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The Stage is the Star at Cardiff’s Calennig
Scotland may boast that with Hogmanay its New Year celebrations are the biggest and best in the UK. But New Year’s Eve is celebrated with just as much enthusiasm elsewhere, nowhere more so than in Cardiff, where Star Events Group provided a 10m stage for the city’s Calennig new year revelries.
Star Events Group has provided stages to Cardiff’s Calennig for a number of years, for the past seven under the watchful eye of the event’s project manager Liz Roxburgh.
Erected on King Edward VII Avenue, in the city’s Cathays Park, the SS10-08 stage hosted live performances by local bands, Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band and Bad Manners, bringing the festivities to a fitting climax on the stroke of midnight.
“Although the event has used Star Events Group stages for many years, this year we used the SS10-08 because the live bands have become very popular now,” says Liz.
“It allowed us to fly the PA, which was necessary for the first time to cater for the increased crowd size. It also meant we could light and hang stage dressing upstage for the first time, so we were able to create a different aesthetic from previous years.”
Logistically the event doesn’t throw up too many major challenges, although Liz is quick to praise Star Events Group’s crew boss Paul Parkinson as the reason for this.
“Paul is literally our star man, as he knows the quirks of site – the camber of the road, etc – which immediately removes many potential concerns,” she says. “The stage has to sit between trees and signposts and the crew is incredibly efficient in achieving that quickly and effortlessly.”
With the road effectively closed from 6am on the 30th January, the rig, event and de-rig were all aided by excellent weather. “These were the best conditions in the seven years I’ve been project manager,” says Liz. “Throughout the build and event, it was cold and crisp with very little wind - perfect conditions - and the stage was easily out by the deadline of midday on 1st January.
“Everything went according to plan and we were more than happy,” she continues. “It also helps, of course, having such close co-ordination with the Star Events Group office. I have very good relationships with Charlotte Stonebridge and Jane Russen and have found the entire company to be very informative and co-operative.”
15th February 2008
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