Devon Allman: Royalty Meets Brotherhood

(An abbreviated version of this interview is to appear in Origin Magazine - www.originmagazine.com early in 2013.)

He has the DNA of rock and roll royalty, but the upbringing of a middle-class suburbanite. Devon Allman was raised by his single mother, Shelley, and until he was 17 years old, his famous father was nothing more than an old 5”x7” framed photograph that he kept on his dresser. But there’s no mistaking his genetics. Although his looks favor his uncle Duane, his soulful voice is more reminiscent of his father Greg Allman. Yet Devon is decidedly his own brand, part blazing vocals, part songwriter/story-teller, and part stinging guitar licks. 

Devon now lives in St. Louis, where, a few years ago, he assembled a band called Devon Allman’s Honeytribe before joining Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers and Mike Zito in a project called Royal Southern Brotherhood. RSB released the album, Royal Southern Brotherhood in May 2012 and have been touring almost non-stop ever since. Devon also has a solo album coming out in February 2013, which was produced by the legendary Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughn, Santana, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, et al.).

Just before leaving for the European leg of the RSB tour in October, we had the opportunity to glimpse into the heart and soul of the singer, artist, and would-be poet.

You’ve had a busy year. Royal Southern Brotherhood, the band with you, Cyril Neville, Mike Zito, and Yonrico Scott, released the album Royal Southern Brotherhood in May and you’ve been touring like a mad man ever since.

Man, it was a long tour. We’re still in the middle of it. The American portion is over and we’re going over the Europe in about a week and a half. It’s been really interesting. As a band, we’re not trying to re-invent the wheel, but to kind of keep it rolling. We’re trying to keep the real stuff rolling. It’s an interesting time to break a band, in this day and age.

This is a collaborative effort. Are you writing songs together?

There are some that were brought in individually and then there were some that were co-writes; it really depends on the track. But it’s totally a group effort. 

It’s very southern, very rhythm-and-blues, very soulful...it’s kind of everything mixed together. Did everyone bring a different point of view and different influences?

Yeah, there clearly is this Texas rock, and country, and blues, R&B, reggae, and funk. There’s a little bit of everything. It really is kind of a mixture. But it’s all tied together by everybody’s individual voicing. 

It blends really well.

Definitely. It works.

You brought up an interesting point. You mentioned Texas rock. You grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, but you moved away when you were young. How old were you?

I moved away when right before I was 11, but I came back every single summer until I was 20. And it wouldn’t be for just a few days, I’d come back for about a month at a time. I really felt like most of my childhood was there, even though I had moved away to another state. So I’m pretty in touch with that whole early ZZ Top thing, and Mike Zito, the other guitar player in the band is definitely in touch with that. It’s just in there as much as anything else. 

Now you live in St. Louis. How does that inform your art?

St. Louis has a really rich history, musically. Miles Davis is from here, and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry...There’s always been someone coming out of St. Louis. It’s got a really vibrant blues scene. It may be tapering off a bit, but they’ve always been known for it. There’s a neighborhood downtown called Soulard (pronounced Soo’-lard). It’s eight or ten square blocks and there’s probably 20 blues clubs down there. You can walk through the doors of any one of them and see the blues. It’s cool to come home and go check out music. That’s always going on. I would think that Memphis and New Orleans are a little bit even more so, but St. Louis, being a river city and having a history, you know, it finds its way into the music. 

You mentioned Miles Davis. That’s interesting, because I hear some jazz influence in your music at times, and of course there’s the rock and R&B. Is that something you strive for, or does it just happen?

Well, I think that if you’re a cat like Cyril Neville, or like me, you wake up and you have your coffee, and you put on some Miles Davis, you put on some Bob Marley, or you put on some Clapton, or you put on some Santana, you’re gonna end up with a band that sounds like all those cats, you know? That’s just what we love, so I think, by osmosis...you throw it in the well, and then you come and pull it back out of the well. And that’s why I said we’re really not re-inventing the wheel, but we’re trying to kinda keep that wheel rolling.

Also, on the last Devon Allman’s Honeytribe album, Space Age Blues, which came out late in 2010, you brought in Ron Holloway to play sax. Were you looking for a more jazzy sound?

Yeah, I really feel like it took the rock music up a notch on the sophistication. The songs were screaming for it, and I was always a fan of saxophone, and then Ron Holloway just became a dear friend of mine. He’s played with Dizzy Gillespie, and Gov’t Mule, and Warren Haynes, so he added another element, another kind of dimension to that music. I just had him play on my first solo record too.

I just read that early on, you were influenced by The Beatles and KISS. KISS is a very theatrical band, and I think you were also involved in theatre in high school, right?

I was. 

Does any of that feed into your music?

I don’t know. There’s kind of two schools of thought when it comes to performance. There’s stand-in-one-place and make your notes do all the movement, and make them be powerful, and...stand there. [laughs] And the other one is, go friggin’ nuts and put on a show. I try to temper right in between that. You know, you don’t want it to be The Village People, but you don’t want it to be these cats that are just toe-gazers, that literally look at their toes during the entire performance. I think there’s a time for being austere and then there’s a time for being pretty exuberant and pretty vibrant, in people’s faces.

I’ve seen your shows, and you definitely feel the music. It looks like you’re really pulling from deep within. 

Definitely.

And you’re not formally trained; you’re self-taught, right?

I am. I’m just trying to tap that well, that well that I’ve tapped listening to music, and enjoyed it. I try to tap it to give it back to people. Sometimes it comes from a real fun place, sometimes it comes from a real sad place or a lonely place, but those are all the emotions that end up making the palette that you dip your paint brush in.

Your palette comes from a relatively suburban upbringing, did it not?

Yeah, anybody can live in the suburbs or in a great house, or any of that, but I lived without a father for a long time. And no amount of easy living, or however you want to call it, is going to replace that. We go through life, and we’re going to tap into those things that affected us. Obviously, in adulthood, it’s a different day-to-day living, but as an artist, you are going to go back and revisit that stuff and tap into it.

Are you a spiritual person?

Absolutely. One thousand percent. 

How does that manifest itself?

Well, it’s gotta be through relationships, it’s gotta be through music, it’s gotta be through just literally walking and going, ‘Wow, I really feel connected to the universe today.’ That may sound a little corny to some, but...You know, it took me a while to really figure out the difference between religion and spirituality. That line between them was always real blurry and I never really figured that out. And actually, I heard someone define it. They were saying that religion is a group of people’s connection to a higher power, and spirituality is an individual’s connection with a higher power. And since monotheistic religions really kinda give me the creeps, I really related to spirituality. I really related to the tenants of Buddhism, because that’s not a religion either; that’s a mindset. So I started kinda digging deeper and deeper. The religion thing, it really bums me out because the structure of them is 100% to benefit that religion. And that’s kind of a shame. It’s a shame that they’re so narrow-minded, you know... ‘It’s the only answer, it’s the only way. Everything else is wrong.’ And that’s why I said the monotheistic religions just seem like a big shut door to me. It doesn’t seem open. The spiritual world, the universe seems wide-ass open. [laughs] And I think that’s how I would rather live my life and teach my child.

Speaking of your child, Orion, how old is he?

He’s going to be a teenager in a few months. It’s insane. 

How did your life change when you had a kid?

I just remember crying like a grandma, you know? I just had never felt...I never knew that I had the capacity to feel that much joy and love at one time. I was completely overwhelmed—totally overwhelmed. And then you freak out, and you go chasing after them, and they’re everything to you. You’re freaking out on their every move. Then years go by, and you share a lot of laughs, and great vacations, and all of a sudden, boom, they’re like the most interesting people in your life. And they’re people now, not just these little babies. It’s been quite a trip—fatherhood. It’s been the best thing in my life.

You mentioned your father. How’s your relationship with him?

Man, it’s really good, you know? It was non-existence ‘til I was 17. But now, it’s really good. He’s in a really good place, I think he’s been through the shit enough to kinda wave the white flag and go, ‘Alright, I’m really lucky to be here, so I need to get my shit together.’ And with that clarity, it always brings us tighter. I don’t judge him. It’s not my place to judge him, or anyone else. He’s a human being on this planet. He’s on his own path. So I don’t judge him or get mad at him or whatever for his past, or his drug involvement back in the day. I just want him to be healthy and happy. I told him that about a year ago. You know, as I got into my thirties, I realized that my list of desires has truly diminished. As I get older, I just want to be happy and healthy. And that’s all I want for the people that I love. I want everybody to be happy and healthy. That’s it. I don’t want you to be rich, I don’t want you to be successful, I don’t give a shit about you climbing the ladder at your job. At the end of the day, if you’re happy, if you’re smiling, if you’re healthy, if you’re not going to the hospital to have treatment done to you, then that is a rich life.

Speaking of good health, you’ve been exercising, right?

It’s always so come-and-go with me. I swear, it’s so come-and-go with me because of the touring and stuff. I can get into this mad cycle of running, and I’ll run two or three miles a day, play basketball or lift weights, and then I’ll go through this mad cycle of doing nothing. I happen to be in the running cycle right now, and I feel great. I’m getting in shape. I just gotta make it stick. That’s the hardest thing about my lifestyle, going from  cruising all over the world and then coming home... And I’m just as busy when I’m home. I’m catching up on everything here, with my son, and personal matters. I never really sit still. But I need to get into that thing to where I’m just daily hittin’ it.

Let’s get back to the music a bit. Your music has a range of influences. You’re rooted in rock, R&B, and the blues. Does it have to come from a certain place to be authentic?

I think you have to go through some hurt. You may be able to come out and have the ability to kind of sound authentic, but it’s not going to really go until you’ve been through some pain. A really good example is, I remember seeing Derek Trucks when he was a little kid. We’re talking about a two- or three-time Grammy winner now, and (he’s on) the hundred best guitarists list, you know, this guy. Well, I think I saw him when he was like, 12. And everybody was like, ‘Holy shit!’ and freakin’ out. And I remember leaning over to one of my buddies, saying, ‘Yeah, he’s a badass, blah, blah, blah, and he can really play good, you know, cool and kitchy that he’s 12.’ I said, ‘I ain’t takin’ nothing away from him.’ In fact, I’m paying him the highest compliment because I said, ‘Man, you wait ‘til he has children. You wait ‘til, like, he loses his grandfather. You wait until he goes through the shit in life that we have to go through, because all of a sudden, all those cool notes he can play are going to have depth.’  I said, ‘When Derek Trucks is thirty, look the fuck out. He’s going to be the monster of all monsters on this planet.’ And sure as shit, that’s exactly what happened. So that’s a really good example of, like, you can have it, but you’re still going to have to go through some hurt, or some joy—extreme hurt or extreme joy, you know, these emotional rides that we’re on, to really, really define it. 

You play the guitar and you sing. Do you consider yourself a guitarist first or a singer first?

Damn, I don’t know. [laughs] I don’t know. I started off singing and playing rhythm guitar. I didn’t start playing lead guitar until I was 32. I was scared to death of anything past the seventh fret. And I had a guitar player quit, and I was, like, ‘Damn.’ At that point, I think I played one lead in the show. And I said, ‘Well, I can replace him, or I could just play every single lead. I was, like, ‘Damn, these leads are all going to sound the same.’ And I challenged myself; I gave myself six months, and I started really practicing behind the scenes. And I said, ‘In six months, if I’m playing all these different solos and doing them well, then screw it, I’m never getting another guitarist again. And if I’m not, then I’ll admit it to myself and hire one.’ And I felt like I grew enough. I was really glad he left. Because of him leaving, it turned me into a lead guitarist. Yeah, truly, because I would have never done it. I don’t think I would have ever had the balls. I was always a singer, and a rhythm player. 

You write great songs too. Are you a poet?

You know that my name translates into...Devon apparently translates into and means ‘the poet?’ It’s really trippy. Uhmm, I don’t know. It’s really not my place to judge my own stuff. I think that I dig some poetry and that I could write some. If my lyrics are, I don’t know. 

Are you a philosopher?

I think for sure. [chuckles] And it’s really an idealogical place, you know. It’s nothing fancy. It’s like, ‘Why don’t we just get along and stop killing people and start feeding people, and turn the page here?’ It really doesn’t get much deeper than that. 

That’s a great philosophy. Are you a reader? Do you read a lot of books?

Voracious. Voracious reader. I’m always reading. Always, always.

Any particular genre?

I love travel narratives—absolutely love ‘em. I love seeing the world through different people’s eyes. Astrophysics is a big thing—love it. Bios—any kind of bios, you know, world leaders, to musicians, to whomever. You know, it’s funny, I almost feel guilty when I read fiction. And that’s so weird, but it’s like, if I’m going to spend time reading, I want to learn a true story, or learn about a person... I feel like I’m wasting my time with fiction, and that’s so wrong because there’s a pretty rich tapestry out there to be discovered. I don’t count the classics in that. I do like the classics.

You’re working on a solo album now, right?

It’s done! It’s in the can. It comes out February 12th in Europe and America, and I think Japan. It’s called Turquoise. 

Who’s on it? Is it people you’ve played with before or is it new people?

It’s Derek Trucks’ drummer of 15 years and the drummer for Royal Southern Brotherhood, Yonrico Scott. He plays all the drums and all the percussion. And then I’ve got some guests on there. I’ve got Luther Dickinson from The Black Crows playing some slide guitar. He’s just a badass. He’s had his own band, North Mississippi Allstars, for about 15 years. Ron Holloway is a guest again on saxophone, and there’s this great band out of Memphis called Lucero—really badass. Their keyboard player came and played (Hammond) B3 organ. And then I re-did the Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks classic, Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around with last year’s Blues Music Awards winner for best new artist, Samantha Fish. And it’s cool. It’s a little bit slower, a little grittier version, and it was a lot of fun to do.

Other than that, did you write the music?

Yeah, I did. I’ve got a couple co-writes on there. I co-wrote a couple with Mike Zito from Royal’, and co-wrote one with Tyler Stokes of the band Delta Sol Revival. He’s probably about 19 and he’s a really, really amazing talent. I’m actually producing his record next spring. So there’s a couple co-writes here and there, but for the most part it was my deal. 

Are you happy with it?

I’m really happy with it. It’s the record I always wanted to make. I mean, I was always in charge of the Honeytribe records, I even produced one of them, and I wrote everything on them. But at the end of the day, I was writing that to be within the framework of what I thought Honeytribe was. There’s no framework with this record. It’s kinda wide open. It felt really good. 

Wide open like the universe! But it’s a different style than Honeytribe?

Yeah, um, you know, it’s crazy because Honeytribe is aggressive, and Honeytribe had distorted guitars. It was very ‘rocky.’ This doesn’t have one distorted guitar on it. It doesn’t have one aggressive song on it. It’s like, I finally grew up. [laughs] And, instead of really wanting to produce this record, and all that, I got one of the best producers in the world to produce it. 

Who’s that?

Jim Gaines. He produced Santana, he produced Huey Lewis and the News’ big records,  he’s a song guy and a guitar guy. He’s in the twilight of his career, but I think that, so many times when people are in their twilight, they’re at their best. This is some of the last stuff that they will do, and I feel so honored that I did a record with him. 

I can’t wait to hear it.

Hell yeah, he did Stevie Ray Vaughn! I think it was In Step. Yeah, that’s the one where they had to put him in a chicken coop to stop all the humming and all the noise from the amplifiers.

One last thing before I let you go. A couple of years ago, I had dinner with George Massenburg, the inventor of the parametric EQ. We were talking about music and art, and he posed a question that, to this day, I still can’t answer, and it’s a question that’s been on my mind ever since. So I’m going to ask you. What do you think people will be listening to 1000 years from now?

Oh man. You know, that’s an excellent question. I think the obvious is, there are still going to be people listening to Beethoven and Mozart, because, if we’re listening to that stuff now, you know, if it’s lasted this long... So I think his question is more angled at, for the music that was produced in the 20th century, meaning modern-day music, from jazz in the ‘20s, to blues, all the way to this very second, what will have lasted? That’s an incredible question. I think the big ones. I think The Beatles, I think The Beatles will make it through that wormhole, [laughs] I think B.B. King, I think all your number one examples of each genre. Bob Marley. Maybe the ‘Stones. Maybe Motown as a whole. Uhmm...that’s a very good question. It’s so subjective.

It’s subjective, but yet there’s some criteria a piece of art has to have in order to make it on the list.

Yeah, I think it has to resonate on that spiritual level. We keep coming back to that spirituality. You know, Marley. For sure people are listening to Marley in 1000 years, because his music was too universal. And The Beatles, I just think, just because...I don’t know, maybe they’re just so popular. 

I said the same thing to George. He was saying Mozart, I was saying The Beatles. 

And Dylan.

Right on. Well, have a great time in Europe and good luck with the new record.

Thank you so much and thanks for thinking of me.

Devon Allman can be found on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/devonallman?fref=ts) and in the iTunes Store.

Wishes, Hopes and Dreams for 2013

All I want for 2013 is an accident-free year in the live event production industry. After that, everything else is just gravy. But it’s the gravy, and maybe some dessert, that make things interesting. Here are some of my wishes, hopes, and dreams for 2013.

More RDM

Remote Device Management has been around since December 2006, but it’s just now reaching the stage where it’s more common for new gear to support it than not. 2013 might be the year that we look back on in the future and remember that RDM made its “debut.” Why should we care? It helps make setting up a rig quicker and easier. No, it won’t replace planning and preparation, but it will make correcting mistakes as easy as changing intensity or color.

Easier Interfacing

If Siri can tell me how to get from point A to point B, why can’t she tell my lights what to do? Voice control and gesture control is in our reach, and all it would take is an enterprising individual or organization to put voice recognition technology with control technology and it will be the next generation of control.

Better Quality of Light

LEDs have come a long way in a relatively short time, but they still have that last mile to go when it comes to color rendering. Lots of companies are working on recipes for better phosphors that will render colors better, and it’s a matter of time before white LED light is indistinguishable to most people and cameras from white incandescent light. 

Self-Terminating Fixtures

In my experience, most techs think automated lights are already self-terminating even though they’re not. But it wouldn’t be terribly difficult or costly for automated lighting manufacturers to build in self termination.

Fractional-Load Transceivers

And while we’re on the subject of automated lighting, it would be nice if manufacturers started using fractional-load transceivers. The conventional transceiver has a load limit of 32 units, meaning that if you have more than 32 devices like automated lights or dimmer racks, then you need to use an amplifier or data splitter to avoid loading the data link too heavily. But there are transceiver chips that count as 1/4 load, allowing you to connect up to 128 units before you need to boost the data signal. 

Bigger Flexible Displays

LG Electronics will soon release a 55” OLED television that is much thinner, lighter, more efficient, and higher in contrast than LCD or plasma. It’s also much more flexible. When this technology matures, it will be ripe for application in the live event production industry. 

Smaller Luminaires

Ever since the first automated lights were commercialized in 1981, they have been getting smaller and more efficient. LEDs have helped extend the trend into the 2000s, and with any luck, it will continue for the foreseeable future.

Cheaper Luminaires

Just as LEDs have been better and brighter, they’re also getting less expensive. Can they continue to drop in price? I hope so, although I’m ambivalent about this because I think it’s important that manufacturers have enough profit to allow them to invest in R&D for the sake of innovation. 

Higher Pay for Everyone

Ticket prices are high, so why not let the entire live event production community share in the prosperity? I know it’s challenging to produce a show, and it’s often financially risky. Those who take the biggest risk should get the biggest reward, but part of producing an excellent show is having an excellent crew. And the best way to insure excellence is to pay for it. 

Lower Stress for Everyone

In our business, high production values and stress often go hand in hand. But it helps to keep everything in perspective. Years ago, David Davidian was the lighting designer on a huge concert tour, and I visited him during sound check. Things were not going well, as one technical problem after another presented itself, but Davidian kept his cool, never stressed, and exhibited almost perfect calm. I’ll never forget his words during that potentially stressful time: “It’s not brain surgery. No one is going to die if we mess up.” 

As we go through the New Year, remember the wisdom of one of the most prolific lighting designers/video directors in the business. Unless someone’s life, health, or safety is at stake, keep it in perspective. 

I wish you world peace, inner harmony, and lasting prosperity in 2013 and beyond. 

PS - Please support the Event Safety Alliance in 2013! (http://eventsafetyalliance.org)

PLASA New Product Innovations Awards 2012

When the sun rose in London Monday morning there were 47 nominations all vying for eight spots in the PLASA 2012 New Product Innovation Awards. By the time the sun set, eight of those products were placed at the top of the list with an additional one being recognized for its contribution to sustainability, and four more were commended.

Fourteen judges and I had spent most of Sunday listening to a series of 15 minute presentations about why the presenter’s product should win an award. The criteria was that the product should advance the industry by demonstrating innovation or improving technical practice. Other considerations are given to products that promote sustainability or safety. 

If you saw any of the 3,500 hours of the Olympic broadcasts, then you know that when world-class contenders compete, the winners are often decided by a matter of a thousandth of a second. That’s what it felt like trying to decide who should win the awards except we didn’t have the benefit of slow motion replay. Technology is advancing at an exponential rate and it’s far more accessible than it has ever been. So many products on the show floor take advantage of cutting-edge technology and it’s not hard to find innovation everywhere you look. It seems like much more of an even playing field. But there is a difference between taking advantage of existing technology and true innovation. Sometimes you have look under the hood (is that called raising the bonnet in the UK?) to find it.

Of the 47 product nominations, the judges fairly quickly whittled it down to a short list of 19 with only one that everyone felt was a clear-cut winner. Then we spent the next couple of hours debating the merits of each of the 19 products. We slowly carved out a list of six winners and agonized over the last two. We second-guessed ourselves, rearranged the list, and eventually arrived at our eight winners plus one award for sustainability, and four special commendations. 

Then we asked the question, “Is any one of the winners deserving of a Gold Award?” A Gold Award is sometimes given to an exceptional product that is recognized as a “game changer.” It’s that widget that will redefine the industry or shake the pillars of the industry. If you were to take a snapshot of the live event production industry today, what you’re likely to see is the convergence of automation, networking, control systems, video, wireless, battery-power, and robotics. After much debate and deliberation, the judges decided to award one of the eight winners the Gold designation. It’s a product that is likely to lay the foundation for the future of these technologies.

Deciding these awards was like watching Usain Bolt run the 100 metres. These companies put in hours and hours of hard work and training to get to the starting line, and in a flash, it was over. In the end, they all crossed the finish line, most within a hair’s breadth of the leader.

PLASA New Product Innovations Award Winners 2012

Gold Award Winner: 

Cast BlackTrax — BlackTrax V1 is an Ethernet-based solution that tracks objects or people in a defined 3D "space" and delivers the dynamic positional data in realtime in up to six degrees of freedom— X, Y, Z, plus roll, pitch, and yaw— to audio, lighting, motion control, and media technologies, as well as CAST's new BlackBox production coordination technology. The onboard gyroscope communicates the orientation of a moving piece or performer at over 250 frames per second. Control can be located up to 100 feet (30 metres) away with ¼" tracking accuracy.

What the judges said: “The level of integration with other tools and the potential for applications across the industry is incredible.”

Stageco Arena Lift — Stageco's Arena Lift is a bespoke hydraulic lifting system that allows large-scale ground support truss systems to be built at ground level and then raised to increase the rigging capability of an indoor venue. By adapting knowledge and expertise in lifting heavy equipment from the specialist construction industry, Stageco developed the Arena Lift to integrate high end hydraulic technology through adaptations and redesigns into custom built equipment suitable for touring. Four hydraulic lifting units form anchors at the base of ground support towers, the product features Smart Cylinder Control technology to synchronise these individual bases.

What the judges said: “It’s very safe and saves a lot of time. It increases options for touring shows and lets more shows play more venues. It’s very well thought through and very well implemented.”

Digital & Future Technologies Super2fer — Super2fer lets you send anything anywhere including HDMI video, composite, SVGA, audio, DMX...Just plug in an input box at one end using normal 16A cable, then 500m later plug in an output box and the data turns up. The system modulates the data onto the mains carrier and encrypts all your data using AES128 strength encryption. Each of the systems are impervious to the others. The Super2fer also has a Wireless Option, so you can now route all your video, audio or lighting data across a wireless link, with full redundancy.

What the judges said: “Why hasn’t this been done before? It’s a game changer. It’s packaged really well, so they’re instantly useful.”

Tait Technologies Pixel Tablet — The pixel tablet is a 3x3 RGB display unit, 135mm x 135m, weighing 0.5kg. Tablets can be hand held, placed in adaptable holders or mounted on a netting system to allow coverage of any landscape or architectural façade. Traditional 2D video screens are now able to be expanded and turned into a 3D screens. During the L2012 Ceremonies the pixel tablets were placed in holders on every seat in the Olympic stadium allowing the entire stadium to become the world’s largest video screen to date while incorporating the audience into the screen and show.

What the judges said: “It’s absolutely stunning. It’s the ultimate in audience participation.”

Avolites Sapphire Media Infinity Video Control System — Sapphire Media offers video operators an intuitive live, hands-on, show control surface enabling seamless integration of all visual elements. It connects to and allows control of multiple Ai Media servers. Two wide screen, touch surfaces are provided for easy access to the user interface and Salvation Engine control. Additionally, four switchable and assignable, touch preview monitors are available to the system operator. These preview monitors may be mapped to any inputs, outputs or video layers. 

What the judges said: “It’s well thought through and well designed.”

video link: http://www.avolitesmedia.com/

Robe Robin DLF Wash — The Robe Robin DLF uses an RGBW LED source and includes a unique internal barndoor assembly and a 5.5 to 60 degree zoom. Each motorised barndoor is individually positionable to control the light edge, with the complete assembly rotating through 90 degrees. Multiple colour shadows associated with an LED source have been eliminated allowing both rich and pastel colours to be reproduced at high output levels. Pure whites are available at pre-selected 2700K, 3200K, 4200K, 5600K and 8000K. Tungsten emulation allows the fixture to be integrated seamlessly with existing traditional lanterns. It comes with a three-year/20,000 hour light source warranty.

What the judges said: “It’s an LED wash light that behaves like traditional Fresnel. It will fit straight into the lighting tool box and we can use it. The internal barn doors are exceptional. beautiful color mixing, looks like a generic wash light but it’s LED.”

JBL VTX V25 Line Array with D2 Dual-Diaphragm Driver Technology — The VTX V25 is a full size 3-way high-directivity line array element.  It features two 2000W 15" Differential Drive® dual-voice-coil/dual-magnetic-gap woofers mounted in die cast aluminum baffles, with four 8" Differential Drive midrange transducers and three new D2 Dual-Diaphragm Dual-Voice-Coil Compression Drivers mounted on a third generation waveguide and patented RBI - Radiation Boundary Integrator® assembly.  Patented rigging, Crown VRack DSP and amplification, and JBL HiQnet Performance ManagerT configuration and control software complete the system package.

What the judges said: “It addresses a lot of the traditional problems with loud speakers by addressing the problems at the driver engineering level.”

Martin MAC Viper Profile — The MAC Viper Profile features a highly efficient optical system and 1000-watt HID source that outperforms market-leading profiles in the 1200-watt range. With over 26000 lumens of output, it is over 30% brighter than 1200-watt fixtures and also outperforms them in terms of speed and compactness. Power consumption is lower and output is approximately 55% more efficient than the 1200-watt fixtures it replaces. Features include CMY color mixing plus 8-slot color wheel and linear CTO, 1:5 zoom with auto-linked focus, 2 x 5-slot rotating gobo wheels plus FX wheel, combined dimmer/shutter, and more.

What the judges said: “It’s a new benchmark for automated lighting spots.”

Green Award

ETC Source Four LED — Source Four LED features the same size, look, optics and beam angles as a traditional Source Four®, with the efficiency and energy savings of an LED. The Source Four LED Lustr®+ luminaire features the capabilities of the x7 Color SystemT to offer the most flexible range of colour. From high-intensity whites to soft tints and supple, vibrant colours provide you with theatre-quality colour rendering. The Source Four LED Lustr+ also produces an adjustable white light that flatters any skin tone. Source Four LED is also available in 3000K warm white tungsten and 5600K cool white versions.

What the judges said: “It enables us to put professional quality stage lighting into naturally ventilated spaces. It has a highly efficient optical system and you can reuse existing lens stock.”

Commendable

d3 Designer — d3 Designer is a real-time 3D stage simulator, timeline based sequencer, video playback engine, and content mapper, all integrated into a single piece of software that runs on your own PC or Laptop. You can import stages from the CAD program of your choice, add screens, props, and content to get a true simulation of your production, well before you actually start your build, then easily transfer your show to a d3 Production system for show-time.

What the judges said: “It’s a fantastic pixel mapper and a fantastic visualisation tool that designers are going to love.”

Sennheiser Digital S9000: Digital S9000 is a UHF multi-channel digital wireless system that transmits audio in a compression-free high-definition mode, thus maintaining the full audio data.  For environments with much interference, the system is fitted with a long-range mode that uses a proprietary codec for an exceptionally good audio quality. The system does not generate any intermodulation artifacts. Frequencies can be placed in an equidistant grid. Designed for high band efficiency and high channel counts even in crowded RF landscapes.

Shure ULX-D Digital Wireless — ULX-D provides 63 channels of wireless in 8MHz. The 20Hz-20KHz frequency range and flat response captures details with clarity, presence, accurate low end and precise transient response. It has >120dB dynamic range and the Shure Gain Ranging optimises thie dynamic range for any source, eliminating the need for transmitter gain adjustments. Minimised intermodulation allows simultaneous operation of significantly more transmitters, and AES256 encryption ensures secure transmission. Lithium-ion rechargeability provides extended battery life, metering in hours/minutes (accurate to 15min), and detailed tracking of battery health. 

Highlights WENTEX Pipe and Drape System — The  WENTEX system setup can be completed in half the time and with half the labor cost. Not only can a 20' high WENTEX pipe and drape kit be easily assembled by one person, it can be done without the risk or liability of anyone having to climb up a ladder. Additional features can be easily mounted to a WENTEX pipe and drape system such as speakers, lighting, cameras, emergency exits and track systems.

What the judges said: “It’s a one-flight-case solution and it ticks the health and safety box.”

About the Judges

Liz Berry, Lighting Designer (Belinda Carlisle, Madness, Bryan Ferry, etc.), London, UK

Richard Cadena, PLASA, Austin, Texas, USA

Jim Cousins, Audio Engineer, Sound Improvement Services, London, UK

Gerry Francke, Project Manager, Creative Technology, London, UK

Paul Franklin, Theatre Design Consultant, Charcoalblue, London, UK

Tapio Ilomäki, Designer at Akukon Consulting Engineers, Finland

Mats Karlsson, Development Manager at VER, Belgium

Marc Kocks, MD of sales division, Ampco Flashlight group, Utrecht, Netherlands 

Ed Manwaring, EM Communications, Kent, UK

Steve Moles, Journalist, Lighting Designer/Tech (Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Tina Turner, etc.), Doncaster, UK

Ola Melzig, Technical Director Eurovision Song Contest, M & M Production Management, Stockholm, Sweden/Austin, Texas USA

Nick Read, entertainment and theatrical special effects & large scale lighting and electrical systems design, installation, testing and project management for stadium events, tours, shows and corporate events, Brighton, UK

Ben M Rogers, Lighting Designer/Video Designer, London/Cyprus

Cat West, Lighting Designer, Flash & Trash Productions, Los Angeles, USA

Show Networks & Control Systems

The new book from Professor John Huntington, "Show Networks & Control Systems" reminds me of my iPhone—each version is even better than the last. This one builds on the first three versions of "Control Systems for Live Entertainment," except this one is self-published, which means he had complete control over content, layout, size, and everything else.

I just returned from a seven-week run on the road to find a fresh copy in the mail. I was going to spend 20 minutes flipping through it and I ended up reading it for an hour. It seems to be even better organized than the first three of his books. It starts with a broad overview of control systems and then it hones in on the finer details of entertainment control systems from the very basic (binary and hexadecimal numbers) to the nitty gritty of networking.

Huntington's writing reflects his mastery of the subject and his years of experience in the field. I particularly like the chapter on System Design Principles with the seven principles including: ensure safety, the show must go on (redundancy, reliability, data backup, etc.), simpler is always better, strive for elegance, complexity if inevitable but convolution is not, make it scaleable and lear room for unanticipated changes, and ensure security. I also like his troubleshooting steps which include: verify the tester, quantify the problem, check the obvious, determine "verified," "unverified," and "suspect" devices, go through the systems until you have verified every device, if your stuck, clear your head, and consult others.

I live by the last step, and having Huntington's email addresses is the best lifeline. The second best lifeline is to own the book. If you are in the entertainment industry, then you need to know about show networks, and he covers the topics very well. In addition to covering big topics like Ethernet and Wi-Fi, the book goes into depth about networking protocols, IP addressing, subnets, troubleshooting networks, and more. The middle chapters go into depth about DMX512-A, RDM, ACN, MIDI, MIDI show control, SMPTE, open sound control, and more.

There are only a handful of books that I refer to over and over, and this is one of them. There are even fewer that cover these topics and of the one or two that do, this is by far the most current and up-to-date. It's easy to read, very well illustrated, and the explanations are very clear.

I would love to see an electronic version of it so that I can read it and access it where ever I am. Plus, I like having the ability to electronically search without having to thumb through pages. For now, there is only the hard copy. But I wouldn't think of not having it.

For more information, click here.

Technology and Art

Anyone who knows me knows that when I want to figure out how something works, I like to have a look inside. When I was around 10 years old, I was completely and utterly perplexed by television and radio technology. I could not for the life of me figure out how a person’s voice could come out of a box plugged into the wall and it almost drove me crazy thinking about it. But I just knew that if I could just get a look inside of a television or a radio that I could figure it out. After all, I was a smart 10 year-old boy. 

One day, when my parents left me alone in the house, I decided I was going to solve this mystery once and for all. I took an old radio into the garage and got into my dad’s tool box. With the help of a Phillips screwdriver, I took it apart. What I found inside was a circuit board and some parts—transistors, resistors, capacitors, a speaker...but none of it helped solve the mystery of how a person’s voice could come out. I didn’t give up. 

I took some pliers and wiggled a resistor free of the circuit board because I just knew that if I could only get a look inside of it, surely I could figure it out. Then I picked up what to this day remains one of my favorite electronics analytical tools — a hammer — and that hammer and I ganged up on this resistor. Together, we smashed it open. Unfortunately, all that was left was a pile of black carbon powder on the garage floor, and it did nothing to help solve the mystery.

But that incident helped intensify my desire to understand how electronics worked, and when I got to high school and learned that they offered an electronics class, I eagerly signed up. That was the beginning of my lifelong pursuit of the knowledge of technology. 

I still think that looking inside of something is the best way to figure it out, and to me, art is as perplexing as technology. Does art and technology work the same way? Can you look inside of art and figure out how all that emotion can come out of an object of art? Whether for art or technology, it seems that I’m always looking for a hammer that can show me the inside of a mystery. 

Henri Matisse said, “Light is the future of art.” Like that 10 year-old kid who wondered about electronic technology, I often wonder about the art of lighting. What does lighting and scenery bring to the live event production table? What does add to the concert experience? Does it really help to heighten the emotion of the show or is the live event production industry simply fooling ourselves into believing that it does add meaning and it has a higher purpose? Since our livelihoods and our artistic sensibilities depend on it, can we really evaluate it realistically? 

Go online and search YouTube.com for James Taylor on the BBC in 1970 and you’ll find a well lit but very simple show from a lighting standpoint. It is thoughtfully and tastefully lit with light and shadow, color, form, and texture. There are no flashy moving lights, no fog, no beamage, no strobes, no chases, projections, fades, or bumps. Yet the show is highly entertaining and very aesthetically pleasing. Is it higher art than today’s over-the-top shows? If so, what does that say about the art of lighting?

Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. I’ve never been a fan of Diego Rivera, but when I saw the exhibition, I gained a new perspective. Just by looking at his work, I felt very strong emotions. At the same time, I was a bit perplexed by this sudden revelation and I wondered what it was about his work that was so striking.

Until then, I thought Rivera’s renderings were simplistic and uninspiring. I have always been a big fan of the impressionists like Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, and Dega. I think they had these mad skills that allowed them to interpret the world through the lens of someone who looked at ordinary life and saw extraordinary things. I also appreciate the work of the realists like Rembrandt, da Vinci, and Michelangelo. They were amazingly talented at rendering incredibly realistic paintings and sculpture that mimicked real life to the point that they captured the spirit of a subject. Rivera seemed to me to be neither of these.

But the Rivera exhibit at MOMA captured my imagination right from the beginning. At the entrance to the exhibit there was a large fresco entitled “Agrarian Leader Zapata.” It showed the Mexican Revolutionary war hero Emiliano Zapata holding a white horse in his right hand and a machete in his left. Rivera said the horse represented that of the Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortes. Under Zapata’s left foot is the sword of the fallen Cortes, who is shown on the ground at his feet. Behind Zapata is a small crowd of peasant soldiers carrying the tools of the local farmers including hoes, shovels, and machetes. 

Cortes died more than three hundred years before Rivera was born, but this work, originally painted in 1931, represented the hope of the Mexican people at the end of the Mexican Revolution. It was the end of the era of the colonial Conquistador and the beginning of a new political and social era.

The painting looks a bit two dimensional to me when I see pictures of it, but in real life it has heart and soul. That’s what originally drew me to it, but what riveted me to it was the technique. I learned that it was painted using traditional Italian fresco techniques but that Rivera used new and innovative ways to apply them. He was a technology leader in his time. 

That inspired me to take a closer look at his work. Another mural that really captured my imagination was entitled “Man at the Crossroads.” It was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller and Rivera was given the theme, “Man at the crossroads looking with uncertainty but with hope and high vision to the choosing of a course leading to a new and better future.” 

I liked it from the moment I read the theme. I liked it even better when I examined it more closely and discovered how technology was an important part of the theme. In Rivera’s own words, the painting shows “human intelligence in possession of the Forces of Nature, expressed by the lightning striking off the hand of Jupiter and being transformed into useful electricity that helps to cure man's ills, unites men through radio and television, and furnishes them with light and motive power.”

The words struck a chord and the depictions in the mural harmonized with them. Slowly, I began to realize the deep thought and passion that went into the artwork. Maybe that’s what art is, the expression of deep feeling. Maybe that’s why the work rings true; it expresses true feeling, strong emotion, and deeply held convictions.

On my way out of MOMA, I stopped into their book shop and picked up “Diego Rivera: My Art, My Life,” an autobiography with Gladys March. Only 18 pages into the book, I came across this passage: “It was (José Guadalupe Posada) who taught me the supreme lesson of all art—that nothing can be expressed except through the force of feeling, that the soul of every masterpiece is powerful emotion...Looking back upon my work today, I think the best I have done grew out of things deeply felt, the worst from a pride in mere talent.”

You could replace the word “talent” in the last sentence with “technology” or “technique” and it would fit like a glove. The streets are littered with master technicians but when you mix technique and emotion you get a rare individual like Miles Davis or Rembrandt. A thousand years from now, Davis will still be highly regarded while many masterful technicians will be a footnote in history.

I can’t say with any certainly what art is, but I know that using lighting for no good reason other than to create an effect is not art; using it to help you convey emotion and reinforce a performer’s passion might be. Technology can be used to enhance technique, like Rivera creating a mural, or it can be used as a crutch. The difference is purpose, meaning, emotion, feeling, and substance. 

Every cue of every show colors the presentation, and as such it should have meaning and purpose. Each look, every movement, every scene should be there for a reason. The absence of light is shadow, and that too can have meaning and purpose. Adding light where it is not necessary not only crowds the scene, it also detracts from the contrast between light and dark.

Low-tech lighting, as in the James Taylor performance on the BBC, can be very powerful. So can high-tech lighting under the right circumstances. Do a YouTube search for just about any Trans-Siberian Orchestra show (warning: most of the YouTube videos are of poor quality) and you’ll see an example of great lighting using lots of technology. Brian Hartley and the rest of the TSO crew are masters of reinforcing the emotion of the music. 

Conversely, go watch any Jonny Lang show where Greg Classen is running the lighting console and it won’t matter whether he’s using high-tech or low-tech, you’ll see a masterful performance. 

In his autobiography, Rivera talks about the source of his power as an artist. “Deep inside me, I had discovered an enormous artistic reservoir. It was of the kind that had enable the American genius Walt Whitman to create, on a grander scale than anyone had before, the poetry of the common people, working, suffering, fighting, seeking joy, living, and dying.” When Lang plays, his suffering is written all over his face, and Classen knows how to connect with it and amplify it using nothing but light, shadow, color, and movement. I don’t know if that’s art, but it’s definitely powerful and it’s moving.

Technology, like art, can be powerful and moving. If it resonates with art it can add another layer of expression, but if it’s applied indiscriminately it can get in the way of artistic expression. I think technology in production does matter if it contributes to the story on the stage.