Features

Patrick Stansfield, 70, tour manager for Neil Diamond, the Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Tina Turner and scores of others, died in the early morning hours on Oct. 28, 2014 from kidney failure. Along with his prominence in concert touring, Stansfield was the production mastermind behind the transformation of Dodgers and Yankee Stadiums for papal visits in 1987 and 2008 and was co-founder of the Parnelli Awards, named in memory of his good friend Rick “Parnelli” O’Brien. He was surrounded by family and friends at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center here in the days before his death.

PLASA ranks as one of the premier shows of its kind, presenting groundbreaking technology to an international audience of pro audio, lighting and stage technology experts. Here are some highlights from this year’s event, staged for the second year at London’s ExCeL Convention Center.

It’s been 19 years since Jerry Garcia died, but the Grateful Dead frontman’s “vibes” are alive and well, floating though the crowd of 25,000-plus who gather in his honor every summer for four days of music and camping — with a little ‘60s-style peace and love thrown in. Gathering of the Vibes, a modern-era, well-behaved version of Woodstock, was started in 1996 by Connecticut businessman/Deadhead Ken Hays to fill the void created by Garcia’s untimely passing from a heart attack at 53. GOTV has since become one of the Northeast’s pre-eminent festivals; over the years it has featured not only the remaining members of the Grateful Dead and various tribute bands, but world-class artists from an eclectic mix of genres: Crosby, Stills and Nash; James Brown; Allman Brothers Band; Elvis Costello; Black Crowes; Nas; Bruce Hornsby, to name a few.

Clay Paky Founder Leaves a Legacy of Innovation

Pasquale “Paky” Quadri, founder and chairman of Clay Paky SpA, died at his home in Torre de’ Roveri, Italy shortly before midnight on Sept. 6. He was 67. In the years since founding the company in 1976 with fellow musician Claudio Paredi — the company name is formed by their two nicknames — Quadri and his company have amassed close to 80 patents and 50 major industry awards for a raft of fixtures combining design innovation with optical excellence and reliable operation.

You are the architect of your own future, and you get out of it what you put into it,” Howard Ungerleider says. Ungerleider is, himself, a helluva architect, and he has put his heart, soul, sweat and passion into a remarkable career that continues to inspire and influence not only the work of other lighting designers, but the manufacturers who create lighting tools. For all that and more, he will be honored with the Parnelli Visionary Award at the 14th annual Parnelli Awards ceremony, set for Nov. 22 in Las Vegas.

In a recent episode of National Geographic’s reality show, Showdown of the Unbeatables, the producers put one of Calzone Cases’ road cases to the ultimate torture test: the crushing pressure of a state-of-the-art garbage truck’s compacter.Hosted by Brian Unger and Zane Lamprey, the series pits opposing companies who square off and do battle. 

The 2014 edition of Prolight + Sound finished strong after four days on March 15, with 897 exhibitors from 42 countries on par with stats from the 2013 event (901 from 41 countries) despite the 2014 event’s month-earlier time frame. Combined with Musikmesse, there were a total 2,242 exhibitors from 57 countries, with a total 110,000 visitors from 142 countries. PL+S/Musikmesse once again featured a wide array of conferences, presentations and workshops and informal networking opportunities for the live events industry. But for me, the main focus — not just for this show report, but also for the online postings and videos at www.plsn.com/tv, www.prolightingspace.com, www.youtube.com/plsntv and www.twitter.com/plsnmagazine — was to check out all the new and upgraded product developments for our industry. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

Pepsi scored a hit among TV viewers and on social networks this year with its Grammy Halftime Show commercial, which aired Jan. 26 for a full 2-minute, 36-seconds halfway through the Grammy Awards telecast on CBS. Despite the spot’s length, it was crammed with a mash-up from the worlds of sports and entertainment. The production company, Holmes Defender of the Faith, with McG as director, worked with Ramsey Nickell, director of photography and LD Todd Roberts of Visions Lighting, which provided lighting, video and staging for the spot.

Surely — and not so slowly — LEDs are changing the world of lighting. A recent case in point: NFL arenas serving fans of the Vancouver, BC Canucks on Canada’s West Coast and the Montreal Canadiens in the East. As lighting and sound provider Solotech notes, LEDs offer many compelling advantages over traditional incandescent fixtures. There are sensible reasons for making the switch — including power savings and the ability to generate more light and less heat. But another factor, particularly in the world of sports, is because LED lighting looks cool as well.

Veteran concert touring entertainment professional Mo Morrison was the inaugural inductee going into the newly formed Parnelli Hall of Fame. Morrison, sometimes known as “Momo” or “Uncle Mo,” has spent the past 40 years working in the concert touring and event production industry with much television work along the way. Currently,  Morrison is the tour director for Lady Gaga worldwide, handling all touring, television and promo presentations.

Wireless Load Cells Give Peace of Mind

When truckloads of heavy gear need to be hoisted over concert performers and their fans, it can make for a lot of sleepless nights. But Dart Rigging GmbH finds that a trusted load cell system, which it has used for German metal band Rammstein since 2009, helps provide peace of mind.