The big screen at a gig...

[Little Jim]

So finally after 2 years wait Mrs LJ got to see the Killers at Southampton this week so I went along too.  It is a while since I've seen a big name band and technology moves on.

They had a huge stage, virtually the full width of the pitch at St Mary's, and the back of the stage was a giant black "surface" which was a screen once they got going (the support band just had the middle bit of the screen to show the camera shots of them).  Not only that but the two front columns supporting the roof of the stage were covered front and sides in some sort of stretchy material which was also a "screen", full height front and sides.  Plus the front panel of the podium along the front of the stage that hid the footlights and monitor speakers was another screen, (with the top surface providing a catwalk for Brandon to ponce about on).  So how do they do that?  The bit along the front of the stage could have been some sort of LED thing, a bit like they have at football grounds for advertising, but there was no sign of any pixels but I am sure the columns were just covered in a fabric and the rear of the stage also looked to be fabric.  Projectors? but the coverage was exactly edge to edge with no overspill and no shadows.  It was very impressive!

[redshift]

LEDs and projectors would be my estimate.  Shows are run using video management systems like Catalyst or Hippotizer which can talk to non standard displays, including maps with gaps between panels, and a projector's geometry can be mapped very exactly. For more normal video playback systems like EVS would be fairly standard, and I've seen Sony 4300 camera channels being used at gigs doing coverage just for the screens.  Most big gigs are OBs these days.

[Valiant]

Its led mesh video screens and you the proper expensive ones can do sub mm pitch which even just a couple of meters away is hardly noticeable for most. That combined with the above software means you can do magic.

[Kim]

I've always thought that the problem with that kind of magic is that at some point you're just watching a video.  We're not quite there yet, fortunately.

[Little Jim]

Wow, I've just looked at led mesh screens.  Technology has certainly moved on a bit from the cathode ray tube.  the whole thing was impressive, they had two days between gigs which means that unless they have two separate stages with all the electronics they have a day to erect and a day to dismantle the stage.  the stage it's self was a work of (construction) art, and when you are setting it up inside a football stadium you cannot get large cranes in there to build and dismantle it.  Yes, I am that sad that I start thinking about how you build these things when listening and watching the music!