European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Is photo lev Anita Bosch Queen Lead Singer Freddie Mercury stands High up in Irani of some of the 2,000 computer operated spotlights illuminating the Slage Al Mannheim s Nek lest. Staging a Success by Malcolm Carpenter w  vouch favorite Rock or �  open air slag Xvi familiar notes Are blasted in  by columns of speakers Taui Noslin Iii. Inc last thing you think about in How inc Sla re put a Arjether. Tho Man who. Does think about it is Gerry is As producer for Queen s current european Lour. Responsible for Iho entire show including the is i want inc Arlist to  on Stacu Aid Stickells who has been producing music show.,i in last 20 Yea s Stickells does t even want the groups to think in the stage he just wants them to play their music a  any worries about the platform they Are playing on Stickells has recent successes to support his concern for Iho artist. Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson s Tours and the 10-Day Rock in Rio Ostun Ojo their Success m pan to his concern Lor the Artisti i ill being. The open air festival in Mannheim Saturn in  Stickells a Cham c to show his concern. He exec  an entire stage and sound Light Complex in what i vim Days earlier had been wide open Fairgrounds before the rust of More than 70,000 lans Amir in the concert area a slag 144 Leet wide Wilh Root speakers boost mrs a Lola of 500,000 Watts Nna a computer guided Light show was ready to give it artists a problem rec area for their shows Stickells. A Bonlon who now lives in the United Stales when he s not on the Road with his shows Zhirik i about the things that keep the artists Happy. Performers in Mannheim common led on the Roomy stage and Lin carpeted floor. And one group even compared it to a living room Page 16 the stars and stripes often inc Floar of u temporarily set up stage is simple plywood sheets nailed Down to planks that Span the space Between scaffolding poles though plywood Igor Are blah Fri. The unevenness can give perform hrs More than splinters i  about a missed Beal. An unfortunate tall so what we do is put Down a carpet Over the  Slage said Slick Elk. To adds that the use of a carpet is not an original idea but one that keeps the artists Happy. Working closely with promoters in this Case Germany s Fritz Rau Stickells has Crews scouting the Halls stadiums and Fairgrounds Long before Tours begin. A work schedule Puls the stage construction team into such places As Mannheim s Maimart Gelannie three to Lour Days before the show. Scaffolding goes up floorboards go Down tarps arc Hung Tower and sound cables Snake through the huge open framework and pyrotechnic devices Are placed but not loaded the taps  pro decl sensitive equipment if rain Falls. Safety for the elect Cal hookups has to meet the highest standards in ," said Stickells. But it s he wind nol the rain that we worry  to added. If a Strong wind were to catch in the Tarp covered roof of the Slage. N a null Albect the stage s stability. To prevent this the roof can tie lowered when wind warnings Are Givon the entire equipment. Including All parts of the Slage As Well As the sound and Light systems travels around Europe in 14 to 55 trucks the Day before the Mannheim festival he sound equipment arrived from Brussels and inc artists did a soundcheck. With a Normal indoor concert the soundcheck can be done a few hours before the Snow but an All Day festival which starts much earlier in inc Day does t give wednesday june 25,1986 performers such a Chance so the Slage has to to ready to Golic Day Blore Iho show. Allor the concert everything goes in reverse. The stage construction Crew ships ahead of 1he performers to the next location thai requires a Slage built from scratch. As the Queen tour goes on to Theale Sand Arenas in Berlin. Munich and Zurich. Iho staging Crew Heads for Dublin with another set up the computer controlled sound system delivered the sound Well to the fans saturday bul Tho Light show with its computer controlled Chain winches used to raise Banks of lights around and Over the artists was almost overpowered by nature since saturday was one of the longest Days of the year it was t until Well into the last group Queen thai the full effects of the Light show worked against Iho night even then the sky held a touch of Twilight for those fans Back beyond the second Row of speakers a Hundred Yards in front of the stage. Producer Stickells said thai the effects of the lights were not lost because the Light filled in the shadows As it began to get  after the last musicians Nad been whisked away and the crowd had left the Tesla Val grounds saturday evening the work Crew began disassembling the stage. At the rear of the plan form Gerry stick Efla squinted into the Bright Woik lights that lit up the scaffolding and reacted id the comment Well it s Over  the producer laughed and said. It s not Over la s All got to come Down tonight. The performers have told me they Are Happy with Itie  Sli Ketis added As he walked toward the last thing you think about when the music begins. Malcolm Carpenter is a Rock fan presently employed with the office of the Deputy Chet at stall information management at to Usa eur in Heidelberg