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Leeds New Year’s Eve 2009

Leeds New Year’s Eve 2009 Fireworks

Our return visit for Leeds New Years Eve fireworks and no industrial fog-clearing fan required this year – just some thermals and plenty of hot tea and coffee to keep us all from freezing! The cold snap preceding New Years Eve had left a fairly thick film of ice over part of the firing site which needed to be shifted before anything could be placed onto it. We like our fireworks to stay firmly in place when they’re going off and not resemble someone from Dancing On Ice! Sledge hammers, rock salt and spades at the ready Robin and I set about clearing a path to lay the fireworks onto and had soon cleared an area large enough to take the arsenal of fireworks we had set for this show.

Glenn had come up with a concept for the show based around Space and it had been divided into four distinct sections taking in Earth, Meteors and Asteroids, Saturn and the Sun. Huge lifts of stars and reports from 5” mines and 6” shells got the show off to a resounding start. Incorporating go getters, ring shells, meteor shells and our ever popular lightning shells the crowd were treated to a sensational display. A favourite sequence of mine was using silver strobe shells to fill the sky with twinkling stars and firing through it dozens of Saturn shells with colourful centres surrounded by the most perfectly formed rings.

To welcome in the New Year we fired an astonishing 2010 projectiles in 30 seconds as the display built to its hair raising crescendo of maroons and titanium willow shells. In hindsight the display was very aptly titled ‘Space’ because it really was out of this world!

Gibraltar National Day 2009

National Day Fireworks, Gibraltar, 2009

I fired my first fireworks display in Gibraltar in 2003, and since then have fired there on a pretty much annual basis, whether it’s New Year’s Eve, a summer concert, or the Straits Games (the Olympics for the Straits of Gibraltar!). However, until this year we had never previously had the opportunity to pitch for the biggest firework display that takes place annually in Gibraltar – the National Day fireworks. A joint pitch with Events UnLimited finally opened that door for us, and that was when the hard work really began.

The next few months were spent sizing up and overcoming the numerous challenges involved in producing this display: designing a soundtrack for the show to be played on live radio and TV; designing the show itself for an audience of tens of thousands spread over many miles; organising the export, transport and import of the fireworks; organising the kit to meet us out there; sorting out the necessary permissions with police, fire brigade, port authority etc – thanks Odette!; and getting out there early enough to prepare it all and get it out onto the Detached Mole. No mean feat.

Thanks to all the planning, the whole thing came together pretty smoothly, so thanks to all involved, from the crane drivers at Blands to Odette at Events UnLimited, the chaps at the Port Authority, the team at GBC (thanks for the calmest, clearest cueing to start the show George!), and the team at Patagonia who kept us fed (entrañas) and watered (cañas): – and of course the Alchemy crew. It really was a team effort from start to finish. And the show, it has to be said, was a stunning success, and beautifully captured by Roy McGrail’s stunning photography.

“Magnificent… a fitting end to Gibraltar’s National Day celebrations”, The Gibraltar Chronicle

Leeds Castle 2009

Leeds Castle Fireworks 2009

It’s no secret that I love working at Leeds Castle. In the past 7 years I have built up a strong working relationship with them and I’d like to think have formed some lasting friendships. Maybe that’s why, more than ever, I want them to LOVE what we do there. Just liking our shows isn’t enough anymore! We decided fairly early on that we would drop the narrated displays this year in favour of a continuous show. These seemed to work much better for their audience and momentum wasn’t lost during the narrated parts. We set about creating the soundtrack early on in the summer of 2009 around the theme of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ to broadly encompass music from the musicals. We batted ideas around and I produced the first draft of the mix for approval. After a couple of changes and re-edits the mix was done and the show was ready for the design process.

A 30 minute continuous display certainly needs a lot of variety in colours and effects to avoid repetition! I went through our entire artillery of stock and bought in specific effects where we didn’t have anything that quite suited what I wanted to achieve. I worked closely with STL lighting to compliment the colour washes and shapes which would be projected onto the castle walls and eventually came up with a display that I was very excited about. Programmed and fired using our digital FireOne firing system, we arrived at Midday on the Friday and by 3pm on Saturday we were ready to roll. A lucky Ebay auction winner gave the countdown over the PA and the firing site erupted on cue to the opening bars of Phantom of the Opera. The show was certainly one of the most enjoyable and slickest I have ever produced and this is borne out in a quote from their Chief Exec…..

“Congratulations and thanks to all staff who worked so hard over the events weekend to contribute to one of the best weekends we have ever had for fireworks. The preparation and planning was excellent, the customer service great and so far, the feedback fabulous! And as for the fireworks – astonishing” Victoria Wallace – Chief Executive, Leeds Castle

Alchemy Fireworks useful links: Leeds Castle website

Twinwoods Classical Concert 2009

Twinwoods Classical Concert Fireworks 2009

Producing a firework display to live music is a welcome challenge. It requires creativity, reliable material, an ability to think on your feet and follow the changing tempo of an orchestra. Coping with the English weather is a very unwelcome challenge, that requires determination, a perma-smile and some decent waterproofs. So how efficient it was to combine all of this at Twinwoods, near Bedford, for Mark Harrison’s Proms in the Park summer classical concert. The weather held until the early evening, so just as the hardy Proms-goers were unpacking their tables, champagne, candelabras, union jack table cloths and kitchen sinks from the car boots the heavens opened. In true British style though, the Dunkirk spirit kicked in and before too long all the marvellous people and picnics were all in their rightful positions, just with a layer of waterproofing over the top.

And the same was true of our fireworks. Rain doesn’t affect them. At Tynemouth in 2007 we fired shells through waves whilst they landed on top of the firing positions, and even the vast majority of that went off. So a heavy summer downpour it just sends the firing team running for the van to find their waterproofs, or the nearest food stand for a warming cup of tea.

“I am writing to thank you and your colleagues for the spectacular fireworks fired in live synchronisation to our orchestra. New venues bring with them challenges, which your company surpassed, with the result being a thoroughly enjoyable show.” Mark Harrison, The Full Effect.

Alchemy Fireworks useful links: The Full Effect website

Stourhead Fete Champetre 2008

Fête Champêtre Fireworks Display 2008, National Trust Stourhead, Wiltshire

We were proud and excited when Graham Puxley – who runs the Fête Champêtre at the National Trust’s Stourhead estate – asked us to provide the musical fireworks display for the 2 day event in Wiltshire. For those of you who have never been it is a unique special event – to call it a summer concert or picnic in the park really doesn’t do it justice – but then we’re always suckers for events with a sense of fun, and especially when fancy dress is involved!

Lo and behold, with a few weeks to go before the event, this ghastly new incarnation of the Great British Summer had taken its toll again, and the grounds were very, very wet. Graham had been chewing over the decision for a few days but had ultimately decided that the collateral damage to this precious corner of England isn’t something that he was prepared to let happen on his watch, especially given the conservation responsibilities of the National Trust. Plan B was swiftly drawn up: a free picnic for those who had tickets. No orchestra or stage, but just an opportunity to enjoy the grounds of this Wiltshire estate for a day for free, with a fireworks display in the evening. We were happy to help, and knowing that the onus of the entertainment fell solely on us, we pulled out all the stops to make the display even more special than usual: a thank you to the audience who had turned up, and to Graham for choosing us to provide the fireworks in the first place.

“It has been a real pleasure working with you. We particularly appreciate how you overcame the challenges we presented you and your understanding of the sensitivity of what is arguably the greatest 18th century landscape garden in the world. The care and thoroughness of your planning, your skill and imagination and the selection of material resulted in a simply breathtaking display!” Graham Puxley, Event Organiser, The National Trust, Stourhead

Alchemy Fireworks useful links: National Trust Stourhead

Stockholm

Private Party Fireworks Display, The Grand Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden

So there we were, just chatting with an event company and they dropped the bomb: “we’re organising an event in Stockholm in July. The client really wants a fireworks display but we’ve spoken to a firework company in Sweden and we’ve been told it can’t be done.” “Can’t be done?” I parroted… “I’ll look into it…”

Fast forward five months and there we are, on the balcony of the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, the usual red boiler suit replaced by the penguin suit, ready to fire a beautiful firework display for a private birthday party. Sure, the intervening period had seen a lot of effort and energy expended on getting to this point, but then you gain so much more from doing something new. Deep breath. Visual checks. Barge is in the right position. Barge has the right orientation. Patrol boats are in position. Firing and fallout areas are secure. Guests are assembled. Quick glance to Pippa – are we ready? The thumbs up. Right then. Standby on fireworks in 5,4,3,2,1, go! Ba-boom! There goes the first lift of shells. And by the time the second lift of Yung Feng polyp shells have burst people are stopping their cars in the middle of the street, pouring out of cafes and restaurants to watch the mesmerising fireworks display that is illuminating the skies between Stockholm’s Grand Hotel and National Palace. Oops – we’ve accidentally brought central Stockholm to a standstill! Most of the guests don’t notice all of this until the end – their eyes are fixed firmly on the sky as sequences of Cyca Shells, Zink Blinks (a personal favourite) have them transfixed. When the beautiful brocade finale fades, the cheer is enormous, and the blasting of dozens of boat horns around the harbour brings them back to the here and now. Happy guests, a happy birthday girl, a happy event organiser, and thousands of delighted “collateral spectators”, who just happened to be in the right part of Stockholm at the right time one July night in 2008 to witness a beautiful Alchemy Fireworks display.

“…you did an exceptional job.” Annabel Fielding, Director, Quintessentially Events

Margate Big Event 2008

Margate Big Event Fireworks 2008, Thanet, Kent

Kent’s biggest Air Festival has a history of pulling in big crowds. The 2008 edition of the Big Event – a free festival of land and air organised by Thanet District Council – saw good weather, and over 65,000 spectators turned out to enjoy land and aerial action such as wing-walking by Team Guinot, the Royal Navy’s Black Cat helicopters and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The entertainment carried on after dark with live Motown music on-stage, and we were there to put the icing on the cake of Saturday night’s tribute concert with a spectacular fireworks display over Margate’s Palm Bay.

We worked closely with the Council and re-positioned the launch site for the fireworks display to put the fireworks in the same field of vision as the main stage, rather than twisting the audience through 90 degrees. We created a split-site approach, firing smaller material from the upper promenade behind the stage, whilst aerial fireworks were launched from the lower promenade, some 50’ below at the base of the chalky Kent cliffs. These aerial fireworks were safely angled out to sea, but the shells bursting 50’ lower than normal made for a really high impact display for the clifftop audience, which was perfectly positioned to frame the stage.

We also took advantage of keeping the audience close to the stage – and within earshot of the PA system – to choreograph the fireworks display to music, featuring tracks by artists who had been covered in the preceding tribute concert. To choreograph the fireworks to music was a first for this event, and both our client and the audience were delighted with the display.

“…thank you and all of the team at Alchemy for a fantastic display which was so well received by the crowd…” Gill Shepherd, Public Affairs Manager, Thanet District Council

Sheffield 2008

After Dark Bonfire Night Fireworks Display 2008, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

I know we says this about all our shows, but we really love the Sheffield After Dark fireworks display. Seriously. Maybe I’ll get a badge made to that effect. From a fireworks perspective it just gets better every year. Although I’m sure Event Organiser Scott Barton from the Sheffield Events Company will tell you that the 2008 After Dark fireworks display was hard work, seeing as he had to pretty much carpet the entire Don Valley Bowl in hay to stop it turning into a mudbath… Nevertheless, a delighted young competition winner used our wireless firing system to light the bonfire (which needed plenty of combustible “help” to get going), and an hour later I was standing stage-side ready to cue Yorkshire’s biggest and best Bonfire Night fireworks display.

Soundtrack selection is always a big feature of the display, and as we love designing fireworks to music that might explain why we enjoy it so much. The 2008 soundtrack featured some classic firework tracks: Bjork’s “Oh so quiet”, and Coldplay’s “Fix You”, as well as the now essential presence of Richard Hawley (gotta have that Sheffiled musical connection somewhere in the display) in the form of his collaboration with Mercury Music Winners Elbow on “The Fix”. Franz Ferdinand and The Futureheads added some punchiness early on and we closed with Take That’s “Rule the World” (which I think must have been written with fireworks displays in mind – it’s perfect for choreography). And although it wasn’t in the style of Sheffield’s rock music tradition, it’s the ultimate feelgood track to lift everyone’s spirits on a cold damp winter’s evening when the rest of the world seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Judging by the cheers at the end of the display it certainly did the trick at the Don Valley Bowl. You can be pretty sure you’ve fired a great show when the most experienced pyrotechnicians on the crew are already asking you how you can top that next year… but I know we will, and even now a few ideas are forming… see you there!

“Marvelous!” Scott Barton, Managing Director, Sheffield Events Company

Alchemy Fireworks useful links: Sheffield Event Co.

Big Splash 2008

Brighton Festival Fireworks: Big Splash 2008, Sussex

Another typical British Bank Holiday… we were on the M23 at 8am on the way to Sussex for the Brighton Festival fireworks display Radio 4 issued a severe weather warning for the South of England, and we could hardly see with the wipers on full. I was pleased with my decision to pack two pairs of wellies, and trying to forget about the previous year when fire performers and the theatrical pyrotechnic element of the show had been abandoned because of torrential rain… but more of that later

For this year’s Big Splash finale to the Brighton Festival we collaborated with local fire performers and general high-octane nutcases Flaming Fun. The show was based on their acclaimed Dragon Eye show but adapted to the scale and duration required for a big audience and a Marina environment. We threw our creativity into the mix, creating pyrotechnic interludes which allowed the FF performers to break and change between routines whilst the focus shifted to the fireworks display on the breakwater behind. Thus the display was built on the interaction of the two layers of choreographed performance: Flaming Fun in the foreground and Alchemy’s fireworks in the background. The simultaneous fire performance and fireworks were choreographed to music, and what a pumping fireworks soundtrack it was – Pendulum; Laurent Garnier; DJ Krust; Prodigy – just the sort of big beats to whip the audience into a frenzy befitting a festival fireworks finale…

And the weather? We were miraculously blessed with blue skies – a small Brighton-sized gap in the storm clouds – so as the rest of the Sussex and the South East got very wet, we got sunburnt. That’s not a complaint, just a note to self to pack wellies and sun cream next time.

“Thank you SO much! ” Kirsty Harris, Marketing & Events Manager, X-Leisure, Brighton Marina

Alchemy Fireworks useful links: Brighton Marina website

Thorpe Park 2008

Thorpe Park Fireworks Displays 2008, Chertsey, Surrey

In 2007 we premiered a range of Aqua Cakes at Thorpe Park’s Thorpe Blast firework displays in Surrey, and it’s fair to say that they went down a storm. So, we decided to push the boat out and back in January we commissioned a factory to come up with some more exciting aquatic effects specifically for the Thorpe Blast shows. We brought in a greater range of effects, and a larger calibre for a bigger effect, and these new toys didn’t disappoint. Brocade mines created a wall of gold. The “fish” effect was a manic spread of electric blue, and the tourbillions were thick and fluffy.

Again the fireworks were choroegraphed to music, and the soundtrack was developed in close consultation with Thorpe Park, combining a few iconic dance anthems (Fat Boy Slim, Prodigy) with some fresh chart hits from the last 12 months, including Alphabeat, Sonny J and Kylie. We must also say “hats off” to Laura at Thorpe Park for picking out Leona Lewis’ version of Snow Patrol’s Run – a fabulous spine-tingler of a fireworks track, which lit up the Thorpe Blast displays over a month before it became the biggest selling download of all time.

I think it’s fair to say that the weather in Chertsey for the Thorpe Park fireworks was a bit … grim. Friday wasn’t too bad, but Saturday was very very wet and Sunday very very windy. Despite this our fireworks, rigging, firing systems (and crew) took everything that the Surrey weather could throw at them. Although we would have preferred blue skies and a light breeze, it justified our approach to planning the displays, especially considering safety distances and material selection. The show must go on, and our fireworks lit up the skies over Surrey in grand style, but this was a great example of safety first – sensible planning creating spectacular results.

“It was great working with you guys again this year. I only have positive feedback: many said it was better than last year.” Laura Sinclair, Entertainments Manager, Thorpe Park

Alchemy Fireworks useful links: Thorpe Park