Backstreet Boys: DNA World Tour

BACKSTREET BOYS: DNA WORLD TOUR

Following a successful Las Vegas residency, the legendary boy band has set out on the road, showcasing a modern stage design to accompany a setlist of nostalgic hits. TPi’s Stew Hume checks in with the crew behind the five-piece’s latest live offering.

I can honestly say that I didn’t realise quite how many Backstreet Boys tracks had made a home in the back of my mind. That was until last month when I got to witness the five-piece powerhouse at London’s O2 Arena, and to meet the men and women behind the DNA World Tour. Despite it being some 23 years since the band’s self-titled debut album was released, the group has maintained much of the energy that brought it success in its formative years.

“It’s always our goal to give the fans something new each time we create a new show,” began the band’s Production Manager, Dan Mercer. “A lot of our audience are return customers and the boys don’t want them to see the same show twice.” Mercer is widely known as one of the cocreators of Australian company Mandylights. However, after 10 years with the company, he opted to head out on the road, and for almost five years he’s been the man behind the Backstreet Boys’ live shows.

Many of the crew that TPi got to shake hands with during the day had also been involved with the Larger Than Life Las Vegas residency that came to an end in April. “There is a core crew of 10 who have been around for some time,” mused Mercer as he walked TPi around the O2 Arena, making introductions to his team. “For example, our head of wardrobe, Tierney Burchett, has been with the band for over a decade.”

Following a European run, the touring family hopped over to the UK. For the tour Mercer brought in PRG, Sound Image, ER Productions, TAIT Towers, Coach Services and Fly By Nite.

DESIGN ORIGINS

Alongside steering the Production-ship, Mercer also wore another hat within the touring party. “I did the Production Design for this tour together with Lighting Designer Graham Anderson,” stated the PM.

Holding the dual role played into Mercer’s “hands-on” Production Manager approach. “I like to get involved and the last thing I would want is hide away in an office,” he asserted. The stage was a feat of engineering

with a large, automated V-Screen hung downstage, a rear video wall, a selection of automated lighting trusses and an elaborated ‘Vortex’ made-up of several arches of Martin by Harman VDO Sceptron 10s.

“Conversations about the design for this tour started early into the residency,” commented Anderson, standing at FOH overlooking his and Mercer’s creation. “Our first stage has always been to speak to all five of the boys and ask what they wanted for the tour. Once they had presented their ideas and spoken to Creative Directors, Rich + Tone, we got to work designing the show.”

The Vortex was one of the first elements that was put on the drawing board. After sending the design to a selection of suppliers, TAIT was brought in to create the skeleton of the DNA World Tour. “They have done a great job with the stage,” commented Mercer, making special mention to the elaborate underworld.

“We’ve come from the comfort of Vegas, with private dressing rooms. But TAIT did a great job creating an underworld with plenty of space for quick changes, along with the two stage lifts.” The LD furthered, praising the tour-ability of the system. “Due to our schedule and the design, getting this show up and down each day quickly and efficiently was a major consideration. TAIT has certainly found the best way to facilitate this.”

Collectively, the eight Vortex arches were created by 456 Martin by Harman Sceptron 10s. “I’ve been really impressed by them,” commented Mercer. “It was a huge logistical challenge getting them in, but now we are on show 22 we find it goes up fairly quickly.”

Due to the size and complexity of the Vortex, the structure actually had its own team, consisting of Crew Chief, Michael Gallagher and Tech, Patrick Hatung. “From the initial design we knew the structure was going to need its own team and Mike has done a great job getting it in and out every day,” commented Anderson.

With the Vortex team in place, Anderson went on to explain his process of fitting a lighting rig around the scenic elements. “One of my first goals was to ensure I had a decent floor package,” he began. “Unlike the residency, where we had lots of dancers, this tour it’s just the five of them on stage, and I wanted to ensure they were lit up as much as possible.”

Due to the Vortex, the only real option was to create a lighting rig that would be able to be placed between each arch, leading Anderson down the automation route. “Automation just brings another dimension to the show,” said the LD. In total there were six automated lighting trusses, “although only four are really used actively during the show.” The system itself utilised TAIT’s Nav Hoist system. “During rehearsals we were able to come up with a selection of looks just by experimenting,” recalled Anderson.

Anderson’s main workhorse fixture was the Vari-Lite VL4000, with 41 in the rig and a selection on the floor and the torms. “It’s my main overhead beam wash,” continued Anderson. “It’s so flexible – a necessity while working with this band and collection of creatives. It is one of the most versatile beam washes on the market right now and it’s still relatively new, so not many people have seen it out on the road.”

Other noteworthy additions on the rig were the GLP JDC1s and impression X4 XLs, each on alternate trusses. “This meant I could bring the various trusses in and out to create different looks,” explained the LD. “I’ve also got lasers on trusses one, three and five which, again, can be brought in for their moment, then taken back to trim for another song.”

Anderson went on to explain his fixture choice. “The JDC1s are one of my favourite fixtures, mainly because they’re more than just strobes. You can do so much with them.”

Also featured on the rider were 66 PRG Icon Edges covering the top and bottom of the large V-screen, “which plays an important part in the show,” stated the LD. “Like the VL4000s, versatility is of the utmost importance. They can flip from a beam to a spot and the colour mixing is fantastic.”

Making up the back wall were 63 Ayrton MagicBlade-Rs. “Dan had come up with the idea of the MagicBlade wall on a previous run,” stated Anderson. “I’ll admit, I was slightly sceptical, but they have been a lot of fun to work with. It was great to think outside the box to create some looks outside the norm for this style of fixture.”

One example of this out-of-the-box thinking came during the latter stages of the show, during the ‘Remix’ portion, where the video content incorporated a lot of audio fader visuals, which Anderson then replicated with the wall of Ayrton MagicBlades.

“It involved a lot of work with my programmer Joey Troup.” The LD went on to complement his number two. “He was working with DNCE and we crossed paths on a festival run. I had a gut feeling we would work well together and was happy to be proved correct. It’s always a dream situation when you find a programmer who can translate your ideas into a design.”

The final element of the LD’s lighting arsenal was the PRG GroundControl Followspot System. Working in tandem with the PRG Bad Boys, the crew had six controllers – one for each member with a spare in the wings. “I had never got to use the GroundControl system, always having to rely on house spots,” stated Anderson. “Working with house spots always has its challenges, but the fact that we always require five spots tends to exacerbate the problems. Most venues can supply four, but the fifth is often rented and you don’t always get the correct angle.”

It was clear the LD was happy with the addition to his lighting package. “The fact that we have six spots in the centre of the rig, all operated by members of our touring party who get to learn the show, makes all the difference. They really are a game-changer for a show like this.”

At FOH, Anderson drove the show with two full-size MA Lighting grandMA2s – the LD’s go-to for a number of years. “One of the main reasons I chose the MA2 is down to convenience,” he explained. “With this tour we are doing so many festivals where we rely on local production. I considered

Production Manager, Dan Mercer; Lighting Designer, Graham Anderson; FOH Engineer, James McCullagh & Audio Crew Chief, Cameron Whaley; SFX Crew members: Stuart Wickens & Daniel Pecora; disguise Operator, Jean-Pierre Jammaers.

jumping to the MA3, but realistically I know this tour will be out for a few years and it’s a case of what I’m more likely to get my hands on.” He joked that one of the greatest advantages of being both the designer and the operator, means you can make decisions so that you don’t cause problems for your future self.

Due to the intricacies of the lighting design, Timecode was a necessity. This was overseen by Playback Engineer Romain Garnier backstage – more from him later. “My main responsibilities during the show include calling spots as well as some cues that involve some audience interaction,” stated Anderson. “The show is a behemoth of programming. There is simply no way I could launch everything manually. Programming-wise, I spread everything out, rather than embedding everything into one cue stack. The reason for this, like my console choice, all came down to foresight. So later down the line, if I can’t get a certain fixture, it will be easy to swap in a new model without having to redesign my whole show file.”

SFX ER Productions provided the special effects for the tour. With a crew consisting of Daniel Pecora, Matt McCoy and Stuart Wickens, the trio supplied a collection of lasers, confetti blasts, hazers and streamers. Pecora, SFX Crew Chief, spoke to TPi about the touring experience.

“We have four Stadium Shot IIs, which fire off 20m x 5cm streamers via Galaxis PFC Advanced Black Edition wireless control,” he began. “The wireless solution has been increasingly useful as we are going through various venue sizes and it gives us the flexibility of placement without the limitation of cables.”

For the confetti looks, the crew deployed Typhoon blowers in the flown rig, which were used for Larger Than Life and Shape Of My Heart. “We placed the fans in such a way that, during Shape Of My Heart, the confetti falls only

in the VIP area within the thrust – a special moment for those fans.” The team also made used of six Look Solutions Unique Hazers to produce the classic low-fog looks.

Laser Operator McCoy oversaw the impressive rig, which featured 18 ER Production BB4s and six Storms. “We are using them a number of times in the show,” commented Pecora.

“All the BB4s are on the automated trusses, with four of the Storms in the rear, with the other two on the downstage edge. Thanks to the diffraction wheel within the BB4, the beam can split to create massive looks that fill the arena, while being completely safe for audiences.”

VIDEO

Supplied by PRG, the DNA World Tour video design consisted of WinVision 9mm LEDs for both the upstage V-screen and the rear wall. Outlining video setup was disguise Operator Jean-Pierre Jammaers. “The show is very content driven from start to finish,” he began. “From my point of view, it was fairly straightforward once it was programmed. We had to make some modifications when we went into certain venues, but other than that, it ran like clockwork.” Situating himself at FOH for the duration of the show, Jammaers had each video segment triggered by an MA Lighting grandMA2. “FOH is usually my preferred position as it’s easier to communicate to the lighting team and gives you a better overview of the show,” he commented.

Driving the system were two disguise gx 2s – a main and a backup. The operator admitted that he was still fairly new to disguise, but really enjoyed working with the brand. He commented: “I’ve been really impressed by the power of the disguise software. It’s relatively straightforward, with user-friendly programming. Everything you need is just a click away. I’ve used a selection of other servers and, for me, disguise has always been the logical next step. Some of my favourite shows on this run have been when we went into more challenging venues and had to alter the content to fit on the screen. It gave me an opportunity to be more hands-on and learn more about the system.”

Overseeing the colour balancing for all the video feeds was Video Engineer, Max Ramsden. “The first three quarters of the show is fairly straightforward on my end in terms of colour balancing,” he commented. “It’s only the last quarter when all the guys come on in white suits that things get interesting. They’re a bit of a nightmare to deal with for the cameras. During that section we change the colour temperature on the spots and I have to alter the colour balance on my end.”

Capturing all the live footage were four Sony HXC 100s, with two at FOH and a further two in the pit. Also on the camera spec were a selection of Q-Ball 3s, although their placement was specifically a safely measure due to the large amount of automation.

For control, the tour’s Video Director, Randall Garriott, opted for a Grass Valley Korona. “We are not really using it to its full potential,” said Ramsden, commenting on the potential size of rig that the Korona can handle. “We only had the four camera inputs and, with five guys on stage, this meant a lot of work with our four camera guys, who are continually repositioning themselves to ensure each of the band get equal screen time.” All four of the cameramen were part of the touring party, with two LED techs, a lighting tech and a truck driver filling the roles, which meant each of them got to know the show and provided some consistency each night.

Ramsden concluded by adding his thoughts on the LED product deployed on the show. “WinVision is now a slightly older model, but it’s still a great product,” he said. “It’s incredibly reliable and super lightweight. All this means it goes up very quickly.”

AUDIO

Providing audio support for the five-piece was FOH Engineer James McCullagh and Monitor Engineer Austin Schroeder, who both worked side by side throughout the Las Vegas residency. When the time came to create the audio rider for the DNA World Tour, the duo saw an opportunity to make a change. McCullagh explained: “The first major difference is that we both changed to the SSL L550,” he began. “This decision came off the back of the overall goal to stick as close as we could to the ‘studio sound’.

“The SSL brand has much more of an analogue feel. It feels as though they have created their desks with this in mind, which really attracted me to SSL.” The Engineer went on to complement the support the company had provided throughout the process, sending a console to both his and Schroeder’s house to trial.

At FOH, the SSL story didn’t just finish with the console. “Out of the SSL I have an SSL G-Series Compressor and the company’s latest Fusion box.” stated McCullagh. He explained that he was using the compressor in a “studio style” – in that he was monitoring compression outside the console, so he could keep an eye on it throughout the show. “I was particularly excited about the Fusion,” he continued. “We don’t have a live band with us. Using pre-recorded tracks, what the Fusion is able to do is give the digital playback a more analogue quality.”

He admitted that when he first put in the request with SSL to include the Fusion in his rider, he didn’t have a concrete idea of what he was going to use it for. “I just knew I wanted it,” he laughed. “What I have found is that it’s really good at rolling-off the high-end. I also found that it adds a bit of crunch to a mix – a tone you simply don’t get with any digital emulator.”

Before leaving his outboard collection, McCullagh was keen to give special mention to the Bettermaker Mastering Limiter. “Essentially it’s a digitally controlled, analogue limiter,” stated the Engineer, clearly satisfied with addition to his rider.

Adamson Systems Engineering was the PA of choice for the tour. “I’ve had a long relationship with Adamson and known Jesse Adamson for a long time,” said McCullagh. “Jesse is actually our Account Manager on this one,” chimed in Mercer, while praising the service they’d received both for the manufacturer and audio supplier Sound Image. The PM went on to state how Adamson was the “best-sounding PA on the market.”

McCullagh also explained the choice of PA came down to the personnel that came as a package deal with Sound Image – specifically Cameron Whaley, the tour’s Audio Crew Chief. The PA comprised 18 E15 per side, with a left- and right-side array consisting of 12 E15s and six E12s. The rear hangs were made up of 12 S10 per side and 12 E219 Subs per side for the low end. Finally, for the front fills were the Adamson S10N and new IS7P, which is specified for the VIP area within the thrust.

“All systems have their own sonic qualities,” contemplated the FOH Engineer, while describing the characteristics that made the Adamson boxes ideal for the Backstreet Boys. “It’s a very ‘mid-forward’ PA. It’s not something you can EQ or process into your mix. It’s just the sound of the box, and when you mix five individual vocals, that mid-range is vital.”

Whaley was also complementary of the mid-range capabilities of the box. “Thanks to the Kevlar Neodymium drivers, it is one of the best midrange drivers on the market,” enthused the Crew Chief. He continued to explain some of the logistical challenges with the setup, namely working around the various set elements. “The V-screen and keeping the PA off the thrust was certainly a challenge,” he reminisced, discussing the initial system design.”

To work around the various elements, Whaley created a solution where the main PA overshot the whole thrust. “We then have the 120s bent back to cover the side of the thrust,” commented McCullagh. “It’s a really efficient use of boxes and space which, in turn, helps me out a huge amount with my mix.”

The FOH Engineer oversaw two mixes during the show – one for live and the other for broadcast. Despite the instrumentation consisting of playback, McCullagh treated the mix as if he was dealing with live musicians and ensured signature moments in the songs still had an impact.

“This often means battling against the crowds, who can be very loud,” he laughed. “Like all productions, we have a dB limit, but we have found that our crowds often exceed this – especially between songs.”

MONITORS

Monitor Engineer, Austin Schroeder, continued the conversation. “This was my first time using the SSL outside of playing around with them on a few demos,” he began, discussing his move over to the audio brand. “I have some other audio engineer friends who had said great things about them. As a company they are still growing their touring division and it’s cool to jump in and be part of it.”

While based in Las Vegas, Schroeder made use of SSL’s facility to trial the desks in preparation for the upcoming tour. “James and I got stuck in a similar workflow and mindset during the residency. Setting out on this tour, it was good to reset and shake things up with a new control surface. The support we have received from SSL has also been second to none.”

The engineer went on to describe some of the demands from the five men on stage. “All of them tend to veer towards more of the album sound in terms of their mixes,” he commented. “My most important role as a Monitor Engineer is to ensure each one of the band are comfortable so they are able to perform to the best of their ability.”

When Schroeder took up the monitor gauntlet, he was always warned about one potential issue – namely one of the members’ tendency to use only one IEM. “I think that is one of my crowning achievements,” beamed Schroeder. “Kevin [Richardson] has only ever used one IEM. I remember looking at the show file from a former engineer who had done everything they could to compensate for him having only one earpiece.” However, following what the engineer referred to as “baby steps” – such as sending him to an audiologist – the singer became more comfortable with both monitors in at the same time.

The IEMs in question were Jerry Harvey Roxannes in tandem with Shure PSM1000s. “I’m a big fan of Shure’s Wireless Workbench – one of the determining factors for using Shure,” commented Schroeder. “Handling the RF each day is my tech, Valentin James. He’s been crushing it throughout this one without a single problem.”

Schroeder explained that his tech didn’t just have to deal with the usual RF demands from IEMs and microphones, but also a fairly elaborate comms system. “Our PM Dan comes from a theatre background and has implemented many of those principles into the touring infrastructure including a complex communication system. We are utilising a Riedel network and a selection of Clearcom equipment so everyone can communicate with one another. This is yet another advantage of the SSL; it’s built to be able to handle additional communication demands.” All five band members used the Sennheiser Digital 6000 with 9235 capsules. “We tried a number of different options and this one came out on top,” commented McCullagh. “They are very broad and give great representation of their voices. We brought in Sennheiser during the residency and kept them on for the tour.” The FOH Engineer commented that one of the real selling points for the models was that intermodulation was not a problem – “A necessity when you have five microphones in such close proximity to one another.”

PLAYBACK

Key to the live setup for the Backstreet Boys was found stage left, behind two Apple Macs – the brain of the live tour and the ‘band in the box’, overseen by Playback Engineer, Romain Garnier. “He’s got an intense rig!” enthused McCullagh. “He’s got a total of 64 channels of MADI coming from his workstation. Prior to the residence, in collaboration with our Musical Director, Keith Harris, we agreed to re-record the instrumentation for all the tracks.” But rather than a simple re-recording, the audio team took these multi-track files and played them live so, in the words of the FOH Engineer, “you are getting a live band each night.”

Standing behind his rig, Garnier walked thought the finer points of the system. “It’s a huge file coming in at over 100 gigabytes,” he enthused. Garnier ran a full redundant system with A and B system utilising the DirectOut EXBOX, which allowed seamless transitions between the two systems in the event of a drop off from the main computer.

The system used by Garnier was Digital Programmer. “There was a learning curve like most systems, but due to the sheer number of tracks we are dealing with in each song.”

GUESS WHO’S BACK…

Following the success of the O2 Arena dates, the ’90s pop-veterans continued the DNA World Tour, with their sights set on mainland Europe till the end of July with band and crew seeing out the rest of summer in the US.

“I’m really lucky as a PM to have such a great crew,” concluded Mercer, giving his final thoughts on this latest live outing. “Like every show, there are challenges, but thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, 20 shows in, we are all really enjoying this outing.”

TPi Photos: Jess Gilbert & TPi www.backstreetboys.com www.prg.com www.sound-image.co.uk www.er-productions.com www.taittowers.com www.flybynite.co.uk www.coachservice.com