Brief:- Technics organise an international music competition for artists trained at the "Technics Music Academy ". Hosted in a different country each year, 1992 and 1997 saw the festival held in Britain. PWA were invited to design the stage and lighting for both events. The brief required different sets changing at the 2 intervals, creative and stunning lighting effects, whilst being easily used by a large number of competitors with very little rehearsal time.

Venue:- 5th Technics Music Festival - Wembley Conference Centre. / 10th Technics Music Festival - International Convention Centre, Birmingham

Design:- For both events the stage sets were designed by Nigel Prabhavalkar and the lighting by David Atkinson. The Artistic Director was Andy Smith and the event was produced by Peter Weeks. Sound design by John Greenough.

The Event:-

1992 Festival

The main auditorium held a capacity audience of over two thousand and had been decorated with the flags of all the nations taking part in the festival. The front of the stage was covered in a giant festival logo.

The event began with the raising of a huge steel drawbridge with the entire lighting rig attached to the underside revealing a piano shaped stage and the set for fist group of performers. Details of the players keyboard techniques were videoed by an 8 camera video unit and the pictures projected on a large (25 ft) central screen. The following sections of the show revealed different stage sets, with finale being an illuminated 3d model of London.

"Technics Music Festival exploded into life with a blaze of glorious sound and light " ..."added bonus to the proceedings which already sparkled thanks to the excellent music and dazzling stage sets." - Keyboard Review Magazine

1997 Festival

The auditorium was full with 1500 people when the tabs raised revealing a central performing area with a rotating globe above. Performers entered down a curved central staircase with a musical stave shaped handrail. A book shaped video screen drooped down during each performance to show close-up's of the performers hands playing the keyboards. At the interval the set was changed to a silk banner back drop. The second half began with a song by 40 young children from the Technics Junior Music Programme.

"we would like to thank you for your excellent services during the organisation of the recent Technics World Music Festival" ... "once again please accept our sincere thanks" - Keith Evens - Technics Music Academy

Equipment and Crew:-

1992 Festival

Rigging - 180m of truss, 18 electric chain hoists, 40 sections of steeldeck staging.

Lighting - 40 Vari-lites, 180 Parr cans. 120 spots, 20 ground rows, 8 effects projectors, Celco & Artesian control desks

Sound - 30 Nexo & Martin speakers, 6000 watts of amplification, 48 channel Soundcraft desk.

Video - 4 remote cameras overhead, 4 manual cameras, Grass Valley vision mixer, GE light valve projector, Barco 1500 projector, 4 Betacam video recorders. Cadsoft computer graphics

Crew - 8 set builders, 7 lighting technicians, 7 video technicians, 2 stage managers, 4 sound technicians, 16 stage crew.

Logistics - Three Forty foot articulated trailers, two 7.5 tonne trucks

1997 Festival

Rigging - Full curved staircase, 4m rotating inflatable globe, flown 20ft book shaped projection screen, flown neon TMA logo, 5 other flown items of set, 22 star cloths, 6 silk banners

Lighting - 20 Starlite intelligent lights, 90 generic lamps, 2 follow spots, Celco and Starlite desks.

Sound - 10 JBL and D&B speakers, 48 channel soundcraft desk, 4 foldback wedges, 16 DI boxes, 8 radio mics.

Video - 3 Barco 8000 projectors , 3 manual video cameras, 6 fixed minicams, Snell & Wilcox Magic DaVE vision mixer, 3 Betacam recorders.

Crew - 5 video technicians, 4 sound technicians, 6 lighting technicians, 3 stage managers, 10 stage crew

Logistics - Three 40' articulated trailers, two 7.5 tonne trucks.

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