It’s Global Recycling Day and the Neg Team are keen to work towards sustainability and do our bit for the environment wherever possible. After all, where would Neg be without the Earth?!
With that in mind, our team would like to share some quick and easy tips to encourage us all to reduce, reuse and recycle more at work and at home.
That’s a wrap! We’re all in this together – happy reducing, reusing and recycling!
Neg Earth Lights were delighted to once again supply the lighting and rigging system for Sting’s Autumn tour.
Utilising our custom-made truss with sliding forks, this enabled us to create the arch shaped lighting trusses, turning Lighting Designer Danny Nolan’s design into reality
We have worked with Lighting Designer Danny Nolan for many years, producing some great shows together. This tour was no exception, however this design came with a twist. Using precision engineered sliding forks from Tyler truss we created an arch shaped pre-rig truss.
Ibiza Classics’ Live Show returned once again and we are proud to have supplied the lighting and rigging system for their Winter Tour in 2022.
We worked alongside the Cassius Creative team to bring their lighting vision to life. The lighting rig featured Aryton Karif , ACME Pixel Line, Ayrton Bora and GLP JDC1 as well as a Robe Robospot system with Robe Forte.
The video wall was supplied by Video Design which complemented the lighting effects.
Our Neg Project Manager Gavin Maze says, “We have been working with the Ibiza Classics Team for many years now and it was great to work with them again.”
Credits:
LD- Cassius Creative
PM- Paddy Hocken
Photos- Dan Reid, Ash Youd
Neg Earth Lights supplies lighting, rigging and control systems for Bon Iver’s 2022 European tour.
American indie folk band Bon Iver toured Europe in Autumn 2022 equipped with lighting, rigging and control from Neg Earth Lights. Described by the industry as transcendent, artful and interesting, their unique use of lighting and stage set up caught the attention of fans across the globe.
The rig consisted of 5 V-shaped flown truss equipped with (new this year) Ayrton Cobras, alongside Martin MAC Vipers, Martin MAC Aura XBs, Martin VDO Sceptron and more. Mirrors supplied by White Void were hung below the flown truss and were manipulated throughout the show to reflect light from the floor to create unique lighting effects.
Bon Iver’s 6 band members were raised on platforms lined by LED battens Martin VDO Sceptron, creating the effect of highlighting each of them throughout the show. The floor package boasted 151 lighting fixtures, all of which were involved in reflecting light around arenas across Europe.
The band played London SSE Wembley on the 25th & 26th of October, just a short distance from Neg Earth Lights, and a few Neg employees went to see and photograph the show. Taylor Swift unexpectedly took to the stage with Bon Iver to perform Exile and Skinny Love which caused further excitement to fans.
Neg’s Digital Marketing Manager, Tanya Kanani, witnessed the event, saying “It was clear that fans had long awaited this moment. The energy in the arena was exhilarating. Each song evoked emotion and energy. The lighting was spectacular. The effect produced by the clever use of mirrors created reflections and an incredible glow as coloured light rays bounced around the room, dancing rhythmically to the beat.”
Neg’s Project Manager, Damien Jackson, explains how great it was to see the tour happening, “The tour had been delayed twice previously due to COVID so it was great to finally work with Production Manager, James Dean and Lighting Designer, Michael Brown again.”
Production Design: James Dean
Lighting Designer: Michael Brown
Photo Credit: Ruth Medjber
Neg Earth Lights are thrilled to have been the supplier of the lighting, rigging for Lewis Capaldi’s 2023 European tour, where he performed his latest album ‘Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent’ released in May this year. Neg Earth had previously worked alongside the world-famous Scottish singer on his 2022 tour debuting his chart-topping single Forget Me. In this 2022 tour, Neg provided the lighting, rigging and automation.
Neg Earth’s impressive fixtures joined Lewis Capaldi on stage during both his 2022 and 2023 tours. The performances featured the most innovative of fixtures within their categories, which were ingeniously intertwined with one another for a breathtaking back wall that left fans amazed. One of the features used for the back wall display was the Ayrton Karif LT, a 300W beam-spot luminaire that was alternated with the JDC1 LED Strobe. This dynamic strobe, doubles as a high-powered blinder, making this fixture the perfect addition to a bold and beaming back wall. Neg Earth Lights also supplied GLP Impression FR10 Bars’ for the stage. This 60W LED bar was placed on trusses, controlled using a Kinesys automation system, and placed behind a digital screen showing ever-changing shapes for the audience to view. This was positioned above the singer, with the beams of light powering over the artist and the band, capturing the emotions of each song.
Cassius Creative, the design team, developed the style of the back wall, with Dan Hill from the team expressing, “Surrounding the contemporary, solid architecture of the video monolith which housed the array of FR10 battens, we wanted a surrounding environment that could both enhance and reinforce video content on the monolith and action on stage – as well as having the power and scale to silhouette the monolith; and create a void of negative space the column of light from the FR10’s could appear from.” He continued, “The curvature of the back wall allowed us to create a seamless array of fixtures to do this, the JDC-1’s maintaining the contemporary feel and shape of the monolith; with the Karif’s creating textural beams to cut through other stage lighting, and dynamically change the aesthetic of the stage as required.” The team and crew at Neg Earth worked closely in collaboration with Cassius Creative throughout to ensure that their desired vision incorporating a curve angle, fixture spacing, and atmosphere was brought to life.
Credits:
Lighting Programming: Cassius Creative
Lighting Director: Franki McDade
Camera Director: Phil Woodhead
Video Design: Studio Flint
Video: 4wall
Photography: Projoe Photography
Automation Operator: The Motion Labs
Production Manager: Nick Lawrie
Tour Manager: Scott Smythe
Staging: All Access Staging
Set Fabrication: The Next Stage UK
Scenic LED: LED Creative LTD
Do you need lighting and rigging equipment for an upcoming production?
Neg Earth supported Sinclair / Wilkinson with their vision for the lighting design on this tour. One of our favourite looks was the ‘starlight’ design in which the team at Sinclair / Wilkinson used a star cloth as a backdrop and placed Astera AX3s on a black hi-shine floor to create this look. Wirelessly powered and controlled, the AX3s were integral to achieving this effect.
During conversations in pre-production, the need for an impactful, flexible but simple feature was discussed. Use of our prefabricated pods was quickly suggested to the design team and approved. In total, 4 pods were placed upstage of the band, forming an arc around them. Martin VDO Sceptron were rigged within the pods creating the linear effects we see throughout the show, with GLP FR10 Impression Bars placed at the base to provide additional lighting effects. The lighting pods not only satisfied the design criteria but also provided further opportunities for the design team to integrate them into the pageantry of the show. One example was the addition of a gauze to the front of the pods which was used to great effect to soften the output from the Sceptron at the beginning of the show. Once removed it revealed a more dynamic and defined look.
Working from the drawings from Sinclair Wilkinson, our Fabrication Team designed and built a touring solution that allowed for the lighting elements to be pre-rigged during prep and travel ‘ready built’ during the tour. This not only allowed us to replicate the look quickly and accurately at each show it also provided opportunities to add lighting in other areas.
“A really exciting part of this job was working with fabrication to find an appropriate rigging solution for the Sceptron on the pods. It allowed for creativity and was a great example of the cohesion between all departments at Neg.
It was quite challenging to fit these massive pods along with everything else into the designated truck space, but it was a good opportunity to see how a great truck plan is done.
Goldfrapp was a really good example of the thought that goes into a design to ensure the integrity of the show is maintained in different venues that are vastly different in size, and how that extra thought pays off.” Says our Neg Project Co-Ordinator Jasmine Williams.
Some of the other fixtures used included 18 Ayrton Diablos and Martin Mac Aura XBs.
Lighting Operator Neil Holloway says, “Once Again Neg Earth pulled it out of the bag and gave us a great solution to touring this, while the pods were very large, the rest of the system and components were all kept fairly small for scalability as this tour went through many manners of venue.
This tour I discovered Ayrton Diablo properly, and they’ve absolutely blown me away, such an incredible feature set and Output for such a small unit.
The AX3 around Alison where a stroke of genius from Sinclair / Wilkinson and gave an immense amount of depth to the show, I worked very closely with SW and mainly Luke Rolls on this project and I think we were all very pleased with where it ended up.
Once again, a massive thanks to Neg for being fantastic as usual.
Another big thanks to hard working techs Tom Bexon and Holly Brightman.”
Lighting Design: Sinclair / Wilkinson
Gauze: Alligator Dynamic Drapes
Photography: Neil Holloway
The GRAMMY and Academy Award-nominated American rock band Counting Crows toured Europe this year on their Butter Miracle Tour. Neg supplied a touring floor package alongside flown ‘tungsten’ elements. Key fixtures used included Martin MAC Viper Profiles and GLP JDC1 LED Strobes.
We interviewed Harry Smith, Neg Crew member, to gain a better insight into the behind-the-scenes action of the show.
Harry went to The Guildford School of Acting and has a BA Hons in Professional Production Skills, with a focus on lighting. He spent some time in almost every sector of the industry before crewing with Neg Earth. He mainly focused on lighting programming, but now prefers being on the floor with the nuts and bolts to being behind the scenes. He started in the music touring & live events industry with Neg and has been crewing with us for six years.
What did a typical day look like as a crew member for the Counting Crows show?
9AM – Day starts with a walk around with the Production Manager, Stage Manager, Lighting Director and Promoter’s rep. This tour played venues of varying sizes, so this is largely a negotiation of what is possible, what’s available to use, and what’s been agreed in advance.
10AM – Load in starts.
12PM – By this point we hope to have all our package in, and the focus shifts to make sure Joel, the LD, is happy. This means tying in our network package into whatever system they are using in house, liaising with the venue re: smoke & haze, getting hooked up to the follow-spots etc.
1PM – Lunch!
2PM – It’s at this point that I look to make sure that the lighting system is ‘signed off’. Working methodically through the whole system, I check with Joel that everything is working as it should, that all the house equipment is functioning, and he is ready to get programming the show for the day.
6PM – Dinner!
6:30PM – Doors open! Before public entry, I make sure Joel is happy, and everything still works before the public comes into the space.
8PM – Support Act. I pop my head in before the act starts and make sure everything is running smoothly.
8:30PM – Changeover. This is where my real workday begins again. I check in at FOH that Joel is show ready, his comms to the follow-spots work, the follow-spot ops have arrived and know how they work. I let the stage manager know we are ready to go and settle in at dimmers to be ready to respond to any issues during the show.
9PM – Show time!
11PM – Show down and the load out begins. On a tour like this, there’s not a lot we can do until all the instruments are off the stage, so I help where I can and get any lighting that will impede someone out of the way early. You try to be generally helpful while generally staying out of the way until it’s your turn. We’re always working with the SM to make sure that we are doing things in the order that they expect.
12:30AM – Truck is loaded, time for a shower, a quick bite to eat, maybe a beer if that’s your thing and to bed – ready to start all over again tomorrow in a new city, in a new country!
What made being a crew member on this show unique in comparison to other shows?
The thing that really made this one unique is being on your own. You have a lot of hats to wear – you are the network tech, the crew chief, the dimmer man, the lighting tech, the follow-spot tech. This sometimes means that your attention is being pulled in a lot of directions at once, and people need you to be in more than one location at once. It can make getting what you actually need to get done – which is put the lights out and plug them in – hard.
The way you solve this is by developing good working relationships with the people around you and leaning on them for support. This means getting the stage manager on side, getting the lighting designer involved and getting backline techs working with you in tandem. I liked getting in early and getting all the questions and queries ironed out before too many people start to show up – that way at least you only need to try to be in 2 or 3 places at once, not 4 or 5!
Did you face any challenges as a crew member for this show?
The primary challenge of a tour like this is creating a flexible solution to the designed package, that allows you to chop and change as much as possible while remaining fast and efficient to load in. You can quickly get into a mess when things change every day, chasing your tail around creating more problems than you solve.
This is where working for Neg Earth is such a pleasure. Firstly, as someone early in their career I can lean on the huge diversity of experience from the Neg Earth crew that have been there, done it all and got the pictures to prove it. Secondly, that experience is present in the products and solutions that Neg Earth can provide. Racks, power distribution and product choices are well considered and cohesive – that enables the building of a robust, flexible system. For example, having small patchable racks like the LSC enables the cabling to stay the same every day but adapt to a variety of both package sizes and power sources available.
Being flexible on site requires having a pragmatic view of the whole day and knowing when to push for something and when to back off. The easiest way to have an easy day is keeping everyone on side. This means not being tied to any particular idea, changing things often, and maybe – as it was on this tour – never doing it the same way twice!
What do you like about being a Crew member in general?
For me, the highlight of it is the travel and the people you meet along the way. The industry is full of some incredible characters unlike any other workplace in the world. You get to spend your time with these people, in some of the most beautiful places in the world. That’s a real gift and an honour that I try not to forget.
I don’t think that touring is a ‘solved’ problem, and with every project I, my colleagues and the suppliers we work with learn more and more. It feels as soon as you catch up, the creative teams come up with something bigger and better, and now you’re learning all over again. I think it’s a rare privilege to have a job that evolves at such a rapid pace like this. Every tour is a new challenge, a new puzzle and a new set of skills.
Were there any lighting features that were unique to this show?
We had these large light bulbs hanging all over the place that posed a few challenges. The first challenge was sourcing them – which the Neg Earth procurement team eventually nailed after a dogged three-week search. The second challenge was making them safe. Such a large glass fixture has a risk of exploding and showering the stage in glass. So, these were then dipped in a protective coating to stop any chance of the glass shattering above the stage.
What do you think is the most important aspect of a live performance?
I think the obvious answer here is to say the ‘music’ or the ‘audience love it’. But I have a different answer.
For me the most important aspect of a live performance is that everyone gets to go home at the end of the day to their loved ones – artists, crew, and the audience. The UK entertainment industry has a remarkable safety record. There have been dozens of accidents this year around the world that are a stark reminder that this safety record cannot be taken for granted. The most important question at a live event isn’t “can this be done?” but “can this be done safely?”.
At Neg Earth we are lucky to have people like Will Murray-Jones who help us with this on the road, but also the real focus in the yard on using equipment that is well looked after, correctly specified and with current inspection certifications.
Do you have any advice for someone aspiring to be a crew member in the future?
A strong desire to come and be on the floor, as a nuts and bolts, wingnuts and spanners, Bonafide lighting technician.
It can be a hard industry to crack into, and at the moment the best way to do it is come and be a friendly, intelligent, good humored person willing to muck in and get things moving on the floor. There is a huge shortage of people who want to do this at the moment. I don’t think it’s ever been easier to get yourself on a tour than it is right now.
The other thing I would say is eliminate the phrase “that’s not my job” from your vocabulary. That’s not to say you should start loading in the PA, but that when you’re starting out you don’t have the experience to start dictating what is or isn’t your job. It’s all new, you have a lot to learn (you always will), and if there’s something to be done – you should be getting involved! Every skill is a string to your bow. The judgement of a technician isn’t how much work you’re getting in the height of summer – but how much work you get in the slow periods. You want to be the first person your project managers think of when they need a strong all-rounder and a team player. That’s how you get recognised and remembered.
What do you like about this industry?
I’ve come to love this side of the industry over the others. The scale is immense, there is the budget to do things properly and I enjoy what I consider the true challenges of the industry – managing all the different personalities and stakeholders under huge time pressures.
In the medium term I’m excited to keep growing my skill set and move on to crew chief roles on shows of increasing size in line with my ability. In the long term I’m interested in solving industry problems with technical & product solutions – in whatever fashion that takes.
What is your proudest achievement?
It’s always hard to nail down one achievement that I am most proud of, because each tour brings its own challenges and learning experiences. However recently I was involved with the Benefit Concert for Ukraine with ITV and Neg Earth, and it holds a special place in my heart.
Lighting Designer : Alex Skowron
Touring Lighting Director : Joel Reiff
Production Manager : Kory Carter
Iron Maiden’s The Legacy of the Beast World Tour in 2022 has been described as iconic and unforgettable. It marks 47 years since the band formed in East London. The band are known for their legendary performances and stage sets. Neg provided the lighting, rigging and automation for the tour which left fans amazed.
Some of the fixtures used, included ROBE BMFL Wash XF, Clay Paky Sharpy Wash 330, Vari*Lite VL6000 Beam and Martin Mac Aura XB LED.
One of the most memorable visuals in the show was the Spitfire aircraft floating and moving above the artists during the performance. Here, we used a Litec DST truss, Kinesys motorised trollies and Liftket chain hoists to allow the inflatables to track up and down stage.
The stage lighting formed an arch over the performance space, the atmospheric angled trusses were shaped using sliding truss widgets.
In line with the artists, the fixtures for this show were used creatively, in order to achieve the vision of the band!
Our Project Manager for Iron Maiden’s Tour, Sam Ridgway, shared his reflections:
“We have supported the Maiden camp for many years, every campaign and design brings its own challenges and triumphs. Usually, we are discussing the impact of the latest tour’s ‘Eddie’ however on this tour the Spitfire overshadowed him! Having been involved in conversations throughout its development, it was a great moment to finally see the Spitfire live on stage.”
LD: Robert Coleman
Photo Credit: John McMurtrie
Management: Phantom Music Management
Special effects: Pyrotekfx
PA: Clair Brothers
Inflatables: Hangman
The Team at Neg Earth Lights have had a very busy few months providing equipment both nationally and internationally, for festivals and large live events. Throughout this period, the team encountered several challenges, but were resilient, hardworking, and maintained high spirits!
We’d like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone at Team Neg for making everything we do possible!
Neg Earth Lights invests in 29 IVL Photon lighting fixtures from Minuit Une to add to our rental stock.
Managing Director, Dave Ridgway, viewed the IVL Photon at PLASA earlier this year. As one of the winners of the PLASA Innovation Award 2022, the IVL Photon is already a fixture in demand.
The Judges said that “the multitude of dazzling effects from this laser light source will bring digital fireworks to productions.”
Boasting 3 main outputs (mirror, frost and moving core), as well as 9 gobos, dimmer and RGB control for each of the 8 mirror tilts and an electronic shutter; the IVL Photon provides freedom in creativity.
Our team of Lighting Technicians received training at our HQ from Minuit Une shortly after PLASA, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to deliver high quality service to maintain the IVL Photon. A big thank you to the team at Minuit Une for the fantastic service and training.
You can now find the IVL Photon on our Stock at a Glance list.
Do you need lighting and rigging equipment for an upcoming production?
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