Gallery & Press Releases
Posts tagged Robe
‘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 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 >
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 >
Global Gathering for HSL
9 months ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL continued its busy summer supplying lighting equipment, LED screens, trussing and rigging for the Main Stage and five tented arenas at the 2012 Global Gathering event, staged at Long Marston Airfield near Stratford ….. attracting up to 50,000 dance music fans over two days.
HSL’s Tim Fawkes project managed the event and co-ordinated the supply of seven trucks worth of equipment to event production lighting designers Nick Jevons and Phil Windward of Electric Fly, also working closely with their lighting crew chief Mark Callaghan.
The main stage headliners were Tinie Tempah (Friday) and Chase & Status (Saturday). They and a host of other top international DJs and live acts – including Armin van Buren, Skrillex, Dot Rotten, James Zabiela, Ferry Corsten and hundreds more – set the fabulous Warwickshire countryside buzzing with the very best dance vibes,.
Even the sun participated in the fun .. delighting everyone with a fantastic performance over the two days – one of the few UK festivals this summer not to be plagued by erratic weather. The good weather prompted a run on the last remaining tickets the week before.
HSL is also More >
HSL Rocks With Prodigy at Download
11 months ago
in 2012
Lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied a substantial ‘specials’ package – including 170 moving lights, custom metal ribs inset with LEDs and a Kinesys automation system – for The Prodigy’s hell-raising headliner performance at the 2012 Download festival, staged at Donnington Race Track near Derby.
The band’s show visuals were designed by Andy Hurst. As you’d expect it was a high impact, high energy, relentlessly pumping show musically and visually.
As it was also the band’s only UK festival appearance this summer Hurst wanted to do something on an epic and grand scale.
HSL’s Mike Oates project managed with HSL’s Tim Fawkes working as system and console tech on-site, and also assisting Hurst with the WYSIWYG pre-programming, completed in HSL’s dedicated visualisation facility at their new warehouse in Blackburn.
The backbone of the rig was 16 custom 8 metre high curved ‘ribs’ which were all individually outlined with LEDs, flown across the full stage width on three staggered upstage trusses. The idea being to add depth to the whole performance space.
These trusses were flown on Kinesys beam trolleys so they could be tracked upstage during the day and concertina’d More >
HSL Supplies UK Schools Games Opening Ceremony
1 year ago
in 2010
HSL supplied lighting, LED screens, rigging, staging, structures and power for the Sainsbury’s UK Schools Games Opening Ceremony at Gateshead International Stadium. The Blackburn based company was working for show production company Fast Track Events and also for Modular Projects who together delivered the show for end clients, the UK Youth Sport Trust. The ceremony was hosted by BBC Sports presenter Jill Douglas
HSL’s Mike Docksey co-ordinated a masterpiece of planning which ensured that everything ran like clockwork on site, with Howard Dean production managing HSL’s multi-skilled crew and liaising closely with show producer, Fast Track’s Bob Caple.
Says Docksey, “This was a real team effort from all angles, requiring a lot of transparent and lucid communications. It was a pleasure to work with Bob and Fast Track Events again, to be involved with and assist in capturing the vibe, enthusiasm and spirit of this occasion”.
With the majority of the production components of the event given over to HSL to co-ordinate, the various creative elements could focus on their contributions to the show.
The high energy 60 minute Opening Ceremony show was unlike anything ever seen More >
HSL Immersed in the Pendulum Tour
1 year ago
in 2010
Blackburn-based HSL continues an incredibly active 2010, supplying lighting and crew to the current UK and European tour by Australian drum ‘n’ bass rockers Pendulum, whose distinctive hi-energy sound and performance is storming around the world with their third album “Immersion”.
The show, a seamless fusion of video and lighting, is designed by Mark Calvert of Immersive (formally known as Pixel Addicts), together with his colleagues John Munroe and Dave Green. It features a striking set architecture constructed from special dollies containing Barco MiStrip LED screen, which has its own set lighting system some parameters of which are controlled, along with the video content, by Immersive’s dynamic Addict show control system. Additional lighting onstage is controlled through a ‘traditional’ lighting console operated by lighting designer Simon Barrington.
Mike Oates is project managing for HSL. He says, “When production manager Chris Griffiths asked us onboard we were really excited. We have also worked on projects with Simon and Immersive before, so it’s a really bright and happy team. The show is right at the cutting edge of visual design and show control, which is a great More >
