Gallery & Press Releases
‘Read all About It’ – HSL Lights Emeli Sandé Tour
1 week ago
in 2013
Blackburn UK based lighting and visuals company HSL supplied Lighting Designer Neil Carson with full lighting production for chart topping, Brit Award winning singer songwriter Emeli Sandé’s most recent UK tour, together with a ‘specials’ package for the European section.
Carson – who has worked with HSL on several previous projects including Chase & Status – was instrumental in getting the company on-board, where the account was project managed by Mike Oates.
Says Carson, “I wanted a lighting supplier that I knew could deliver the best quality kit, crew and attitude – HSL were my first choice”.
Sandé’s meteoric career trajectory which includes some interesting and inventive collaborations – has included three number one singles and a number one album ‘Our Version of Events’ in the last two years and she performed at both Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London Olympics.
Mike Oates comments, “It was great to work with Neil again on another new and exciting artist. As usual, he came up with a stylish design fusing quirkiness and simplicity that looked really cool!”
The design was based on three trusses and primarily Robe moving lights – a combination of ROBIN 600E More >
HSL and PSI Announce Dynamic New Partnership
3 weeks ago
in 2013
The UK’s fastest growing lighting and visuals rental specialist, Blackburn based HSL, has formed a dynamic new partnership with Production Services Ireland (PSI) – a market leader in the territory with operations in Belfast and Dublin.
The merger sees PSI’s highly successful and well established operations in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic continue unchanged with the same directors, staff, facilities and distinct identity. PSI now has the additional advantage of access to HSL’s massive equipment inventory and additional resources.
Combined annual sales are expected to reach £15 million in the next 24 months, there are over 100 full time skilled and talented employees and the new working relationship will enable both companies’ UK and Irish operations to be streamlined, seamless and highly competitive.
Says HSL’s MD Simon Stuart, “Joining forces with PSI presented an ideal opportunity for us to work with like-minded, people-focused individuals in Ireland who are also dedicated to providing the very best equipment and services.
“PSI’s reputation for excellence and innovation is right in tune with our core values. We look forward enormously to a long and fruitful More >
HSL Supplies Lighting for Popular Googoosh Music Academy TV Series
2 months ago
in 2013
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL is supplying all lighting equipment to the current series of the Googoosh Music Academy, which features a spectacular lighting design by Steffan Jones.
The show, produced by Manoto TV is recorded in Capital Studios, Wandsworth, south London and broadcast on primetime via the Marjan Television Network. It is a massively popular voice competition – Up to 1.3 million public votes have been cast per show – inspired by Iranian pop superstar Googoosh, who is also one of the three judges. The judges act as mentors for the ten finalists appearing in the TV series, all aspiring Iranian singers selected from hundreds of hopefuls.
Simon Stuart and Sean McGlone are Project Managing for HSL. Simon comments, “We are really happy to be working with Steff again who is one of the rising young talents of our industry. His designs are always fresh and inventive”.
Jones’ brief for the lighting design was to make it vibrant, versatile, exciting and dramatically different to a conventional LE reality show and talent competition.
In addition to the contestant performances there is usually at least one guest artist appearance per show, so flexibility is More >
HSL Adds to Radioactive Ora
2 months ago
in 2013
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied lighting equipment to Rita Ora’s first full production tour which blasted its way round the country, with a fabulous lighting design by Andy Iliffe.
The critically acclaimed chart topping singer-songwriter’s show is sexy, sassy, full on and highly theatrical, featuring an impressive array of props and stunning costumes in addition to her vibrant performance.
HSL’s Mike Oates Project Managed and comments, “Rita Ora is one of the hottest emerging talents in the UK, and Andy’s light show was every bit as original and exciting as her stage presence. We are extremely proud to be involved!”
Andy has worked with Rita Ora for the last four months. The first shows were promos, for which HSL supplied some ‘specials’ packages. Having worked with the Blackburn based company for around eight years, it was a ‘no-brainer’ for Andy when it came to recommending a lighting company to service the tour. “When given the choice, it will always be HSL,” he declares!
His dynamic touring rig for Ora’s energy fuelled ‘Radioactive’ tour was completely floor based. At each venue he also hooked into a front truss prepared to their LX spec with More >
HSL Delivers Visual Design for 2013 TPi Awards
3 months ago
in 2013
Leading UK lighting and visual rental specialist HSL created the lighting and video design for the 2013 Total Production International (TPi) Awards, and supplied all the necessary trussing, motors, rigging and control infrastructure plus crew needed to rig over 350 Robe lighting fixtures in the Ballroom of the Novotel, West London.
Working for TPi Awards show producers Mondiale Publishing and with Event Manager Ben Chadwick, the visual design was created by HSL’s Tim Fawkes in collaboration with Mike Oates. HSL’s event Project Manager was Spantax.
All video content plus the sound track for the opening video was created by Digital Insanity.
It was really fun working with Richard Bagshaw from Digital Insanity, Spantax says. As a team we all gelled perfectly together and this was one of those jobs were the different creative’s bounce ideas off of each other and both lighting and video end up influencing each other to come up with the perfect result.
The basic concept was to make it “Funky, fun and more rock n roll than in previous years,” states Fawkes, adding that the biggest challenge was being under pressure to produce something amazing looking to impress all the top industry More >
More Flash Floods of Colour for HSL with Enter Shikari
4 months ago
in 2013
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL continued its energetic working relationship with lighting / visuals designer Steve Bewley and the band Enter Shikari, supplying lighting and video equipment to the latest shows on their “Flash Flood of Colour” world tour.
Bewley has worked for Enter Shikari for the last five years. They are among the hardest working artists on the live circuit, bringing their unique highly adrenalized electro-metal sounds and stage performances to a loyal and enthusiastic international fanbase.
Around 18 months ago, HSL came on-board to supply equipment for their UK and European work after Bewley was impressed by the people, equipment, service and attitude of the Blackburn based operation.
“We needed a complete solutions company for lighting and visuals … and HSL was a great choice,” he states.
HSL’s project manager Mike Oates says, “We love working with Steve and the band. The ideas are always fresh and interesting and the shows are full-on, lively, fun and innovative – both musically and visually”.
The stage design concept for this section of the Flash Flood tour was an evolution from previous incarnations and derivative from the distinctive More >
HSL Nominated for Two TPi Awards
5 months ago
in 2012
Blackburn, UK based lighting and visuals rental company, HSL has been nominated for two 2013 Total Production International (TPi) Awards – for Favourite Lighting Rental Company (sponsored by Robe lighting) and Favourite Video Services Company.
HSL is one of the most proactive UK rental companies and has been nominated several times for the TPi Award for Favourite Lighting Rental Company, winning in 2008.
Being nominated for Video Services as well reflects the continuing convergence between lighting and certain elements of live video under the ‘visuals’ banner, and with it, a serious investment by HSL into LED screens and media server technology.
This took a major leap forward last year with the purchase of Martin LED screen and the full complement of Green Hippo Media Servers, Catalyst and AI.
This generally growing trend enables HSL to offer competitive lighting and LED screens/playback control packages coupled with video projectors and bespoke Video Systems, all from the same source.
HSL’s MD Simon Stuart states, “It is an amazing achievement to receive not one but two TPi nominations, especially coming from our peers in the industry, which adds proper value and credibility. More >
HSL Supplies Lighting for S4C TV Shows at NEP Cymru
5 months ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied nearly 300 moving and LED lightsources and over 100 generics to a series of Welsh language channel S4C Light Entertainment programmes recorded in a 10 day block at Studio 1 of the NEP Cymru (ITV Wales) facility at Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff .
These were specified by Cardiff and London based Lighting Designer Steffan Jones, who designed lighting and video for the raft of programmes, many featuring live artists. He was working for production companies Boomerang PLC in association with Alfresco TV and Apollo TV, and co-producers Mr. Producer.
HSL’s TV and broadcast specialist Sean McGlone co-ordinated the project. He comments, “It’s always a pleasure working with Steff. His drive, enthusiasm, imagination and keen visual eye are refreshing and invigorating, and his designs always interesting”.
NEPC is the largest OB and studio facilities company in Wales, and the batch recording session included the creation of popular programmes like “Noson”, “Carolau Gobaith” and others.
Flexibility was the key to the lighting design, and so the rig was based on offering numerous options for Jones. He had to embrace and light a plethora of More >
HSL Supplies Cheryl Cole A Million Lights Tour
6 months ago
in 2012
Well … in reality …. It wasn’t quite that many ….. BUT leading Blackburn, UK based lighting and visuals rental specialists HSL did indeed supply lighting equipment and crew to Cheryl Cole’s first solo ‘A Million Lights’ arena tour, once again working for technical producers Production North.
The lighting design by Peter Barnes, directed / operated out on the road by Neil Trenell of Fix8, proved that imaginative and intelligent use of lighting and effects can bring serious layers of magic to a high-impact show.
The tour was project managed for HSL by Mike Oates who comments, “Production North under the technical direction of Iain Whitehead co-ordinated another superb looking and highly entertaining show, and we were really pleased to be involved”.
Barnes and Trenell worked closely with creative directors Fatima Robinson and Beth Honan, who commissioned the set design from Bruce Rogers. They also initiated the video and visuals concepts, bringing a lively mix of footage to the picture, played back across an upstage pyramid shaped set clad with LED panels and a set of stairs immediately in front of it.
The lighting which matched and contrasted this as Cheryl’s fast paced, More >
Diversity for HSL
8 months ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental and solutions provider HSL continued a massively busy touring season supplying lighting, LED screen, rigging and a Kinesys automation system to Production North for street dance troupe sensation, Diversity’s first major arena tour.
HSL has worked with Production North on many different projects. Once again, Mike Oates project managed for the Blackburn based company, with set, visuals and lighting designed by Peter Barnes, working in close conjunction with Diversity’s creative director and leader, Ashley Banjo.
On the road, lighting was looked after and operated by Neil Trenell. An HSL crew of six took care of lighting and video and the Kinesys system, together with rigger John Ashton, who put in the 58 points each day.
Sarah Hollis, production manager for Production North, remarked that it was “Excellent” to deal with one company and a single HSL crew chief – Steve Major – covering lighting, video, staging, rigging and automation departments. They were extremely happy with the service and attention to detail for which HSL is renowned.
The futuristic Tron styled and shaped stage set was inspired by Banjo’s original narrative threads which set More >
