
Kinesys Helps Shape Placebo Tour posted: 08/12/2016
There are around 20 different movement cues over the two hour performance
Kinesys automation is central to show designer Jvan Morandi's visual concept for the current Placebo Retrospective tour, which features some of the musical highlights and moments from 20 years on the indie rock frontline for the band, known for their intelligent visceral, raw and creative approach to live performance. Ten Kinesys Elevation 1+ vari-speed drive units, used with 10 x half tonne Liftket motors and Kinesys Vector control are being used to move five I-shaped trussing pods rigged in the roof above the stage.
The system is a brand new investment in automation by lighting and video contractors Colour Sound Experiment, which made several purchases for this lengthy arena tour to ensure that Jvan has exactly the right elements for the tour.
Colour Sound's Haydn Cruickshank comments, We have sub-rented Kinesys systems as needed for some time now so we know the kit is excellent.
There's been an increase in demand for moving elements in the last couple of years, so the time was absolutely right to make the purchase. As Kinesys is the most popular motion control brand in the UK it made sense, and also ticked all the other important boxes like stability and being highly recommended by everyone we know .
In addition to the Liftkets, Elevation 1+s and Vector control, the system also includes a Kinesys Array PD-ES and Mentor series 3 for SIL 3 compliance which is required for touring in parts of Europe.
James Hind - Colour Sound's crew chief - is also the automation operator on the road, for which he is positioned side stage during the show, where he can get a clear view of the pods as they are moving.
Jvan came to production rehearsals ahead of the tour with a set of moves already in his head for the pods which he and James mapped out in Vector, integrated into the show and then tweaked for the first couple of weeks until everything was perfect for the ambience Jvan was creating for the different songs.
There are around 20 different movement cues over the two hour performance which allow the stage space to be enlarged or closed down for additional drama and shifting the dynamics.
The pods are loaded with Robe BMFL moving lights, strobes and 2-lites and each one is fronted with a 2 x 1 metre panel section of 7 mm LED screen. Their home position is trimmed just above the height of a large rear LED screen, and as they move into different looks, the video screens take on totally new perspectives and the scope of the lights are altered, really helping to maximise the effects of all these items.
Some subtle gliding of the pods at the start whets appetites and hints to the fans that there's more to come, with the majority of the extreme angle cues appearing during the final third of the set.
I wanted to shift the architecture of the space and automation provided a very convenient, elegant and effective solution, stated Jvan, who is known for his inventive and off-beat approach to show and performance design.
For him, automation is another creative visual tool, along with lighting and video, all of which can be combined and contrasted to make the environment exciting and interesting.
James Hind has been using Kinesys on various tours and shows for around five years and says, The system is rock solid, reliable and easy to tour .
The Vector platform is palette based, so updating the positional information each day as the height, shape and dimensions of the stage change is very quick and easy and any show can be adapted for a venue with lower - or higher - roof clearance, but still look good and provide an all-important continuity.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June
Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2
23 million video views acr...
30/06/2026
Could your journalism reach an international stage?
Entries are now open for the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2026, one of the most prestigi...
30/06/2026
As Brazil's only way for fans to see all 104 matches, YouTube channel proves the power of digital...
30/06/2026
Brings together saturation & lo-fi effects
Following on from the release of their Voxcraft vocal-processing plug-in, UJAM have announced the launch of Retro...
30/06/2026
New IR reverb engine, Juno-inspired chorus & more
The latest version of Rapid Flow's hardware-emulation synth plug-in expands on its predecessor with a ...
30/06/2026
Excels at heavy-handed VCA compression
For their latest release, Shy Audio have recreated the crunchy' sound of a rackmount compressor that found its w...
30/06/2026
Component scarcity drives cost increases
Shortly after Apple's CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that cost increases would soon be inevitable , the company hav...
30/06/2026
Statement regarding GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign
30 June, 2026
Media releases
The GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign is an independent initiative. SBS ...
30/06/2026
Hitachi and Bank Pekao S.A. have completed the installation of the first Hitachi...
30/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
MainStreaming, the award-winning and innovative Edge Video Delivery Network, today announced that it has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, I...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
When Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! needed to upgrade their wireless communications system, they turned to Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless for their iconic televi...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Other World Computing Launches New Atlas Core Line with 256GB CFExpress 4.0 Type...
30/06/2026
DaVinci Resolve Studio Used for Taketoshi Sado's Perfume Cold Sleep -25 year...
30/06/2026
Life sciences has entered an era of computational scale, and for more than a dec...
30/06/2026
Fernando Cruz and Jaz Wray Join as Regional Sales Managers; Bringing Extensive S...
30/06/2026
As organizations move from AI pilots to production AI factories, infrastructure decisions have shifted from peak chip specifications to cost per token: how many...
30/06/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
30/06/2026
Scripps Research scientists demonstrate a faster, cheaper route to making critical drugs using common table sugar New method illustrates how to build a tough ch...
29/06/2026
By Andy Rayner, CTO, Appear
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest football tou...
29/06/2026
A new multi-country study from ESL FACEIT Group, Hero Esports, and Niko Partners estimates that 400 million Gen Z consumers regularly engage with esports, under...
29/06/2026
ESPN will mark America's 250th anniversary with a series of content initiatives across its linear, digital, and streaming platforms, including a special edi...