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Star Events Group Helps to Usher in New Era of Murrayfield Music
Heralding a new era of live music at one of Scotland’s most prestigious sports venues, new promoter Murrayfield Sport & Leisure recently launched a five year programme of events in the Edinburgh stadium, with two spectacular concerts using a Star Events Group Group Vertech stage to wow sell-out audiences on consecutive nights.
On 11th May, high profile tribute bands the Bootleg Beatles, Bjorn Again, Killer Queen and Led Astray strutting their 1960s and 70s stuff, while the following evening opera singers Katherine Jenkins and Russell Watson were backed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra – an evening which also included the two singers performing together for the very first time.
Star Events Group was one of the event’s main contractors, with the Vertech VT2015FPVL stage unusually being placed on a ‘long’ side of the stadium, rather than the traditional position at one end.
As Murrayfield is the home of Scottish international rugby, great care had to be taken of both the playing surface and the perimeter running track, with no activity allowed on the bare surface of either.
“We constructed the stage on aluminium surface protection and all access was via temporary 'roads' to the stadium’s north and south entrances,” says Star Events Group Pete Holdich. “In addition, a 7.5m x 5m FoH structure and camera platform was built on the hard plastic pitch covering, which had been laid for audience seating, with the FoH structure being removed directly after the show to minimise impact of the weight on the pitch.”
Logistics were complicated by there being a 2.9m height restriction at both the entrances to the stadium, so all equipment had to be unloaded and later re-loaded in the car parks outside the stadium.
“In addition, the crane used to position the stage masts was supplied with a tyre fitter to let just enough air out of the tyres to allow it to squeeze through the entrances for both the build and strike,” says Pete.
The stage was completed in three days with a crew of seven headed by Star Events Group Andrew 'Bomber' Phillips, assisted by a local team of stagehands.
“This was a challenging build, especially the logistics of putting the stage in a different place to the usual end position,” says Pete Holdich. “But all the contractors worked seamlessly together to deliver a high quality event which proved how popular Murrayfield is as a venue. We hope to be involved in many more.”
Dean Lewis of Murrayfield Sport & Leisure added, "Pete Holdich and his staff were very flexible in responding to changing circumstances during the events, for which I'd like to thank them."
8th June 2007
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