The largest all-Vue deployment in the City of Lights saw HAS Productions provide audio services for the four-day Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas. The fourth consecutive year HAS has provided staging, lighting and audio services for the event, 2,500 fans came to see blues luminaries like Dr John, Mavis Staples and Tab Benoit, as well as more than 50 other acts on five stages at the Plaza Hotel – all powered by Vue.
‘There’s no question that Bender attendees are willing to travel – and pay – for great music,’ says HAS President, Larry Hall. ‘And as the event grows in illustriousness with international clientele and acts, we work hard to ensure the systems on each stage exceed audience expectations.
‘Our continued investment in Vue paid off again this year as we were able to seamlessly configure elements to meet the unique challenges of all stages, while delivering the listening experience you’d expect when venturing to a high-end performance.’
The Bender Theater Stage, located in the hotel’s main ballroom, served as the Main Stage and hosted Walter Trout and Dr John. The al-12s and hs-221s on either side of the stage were more than enough to cover the deep and wide room. The Pool Stage on the hotel’s rooftop, hosted up to 1,000 guests at a time with the likes of two-time Grammy-winning Mavis Staples, and the weekend finalé from Tab Benoit. Ground-stacked al-12s with hs-221s made a splash across the entire rooftop.
The Casino Stage featured an array of talent, including multiple sets by Leon & Friends. The stage was outfitted with pole-mounted al-4s over hs-221 subs that provided perfect coverage across the casino, to the 500-plus guests who gathered there until the early hours of each morning.
The Juke Joint Stage, which functioned as the VIP room, featured intimate performances from the likes of Tab Benoit and Monkey Junk. Again, pole-mounted al-4s with hs-221s made for true rock-and-roll-level audio in this ‘high-roller’ venue.
The Bender Showroom Stage was housed in the Plaza Hotel’s main showroom and featured a much-anticipated tribute to the Allman Brothers, led by Southern Hospitality. The main system was al-8s and hs-221s, which provided the audience with studio-like audio.
According to Hall, his crew and the Vue system more than met the standard set for this year’s event: ‘As the Big Blues Bender grows in size, the production needs surge in size. The audio, staging, lighting, and round-the-clock labour antes were all upped this year and we were more than able to meet the needs of this successful and growing festival. With the growing acceptance of Vue across the industry, we look forward to hearing the supreme quality of their systems in many other festivals and venues around the world in the near future.’
The next Big Blues Bender is already scheduled for September 2018 at the Plaza Hotel and Casino.
