Gisburne Park Pop Up

Marking one of the first live shows with an audience in months, TPi makes the short trip from Manchester to Gisburne Park to pick the brains of the hard-working team, finally, back on site...

In a normal year, the idyllic setting of Gisburne Park would have already played host to several couples tying the knot in the stunning Ribble Valley. However, like many other industries, the wedding venue had to pivot its usual business while the UK entered lockdown. As the events sector as a whole began to turn their hands to livestreaming or even drive-in shows, the events team at Gisburne Park devised a plan to create the UK’s first post-pandemic events space – a safe, socially distanced outdoor event showcasing a variety of entertainment during an eightweek residency.

Once parked up and following strict instructions from the marshal staff, TPi descended the hill to the events space. The unique site has a river running through, which acts as a natural barrier between the audience and the stage. Upon entry, attendees are allocated a designated seat and zone – all of which are colour coordinated – for the entirety of the performance. Save the use of toilets, all needs are catered for by the hospitality staff.

On the other side of the river, TPi managed to grab some time with some of the crew behind this latest project to get their thoughts on this unique event. First on our list was Production Manager, Mattie Evans.

Gi sburne Park’s usual source of income comes from hosting weddings, but short of any bookings, the bridal house now doubled up as the main production centre for the event – certainly a change from the usual portacabins at a standard festival site. Speaking to us from the confines of

an elegant living room, Evans explained how he first entered the project. “I was brought into this project by Roybn Isherwood, who is the Event Director for Gisburne Park.” he commented. “The idea was to have a socially distanced space that can host a range of events – from cinema screenings to DJ sets.”

Evans, who is a well-known face in the dance music world thanks to his company, Nocturnal Touring and Rooted Productions, and early this year held the mantle of Tour Director for Swedish House Mafia, commented: “One of the main reasons I was brought it was due to my connections in that world and to help out with the line-up for the evening performances.”

Wi th a three-week lead time into the first weekend, the team had to work quickly while keeping a watchful eye on the various governmental announcements. The first night happened to coincide with the UK Prime Minister’s announcement that live events could take place from 11 July, providing they have a “limited and socially distanced audience”. Evans said: “We had heard hints by then that we would be able to put on this event, but we still had certain contingencies if not,” he stated, pleased that everything fell into place for the opening night.

The PM went on to describe the “very long checklist” of aspects they had to consider before opening the space to ensure it was a safe environment for both the crew and audience. “We’ve employed close to 150 people and we want to keep it that way,” he asserted, going on to explain

that making the space as safe as possible was the only way to guarantee that Gisburne Park’s gates remained open until August.

With such tight regulations to consider, it is only natural that Evans wanted to surround himself with suppliers he knew and trusted. Colour Sound Experiment provided the lighting, LED and staging elements, while audio duties were handled by Patchwork London.

“Being based in London, I have worked with both Patchwork and Colour Sound numerous times over the years,” reflected Evans. “We collaborated with Colour Sound at Camelphat in Brixton on several occasions and Patchwork were out with us on the latest Jonas Blue tour.”

Meanwhile, power generators were handled by Mather+Stuart Power Solutions, with security coming courtesy of Titan Security.

Wi th most of the core crew working on the show until mid-August, many planned to stay on the site for the majority of the project. “Our production team get temperature checked each day and any new people have to sign in and out, so we are always aware of who is on site. Effectively, those staying here are in a bubble for the next few weeks,” explained Evans.

Despite not wanting to tempt fate, TPi asked Evans what the protocol was if one of the core team became ill. “It was a conversation we had quite early on,” stated the PM. “In short, we would have to switch out the crew and liaise with our health and safety team.”

‘KEEPING IT TICKING OVER’ Moving to the stage, TPi caught up with Colour Sound Experiment Crew Chief, James Hind. “Crew Chief might be bit of stretch, as there are only two of us,” laughed Hind. Like many of his fellow crew personnel, during

lockdown, Hind had turned his hand to another means of income: working for Tesco. “Then, out of the blue, I got a call from Haydn [Cruikshank, Founder of Colour Sound Experiment] asking if I would be keen on this,” said Hind, who jumped at the chance of two months confirmed work.

Collectively, Colour Sound Experiment was contracted to supply the stage, lighting, LED screen, structures and rigging. The company’s QH40 Layher stage provided the performance space and a 10m-wide screen of its BT7 LED created the cinema screen.

The team also went to town on the architectural and tree lighting, with Q40 LED floods, Novaflowers and Aquabeams all centrally controlled, creating a stunning environment after dark. Two JTE PA masts were carefully placed to keep the audio within the valley.

Handling the lighting day to day was Tom Taylor. Both Taylor and Audio Engineer, James Enevoldson controlled their respective setups on side of stage to avoid the crew having to be in amongst the crowd. Not only that, but the river that separated the stage from the audience meant sending cables out to a FOH position would have been that much trickier.

“I’ve got the trusty Avolites Tiger Touch II controlling everything,” stated Taylor. “As I’m side of stage, we have set up a Marshall 4K camera on a Magic Arm, which means I’m able to view the stage.” On the top of the screen, there were 10 AquaBeams with a further 12 on the stage. Also, on the stage were CHAUVET Professional Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures creating a “back lighting curtain” according to Taylor.

Taylor went on to describe the feeling of being back on an event site after such an extended break. “During the first weekend, when the first DJ went on stage, and the subs kicked in, it really just blew me away and

Colour Sound Experiments Crew Chief, James Hind; Audio Engineer, James Enevoldson; Production Manager, Mattie Evans; Lighting Operator, Tom Taylor.

proved that there is really nothing better than having music played in a live environment – you just can’t replace it.”

Colour Sound Project Manager, Alex Ryan commented: “In these very strange times, it is great to be involved with a team that has shown such innovation in the face of such challenges. We’ve all missed being out on site and this has been a really special one for all of us.”

SOUNDING IT OUT “I got the call from the guys at Patchwork three to four weeks before opening night,” FOH Engineer, Enevoldson reflected. “I must admit, when I was pitched the idea of a socially distanced festival, my first response was ‘are you sure this is even going to happen?’ There was a part of me that still thought this until we loaded in on the Thursday.”

Patchwork London provided all onsite audio deploying a d&b audiotechnik V-Series in a left centre configuration made up of two V8s and two V12s per side along with 12 V12s placed at the front of the stage. Due to surrounding residential area, Enevoldson had to pull back on the sound levels, which he admitted has been quite pleasant. “We get it to about 85dB. For most shows, we as engineers are more used to mixing shows at 98db, but after four months off, you find your ears relax. While we walked around and tested the PA during the build, it was quite nice thinking we had got our hearing back.”

During the opening weeks of shows, Enevoldson, on behalf of Patchwork London, dealt with a DJ mix, playback and microphone mixes. During the third weekend, Gisburne Park welcomed the Ibiza Orchestra. The topic of orchestras has been one of contention in the revival of live events due to the potentially higher risk of transition via the musicians. “We have screens set up to separate the performers that are ready to go,” interjected Evans. “To be clear, it’s a nine-piece orchestra, so it’s a slightly easier number to deal with. We’ve marked out the stage already and we are able to make sure each player is 2m away from the others.”

The prospect of mixing a more complex show was certainly exciting for Enevoldson. “They are bringing in their own monitor engineer, but I’ll be handling the FOH mix,” he commented. “After a few weeks of just dealing with DJ, it will be a nice change of pace.”

Although the stage was strictly monitored so only performers were allowed on, one consideration that had to be made was the cleanliness of all equipment that would pass from hand to hand on site. “For this event, I’ve got a whole ‘COVID-19 cleaning kit’ for all our microphones and body packs,” stated Enevoldson. “The kit has a number of things, including gloves and antibacterial wipes and sprays. Any time someone uses a microphone or a piece of equipment, I give it a good clean before sealing it up, so we know it’s disinfected.”

This level of cleanliness was apparent throughout the setup, with DJ decks and consoles being cleaned throughout the day and after each use. “One of the things that will stick around once we get back to normal is the level of care given to microphone packages,” reflected Enevoldson.

“I t hink the days of rocking up to a small venue and having to clean a mouldy house microphone and cables will be well and truly behind us. Not only that, but as a tech, going up to test a microphones will now be done with an awful lot more care.”

Al so giving his thoughts on the event was Patchwork Director Calum

Mordue. “This project has been fantastic, as it’s a collective of people we have a lot of experience working with. Not only that, but in a time when every phone call is a postponement or a cancellation, to get this call from Mattie was a welcome surprise.” During this time, the majority of the Patchwork team had been furloughed, but it was possible to take advantage of the flexi-furlough option. This gave the team the ability to take themselves off furlough if a job came in to keep the company going.

Mordue was on site to oversee the build of the audio system and oversaw the first show to ensure the client was happy. During the build, he explained that they were prepping to increase the audio capability of the stage, with more line-in options to broaden the type of artists that could potentially hit the stage. “From our first site visit, we were really impressed. We could see what the organisers had envisioned for the show. If anyone can do this style of event, it’s a venue that already has a moat in place to keep distance between the crowd and the stage.”

KEEPING IT SAFE Before leaving the site, TPi managed to grab some time with Head of Security, Luke Warner. The Operations Director for Titan Sectary discussed how he and his crew had found managing this socially distanced event. “This whole event has been a fantastic project to be involved in,” he said, outlining the level of thought that had gone into each procedure and point of potential contact for audience members. “The pods – where we have the audience seated – have been a great idea and worked really well.”

Warner explained how each coloured zone had its own dedicated security member, who ensured that all patrons stayed within their pod and zone and kept to the site-wide 2m rules.

“As much as we want to show presence, we don’t want to be too hard as we want to ensure people are enjoying themselves. After all, this is not a natural environment for an event and we want to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible. The crowds so far have been fantastic and very understanding,” he stated.

What Gisburne Park and the hard-working crew have created in the space is certainly a long way from the usual event space that TPi is used to witnessing this time of year. Admittedly, this is still a long way from a normal festival. However, the ingenuity taking place on site did perhaps show a glimpse into the next few months of how the live events sector may be able to gain some semblance of normality and patrons can still enjoy a live event in a safe space. TPi Photos: Oscar Bernstein and Nik Bryant - www.nikbryantphotography.co.uk www.gisburneparkpopup.com www.nt-rp.com www.coloursound.com www.patchworklondon.co.uk www.titansecurityeurope.com

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