When speaking of the earliest days of what we now call “live event touring,” those who lived it often refer to it as “the Wild West.” That makes Chris Lamb, who is still never without boots and a cowboy hat, one of the original cowboys.
David Cunningham will accept the 2015 Parnelli Visionary Award at the annual gala to be held at the Rio Hotel and Casino Oct. 24, in recognition of advances including the ETC Source Four fixture and advancements in lighting consoles and dimming.
Dennis Sheehan, longtime tour manager for U2 and 2008 Parnelli Lifetime Achievement award winner, died May 27. He was 68. Sheehan had been in Los Angeles with U2 for a series of shows in the early part of the band’s 2015 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour. U2 had opened the first of five shows at the Forum the night before.
It took 12 weeks, and more than 90 truckloads of construction materials, but what was a dusty, forlorn corner of the Las Vegas Strip was transformed into the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll playground by Brown United. The company’s largest undertaking to date, Rock in Rio USA took outdoor festivals to a new level, incorporating not just multiple stages, but an elaborate VIP area, “Rock Streets” filled with shops and eateries and even a Ferris wheel and zip line.
CT Plays Key Role in Record-Setting 1.17 Million Lumen Projection on Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, one of the top engineering miracles in the world, recently became the sight for the reveal of Daimler Trucks North America Freightliners Infinite Inspiration. The event required months of planning, preparation, and set up by a team of individuals steeped in knowledge garnered from long-term experience with the latest in technological innovations.
The Prolight + Sound convention was held from April 15-18 along with the annual Musikmesse show for music instruments at one giant facility. The combined event drew more than 108,000 visitors from 146 countries to witness “a dazzling display of new products, stars and events presented by 2,257 exhibitors,” noted Detlef Braun, member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt. The PL+S exhibitor and attendee counts also showed strength, with a record 928 exhibitors and 43,054 attendees.
After 17 years, the Ultra Music Festival has become an institution in Miami. The 2015 event, held March 27-29, drew 150,000 from around the world with the world’s top DJs spread over several stages. They play in front of what can best be described as “lighting sculptures,” because the structure designs are so unique, massive and spread out over the complex that one can hardly refer to them as just a lighting rig. PLSN caught up with LD/production designer Steve Lieberman to speak about his designs.
Mobeon is a company that thrives on creating live interactive events, where audiences are engaged and the client’s messages can be seen and heard with the highest quality possible. They produce live production and streaming services for concerts, competitions, conferences, conventions, corporate events, houses of worship and worldwide product launches. This company specializes in transforming media.
A major focal point for the 4,590-square-foot China National Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo in Italy this year will be a dream-like field of LED-infused artistry titled The Field of Hope, the Spring of Life. More than 140 countries are participating in the exhibition, which is expecting to draw close to 20 million visits from people around the world for a six-month span starting May 1 and ending Oct. 31, 2015.
For the seventh year running, Hippotizer by Green Hippo was the media server of choice at the Academy Awards, broadcast from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Feb. 22. But if the brand hasn’t changed, the crew found a new visual solution with Hippotizer’s new V4 hardware and software system.
More than 280 exhibitors were on hand at the USITT show March 18-21 to share information on their latest products with a record 5,500 attendees. It was a very positive experience as students, professors and distinguished guests participated in panel discussions that followed the keynote speech by Terrence Spivey of Karamu House (pictured here).
Kylie Minogue’s Kiss Me Once tour, in support of her 2014 album release, moves to the artist’s native Australia with plans for five concerts in March 2015 before returning for another tour leg in Europe this summer. The 2015 shows follow the artist’s 2014 tour, with close to 30 shows in the U.K. and Europe. LD Rob Sinclair and lighting director Louisa Smurthwaite provided insight into the creative processes behind the tour’s extensive lighting design, which included fixtures from Harman’s Martin Professional.