Gallery & Press Releases
2007
HSL Supplies Snow Patrol’s Bangor Homecoming
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL supplied full lighting production including Robe and Vari*Lite moving lights, 32 3Kw A&O Falcon Beam searchlights and an 18-way Kinesys automation system – plus crew – for Snow Patrol’s amazing homecoming show at Ward Park in Bangor, Northern Ireland.
The event was enjoyed by 30,000 enthusiastic fans and was the band’s finalUKappearance of their phenomenally successful, “Eyes Open” world tour which started last year.
HSL has supplied lighting for allUKand European legs of the tour including a festival rig throughout the summer. For Ward Park, the highly talented creative team of LD Davy Sherwin and visual designer Robin Haddow wanted something different and special, whilst at the same time being related to previous tour aesthetics.
They again came up with an inventive design that seamlessly merged lighting and video into one strongly visual medium.
HSL’s project manager Mike Oates says, “As always, it’s been great working with Davy and Robin – their approach is unique and different and they always come up with original ideas that look stunning”.
The lighting rig was based on four straight trusses fitted into the StageCo roof.
The front truss bore 14 8-cell Moles More >
HSL Rocks The Loch
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL supplied full lighting production, rigging and crew for the X-FM Main Stage and The Clash Arena at Rockness 2007.
The event’s second year saw it expand to a capacity of 35,000 over two days, set against the totally gorgeous backdrop of one of Scotland’s best known natural attractions – Loch Ness. The monster line-up included the Chemical Brothers, Groove Armada, The Manic Street Preachers and Daft Punk.
HSL’s crew chief Howard Dean led a team of 22, and they once again worked closely with event producerJimKing of Loud Sound Events and production manager Lee Charteris. HSL also sub-contracted ML Executives to supply audio to these two principal arenas.
Mike Oates, HSL’s overall project manager comments, “The first thing we did was get two world class lighting designers onboard to look after the two stages – Andy Liddle on the Main stage and Dave Byars in the Clash Arena”. They went through all the various band specs – starting with the headliners – and came up with designs and kit lists that as far as possible accommodated everyone’s requirements..
Main Stage
The main stage was a low profile 12 metre Orbit – chosen for it’s minimal impact of the natural beauty of the More >
HSL Supplies Opera Holland Park
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL is supplying a complete stage lighting and sound system to the high profile 9-weekOperaHollandParkseason, together with site-wide lighting and electrics, power distribution and full public address and announcement audio.
The completely sold out event features 6 full scale productions which are performed in rep, two at a time with music by the London Symphonia. Opera Holland Park 2007 is being staged in theLondonpark’s new tensile structure arena which has increased the seating capacity by a quarter – bringing it up to 1028. The season is promoted by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
The technical production is overseen and co-ordinated by the Council’s Operations Manager Mike Harth, working closely with his team of technical staff including chief LX Adam Bullock, deputy chief LX Jon Bowles and master carpenter Brendan McEvoy.
HSL has suppliedOperaHollandParkfor the last 5 seasons, a job jointly project managed for them bySean McGlonein the office and James Ewart on site. “They give us excellent service and continuity, plus a great deal” comments Harth.
HSL sends a full crew to site, including a qualified electrician for the get-in and build period.
The new More >
HSL Light Lily Allen Tour
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL supplied lighting equipment and crew for Lily Allen’s just completedUKtheatre tour – featuring her largest production to date.
Lighting for the popular and feisty British singer/songwriter, renowned for her hugely energetic live performances is designed by Neil Trenell. HSL supplied 32 of its new Robe Series 700 fixtures to the sold-out tour plus a 10 x 10 metre MainLight Industries Soft-LED back cloth and an Avolites Diamond 4 console among other elements.
Trenell was delighted when HSL won the tender to be lighting contractor. He’s worked with them a lot and thinks they are one of the best supply companies in theUK. HSL’s Mike Oates project managed, and comments, “Neil is always a pleasure to work with – he’s one of a new, enthusiastic and inventive generation of LDs, and it’s also good to be working with an artist surrounded by a real buzz like Lily Allen”.
Trenell’s basic design was based around two straight 40ft trusses – front and back – which in the ideal circumstances and sized venues, were trimmed at over 30 ft to give the stage a real sense of height, depth and space. To frame the LED backdrop, he added two vertical ladder beams flanking either side of the More >
HSL Grooves with Klaxons
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL supplied full lighting production for the Klaxons first incendiary full productionUKtour, which sold out in minutes off the back of the band’s stonking first album, “Myths of The Near Future”!
Lighting designer Mark Wynn-Edwards was delighted when HSL won the contract to supply the kit, as he’s worked with them on several events and projects in the past, “HSL has really excellent equipment, great crew and the right attitude – I am happy to work with them at every opportunity” he says.
The account was project managed by HSL’s Mike Oates, who states “it was hugely exciting working with a band like Klaxons – they have lots of energy and a real future ahead. Mark is also full of original and different ideas and is great fun to work with”.
Wynn-Edwards’ basic brief was to get away from anything looking too ravey – after which he was left to his own imaginative devices! He took advantage of the band’s predilection for unconventional lighting, opting for a heavily back-light and floor- based rig.
The other reason for having a lightshow that’s largely floor based was a practical one – they were playing a wide variety of venues, so the rig had to be adaptable, and look More >
HSL Supplies Robe Digital Spots for Human League Tour
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL has bought 12 new Robe DigitalSpot 5000 DT moving projector fixtures, six of which went directly out on the Human League’s latest UK and European tour, specified by lighting designerRob Sinclair.
Sinclair has been producing and operating the Human League’s visuals for the last 4 years and designing their lights for the last 2 years. He first saw the DigitalSpot 5000’s in action at PLASA 2006, where HSL’s Mike Oates demonstrated their capabilities. This was enough to convince him to use them on the upcoming tour.
HSL’s Mike Oates says, “We’d been itching to buy the DigitalSpots as soon as we knew they were coming to the market at PLASA. I can see enormous potential in all sorts of applications for a highly efficient moving projector.”
Human League’s live work has explored alternative visual avenues for some time. However the enduring popularity of their vintage 1980’s electro pop made returning to a strong projection show this year particularly relevant. Sinclair explains that some of the band’s most memorable gigs of 20 years ago had featured a ‘slide show’, and Human League’s Philip Oakey wanted to inject this sort of vibe back into the current show.
This also gave More >
HSL Keeps the Golden Balls Rolling
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL pulled out all the stops to deliver in excess of 700 Pulsar Chroma Heart LED fixtures to illuminate the set of the new ITV games show ‘’Golden Balls’’ for LD Tom Kinane.
Golden Balls is an Initial produced 40-part series being recorded in TV6 at the BBC’s Wood Lane Studios. It’s directed by Simon Stafford and Julian Smith and aired daily during the 5 – 6 p.m. prime time slot on ITV1. Presented by veteran comedian Jasper Carrot, it’s a game of luck, intuition and barefaced bluff as four contestants battle it out to win – or loose – thousands of pounds. .
HSL’s project managerSean McGlonecomments, “We already had 150 Chroma Hearts in stock and allocated for this project, and then at the last minute, it was decided to increase the level to over 700 units. Rising to the challenge, Sean decided to purchase the additional 600 units and Pulsar decided they were going to build them. “Team work,” laughs McGlone.
Even after making this decisive move, it was still touch and go as to whether they would get the extras delivered and installed in time for the first show …… but everyone at Pulsar and HSL worked hard to ensure it all happened.
“HSL were absolutely brilliant” says More >
HSL C’s the Light at Edinburgh
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL is once again supplying C Venues with lighting equipment for its 7 main venues – incorporating 17 theatre spaces – at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
C Venues is presenting over 200 shows performed by 140 companies from all over the world across the 3 week festival period. It’s the largest theatre programme on the Fringe, representing a vibrant mix of all types of performance genres including dance, drama, comedy, physical theatre, musicals, film, cabaret, events and workshops.
HSL’s Mike Oates project managed, working closely with C Venues’ production manager Julie Rawlins.
The supply has included over 350 lighting fixtures, desks, dimmers and several kilometres of cable.
It’s the third year running that HSL has supplied C Venues atEdinburgh. Mike Oates says, “We’re really pleased to be involved with C-Venues and the Fringe again. HSL has a history of working with all types of theatre shows, and it’s great to support all the energy and enthusiasm – not to mention some cutting-edge performances – of the Fringe”.
Each C Venues space has a ‘standard’ rig comprising of basic fresnel wash cover, a selection of Source Four profiles with different lenses and assorted More >
HSL at Creamfields 2007
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL supplied and co-ordinated lighting and sound production and 40 crew covering all 10 arenas at Creamfields 2007 for producers Loudsound Events.
This, the largest Creamfields event to date featured a host of international DJ’s and bands including main stage double headliners Groove Armada and the Chemical Brothers, and was the second at their new site in Daresbury near Warrington.
It’s the 6th year that HSL has supplied technical production to theUK’s best known dance event. They brought ML Executives onboard as their audio partners to deal with all-things sonic, and all departments worked closely with event production manager Lee Charteris.
HSL’s on site co-ordinator was Ian Stevens, He collaborated with project manager Mike Oates who oversaw all the paperwork, advance logistics and prep.
Two dedicated HSL crew chiefs – Dave Jolly (chosen for his diplomatic dexterity) and Jonny Harper (picked for his great motivational skills in dealing with local crew) – were appointed, and they spent a whole week in the warehouse ahead of the get-in to ensure that the 6 trucks worth of lighting arrived on site fully prepped, tested and marked up for efficient deployment around the More >
Brand New HSL Robe Rig
1 year ago
in 2007
HSL’s new Robe ColorSpot and ColorWash 700 ATs were literally delivered from the Czech Republic, unpacked from their boxes, tested and cased up to go on tour with “much tipped” New York indie rockers Brand New.
Lighting designer Sarah Landau was initially recommended to HSL by Mainlight Industries at the end of 2006, when seeking a video based solution to realise her design for the band’s upcomingUKtour – their biggest production outing to date.
Further research revealed that HSL carried a large stock of ColorKinetics iColor Tiles … and Landau thought they would be the hire company for her.
HSL’s Mike Oates says, “We’re all very excited to be working with Brand New and Sarah – there’s a real buzz about the band, and Sarah is extremely talented and has a great career ahead”.
Landau comments, “Mike and HSL have done everything possible to make the tour smooth, efficient and enjoyable on the lighting front. The pre-production was really detailed and meticulous – it’s been a real pleasure”.
Apart from the new Robes, HSL also supplied 35 ColorKinetics iColor Tiles and a Catalyst digital media server, which are the video element that Landau wanted to integrate into her More >
