Outdoor stages in or on or across a lake

[operajulian]

Friends on the forum.

 

Have any of you seen a stage that is floating on a lake or on land that is viewed by the audience from across a lake or river ?

 

Yes - I know about the opera stage on Lake Constance at Bregenz.

 

Any other examples out there ?

 

Cheers

 

Julian

[paulears]

Alton Towers do it quite often.

 

What do you actually want to know? There have probably been many one-offs, but apart from listing them, what would you like people to tell you?

[3guk]

I have news from serious stages : http://www.ukslc.org/News/Installs_and_Cas..._The_Water.html

 

No doubt there are more on ukslc, just not got much time to go searching.

[itinerant baker]

Serious (them iirc) also did one that floated on the lake on Hampstead Heath for last years Kenwood house picnic concerts - and previously did one on the opposite bank of the lake. I saw a clip from some 70's Carla Lane sitcom that had someone diving into said lake with a mini Hollywood Bowl type stage behind it aswell - a venue with loads of history to it.

 

 

There must have been loads of stages on water like this.

[Tomo]

A large arena in Rome used to do that fairly regularly, even staging faux naval battles and similar in the lake!

 

Unfortunately it closed a few years ago, but I gather the local tourist board do tours around the building.

 

Flavian Amphitheatre, Rome

[Bobbsy]

Many years ago I did sound for a show where the "stage" was a barge moored about 50 feet out and the audience sat on the beach. Since it was a relatively short run and the bottom was nice and sandy, I just ran a pair of ordinary snakes out under water (power at the barge end was laid on for me so I didn't need to worry about that). All worked well...though it focused the mind wonderfully to know that, where normally you could just dash to the stage to tweak something, this time it was a boat ride away! A good assistant on stage was essential!

 

Bob

[Screwtape]

On holiday in Iceland once a tour guide showed me an inactive Volcano where he said that young Bjork played a concert on a lake formed in the bowl, whole thing floated on rafts and the audience used the sides of the volcano as very nice raked seating.

 

The guide said the whole thing was an acoustic gig and at a time when the Icelandic nights where bright so no lighting was needed either, however I can't find any details on the web the gig so its all really justhear say from a local guide until someone else says it happened too.

[operajulian]

Floating Stages - thanks for the replies to date.

 

One reply asks why I am looking for information.

 

I have a possible project to build a permanent stage in a lake and the developer and architects are looking for some previous examples, to get a better idea of what they are letting themselves in for.

 

Hence - the request.

 

So both examples and potential hazards are gratefully received.

I am off to take scuba lessons.....

 

Julian

[Pastie Kid]

I have a faint memory of reading about RG Jones supplying a PA for a floating stage.

a google search should uncover something

 

Andy

 

not sure how much help that will be, just a passing memory

[itinerant baker]

That was probably Kenwood House picnic concerts aswell (though there may well have been others).

 

I was on the pyro last year and the one before.

[Roderick]

Pink Floyd did a concert in 1989 in Venice where they build the whole stage on barges.

It was the full 'Another Lapse' ( I think) stage with all the trimmings and very impressive.

On the other hand I did a Lexus launch with a stage & car in the middle of the Bondi Icebergs' swimmingpool, build out of scaffold.

It is all achievable but the best method will depend greatly on the site, the size of the stage and the budget.

[Jivemaster]

I uesd to be a commercial diver and boat person, so if you have specific queeries please PM me.

 

The biggest prob with anything that near water is condensation. Most instalation electrics has an IP68 version at huge cost, but there is nothing that totally damp-proofs a mix or light console. Almost everything you know has a spec on the back page that says 5 - 85% relative humidity non-condensing, most things boaty are 50 - to 100% RH and dripping.

 

The other hazard is fire evacuation.

[tom w]

I built a stage on a barge at Docklands for Red Bull in 1998. They also had a snowboarding ramp into the Albert Dock! The show was "Red Bull Air and Water" It was memorable for 2 things..

1, A Red Bull head honcho dropping a "site scooter" in shorts and having 3' of road rash up one leg.

2, The swag was/is bomb proof. Still got it 9 years on and no wear n tear showing at all!

As to the construction. We used an old steel barge with a payload of 400 tonnes. Lashing hooks were welded along the barge at regular intervals corresponding to the vertical grid members. We then built the grid and secured the whole system via steels and straps. The end result was effectively an extension of the barge surface, and all was good.....

Then TV arrived and required a FOS camera run (not specified or requested before that point) Difficult when FOS is Front of Boat!

1 bit of "cantilevering" later and we had a camera run.

Try standing in a picker cradle, boomed out over a stage, under a roof...All of which is moving independent to the picker. Then throw in a crane hook (well 4 of em!) I am still glad I swerved the (notorious) after show party in favour of an early night!

[Ynot]

Not a floating stage, but a permanent construction...

 

Disneys Fantasmic at Orlando MGM Studios....

[Jivemaster]

Assuming this will be a steel structure, there are major issues with earthing. Using the hull as an electrical pathway defeats the corrosion treatments considered by the marine design people. Check with PLASA for details of standards for electrical supplies in ships.