New York Arrival
So, just arrived in New York to prepare for the USA leg of the Tompson Reuters Eikon launch.
In NYC there will be two venues for the teaser campaign, these will be revealed very soon... can't give the game away can we?
James
Back in the Warehouse for HSL
So it's been a while since I've spent any time prepping lighting, but when duty calls and all that!
Things are going incredibly well for HSL right now, so much so that everyone in the warehouse is working some serious overtime. I received a call to see if I was available to come in for a couple of days and help out, I had two free days so I said yes.
By the end of today I had everything prepped and heading onto the truck, quite satisfying to be honest, although I couldn't see myself making a career of it...
James
James Undergone d3 Training with UVA
This week James is down in London to learn the ins and outs of United Visual Artists d3 media server.
d3 stands out for its impressive handling of 3d environments using CAD modelling and clever processing. There are clear differences between Catalyst and d3, with the latter being very geared around it's beat accurate 'quantized' timeline and ability to map and scale to a variety of outputs using CAD models.
Used on U2's tour to make use of the 360 degree LED screen which broke up into pieces using motion control. Once the 3D models are in the system, all scaling and distortion is done on the fly without any user involvement.
We're very impressed with the system and hope to use it in the future.
Faithless 2010: Westerpark, Amsterdam
It can be pretty hard work on tour sometimes. You can get shows that are a real push to get ready in time, with huge problems and lots of stress. Sometimes, however, you have shows that are just an absolute pleasure...
With no more than 3 hours of sleep after Werchter, everyone was a little tired to say the least at 9am, but the load in was made nice and easy by the very capable and friendly local crew. We were done by lunchtime and ready to clear the stage for the support band. This is when we discovered that the production company had built a temporary swimming pool at the back of the stage. Added to this, the local crew with a bit of spare scaffolding, had built a diving board!
The rest of the day was filled with naps, dips, snacks and a very mellow vibe.
The show went without a hitch and went down a storm with the 19,000 strong crowd who were already on a high from Holland winning 2-1 against Brazil. Maxi gave the crowd a further boost by appearing on stage wearing a Holland football top for the encore, welcomed by deafening cheers and applause.
Gig to remember!
James
Faithless 2010: Rock Werchter, Belgium
It's a privilege to be with a band who are playing main stage at each of the biggest festivals in Europe this summer. Glastonbury, Sziget and Rock Werchter.
80,000 people are expected this year each day, with 65,000 of those doing all three days. So it's pretty big in numbers, but having a small site means that when it's full, it feels and looks like it!
We were on after Muse, who are touring a very comprehensive lighting and video rig which isn't designed to be taken down in a hurry! We rigged our screen and lighting the night before and arranged an extended changeover period to allow Muse's crew to strip out their 'Blockbuster' style rig which was hung in front of ours.
The changeover was pretty manic but we all made it in once piece! 4am finish, straight to Amsterdam for a 9am load-in...
James
Faithless 2010: Glastonbury
Big Glastonbury Show? Done.
The crew often mark their tours by the 'Big London Show' (Brixton etc..) and Glastonbury, I guess really as a right of passage for the band. Faithless however are no strangers to the Pyramid Stage but I'm pretty sure this show was the best to date.
For myself, there are few better feelings in life than standing infront or amongst 1000's of people 'going off' at a big moment. Last year, Pendulum's set on the 'Other Stage' blew me away for this very reason, the large crowd and the energy 0f the set just hit the right chords. This year, the Faithless crowd hit whole new levels...
I wouldn't like to guess at numbers, but there were people as far as the eye could see, and those at the back were giving it just as much passion and action as those down by the barrier. You'll notice below a number of attempts to capture the crowd on camera, but I'm afraid no photo could really do it justice.
Gladly I made it out to see a few friends on site, and check out another couple of stages. My favourite of which was seeing Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip at the Queens Head. There are certainly perks to the job.
There's a few big festivals to go, however Glastonbury will always hold a well deserved place among the best in the world.
James.
Faithless 2010: Hurricane Festival, Germany
A view from behind the screen...
Today finds us in at the Hurricane festival in Germany after a day off in Hannover. The day started nice and dry but in true German style, torrential rain hit mid afternoon without any notice.
The show went off without any problems although for the first time the performance was infront of 1000s of wet, poncho covered festival goers.
Back home tonight for some work locally and a break from the road.
James
Faithless 2010: St. Petersburg
So, after arriving late at night on our Boeing Business Jet (specially chartered for the band and crew), we headed over to site to check out the stage and technicals.
Seeing as there is only about an hour of darkness at this time of year, we could see the magnificence of the courtyard the show was in as soon as we arrived at 2am. Surrounded by dramatic state buildings, the stage looked very out of place. Even more bizarre was the crowd arrangement, with rows of seating in front of stage and the standing area not starting until behind the front of house tower. The event was for the Russian government's financial event in the city as a treat for the delegates, hence the seating.
Once the show kicked off the atmosphere wasn't what we'd come to expect from Faithless shows, with only a few people sat stage right in the VIP area and about 50 or so stage left in the guests area. The standing crowd in their thousands couldn't seem to get into the show until Maxi ran down the divide between the seating areas and brought the show to them! A very admirable move.
After this the crowd showed a little more energy, peaking for Insomnia and God is a DJ. They never really seemed to connect that much with the show though, how could you when the crowd starts 100ft from stage?
A very strange show in a beautiful place.
Finally Living the Dream…
When you get used to tour buses, busy airports and crowded planes; any change is welcome.
As a last minute addition to the tour, Faithless were asked to travel to St. Petersburg in Russia to perform at a VIP concert as part of a big financial event. To make the trip work, the event organisers chartered a Boeing Business Jet from Royal Jet to fly the band and crew to the city in style...
We arrived at the Signature Air Services terminal at Heathrow (not like your average terminal) to find a grand piano, comfy sofas and tea and biscuits on tap. Realising that the band were slightly delayed and that there was no drink at the terminal, we headed over to Wetherspoon's at T4 for a couple.
Upon return to Signature, we were transported to our plane on mini-bus past the Sultan of Brunei's and many other smart private jets. After a quick security check, we boarded the plane to a welcome of fruit bowls, chocolates and smiling stewardesses. A huge step up from the Ryanair trip to Poland a few weeks ago!
During the flight we were served some of the best food I've had. For starter we had a selection from a plentiful seafood buffet, for main there was a choice of 6 dishes (or a combination) and then a rather sickly sweet trolley! When I asked for a brandy and coke, I was informed that the only brandy available was Remy XO, this wasn't a problem.
Arriving in Russia, Maxi started a chant of 'It's not over, we're not getting off', a sentiment I think most of us agreed on.
I have a strong feeling that this was a once in a lifetime experience and it will be appreciated as such.
James
Faithless 2010: Caribana Festival, Geneva
The Swiss seem to have a knack for festival locations; Gurten Festival is on the top of a hill surrounded by the stunning, snow-capped Alps, and this weekend's festival 'Caribana' is on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The practicalities of these locations seem to be wholly immaterial, normally involving swapping all our equipment on to smaller vehicles or a very long push over grass. Worth it though.
Caribana is in a small spot, in the area between a boat club and a private residence, for 9000 party goers. With lots of high platforms for bars and VIP areas, and the band catering suspended over the lake itself, I quite like this place.
We finished the load-in for lights and video at 7:30 am and came back to the hotel to rest for the day. Just leaving for site again now, looking forward to an easy show and a great reaction as we have come to expect for the band.
James
