2013: Part 3
Googoosh at the Royal Albert Hall
As one of the most famous Persian musician of all time, Googoosh was always going to enjoy a sold out performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Fans claim to be captivated by her voice and in her six decades as a singer and film star it is the clarity and variation in her tone that makes her a world-class star. We first came into contact with her over a decade ago when she was smuggled out of Iran to perform in London.
We maintained our relationship with Kayvan and Marjan Abbassi in the intervening period and have been honoured to be able to see their TV station, Marjan TV, take a disused studio complex from nothing to one of the most exciting and innovative places in London.
We were asked to handle all aspects of the production including the set design. We brought Nick Hillel on board to handle live video content and he embraced the idea of having staggered blocks of LED screens scattered onstage. Undoubtedly it made his life harder at the programming stage but the end result, coupled with two flown large screens and full colour starcloths was truly extraordinary.
RNSS were delighted to provide sound for this icon and flew a large MILO system to handle the demands of the band.
The audience were rewarded with a concert to remember and the experience and emotion backstage will stay with us for while.
Trafalgar Square Concert
2013 saw the second of a series of concerts performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and sponsored by BMW. The concerts aim to offer outstanding music performed in the open air free to everyone.
For the second year in a row we were delighted that the LSO requested that RNSS provide the sound for this groundbreaking performance. Large screens were mounted on either side of the stage to allow the audience to witness the concert close up.
Once again providing sound in Trafalgar Square brought its own set of challenges as various restrictions meant that there were clearly defined “sound boundaries” that we needed to stay within. However, it was also critical that the audience felt part of the performance and that, despite the open air, an atmosphere of intimacy was created. The event was again a success and we are looking forward to 2014.
Marc Stevens, the LSO concerts and recordings manager said:
"the event last year was been described in my world, by people who really knew about such things, as the best outdoor sound for orchestra they had ever heard. This year was better."