Fatboy Slim

PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: Caption.

FATBOY SLIM: THE ROUND TRIP

In a break from his usual touring schedule of one-off flying visits, one of dance music’s most recognisable names set out on a six date in-the-round arena tour, turning the UK’s biggest venues into no-holds-barred raves for one night only. TPi’s Stew Hume was on site to witness the action first hand.

FATBOY SLIM

How does a DJ fit into the arena environment? It’s been a tricky dilemma for even the biggest names in the genre. While dance music is as popular as ever, the number of arena tours is rather scarce, especially when compared to its rock and pop counter parts. But in 2019, one of the world’s most famous DJs, Fatboy Slim set out with his dedicated crew to bring his raucous revelry to audiences nationwide and see if they could translate the club atmosphere into the arena forum for the ravers and misbehavers.

Tour Director, Mark Ward of Proper Productions, knows more than his fair share about what transforms the man, Norman ‘Norm’ Cook, into the DJ Fatboy Slim, having been with the act for a decade. “When I first started with Norm it was a difficult time as he had just come out of rehab and wasn’t sure if he wanted to carry on as a live act,” recalled Ward. “The first show we did together was in front of 40,000 people at Big Beach Festival in Tokyo. Despite some reservations, he really enjoyed the show and the set went down really well. We’ve been together ever since.” Ward had to quickly learn that efficiency was the name of the game for Fatboy Slim. He recounted sketching during a hotel breakfast in the early days, “when Gary Blackburn of Anglo Management [Fatboy Slim’s management] saw what I was doing.”

After a cursory glance, Blackburn simply said: “That won’t fit into the overhead compartment of an EasyJet flight”, before Ward had to discard his napkin design. “That was one of my first lessons in how you have to operate if you want to fly anywhere and be able to put on a show.”

Although his usual live production can fit into a selection of Peli Cases, this time Ward was in charge of a fleet of 6 trucks for a fully turn-key production. This was not the first time that Fatboy Slim had attempted a large in-the-round show of this nature, Ward explained. “We often

talked about doing arena shows but Norm could not see anything new or interesting about the ‘stage-end’ venue set up.” So, they explored the idea of an in-the-round show, the first of which was at Snowbombing Festival six years ago “which he really enjoyed”. This was followed by a two-show run in 2016. The impact of those shows clearly resonated within the camp as they opted to once again set out on a full UK run.

For the tour, Ward brought in a collection of suppliers including Capital Sound, ER Productions and Brilliant Stages. PRG were also on board providing the triple threat of lighting, video and automation. Finally, for logistics, the tag team of Beat the Street and Stage Trucks got the tight touring family from one spot to the next.

Also on the crew list were two Proper Productions regulars, Harry Ford, Stage Manager and Tyler Cole-Holmes, Crew Tour Manager. “This is my first official stint as Fatboy Slim’s Stage Manager,” commented Ford, as he walked TPi onto the DJ’s alter, adorned with the classic yellow smiley face underfoot. “While I was still at Central School of Speech and Drama in 2012, I was looking for a placement and got in contact with Mark for a spot at Proper Productions. Coincidently my first show was Fatboy Slim’s Big Beach Bootique. I clearly did something right. I was offered a job and now help with all large-scale events.”

Ford discussed his daily schedule as Stage Manager for the tour. “It’s certainly a high calibre show we’re trying to achieve here. But it’s been great, mainly thanks to the core crew who are obviously a very tight team and really easy to work with.”

Among many other responsibilities, Cole-Holmes kept everything ticking over in the Production Office and took care of the Radiotek communication system which ensures everyone is connected throughout the day. “The radios and accessories Radiotek supplied have been great,”

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FATBOY SLIM

DYNAMIC STAGE TECHNOLOGY

commented Cole-Holmes. “The reliable analogue radios, in road ready cases with sign out sheets were all set from day one and made sure we had comms across the team quickly and easily. We’ve all been really impressed by the service given and we’ll certainly keep Radiotek in mind for any future events.”

THE SHOW… The Fatboy Slim character certainly has its own unique identity which differentiates from many DJ counterparts. Ward elaborated: “I mean this in no disrespect to any other artists, but compared to most, Norm’s show is very interactive. His whole thing is getting a reaction out of people. He jumps around, dances and is constantly mugging to the crowd with a lot of interplay with the cameras. The energy level is up to that of any rock band.” With this in mind, the production team wanted to ensure they created a stage set up which allowed the DJ to partake in all his usual antics.

From his rotating circular stage, Fatboy Slim created a frenzy all the while positioned underneath an enormous circular LED crown sitting above the booth. Moving out from the central performance area were 8 lighting trusses also able to descend down to 3m above the audience to further recreate the club atmosphere for those on the floor.

“Video is key to everything Norm does,” stated Ward. “We have three remote cameras on stage and we are putting him up on the screen for a lot of the evening to give that stronger connection between him and the crowd. We also have a lot of pre-rendered content created by our Video Director.”

Conversation about Fatboy Slim’s visual show can go no further without bringing in the dynamic duo of Bob Jaroc, Video Director, and Stephen Abbiss, Lighting Designer, into the picture. The two men work in tandem – and have done for the DJ over the past decade - keeping each other on their toes in the unpredictable environs of a Fatboy Slim concert.

Doubling up as the tour’s Show Caller, Jaroc guided TPi through the aesthetic: “For our normal show we usually have a large LED screen silhouetting him. Most of the content I produce is to fit 16x9m.” But an in-the-round required a different set up to complement a 360° screen. So Jaroc plays content in four parts across the surface or stream seamless content, which can spin visuals around the whole surface. It made for a visual treat that could be enjoyed by all, from those on the dance floor to those opting to enjoy the Fatboy Slim show from the

18. - 20.06.2019

BERLIN

Hall 21 Booth 427

SAFETY FIRST - MADE IN GERMANY

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Video Director, Bob Jaroc and Lighting Designer, Stephen Abbiss; Video Technician, Tom Bass; Video Crew Boss, Pete Cross.

relative safety of the seating in the arena bowl.

Jaroc’s The Round Trip video set-up was an extension of his usual touring rig; a selection of click launchers able to deal with various parameters, including effects and opacity, run via a Resolume Media Server. Due to the unusual venues he works in throughout the year, Jaroc said he needs “a switch I can plug anything into.” So, he runs everything through a Roland V-800HD Live Video Switcher, adding: “I swear I could plug a toaster into this thing and I’ll still have some workable content.”

To help with this project’s video duties, video supplier PRG sent in Tom Bass who worked closely with Jaroc. Bass oversaw the Barco E2 processor, known for larger surface projects, which rooted multiple sources into the 360° screen. Bass told TPi, despite its reputation for corporate events, the system “worked really well for us on this tour.”

As well as a lot of pre-rendered content, Jaroc also had 3 Panasonic AW-HE130K PTZ HDs to capture live footage of the DJ. “Both Tom and I share control of the cameras throughout the set,” stated Jaroc. “We also have some pre-programmed camera shots for footage of the crowd which we can recall quickly. Between 20 - 30% of the show is IMAG depending on how he’s feeling on the night.” But this tour has seen Fatboy Slim more “animated” than ever before as “he’s loving the 360° element of the show - which is giving us great content for the show,” according to the Video Director.

The screens were made up of 132 panels of Galaxia WinVision 9mm. Pete Cross, Video Crew Boss from PRG, talked thought the daily realities of putting together the package. “During load-in we build the mother grid and get that up. Then the audio guys stick their central column of subs before we come in and put together our circular truss in. From there, we build a

whole row of screens on the floor, cable it, then pick that up as a whole circle. This gives us the shape of the rig which is very useful as a reference for all the other departments.” Confirming expectation, he said it required a lot of patience. “Back to back in-the-round shows are tough because, even though you’re in a large arena, each department is focusing on one relatively small space. Thankfully this is a really nice crew and we’ve found our stride on a relatively short run.”

Standing to the right of Jaroc, at his “go-to” Avolites Arena, Abbiss showcased his control set-up. The LD said a console he can busk live is a requirement, as the camp never stick to a setlist. Over the years, both he and Jaroc had to be on their toes to react to whatever the artist might throw at them next. For example, Jaroc – from his usual position at side of stage - and the DJ had developed elaborate hand singles in the past ten years to communicate what song is cued up next. There have been times where the duo have had to use remote cameras to glance over at the DJ’s screen to see his next track.

However, for this latest run they had a new trick up their sleeve. Abbiss and Jaroc both took a feed from the DJ’s computer, running Sarato, to get a real time stream of what he was cueing up next in the set. “It’s been great as we can follow the tracks and see when the breaks are coming. If he is starting to mix stuff you can see him cueing up so we get a rough idea of what is going to happen,” the LD said.

Talking through the lighting rig at Abbiss’ disposal was Bradley Stokes, Lighting Crew Chief. The rig itself was made up of 6, fully automated lighting fingers, each with 6 Claypaky A.leda B-EYE K20s, 4 PRG Icon Beams, a GLP impression X4 Bar 20s, a pair of Martin by Harman MAC Viper AirFXs, 2 Chauvet Professional STRIKE 4s and 3 Showtec Sunstrips. The floor

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Above: Laser Technician, Harry Boyde; Automation Engineer, Peter MacDonald; Lighting Crew Chief, Bradley Stokes; Crew Tour Manager, Tyler Cole-Holmes. Opposite: Tour Director, Mark Ward, Stage Manager, Harry Ford, Capital Sound’s Marty Beath, Ben Turnbull, Johnny Buck and David Preston.

package was very similar to that in the flown rig with Claypaky A.leda B-EYE K20s, Showtec Sunstrips, along with SGM Q7s, PRG Icon Beams and MAC Viper AirFXs. “Obviously one of our main goals with the rig was to make it as tourable as possible,” commented Stokes. “For instance, the central mother grid has so much on it, our looms have to go to that small condensed space. All the looms are really quite long – I think the shortest still comes in at 80m. It’s a lot of wire and cable. To speed up the process everything is pre-rigged including all the automation. In total we manage to get everything into two trucks.” The Lighting Crew Chief was splitting out 15 universities of artnet into PRG’s Super Node, which Stokes dubbed “simple, reliable, and perfect for live touring.”

LASERS ER Production’s Harry Boyde has become a familiar face within the Fatboy Slim camp since joining the visual crew on the DJ’s recent New Zealand tour. “It’s a dream to have our own laser operator,” enthused Jaroc, praising the performance of Boyde. “We’ve had some interesting experiences over the years playing shows with local operators who don’t always speak the same language. You don’t know what you’re going to get. Harry did a great job on the last run and having an operator who knows the tracks – not to mention our cueing style – is

“Norm’s show is very interactive. His whole thing is getting a reaction out of people. He jumps around, dances and is constantly mugging to the crowd with a lot of interplay with the cameras. The energy level is up to that of any rock band.”

Tour Director, Mark Ward

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invaluable.” Boyde said: “I saw show designs quite early when Abbiss sent over renders.”

He added: “Norm is heavily involved in the design of the show and no two are the same, creating a unique experience for the audience each time.” Boyde told TPi how he programmed the cues and looks of the laser choreography and the SFX. “Alongside the Sparkulars, we used 8 Stadium Shots to fire gold and white confetti as well as yellow streamers into the crowds perfectly on cue, whilst 4 Look Solutions Viper deluxes and 4 Unique Hazers and 4 Co 2

Jets provided the atmospherics.”

For the UK Arena Tour, Boyde opted for 15 small lightweight Beamburst lasers to be positioned pointing down vertically and reflected on mirrors, as well as 4 EX15, full colour all OPSL lasers, which were placed at the corners of the stage to shine out across the audience. For control the system was split into two sections with the four EX15s controlled via a Pangolin Beyond while the 12 Beambursts were launched by a High End Systems Hedgehog 4.

The Special Effects technician described what it was like to work in the Fatboy Slim visuals department. “There are songs and tracks Bob is calling, but sometimes there is a big drop coming so I’ll add a bit of CO 2 on there. We are always

FATBOY SLIM

communicating on comms so I’ll tell them what I’m about to do. It’s just all about constant communication.”

AUTOMATION One of the elements brought over from the last in-the-round show was an automated lighting rig. “This time, however, we wanted the rig to move continuously through the show,” commented Ward. “PRG started to talk to us about the Movecat system. It was still pretty new for them at the time and there were some concerns if it would be tourable in time. But I’m pleased to say it’s been seamless. Essentially, we are trying to turn the arena into a dance floor so having the lights drop down to the audience was always a look we wanted to create. Moreover the Movecat has given multiple looks able to follow along to Norm’s music.”

Overseeing the automation for the tour was Peter MacDonald. The Automation Engineer used the Movecat system for its UK debut during Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds. For Fatboy Slim he was oversaw 12 half-ton motors running 6 lighting truss at 24m per minute. “That’s pretty fast for automation,” enthused MacDonald. “One of the biggest appeals is that it’s the only automation system that is SIL 3 – the highest safety factor you can get. As we were flying the rig over the audience this made Movecat the ideal choice.” MacDonald was also complimentary of the system’s control surface, namely the Expert-T3 system, and said he was excited about how “user-friendly it had been”. TPi asked the operator how the unpredictable set list impacted his job each night. He answered: “Well, at PRG we have overseen a lot of dance acts, especially with our annual work at Creamfields. We can jump between looks and program your shows accordingly.”

Another piece of automation present on the tour was seen in the depths of the circular stage which gave the DJ 360° rotation of his performance area. The stage itself had been provided by Brilliant Stages. “On the last show we did in the round, the automated stage could also move up and down, but we all thought that was slightly too

Intricate timecode

TPI Awards 2019

The Avolites Arena

Creative Visual Control

Fluid live

Fatboy Slim 2019

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extravagant in what we were trying to achieve,” commented Ward. “Not only that, Norm always want to be in the action with the crowd so to have him moving away seemed counter intuitive.”

Taking on the additional role of Revolve Tech was Stage Manager, Harry Ford. “During the show I’m just checking all the wheels are in the right place,” commented Ford. “I’m another pair of eyes to watch the cables going through the stage to his decks. We only get a few spins before we have to go back the other way to avoid pulling any of the cables out. We’ve all got very good at counting the number of spins.”

Commenting on behalf of Brilliant Stages was Jess Woodward. “We supplied the tour with the 5ft high main stage which was 24ft by 24ft with a revolving 6m diameter turntable which sat on top of the main stage area,” she explained. “We handed everything over to Mark and his team at Wembley Arena ready for their first show. It was a pleasure working with Mark and all his team, great show.”

AUDIO Sonic support for every break and drop came courtesy of Capital Sound which supplied a Martin Audio MLA system for the six-date tour. In 2016 Capital Sound Technical Manager, Robin Conway, designed an audio system for an in-the-round presentation of the DJ at the O2 Arena, using the MLA sound rig and the unique stage design to bring him closer to the audience. When Fatboy Slim later announced his biggest arena tour yet, Capital decided to extend this ‘boxing match meets rave’ concept by increasing the ordnance

“Norm has always been obsessed with hi-fi purity. The subs in his show are not particularly heavy but they are crisp and clear. The musicality of the MLA gives us everything we need for the perfect Fatboy Slim show.”

Tour Director, Mark Ward

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of the PA.

To pull off this production, Capital Sound - represented by FOH Engineer and Project Manager David Preston and System Tech Marty Beath - had to rise to a number of unique challenges, notably the location of FOH position situated 30m from the mother grid, while fighting with the vast amount of overhead hardware.

“I have used Capital Sound a number of times, especially during my work at British Summer Time in Hyde Park,” commented Ward. “They were very involved from the beginning of this project ensuring the system sounded its best.” Ward was particularly keen to include Martin Audio on this rider. “Norm has always been obsessed with hi-fi purity. The subs in his show are not particularly heavy but they are crisp and clear. The musicality of the MLA gives us everything we need for the perfect Fatboy Slim show.”

Conway outlined some of the highlights of the system. “Whereas last time we fielded 4 hangs of4 MLA and 2 hangs of MLA Compact, this time we have had 6 hangs of MLA above the video screen, as close to the centre as possible, so there is a lot more real estate,” he said. The speakers had to be trimmed 10m from the floor to preserve sightlines. But the most complicated element was the subs. This comprised a flown MLX system of 4 independent hangs with 5 elements in each hang, right above the DJ’s head. “These were all positioned close together, firing inwards, to create a perfect omnidirectional sub source.”

Eight Martin Audio DD12s were also deployed, 2 on each side of the square stage, for front-fills.

FATBOY SLIM

CHAIN HOISTS • CONTROL SYSTEMS • SOLUTIONS

Frankfurt 02. - 05. April 2019

“This design is highly efficient and for this application it was perfect. There’s no comb filtering because it’s essentially one single source. I’m a huge fan of this design, it really works well and Marty managed to achieve extremely good coverage,” commented Conway. However, the efficiency also needed to extend to the rigging process, with the need for shared cable management and 100m looms required for each one of the MLA and MLX hangs.

In terms of sound optimisation, Beath programmed a core design in the dedicated Display software, building 6 cross-sectional files every day from the centre of the room, with all speakers under proprietary Vu-Net control. With the lights firing inwards from the perimeter trusses on movable motors, this circus was every bit a club rave in all but name, which will have pleased both the artist and Ward. Also helping to ensure a first class production were Capital Crew Chief, Jonny Buck and PA Tech, Ben Turnbull.

Alongside the sound system for the show, Capital Sound provided the DJ’s backline, consisting of 2 Pioneer CDJ-2000 NXS2s and a DJM-900 NXS2 mixer, which he used in conjunction with his Sarato setup. “At his feet we’ve got 2 d&b audiotechnik M2s,” commented Preston who, as FOH Engineer, was also dealing with the DJ’s on-stage sound. “He never really wants any subs in his monitor mix with enough stage volume to use as a reference.”

The role of FOH Engineer is not usually a vacant seat within the Fatboy Slim touring

party. “All of Norm’s tracks are mastered well, so all the systems guy has to do when we do our regular flying shows is keep it flat and turn it up,” enthused Ward. It’s a method Preston has kept to on this tour. The FOH Engineer opted for DiGiCo SD10. “We were originally going to go for an SD11 but in the end we opted to go for a desk with a few more faders to save me scrolling through layers.”

With the circular stage set and the large LED crown flickering to life, the DJ who set the standard for large-scale dance music proved he is still the granddaddy of the decks. Throughout TPi’s time with the Fatboy Slim crew many of his team referred to their boss as the Rockstar DJ. It’s a great nickname, but it made even more sense when the Funk Soul Brother himself hit the stage with the boundless energy of the artists that rivalled the outranges visual shows going on around him. With the Manchester contingent more than satisfied, the production moved onto the next couple of dates to bring the party to yet another region of the country - Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat. TPi Photos: Chris Lazzaro and TPi www.fatboyslim.net www.properproductions.org www.prg.com www.bobjaroc.com www.capital-sound.co.uk www.er-productions.com www.brilliantstages.com www.beatthestreet.net www.stagetruck.com

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Hall 12.0 Booth D25 We are pleased about your visit!

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