L'International des Feux Loto-Québec 2009
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

England Venus and Mars June 27^th, 2009

Pains Fireworks [Gold Jupiter 2007] - designed by Mike Jones Pyrodigital firing; Show Director choreography; ~140 FM-16 modules, ~2200 cues

Following its triumph in 2007, The company that inaugurated the Statue of Liberty is back on Saturday at L'International des Feux Loto-Québec presented by TELUS!

Montreal, Thursday, June 25, 2009 - The winner of the Gold Jupiter in 2007 - the same company that designed the fireworks exhibition for the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty in 1886 and for the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981 - is back in town and ready to dazzle. After lighting up the sky two years ago with an unforgettable display of pyrotechnics at L'International des Feux Loto-Québec presented by TELUS, the United Kingdom's Pains Fireworks is back with a show on Venus and Mars, celebrating women and men - what sets them apart and what brings them together.

The music at the end of the show will celebrate togetherness, with selections such as "It Takes Two" sung by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston and "My Immortal" by Evanescence. This finale will be preceded by two acts. The first act will feature songs by women on the pleasures of femininity and the responsibility of being a woman, including "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain and "Woman" by Neneh Cherry. In the second act, it will be the men's turn in the spotlight, with songs that include "It's a Man's World" by James Brown and "I Am a Man" by British group, Pulp.

Michael Jones, the show's creator, admits that he was inspired by the best-selling book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. Though he selected the "women's songs" for the show, he does confess that he asked his wife to validate his choices.

Pains Fireworks produced gunpowder for cannons as early as 1650 and got its start in pyrotechnics in 1835. In the early 1980s, the company closed down its manufacturing arm and began using products from around the world in its shows " including impressive electrical fireworks that are sure to astound fans in Montreal on Saturday.

The hottest week of the summer so far gave way to more typical British conditions, making Team Pains feel at home as Saturday morning dawned foggy and rainy. Fortunately, the rain cleared up by early afternoon and close to ideal conditions reigned for this anticipated display by the British team who struck gold in 2007 with a strongly themed display. A little bit more wind would have been perfect, but there was just enough to prevent the display being spoiled. Seven pontoons formed ramp five together with two larger pontoons used to mount large "male" and "female" symbols, made of rope lighting, at either side of the display together with three large electrically driven wheels on ramp 3.

Part 1 to the music Adam and Eve by Paul Anka. As the countdown reached one, a large multi-break shell-of-shells of gold glitter comets exploded, filling the sky. Comets then fired sequenetially from the middle outwards, forming a peak in the middle of ramp three as gold glitter comet shells exploded above. Then fans of mines of tourbillions as spider shells fired above. This theme continued as the shells turned to farfalles. Star fans then fired below with shells of go-getters at medium height and then augmented by more fans of mines of tourbillons. A fan of meteor comets in the centre was augmented by shells of comets turning to glitter and then fronts of V-shaped mines of glitter below which then became sequenced outwards as shells of crossettes fired above. Fast cakes of stars fired left and right below as falling leaf shells fired above with low shooting comets in the centre of ramp three aimed over the lake. The fast fans continued with more falling leaves and large shells of gold comets above followed by fans of comets below and a front of mines and then a barrage of green shells, a front of mines and some farfalle shells, bringing the segment to a close to cheers from the audience.

Part 2 to the music Man I Feel Like A Woman by Shania Twain. An errant comet candle fired from the right hand side as the female symbols lit with a front of mines and with fans of kamuro comet candles and the same in shells above followed by shells of small red stars and then shells of crossette comets. Fast candels of angled comets fired from ramp 4, left and right, as fans of gold comets fired left and right on ramp 3 as shells of willows fired above alternating with red shells. This theme continued and was followed by more crossettes and then beautiful double ring gold farfalle shells and shells of red with twinkling pistils. Crossed comet candles fired below, more of the gorgeous farfalles at medium level and bright red strobes above and shells of rings of comets. This theme continued and was followed by shells of comets changing to strobes as the crossed comet candles were replaced by cakes of crossettes with more large shells above and shells of rings of comets bringing the segment to a close as the music transitioned to

Part 3 to the music Woman by Neneh Cherry. Sequences of star mine comets fired across ramp 3 from left and right inwards in pairs of Vs. Then shells of willows above followed by fans of meteor comets with shells of glitter comets above. This theme continued as the shells were replaced by strobes and then farfalles with twinkling pistils. These were followed by shells of comets with strobing pistils with the comets turning to strobes interleaved with the twinkling pistil farfalles. Then shells of rings of glitter comets with a ring of stars and then a return to the strobing pistil comet shells with crossed meteor gold candles below. This theme continued with cross-shaped gerb hits inside the female symbols cued on the word "woman" as the strobes and glitter comet shells continued above, the segment coming to a close with barrages of strobes as nautical stars flew into the lake as the music transitioned to

Part 4 to the music My Skin by Nathalie Merchant. the nautical stars lept out of the lake and became crossettes which elicited a WOW from me. Serene comets fired left and right and met in the centre of ramp 3, then outwards followed by fans of gold glitter comets as shells of darker glitter fired above. This theme continued and was followed by large crossed mines of dense gold comets as the shells continued above and a line of gold fountains lit up on ramp 5. Large farfalles with twinkiling pistils were followed by bright gold horsetail shells, gently filling the sky as the fountains on ramp 5 continued and strobes lit up across ramp 3. Broad fans of glitter comets formed tree-like shapes across ramp 3 as kamuro shells fired above and the strobes continued. As the music turned more serene again, the gold horsetails returned, bringing the segment to a gentle close to cheers from the audience.

Part 5 to the music Rain on Your Parade by Duffy. Fans of willow comets led to fans of stars with shells of crackle with crackling pistils above (emulating the sounds of heavy rainfall) together with shells of willow comets with twinkling pistils. This theme continued and was followed by bright ring shells and then shells of strobes with strobing pistils. Next, fans of glittering meteor comets with shells of willow comets with twinkling pistils above followed by a mix of shells of comets at mid level and crakling strobes at a higher level. Left and right firing banks of glittering meteor comet candles were followed by the same theme of willow comet shells with twinkling pistils and shells of strobes with strobing pistils. These were followed by multi-break studatas of willow comets and then a return to the bright rings, the segment coming to a close with mines of bees.

Part 6 to the music If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé. The female symbols extinguished but had gerb hits in them as a fan of mine comets fired from the centre with weeping willow shells above and more fans of mine comets. Nautical glitter shells then started to burst on the lake as shells of coloured meteor comets fired above. This theme continued and was augmented by farfalles (Spanish rather than the Italian used earlier). Fans of glitter comet candles then fired across ramp 3 with more of the multi-coloured meteor comet shells above and glitter comet shells below these. A repeat of the farfalles and then a move to bright multi-coloured star candles with the same multi-colours in shells above and then a return to the multi-coloured meteor comet shells and alternating with the multi-coloured shells. A gorgeous double-ring twinkling pistal Italian farfalle shell with twinkling horsetails above followed by a large fan of crackling gold comet candles and then opening fans of stars with multi-coloured meteor comet shells above and mines of strobes below. More of the gorgeous double farfalles and colour changing shells of glitter comets as the mines of strobes continued below. A return to the multi-coloured meteor comet shells mixed with kamuros and then a kaliedoscope comet shell bringing the segment to a close.

Part 7 to the music It's a Man's World by James Brown. Opening fans of silver comets left and right were followed by the same in the middle of ramp 3. Gorgeous sequences of the same silver comets then opened from the middle outwards, forming astounding patterns as a large studata filled the space between them. The male symblos then lit up as fans of mines and stars were augmented by red spider shells above and then shells of red stars turning to tourbillons. A large fan of tourbillon mines fired from ramp 4 and was followed by two fans of crackling gold comet candles with shells of comets above and then mines of serpents below. This general theme continued with shells of comets turning to strobes and then another beautiful pair of farfalles followed by shells of strobes with strobing pistils above and a return to the red turning to tourbillon shells. Sequenced mines with shells of red crossette comets above were followed by the red spider shells and then a repeat of the fantastic comet sequence from the start together with the large studata. Wide angle crossed comet candles with shells of comets above and shells of red turning to comets and crossettes were followed by more of the red to tourbillon shells with crossette candles in red firing at wide angles at the extreme right and left of ramp 3. The comet and crossette shells continued above followed by the comet to strobe shells as the crossette candles continued below with volleys of strobe shells in the space between these, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 8 to the music I Am a Man by Pulp. A wide fan of gold comet candles fired from ramp 4 as shells of the same fired above and then broad fan cakes of the same comets below left and right and overlapping. The comet fan candles on ramp 4 continued with candles of stars on ramp 3 and gold comet shells above. This theme continued and then kamuro comet shells turning to blue above together with shells of blue stars and farfalles. This blue and gold theme continued and as followed by shells of crackling electric crossette comets as the gold to blue shells continued below. This theme repeated and was followed by large shells of blue with loud crackle pistils intermixed with shells of gold strobes, with barrage after barrage of these. These were followed be barrages of ring of comet shells, the segment coming to a close with fronts of fans of meteor comets and kamuros trailing to the lake.

Part 9 to the music Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters. A bright fan of meteor comets was followed by alternating mines of stars and mines of serpents followed by bright strobing horsetails above and dahlia shells. Then angled mines of large tourbillons with blue stars with cakes of gold comets and shells in butterfly shapes above. This theme continued in a very rhythmic fashion. Then shells with pistils turning to go-getters as mines of serpents fired below as well as shells of comets changing to stars. This theme continued and increased, the segment coming to an end with a front of orange mines (and one blue) as a large colour changing shell burst above and more serpent mines flew up.

Part 10 to the music It Takes Two by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston. The male symbols extinguished as two "ying/yang" symbol wheels lit up on ramp 3 followed by a third. The wheels started to turn as blue mines fired alternating with gold glitter mines. Fountains then lit up on the perimeters of the wheels as larger mines of blue stars with gold bees were followed by shells of rings of comets and then shells of rings of comets with a ring of blue stars. Fans of blue stars were augmented by dahlia shells above as well as shells of blue and more rings of comets and rings of comets with rings of blue. Next colour changing shells with rings of blue below and then shells of silver comets augmented by crossed mines of clusters of silver comets below. This theme continued until the end of the segment.

Part 11 to the music Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meatloaf. Fans of salute-terminated serpents were followed by angled cakes of blue stars with shells of stars turning to go-getters above as the male symbol lit up at the left and the female at the right. Shells of red with pistils alternated with the same in blue left and right. Then barrages of blue shells with crackling pistils alternating with shells of crackle with crackling pistils. These were followed by crossette comet shells and large shells of gold comets ending in crackling bunches as fans of stars fired below. Bright silver comet shells with pistils were followed by crossettes. A sequence of blue mines with one orange followed below as more of the gold comet to crackling bunches fired above. Barrages of shells of strobes followed as wide crossed gold candles fired below and led to shells of go-getters above. Cakes of small strobes fired across ramp 3 and then sequences of mines on the hits of the music with shells of crossettes above followed by starfish shells and mines of salute-terminated serpents below. The pace increased with Z-cakes of crackle. These were augmented by volleys of shells with large shells in red with crakling pistils. Then a change to blue and comets turning to strobes and broad fans of electric crossette comets below as the pace increased above with volleys of crackling and blue shells alternating with red. Then shells of crossettes and shells of salute-terminated comets increased the pace as a move to more crossettes as the music performed a "truck driver's gearchange". Farfalles with blue were then added to the mix as mines of screaming whistles rose into the air. The barrages increased causing me to shout WOW. More crackling cakes came on line as the barrages above increased with salute-terminated comets and shells of crackle amd then silver crossettes. Brighter and brighter silver comet shells filled the sky to cheers from the audience and more WOWs from me, the segment ending with salute-terminated comets as the music immediately transitioned to

Part 12 to the music My Immortal by Evanescence. A line of seven Fleur-de-lys fountains lit up on ramp 5 and were augmented by crossed silver glitter candles. Above these, kamuros. As the fountains faded, large dahlia shells fired above followed by silver comet shells and siler glitter shells below. This theme continued, with the beauty of the lyric enhancing the emotional feel of the fireworks as tears started to well up in me and those around me. A return to the dahlias and more silver comet and glitter shells as pale gold horsetails started to gently burst above, the male and female symbols below now just two strobing rings as the silver and glitter continued above. As the music came to its serene conclusion, horsetails filled the air, causing exclamations from the audience as they trailed to the lake bringing the display to a close to cheers and a standing ovation from the audience.

This was a very powerful display from the British team, competing for the third time in Montreal, their first appearance being in the inaugural year of the competition. A very well choregraphed display displaying great use of space, both horizontally, vertically and in depth. Careful and tasteful use of colour, a Mike Jones hallmark, was very much in evidence as well as some very well done comet sequences. The range of material used was quite broad, with interesting nautical material as well as very beautiful shells from Spain and Italty (especially the studatas and farfalles) as well as the renowned crackling shells from San Tai. The post-finale closing segment was a very bold experiment which, for me at least, worked as intended. A reminder of the bitter-sweet melancholy of life and inevitable death, a reminder that after joy there is reflection. A few technical issues marred an otherwise very clean display, but this is a minor cricism. The question is whether the jury will understand the intricacies of the theme? I would hope so - and if they do, this must be a contender for a Jupiter.

Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official press release material, shown in white.