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The Human League partners with Hollistic Productions for biggest, most complex tour yet

The Human League’s “Generations” arena tour kicked off its UK leg in December 2024, with seasoned Production Manager Sarah Hollis at the helm behind the scenes. Hollis has been production managing tours since the late 1990s and has worked with The Human League since their 2008 “Steel City” tour.

“I was also the Stage Manager on that tour”, she explains, “which was a mixture of arena’s, theatres and a couple of academies, so let’s say it kept me on my toes, and I’ve been working with the band ever since.” Emmy Award-winning Designer Rob Sinclair, was asked by the band’s manager to produce a couple of different designs he could show the band in early 2024. One of them was approved in late April, but after some initial R&D, the band decided to go with an alternative design.

In terms of production design, the band had explored a lot of advanced techniques with projection mapping on previous tours which Sinclair, and bespoke visuals have always been a core part of The Human League’s live performances. The “Generations” tour features an 18 m x 9 m ROE Visual CB5 5.7 mm rear LED wall to deliver immersive imagery in a fresh way.

In late Summer 2024, Hollis began sourcing supplier quotes based on Sinclair’s production design, incorporating the initial lighting design from Lighting Designer Chris Steel and the preliminary audio specification provided by front-of-house engineer Kevin Pruce. Solotech were then confirmed to take care of audio, supplying a d&b Audiotechnik KSL line array system for arenas, control for both UK and European legs along with a full support package.

A DiGiCo Quantum 338 console was spec’d for front-of-house and a DiGiCo SD10 Surface Console at monitors. “We did a test build of the automated lighting and artist platform at our long-term suppliers Colour Sound - who we also confirmed to supply all rigging, video and automation - along with set company Upset Solutions, who were supplying the platform decking and hard fixings”, reports Hollis. “It was a good exercise in ironing out any issues we had, and I wanted to make sure we were ready to go as soon as the band walked into rehearsals, as we only had a short production rehearsal period.”

“The ideal flown position for this platform (which would also carry the band) meant it would land over a small upstage section of the large tiered stage set, so several revisions were made with Upset, as it was essential there would be enough room to position it and also get the artists off the platform swiftly”, she continues. “We also had to take into account the platform height, including the lighting fixtures underneath, which meant the artists would still be 1.2 m above the set even when the platform was at it’s lowest. To solve this, we added an extra rear landing and side treads that would sit flush with the platform upon landing. Instead of removing them once the band had descended and the platform flown out, we left them in situ and manufactured them to blend in and look like part of the main set. It worked really well and gave Philip (Oakey, lead singer) more platforms and levels to use during the show. Zack (Wade, tour rigger) started the rigging advance in early November.”

“Our first couple of shows were in the smaller arenas”, she furthers. “So we had to take into account their low clearance and roof capacity, particularly in relation to flying the artist and the hanging of the heavy rear video wall. Zack and I worked closely to ensure we had accurate rigging plots for every venue, ahead of the first show, as the tour period was so short, and we knew we’d hit the ground running straight out of rehearsals.”

Upset Solutions worked with Sinclair’s stage design to nail the decking and fascias needed for the all white set (a Human League tradition), along with the all white Marley floor covering. The stage set they supplied was 50 ft wide by 25 ft deep, on several levels with custom curved staircases left and right, giving frontman Oakey plenty of room to run up and down and around the stage. “We settled on neon flex pixel tape for the LED edging on each level, which really brought the set to life”, says Hollis. Really Creative Media (RCM) produced all screen content, along with supplying the servers.

“The show started with multiple kabuki drops revealing the three principle band members flown 7 m above stage level on a central 3 m x 3 m platform made up of QH40 truss topped with litedeck and fully automated using four Kinesys Apex hoists”, explains Hollis. “It was flanked by two further automated lighting pods, all sub hung off the main mother grid.” The band’s manager, Simon Watson, chose not to use side screens, feeling they would distract from the stage and the performance. Instead, the visual team mixed live relay and effects into the main show content using Resolume media servers, which created a unique visual experience on the rear video wall. This was delivered by video director Dylan Etherington, video engineer Albert Crick, and server technician Iain Harvey.

Hollis’ production team included Michael “Shivers” McGuire (Stage Manager) and Sophie Kemp (Production Coordinator). “This was without a doubt the biggest, most complex and most challenging tour we have ever done”, says Simon Watson. “None of this would have been possible without all the hardworking and dedicated professionals who put it together for us every day, a lot of whom were brought onboard by Sarah, who did another fantastic job for us as always.”

The Human League continues their live momentum with a packed run of summer shows across the UK and Europe in 2025, including headline slots at festivals and iconic venues such as Kew Gardens, Cardiff Castle, and Valencia’s Jardines de Viveros.

Crew shots:

Group of three (left to right): Sarah Hollis, Sophie Kemp, Michael “Shivers” McGuire.

Group of four (left to right): Lucy Gallagher (Set Carp), Kerrie Burke-Avery (Wardrobe, Band PA), Sarah Hollis, Sophie Kemp.

Group of six (left to right): Iain Harvey, Albert Crick, Ian Lidstone (Video Crew Chief), Vits Kybartas (LED Tech), Dylan Etherington, Ben Beverley (LED Tech).

Group of six, with Christmas tree (left to right): Paul Bird (LX Tech), Jamie Catt (Kinesys Tech, Op), Jordan Lightfoot (LX Tech), Jake Rodway (LX Tech), Frank Kelly (LX Crew Chief), Mark Wheatley (LX Tech).

(Photos: Hollistic Productions)

www.hollisticproductions.com

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