Bon Jovi - A Crew Still Doing It - Mobile Production Pro

IN THE NEWSBandit Lites Catchesits Breath withNEEDTOBREATHEBandit Lites is on the road with Americanrock band, Needtobreathe on the secondleg of their tour entitled The Reckoning.The tour began on April 2 and willcontinue through August 17.The first leg of the tour featured acustom-made typewriter, an addition that,while elaborate and impressive, couldbe distracting for audience members.Fortunately, inspiration struck guitarist BoRineheart as he looked over at the fly railsystem lit by back light.Jay Waddell, Needtobreathe’s lightingdesigner of the last five years, drew uponthat inspiration to create a unique but “lessflashy” set production: 1800 feet of ropehang from a custom-built touring framewith a rope nail attached underneath,creating a look of a fly rail system. VL2500s and Martin MAC Aura’s lightthe set from all angles, a task for whichWaddell said the Auras were especiallywell suited.“They really are the perfect fixture for thisdesign,” Waddell said. “The zoom featurein it helps us light the ropes from anyangle, including close or long range, andthey provide a lot of power to wash theropes from any direction. Also, I really likethe color, as they produce a lot of goodearthy tones. I really like the natural ropecolor.”Another interesting aspect to the tour isthe moving element, giving the tour amore theatrical look. With the full rig in,the show consists of four scene changes.The top of the show opens with a kabukicurtain hanging mid-stage. The band playsa stripped down performance with a twopiecedrum kit and guitars. From there, themid-stage curtain falls to reveal the stageand the full band. Burlap covers the ropesas four trusses hang upstage with a 12-foot trim. Following a few more songs, theburlap is torn away to reveal the ropes, stillhanging at that 12 foot trim. Finally, at thepinnacle point in the show, the entire setexpands as the ropes rise up to a 20-foottrim, giving the set a growing illusion.While the design came together easily,with a plan in place to hang and transportall the rope, each venue presented its ownset of challenges as the crew works to fitthe set on the stage around permanentfixtures.“Our production manager, Tyler Scott,gives a good amount of support with theadvanced rigging,” explained Waddell,“and figuring out, you know what kind ofroom we have, and giving some ideas ofthings we can fit in a particular space.”Bandit technician Erich Hudgens andTaylor Chandler make up the additionallighting crew.www.banditlites.comLMG’s Music City CenterOffice Opens for Businessin NashvilleLMG, Inc., a national provider of video,audio and lighting support, recently tookpart in the grand opening celebrations onMay 19-20, 2013 for the Music City Centerin Nashville, marking the official openingof LMG’s onsite office as the audiovisualprovider for the facility.Operating onsite under the name MusicCity Audiovisual, LMG signed a multiyearaudiovisual contract with the MusicCity Center to support the 1.2 millionsquare foot facility with dedicated onsitestaff and equipment. LMG supported thegrand opening celebration with video,audio and lighting equipment for the twodaycelebration in Nashville that includeda Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, with BradPaisley showing up to play the Mayor’sState of Metro address. The NashvilleSymphony, Phil Vassar, Ten Out ofTenn, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and SherylCrow all played free shows as part of thecelebration.LMG’s Nashville Account Team: from left to right– Curt Wallen, Steve Austin, Stephen Presti, andChris RoyeaAs part of the growing onsite team, LMGhas hired several new key staff members,led by accounts manager Curt Wallen,who has been working in that role sinceFebruary. New additions to the MCC teaminclude Chris Royea as account executive,Grace Anzelmo as operations supervisor,and Niki Cardwell as show assistant.In addition, to round out the Nashvillemanagement team, Stephen Presti waspromoted to regional manager, and leadsthe LMG Nashville and Orlando showaccount teams. Steve Austin, hired inSeptember 2012, manages LMG’s local24,000 square foot office/warehouse asaccounts manager.“We are very excited to be a part of theMCC team, and to be able support thecelebration to mark the opening of thisone of a kind facility,” said Les Goldberg,CEO/President of LMG. “We lookforward to the future at the Music CityCenter, and our new onsite staff brings a lotof experience and energy to help the MCCelevate Nashville as the next great meetingdestination.”The Music City Center features 1.2 millionsquare feet, a 350,000 square foot exhibithall, a 57,000 square foot grand ballroomand 18,000 square foot junior ballroom,and about 1,800 parking spaces. It alsooffers 90,000 square feet of meeting roomspace – approximately 60 meeting rooms -and 32 loading docks that provide ultimateflexibility and ease of loading in and out forconvention planners.LMG has provided video, audio andlighting support for some of the world’slargest conventions and meetings, nationallytelevised events, international concert tours,and FORTUNE 500 company businesspresentations.www.LMG.netRihanna’s Diamonds WorldTour Sparkles with DiGiCoRihanna’s Diamonds World Tour kickedoff in March for 27 dates peppered acrossthe U.S. and Canada through May—withmore dates stretching into the fall. WithEighth Day Sound at the production helm,the audio kit included a pair of SD7s anda d&b audiotechnik PA provided by EighthDay Sound, with Kyle Hamilton at FOHand Ed Ehrbar on monitors.4 mobile production monthly

IN THE NEWSBuick. The 2.5 meter diameter surroundswere scenically carved, hard coatedand covered in chrome vinyl auto-bodywrapping to provide the chrome featuredon the Electra.to transport, and Reunion Blues is the onlybrand he trusts to get the job done right.On tour last year, Kenny Chesney’s bandgear was thrown to the ground while beingunloaded from an airplane cargo hold.Luckily, these guitars were traveling inReunion Blues RB Continental cases, andsurvived the fall unscathed. Nothing beatsthe impact protection of Reunion Bluesguitar and bass cases - just ask Kenny’sband.www.reunionblues.comA four meter by two meter Bon Jovi‘Garden State’ license plate withintegrated LED sits across the middle ofthe inflatable car, adding to the scenicintricacy of the set. Atop the edge of theinflatable Buick is a metal rain gutterstructure, created by TAIT to moveany water away from the stage whenperforming in inclement weather. Thegutter interfaces with the inflatable roofand is scenically painted to match thesilver blue of the car.The project build took TAIT just 10 weeksfrom start to completion; reinforcingTAIT’s ability to create artisticallyimpressive, yet extremely tourable scenicstructures in a shorttime period.www.taittowers.comKenny Chesney Travelswith Gear Worth Over$100,000 in ReunionBlues Guitar CasesRenowned country artist KennyChesney and his band can chooseany gig bag or case brand totransport their gear, but ReunionBlues is the only one they trust tokeep their guitars and basses safeon tour. With over $100,000 worthof gear, traveling can be perilous,so knowing that every instrument isprotected is critical. Band guitar techJames “Catfish” Wingate understandsthe importance of making sureeveryone’s gear is both safe and easy6 mobile production monthly

Rehearsal Facility>>mobile production monthly 7

Bandit Lites AppointsNew DIrector of TechnicalServicesBandit Lites is pleasedto announce thepromotion of JakeTickle to Director ofTechnical Services.He will oversee alltechnical aspects ofBandit includingsupport for roadstaff, research anddevelopment, trainingand repairs.“Jake’s tireless efforts to ensure that ourtechnical department reflects the highstandards our clients have come to expecthas made Jake an integral part of Bandit forsome time,” said Pete Heffernan, Bandits’president. “We are proud to have him insuch a position where he will continue toguarantee Bandits’ success for years tocome.”Tickle joined the Bandit family in 2006 andwas promoted to Tech Service Manager in2007.He previously worked for Carnival CruiseLines as an Entertainment TechnicalCoordinator.www.banditlites.comConstantinos VonofakidisJoins High End Systems asRegional Sales ManagerConstantinos Vonofakidis has joinedentertainment lighting manufacturer HighEnd Systems as Regional Sales Managerfor Southern Europe, Turkey, Russia,Africa and India. Based in Athens, Greece,Constantinos will be responsible for salesof the company’s full range of lighting andcontrol products in these key territories.Prior to joining High End Systems,Vonofakidis worked for Telmaco, thecompany’s and also Barco’s distributionpartner in Greece. As the brand managerfor High End Systems and also as aspecialist for the entertainment market,Constantinos focused on lighting equipmentsales in rental companies, television studios,theaters and other entertainment venues.He first joined the industry over twentyyears ago at BON Studio as an installationand service engineer, specializing in therepair and installation of automatedlighting and control products. He laterjoined Kem Electronics, where he dealt withthe sales of broadcast video equipment inmajor television studios throughout Greeceand the Balkans.Constantinos comments, “It’s a big honorto join such a legendary manufacturer,and I’m very proud to be a part of theHigh End Systems family. Having workedon the distributor side for many years, it’sexciting to bring this experience to HighEnd Systems, as I believe I know what ourclients expect in both products and support.I’m looking forward to visiting the countriesin my territory and introducing them to ourlatest technological innovations.”Vice President of Worldwide Sales RenaatDe Wilde adds, “We are all very excitedabout Constantinos joining our team. Hehas been working in the lighting and AVindustry for twenty years, and he now bringsthat experience to High End Systems. Mostrecently he worked for Telmaco in Greece,where he was responsible for domestic andinternational sales. Constantinos will bringus and our partners strong added valuefor the regions he will be responsible for,which are Southern Europe, Turkey, Africa,Russia and India.” Part of the Barco group,High End Systems is an industry leadingmanufacturer of entertainment lighting andcontrol products.For more information on High EndSystems, visit www.highend.comRick McClendon JoinsManley Labsas VicePresident ofSales andMarketingManley Labs,an Americanmanufacturer ofhand-built, highqualityaudio hardware, announced thatindustry veteran Rick McClendon hasjoined the company as Vice Presidentof Sales and Marketing. Most recentlyGeneral Manager of Aphex Systems,McClendon has decades of experienceworking with professional audio and musiccompanies such as Tascam, SeymourDuncan, Harman International, andRoland. McClendon will work directly withpresident EveAnna Manley and StrategicAdvisor Matt Ward, to solidify Manley’spresence in the pro audio market and toexpand Manley’s worldwide distributionnetworks.“I am confident that Rick’s distinguishedhistory and industry connections will take usto the next level,” said company presidentEveAnna Manley. “It’s very exciting to seeManley grow to the point where we canattract someone of Rick’s caliber.”In addition to managing Manley’s networkof US dealers and international distributors,Rick will drive efforts to raise awarenessin the marketplace of the fastidious buildquality and sonic fortitude of Manley’sproducts.www.manley.com8 mobile production monthly

TOURLINKTalking Stick ResortScottsdale ArizonaNetwork with professionals inconcert touring & their relatedindustries. There are educationalsessions, good laughs &friendships to be made.SCOTTSDALEAWAITSFEBRUARY 6-82014The Top Dog Awards show is oneof the most anticipated evenings ofTour LinkTOUR LINKFEB 6-82014MORE INFO: 615.256.7006REGISTER ONLINEtourlinkconference.com/register

Pros of On CallLabor Gigs:PTT of FloridaPays to Trainand ThenRetainsby Linda HamburgerEvery Wednesday, a small group of potential new hires sits in the conference roomof PTT of Florida, a South Florida based temporary on-call event labor company. It’sorientation day, the first stage of training. “It’s mandatory,” says managing partnerMaria Munro. “Whether you have 20 years or just graduated from college, everyone istrained in the company culture and opportunities for furthering themselves, not just withPTT but with the industry. We’re on-call labor. It’s realistic to know that our employees maywork with crews on projects other than our own.”Even before they set foot on a job site, before they fill in payroll andeven if they have worked previously for the company and took along-term hiatus, the company trains before it retains.“It’s good business and good for recruiting,” says Munro. “It’s farmore likely our staff and clients will refer PTT, in part because weprovide all our employees with a free training program. The programis part of our hiring process, and everyone takes part. This ensuresthat each member goes in any venue with good skills and attentionto safety. That helps advance a career. PTT gets positive wordof-mouthand, as word spreads, potential new staff members andbookings.”Training ROI:PTT’s monthly “school” for employees offers four-hour workshops atno charge for its staff. The teams are small enough to provide oneon-onetraining. Every session is led by experienced field expertswho instruct basic stagehand skills, attention to safe practices andPTT rules of behavior on any job. Those with more experience findthe sessions useful as a refresher. They also help mentor novices,which helps to develop team leader skills.“It’s not much differentfrom office temporary labor,” says Munro. “While office tempagencies deal with a variety of careers, they also provide a greatenvironment for students to learn outside of a classroom, makemoney and test out career options in the industry. Just like officeplacement agencies, the more trained the staff, the more anemployee earns and the more in demand PTT is for a variety ofskilled labor needs.”“Employees learn on the job through mentoringand direction,” says PTT Staff and Project Manager Anthony Kessler.“It avoids potentially becoming pigeon-holed into one part of theindustry. PTT emphasizes cross-training skills so someone canpinch hit if there is a need on the job. The company holds specialworkshops in handling forklifts, spotlights and up-rigging throughoutthe year.”Classes Are Not Graded:PTT created its own learning manual and it covers a lot of ground.From safety, work habits and uniforms, to more advanced skills thatinclude sound, electronics, carpentry and more.Classes are not graded. Assessment tools include written quizzesand visual observation. Instructors bring over 45 years of combined

professional experience. They are top pros inlighting, sound and rigging.“The curriculum was created by PTTemployees and PTT clients,” says Munro. “Itcame from daily interactions. If PTT employeesor clients came to us with questions and wenoticed that it seemed to come up often, thatmade its way into the PTT training program.”More recently, PTT has taken its educationright to the university and college classrooms.“Young people major in events management,but often find limited opportunities for makingmoney while working student events. Thereare countless opportunities for students tovolunteer for nonprofit events, but it can be atough field to train and earn at the same time,”adds Kessler.The Jobs Are Always Hiring:The biggest demand for on call laborcompanies tend to be in areas that rely ontourism and seasonal flux. Large conventionsavoid South Florida in the summer. Shows canbe cancelled and re-scheduled virtually at thelast moment if a hurricane is projected to hit.A full house of staff doesn’t necessarily makesense. Conversely, demand for stagehandscan exceed supply when season is in fullswing. At those times, labor companies canspread their net further and faster to bring inextra hands from throughout the country. Acompany that uses only in-house staff eitherdoesn’t have the resources or time to putout and bring in crew from out-of-state or itsgeographic area.PTT says they are often called upon for lastminute event labor when other companies andevents suddenly fall short. Variables includesuch things as student stagehands. Whenout of session, even spring break can makea pool of talent smaller. More experiencedprofessionals may travel for gigs. Unforeseenevents are possible, such as a client callchanging at the last moment, added eventdates and hours. Even personal emergenciesthat occur can take an experienced person offa job and require immediate replacement.In Florida, residents are also very fluid, movingin and out of the state or area. This constantneed to recruit, train and keep on labor resultsin the on-going job of always advertising foremployees. It creates a ready pool of peoplewith some level of industry experience andfamiliarity with how to perform their jobs withsafety and efficiency.Pros and Cons of Job-by-Job Labor Gigs:Median hourly wage for a stagehand is $15.93 based onstatistics in the US as of 2013. The highest hourly raterecorded was $29.61. The lowest hourly rate recordedwas $9.96. These figures will vary on a state to statebasis as these are averages across all 50 states.Companies Love Labor Agencies:It should be obvious why businesses are fond of on-calllabor workers. Money. Full-time employees mean muchmore than salary. The average benefits package equals30 to 40 percent of an employee’s base income, sousing temp workers cuts costs drastically. Businessesalso save by not having to train labor. Agencies ensurethe workers they send have the necessary skills for aparticular job. On the legal side, companies and show/event planners who use labor agencies worry less aboutwrongful termination and harassment lawsuits.Flexible Schedule:If you’re the kind of person who can handle a flexibleschedule and a varied work environment, on-call workallows you to hone the skills you have — and learn newones — while earning a wage.Potential Cons – What You Probably AlreadyKnow:The take-home pay is lower, few benefits, anduncertainty. Sometimes you are called up or cancelled atthe last moment. Don’t blame the agency. Jobs like thisare exactly why the on call labor team is needed.Do You Have What it Takes?The College Student or Recent Graduate — Twentysomethingshaving a tough time in the job market useon-call agencies to make money and possibly find a jobin their field. Plus, temp jobs are a great way to test outa career before committing to it. Students get real-worldexperience for their resumes and earn money to helpwith tuition.• Training — Most on-call labor companies provideopportunities for either classroom, in-house or on-the-jobtraining.• Networking — By not being “in-house” you meetnew faces at every job and others who have experienceworking with area employees who can fill you in onpotential opportunities.• Extra Income — Supplement your daily wage withjobs that offer odd hours for late night concerts andweekend events.**(Photo caption): Anthony Kessler (standing), PTT ofFlorida Staff and Project Manager, is reviewing a designby Joseph Charles.www.pttofflorida.com

Tales fromthe Roadwith Mark Monroeof Country CoachBy Liz Casazza12 mobile production monthly

What do Paul McCartney, MarloThomas, Rod Stewart, FrankSinatra, Eddie Van Halen,Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Cash, andGoldie Hawn have in common?They all have been passengersof Warrenton, Virginia’s MarkMonroe.Beginnings:Monroe has spent the last 38 yearsproviding limousine and upscale coachtransportation to rock ‘n’ roll legends,movie stars, political dignitaries, newsexecutives and corporate leaders.Monroe drove one of the first stretchlimousines registered in Washington,D.C., a 1978 Lincoln Town Car andpurchased one of the first cell phonesavailable in 1984 for $2,400. Monroepaid by the minute on his cell to be ableto communicate with his clients whocalled him from pay phones. Prior tocell phones, limo drivers worked withtwo-way radios.After high school, Monroe served forfour years in the Air Force as a militarypolice officer. After finishing his tourin 1975, he decided that he wanted topursue a career driving limousines andjoined a limo company in suburbanWashington, DC.“In those days all limos were black andmade by Cadillac. There were no stretchlimos,” Monroe shared. “The fee forlimos was $15 per hour. Drivers made$5 per hour plus tips. Most limo driverswere in their 50s and 60s and manywere former cab drivers. I was one ofvery few young men who drove limos,”he continued.During 1977 through 1979, Monroeprovided an interesting mix oftransportation services to make endsmeet. “In the late ‘70s I did a lot ofwork for Cellar Door Productions ofDC, a company that promoted andproduced concerts, driving bands in theevenings. Also, I transported corpses fora funeral service during the day,” he saidwith a smile.“I would go from city to city, drive tothe airport, pick up the band, takethem to their gig, and then back to theairport,” Monroe explained. “Althoughthere was a crazy party scene goingon in the late 70s, most of the majorperformers really cared about their craftand were very serious about the qualityof their performances. The peoplearound the performers were much moreimmersed in the crazy party scene thanthe performers themselves,” Monroerecalled.Striking Out on His Own:In the early ‘80s Monroe purchased hisfirst limousine - a 1980 black Cadillac- and began providing transportationfor ABC News executives and politicaldignitaries for a DC-based limocompany. During the Iranian hostagecrisis he drove the hostages’ familymembers back and forth for theirinterviews on Nightline. “These werevery difficult, emotionally charged timesfor these families not knowing whatwould happen to their loved ones. Theywere very brave,” Monroe stated.In addition, he drove senators,congressman, mayors, governmentofficials, Fortune 500 companyexecutives, editor-in-chief of TheWashington Times, lobbyists, andthe Prime Minister of Sri Lanka’sentourage. White House meetings anddinners, as well as embassy parties, wereall part of Monroe’s regular routine.The mid-80s were landmark yearsfor Monroe. He started his own limobusiness and appeared in his one andonly movie. Monroe was the limo driverof the 1980 black Cadillac in the GoldieHawn movie “Protocol”. “That was my15 minutes of fame,” he shared with asmile.In 1991, Monroe sold his house, hisbusiness and his limos and moved withhis wife and two children from FallsChurch, Virginia to Fauquier Countyin the Greater Piedmont Region ofVirginia. For two years he drove 18wheelers up and down the easternUnited States and into Canada for J.D.Newman, a local trucking companyin Elkwood, Virginia. “I liked drivingtrucks but not the trucker lifestyle,”Monroe commented. “I was away fromhome too much and my wife and kidsneeded me at home. I learned a lotthough about driving big vehicles andhandling a lot of weight on the roadwhich was beneficial.”For five years during the ‘90s, Monroedrove for Franklin Motor Coach,based in Fairfax, Virginia, as well asfor Scenic America. “I have alwaysenjoyed the people factor in my careerand I was glad to reconnect people withtransportation services again,” Monroestated.Country Coach is Born:In 2002 Mark Monroe started a newupscale coach and livery service businessof his own known as Country Coach.Today, Monroe continues to do what heloves, driving people where they wantor need to go. He is the owner/operatorof Warrenton, Virginia-based CountryCoach (Monroe provides transportationservices throughout Northern Virginia,Washington, DC, and the entire Mid-mobile production monthly 13

Atlantic Region. Also, Monroe is aLifetime Member of the WarrentonFire Department and serves as avolunteer firefighter/EMT.In January, a Monroe coach servedas a command post for the SecretService for four days during PresidentObama’s inauguration. Just anotherone of many interesting assignmentsthat are part of Monroe’s storiedcareer.Love of the Business:We were curious as to what Monroeenjoyed most about driving limos andupscale coaches. “I feel very fortunateto have met so many interesting peoplein my life. Driving made this possible.I would never have met most of thesepeople without the career I chose,”Monroe said. “I am not a nine-to-fivekind of person and this definitely is nota nine-to-five job,” he continued.We asked him what the keys are tobeing successful as a limo or coachdriver. Monroe replied, “You haveto be a very relaxed, very safe driverso your clients are relaxed andcomfortable. There should be nointensity - just an atmosphere ofrelaxation no matter what is goingon. Also, you need to adhere to strictconfidentiality. You don’t share whatgoes on in the limo or the coach withothers.”At last we asked, why the nameCountry Coach? “I worked atCountry Chevrolet in Warrentonselling cars for two years in the late‘90s. One day while I was moving carsat the dealership, a stray dog wanderedup from Lee Highway. My familyand I rescued him and named himCountry after Country Chevrolet. Hewas a beloved part of our family andmy life for many years, so I named mybusiness after him,” said Monroe.We are certain that somewhere indoggy heaven, Country is wagging histail.www.countrycoach.net14 mobile production monthly

Barry Fey16 mobile production monthlyMr. Fey and the lovely TraceyWiedeman.

Two That Knew Him Well(A Remembrance of a Legend)by Mike WhartonPioneer and legendary promoter, BarryFey, passed away April 28 in his CherryHills Village, CO home. He was 74. Feywas a man who appeared to be largerthan life. No one other than Bill Graham,who was a good friend, came close tohis visionary success as an independentconcert promoter. It might even be saidthat he created and developed the concept.Of course if you are going to appear tobe larger than life, you will by corollary,live larger than life. Anything less than100 percent was just unacceptable,especially in himself. His excesses arewell-documented in many media and in hisown book.To truly understand his impact as anoriginal independent promoter, MobileProduction Monthly talked with two of hisemployees and friends, Tracy Wiedemanand Tim Rozner. What follows is a side tothe man few may have experienced.Tracey Wiedeman:Tracey Wiedeman met Fey in May 1988,when she was fresh out of high school.She recalls, the vivid realization at herfirst concert, which was Night Rangerthat, “When I grow up I want to work forBarry Fey.” Now, 25 years later, she isNight Ranger’s tour manager. At the timethough, she was managing a tanning bedstore. One day, while dealing with a longline of customers at the front desk, onewoman in the line was a particular grouch,Wiedeman states mildly.“The girl behind her in line, who wasreally pretty and tiny, all of five footnothing,” says Wiedeman, “came upafterwards and told me she was reallyimpressed with how I handled thesituation. She then tells me she was Barry’sreceptionist and had received a promotionbut needed to find a replacement andwould I like the job? I took it of courseand grew with the company doing all kindsof jobs working accounting and productionuntil I wound up as assistant mediadirector. Through all of it Barry was reallysupportive and his passion inspired me.”She laughs at her next statement,exclaiming, “Barry could be quitecombustible though! I called that time the“duck-or-bleed” days when I first startedwith him.”Relating just a small part of Fey’s history,Wiedeman adds, “He is the one who putDenver on the map. He also had TheRainbow Room in Denver where hebooked the likes of U2 when they werejust starting. We did shows in Phoenix,Albuquerque, the Dakota’s, and Utah toname a few; not just Colorado. He was thegateway to the west and all the areas BillGraham was promoting. Barry was thefirst booker to book the Joint in Vegas andalso the first to bring modern music to theVegas strip.“Barry and Bill Graham, they truly caredabout the music and the fan experience.I remember one Guns N’ Roses showwhere Axl arrived in a limo late. Barryopened the door and just ripped him formaking the fans wait on the show to start,”Wiedeman says.“I don’t think he realized how manypeople’s lives he affected. There are somany stories like mine. He affected myentire life, my entire career. We had a FeyConcerts reunion a couple of years agoand I’m just so thankful that I was able tothank him at that time and tell my story,”she adds.“There is just nobody like him anymore.I was there through the change where‘Corporate America’ took over concertpromotion. You just don’t see people likehim in promotion. He actually cared.“His strength, knowledge and spirit arestill with us because there is a whole lot ofus who will carry on his work,” concludesWiedeman.Tim Rozner:Tim Rozner, a veteran of large festivalsin Chicago and with several years roadexperience as well, went to work with Feyin 1983 and had this to say about the man.“Barry was unequivocally one of thepioneers of this business. To me, betweenhe and Bill Graham, they formed whatbecame traditionally known as the‘independent promoter.’ The two coveredmore geographic area and set more of thetone for how shows were done than anyoneelse at the time. There were two thingsthat Barry held onto and he continuallyreinforced with me like nobody else.“One of the things I really learned whenI went to work for him was that a lot ofdecisions get made at a high level of thisbusiness. Barry drove home to me andeveryone around him this most importantfact,” said Rozner.Rozner continues, “No matter who you’retalking to, whether he’s the biggestmanager or the rock star himself, it is thatthe fans that buy tickets are our bosses.They are and always must be first in linein any consideration whether it be safety,comfort, convenience or anything else.You cannot let the people in this businesswho are powerful or accountants or whohave the biggest egos, whether they are inmanagement or onstage or anything else,let those people misdirect your attentionaway from the fact that the people in theseats are the reason we’re there. He alwaysused to tell me that if you remember thatas your primary objective every show,you do will be a success. It doesn’t matterif you’re full to capacity, half-house, orselling like crap. It’s simple. Each one ofthose people worked hard for that money,planned for the babysitter, or is lookingforward to coming to see their hero orheroes on this night out.”“In this business there is a very long andsometimes distinguished line of peoplewho will try to convince you otherwise.It’s the artist that is most important they’llsay, or the promoter is the most important,or the building needs the most attentionpaid to it...All bullshit. It’s about thepeople in the seats that are why we’rethere. That’s why this business still exists.When we lose sight of that, we lose sightof the fact that it’s our lifesblood. Ourlifesblood is not who can develop the newbands. Our lifesblood is making sure thatthe fans still know when they are payingfor a ticket, that price is equal to the valuethey get, as in how they’re dealt with,handled and how the show is produced,”Rozner relates.He goes on, “The other thing he taught me,is how to distinguish his show from otherpromoters. Bill Graham did this too. Theymade sure that the artist sees their show asmobile production monthly 17

a special stop in their itinerary, so the artistslook forward to it. They knew that whenthey came to do a show that somethingextra or special would be there that stoodout from all the other promoters. The twoof them were good friends, constantlyhelping each other out. Barry loaned moneyto Bill to help get his company started.Bill helped Barry get back on his feet lateron and that was what they did for eachthroughout their careers.”“He was a promoter, a gambler by nature.In the early 90s he was a Handicap HorseChampion of the USA. While he was anextremely tough negotiator, he wouldconstantly surprise you. He was one ofthose people with an extremely hardexterior with a marshmallow interior.“Just when you were convinced he wasthe world’s biggest tyrant, he’d be thefirst to cry when he would see a kid in awheelchair at the Make a Wish Foundation.He would run to defend the underdogand stand in front of people who couldn’tdefend themselves. It was a sensitive sideof him that not many people saw. I thinkhe may not have wanted them to see it. Butanything I ever asked him to do on behalfof a person who had a handicap or Makea Wish child, I never had to ask twice,”Rozner says softly.“He also impressed upon me that the showstart on time. He would talk about howhard they had worked at Red Rocks tomake sure the fans knew they could counton the show starting on time. Nothingcould get in the way of that. Sure, youwant to maintain good relationships witheveryone involved in the production ofthe show and there may be a slip up hereor there, but the first thing he wanted toget right was getting the show started ontime. Again it was a show of respect to thefan, our lifesblood. It wasn’t just for him;he impressed this upon everybody on hisstaff. I never heard Barry refer to people as‘ticket holders’ either,” recalls Rozner.“He educated a lot of people,” continuesRozner, “as to what was fair and how anindependent promoter could survive in amarket.“Barry was very gruff, a former Marine.My first day on the job, he came into theoffice. It was a small room with four desks.I’m sitting at mine and he bellows, ‘Who’sthe new guy?’ I said who I was and hepicks up this folded metal chair and throwsit at my desk! I just kinda calmly got upand said if you ever do that again, I’ll stickthat chair where the sun don’t shine! Hesaid ‘Good, you’re hired!’ Later he toldme that he did that to see my reaction. Hewanted to be able to know where a guystood when the going got tough. He was acomplicated man, but again and again I sawthis human being that was hard candyon the outside and a marshmallowinside. He not only had the highest ofstandards, he set them. He was a giant notjust in Colorado. What he has done hashad an effect on people all over the world,”Rozner continues.Rozner notes too that, “He also spent timewalking around the stage to say hi to theroad crews. He was acknowledging thathe knew they were important, that whatthey did mattered. Sometimes he wouldthrow end-of-the-tour parties, and evenhave crews over to his house. He had thatpassion of love for the business.”Adds Wiedeman, “Barry was such a uniqueindividual. Of all the people I’ve workedwith, I’ve never learned as much as I didfrom him.”Fey is survived by his four sons, Tyler,Jeremy, Geoffrey, and Alan.18 mobile production monthly

lightingtruckingproduction supportsalesservicestoragewww.upstaging.com815.899.9888CHICAGO821 Park AvenueSycamore, Illinois 60178Ph. 815-899-9888Fax 815-899-1080LOS ANGELES415 North Canon Dr., Suite 1Beverly Hills, California 90210Ph. 310-859-9800Fax 310-859-2804mobile production monthly 19

20 mobile production monthlyBONJOVIby Bill Evansphotographed by Linda Evans

A Crew StillDoing It‘BecauseThey Can’Bon Jovi’s latest outing is the kindof tour that could easily be a “phoneit in” kinda thing as they have beenaround for better than 30 yearswith a huge number of hits and ahistory of record sales that continuedstrongly even after the recordbusiness imploded. Their fanbasethat, while aging, will still come outevery couple of years like clockworkand buy tickets, merch, drinks andeverything else that keeps the postiTunesmusic business humming.So what’s with all this then? Thereare lighting fixtures that swoop andfly and change the entire shape ofthe show in an instant. There is alsoa new audio guy with one of thebest reps in the industry bringingnew tools with him. The video “wall”is a bunch of hex-columns that risefrom the deck and drop from the gridas the content itself is mapped tothe shape of the individual columnscreating the illusion of an everchanging3-D backdrop.There is, as it appears, some kind ofcoded message to the name of thistour that goes far past the name of asingle off the latest record. The nameof the tour?“Because We Can.”The tour pulled into Las Vegas nearthe end of their U.S. Spring run fora show at the MGM Grand. MobileProduction Monthly pulled in rightbehind them.mobile production monthly 21

Audio:The show itself is so big and so impressive-looking that onecould forget about a little part of the show called audio, butas the cliche goes, no one ever went home humming thelight show - or the video. It’s about the songs. This is a rockshow, after all.Audio was provided, as it has been forever, by Clair Globalwith their i5 rig, same as The Circle tour in 2010. GlenCollett is doing monitors for Jon and the band - everyoneexcept the lead guitar player. That too is the same as it everwas ... with some changes.Out front is now Bill Sheppell, whose resume includes someof the biggest acts in the biz. When you talk to A-List audioguys and ask them to name the best mix engineers in theworld, his name comes up often.Prior to Sheppell joining the team, Bon Jovi was very likelythe biggest act in the world still touring an analog console- a big Midas XL4. Sheppell moved them over to a DiGiCoSD7.“I like the SD7,” Sheppell said, “but I am running it oldschool with just some outboard stuff such as a couple ofTLA-1000s, an H-3000 and a TC unit I use for some autopans.The band likes it too because they want to recordevery show and I have a good Pro Tools rig that allows meto do both the recording and virtual soundcheck.”Also out front, there is a new crew chief with FrankiePrincipato running the show since long-time chief MikeyAllison jumped over to a new gig with Sound Image. Frankieruns a team of four in addition to the mix engineers gettingthe system in and up every day.Back in monitor world was the biggest surprise, but onethat makes sense and brings up the elephant in the venue,both on and offstage - Ritchie Sambora or, rather, the lackthereof.Sambora is not on this tour, at least not right now. Jon BonJovi has been very clear during interviews that Samborais still part of the band. Filling his shoes for now is sessionguitarist Phil X.On previous tours, there have been two monitor engineers,Collett doing Jon and the band on a Heritage 3000 andAndy Hill doing Sambora only. One might think that withSambora out and Phil X in, that Andy would be at home.Not so.“Ritchie always had his own guy and now Andy is doingPhil X. The rest of the band is on ears but Phil uses bothwedges and ears which is a different zone and it is justbetter to have someone else taking care of that,” explainsSheppell.22 mobile production monthly

which determines the positionof the columns. TAIT/FTSI’sNavigator Control Systemtakes the actual positionand provides a feedbackloop through the videoserver, which dynamicallymasks the content. All of thevideo content is fed to theprojectors via eight AvolitesMedia Ai Infinity servers (fourmain / four back-up) andcontrolled via an MA LightinggrandMA console. Thecolumns movement can becontrolled via the Navigatorconsole, but to allow theautomation to be controlledfrom the video console orin fact by the video, PEDGbrought in Control FreakSystems (CFS) to helpdevelop the control systemsolution for the automation/video integration.Stuart White, SeniorSolutions Designer for CFSexplains the approach tothe displacement mappingembedded into the content.“On another tour it was donewith a grayscale movie tooffset where the image is, butthat only gives you 256 stepsof movement. My idea was tomake 16-bit values so we usedtwo colors, a red and blue, inour displacement map. Thosetwo colors were basically likecourse and fine control. Thered was the course channelfor DMX; blue was the finechannel. Using this levelof control gave us 65,536steps of control which wasembedded into the contentfrom Moment Factory.”The primary content creator,Moment Factory, embeddedthe show control displacementmap within the contentworking with CFS. MeteorTower also provided additionalcontent and dealt with contentmanagement.Staging, Video and Control:When the stage was going up, there was no wayto know what was in store. All we could see waswhat looked like a projection surface made up ofhexagonal columns. However, there is a ton morehappening here.Doug “Spike” Brant, principal with PerformanceEnvironment Design Group (PEDG) has built adynamic production design that literally transformsaround the band. The kinetic sculpture designconsists of 40 independently driven, hex-shapedcolumns that rise up from the floor and descendfrom the grid allowing for flexible configurationof the video surfaces. The scenic automationis controlled by trigger information that is sentin different ways, including via positioning dataembedded in the video content itself or fromcueing triggered through the video console.An innovative automation control solution wasrequired to realize this complex design.TAIT Towers was responsible for engineering andconstructing the 40 individual columns, 32 lightingwinches, 10 automated lighting towers, and fiveprojector pods with integrated alignment devices,as well as the automation components. Theprojection columns’ automation control is beingdriven by mapping pixels within the video content,mobile production monthly 23

CFS worked closely with ImmersiveLtd., which developed the main softwaresolution, the Avolites Media Ai Infinitymedia server. “The Ai media server is areally great system,” said White. “DaveGreen, the developer of the program,built the elaborate project file. I putin the DMX to column movement aswell as the color conversion to columnmovement on top of that project file.”Green, Immersive’s Technical Director,says, “The Ai server is looking at thedisplacement map in the content,sending the data of where it wants thecolumns to be and then it also listensat a very high frequency back from theNavigator as to where the columnsactually are at any point in time. It thenuses that data to dynamically mapthe moving columns.” The ImmersiveProgrammer, Martin Harvey, workedclosely with the CFS team including KirkJ. Miller of CFS who is operating themedia servers and the grandMA controlconsole on the arena tour.One of the most importantconsiderations was how to avoid dataconfusion since the automation controlwas possible from the lighting, the video,or the automation consoles. This couldcause unsafe conditions caused by adata or column crash. White avoidedthis by creating a custom softwaresolution outside of the media serverthat manages all of the control data andprioritizes it for the Navigator. “I wrote aprogram called [CFS] TraffikCONTROL,that listens to all the different controldata coming in from all of the differentsources and evaluates it,” describesWhite. “Between the two consoles—thevideo and lighting console—we can,column by column, say which sourceit’s going to be coming from and bothhave to agree even at a heartbeat levelcoming from each console. With all ofthese conditions met, then we tell theTAIT motion control system to do thismove, or not to do this move.” Built-inredundancy of data flow to the Navigatorsystem that allows the Navigatoroperator to take override control ifneeded for safety purposes.Lighting:Working closely with Spike and in chargeof making sure every show is greatis Lighting Director Sooner Routhier.“We try to integrate video and lightingwhenever possible,” said Sooner. “It’simportant to make sure that all visualelements of the show are cohesive.I think that Spike was trying to notoveruse the video elements. I feel likethat happens a lot in shows these days.Sometimes it’s okay to turn elements offto give the audience a visual break.”Indeed, the touted video columns didnot even make an appearance until thethird or fourth song in the set. But themovement around the band with thecrazy moving lighting fixtures startedright from the top. We have seen movingfixtures before, but not like this.“TAIT developed winches that are DMXcontrollable,” said Routhier. “I sendsignal to move them up and downthroughout the show with the lightingconsole. We had similar versions on TheCircle tour. The ones on the current tourare much more streamlined and sexier.The power and DMX actually spool upin the winch with the support cable so,it looks like the light is floating in theair. The RSC light-lock keeps the lightfrom swinging as it lowers in and out.They are amazing little contraptions.”Yes, Bon Jovi could phone it in, play thehits, take out a “standard” lighting rig andsome I-Mag, or maybe even a big videowall that plays images from the musicvideos. That’s what most bands of thisvintage do, play the hits and take themoney. “Goodnight Cleveland! See younext year!”But that is not what has kept thistouring train going strong for all theseyears. It’s about doing it right. It’sabout making something that the fanswill remember so that the next time outthey feel an actual need to come outagain. It’s about a team that works tomake it all happen and make it lookeasy.Because they can.24 mobile production monthly

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THECREWVendors+Crew:ProjectionProvided by PRG Nocturne10 – Barco HDQ-2K40 40K Projectors(Column Fronts)13 – Barco FLM-R22+ 22K Projectors (6for Column Backs / 7 for IMAG)4 – Grass Valley Thomson LDK 6000WorldCam HD Cameras6 – Ikegami HL-45 HD Cameras1 – Grass Valley HD Kayak 2 M/ESwitcher1 – 32 x 32 Router Matrix1 – Fiber Distribution SystemControl Freak Systems/ImmersivePersonnel:CFS Tour Operator/Screens Director –Kirk J. MillerCFS Technician/Engineer – Troy GiddensCFS Senior Solutions Designer – StuartWhiteCFS Technical Designer – Dirk SandersCFS Graphic Programming Artist – GeorgeToledoImmersive, Ai Software Author – DavidGreenImmersive, Ai Programmer – MartinHarveyMedia Control and MappingProvided by Control Freak Systems8 – Avolites Media Ai Infinity Servers (4main, 4 backup)1 – CFS Traffic Control Custom Software2 – CFS Hex Freak Servers1 – CFS Router Bridge1 – MA Lighting grandMA2 ControlConsoleGordon Hyndford, Jesse SandlerJosh Phebus, Drew Welker, Mark Woody, Carson Austin.Steven Tomanek, George Elizondo, Simon Schofield,Josh Marrano, Jason Lipton, Brian BatemanFrank Principato, Glen Collett, Ken McDowell (back), ThomasMorris, Andy Hill. Dustin Ponscheck, William SheppellJoe Hug, Sooner Routhier, Chris Shaffer, Jason Hicks, JamesJones, Greg Smith (Andy Mitchinson on paper: crew chief)26 mobile production monthly

LightingProvided by PRG:1 – MA Lighting grandMA2 Control Console1 – MA Lighting grandMA2 Light Control Console4 – MA Lighting grandMA2 Network Processing Units6 – PRG Series 400 Power and Data Distribution Racks2 – PRG Series 400 Ethernet Switches1 – PRG Node Plus, Series 400 Mode80 – PRG Best Boy 4000 Spot Luminaires103 – GLP impression X4 LED Luminaires20 – Clay Paky Sharpy Luminaires20 – Philips Color Kinetics ColorBlast 12 TRX Luminaires5 – Brite Box Flame Followspots6 – Reel EFX DF-50 Hazers4 – Jem AF-1 DMX Fans2 – Ultratec Versa DMX Fans19 – PRG BAT Truss, 10’ 15” x 30”1 – PRG BAT Truss, 10’ 15” x 24”1 – Clear-Com Headset System 4 Channels, 32 StationsAudio:Provided by Clair:Clair I5 and I-5B Main and Side HangsClair i-3 Upstage 360 CoverageClair BT-218 Sub BassClair i-micro 212 Front FillBoards/Monitors: House1 - Digico SD7 Console with SD Rack3 - Summitt TLA 100 Tube Compressors2 - Empirical Labs Distressors1- Mind Print Mic Pre-ampMonitors:1- Midas Heritage 3000 Console4 - ATI 8 MX 22 - Aphex 720 Dominator Compressors1 - Yamaha SPX 9003 - Summitt DCL 200 Compressors2 - TC M5000 Effects Processors1 - Avid Profile Console2 - TC D-Two DDL’s3 - Lake LM44 Processors4 - Clair SRM Wedges2 - Clair ML-18’sShure PSM 1000 IEM’s2 - Clair IEM Combiners1 - Shure PA821 CombinerShure UR2 RF Mics with SM 58 andBeta 58 CapsuleAxient AXT400 UnitsAxient Shure AXT-200Shure UR4Dmobile production monthly 27

Bon JoviBecause We Can TourPersonnel EuropeBand Staff:Paul Korzilius - Band ManagerScott Casey - Tour ManagerAnthony Piedmonte -ManagementMatt Bongiovi - SecurityDean Grillo - ChiropractorEd Lawson - ChiropractorVicky Kopec - Flight AttendantDavid Bergman - PhotographerUniversal Production Staff:Jesse Sandler - PMMike Farese - Ops Mgr/HeadRiggerYvette Uhlmann - ProductionCoordinatorLarry Richter - AccountantMike Devlin - Stage ManagerKnute Brye - Venue SecurityDirectorJason “Sarge” Lee - VenueSecurityGreg Gish - Head CarpenterJack Deitering - CarpenterDale Bryant - CarpenterAndrew Hilt - CarpenterMike Savas - Mgmt/VIPKeith Bisig- Mgmt/VIP Asst.CoordinatorMelanie Kassis - VIP Asst.Robert DeCeglio - LOMODwayne Diaz - LOMOLaurent Vuylsteke - LOMODawn Jeronowitz - Wardrobe/CateringAbby Franklin - Wardrobe/Dressing RoomCindy Chapman - CrewLogistics/TicketingDrew Cantor - AdvanceAccountantChris Bray - BarricadeCarlos Oldigs - PowerMark Rennocks - PowerAdvance Team A:John Merrit - Stage ManagerBill Macklin - Rigger CrewChiefRick Wilmot - RiggerSam Saunders - RiggerChris Harris - RiggerDavid Prior - Lighting CrewChiefJames Jones - LightsCraig “Jr” Saunders - LightsJason Hicks - Spotlight TechRon Meyer - PowerKenneth Sheahan - PowerMatthew Hammond -Inflatables TechStephen Bond - ChefMichael Hurley - ChefAdvance Team B:Gordon Hyndford - StageManagerDanny Machado - Rigger CrewChiefDavid Hernandez - RiggerKenneth Ruhman - RiggerAmos Cotter - RiggerTimothy Probert - Lights CrewChiefGregory Gore - LightsAlex Peters - LightsJoe Huq - Spotlight TechPaul Sadler - PowerThomas Olley - PowerJoseph Smith - Inflatable TechJodi Weston Brake - ChefTony Pyle - ChefBackline:Mike Rew - Crew ChiefJoe Dorosz - Drum TechTakumi Suetsugu - Guitar TechWilliam St. Amour - KeyboardTechDavid Rule - JBJ Guitar TechMatt Osgood - TeleprompterBackstage with JBJ:Cory O’Donnell- Tour RepAllison Harvey - Tour RepLouis Morreale - Tour RepAudio:Bill Sheppell - FOHGlen Collett - MONAndy Hill - MONFrank Principato - Crew ChiefDustin Ponscheck - MON TechKen McDowell - Wireless TechThomas Morris - Audio TechTrystan Forbes - Audio TechLeon Rieger - Audio TechMartina Saalfrank - AudioTechUniversal Lights:Sooner Routhier - LightingDirectorAndrew Mitchinson - CrewChiefChristopher Shaffer - FOHTechAndy Brown - DimmersVideo:George Elizondo - DirectorJason Lipton - EngineerCarson Austin - Crew ChiefSteve Wood - LED Tech (leg 1)Brian Bateman - LED Tech (leg2)Simon Schofield - LED TechAndrew Welker - Camera OpJoshua Marrano - Camera TechMark Woody - Camera TechSteve Tomanek - Camera TechJosh Phebus - Camera TechControl Freak:Kirk Miller - FOH OpTroy Giddens - BOH OpMerch:Rich Interlande - HeadMerchandiserGraeme Scott Bell -MerchandiserCatering:Darin Wey - Head ChefJason Kavanagh - ChefJames Hamilton - ChefAnthony Granby - ChefPatrick Naccarato - ChefAmanda Cunningham - ChefSite Coordinators:Albert Lawrence - Head SiteCo/System 1Matt Gentle - Site Co/System 2Paul Bissoni - Site Co/System 3Charlie Boxhall - Site Co/System 4Richard “Spike” Falana -Overnight Site CoSteel Crew:Johan Van Espen - System 1Crew ChiefPatrick Martens - System 2Crew ChiefFrank Boehme - System 3 CrewChiefAndreas Deubach - System 4Crew ChiefBus Drivers:Thomas Berg - Lead DriverPatrick Goodhand - DriverReinhard Schulze-Lutum -DriverMarc Soika - Driver (leg 1)Bert Zemann - Driver (leg 1)Thomas Peinelt - Driver (leg 2)Guy-Armel Ragaru - Driver(leg 2)Universal Trucks Drivers:Roger Thomas - Lead DriverMichael Fisher - DriverTina Bemerhag - DriverLotte Bemerhag - DriverStephen Maclure - DriverMathew Ireland - DriverHarry Cobill - DriverRichard Crooks - DriverMark Merry - DriverAndrew Marsh - DriverJohn Roper - DriverIan Moore - DriverPeter Gilak - DriverJoe McCarthy - DriverAlan Jones - DriverPatrick Parker - DriverAdvance A Truck Drivers:Daniel Grant - DriverThomas Shiers - DriverScott Johnson - DriverOliver Walker - DriverClive Doble - DriverWally Millar - DriverAdvance B Truck Drivers:Alexander Case - DriverRichard Warren - DriverRoger Goole - DriverMalcom Scott - DriverRobert Cole - DriverTrevor Barrie - DriverTour Related Offices:Management:Bon Jovi ManagementLegal:Edelstein, Laird & SobelBusiness Management:Sussman & AssociatesWorldwide Agent:CAA - Los AngelesProduction/Lighting Designer:PEDG - Doug “Spike” BrantTrucking:ESTContent Creation:Moment FactoryVideo:PRG NocturneLights:PRG LightsBuses:Coach Services GmbHStaging:Stageco BelgiumAudio:ClairTeleprompter:Promptin’ Circumstance WestBarricades/Cable Ramps:EPS Holding GmbHSet and Fabrication:TAIT TowersPower:Legacy ServicesFreight:Rock It CargoRadios:AAA CommunicationsRigging:Stage RiggingInternet Support:Tour Tech SupportPasses and Bag Tags:Cube PassesAudio:Audio Rent/Clair Brothers28 mobile production monthly

Travel Agent:Rima TravelLighting/Visual Interface andProgramming:Control Freak SystemsMerch:Global Merchandise ServicesAir Charter:TourJetTour Book:Touring LogisticsCatering:Eat Your Hearts OutBon Jovi Because WeCan Tour PersonnelUS:Band Staff:Paul Korzilius - Band ManagerScott Casey - Tour ManagerAnthony Piedmonte -ManagementMatt Bongiovi - SecuritySteve Bryan - ManagementAsst.Dean Grillo - ChiropractorEd Lawson - ChiropractorVicky Kopec - Flight AttendantDavid Bergman -PhotographerProduction Staff:Jesse Sandler - PMMike Farese - Ops Mgr/HeadRiggerYvette Uhlmann - ProductionCoordinatorLarry Richter - AccountantMike Devlin - Stage ManagerKnute Brye - Venue SecurityDirectorJason “Sarge” Lee - VenueSecurityGreg Gish - Head CarpenterJack Deitering - CarpenterDale Bryant - CarpenterAndrew Hilt - CarpenterRyan Tillman - CarpenterDanny Machado - RiggerDavid Hernandez - RiggerBill Macklin - RiggerRick Wilmot - RiggerKenneth Ruhman - RiggerMike Savas - Mgmt/VIPCoordinatorMelanie Kassis - VIP Asst.Robert DeCeglio - LOMODwayne Diaz - LOMOMatthew Hammand -Inflatable TechJoseph Smith - Inflatable TechDawn Jeronowitz - Wardrobe/CateringAbby Franklin - Wardrobe/Dressing RoomCindy Chapman - TicketingDrew Cantor - AdvanceAccountantTheodore Vega - BarricadePower:Carlos Oldigs - HeadElectricianRon Meyer - ElectricianKenneth Sheahan - ElectricianNicholas Barlow - GeneratorTechAEG:Gord Berg - Tour DirectorJohn Merritt - Production RepBackline:Mike Rew - Crew ChiefJoe Dorosz - Drum TechTakumi Suetsugu - GuitarTechWilliam St. Amour - KeyboardTechDavid Rule - JBJ Guitar TechMatt Osgood - TeleprompterBackstage with JBJ:Cory O’Donnell- Tour RepAllison Harvey - Tour RepLouis Morreale - Tour RepAudio:Bill Sheppell - FOHGlen Collett - MONAndy Hill - MONFrank Principato - Crew ChiefDustin Ponscheck - MONTechKen McDowell - Wireless TechJohn Morris - Audio TechCharlie Hernandez - AudioTechDavid Coyle - Audio TechJennifer Smola - Audio TechLights:Sooner Routhier - LightingDirectorAndrew Mitchinson - CrewChiefChristopher Shaffer - FOHTechAndy Brown - DimmersJames Jones - TechJason Hicks - TechTimothy Probert - TechGregory Gore - TechMatthew Hamilton - SpotlightTechVideo:George Elizondo - DirectorJason Lipton - EngineerCarson Austin - Crew ChiefChristopher Kemp - TechSimon Schofield - TechAndrew Welker - TechJoshua Marrano - TechMark Woody - TechSteve Tomanek - TechJosh Phebus - TechControl Freak:Kirk Miller - FOH OpTroy Giddens - BOH OpMerch:Rich Interlande - HeadMerchandiserDave Basone - MerchandiserSite Coordinators:Albert Lawrence - Head SiteCoRichard “Spike” Falana - SiteCoSteel Crews:Frank Boehme - Crew ChiefJens Romer - CrewThomas Sieber - CrewJorg Kohler - CrewSven Prause - CrewTorsten Kraushaar - CrewNiels Schramm - CrewTorsten Schammbera - CrewRalk Hertel - CrewMarko Sellin - CrewBjorn Kulper - CrewHardy Kruger - CrewManuel Mobus - CrewKeith Ray - CrewBart DeWolf - CrewRaf Goethuys - CrewAndreas Villareal - CrewDion DeLang - CrewNelson Fernandes - CrewJef Vernmeerbergen - CrewHeiko Oelmann - CrewHeiko Meyer-CrewChristoph Hein-CrewTruck Drivers:Richard Everitt - Lead DriverTeresa Everitt - DriverRick Schramer - DriverAdam Morris - DriverRichard Genereaux - DriverMark Jonse - DriverJohn George - DriverTony Layman - DriverTour Related Offices:Management:Bon Jovi ManagementLegal:Edelstein, Laird & SobelBusiness Management:Sussman & AssociatesWorldwide Agent:CAA - Los AngelesPromoter:AEG LiveProduction/Lighting Designer:PEDG - Doug “Spike” BrantTrucking:UpstagingVideo:PRG Nocturne USALights:PRG LightsBuses:Celebrity CoachesStaging:Stageco USATeleprompter:Promptin’ Circumstance WestBarricades/Cable Ramps:EPS AmericaSet and Fabrication:TAIT TowersPower:Legacy ServicesFreight:Rock It CargoRadios:AAA CommunicationsRigging:Stage RiggingInternet Support:Tour Tech SupportPasses and Bag Tags:Cube PassesAudio:Clair GlobalTravel Agent:Preferred TravelLighting/Visual Interface andProgramming:Control Freak SystemsMerch:Global Merchandise ServicesAir Charter:TourJetmobile production monthly 29

Control FreakSystems–If You CanThink It, TheyCan Do ItBy Michael S. EddyRealizing the true integration between thecontrol of video content and the automationof the scenic screens for Bon Jovi’sBecause We Can Tour was essential to thesuccess of the dynamic design. PerformanceEnvironment Design Group (PEDG)brought in Control Freak Systems (CFS)to help develop and layout the controlsystem solution that would be needed toaddress this technology challenge. Knownfor solving the most complex of multimediacontrol challenges, CFS again on Bon Jovibrought together invention and innovation.“By nature, I always want to do what hasn’tbeen done before,” notes PerformanceEnvironment Designer Doug “Spike”Brant. “My method is to push somethingbeyond the limits and then find out whatthose limits are. You have to push somethingto find that out. Once the limits areestablished then you pull it back to whatthe reality allows you to do.” This is alsothe working style of Control Freak Systemswho start by asking, “What if we could…what would you like to do?” as opposed tosaying simply “Here’s what we do.” CFSconstantly seeks to invent multimedia controlsolutions where no other solution exists,pushing the technology of control throughboth product and system configurationinnovations.Stuart White, Senior Solutions Designerand Founder of CFS, succinctly explainsthe company’s work stating, “We create anddevelop the paintbrushes that allow designersand artists to paint their own vision.”CFS’s artistry is in their unique approachof building control tools and systems, suchas the groundbreaking integrated controltechnology on Bon Jovi, by putting everythingon the table. They look at all possiblesolutions and where necessary create newtools, develop new features, or repurposeexisting technologies in novel ways to buildnot just a working solution but the rightsolution that answers all the challenges ofan integrated production environment. Itis that dedication to solutions which allowsthem to make reality what was previouslythought ‘impossible.’CFS is an interactive video control company,which creates custom software, hasdeveloped several stock hardware products,and specializes in designing controlsolutions for live events, broadcast, andmedia installations. The company provideshardware and a team of talented softwareprogrammers, solution designers, andengineers to support each client’s visionand design concept. Their experience andexpertise allows producers and designers tobe confident that their most creative ideaswill be realized.Along with White, the core CFS team, akathe Freaks, includes; Business ManagerMichael Goodwin; Technical Director,System Designer, and Screens DirectorDirk Sanders; Operations/Engineer RyanMiddlemiss; ADAMS App DeveloperGeorge Toledo; and Programmer KevinCauley. However, the CFS team expands asneeded during projects by constantly workingand collaborating with many of themost talented programmers, software developers,and content creators in the industry.Formed in 2008, CFS grew out of the needfor designers to have custom-specific toolsfor live events, which allows for unified controlof the entire visual environment. Forexample, allowing the lighting designer tocontrol the video system for more integrateddesigns or creating tools to make specificaudio feeds interact with lighting and videoelements on the fly. Control Freak also has30 mobile production monthly

extensive experience creating tools to integratemoving scenery and video surfaces,abstract projection and LED surfacemapping, interactive video experiences, andrealtime 3D LED wall content creation andmanipulation.CFS always works to address the designer’sactual intent when they supply a solutionfor a particular production, insteadof trying to fit a stock answer to a customquestion. Their success with this approachis reflected in their client list. Besides BonJovi, Control Freak Systems has workedwith the design teams for a veritable who’swho of top musicians including Maroon5, Pink, Will.i.am, No Doubt, KennyChesney, and Jay-Z as well as for highprofile events and live broadcasts includingthe iHeartRadio Music Festival, 2012 NBAAll-Star Game, NFL Kick-Off, Pepsi SuperBowl Fan Jam, and the 2012 RepublicanNational Convention.In fact, the Republican Convention was agood example of how CFS provides bothproduct innovation and system solutions toclients. CFS was brought in to figure outhow to control the video and handle thegraphics for 13 independent video screensindividually or configure the content topresent one large image mapped across all13 screens. CFS was able to not only providea playback solution that addressed thehandling of last minute graphics and complicatedoverlays but also developed a newvisualization system that allows them towork with video content—even live feeds—offline in a true 3D environment.Control Freak Systems’ Freakulizer allowedthe RNC team to continuously adapt andchange imagery, even until the final secondsbefore going live. This visualization solutionlet them take in eight different screenfeeds and had a 3D model of the entirevenue with camera plots so they couldbounce around different cameras and see atonce how the set would look from differentangles. CFS provided a realtime programmingsolution, which allowed the entiredirecting and creative team to preview andcall up the content before it went live, anabsolute necessity in this high profile, wallto wall media, live political event. The CFSFreakulizer is just one of the tools the companyoffers that allows clients to increasethe complexity of their live presentationswith confidence.CFS has designed and developed numerousproducts and software solutions, suchas the one discussed in this issue’s coverageof Bon Jovi’s Because We Can Tour. The CFSTraffikCONTROL is a custom softwaresolution managing all of the different DMXcontrol data coming in and gives the dataprioritization to the automation controlsystem. Other CFS products include theDMX Bridge, which seamlessly integrateslighting and video control; the Multi TapServer for specialized picture-in-pictureeffects; and the WIA iPad Application, aWiFi iPad Media Server developed in collaborationwith Will.i.am. On the recentMaroon 5 Overexposed Tour, CFS providedtheir ADAMS media server (AudioDriven Awesome Media Server) that allowsfor audio reactive content; a music visualizerserver.The Control Freak ADAMS was developedto give the artist themselves some controlover the content. It is a solution that freesthe graphics from being only locked intowhatever has been rendered. If an artistwants to improvise or wants to interactunplanned with the audience, the graphicsare influenced by the actual waveforms thatare created when the musicians play, whetherit is the vocals, or specific instruments.It makes the graphics themselves anotherinstrument. ADAMS gives the operatorsa visual instrument to play along with themusicians. Using a combination of customand built-in stock visualizers with a paletteof effects means that the ADAMS offers anincredible interactive control option to performersand designers.Control Freak Systems strongly states ‘ifyou can think it, we can do it.’ Certainlytheir work on numerous groundbreakingprojects, their collaborations with visionarydesigners, and their constant innovativeapproach has proven that statement trueagain and again.www.controlfreak.tvmobile production monthly 31

Blinded by the Dashboarby Richard BennettAs Bon Jovi head out across Europe for another stadium tour, they continue to set the barhigh for other productions, as they turn to an American classic for their stage set. RichardBennett joined the tour in Cardiff to see how it all came together.In the UK, when a car reaches the grand old age of 25, it isregarded as a classic. Not only does that mean you don’t have topay road tax anymore, mainly as a reward from the governmentthat your car has actually survived that long, but it also starts toshoot up the ‘wow that’s a cool car’ stakes amongst the masses.Taking into consideration the number of years Bon Jovi havesuccessfully survived within the music industry, and their liking forcutting edge stage show sets, its no surprise that the combinationof an American classic car, a 1959 Buick Electra 225 and aclassic American band from New Jersey should come together todeliver one of the most visually stunning and cutting edge designstatements ever to grace a European tour.Unveiled on the first night of the bands European leg in Bulgaria,the set is not only amazing, but practical too, considering Europe’sreputation for inclement summer weather.When Jon Bon Jovi came across a photograph of the classiccar, no one knew that it would form a simple but effective stageproduction that must surely rank up there with U2’s Zooropa and360 tour sets.Designed by the same team and vendors who created the kineticsculpture screens seen to spectacular effect on the bands recentUS shows, this example of stadium architecture and an icon ofmodern engineering and classic art, have all come together tocreate one cohesive, innovative and never-before-seen testamentto the bands’ never ending desire to pushthe envelope.sections, UV treated and scenically airbrushed to the point ofsigns of rust on parts of the hood. The hood also features a metalrain gutter blended into the structure, allowing any heavy rain tobe directed away from the front of the stage. The whole thing isexternally lit by LD Sooner Routhier and her team, from variouspositions throughout the show, the effect creates many differentshades and depth of color, creating an array of different looks.The lighting team also features heavily underneath the hood wherethe car’s grill section sits. Housing 60 custom V9 frames andcustom light poles for four Impressions, the space gives Routhierand Control Freak Systems, Kirk J Miller, more than enough roomto play around with a barrage of lights.Rounding off the festival of lights, are four 2.5 meter diameterscenic car headlights, which are video screens, but used duringthe show for lighting content, with scenically carved surrounds,hard coated and covered in chrome vinyl auto-body wrapping,expertly recreating the Electra classic chrome look. Finishing offthe authentic look is a 4 meter x 2 meter Bon Jovi Garden Statelicense plate containing integrated LED’s. Oh, and it also hasworking indicators.With 140 rigging points per show to support the whole thing, HeadRigger Mike Farese has gone above and beyond the call of duty tomake sure the perfect set is delivered night after night.With only a five month window frominception to the first show, PEDG’s SpikeBrant turned to TAIT to help createsomething far beyond the imagination.The collaboration between designer andvendor resulted in a 30 meter inflatableBuick hood, spanning the length of thestage.The Buick’s hood is positioned abovethe band, acting like a canopy. It isconstructed of three cold-air inflatable32 mobile production monthly

d LightsStageco on the Road with BonJovi and a Classic Car StageStageco has created a stunning classic carthemed stage for the worldwide Bon JoviBecause We Can tour 2013.Having worked extensively on all of the band’s outdoorevents, Stageco was brought in by Bon Jovi because of thecompany’s experience in creating completely custom builtstructures that support a unique design concept.Inspired by a photograph of a classic 1959 Buick Electra225, the 60m x 23m x 26m Stageco structure was centralto the approach by the designer, Doug ‘ Spike’ Brant, whowanted to move away from the large scale video design usedon so many current stage designs, that often include little tono scenic elements.In keeping with the brief to create a cohesive and uniquedesign, the stage incorporates the 250,000 tonnes ofproduction elements (including the grill of the car’s bonnet)used to help create the stunning live experience that haskept Bon Jovi as one of the world’s leading live artists. A 165tonne working platform/ roof hangs above the stage and an8m cantilever was created to fly the PA system either side ofthe stage in order to keep open sightlines.The fact that the design team, TAIT and the Bon Jovi crew canassemble the set with ease is a testament to their experience, whichin reality is multiplied three fold on this run as stage manger MikeDevlin explains.“We have an advance team that does the inflatable - there arethree complete inflatables on this run - and they also cover theadvance lighting, which takes a whole day to set up. The only thingthat doesn’t go with the advance team is the low-res screen thatsits above the hood, we carry that with us. We also have a fourthhood that can be hung in an indoor arena. The whole thing fits in 19universal trucks and six advance trucks. There have been a coupleof shows where we have been really compressed because we havehad to load in on top of the advance team, but generally everything’sin place when we reach a venue. It took us about five or six showsbefore it started to get easy to set up.”With the teething problems now a thing of the past, the productionis a rare example of the real thing exceeding the look on the designboard. When the show starts and the screens and lights take over,the view of a classic American car with the classic American bandplaying underneath is the closet you can get to perfection.Project Manager Bert Kustermans oversaw the meticulousplanning required to manufacture the bespoke stages andimplement the precise logistics a tour of this scale needed,with 5 systems and their crews touring simultaneouslyaround the tour dates in Europe, America and Australia.He said: “Working with the whole Bon Jovi team is at thepinnacle of the live touring sector. Everyone is focused ondelivering a show that will have that special ‘wow factor’ forthe fans, and it’s stimulating to be part of that process tocome up with something new that works at an internationallevel.”www.stageco.commobile production monthly 33

TourJetThe Only Constant is ChangeWhen you sit and talk withDave Davis of TourJet, anythoughts that private jetservice is just an expensive luxury orthat the companies and aircraft are acommodity that can be boiled downto the lowest bid are set aside rightaway.“It’s about safety, consistency,comfort, convenience, and flexibility,”he states.And TourJet has a secret weapon thatother companies serving the needsof touring bands can’t match. Theyunderstand, as only people who havedone big tours on the ground possiblycan, the business and the needs ofartists and tours. “I used to be in thatchair,” he said referring to the tourmanager for Bon Jovi. And yes, that isa gig Davis had for a number of years.Having been a tour manager, Daveunderstands the needs of his rockn’ roll clients. “Experience is a greateducator,” he said. “We can spotpotential issues before they arise,assist in strategic planning, logiticsand budgeting.” Let’s take a look atsome of the things TourJet does thatflow directly from that understanding.Safety and Comfort:Safety in aviation is always thenumber one concern and TourJet’sapproach is safety first, but a safeplane can be comfortable too. Theaircraft on this tour are stunning andthey have been customized to meetthe needs of a tour instead of beinga generic business jet. “A jet likethis is usually configured to carryabout 50 passengers in a commuterconfiguration. We are set up for upto 15,” explains Davis. And althoughpart of the luggage space has beenconverted into additional fuel tankswhich effectively doubles its range,the aircraft still has 30 percent moreluggage and cabin capacity thansimilar Gulfstream business jets. Thatmeans that they can move crosscountrynon- stop, or from a U.S. tourto any point in Europe with one fuelstop.Consistency:From aircraft to personnel and food,clients know what to expect beforethey ever get on the plane. When wearrived at the Atlantic Aviation facilityat Las Vegas’ McCarren InternationalAirport, the plane and crew hadarrived just an hour earlier, shuttlingBon Jovi from the previous night’s gigin Los Angeles. That consistency wasthe first thing we saw. Captain RyanClyde and co-Captain Ralph Hortonhad both done multiple tours withthe band and cabin attendant VickyKopec has toured with them for 26years. She actually retired a decadeago but comes out every two yearsjust to work with what is now her onlyartist.With Kopec it is not just about thatfamiliar face. She also cooks all ofthe food served en route. TourJetbooks her into lodging that includesa kitchen so she can prepare healthymeals that she knows will fit in with theband’s preferences. That may seemlike a small thing, but those smallthings add up to a big difference inthe experience for everyone involved.34 mobile production monthly

Convenience and Flexibility:Everything about the TourJet modelis based on meeting the needs of thetour and artists. That goes all the waydown to the fact that TourJet does nottry to force any client into a formatdictated by the planes in their fleet.“We don’t own planes,” Dave told us.“We lease aircraft totally dependingon the needs of our clients.”At the Vegas stop for Bon Jovi, therewere actually two aircraft parked inVegas, a Challenger 850 (CRJ-GLSconversion) that can hold up to 15passengers and which serves as themain aircraft, as well as a smaller jet( Challenger 300 – 9 passengers).On this particular leg, the band allarrived in the larger aircraft, but theywould not be leaving that way. Whilemost of the band was staying over inLas Vegas, one member was due thenext day back in Los Angeles for aTV taping. Having that second aircraftmeant being able to serve both sets ofneeds.users. We operate on a worldwide,24/7 basis. Your clients will be flyingwith an operator that is properlylicensed, certified, and with crewsthat are professional in conduct andappearance at all times.”Again, much of the “TourJetDifference” comes from their tour/event management background. Thepeople at TourJet are very familiar withthe touring environment. But in theend it’s pretty simple. They listen.Concludes Davis, “Safety,consistency, comfort, convenienceand flexibility. We do what it takesto make every trip right for everyclient. TourJet listens to its customersrequirements and ensures that theflight experience is effortless.”www.tourjet.net“The only constant is change” –TourJet is able to pivot when requiredand update travel plans at a momentsnotice.Eco-Responsibility:A big deal for many artists. Therealities of a media-saturated worldmake it very tough for A-List artists tofly commercial. But a private jet has alarge carbon footprint which can bean issue for artists who are outspokenenvironmental advocates. TourJetallows them to have the best of bothworlds by participating heavily incarbon offset programs. This basicallyconsists of supporting renewableand energy efficiency projects with anegative carbon footprint to offset theeffect of the CO2 produced by theirjets. To date, since 2005, TourJet hasoffset more than 25,000 tons of CO2through these programs.In the end it is about providing aunique service that is focused onsafety while also being aware at adeep level of the unique needs andquirks of the touring industry andbening able to meet those uniqueneeds.“TourJet can see each trip from theclient’s viewpoint,” Davis explains.“The principle partners are both froma background in VIP travel and eventmanagement and have been chartermobile production monthly 35

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CLAIR: On the Road with Bon Jovi’sBecause We Can TourA Conversation with Monitor Engineer Glen Collettby Mike WhartonOn the current , Because We Can Tour, there are twomonitor engineers for the band; Glen Collett, who doesmonitors for Jon and the rest of the band, while AndyHill mixes guitarist Phil X currently subbing for RichieSambora. Collett mixes on a Midas Heritage 300 analog board.Hill operates a DigiDesign Profile.Collett has been a Clair employee since 1999. Originally fromVancouver, Canada, Collett owned a sound company called JasonSound with a client list including Bryan Adams and Loverboy,among others. He sold his company, and at the behest of BryanAdams’ Manager Bruce Allen, moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Atthat time, Allen had just started managing Martina McBride andsuggested that Collett contact Clair.The first tour Collett did for Clair was Bette Midler. Midler’sentire production team also did Bon Jovi’s. They felt Collettwould be a good fit with Bon Jovi when the time came.That time came around 2005. “I’ve been here ever since,” saysCollett happily.Collett explains the logic behind the two monitor board system,“Carrying somebody on wedges is a completely differentenvironment than being on in ear monitors. What you canoptimize for on each instrument in an in ear piece is muchdifferent than what you can get away with on an open-endedwedge.”“For instance, with Jon,” he continues, “for his vocal in his ears,I can make it extra bright and it won’t feed back. However, if youtake that input with all that brightness and try to bring it up in awedge, it will squeal right away.”To compensate for this would require a separate EQ just for thatone microphone. This creates a virtual snowball effect in order tooptimize for all the other inputs.“It’s much easier to have a separate board where I have free rangeand don’t have to compromise my sound in the ears to make upfor what I can get away with in wedges,” continues Collett.As for preference of in ear monitors, Collett believes they all aregood, acknowledging that, ultimately, it’s the artist choice to whatthey are most comfortable. He recalls a “shootout” Bon Jovi didabout seven years ago comparing the entire line of in ear monitorproducts on the market.“Jon preferred the Sensaphonics because of its soft silicon mode,”says Collett. “The keyboard player and other guitar player utilizethe Sensaphonics as well, while the bass player and drummerchose Future Sonics.”“Phil X uses a specialized in ear monitor I designed, that is madeby Jerry Harvey, who was the brains behind Ultimate Ears,”continues Collett. “It’s an ear piece that has a big vent in it. Thiseliminates a problem a lot of guitar players run into with in earmonitors. The guitarist can still hear his guitar and the normalsounds around him on stage too. It’s really hard to get the soundand power that a Marshall stack produces through an ear piece.These pieces just don’t reproduce that weight the player isaccustomed to. Likewise, the guitarist only gets a sense of leftand right as to what he thinks he’s hearing. He loses the audiencefrom the front and that push of power the stack reproduces frombehind.”“It can be very disconcerting,” observes Collett.Collett states that he has not used side fill monitors for quite sometime. “The reason being,” he says, “is a control issue. Gettingthe bass player stage left and the keyboard player all the waystage right to hear the sides correctly creates too much splash tobe effective. What I try to do is create an environment throughthe ear pieces, a circle of wedges, or a combination of both,” hestates.Bon Jovi uses wireless handheld mics. The new Shure systemcalled Axient is currently being carried on tour with them. “Itis a true diversity system,” says Collett. “It’s rock solid andsounds just fabulous.” The system features 23 frequencies withtwo running simultaneously at all times. This way, should onefrequency stray, another one will replace it seamlessly.In 2007, Bon Jovi did another shootout comparing digital toanalog consoles. Collett recalls Jon would say, ‘When it wasjust me and a guitar, it was great, but as soon as the whole bandcame in I lost a lot of dynamics.’ The rest of the band had similarobservations. From that experience it was determined that analogconsoles would be used 100 precent of the time for Jon and theband.Andy Hill uses a digital console for his guitarist since his setis unique with wedges in front, a small PA behind him, and thespecialized in ears. This coupled with the fact that Phil X will takelead solos out on the thrust, B-stage, and all over the main stagemakes the preset capabilities for different ‘scenes” on the DigiDesign Profile the better choice.Collett has a few final words about digital vs. analog consoles.He will use digital consoles when the artist needs demand it.When mixing monitors, it’s really important that you keep eye toeye contact with your artist. “This helps them feel comfortableon stage, that you’re aware of their needs right away. Analogconsoles allow you to make quick adjustments, too,” he explains.Ensuring the artist is happy and comfortable, while workingefficiently at a non-chaotic pace - that’s the hallmark of aprofessional doing what he loves. Because he can.www.clairglobal.com38 mobile production monthly

HOTELSSheraton Indianapolis at Keystone Crossing-If the Walls Could TalkIf the walls could talk at the Sheraton IndianapolisHotel at Keystone Crossing,they would all have somelaughs and maybe even give the GM a heart attack.But who doesn’t have great memories of days on theroad back in the mid 80s and early 90s?As one of Indianapolis’ longer-standing hotels, they haveseen their share of bands, crews and production teamsover the years and love welcoming regulars back. Theyhave changed names a time or two; however they arehappy to say that they have been a Sheraton the longest,where they have had their current landmark location onthe north side of Indianapolis, offering spacious openlots for bus and trailer parking, as well as being attachedto the Keystone Fashion Mall. Whether performing onthe northeast side of town at the amphitheater known asKlipsch Music Center (to the locals and regular artists,it’s still Deer Creek), or visiting the Murat Theater,Egyptian Room, or White River State Park downtown,the Sheraton is in the ideal spot to stay in Indy. Easyaccess right off the main loop, or just hop on the sidestreets to get to-and-from with a little local scenerythrown in. Sheraton is proud to share that the hotel hasa fabulous relationship with the venues right in ourbackyard as well. The Vogue, Clowes Memorial Hall atButler University, and the newest addition, The Centerfor the Performing Arts in Carmel.Indiana, the Crossroads of America, is keeping theSheraton Indianapolis on the top of everyone’s listwhile traveling from coast to coast. Taking a look at theentertainment clientele they welcome through their doorseach year, they host almost as many groups on their daysoff that aren’t even performing in Indianapolis as thosethat have an actual show there.With their recent multimillion dollar renovation youwon’t even recognize the place. All 395 guest rooms andsuites have had a complete overhaul, as well as the lobby,restaurant, bar, indoor pool and fitness center. Taking ona new modern look with a twist of home thrown in, theywould love to invite you to be a guest one day soon.mobile production monthly 39

ADVERTISER’S IndexAMECA..........................................18American Mobile Staging.....................15Apex Stages.........................................37Clair.............................................IFCCountry Coach.....................................13Cube Passes..........................................7D&S Classic Coach...............................37Dr.Dot...........................................37Engine Power Source (EPS)..................18Five Points Production Services.........14Four Star Wire.......................................14Gallagher.....................................IBCHemphill Brothers.................................39Impact Marketing..................................39Jet Divsion.............................................27LMG....................................................27MD Live................................................14Med Plus..........................................................37Mountain Productions..........................19NIC Freight............................................14Precise Corporate Staging......................3Prevost................................................BCRoadhouse.........................................27TourJet..........................................36Upstaging...........................................19

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