Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones tour named after their first album to be recorded since the sad passing of drummer Charlie Watts – marked another chapter in the colourful history that STAGECO has shared with the band over multiple decades. A well-documented relationship, the collaboration has resulted in numerous electrifying stages that have made a lasting impact on the stage-building industry. Contrasting with the mammoth itineraries endured by the band at their touring peak, the veterans elected to play just 20 shows across North America. Mindful of the relatively short run, while proposing a contemporary styled production, Patrick Woodroffe, the Stones’ creative director, chose to major in the virtual possibilities of LED instead of expensive scenery, and settle on a standard STAGECO roof, so that the design team at Stufish had “very specific geometry” with which to generate an architectural feel. So it was that for each date, up to 26 STAGECO US crew led by Jesse Winn and Ryan Barry built a 25 metre roof system, a 62m wide, six-portal stage with a considerable thrust addition, angled PA wings, four spot/delay towers, a pair of FOH risers, and miscellaneous other scaffolding structures. Two complete systems leapfrogged throughout the run of shows, with all of STAGECO’s materials travelling in 30 trucks. STAGECO US project manager Tom Frederickx worked closely with technical design specialist Jeremy Lloyd of Wonder Works – and the Stones’ production manager Dale ‘Opie’ Skjerseth – to develop a structural solution that wind braced the video header, when it was identified that rigging loads posed an issue. Patrick Woodroffe commented: “The Rolling Stones’ stage in 2024 feels as fresh and as modern as ever – a contemporary take for a band who feel as current today as they were 60 years ago.”
Stageco Worldwide