Party like a DJ 2018
Concerts & Touring
WICREATIONS was asked by Italian production director Jimmy Pallas to provide a 20m diameter circular stage with 4 integrated elevators, a telescopic central lifting section, plus 18 roll drop projection screens for the 2018 Radio DeeJay Live event at the 11.000 capacity Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy.
A selection of the Radio Stations’ most popular DJs play at the annual specular which also features live performances by chart-topping bands. This year’s stage design put the DJs right at the heart of the action, mid-audience on a central stage lift which further elevated from the circular WISTAGE.
The show is a massive deal in Italy. 11.000 attendees, streamed on Facebook Live and broadcasted live across the Sky network, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Radio DeeJay fans across Italy and in some other parts of Europe.
MOTION GEAR
- ELEVATORS
- ROLLDROPS
EFFECT
UPPER STAGE
- performer lifting
WISTAGE
WI developed this spherical staging system for touring, with all their renowned robustness, reliability and safety features. As with all WI inventions, it’s also practical for building and de-rigging quickly and straightforwardly, and can be travelled expediently in a series of dollies that pack logically in the back of a truck!
Four quadrant shaped segments made up the main circular stage design all on ELEVATORS known for their speed, strength and smooth travel. These travelled from ground level to stage level.
In the middle of the stage was a 5th separate ELEVATOR complete with rectangular decking, clad with roll-up projection screens forming a massive 4-sided multi-dimensional visual focal point.
BUILT IN ELEVATORS
Set up on top of this was … the main DJ booth.
This 9,5 x 6m stage elevator rose to various heights and positions during the show, lifting as high as 4m above the stage level to the delight of the audience bringing fresh meaning to the concept of air DJ.
The stage has a lifting capacity of 10 tons and is based on 4 TP6 ELEVATOR BUILDING BLOCKS available from rental stock which are specially developed for large spectacular shows and events.
The understage space has also been optimised to provide quick-change facilities and technical areas.
ROLLDROPS
Around a U-shaped perimeter truss flown above the edge of the stage were 11 x 3.5m wide WIROLLDROP screens which each unfurled 10m to form elegant super-cool looking high definition projection surfaces.
Further in towards the centre of the stage were another 7 x 3m wide WIROLLDROPS forming a U-shaped projection surface. These roll-up screens are hugely flexible and allow extremely neat effects.
Heavy snowfall the night before show delayed 5 trucks for several crucial hours
CREDITS
The project was managed for WI by Koen Peeters. The Belgian engineering specialist has enjoyed a long working relationship with Jimmy Pallas who was working very hard on the event also in the roles of artistic director and site-coordinator as well as PM.
“Timescale” was the biggest challenge revealed Koen, with an already tight load out schedule becoming even more galvanising with large parts of Italy and central Europe covered in bad snow on the night before the show.
