Massive Attack

MASSIVE ATTACK: MEZZANINE XXI

TPi’s Stew Hume witnessed the elusive musical collective for their 21st anniversary tour, celebrating the seminal record Mezzanine. True to form, Massive Attack broke every convention by creating a production equal parts awe-inspiring and challenging. The visual onslaught echoed the hope and fears of 1998 and brought them screaming into 2019…

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

With an album as revered as Mezzanine, you might expect a band to lean on the nostalgia cash grab when touring for its 21st birthday – but Massive Attack are not most bands. The Bristolian hometown heroes presented their European fans with a celebration both uncomfortable and beautiful to witness, courtesy of a production overseen in intimate detail by the enigmatic ‘front man’ Robert Del Naja. In practice, Mezzanine XXI had more in common with a visual art installation than some other touring counterparts.

Not only was this tour ambitious in concept, it was also one of the largest tours the band had attempted. Setting-up in the country’s largest arenas as well as a two-night homecoming show in Filton, Bristol in the iconic Steel Yard structure. TPi visited the crew on the band’s O2 date to learn about the method behind the mystic.

Working tirelessly behind the scenes was long-time Tour Manager, David Lawrence. The TPi Award-winning Tour Manager’s career dates back to 1999, when he hopped on board the tour bus while Massive Attack were first promoting Mezzanine. Twenty years later and he is still helping the band push the boundaries of ambitions stage shows. “I’ve always had the

same mentality when it comes to the artists I work with. I want to be ‘all in’ and I’ll do my utmost to make sure everything works, which goes a long way for these guys who always want to go the extra mile with their tours. I’ve always tried to be as open as possible so people know they can speak to me, whether it’s technical, logistical or personal.”

Lawrence recalled the first documented murmurings of a tour began in January 2017 – at least according to his email chain, he joked. The Tour Manager had the task of pulling all the pieces together for the project, featuring more than a few familiar faces in both the crew and supplier roster: Wigwam Acoustics delivered the PA, CS Audio provided control, Lite Alternative supplied lighting and Universal Pixels handled the LED and video packages. For logistics the crew enlisted CSUK for bussing while trucking was handled by Fly By Nite. “I’ve known these suppliers for many years,” stated Lawrence. “Phil Mercer from Universal Pixels has been with us since 2004 when he was with XL Video. The same goes for the guys at Wigwam and CS Audio. I’ve got a great relationship with all of them and they constantly deliver a great service.”

But the Tour Manager admitted it was time to bring some new people

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into the fold. “2018 was a busy year for me with far too many trips back and forth across the Atlantic. I wanted to bring someone on who could handle the Production Manager duties.”

Enter Chris Kansy, Mezzanine XXI’s Production Manager, whom TPi last saw in the searing heat of Rome for Roger Waters’ Us + Them Tour, which scooped a TPi Award. “This show is very much from the mind of Robert Del Naja,” he began, this time from the Production Office of the O2 Arena. Kansy credited Video Director Icarus Wilson-Wright for leading him to the Massive Attack camp, adding: “We’ve been friends for many years, having worked together on Roger Waters Dark Side of the Moon tour in 2006 and Muse 2nd Law in 2013. Artistically we see things in a very similar way. We’ve always talked about doing Massive Attack together so when it was announced they were bringing Mezzanine to arenas I was asked if I wanted to join.” Likewise, Lawrence had also had his eye on Kansy for some time. “What do I say about Chris?” he mused. “We first spoke of him coming on-board in 2013. We always wanted to work together and this time the schedules fitted. When I called him he was loading in Roger Waters to Maracanã Stadium in Rio. You know if someone can handle that show, they will be set for anything!”

Kansy made it clear this was more than a professional decision. He’s a big fan. “But as many know, it’s dangerous to work with an act you’re a fan of,” laughed Kansy, who discussed the age-old dilemma. “I have to say, this tour has enhanced my passion for both the band and the album. The show is such a beautiful art piece. It’s truly the live embodiment of Mezzanine. It’s immersive and it’s heavy.”

From the point of entry, audiences were brought into the era in which Mezzanine was conceived. They were greeted with a playlist of purposefully distorted tracks from the late ‘90s such as Cher’s Do You Believe in Life After

Love, repeated for hours until the band hit the stage. “The set list they play also pays homage to the songs which helped craft Mezzanine,” explained Kansy. “For example, they play a cover of The Cure’s 10:15 Saturday Night right before they play The Man Next Door which samples 10:15 - the idea being playing them back-to-back you get to hear those influences.”

DESIGN The core team which helped bring Robert Del Naja’s vision into the realms of reality included Video Director Icarus Wilson-Wright, Lighting Designer Paul Normandale, Lighting Director Hunter Frith and famed film-maker Adam Curtis. The band have collaborated with the film-maker a number of times over the years, most notably during the project Massive Attack v Adam Curtis, which was performed at the Manchester International Festival in 2013. Curtis produced bespoke content - seven original films played throughout the show alongside Massive Attack’s signature text and politically motivated slogans - for the milestone tour in his role as Visual Director.

Video Director Wilson-Wright greeted TPi at his video hub at FOH to walk through the implementation of Curtis’ content. Having first worked with the band in 2002, he has seen the band pioneer the utilisation of video in the live touring setting. “My first role was as an LED Tech working with the inaugural pixel mapped screen,” began Wilson-Wright. “Back then, the smallest pitch you’d see was 15mm and it was very expensive. But that run, the 100th Window tour, really changed things. United Visual Artists were formed around the project which eventually led to the creation of disguise [formally d3 Technologies]. It’s great to look back 16 years later and to see the progression of the technology still so entwined with Massive Attack.” For this recent run, Wilson-Wright, joined forces with video supplier

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Universal Pixels which provided him with a disguise package consisting of two gx2s. “Historically Massive Attack don’t play much video content, instead streaming words and symbols to the LED screen,” said the Director, adding that has changed for this tour. “Another departure has been moving away from completely bespoke set ups. This time we are using some more traditional video formats as well, so we’ve opted to use some on-board disguise effects and software products - specifically Notch.” Wilson-Wright explained it was vital to have a flexible video set up to enable quick updates of the text based show content with local language translations.

For control, the Director took a remote fibre link to FOH to connect to all the servers back on the stage. “There is always an argument to having the video PPU operating position based behind the stage,” mused Wilson- Wright. “However, at FOH I find you’re able to hone the look of the tour because I’m seeing what the audience sees every night.” Undoubtedly, this was key, as production constantly adapted to notes shared from Del Naja himself.

The on-stage screens from Universal Pixels utilised 2 LED video wall products. The first was a rear wall made up of Leyard CLM 10mm – comprising an 8m wide by 6m high central section, and two outer wing sections 3.5m wide by 6m high outer sections. The Leyard CarbonLight CLM Series is a line of see-through mesh LED displays designed for rental, staging and flexible-fixed applications in indoor and outdoor environments. Leyard CarbonLight CLM Series features a lightweight, mesh design for a highly transparent appearance with low wind resistance, which maintains stunning performance in any application.

Downstage left and right, 2 ROE Vanish 18mm screens measuring 4.8m wide by 6m high, expanded the visual footprint, while adding versatility to the setup. “Both products are daylight screens so they can meet the lighting rig head on,” said Wilson-Wright. “But one element vital to both

products was their transparency. Behind the Leyard we have a rear lighting rig which had to be able to blow through. I’ve enjoyed working with the ROE Vanish 18mm. We’ve also used it in this design as a lighting editor. When it’s off, it gives a nice tonal graduation of the visual show as your eyes move to the edge of the stage.”

When asked to describe the look of the video content, the Director referred to one of his main briefs. “The term ‘discomfort’ has always played an important part in the band’s vocabulary,” he explained. “This goes for their visual look, with both lighting and video, which can be glitchy and disorientating. There are jarring moments during which the audience might think something is going wrong. It’s unusual and very unique.” The director was quick to praise the tolerance of both the band and the rest of the stage crew, whose high tolerance for withstanding disorientating effects was important, giving the visual crew the loose reigns to create something special.

To close, Wilson-Wright gave special mention to the video supplier for the run. “Universal Pixels have given us great support,” he enthused. “The whole team would turn on a sixpence and, on this run, we have given them a fair share of curveballs – I’m pleased to report they caught them all, and always did it with a smile.”

LIGHTING Paul Normandale’s lighting design complemented the video elements. This was Normandale’s second time out with the band alongside Lighting Director Hunter Frith. “I had met Hunter on a Placebo tour,” explained Lawrence. “I spoke to Paul about getting him on the next Massive Attack tour. Since then Hunter has collaborated a number of times with Paul and his company Lite Alternative.”

“One of the most important things about this design was the interaction

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Video Director, Icarus Wilson-Wright; Production Manager, Chris Kansy; FOH Engineer, Robert Allan and Monitor Engineer, Paul Hatt; Lighting Director, Hunter Frith.

of lighting and video,” began Normandale. “Robert also has a very specific take on lighting in that it should be dysfunctional. It’s a very different way of working, producing a look where you might have one light flickering on the rig.”

As well as producing a visual for the classic tracks from Mezzanine, Normandale also had to create looks for the covers the band were performing throughout the set, such as I Found A Reason by The Velvet Underground or 10:15 Saturday Night by The Cure, which proved a different challenge. “They are very different to the songs from Mezzanine. They are less busy, and purposefully so, meaning you can really separate them from the Massive Attack tracks.”

Normandale outlined the tour and its constant transformative nature. “For a show like this, you can’t simply walk out of rehearsals with a finalproduct. In my opinion it should be an evolving beast. Rob will constantly come to us with notes giving suggestions about how he’d like to see the show adapt. It’s great to be part of a tour where the artist is this involved.”

Taking up the conversation was Hunter Frith who talked TPi through the highlights of the rig. “Behind the rear LED wall we have 20 Solaris Flares with a further 8 on the floor in front to silhouette the band,” he began. “We also have 22 Martin by Harman MAC Aura XBs with 6 Vari-Lite VL3500 WashFXs on the floor which work very hard during the show.” Despite the show being back lit, the Programmer explained this was the first time they had convinced the band to include some

“I was actually part of the design team which lead to the creation of this desk [Avid

VENUE S6L]. It’s funny to think 6 years ago I was sitting in a room surrounded by white boards and I would one day be behind the very same console at the O2 Arena.”

Robert Allen, FOH Engineer

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keylighting in the set in the form of the Ayton MagicPanel 602s which are “part of a wider trend of moving away from circular fixtures for this band.” Also included on the rig were 42 GLP impression X4 Bar 20s which were placed on two straight trusses down the side and two trusses overhead. “We used 5 Novalight Super Nova Flower fixtures for one important look during the track Teardrop,” commented Frith. The crew also used 8 ProLights Arena Cob Halo for audience lighting. Then 4 Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 LED strobes were placed on the downstage edge and pointed at the band to help them feel the energy.

There were a selection of fixtures which stood out from the usual suspects on the lighting spec – namely the smattering of sodium lights arranged on the upstage. “They are more at home in the roof of a warehouse than a live tour,” laughed Frith. “We used them during the title track. They create aninterest as their colour changes when they warm up.”

For control, Frith used the new MA Lighting grandMA3. “They are brand new to Lite Alternative,” commented Frith. “They came straight out of the box and then we got hold of them for previsualisation. This is the first time I’ve used one. Obviously we are still using the MA2 software but the desks themselves have been great.”

AUDIO Handling the heavy sonic soundscapes of Massive Attack was Robb Allan. The FOH Engineer first joined the band in 2005. After some time away

MASSIVE ATTACK

in the late ‘00s the engineer returned to the fold in 2014 and has held the position ever since.

TPi met the Engineer at the tail end of sound check when he was making the final adjustments on his Avid VENUE S6L – a desk with which he has a very long history. “I was actually part of the design team which lead to the creation of this desk,” began Allan, who is a full-time Avid employee along with handling audio duties for the likes of Radiohead, alt-J and of course, Massive Attack. “It’s funny to think 8 years ago I was sitting in a room surrounded by drawings on white boards and I would one day be behind the very same console at the O2 Arena.” Allan explained how Avid had always been the console of choice as FOH Engineer for Massive Attack, moving from the Profile, to the S3L to the current set up.

“Our approach to this run had more in common with sound design for a theatre show, or a movie, than a live tour,” explained Allan. “For example, there is one cover track, See A Man’s Face, which is one of Horace Andy’s songs. It’s an old reggae tune that was probably recorded on a four track in its original form. So when we play it we put the drums through an amp simulator a get a distorted, compressed sound. The whole setlist is full of little moments which require us to keep true to the original recording on Mezzanine and the covers.” For all these effects, Allan used a combination of Sonnox McDSP and Waves Plugins. “In total we have over 100 snap shots for the set which are all triggered via timecode,” he said, pulling up one of the track lists and demonstrating how the snap shots controlled everything from changing channels parameters to crossfades. “In the song Group Four, there is a 10 second crossfade between an amp simulator and the real drum sounds. The show file is dense and has been somewhat of a work in progress since I came back on board in 2014.”

Having the sound design elements in place gave Allan the ability to really focus on certain elements of the mix, namely the vocals. “I would say that 50% of my work on show-day is making sure the vocals are loud enough. Dee’s whisper vocals are such a major part of the sound along with the voice of Liz [Elizabeth Fraser] which is very beautiful but quiet.” One element consistently aiding Allan in this endeavour has been Massive Attack’s wedgeless stage. However this time around, Allan had another

trick up his sleeve to keep the stage as quite as possible. “For this run we have the d&b audiotechnik GSL system. There were two reasons I chose the PA. Firstly, I think it’s the best sounding system on the market. Secondly, it is silent behind the boxes. It’s yet another way I can push the vocals harder without any issues of spill.”

Providing the PA for the tour was Wigwam Acoustics. Geoff Muir was Wigwam’s Project Manager for the Tour and spoke to TPi of his involvement with production: “Robb had specified the d&b GSL at the outset and from the very first rehearsals it was obvious to us all that this was the right system for the tour. We also saw it as an opportunity to try the new KSL box for the outhangs. We only took delivery the week before rehearsals but Rob and the rest of the production team were very open to trying it. They were delighted with the results and the way that KSL integrates with GSL. “Wigwam has supplied Massive Attack pretty much continuously since 2006 and it was great to work with Tour Manager Dave Lawrence once again. This was the first time I’d worked with Production Manager Chris Kansy and it was an absolute pleasure.”

Michael Gazdziak, Audio System Tech for the tour, listed the various speakers utilised. “We have 16 GSLs per side then a centre cluster of 8 KSL12s and 8 KSL12s per side as outhangs . For subs we’re using 18 SL- GSUB.” On the stage for the barrier dwellers, there was also a selection of d&b audiotechnik V7Ps.

For the O2 performance the audio crew made used of the venue’s inhouse system to act as delays for the farthest seats. “But those GSLs go for miles,” stated Allan. “The in-house delays are for the upper circle to fill the back corners. The sides of the arena are completely covered by our hangs. What’s also fantastic about the system is the consistency in EQ which doesn’t change as you move further away.”

MONITORS Taking on the mantle of Monitor Engineer was Paul Hatt. For this run, the engineer mirrored Allan’s console also opting for the Avid S6L. “The S6L is a new addition for monitors for Massive Attack,” began Hatt. “Prior to this we had been using a Soundcraft Vi and, as the show files and scenes

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were so big, not to mention never having elongated rehearsals periods, we stuck with the system for many years.” However, Mezzanine XXI’s many new cover tracks gave the audio duo of Hatt and Allan a chance to rethink their console set up.

“It’s important to mention, with this current iteration, both the S6Ls are gain sharing,” impressed Allan. “There’s no analogue split before the stage boxes so we’re only using two rather than four. It has sped up our workflow considerably and maintains audio quality as you don’t have to go through any additional electronics before the signal gets to the pre-amp.” Hatt was equally enthusiastic about the package. “We could get rid of the big copper split which means less cabling as well as splitting our number of stage boxes in half. It’s a lot tidier and seriously reduces our trouble shooting.”

The Monitor Engineer turned his attention to the stage to talk through the IEM set up for the tour. “Since I first joined the team in 2013, they have always been on in-ears,” began Hatt. “Right now the only speaker on stage is my talk back to Robb. For this run we are using Sennheiser 2000s. They have always been on Sennheisers and used G3s prior. But I really like the 2000s as they have a great noise floor and are very robust. The inbuilt power supply has also been a blessing over the years.” For IEMs, Ultimate Ears UE11 PROs were used by all the band, save the two drummers who made used of the Fischer Amps Hardwired In-Ear Body Pack XL system. Designed from the ground up specifically for bass players, drummers and DJs, Ultimate Ears 11 PRO features extended low frequencies with a

dedicated sub delivering tight and punchy bass, 4 proprietary balanced armatures, and a 3-way crossover for substantial bass which sounds clear. “Obviously, Massive Attack have some fairly weighty tracks but I find the UE11s do a great job reproducing it,” commented Hatt.

Handling RF management for the tour was Audio Stage Technician Dominic Gallagher. Due to the wide selection of LED panels, Hatt explained there was a need for a constant overseeing of available frequencies and commended Gallagher on his efforts in keeping on top of the clear bandwidth.

Sennheiser was also the brand of choice for vocal microphones using a selection of E935s. “There are no RF mics on the stage,” said Hatt. “Having singers wondering around the stage with radio mics is not really how Massive Attack do things. Instead we have very fixed vocal positions for the various vocalists.”

A pair of Sennheiser MKH-416s were used for audience mics, a model Hatt “just keeps coming back to.” He elaborated: “The MKH-416 seems to be the best mic for this application. I have them on one VCA and continually fade it up and down between songs, depending on the room. It’s the only real-time mixing I really do day-to day-with most of the cues and fades triggered by timecode.”

Along with Monitor Engineer duties, Hatt also had a part to play as the Managing Director of CS Audio, console supplier for the tour. “As a company we’ve been going since the ’70s,” began Hatt, giving a brief history of the

AUDIO LIGHTING RIGGING VIDEO AUCTIONS

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family business. “When my dad retired I took over the reins during the transition from analogue to digital desks.” Along with bands like Clean Bandit and Groove Armada, CS Audio has provided packages for Massive Attack from tours to festival stages over the years.

In monitor world, TPi also met a long-time vet from Massive Attack, Henry Cross. The Keyboard and DJ Tech has been with the band since 1998, seeing behind the veil for the last 21 years since the first Mezzanine tour.

Despite over two decades having passed, Cross said the set up was similar in many ways to the original. “We used to have a central DJ which is not part of the set up with the addition of a second drummer. But otherwise it’s not to dissimilar. Things have come full circle,” Cross reflected. “Massive Attack are very much a players’ band. They are all fantastic musicians and the set is live with very few tracks coming via timecode.”

HOMETOWN SHOW For the band’s Bristolian shows, the production utilised Acorn Event Structure’s recently introduced its temporary Mega Structure which has been designed and engineered to meet increasingly ambitious production specifications for live events. Modular by design, Acorn’s Mega Structure can be customised on an event-by-event basis to meet site specific event briefs, in this case Filton Airfield in Bristol.

To meet the requirement for a temporary venue large enough to accommodate Massive Attack’s home crowd in Bristol, Acorn designed the Mega Structure to 60m in width, 110m in length and 20m high at its apex. Acorn’s design flexibility was able to accommodate Massive Attack’s arena touring rig, thereby recreating the arena audience experience in a temporary venue.

Managing Director Andy Nutter said: “In an ever-evolving industry, we continue to invest in new products and we are dedicated to developing unique concepts to meet growing demand and push the boundaries of structural design in temporary event structures.”

LOGISTICS Keeping the tour safe on the road were CSUK and Fly By Nite. Matt Jackson from Fly By Nite said conversations with Lawrence started at the end of 2018, whereupon the trucking specialists put together a fleet of 5 vehicles to service the whole European run. “We’ve worked with Massive Attack for many years,” stated Jackson. “The contract pre-dates my time with the company which is over a decade now. But this was the biggest tour we had

put together for them in terms of truck size and venues, especially with the large hometown show in Bristol.” Fly By Nite’s lead driver on the tour was Arran Kenyon who, according to Jackson, was very complementary of the crew on the tour. “It was also fantastic to see Dave be recognised at the TPi Awards a few days after the O2 show,” concluded Jackson. “It was very well deserved.”

Another key component of the tour’s infrastructure were Radiotek. “On Massive Attack we became immersed with all things Radiotek,” commented Kansy. “We navigated the UK and the continent care free with the Motorola DP4600E radios and the ability to dial our frequencies regionally. That made life easy for both the tour and the promoter.” Backstage the tour was also covered with Radiotek Wi-Fi. The system is outfitted with repeaters giving them the ability to blanket the entire production and dressing room area with high speed. “Radiotek also supplied us with a full colour A4 printer/copier to cover our needs. Adding to that the VOIP phones give us the freedom to manage our own long distance needs without involving the promoter or increasing show costs. This stuff is essential!” he commented.

Following several hours of audio ‘torment’ with the distorted playlist of late ‘90s pop hits, the band hit the stage. Despite the milestone, this was still very much a Massive Attack event – no overwhelming speeches stating how they couldn’t believe ‘it had been 20 years’ or any overblown encore segments. Just a continual barrage of audio-visual stimuli for two hours then off they went. And according to the fans within the touring party, that’s how it should be. Giving the last word was Wilson-Wright. “When Mezzanine was first made, the content with simultaneously optimistic and dark. Twenty-one years later and we still face with the same problems and challenges. It’s great all these years on to have yet another take on the world.” TPi Photos: Lindsey Cave @loosplat and TPi www.massiveattack.co.uk www.unipix.tv www.lite-alternative.com www.sseaudiogroup.com/wigwam/home www.csaudio.co.uk www.csuk.coach www.flybynite.co.uk www.radiotek.co.uk www.acorn-events.com

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