Gallery & Press Releases
2011
HSL Goes Up Several Gears
1 year ago
in 2011
HSL supplied lighting equipment and crew for the recent Top Gear Live events in the UK’s LG Arena at Birmingham’s NEC and at the ExCel Centre in London, with lighting designed by Steve Sinclair.
It’s the first time that HSL has worked on this hugely popular, high profile automotive extravaganza - a unique, highly entertaining mix of theatre, hair raising stunts, and powerful, hot-rodded, bespoke very special performance cars.
HSL was awarded the contract to supply the lights following a competitive tender process. While Steve had not worked with them before, he had heard that the award winning Blackburn company had “Really upped their game” in the last couple of years, and had also received several recommendations from others.
HSL’s project Manager Thor Andre Saether (Spantax) comments, “With HSL being a company full of “petrol-heads” there was a lot of excitement here when we got the job, and as it progressed we were not let down! Working with Steve and his team has been a great experience. They have been very involved in coming up with the best possible solutions for all the challenges a show like this presents. I went down to see the first show in Birmingham and would highly More >
HSL Fuses Pop, Hip Hop & Style for Tinie Tempah
1 year ago
in 2011
HSL creative director Andy Hurst collaborated closely with Tinie Tempah’s artistic director Willow and show producer Anthony Randall to create a concept for the popular rapper’s recent sold out UK arena tour.
The main priorities onstage were making sure that the band were well lit and matching the massive energy and vibes of the set with an interesting visual space.
With video content and stream of visual information being fast and furious, Andy wanted to ensure that the lighting was supportive, complimentary and uncomplicated. He sought to produce a clean and uncluttered look and a specific style of lighting that required plenty of precision and thought. Timing was – naturally – crucial!
On the cover of Tempah’s debut album Disc-Overy, the artist appears in a triangle. This initiated a flow of ideas, but having seen many sets already featuring this look, the creative team required something edgier and more original as a stage setting, so decided to invert the shape, which was then reinforced with a series of ‘V’ trusses.
Andy specified a combination of moving lights for his ‘pop meets hip-hop’ oeuvre, including 16 Martin Professional MAC III profiles, 30 Martin MAC More >
HSL Supplies UK’s Hottest Panto
1 year ago
in 2011
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied and installed a full mother grid and flying system for scenery, cloths and props, plus all the lighting equipment to stage one of the UK’s highest profile pantomimes this year – “Robinson Crusoe & The Caribbean Pirates” – at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow.
The show, produced by Qdos Entertainment, stars John Barrowman who also co-directs with Jonathan Kiley. He’s joined by maverick Scottish comedy duo, The Krankies, in a colourful, all-action romp from Port Glasgow to Skull Island, where good and evil battle it out in classic panto style resulting in a supersonic evening of entertainment, slapstick humour and much hilarity!
Lighting – a beautiful vibrant fusion of moods to match the pacey rhythm of the performance, its multiple locations and quick scene changes – is designed by Nick Richings.
HSL’s project manager is Mike Docksey, who comments, “It’s great to work with Nick, particularly on this production which really lends itself to dramatic lighting. His designs are always original and innovative. It was also a great challenge to have the chance of designing and installing a full theatrical rigging system tailored More >
HSL is Red Hot at the 2011 MTV EMAs
1 year ago
in 2011
HSL supplied all lighting for the Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s incendiary performance at Belfast’s Ulster Hall, part of which was integrated with the 2011 MTV European Music Awards (EMAs) telecast, staged the same night at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena.
HSL’s creative Director Andy Hurst was asked by MTV to be the television lighting director and production designer for the Ulster Hall site – which also featured a gig the night before by UK rockers Kasabian, part of which was also broadcast as part of the EMA’s show.
Andy worked in conjunction with RHCP’s LD Scott House, and Matt Amos, TV director for the Ulster Hall element of the EMA’s.. He and Matt had also recently teamed up for the Digital Music Awards at London’s Roundhouse.
Andy decided to light the entire RHCP show in different colour temperature whites – to set an edgy down-stripped scene to capture the energy and vibe of their rock-out performance – both for the live audience and on camera.
His idea was also to produce a retro look – with lots of incandescent style PAR and ACL beams – but using the latest technology.
There were also audience seated behind the band in the atmospheric venue’s curved choir stall section, flanking its More >
HSL Supplies BT British Olympic Ball Event
1 year ago
in 2011
HSL supplied lighting and LED screens for the BT British Olympic Ball fundraiser event for Team GB, staged in the Grand Hall of Olympia, London, on October 7th 2011, working for producer Amanda Heathcote, CEO of Fireball.
HSL’s project manager Tim Fawkes and a crew of eight ensured that all lighting and scenic video designer Matt Pitman’s requirements were met for a spectacular evening in the company of Olympic champions, Team GB medal contenders and sports and entertainment stars and celebrities.
The format was a fundraising dinner for over 2,000 people, with live performances from Tinchy Stryder and Tom Jones. The evening was presented by actor Stephen Fry and comedienne Miranda Hart.
The eye-catching set, designed by Fireball and Invisible Blue featured two large scenic lion heads upstage left and right, flanking a central LED screen measuring 12 metres wide with a 7 metre drop, made up from 228 panels of Martin Professional EC-20. HSL has recently made a massive investment in this product range.
HSL supplied 20 Robe ColorBeam 700E AT moving lights positioned on floor and gallery level to illuminate the full length of the Great Hall’s magnificent glass arched roof.
For the More >
This One is For HSL on Olly Murs
1 year ago
in 2011
Leading UK lighting rental company HSL continued its excellent working relationship with Production North, supplying the lighting design and equipment to the recent Olly Murs UK tour.
The chart topping singer/songwriter and runner up of X-Factor 2009 has evolved a live performance style of his own, cutting a new and fresh model from that of other successful reality TV contestants who follow up with solo careers. Show producer Beth Honan’s stage set was designed with a ska/2 Tone flourish, and Murs’ performance included some Madness inspired quirks and a generally up-beat, jaunty tone, backed by a stonking 9 piece band including full brass section. His natural wit and humour was also integral to the show.
The lighting design was created by Phil Wiffin for HSL. Dave Lee operated and looked after everything on the road, working alongside tech Johnny Harper. HSL’s project manager Mike Oates comments, “Once again Production North compiled a great team to produce a versatile, entertaining show with high production values. It was good to be working with production manager Sarah Hollis again, and exciting to be involved with a talented artist at the start of his career.”
The lighting rig More >
HSL Moves It in Style
1 year ago
in 2011
HSL supplied lighting design, equipment and crew for 4 live stages at the 2011 Move It exhibition in Olympia, London – the UK’s largest live dancing experience – working for Upperstreet Events – who organised and co-ordinated the exhibition.
The stages – Main, Freestyle, Arena & Flawless – were dotted all around Olympia, and a production lighting design for all of them was created by HSL’s project manager Dave Singleton. Singleton has designed this show before but this was his first time working for HSL who have been lighting equipment suppliers for the last 2 years.
One of the challenges they had to content with was the high daylight factor due to the venue’s arched glass roof, and the other was the very tight get in/rigging time.
For the load in HSL supplied 16 lighting techs, crew chief Simon “Piggy” Lynch and rigger Ian Stevens, plus 4 students from technical courses at the Brit School of Performing Arts who were on work experience. For the out they were joined by 14 local crew and rigger Steve Belfield.
Main stage was a 13.5 diameter circular construction, with a catwalk emanating from backstage area.
HSL installed a 20 metre square mother grid in the roof, below More >
HSL Expands Inventory with Martin Lighting and Video Products
1 year ago
in 2011
One of the fastest growing lighting rental companies in Europe, HSL of Blackburn, UK, has recently made a substantial investment in Martin Professional lighting equipment, a purchase that also marks HSL’s entry into the fast growing sector of LED video displays.
The initial investment, the largest one-off purchase in HSL’s history, includes MAC III Profile™, MAC 2000 Wash XB™, MAC 700 Profile™, MAC 700 Wash™ and MAC 101™ moving head fixtures, as well as LC Series™ 2140 and EC-20™ LED screens. That purchase was quickly followed up with a second investment in Martin EC-10 LED screens.
HSL Managing Director Simon Stuart commented on the investment, stating, “It’s great to renew our relationship with Martin, which we are sure will be positive and long term. We are boosting our already extensive moving light stock with the latest technology, and by adding large quantities of LED screen to the hire inventory, we can meet the increasing requirements of designs that also include ‘scenic’ and digital light sources as well as lighting.”
With 20 years in the industry and one of the largest warehouse facilities for lighting and video products in the UK, the new Martin kit gives HSL the More >
HSL On The Level
1 year ago
in 2011
HSL supplied lighting equipment for The Levellers’ recent sold-out “Levelling The Land” tour, marking the 20th anniversary of their ground-breaking album that questioned so many emotive issues and political dialectics of the era, helping inspire a generation of left-leaning activists concerned about the insidious loss of human rights and the potential for emergence of a police state.
Richard Larkum has been the band’s lighting designer for the last 3 years (well known for his award winning work with the Kaiser Chiefs), and he and production manager Phil Winward chose HSL as the lighting supplier, based on both their previous experiences with the Blackburn based company. Winward is also a director of Electric Fly Productions, for whom HSL is a regular supplier, and Larkum has worked with them on several occasions.
HSL’s project manager was Mike Oates, who comments, “It’s been really rewarding to work with both Richard and Phil on such an important and successful tour. The design was refreshingly straightforward and provided a great environment for one of UK’s best and most enduring live music acts”.
Larkum’s starting point for the lighting design was the backdrop, which was a More >
HSL Supplies JLS Arena Tour
1 year ago
in 2011
Blackburn, UK, based lighting rental company HSL is supplying lighting equipment and crew to Production North for the first arena tour by the UK’s most popular boyband, JLS, with lighting designed by Dave Lee and a lively, entertaining show created by artistic director Beth Honan.
HSL’s project manager is Mike Oates, and this follows on from their work on the band’s first theatre tour earlier in the year. He says, “It’s great to be out with JLS again. Production North has really upped the production values and it’s good to see the band develop and become such a success”.
Lighting equipment includes 160 moving lights – a mixture of Vari*Lites and Robes – including the first of the new Robe LEDWash 600 fixtures, one of many recent new purchases by HSL. The moving lights are distributed over a series of semi-circular trusses above and to the sides of the stage, and across the stage floor and set which was designed by Peter Barnes.
Lee’s lighting design is an all-action montage of colour, movement, drama and spectacle to match the hi octane show, featuring some show-stopping gags like a flying car at the top of the show, a moving catwalk that comes down over the audience, plus a giant More >
