When global pop sensation Take That announced their "This Life On Tour" tour last year, fans knew they were in for a night they would never forget. One of the highlights of the tour is a waterfall made from Pre Rig trusses. Running from April to November 2024, the tour promises a spectacular blend of visual and auditory experiences guaranteed to captivate audiences worldwide.
ER Productions, the award-winning global experts in entertainment lasers and special effects, received the brief back in February 2024.
The vision was bold: create a durable, touring-friendly waterfall effect that could run for three to four minutes, producing a high volume of water while ensuring safety and reliability. The setup had to be durable, quick, easy to assemble, disassemble, and maintain a clean appearance.
With just seven weeks from approval to delivery, the ER team had to design the system and swiftly source all necessary parts.
Tom Vallis explains, “We opted for HOF’S MLT THREE Pre Rig truss due to their renowned strength and durability. The setup included suspending custom water tanks (260cm wide) within 3-meter sections of MLT THREE Trusses, supporting up to 3 tons of water across a 9-meter span.”
Each tank contained two pumps controlled via DMX and released around 1,000 litres of water per minute onto the stage waterfall tray. A bespoke frame securely held the tank within the truss, allowing precise adjustments to ensure the trays were perfectly level. Electrical Cabinets were located at the end of each truss section, which housed DMX decoders, VFDs (Variable Frequency Drives), relays, and other control components.
Once the design was approved, the units were assembled at ER’s Dartford head office, where precision and attention to detail ensured the system's reliability and performance. Tom Vallis comments, “The system performed flawlessly. The pre rig trusses, transported using HOF’s MLT THREE folding dollies, allowed our technicians to set up quickly and efficiently to maintain the show's tight schedule. Our collaboration with HOF proved invaluable. Their engineering team was prompt and thorough, helping determine the feasibility of various configurations to best suit our needs. We purchased the trusses through HOF’s UK and Ireland distributor, Entedi. Working with the Entedi team is always a pleasure—their support and responsiveness were crucial in meeting our tight deadlines.”
Emma Howarth of Entedi remarks, “It’s always a pleasure collaborating with the ER team on their innovative stage designs, and we can’t wait to work with them again on their upcoming projects.”
Tom Vallis concludes, “Creating the waterfall effect for Take That’s "This Life On Tour" was a challenging yet rewarding endeavour. As we look forward to future projects, this experience underscores the importance of innovation, collaboration, and precision in bringing creative concepts to life. The lessons learned and the relationships built during this project will undoubtedly pave the way for even more spectacular special effects in the future.”
You can find more information about the project on the blog of our sales partner Entedi:
https://www.entedi.com/post/unveiling-the-creative-process-behind-take-thats-pre-rig-waterfall-truss-from-hof
