained that the company knew the level of production it wanted to work in. “It’s nice that a lot of people are supporting independent companies like us,” he explained. “People say they keep coming back to us due to our personal attention to detail.” He made the point that although they are working at the academy-to-arena market, this level of detail is arguably more important
than the large stadium show space. “If there is one hazer half broken and leaking at a show in Alexandra Palace, people are going to notice, but in a large stadium show, most people are likely to miss those small details.” A NEW PARADIGM There is no question that the Zeal business model is intriguing. Hough himself stated, when you look at other industries – namely that of TV and Film – the role of a Producer is commonplace, but then doesn’t seem to exist in the same way in live touring. “In my opinion, for live tours you need that person who is able to walk into a room with the artist and managers, also converse with
the creative as well as the crew on the ground and understand the implications of a creative decision,” concluded the MD. Throughout the events industry many traditional rules are being questioned. For example, TAIT’s latest acquisition of Silent House, bringing in a creative designer team into a manufacturing house, not to mention the number of shows that are no longer designed by a solitary show designer but by a creative house. We seem to be in a more collaborative environment and what this will mean for future results is yet to be seen. But having seen some of Zeal’s work, there’s no doubt that the results from this different workflow are commendable. www.wearezeal.co
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REDISCOVERING LE MAITRE MUSIC Pyrotechnics and special effects pioneer’s forgotten 1982 disco release resurfaces, shedding light on Le Maitre’s artistry on and off stage.
Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Le Maitre
Having spent nearly 50 years gracing some of the world’s biggest stages, you may be familiar with Le Maitre’s expertise and pioneering work in pyrotechnics and special effects. The company developed the Pyroflash system, considered the world’s first professional indoor pyrotechnic effect, and remains a global supplier of multiple markets, with offices on both sides of the Pond. Still under the same family ownership as when it was founded in 1977, Le Maitre has built a reputation for innovation and reliability. What is far less well known, however, is that in the early 1980s, Le Maitre had its own in-house record label. In 1982, Le Maitre Music released Fools Are Friendly by Xclusiv – a disco-synth-pop track performed by sisters Karen and Maxine Berlinski, who today continue to run the family business. More than four decades later, the track has been rediscovered and reissued by Erol Alkan on his Phantasy Sound label, introducing it to a new audience. With expertise on both sides of the curtain, Maxine, who works in the company’s accounts department and has previously overseen credit control and sales, and her sister Karen – originally financial director, formerly marketing and events director, and managing director since 2012 – both attended stage school before entering the family business. Stints with dance group, Second Generation for Maxine, and acting roles as the lead part in a TV series for two years for Karen, and a joint cabaret act followed for the sisters before entering the music business. “We worked in the creative field from 15 to 21, then joined the
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family company at Le Maitre with our father, founder Harold Berlinski and my husband, Rick Wilson, the co-founder. However, it’s far from a 9-to-5 job,” Maxine recalled, speaking to TPi alongside her sister. “Once you’ve been in show business, it’s hard to transition to an office role, but we have never felt creatively restricted at Le Maitre,” she commented. Alkan initially contacted Le Maitre enquiring about the company’s little-known music label. “I emailed him and asked for more information, and he told me he had been playing our record in clubs in the US, and it was going down a storm. He wanted to get in touch with one of the founders, and I informed him that I was one of the artists, and he was blown away,” Maxine explained. “It progressed from there. I had the master tapes of the records and found them. He wanted to digitise them without changing the arrangement, while adding a few additional elements, and release them on his record label, Phantasy. He is such a lovely guy. It’s been so much fun. We’ve had quite a lot of radio airplay and streams, and that’s all down to Erol.” Before Alkan got in touch, two people had contacted the company about the record during the previous five years. One had traced the various labels Xclusiv had worked with – from BMG to Sony – to locate the duo. “We even had record partners in Germany, as we had a number two hit with a disco cover of The Animals’ 1964 hit, The House of the Rising Sun, in Germany in the 1970s. The reason we ended up releasing music on our own record label was that we wanted our independence and creative freedom,” Karen added, looking back fondly.
Karen and Maxine Berlinski of Le Maitre as stage duo, Xclusiv.
REINVENTION AMID ADVERSITY Creativity at Le Maitre looks a little different these days. Following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the live events and touring sector, the company has sharpened its focus on manufacturing, research and development, while continuing to support clients across Europe and North America. “It’s been a great opportunity to change so many aspects of the company and focus on developing new products with a larger R&D department, enhancing the professional side of the market and coming up with new products,” Karen explained. Take the Pyroflash range, for example. “Years ago, pyro was seen as an additional element; now it’s a prerequisite on large-scale projects, providing a ‘wow’ factor. Live pyro – the smell, the sound, the colour – is unlike anything else,” Karen remarked. The growth of the company’s US operation has also helped shape its trajectory, opening doors to an increasing number of North American projects and productions. “We have patented several new innovative products in pyrotechnics, and they have been received wonderfully in the marketplace,” Karen
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explained. “One of the things we are exploring is drones. We collaborate with partners and drone companies across the globe to develop the size and calibre of products, creating longer lasting and larger drones that would work well on the right projects.” At the time of writing, Le Maitre is preparing to launch a new low-smoke fog machine that requires no CO₂. “The output is brilliant and this one leaves no residue on the floor, so it can be used on ice rinks. Ballet companies are using it, and we have a new pyro line coming out in the coming months, with new colours of smoke pyro set to be released in time for summer, as well as a 50ft colour jet, which people have been craving. We are also building contacts in other markets while maintaining the decade-long relationships within the touring industry,” Karen revealed. The company is also continuing to expand into new markets while maintaining the longstanding relationships that have underpinned its success in the touring sector for decades. There are fewer proudly independent pyrotechnics companies operating at scale today, but Le Maitre shows no signs of slowing
down. “I feel like we still have a lot to achieve and a whole new generation coming in, including our daughters, Georgia and Jamie, with a vision for the company,” Karen stated proudly. “Everyone in the company and among the
younger family members has been surprised by this chapter of our lives. We never expected it to be of any interest this many years later, yet it has created a lot of buzz around the company. Our father, who founded the label, sadly passed away in 2017, and it’s nice to think he’s looking down fondly after all these years.” For the Berlinski sisters, the unexpected revival of a record made more than 40 years ago has provided a rare opportunity to reconnect with a formative chapter of their lives, while introducing their music to a new generation of listeners. Maxine, who still sings with a local community choir and dances regularly, concluded: “It has been a lot of fun revisiting this era. There is another record that he might decide to re-release…” Meanwhile, Xclusiv by Fools Are Friendly [PH151] is available for purchase on the Phantasy Sound website: https://shop.phantasysound.co.uk www.lemaitreltd.com
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BEHIND THE SCREENS With LED playing a crucial role in visual storytelling, ROE Visual highlights the importance of around-the-clock support, customer relationships, and the engineering investment behind the brand...
Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Nathan Reinds, ORF, Jorrit Lousberg, Timmsy and Alex Waespi
Few manufacturers have shaped the touring LED landscape as visibly as ROE Visual. Its ‘transparent’ LED screens have become a familiar fixture on arena and stadium productions worldwide, now embedded in inventories of rental warehouses across the industry. That position, however, has been built as much on unwavering operational responsiveness as product development, leveraging its unrivalled supply chain and partnerships with global rental companies to meet the demands of modern productions. The industry, as ROE Visual’s teams point out, rarely runs to a nine-to-five schedule. Technical issues, freight challenges, and lastminute production changes are commonplace. “It’s not unusual for our technical team to be taking calls at all hours,” said Marina Prak, Marketing Manager at ROE Visual Europe. “That’s just the reality of how live production works. Support must be available when people are loading in or troubleshooting on site.” The company operates with around 1,200 staff globally, with offices across China, the US, Japan, Australia and the UK. This distributed structure is designed less as a corporate expansion strategy and more as a practical
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response to client demand. “We want to stay close to the customer,” Prak said. “Having regional teams means support can come from within the same time zone, rather than everything routing back through Shenzhen.” Manufacturing and assembly remain centralised in China, where ROE Visual’s engineering teams continue to drive product development. ROE Visual Europe’s Chief Commercial Officer Matthijs Meijer highlighted the company always being ahead of the curve – keeping flexibility optimal – whatever the circumstances. “It’s about finding whatever gets the job done on time.” One of the defining elements of ROE Visual’s position in the market is its close relationship with global rental partners. That feedback loop, according to Meijer, is fundamental to product development rather than an afterthought. “It’s the most important relationship we have,” Meijer said. “Rental companies tell us what their day-to-day challenges are, they give feedback on ideas, and some R&D is based on those conversations.” This bond was highlighted during the record-breaking Adele in Munich residency [see TPi #283], where rental partner Solotech
entrusted ROE Visual as the only LED specialist that could supply such a huge single batch of inventory, leveraging its global supply chain expertise and partnership – to cater to the unique demands of the show. In addition to the 244m by 18m high, 4,625 sq m of CB5 MKII LED panels on site, staff from ROE Visual’s Chinese manufacturing facility were also invited to attend the show. “It’s rare, but it meant a lot,” Meijer said. “The people building the products got to see them deployed at that scale. That connection between manufacturing and touring is something we value highly.” Having graced some of the biggest productions on the planet [pictured above], ROE Visual positions its LED systems firmly within the touring sector, where durability and repeat usability are as important as image performance. “We’re aware of the price point,” said Prak. “However, these systems are designed to be used repeatedly, in demanding environments. Longevity is where the value comes back.” That sentiment is echoed across the engineering approach. “It’s not just about electronics,” Meijer added. “Mechanical
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design is just as important. These systems are built around the way rental companies work. Every component is stress-tested because it must survive constant touring cycles. We are renowned for our unrivalled panel mechanics; a lot of rental houses use ROE Visual solutions for that reason.” Ergonomics also play a role, particularly in high-pressure load-ins where time is limited. “Even details like handle design are considered around crew workflow. We adjust where needed, but without compromising reliability. Touring doesn’t allow for fragile design.” REACTING TO CREATIVE DEMAND Testament to ROE Visual’s success in the market is the company’s ability to meet and react to creative demand and customer requirements. From the beginning of ROE Visual, this has resulted in stunning designs. From providing a massive 200ft by 45ft LED screen amid U2’s 2017 and 2019 The Joshua Tree tours and the proliferation of CB5 LED tiles which made up the distinctive, towering plectrum-shaped screens and stage halos on Ed Sheeran’s record-breaking ÷ (Divide) Tour between 2017 to 2019 [see TPi #227]. “This is where ROE Visual is uniquely positioned,” Prak said, looking back fondly.
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“There’s a wealth of expertise, but also profound trust from our customers that we deliver on our promise.” Meijer added: “Some of the most useful developments haven’t just been about resolution. They’ve been about how quickly systems can be deployed and reconfigured.” He also highlighted the importance of contrast performance in modern LED design. “Black levels and contrast are often overlooked but they make a significant difference in how content reads on stage, especially in mixed lighting environments.” As LED technology becomes more embedded in stage design, the boundaries between lighting, video and scenic design continue to blur. Meint Arjen Gerding, Technical Support Engineer at ROE Visual Europe, believes this is already changing how productions are being conceptualised. “In the past, lighting and video were separate disciplines,” Gerding commented. “Now you are seeing designers approach shows as one visual environment rather than individual departments.” Gerding supports customers through training and pre-production via ROE Academy. “The technology is pushing people to think differently,” he added. “It’s less about individual
fixtures or screens, and more about how everything integrates.” Recent developments in touring production have placed increasing demands on LED manufacturers: higher brightness, finer pixel pitches, lighter structures and faster deployment times, all while maintaining structural integrity in addition to the uptake of cinematic cameras in live event production environments and the demand it puts on video screens. ROE Visual recently supported the launch of Unit1 Studio, an independent avatar concert production facility, including a showcase featuring KT Tunstall. “It shows where things are heading,” said Prak. “The line between live performance and digital production is becoming more fluid, as was further demonstrated amid the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.” Today, ROE Visual estimates its work is split roughly 80/20 between live touring and AV integration and virtual production applications. Moving forward, the focus is on modularity, sustainability and continued refinement of LED systems designed for creative and practical demands of modern productions, such as the Vanish Acoustic, an LED solution with acoustic qualities, recently launched at InfoComm 2026. www.roevisual.com
Project: Dave, Photo by Timmsy
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PRODUCTION FUTURES
A4IUK BRINGS SKILLSLAB TO IPS Area Four Industries (A4I) UK provides SkillsLab EXE Basic Maintenance training at Impact Production Services (IPS)’s HQ...
Photo: Area Four Industries (A4I) UK
Area Four Industries UK’s SkillsLab recently drew a full house for its EXE Basic Maintenance workshop, hosted at IPS’ training facility. The course exhibited a built-in rigging beam which enabled practical sessions to be conducted in the same training space. The two sessions bring A4IUK’s structured technical training directly to one of the UK’s most respected event production and equipment hire companies, providing delegates with the essential basics in classroom theory and hands-on knowledge of EXE Technology, specifically the EXE Rise D8+ chain hoist systems. Members of the IPS technical team were joined by external attendees ranging from freelancers, Technical Managers, Riggers, Business Owners and some of the technical staging team from the Royal and Derngate, Northampton and Luigi Pandolfi – Production Futures’ Breakthrough Talent Award-winning Rigging Newcomer of the Year – alongside ‘Dave the Rigging Bear.’ The SkillsLab EXE Basic Maintenance training course is designed to give riggers, technicians and production professionals a solid foundation and grounding in EXE chain hoist operation and upkeep. Covering routine inspection procedures, safe working practices, preventative maintenance techniques and product care, the training equips attendees
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with practical immediately applicable skills that help reduce equipment downtime and support a safer working environment. IPS, based in Milton Keynes, are suppliers of staging, rigging, lightning, sound and power equipment to the events industry and operates across the UK delivering full technical production services and dry hire for live events of all scales. IPS stock a large inventory of EXE chain hoists for dry hire ranging from 500kg to 2,000kg EXE Rise D8+ chain hoists and are one of the largest EXE rental suppliers in the UK. Hosting the SkillsLab EXE session at its HQ training facility underscores both companies’ shared commitment to technical excellence and raising professional standards across the live events sector. Tom Warden, Marketing and H&S Manager at IPS, said: “I really enjoyed the course. I appreciated the detailed explanations coupled with the real-world examples of why certain design or safety features were important. It was great that when questions were asked, we could take the hoist apart and understand what components do and how/why they operate.” Matthew Millward, Head of Automation at A4I UK, added: “It was great to deliver the basic maintenance training in the new IPS facilities, and reach such a cross-section of our industry with attendees ranged from freelance riggers to service technicians.”
The A4IUK SkillsLab platform provides industry professionals with access to a growing portfolio of specialist education and technical training programmes across the A4I brand family including EXE Technology, MILOS, LITEC and PROLYTE. The two-day EXE Advanced Maintenance training course is delivered at A4I UK’s Innovation Centre in Holbeach Hurn, Lincs, whilst EXE Basic Maintenance training will be conducted at other customer locations. Due to popular demand, another set of sessions are returning to IPS on Wednesday 30 September. Theresa Gibson, Head of Marketing at A4I UK, concluded: “Bringing the SkillsLab EXE Basic Maintenance Training offering directly to companies like IPS means we can reach technicians in their own environment working with equipment they use every day. That’s when learning really sticks. Our goal with SkillsLab is to make high-quality structured training as accessible as possible across the industry and it was great to attract individuals throughout the sector from theatre technicians to riggers and live event professionals to both these sessions. Partnering with established companies like IPS to host training workshops is a natural extension of that mission.” The programme continues to expand throughout 2026, with further courses and specialist workshops across A4I’s portfolio. www.areafourindustries.co.uk
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Photo by David Bergman, Luke Combs My Kinda Saturday Night Tour 2026
GEAR HEADS
BEAMZ PRO BRUTE LASER SERIES Renco van Harten, Product Developer at Tronios, delves into the innerworkings of the BeamZ BRUTE Laser Series...
Words: Renco van Harten
When did product development begin for the BRUTE Laser Series? “Development of the BRUTE Laser Series started around two years ago when we noticed that animation lasers in the professional market were often unnecessarily expensive. We saw a clear gap in a price segment that was not being properly served, and that motivated us to develop a series that could offer professional performance at a much more accessible price point for everyone.” What were the initial goals when it came to designing the series? “One of our main goals was to reduce the overall size of the fixture. We noticed that many brands were still using relatively large housings, even though modern laser source technology no longer requires that amount of space. We invested heavily in developing new internal cooling methods, and we successfully managed to create a much more compact design without compromising performance. “Another important goal was to create a true all-in-one solution with a fully waterproof IP65-rated housing, making the units suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications.” Did you face any challenges introducing this product line to market? “Absolutely. Before the BRUTE series, we mainly focused on lower-segment laser products. Moving into the higher-end professional market is naturally a challenge, especially
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when competing with brands that have already been active in that segment for many years. Reaching the required level of quality, reliability and performance took a significant amount of development and testing, but it was an important step forward for us as a brand. Which features of the BRUTE Laser Series do you think will appeal to productions? “What really makes the BRUTE series stand out for productions is the flexibility combined with the compact design. “We offer versions both with and without an FB4 module, allowing users to choose the setup that best fits their workflow. The FB4 versions are ideal for fast integration with Beyond or QuickShow software, while the non-FB4 versions still provide extensive control possibilities through five-pin DMX. Despite the compact housing, the units still include professional connectivity such as ILDA support, and of course the fully IP65rated construction means they can be used confidently for outdoor productions as well. “For many rental companies and touring professionals, having that level of output and functionality in such a compact fixture is a huge advantage for them.” Can you tell us a bit more about the ‘Place it anywhere. Switch it on. Ready to perform’ tagline – why are these elements important for the series and its deployment? “Of course, it is still a professional laser system,
so users do need the proper knowledge and understanding to operate it safely and correctly. You cannot literally place it anywhere without considering laser safety and show regulations. That said, the idea behind the tagline is that the systems are designed to be extremely easy and fast to deploy. “Especially with the 12W and 20W FB4 versions, users can get started very quickly using Beyond or QuickShow software. For users choosing the non-FB4 versions, there is still a wide range of functionality available through DMX control or Ilda Input. The goal was to create a professional laser platform that reduces the overall setup complexity and also allows productions to work much faster and more efficiently.” What has the response been so far from touring professionals and production teams? “The response from rental companies and production professionals has been very positive so far. They especially appreciate the fact that the BRUTE series offers extremely high output in a relatively compact housing. “Combined with the fully IP65-rated construction and professional functionality, the systems are highly versatile and can be used in many different environments without users having to worry about reliability or weather conditions. That flexibility is a major advantage for touring and outdoor productions.” www.beamzlighting.com www.tronios.com
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GEAR HEADS
CADAC CM-SERIES Built around proprietary MegaCOMMS network protocol, the ‘tour-ready’ CM ecosystem features mixing consoles, stage racks, audio network bridges and software
Words: James Godbehear and Emily Watson Photo: Cadac
What challenges did you face bringing the CM-Series to the market? “The biggest challenge was ensuring that scalability and flexibility never compromised what matters most to Cadac: sound quality and latency performance. The decision to standardise on fibre was central to solving that. Coaxial infrastructure starts presenting real problems at around 150m, and that is a limitation for the distributed deployments modern productions demand. Fibre gives us the headroom to run MegaCOMMS up to 2km while keeping the signal path clean and the system behaviour consistent. The goal was never simply to move audio over longer distances. It was to make the system behave identically from analogue input to analogue output. Latency was where a huge amount of the development work went. We are technically at around 0.37ms, but we standardised on 0.4ms to ensure that figure holds true even when the CM-RT12 router and extended fibre infrastructure are in the chain. Maintaining deterministic behaviour across the network, routing stability, and zero impact on operational responsiveness as the system scales was as important as the headline number.” How does this routing infrastructure change how audio networks can be deployed? “It’s not just distance, the CM-RT12 connects to 12 MegaCOMMS devices simultaneously with 3,072 channels of routing capacity, which means consoles, stage racks and I/O can be placed wherever they are operationally most useful rather than wherever the cabling allows. The whole CM ecosystem becomes one connected system you can design around the production, not around the infrastructure. Dynamic routing at the scene level changes how networks are managed during a show too. Inputs and outputs can be reassigned scene by scene from a large pool of physical connections, and gain compensation between multiple consoles sharing the same network is handled automatically within the system. The CM-RT12 also has its own local control
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interface, and the headphone output on the front panel lets engineers monitor and verify the network directly at the rack, independently of the console. When you are setting up a distributed system across a large venue, being able to verify the network locally at the router is a practical advantage.”
networking, feature sets, and integration capabilities never became intimidating or slowed people down. There is no point creating advanced technology if it becomes difficult to access under pressure. The engineer should remain focussed on the mix and the production rather than the infrastructure.”
How did users influence the remote capability of the CM ecosystem? “Engineers are central to how this was developed. What we now have is a coherent suite of three applications covering the full system: CM-Remote for iPad control of the console; CM-Rack for wireless control of the SR-Series stage racks; and CM-Monitor to enable performers manage their own in-ear mixes in real time. The CM-Rack App provides engineers with wireless control of the rack: mic preamp gain, 48V phantom power, AES3 configuration, mutes, and signal presence monitoring. It also opens up a different way of deploying the system. Pair an SR-Series rack with either a MegaCOMMS to Dante or MADI bridge, add the CM-Rack App, and you have a compact, standalone recording front end with no console required. For any application where the priority is getting exceptional mic preamp quality directly into a DAW with minimal infrastructure, it’s a compelling and costeffective solution.”
What advantages does the CM-Series network offer inventory owners? “The biggest advantage is adaptability. The CM-Series architecture allows inventory owners to scale, distribute resources and support a wider range of deployment scenarios from the same core ecosystem. Standardising MegaCOMMS on fibre is a long-term infrastructure commitment that underpins that. It is light, reliable over distance, and the CM-RT12 allows the ecosystem to scale from a compact touring system to a large-format multi-console installation without any loss in performance. The SR-Series stage racks can also be deployed as standalone premium front ends within Dante or MADI networks, entirely independent of a CM console. From a practical inventory management perspective, the CM-Series has been designed with serviceability in mind. I/O cards and PSUs are shared across both the consoles and stage racks, which significantly simplifies spares holding. The hardware has been designed for quick and straightforward servicing, and software updates have been made as painless as possible. When you are managing equipment across multiple productions, that kind of operational simplicity reduces inventory, training, time and costs. Softwaredriven expansion is increasingly important. The ability to add functionality, routing capability and control options, without replacing core hardware, helps protect long-term investment. With our production now in the UK, close to our engineering team, we have control over the supply chain and can respond quickly to user requirements; something that is worth factoring in alongside the performance.” www.cadac-consoles.com/cm-system
Why is it important to ensure the CM-Series remains intuitive and accessible? “Live environments leave little time for overthinking or second guessing. Engineers with just 20 minutes available were able to get to grips with an unfamiliar console and leave the gig loving the experience. That kind of validation matters more to us than any spec sheet comparison. The CM-Series was designed around the idea that you should not need extensive training to achieve results quickly. The workflow remains analogue in philosophy. We wanted to offer significant depth when engineers want to go further. The challenge was ensuring that the additional
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GEAR HEADS
OBSIDIAN CONTROL SYSTEMS Koy Neminathan, Obsidian Control Systems Business Director, discusses product development, customer feedback and the company’s commitment to training the next generation of lighting professionals.
Words: Koy Neminathan Photos: Obsidian Control Systems
What was the goal behind the development of the ONYX NX3 lighting console? “With Obsidian firmly establishing itself, we wanted to develop a stronger identity for our consoles. We listened carefully to customer feedback and looked at how we could modernise the platform. We already had the NX2, and it is a great console in its class, but our users were asking for several hardware features including motorised faders, backlit keys and faders, and a larger screen. Rather than creating an NX2 MkII, we wanted to raise the bar and deliver the features our customers were requesting. We had started the ‘new generation look’ with the NX W and the NX3 had to align with that. The NX3 was aimed at these NX2 users and show non-users that there was a serious alternative that should be considered. We’re aiming to begin shipping in August and have already received a significant volume of pre-orders and enquiries.” What challenges did you face bringing this product to the market? “Even seemingly simple design elements required extensive development work. Take the screen hinges, for example. Our engineers spent considerable time evaluating torque requirements, hinge configurations, durability and long-term reliability. Every component had
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to be carefully assessed to ensure it delivered the right balance of strength, usability and longevity. Getting the fine balance of pressing an upright screen without it moving when pressed and adjusting its angle easily had to be struck just right. You may think of it as easy, but a sensible amount of time was allocated to this part of the design.” How much influence did touring programmers and lighting designers have with the design? “They played a huge role. We were fortunate enough to speak with lighting designers and operators working across a variety of console platforms, and their feedback directly influenced the development of the NX3. These are the people investing in the product, recommending it to others and ultimately using it in the field. Their input is invaluable. One feature that has resonated strongly is the ability to output 64 universes directly from the console at a highly competitive price point, which helps set the NX3 apart from many alternatives on the market.” How does the NX3 meet the demands of modern touring and large-scale productions? “As a compact and portable console, motorised faders were essential. When lighting designers and operators are moving between pages,
they need immediate access to cue lists and playback controls without hesitation. Portability was another major consideration. The NX3’s hardware dimensions and lightweight design make it easy to transport, and we’re also exploring additional custom flightcase options with integrated wheels. Ultimately, the design process centred on listening to users. Customers had been consistently asking for motorised faders, backlit buttons and a larger display, so we focussed on delivering those features while maintaining the workflow and reliability, they’re familiar with.” What practical benefits does the NX3 offer? “When we designed the NX3, we started with a simple question: How do we create the best compact control canvas for programmers while maintaining affordability? The result is a console designed to minimise the effort required to operate the hardware, allowing users to spend more time focussed on creativity and less time managing the desk itself. Features such as the intuitive control layout, quiet motorised faders, dynamic RGB feedback, and carefully considered ergonomics provide immediate visual and tactile feedback to the operator. Together, they help end users program faster, navigate
GEAR HEADS
complex shows more efficiently, and operate with greater confidence in high-pressure live and touring environments.” How does NETRON FS16 support the growing demands of high-data-volume productions? “The NETRON FS16 was developed directly in response to customer demand. As our first fibre switch, it delivers a highly competitive solution at a price point that is significantly lower than many comparable products currently available. NETRON FS16 is optimised straight out the box for multicast protocols used on show control networks, such as sACN, Dante, and NDI. That means less time configuring networks, and more time focussed on the show. Multiple disciplines can use the network simultaneously, using VLANs and Trunks. Locking RJ45 connectors with PoE, plus the customisable fibre ports, ensure the FS16 is ready for whatever cabling is required.”
How do these product releases fit into Obsidian’s wider vision for the future? “My goal is to continue raising awareness of the Obsidian brand through both product innovation and education. New products are important, but training is equally critical. Whether someone is already an Obsidian user or works with other platforms, we’re seeing growing interest in what we’re doing. Globally, we have strong market positions in sectors ranging from houses of worship in North America to corporate environments in Europe, as well as theatres and cultural centres throughout Asia and the Middle East. We want customers to view Obsidian as a professional solutions provider capable of serving multiple vertical markets.” Why is education so important for the brand? “One challenge within the industry is that many people assume a working knowledge
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of networking, so we’ve developed dedicated training courses built around the NETRON platform called ‘Get Connected’. This course combines theory and hands-on learning in equal measure, helping users understand networking fundamentals and practical implementation. For Onyx, we’re committed to helping educate and upskill the next generation of professionals through both online and in-person training programmes. “The live monthly online sessions and vast number of YouTube videos allows everyone to learn at their pace while the in-person sessions also allow the individual to be certified post assessment. “When I visit colleges and universities, my advice is always the same: learn as many workflows and control platforms as possible. The broader your skill set, the more opportunities will open. Keep learning.” www.obsidiancontrol.com
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ENTERING THE STATES ON TOUR Viva La Visa’s Andy Corrigan documents the challenges of worldwide travel and how supporting evidence on visas is increasing.
Words: Andy Corrigan Photos: Callan Halliwell and Viva La Visa
In 2022, when Viva La Visa last tackled this subject for TPi, touring was navigating a perfect storm of Brexit bureaucracy and post-Covid restart – and nobody had the full picture yet. The biggest change since 2022 is probably that the touring industry has stopped thinking of visas and work permits as a temporary “post-pandemic problem” and accepted them as part of the normal advance process. The panic has subsided a little, but the workload certainly hasn’t. Back in 2022, everyone was dealing with the aftershocks of COVID, Brexit and the reopening of international borders. Tours were being reactivated almost overnight, embassies were overwhelmed, and people hoped the system would eventually “settle down”. In reality, touring has entered a new era where immigration compliance, lead times and budgeting have become permanent parts of production planning. At Viva La Visa, we still work primarily across music, theatre, live events, fashion and film production, but the profile of our clients has broadened significantly in recent years. Increasingly, we are working directly with production suppliers, freight companies, technical vendors, sports organisations and corporate events companies who are now much more aware of the risks involved in international travel. A few years ago, many production teams viewed visas as something that ‘the artist side’ dealt with. Now, production managers and suppliers are often leading the conversation because they understand that if crew, trucking or specialist personnel cannot move, the entire production is affected. The biggest area of concern remains the United States. Demand for US touring visas has recovered strongly and in many sectors is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The
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US system itself, however, has become more expensive, more document-heavy and far less forgiving of mistakes or late planning. For touring personnel, the O and P visa routes remain the standard work visa categories, but the supporting evidence required continues to increase. Petition preparation now often resembles a substantial legal submission rather than a straightforward administrative process. Production and tour managers are having to supply increasingly detailed itineraries, contracts, deal memos and supporting information far earlier in the process than they once did. Premium processing while theoretically optional is now almost compulsory as the processing time for petitions on standard is now eight to ten months. For some productions, visa costs can now represent a significant line in the touring budget rather than an afterthought. At the same time, we are seeing much greater scrutiny around previous immigration history and criminal issues. Matters which historically may have caused limited concern can now trigger delays, requests for additional information or, in some cases, the need for waivers. This is particularly relevant for crew travelling internationally on repeated tours over many years. The advice remains the same: try to identify potential issues early and deal with them way before flights are booked and rehearsals scheduled. Another major development is that US authorities appear increasingly aware of ‘grey area’ activity. In the past, some productions would take a more relaxed view of crew travelling under visitor status where they felt activities were ‘only technical’ or ‘support based’. That approach is becoming much riskier. We are seeing more organisations
deciding to regularise long-standing working practices rather than relying on assumptions or outdated industry folklore. Europe, meanwhile, remains complicated. Not necessarily because every country always requires visas, but because every country applies different rules, exemptions and interpretations. That has not changed since Brexit, but what has changed is enforcement and awareness. In 2022, many touring parties were still learning the basics of post-Brexit travel. Now, most production managers understand the 90/180 Schengen rules, carnet requirements and the need to check work permissions country by country. The difficulty is that there is still no single EU-wide touring solution. A theatre production, exhibition crew, broadcast team and rock tour may all fall under entirely different rules even within the same country. There is also continuing uncertainty surrounding the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) and ETIAS travel authorisation programme. Although implementation has been delayed several times, both systems will eventually affect how non-EU touring personnel enter and move around Europe. For production teams already juggling logistics, carnets and scheduling, it represents yet another administrative layer. Some territories remain relatively workable for short-term touring activity, while others – Spain being the classic example – can still involve significant bureaucracy depending on the precise nature of the engagement. The challenge is often not simply the written law, but how it is interpreted locally by consulates, border officials and labour authorities. One area of growing concern is cabotage and transport restrictions affecting trucking and logistics operations linked to touring. While not strictly a visa issue, it has become another operational headache for production
teams trying to move equipment and personnel efficiently around Europe. We are also seeing greater awareness of compliance from insurers, promoters and corporate clients. Increasingly, organisations want reassurance that touring personnel are correctly authorised to work in the countries they are entering. In some cases, companies are reviewing supplier contracts and insurance arrangements more carefully than they would have done a few years ago. The practical advice for production teams now is fairly simple: start earlier, budget properly and treat immigration as part of core tour infrastructure rather than a last-minute admin task. The productions that tend to run smoothly are the ones where visas, carnets, transport and logistics are discussed at the very beginning of the advance process rather than a few days before travel. Immigration rules are no longer something that can always be solved with a few frantic phone calls the week before load-in. That may sound gloomy, but there is another side to it. The touring industry has adapted remarkably quickly. Production managers and crews have become far more knowledgeable about international travel requirements, and touring itself has largely rebounded strongly across both the US and Europe. Having spent years myself touring internationally as both an artist and production manager, I know how easy it is for visas to become something dealt with at two o’clock in the morning while trying to advance a show. But the reality now is that international mobility has become just as critical to a tour as freight, trucking or staging. Visas may never be the glamorous side of touring and live shows, but they have undeniably moved much closer to the top of the production schedule. www.vivalavisa.com
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FEEDBACK
THE BACK LOUNGE: CYBERSECURITY Although some might believe cybersecurity is a topic of governments or tech giants, for those working in touring, management and production, it is rapidly becoming impossible to ignore…
Words and photo: Suzi Green
Our industry has transformed dramatically in just a few years. Contracts are signed digitally, passports and visas are stored online, and we share itineraries across apps. Most of our professional and personal lives travel with us through phones and laptops. Add AI into the mix, particularly around increasingly sophisticated scams, impersonation and fake documentation, and the landscape is shifting faster than many of us can keep up with. We recently hosted a session on The BACK LOUNGE with SWEEP co-founder Maks Czuperski. SWEEP specialises in identifying digital and physical surveillance risks in realworld environments, including hotels, venues and public spaces. While Czuperski is very much the expert, many of the issues he raised felt immediately relatable and very relevant to anyone spending significant time on the road. It is easy to assume these concerns only apply to globally famous artists or highprofile executives. But if you have worked around bands long enough, it’s likely you have encountered overly persistent fans, unwanted attention, or situations where local security needed briefing. It’s not only poorly judged social media shares that can leak hotel locations and backstage protocols. When you combine the sheer number of connected devices surrounding us every day, from smart TVs and Bluetooth trackers to unsecured public networks, it becomes obvious that the risks of data breach are so much wider. Touring requires us to hand over extraordinary amounts of sensitive information. Passports, home addresses, medical conditions, allergies, emergency contacts, banking details and travel schedules are routinely shared. Individually, these details may not mean much, but combined, they create an incredibly detailed picture of someone’s life and movements. And that’s not just the artist, that’s our teams and us. The days when paperwork could be locked safely in a drawer or flight case are long gone. Is our new reality
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convenient? Absolutely. Secure? Not always. Hotel Wi-Fi is one example that most of us encounter. As Czuperski pointed out, many of us arrive at a hotel and instantly do the same few things. We connect to Wi-Fi, check emails or finances, call home, maybe stream Netflix before sleep. Harmless enough perhaps, but potentially risky. Open or poorly secured networks can expose personal data far more easily than we realise. The fact that a network requires a room number or password does not automatically make it secure. Streaming platforms present another surprisingly revealing vulnerability. Most people have walked into a hotel room to discover the previous guest still logged into Netflix. Usually, we simply switch accounts and move on, but in the wrong hands, account settings can quickly reveal names, email addresses and personal information. It is a useful reminder to log out properly wherever you are. Even something as simple as charging a phone carries a risk. Airport, hotel and backstage USB charging points may be convenient, but plugging directly into an unfamiliar USB port means you do not truly know what sits on the other side of that connection. Using your own plug and mains adapter is a far safer option. None of this is about paranoia. It is about awareness. We thrive on speed, access and constant connectivity, but the more digital our world becomes, the more exposed we become. Cybersecurity is no longer simply an IT department issue. It is part of modern touring life. And as our industry continues evolving, there is a growing duty of care for everyone responsible for artists and touring personnel to stay informed and proactive. We can no longer assume cyber issues are something that happens to somebody else; this is something we all need to become aware of. www.healthy-touring.com/the-back-loungelive
Scan to access the entire archive of THE BACK LOUNGE sessions. Conversations are streamed live each Wednesday at 6pm London/7pm CET/ 1pm EDT/10am PDT.
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YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN PSA’s Liz and Tom tackle how freelancers should market themselves to get the jobs they want...
Words: Liz Madden and Tom Rees
There is a comforting myth in our industry that good work simply finds good people. Sometimes it does. More often, it finds people who are good, reliable, easy to work with and, crucially, visible when the next call sheet is being built. For freelancers from the production world, staying visible is a challenge. It often gets pushed to the back burner. When we meet PSA members face-to-face, one question comes up again and again: how do I get the work I want? Marketing yourself doesn’t mean being someone you’re not. No one is suggesting a ring light, motivational videos or to start calling yourself a ‘thought leader’. In our world, it’s simpler. People need to know what you do, what you’ve done, your availability and why they can trust you. Our CoChair Liz Madden puts it plainly: “Work doesn’t just come to you. You get out what you put in. It’s not rocket science, but easily forgotten when travelling, loading-in, invoicing, chasing information and trying to have a life around it all.” A sensible starting point is LinkedIn. Not because it’s perfect, but because clients, production managers, suppliers, agencies and colleagues are already there. Connect with people you have worked with and stay visible. Share a project, or a throwback to a job you are proud of. Tag clients and colleagues where appropriate. Say what your actual role was. “Great to be part of it” is fine, but “site coordinator across build and show days” or “audio systems tech for the main room” tells much more. Availability matters too. A simple post saying you have dates free or want more corporate, festival, touring or warehouse prep work, might land in front of someone who needs exactly that. Commenting on other people’s posts also helps. Support colleagues and remain part of the conversation. Visibility is not just shouting about yourself; it is showing up. LinkedIn is only one example. Be part of the spaces where the right people are. At the PSA, we are first and foremost a people organisation. Our 2,500+ membership are largely freelancers and independent professionals across public, commercial and corporate events, in the UK and beyond. That gives us a clear view of how much this industry depends on skilled people, and how often opportunity still travels through trust, reputation and recommendation. That does not mean leaving your career to chance. Keep a folder of photos, credits and testimonials from projects, subject to confidentiality, of course. When you are flat out, capture the material and post it later. Set a reminder and keep your profile current. Not just when it’s quiet. Doing good work will always matter. Doing good work and helping people remember is even better. www.psa.org.uk
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Gatefold Look Solutions ..................................................................................................................95 LINK ........................................................................................................................................ 13 MA Lighting ........................................................................................................................ 75 Millennium Studios .......................................................................................................... 22 Music First Partnership .................................................................................................65 Neg Earth Lights..............................................................................................25, 31 & 39 Production Freight ....................................................................................................... 109 Pyrotek FX ................................................................................................................32 & 33 RED ............................................................................................................................................4 RG Jones .............................................................................................................................83 Riedel .................................................................................................................................... 27 Roadshow Services.........................................................................................................88 Robe ............................................................................................................................. 50 & 51 ROE Visual Europe......................................................................................................... 105 Solid State Logic .............................................................................................................. 61 Solotech ............................................................................................................................... 47 Sound Devices .................................................................................................................. 67 Stageco ................................................................................................................................ 37 Stencil Audio ...................................................................................................................... 15 Strictly FX ............................................................................................................................ 59 TAF - Truss Aluminium Factory...................................................................................99 The Next Stage ................................................................................................................ 17 Twenty Three ..................................................................................................................... 41 Universal Pixels.............................................................................................................. 105 Viviana Products ..............................................................................................................96 Yamaha ....................................................................................................................................6 Zeppelin Nightliners .......................................................................................................63
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BACK CHAT
LAURA SLATER Access Bookings’ Business Development Manager reflects on two decades at the company, staying calm under pressure and shares how she got into in the industry...
Photo: Access Bookings
How did your interest in live events develop? “My interest in live events really grew from a passion for music and creativity. Early on, I was fascinated not just by the performances themselves, but by everything happening behind the scenes, how tours are organised, how crews move from city to city, and the logistics that make it all possible. I’ve also always known I’m far better behind the scenes than on stage, as anyone who’s heard me try to clap along to a beat or sing would attest to. So for me, being able to play a part in supporting some of the most talented performers and artists in the world feels like the perfect fit.” Where would you say your first big break came from? “My big break came when I joined Access Bookings nearly 20 years ago. At the time, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and I had no experience in either the entertainment or travel industries. What started as a role in a small company quickly evolved into something much bigger. Over the years, I’ve seen Access grow largely through word of mouth and recommendations into one of the leading suppliers to the entertainment industry in the UK. Being part of that journey from the early days has been incredibly rewarding, and I’ve always been very grateful to Patricia and Ian for taking a chance on me.” What does your current role at Access Bookings involve? “As a Business Development Manager at Access Bookings, my role is centred on
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building and maintaining relationships with clients across the entertainment industry. This includes understanding their touring needs, designing tailored accommodation solutions, and ensuring seamless delivery throughout the booking process. I also focus on identifying new business opportunities, supporting account growth, and collaborating with internal teams to ensure we consistently provide a high level of service.” Which services does Access Bookings offer to the live events sector? “Access Bookings specialises in providing a one stop accommodation and travel solution for the live events sector. This includes sourcing and managing hotel bookings for touring artists, crews, and production teams worldwide, as well as coordinating travel such as flights, ground transfers and vehicle rentals. We handle everything from rate negotiations to contract management, supporting complex tour schedules anywhere in the world. Our expertise allows clients to focus on the creative and performance aspects of events, while we take care of both accommodation and travel logistics.” Beyond work, how do you like to spend your spare time? “Outside of work, I split my time between the UK and the US, which means my life can look very different depending on where I am from being in one of the entertainment capitals of the world in Burbank to the (slightly less hectic) pace of Lichfield. I really enjoy that balance and the
contrast it brings. I’m a fan of following some of my favourite artists around the world, as well as trying new foods and experiences along the way. That could be anything from taking part in something completely unexpected like an incense-making class to heading to a local watermelon festival, just embracing whatever each place has to offer.” Which moment in your career stands out as the most memorable? “One of the most memorable projects I’ve worked on was in Mexico. It was my first major international project, involving a large crew and highly complex logistics, and I was required to be on-site to coordinate everything on the ground. It was very much a baptism of fire. I found myself problem-solving a wide range of challenges, from managing last-minute travel issues like passengers being refused boarding, to even sourcing location options for an impromptu photoshoot. “Experiences like that really shaped my ability to think quickly and stay calm under pressure. Some of my best career memories come from being onsite and supporting clients in completely different environments from muddy fields in Yorkshire to even the beaches of Australia. There’s something incredibly rewarding about being there in person rather than behind a screen, you’re part of the action, solving problems in real time, and truly understanding what it takes to make everything work. It’s one of those things that’s hard to explain, unless you have been there and done it yourself.”
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