HELL freezes over?

Howard Eaton Light Limited (HELL) has experienced a burst of interest in its recently enhanced dry ice machine. The machine, which now has a DMX controlled variable speed fan and pump, plus a new heater protection circuit, is fully protected against corrosion by a hot dip zinc coating process. Purchases have included four machines shipped to Holland for use on Miss Saigon, four to Habegger in Switzerland, two to Neg Earth Lights, and another to Glantre Engineering for one of their many liner projects.

I'd be interested to hear of any dry ice horror stories, because in my experience, a dry ice machine in the wrong hands is a contraption that should be outlawed under the Geneva Convention. Dry ice in theatre is particularly vicious on the orchestra pit and the occupants thereof, as they are generally the first to know about any overspill. I recall being a member of a band in just such a situation where we actually had to stop playing after an over-enthusiastic dry ice operator flooded the stage with the stuff, most of which oozed down into the pit, where visibility became so poor that none of us could see our scores, let alone the conductor.

Meanwhile, HELL has also found increased interest in their SoftCue range with purchases going on to support Heathcliff, Joseph in Essen via Stella Productions, as well as an installation in the Lyric Hammersmith via Autograph, which is currently refurbishing the sound and communications for the theatre.

In addition to the SoftCue, Heathcliff has also acquired, via Brilliant Stages, a radio control system including transmitter, receiver, and 16 PWM dimmers for the remote control of lights in scenic elements.

Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd. (Contact Details)

CPL illuminating Cure

Concert Production Lighting (CPL) has recently equipped The Cure's world tour, which has swept through Europe in the last few months. CPL supplied a comprehensive lighting package incorporating both the conventional and automated lighting including 25 Vari-Lite luminaires for the tour, which included a series of UK dates in early December. These dates replaced those cancelled earlier in the schedule when lead singer Robert Smith was forced to cancel the majority of the UK programme due to a throat infection.

Carol Croft, Project Manager at CPL, commented: "The system we have supplied is ground supported, as some of the European venues do not have the weight loading in the roofs to support the amount of lighting equipment specified. This represents the first extensive use of CPL's Thomas 15-inch Towers by an established band."

Concert Production Lighting. (Contact Details)

Hoist is the main sale

Since parting company from its former manufacturing arm, Total Fabrications, UK company Light & Sound Design has commissioned Out Board Electronics to produce a chain hoist motor controller. Sporting the LSD logo and built to its own specifications, the system is similar to one recently used on the Bon Jovi tour and will be utilised on the forthcoming Michael Jackson tour. Out Board has supplied the system in a rugged 3U high 19-inch rack-mounting unit featuring heavy-duty connectors and controls.

Out Board Electronics Ltd. (Contact Details)

PSL video reinforcement

Preservation Services Ltd (PSL) offered video support on a record number of concert tours last Autumn. Chris Mounsor, their newly-appointed head of music and concert touring for Europe, commented immediately after confirming the East 17 tour: "I came here with a mission to make video reinforcement as automatic a part of a tour inventory's technical support as lighting and sound, and I feel we are succeeding."

In the UK, PSL's November campaigns included work with East 17, Smash Hits, Boo Radleys, and Kenny Rogers, and was followed in December by the Manic Street Preachers and Boyzone, while in Germany, they are out with Eboman (supporting Prodigy) and Roger Whittaker. PSL have also been active on the other side of the Atlantic where they have been engaged on tours with the Smashing Pumpkins, Ozzy Osbourne, and Tori Amos.

At the end of November, they were servicing the prestigious V-tv Awards in India, while other domestic television contracts include the Channel 4 programmes, Wanted and Gamesmaster. They have also been active in the theatre with cameras and video projection out on Chess in Scandinavia.

The announcement of PSL's record work schedule comes at the end of a month, which has seen them invest well over £4 million in state-of-the-art BarcoData, Sony, and Sharp projection equipment, and acquire companies in the UK and South Africa.

If all that wasn't enough, news just at hand indicates that PSL staff have been massing at the Welsh border, in what looks to be an attempt at a hostile takeover of the small British principality. Actually the last bit is a slight exaggeration... I believe they already have a majority shareholding in Wales as it is.

Presentation Services Ltd. (Contact Details)