Universal Pixels, a video systems provider, supplied a 12-sided cylindrical LED system using ROE Visual Vanish V8T screens with Brompton Tessera SX40 processing for Radiohead’s recent European tour, with the screens designed to move and rotate throughout each performance.
The 20-date tour featured no pre-rendered content, timecode or fixed structure, with setlists drawn from more than 70 songs and finalised minutes before each show. The in-the-round design eliminated traditional camera platforms to maintain sightlines between band and audience.
Universal Pixelsn says the ROE Visual Vanish V8T and ROE Strip products were selected for their transparency. The Brompton Tessera SX40 processing with fibre-based Tessera XD distribution handled live-generated content.
All camera operation was conducted remotely to avoid obstructing the 360-degree viewing experience. The setup included two Panasonic AW-UE150 units running on 16m curved tracks, six additional PTZ cameras and 20 Blackmagic G2 cameras deployed across static, gimbal and pedestal systems. These feeds drove live Notch content on the moving screens and provided monitoring for backstage departments.
Network architecture was built around 12 Netgear AV Line M4250 switches running multiple VLANs for camera control, Notch processing, tracking data and LED distribution. The system was designed with full redundancy to prevent cascading failures.
Disguise GX 3 servers provided processing power for the Notch load and dynamic mapping requirements. All visual cues were triggered manually using Sockpuppet, allowing content to respond to the band’s performance rather than following predetermined sequences.
Ellie Clement, video director, said: “The ‘in the round’ screen set-up with 20-plus camera inputs on screen at the same time was a challenging vision to bring to life. All the screens moved as well, coming together for certain looks or moving further apart for others, which added another layer of complexity.”
Hamanshu Patel, project manager at Universal Pixels, added: “From the first conversations, it was clear this would be technically complex. The brief was about removing the usual frameworks and building a system that could respond live. Our role was to support the band and production team’s creative freedom with stable, reliable systems that could adapt to the twists and turns of each performance.”
