Mick Landi – Shattered Glass

Mick in the early days

With an apron tied around his waist and cooking up delicious memories in typical Italian fashion, Michele Landi celebrates occasions, even if that means every day life, as the chief chef at his home.

You may think of him as the Italian Jamie Oliver, but then again, when seeing him race around the track on his Ducati (BOTTS class), you may just find instilled the same drive as Valentino Rossi.

Mick would cringe at even the thought of being compared to Rossi, but the passion he has for family and business, is pure dedication and commitment often carried through with unsaid words.

Throughout school and then completing a diploma in Electrical Engineering (light current) at the Vaal Triangle Technikon, Mick ran his own mobile disco which sustained him financially and fulfilled his passion for sound.

Cesare, Mick’s father, was the owner of a very successful civil engineering company. The family lived in Tedderfield, Eikenhof (where Shattered Glass is based today), and Mick and his younger brother Adriano grew up surrounded by equipment such as excavating machines. “We always tease Mick,” comments his wife, Karen Landi. “He has a great love for tractors, cherry pickers and the likes. At a young age he learnt how to drive these machines and to this day if he sees a forklift, he has to stop to have a better look.” Mick currently has two tractors, one kept at his home in Eikenhof and the other at his getaway house at the Vaal, where he can be seen relaxing in his own way whilst cutting grass.

It was important for Cesare that his sons be achievers. His own company had been responsible for laying most of the pipes in Johannesburg and he offered the business to Mick. While his dad was a huge inspiration to him, Mick followed his heart and chose sound instead.

Mick and Karen Landi

Shattered Glass was established in 1986 in Mick’s early teens. “I called the company Shattered Glass after a Laura Branigan song! It has never changed though has been confused, muddled but never forgotten,” said Mick. “The staging side of our business started in 1996. It was very small then, we had very little gear to speak of and it was just me and my wife Karen.”

The early years certainly had their share of memories such as carrying AV packs to hotels and providing basic sound and lighting for fashion shows and shopping centre promotions.

Karen was meticulous in holding the forte together, answering the phone, making bookings, handling queries, paperwork and even acting as an official driver. Mick recalls an occasion: “When Shattered Glass first started, we had nothing and had to rely on hiring in. Not only did we have no gear, but we only had one van. Our other mode of transport was a red 1100 Uno. We would hire in our lights from Calite and in those days, that is where Dan and Duncan Riley also worked. It so happened that on one Monday morning after the Balalaika Bridal Show, I had to go on a conference in our one and only van and Karen had to return all of the lights – in the Fiat Uno. You couldn’t see Karen for parcans but she did it. Those are the things that we remember and that make our successes even sweeter today.”

Mick and Alex Sanfilippo on a gig

Congratulations Shattered Glass for being awarded the Favourite Technical Staging Company at the 2007 TPSA Awards and to Alex Sanfilippo for walking away as the Sound Engineer of the Year

With a team Mick describes as talented and who have become more like family, there are Adriano Landi, Alex Sanfilippo, Nici Bailes, Richard Horwell and of course Karen. “They have helped us move to the next level,” says Mick, who is still very hands on in the day to day running of the business as well as being involved in the set up of productions, loving the excitement and adrenalin rush of the shows.

Mick and Karen have two children, Alessia (9) and Claudia (7). The story goes that when Alessia (then four years old), went on her first pre-school trip to the Monte Casino Bird Park, she came back very excitedly wanting to report back on her experience. “We asked to her what she saw?” says Mick. “She answered – they had JBL speakers!!!”

In essence, though, the Landi’s are now living a dream. They admit to have gone through some nightmare times, but as they say, those have been overcome, lessons have been learnt, school fees have been paid, and they’re steadily moved along. With 21 years in the industry, they make sure that they remember their fundamentals and try to always have the same hands on approach as when the company was first established.

Contact Shattered Glass

Tel: 011 948 9291
Fax: 011 948 8122

E-mail address: [email protected]

Website address: www.shatteredglass.co.za