July 2026 – It did not come much more rock and roll than KISS co-founder, Ace Frehley, playing a smoking guitar live on stage and the man who made those guitars smoke is Jim Cara. He knows every type of smoke generation, from tiny steam engines to smoke grenades. His advice on creating these stunning effects? If you want to stay on the right side of the Fire Marshalls, only a Look Solutions fog machine will keep you there.
August 2026 – Follow-Me DELT∆ our manual performer tracking system lit up a career-spanning celebration of Lulu this summer, culminating in a headline show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on June 1st. Luke Edwards took on the role of Lighting Designer for the run, which comprised three warm-up shows at various venues the week before the Royal Albert Hall date. Josh Gallagher operated the lighting rig, with Ben Hunt as Lighting Tech, Kieran Claye as Production and Video Designer, and equipment supplied by Newcastle-based lighting supplier Axiom.
August 2026 – At Berlin’s legendary Tempelhof Airport, tracking expert Christian Glatthor of Rocketchris, working for the design team at Light Art Studios GmbH, deployed the Follow-Me DELT∆ system for a groundbreaking ABOUT YOU fashion show that set new standards in runway lighting. Spanning an 80-metre catwalk in a historic 1930s airport hall, the production demanded precision, flexibility, and real-time control across a challenging environment with strict weight limits and no overhead rigging points. Follow-Me DELT∆ delivered on all fronts.
July 2026 – Hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan are currently in the midst of a sweeping global farewell tour titled Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, a mammoth run that began last summer and has stretched well into 2026. With 10 to 11 members commanding the stage simultaneously, a creative ethos that has remained defiantly spontaneous since the ‘90s, and, as Lighting Director and Programmer Jack Cannon puts it, a set list that can arrive “five minutes before a show or in the middle of a show,” the production demands are unlike almost any other touring act.
July, 2026 – Brompton Technology’s LED processors provided the processing backbone for the virtual production workflow used on Believe Me, ITV’s four-part true-crime drama produced by Etta Pictures, part of ITV Studios. Written by BAFTA and RTS-winning screenwriter Jeff Pope and directed by Julia Ford, the series stars Aimée-Ffion Edwards, Miriam Petche and Aasiya Shah, with Daniel Mays portraying John Worboys.
July 2026 – Legendary Bulgarian artist Grafa achieved a national first in Arena 8888 Sofia with a fully immersive concert in the round. Monitor Engineer Boris Yanakiev used DMI-KLANG with his DiGiCo Quantum 338 to deliver spatialised immersive monitor mixes for the entire band, with each musician utilising a KLANG:kontroller on stage. It was a night to remember and, with two weeks of production rehearsals, Yanakiev had more than enough time to really refine his mixes.
July 2026 – UNICOL Engineering, a leader in audio-visual mounting solutions, has supplied its new Outdoor ‘H’ Frame to the UK’s leading pub retailer and brewer, delivered via AV integration specialist Chantry Digital. The freestanding stainless-steel structure was developed to meet a growing demand from the hospitality sector for robust, weatherproof outdoor screen installations, and a successful pilot install of a 98” display at one of the operator’s pubs has now paved the way for a UK-wide rollout.
July 2026 – LIVE Trust’s Phase Two funding programme doubles the amount distributed in Phase One, providing support to new partners and taking total grants made to £1.5million Funding has already supported nearly 700 venues, festivals, and artists, with Phase Two set to reach even more London, UK – 15 July 2026: LIVE Trust, the charity established by LIVE to protect, expand, and support grassroots live music across the UK, has doubled the amount of funding distributed through its Phase Two programme, bringing the total to £1.5 million.
Bradford LIVE has been a staple of the community since 1930, and with the new repairs and investment, has returned to its prime with the new addition of two DiGiCo Quantum 225 consoles.
The history of Bradford LIVE goes right back to September 22nd, 1930. Since it opened, it has been a treasured part of the Braford community. The community fought to save it after it fell into disrepair in 2000 and in 2025, after 50 million pounds of investment, it has returned as a multi-use venue the community can be truly proud of. From the 3,500-seater venue at its heart to the ballroom and smaller spaces, this is a venue that knows how to fully maximise a return on investment, and the DiGiCo Quantum 225s, supplied by Solotech, are working just as heard to earn their place there.
James performs with spontaneity and without set lists, so being ready for anything means Front of House engineer, Chris Lynch, needs the power and speed that only DiGiCo can deliver. The generous surface area of the Quantum 338 and three large screens means that everything he needs access to is within arms-reach. In addition Aled Irfan, at the monitor position, is using an SD10 and has also invested in KLANG and a Fourier transform.engine. His company, AL Touring, supplies the control package for the tour including microphones, in-ear monitoring, and stage-wedges, with the PA provided by Solotech.
