TPi January 2018 - #221 by Mondiale Media

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL LIVE EVENT DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY • JANUARY 2018 • ISSUE 221

THE KILLERS The electro pop four-piece bring Las Vegas glamour to UK arenas.

OPEN UP MY EAGER EYES…

RAG’N’BONE MAN • NEXO AND SOUND WORKS EXCLUSIVE • FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES ORBITAL LIVE • IN PROFILE: ALLEN & HEATH AND PHOENIX BUSSING • LE MAITRE TURNS 40 • PSA

JANUARY 2018 #221

Technology. Innovation. Design. Experience

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Daan Roosegaarde Artist & Innovator Opening Keynote Speaker

Monika Bielskyte Designer & Artist Closing Keynote Speaker

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Jan-Erik Baars Head of Design Management International University of Applied Science, Lucerne

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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WELCOME TO 2018 Hello and welcome to the first issue of 2018! I hope you had a glorious break, whatever you were doing [although I know some of you didn’t stop!] and are ready for another year of team work, tantrums & tour busses! We’re straight back into tech talk with some incredible productions in this edition; Stew visited The Killers in London to hear the desert disco dancers via Martin Audio [p.20], Ste saw multi-award winning Rag‘n’Bone Man perform his enchanting brand of gospel soul [p.44] and paid a visit to Manchester Apollo for Orbital’s recent show, where acid house met immersive video technology [p.54]. For my reporting duties, I went back to my (sort of) DIY roots with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes’ Modern Ruin tour. And what a tour it was - from stage diving frontmen to content creating guitarists, and a talented crew built from mutual respect and friendship! Turn to p.32 to read all about it. It’s also been a month of landmark celebrations; Phoenix Bussing is celebrating 30 years on the road, Allen & Heath reveals how it is taking up residence within the mid-range touring market and Le Maitre is still firing out the flames at 40. As for our travels this month, we’ll mostly be heading stateside. I’ll be heading out to Tour Link for the first time; I definitely can’t play golf but I do love a good conference and live debate. Hope to see you there! Meanwhile Stew and Lauren will be attending The NAMM Show. Do get in touch if you’d like to arrange a meeting. Until then, I hope you have a fruitful start to the year... Kel Murray Editor

EDITOR Kel Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk

ASSISTANT EDITOR Ste Durham Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Mobile: +44 (0)7891 679742 e-mail: s.durham@mondiale.co.uk

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Zoe Willcox: z.willcox@mondiale.co.uk

STAFF WRITER Stewart Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk ADVERTISING SALES Georgia Guthrie Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8399 Mobile: +44 (0)7501 597837 e-mail: g.guthrie@mondiale.co.uk ADVERTISING SALES Lauren Dyson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7415 773639 e-mail: l.dyson@mondiale.co.uk GENERAL MANAGER - TPi MAGAZINE & AWARDS Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk Issue 221 - January 2018

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh COVER The Killers by Ralph Larmann EDITORIAL INTERN Jacob Waite PRINTED BY Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk Annual subscriptions (including P&P): £42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW). Subscription enquiries to: Subscriptions, Mondiale Publishing Limited, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580 Fax: +44 (0)161 476 0456 e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk www.tpimagazine.com www.tpiawards.com www.tpmeamagazine.com

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited under licence. ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2017 Mondiale Publishing Limited. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Publishing Ltd, nor the Editor, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential loss or damage resulting from information published. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited United Kingdom. The 2017 US annual subscription price is 117USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Publishing Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK.

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ITINERARY

EVENT FOCUS

10 12 14

Soundworks’ NEXO Success The Leicestershire rental company, yet again, chooses the French manufacturer. Le Maitre turns 40 The special effects trailblazer celebrates its fourth decade in business. Dua Lipa The all-conquering pop prospect embarks on a 19-date Euopean tour.

Series T The entire white spectrum in one LED strip

16 Martin Garrix Robe comes through for the Dutch DJ at Amsterdam’s RAI.

PRODUCTION PROFILE 20 The Killers Stew Hume catches the final night of the Las Vegas band’s striking new tour.

32 Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Kel Murray unearths the work ethic - and artist-led production values - behind mid-size venue touring. 44 Rag’n’Bone Man Ste Durham meets the new-look crew behind the rapidly rising star. 54 Orbital The acid house pioneers return for a pair of special shows in the UK.

COMPANY PROFILE 62

Allen & Heath The Cornwall-based manufacturer celebrates a landmark 50 years with its dLive flagship range.

68 Phoenix Bussing We look at 30 years on the road for the artist transport specialist.

PRODUCTION FUTURES 72

Zack Bachelor discusses his first few months with Pearce Hire.

INTERVIEW 74

TPi uncovers Ramco’s annual Stage & Light Auction.

GEAR HEADS

Portman’s Dominik Zimakowski sheds some light on the company’s newest offering, the P3 PIX3L.

ROAD DIARIES 78

Joshua Perrée

features • Variable white tones in the range from 2000K to 5800K • Good display of Planck’s curve thanks to 3 LEDs • 3-step MacAdam sorting • Made in Germany

See the T-Series at ISE Amsterdam RAI, 6-9 February Hall 8 / Booth M120

PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE 80

Tim Benson explores the possibility of a greener future for the industry.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

The latest movers and shakers.

Stay Connected schnick.schnack.systems /SchnickSchnackSystems

BACK CHAT 90

Focusrite’s Will Hoult talks shop.

Live Production of the Year Sponsored by PRG XL Video

The Finalists

Adele – The Finale Ariana Grande – One Love Manchester Ed Sheeran – Divide 2017 Tour Gorillaz – Humanz World Tour Linkin Park – One More Light Tour

The Dennis Sheehan Tour Manager of the Year Award

Production Manager of the Year

Mark Friend Dick Meredith Rebecca Travis Trevor Williams Dan Woolfie

Omar Abderrahman Andy Cotton Jim Digby Rob Highcroft Chris Marsh

Favourite Crew Company

Favourite Rigging Company

Delta Crew DNG Production & Event Crew Prime Event Logistics Rock City Stage Crew Showforce Services Stage Miracles

Rigger of the Year

Sponsored by Blackmagic Design

EVENT FOCUS

MIX AND MATCH NEXO FOR SUCCESS Teaming his new NEXO GEO M6 compact line array with other NEXO models to complete a George Michael tribute tour in UK theatres, rental company owner Matt Boyles is full of the joys of ROI.

Started in 2007, Boyles’ company, Soundworks, is based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, pretty much bang in the middle of England. Essentially, he is a one-man band employing freelance and casual engineering support. Having started out as a DJ in Yorkshire, Boyles has since added almost every role to his CV, qualifying in theatre light and sound design, crewing on West End shows including West End touring productions, tour managing and FOH sound engineering, in the UK and overseas. Along the way he’s worked with names like Tony Christie, Tony Hadley, the Three Degrees, Gareth Gates and Katie Melua. “In the last 10 years, I’ve gone from 3 or 4 speaker PAs to working with line arrays in theatres, concert halls and arenas,” he said. He’s built up a rental business that supplies hotels, cabaret venues, theatres, halls and occasional outdoor festivals. His first NEXO purchases were the famously all-purpose PS10-R2’s, and he quickly added LS18 subs. Subsequently, he has invested in 8 boxes of GEO S12, 4 RS15 subs, more PS10’s and lots of NXAMPs to run them. For his theatre assignments, he purchased ID24 cabinets which work efficiently as frontfills. And most recently, he has boosted his inventory with 6 45N-12 line monitors, and 12 GEO M6 compact line array modules with flyware. “Why NEXO? Firstly, it’s a rock-solid brand that is rider-friendly. The prices are reasonable, and the quality of sound is just phenomenal. I keep on buying it because I know what I’m going to get.”

With his inventory, Matt can build a great variety of systems to suit all different sizes of jobs, keeping Soundworks working at optimal capacity. “Our smallest gigs would be done with PS10’s pole-mounted over an LS18 sub, running off NXAMP4x1. If we needed more, I could use a couple of PS10s per side with RS15’s; that’ll still be enough for rock ‘n’ roll.” “At the next level, for around 400 people, I can pair the LS18 subs with 3 GEO M6 modules in a ground-stack, and by doubling the cabinet count to 6 GEO M6 with 2 LS18 subs per side, I can handle up to 1,000 people. I’ve bought the GEO M6 flyware so we can fly the M6 for this kind of show. But on the recent George Michael tribute show, Fast Love, we’ve often used this speaker combination in a groundstack, matched with ID24’s for frontfill. “Our work is mainly musical theatre and tribute acts, we don’t do heavy metal so the systems aren’t sub-bass heavy. When I spec up the shows with the GEO M6, it’s unbelievable how many of my customers comment on the quality and the amount of sound that comes out of such small boxes. The advantages of a long-excursion driver result in a much smaller cabinet than the PS10, but with power, and a clean crisp hi-fi sound that is ideally suited to musical theatre, where the clarity of vocals is all-important.” For gigs of 1000+, Matt brings out his GEO S12 cabinets, pairing them with RS15 subs. With 4 S12 and 2 RS15 per side, running off one NXAMP4x4 (“it’s so efficient!”), Matt can take care of audiences up to 2,500. “This is my favourite combination! It’s big, it’s bold, it does what it says 10

Soundworks’ NEXO Success

Opposite: The George Michael tribute act delived a fitting performance on a recent UK theatre tour. Below: The NEXO elements were mixed and matched depending on the venue; Soundworks’ Matt Boyles.

on the tin - you can’t go wrong with it!” Thanks to an organised network of NEXO rental companies in the UK, Boyles is able to sub-rent extra cabinets such as PS8’s when he needs them. “When we are doing corporate events in the big London ballrooms such as the Savoy or the Dorchester Hotels, I’ll use PS8’s as delays, to smooth coverage or create an even and surround effect.” As a rental company, Soundworks enjoys an impressive utilisation of its inventory: as a sound engineer, Boyles enjoys a great variety of clients,

INGENIOUS SOLUTION

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venues and events. “Yes, we’ve come a long way since I used NEXO Alpha, back in the day. But this portfolio of NEXO products, designed to be used together and so similarly voiced, means that I can choose the horses for courses - providing an exact match for my clients’ requirements in any venue, and always delivering the sonic results that make me proud.” TPi Photos courtesy of NEXO www.nexo-sa.com

Our Ingenious 2017 Outtakes

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EVENT FOCUS

Below: Karen Coracchia, Maxine Wilson and Rick Wilson at the Le Maitre 40th anniversary celebration.

LE MAITRE CELEBRATES 40 YEARS Le Maitre celebrates 40th Anniversary with Party at Wynn, Las Vegas.

This year Le Maitre is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Since 1977, the company has been manufacturing pyrotechnics, smoke, haze and flame machines and special effects. Le Maitre now has over 1,500 state of the art products in its extensive product range. To mark the anniversary, Le Maitre held a party at Intrigue at Wynn, Las Vegas to thank its customers, dealers and industry friends for all their support. Le Maitre’s Joint Managing Director, Karen Cornacchia, said: “We’re very proud to be celebrating 40 years in business and it’s important for us to acknowledge and thank those who have helped and supported us along the way. We held a party in London’s Mayfair for our UK and European distributors, but it was very important for us to also celebrate with our industry friends in the US.” Le Maitre now has a head office in Mitcham in the UK, where all its

smoke, haze and flame machines are manufactured. Pyrotechnics are manufactured in Peterborough in the UK, and now also in Missouri, US, and there is an established office in Las Vegas to service the American markets along with a warehouse facility in Belgium to support tours in Europe. As Cornacchia stated: “Since setting up Le Maitre USA, business in the United States has gone from strength to strength, and with Le Maitre now manufacturing pyrotechnics in our new dedicated facility in Missouri we expect that to continue. We have many exciting developments ahead, but we wanted to take stock and celebrate our achievements and this important milestone with our many American customers, colleagues and friends.” TPi www.lemaitreusa.com www.lemaitreltd.com 12

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EVENT FOCUS

DUA LIPA’S SELF-TITLED The London-based pop star has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame with her self-proclaimed ‘dark pop’ over the last 18 months. Her hits New Rules, Hotter Than Hell and Be The One have contributed in her clinching Spotify UK’s top spot as 2017’s most streamed female artist, with an impressive 18 million monthly listeners.

Embarking on a 19-date debut UK and Europe academy tour, Dua Lipa has captured the next teen generation searching for girl power inspiration, a strong fan base of mid-20s females and even welcomed London Mayor Sadiq Khan to her homecoming gig, which took place at the largest venue on her circuit, Brixton’s O2 Academy. To design and deliver the overall look for her debut tour, Cassius Creative, a production design partnership between Dan Hill and Chris ‘Squib’ Swain, joined forces with Nick Dew and Jack James, of digital and live production expert, Really Creative Media. Explaining how the collaboration came about, Hill said: “We’d been involved with Dua Lipa for about 18 months on small projects and one-off shows, having been introduced by her Tour and Production Manager Pete Abbott, with The Self-Titled tour being the first large production tour we’d worked on for her. “As an emerging artist, Dua had a variety of visual references for the

style she wanted to bring to the stage, many video content-based, so we focussed our attentions on bringing a video element into her tour. Having previously worked with Really Creative Media on Rudimental’s high-energy set at V Festival, we looked forward to bringing the guys in to film and create new video content with Dua. We created Pinterest mood boards with her showcasing light, colour and shapes, resulting in a contemporary, geometric look to the show which focuses first and foremost on her as an artist. She knew what she wanted but didn’t know how to make it happen, which is where we came in.” In the midst of globally launching her music career, Really Creative Media had just one day to get as many creative concepts filmed to form the basis of the tour’s video aesthetics. Dew explained: “A Sony F55 cinema camera was used as we know the workflow really well and we could work quickly with it. We used Dua Lipa herself as the main source of content inspiration as she didn’t have a large 14

DUA LIPA

set or props; the focus was purely on her and her vocal talent so our video content had to reflect this. The team spent the day filming creative scenes, including walking on a treadmill providing us with a constant walking towards the camera. We experimented with using song lyrics that were projected onto her face, with a monitor displaying the action allowing her to play to the camera, plus slow motion side-profile footage was filmed of her talent for bubblegum blowing. “Using Dua in the live performance visuals made it really personal as the audience can clearly see it’s her in silhouette or it’s her doing the actions rather than models from stock content. Working with Cassius Creative’s imaginative vision, we distorted a lot of the imagery so as not to look too clean and glossy - not a look that would work for all artists. One of my favourites was Garden, where we used footage of Dua as a mask for layering up other content and textures. If you looked closely you knew it was her profile. ” The lighting and defined stage area was designed by Cassius Creative to make audiences feel they were looking onto, and into, Dua’s performance ‘world’. The stage itself hosted a minimalistic, 12m wide trapezoid projection screen from Hangman that was tilted away from the audience, creating the geometric, inflected square appearance. The LED framing, created by Light Initiative, was complemented with the lighting design which first and foremost focussed on lighting Dua and the band,

utilising Martin by Harman Aura XB’s as footlights, and the Robe RoboSpot BaseStation remote Followspot system - for full control over how they lit Dua at all times. Enhancing the angular appearance of the show; Arrays of LEDBeam 150’s and their narrow beams were used to frame the stage, as well as lines of GLP impression X4 Bar 20s, and the new versatile JDC1 strobes kindly leant to Cassius Creative as a trial for the project - which ultimately became a key design element, providing big backlight silhouette effects and dynamic strobe moments throughout the show, helping to merge the video and lighting throughout. Neg Earth provided the lighting that sat outside the in-house provisions of the venues, whilst Cassius Creative supplied the Green Hippo Hippotizer media servers driving the video, all controlled through its MA Lighting grandMA2 Light consoles. The tour took in a variety of venue sizes, resulting in an A and B set, 1 scaling down the screen size and lighting infrastructure without minimising the punchy visual impact of Dua’s video content used to sum up her no-frills attitude to fans. Dua Lipa’s The Self-Titled tour returns for 8 dates in the UK in April, taking in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and London. TPi http://dualipa.com www.reallycreativemedia.co.uk www.cassiuscreative.co.uk

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EVENT FOCUS

MEGAPOINTES FOR MARTIN GARRIX IN AMSTERDAM “One of the best shows our team has ever done…” declared Production Designer and Show Director, Gabe Fraboni, after 2 recent incendiary performances by hugely popular Dutch DJ and Music Producer Martin Garrix at Amsterdam’s RAI, both bathed in production awesomeness with nearly 300 Robe moving lights on the rig, including 50 brand new MegaPointes.

The RAI design was created by Fraboni based on a new live show concept that was launched at the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco in May. The base model - that travels everywhere - has a large video ‘plus’ sign flanked each side by a matrix of 90 Robe Spikies. For the RAI shows, the ‘plus’ was still there in the centre, with everything else around it seriously scaled up. A 10m high structural trussing design repeated the shape of the central ‘plus’ to each side, giving it a 45-degree twist in the meantime, which introduced a natural flourish of asymmetry and extended the stage width to 42m. Fraboni worked with Designer Bart Stravar on this element of the production which was constructed from 30cm trussing and a selection of corner blocks. ‘Multiply’ was one of Garrix’s 2017 Ibiza summer residencies, so when the RAI show design started evolving, Stravar and Fraboni played with the idea of multiplying logos.

The goal was to dramatically reimagine the touring rig and maintain the industrial aesthetic, which was accomplished by adding a 40m wide by 10m high 16mm LED wall behind the truss structure, which worked brilliantly for outlining and silhouetting the trussing architecture. The 50 MegaPointes were rigged on 3 curved trusses that complemented the architecture of the trussing structure and lined the upstage video wall. Then Fraboni continued the Spikie matrix, extending it across all the structure’s metal work elements, which consumed 164 Spikies. Fraboni is among the first to use MegaPointes for a major show after the global launch in September, and these were supplied by Belgium headquartered lighting vendor Rent-All. He grouped them all in one place for maximum impact and commented that they are, “Highly versatile, very bright, a great beam one minute and a 16

MARTIN GARRIX

fixture with a real punch as a spot the next, all with excellent colour mixing.” It was the MegaPointe’s profile characteristics that really impressed him, and going forward he sees massive potential for using them in this role. They were programmed as a profile for these shows and then slipped into beam mode as needed and he also had lots of fun with the effects and animation wheels and the 32-facet prism, which he described as being “beautiful”. Spikies continue to be his favorite ‘trick’ fixture. “I love them,” he said. “Since Greg Ellis and I first used Spikies on Pretty Lights last year, they are on every show we design and spec.” While the Pretty Lights’ music is perfect for Spikie-style flower and prism effects, it’s the continuous pan / tilt functionality that suits the power, energy and rhythmic vitality of a Martin Garrix show. “It’s great. I can totally ‘bend’ those lights,” enthused Fraboni, and it was a look that worked brilliantly on the RAI shows with the 45-degree twist and asymmetry of the structural design. To fine tune this effect, he programmed the 164 Spikies with 136 ‘dummy’ fixtures, so the MA Lighting grandMA2 could produce perfect maths to make the dynamic liquid Spikie effects pulse, bounce and ripple across and around the structure. This took the asymmetry into account and ensured total visual integrity of the Spikie chases. 60 Robe Pointes were deployed above the audience, which worked smoothly with both the MegaPointes and the Spikies. Fraboni has been using Pointes regularly since the 2016 Martin Garrix Tour. He programmed the lighting with the help of Fabian Fisniku, and operated the RAI shows himself using a MA Lighting grandMA2 Full Size console. Other lights on the rig included 73 strobes, 100 truss toners and 154 1-lite molefays. Another grandMA2 Full Size was operated by Aubrey Wright, which ran the flames and CO2 effects. Lighting and video have been developed and programmed to

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seamlessly complement one another, with the video playback content produced by Comix - run and managed on the road by Lorenzo de Pascalis using a Resolume system. He also served as camera system designer and video director. Ahead of the RAI gigs, Fraboni - who also designs the show’s lasers spent 2 weeks in pre-vis at his studio in Los Angeles followed by a full week of pre-vis, which was set up in Amsterdam. He used a number of tools including WYSIWYG and Pangolin’s Beyond 3.0. He’d wanted to use MegaPointes since first receiving a demo in the summer at Robe North America’s West Coast HQ in LA, and with the gig

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being so soon after the fixture’s launch, all the stops were pulled out to ensure enough were available. Fraboni was also keen to highlight the working relationship between himself and Garrix. He said: “He gives me a free rein as show designer, and working in close collaboration with Lorenzo, we establish the individual looks, which then are presented to Martin. Once approved, I liaise with the rest of our team to compile all the materials,” explained Fraboni who’s been working with the artist for 3 years. To give Garrix productions an edge, they take a more rock ‘n’ roll approach. Each number in the set has a dedicated video clip that is paired with complementary or contrasting lighting, that is developed as the music plays out. The info is mapped into cue sheets so Fraboni can establish a narrative with Martin while he’s onstage and maintain a clear visual and scenic flow for the show.

The pyro design and operation was executed by Bert Kelchtermans, who is also the tour’s Production Manager, while the SFO Operator and Tour Manager is Aubrey Wright. Audio is mixed by Stephan Themps. The Amsterdam show was promoted by E&A Events, and the Martin Garrix touring production crew, including Amanda Barker, liaised closely with a local production team managed and coordinated by Iko Claassens and Ronnie Santegoeds. This plus tour design cycle will continue for the rest of the year and into early 2018, when it is expected that a new live show will be created and launched ready for Ibiza summer residencies. TPi Photos: aLIVE Coverage www.martingarrix.com www.robe.cz

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THE KILLERS: WONDERFUL WONDERFUL TOUR TPi’s Stew Hume travels to London’s O2 Arena to catch the closing night of the band’s UK tour, and uncover the inner workings of this deeply personal album & touring cycle...

PRODUCTION PROFILE

THE KILLERS

Although they began life thousands of miles west in ‘Sin City’, the Las Vegas 4-piece have been warmly embraced by the UK since their debut in 2003. Songs such as Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me are part of Britain’s musical zeitgeist, and it’s always an event when The Killers travel to our shores. The Wonderful Wonderful tour was no exception. In recent years, charismatic frontman Brandon Flowers has struck out on his own with a solo career, re-joining his bandmates in 2017 to release their latest album. Received well by fans and critics alike, Wonderful Wonderful promised an insight into Flowers’ personal life - a theme that would naturally echo throughout the live tour. Reprising the role of Production Manager is Michael Oberg, a position he’s held since 2008. “The first time I worked with the band was in 2004 while I was a promoter rep in Australia,” stated Oberg, as the band were about to hit the stage for their second night in London. “Then, 4 years later, I was brought into the official touring party as Production Manager and have been here ever since. Our design team began working on the look of this tour in February 2017, then in May I began looking at costings and logistics.” For the tour, Oberg selected a list of long-term suppliers including Capital Sound, Neg Earth Lights, Big Picture, Pyrotek Special Effects, All Access Staging & Productions, Lightwave International, Perry Scenic Creative, ACASS-SYSTEMS, Bittersweet Catering, Phoenix Bussing and Fly By Nite. “It’s been a great run so far, although I had forgotten how cold some of the UK venues are to work in,” laughed Oberg, as the tour’s sold out November gigs took place across a freezing Britain.

on a ‘show narrative’ rather then just a bright light show.” This meant using more video than the band had used before. “It’s an element we have used a few times in the past, but because the content of this latest album was so personal to Brandon, we were keen to use specifically shot footage to tell the stories within the songs.” Douglas even scaled back his lightshow so the video content really shone. “We have done the ‘big light show’ for a few years now and it’s been great to work with a different medium,” commented the LD. Essential to this new look was Fireplay - Artistic Directors and Creative Producers for the tour. Douglas had collaborated with the company several times in the past, although this was their first Killers collaboration. “They were able to really take a lot of parts of the design out of my hands, leaving me to focus on the lighting show,” commented Douglas. Max Duval, Fireplay’s Chief Marketing Officer, discussed the company’s role in the production. “The band were looking to explore and build a bigger show then they would typically take out,” commented Duval. “They wanted a design that spoke to their music and experiences as a band over the last decade to showcase how they had grown and developed into who they are today.” The company pulled together a crack team to ensure a cohesive vision within the show design. This included Fireplay’s William Baker who took the role of Creative and Artistic Director leading the rest of the team to ensure a consistent vision from the design, video content and IMAG integration with Creative Producer Nick Whitehouse liaising with the band and management, and working with external vendors and fabricators ensuring everything was achieved within the proposed budget. The Fireplay team also included Production Designer, Josh Zangen, who focussed on all aspects of stage and scenery design. With video being such an integral part of the show, Baker, after developing concepts and treatments for each song, brought in Blink TV to create the custom content. “Working with Steven on Wonderful Wonderful has been fantastic,” concluded Duval. “We always love collaborating with him but his longstanding relationship with the band meant his help and guidance was invaluable. His lighting design fits the overall concept perfectly and lifts the show to a whole new level.” The stage itself consists of a large upstage video wall, made up of a ROE 12mm LED screen. A ROE 8mm product then makes up a pyramid shaped screen, placed in front on the upstage wall. In addition, there was a third automated triangle screen, affectionately referred to as the ‘flying-v’. Big Picture, an Australian screen provider, supplied all the video elements for the UK tour. “Big Picture have been my preferred video

DESIGN Discussing this vision was Lighting Designer, Steven Douglas, who has sat behind The Killers’ console for the last 13 years, after meeting them by chance at their first gig in Dublin. Douglas was covering for an in-house LD a one-time favour for a mate, he reminisced, adding: “Long story short, they gave me a call a few days later asking me to finish the tour with them. I’ve never looked back. Talk about right place at the right time!” For Wonderful Wonderful the band were keen to bring new elements into the live show. Although still maintaining the band’s Vegas roots with elements such as giant neon arrow prop that could have been pulled straight from the strip, this tour also offered an intimate edge that The Killers have not explored as much in the past. “This album was a very personal release for Brandon,” stated Douglas. “Some of the songs are discussing his wife’s struggles with PTSD. From a very early stage in the process we knew we wanted the design to help tell these stories and work 22

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Above: Lighting Designer, Steven Douglas; Media Server Operator, Dan Gentile; Video Director, David Horscroft. Douglas collaborated with Fireplay to come up with the visual content for the tour.

supplier in Australia for over 25 years,” commented Oberg. “We have a strong relationship and it was great to bring them out on this run to the UK and Europe.” The video team, Video Crew Chief, Dustin King, Video Director, David Horscroft and Media Server Operator, Dan Gentile kept the department running smoothly. For content control, a disguise 4x2 Pro media server was chosen. “We essentially have 3 different surfaces we’re able to send content to with the upstage wall, the pyramid and the flying-v,” stated Gentile. “Overall the resolution is around 2,500 pixels wide by 1,100 pixels high with over 1,000GB of content,” he said, joking that his laptop has been very unhappy with him lately due to the sheer size of this show. This is actually the first tour in which Gentile had worked solely as a disguise Server Operator, despite using the products for several years [under the company’s former name, d3 Technologies]. “I started off in lighting but, while working on smaller tours, became a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ lending a hand to some server operator work. I have to admit, I have now been converted and much prefer working with video. disguise’s product is great and their support is amazing. I really like working with the system as it allows you to have a really personal touch in how you interact with the software. There a a multitude of was to do one job which allows you to develop your on style of operating.” Alongside the disguise 4x2 Pro, Gentile also used Notch plug-ins to render several effects. “This was a fairly last minute addition to my set-up but I’ve been really impressed with the effects I’ve been able to active with it,” said Gentile Working alongside him, is Video Director, David Horscroft, who joined the conversation. “I have known Michael Oberg, our Production Manager, for several years - although this is my first time with the band,” began Horscroft. “I’m a big fan of their music so it was and easy job to say yes to. As far as I’m aware, this is actually the first time the band has had a dedicated video director - so it’s a first for both of us.” For the tour, Horscroft mainly took care of the IMAG screens flanking the stage, although at certain point

IMAG elements would also be incorporated into the LED screens. For control, the Director used a Grass Valley Kayak with a 2ME video switcher. Horscroft described his approach to directing the IMAG screens: “My first goal when given the position was to capture everything happening musically from all sections of the band. However, because Brandon is such a charismatic front man, I also needed to capture as many of those special moments as possible. I want to ensure that the person in the furthest seat doesn’t miss a thing.” To conclude, Horscroft described the services Big Picture had provided for the tour. “They are such a dedicated company,” he enthused. “Both the equipment and the crew they have provided to us have all been great, making the tour run effortlessly.” LIGHTING For the lighting design, Neg Earth provided Douglas with his sizable rig. It comprises 92 GLP impression X4 Bar 20’s (24 around the video screen and 68 in the pods), 33 JDC1’s, 54 Claypaky Scenius Unicos, 12 Sharpys and 12 Martin by Harman MAC Aura XBs. For control, the trusty MA Lighting grandMA2 desk provided the brain power. The LD explained his desire to move away from the traditional wash light, adding: “Just as with the video content, I wanted the lighting show to be more intimate and a simple wash would have been too overbearing.” This goal ended up leading Douglas to deploy the GLP impression X4 Bar 20’s. “They are a fantastic fixture to use and I’ve really enjoyed the looks they have created.” On this tour gave Douglas a chance to experiment with some equipment. “I was really keen to give the Unicos a run on the tour and I have to say they have been fantastic as both a followspot and lighting for the stage scenery. The same goes for the new GLP JDC1 strobes, which have been working well.” Neg Earth’s Julian Lavender discussed the company’s involvement with the band’s latest production. “Before we loaded into rehearsals, the main challenge we had to face was integrating the pre-existing custom 24

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Over 100 tonnes of tissue paper were used each night for the 2 confetti blasts during the UK tour, supplied by Pyrotek Special Effects.

truss pods that had been used earlier in the year, into our system and develop the 2 mother grids to deal with the Kinesys automation system,” commented Lavender, adding: “I believe this is the biggest show we have ever put together for The Killers and it’s as been truly awe-inspiring. Beautifully lit with extremely well-executed programming and impeccable timing from Steven!” Along with a selection of fixtures, Neg Earth also provided the tour with a 6 strong lighting crew led by Crew Chief, Damo Coad. For followspot operation, Douglas utilised the Follow-Me system. “Since I first heard about the system, and the idea that it could be used on any fixture, I have been really intrigued by Follow-Me,” stated the LD. “I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and it’s showing itself to be a great bit of kit with some exciting possibilities.” Douglas used the operating system to control the Claypaky Scenius Unicos. In total, 5 Unicos were used for Flowers with 2 more Scenius used for guitarist Ted Sablay and bassist Jake Blanton. Douglas also used the Follow-Me system on several laser looks within his design. “We have 10 Phenom Moving Head Lasers, which have been provided by our laser supplier Lightwave. I can’t say for certain but I’m fairly sure this must be the first time laser followspots have ever been toured! It has produced a really great look for us.” Lightwave also provided the tour with 7 full-colour, 35W lasers on top of the 10 Phenom Moving Head Lasers. “All the fixtures are audience scanning diffracted. This means when they zoom past a certain point, the dimmers switch off so you know for certain they are within the legal limits of safety clearances.”

explained ACASS-SYSTEMS’ CEO, Aaron Cass. “Our designers collaborated on the design and then ACASS-SYSTEMS ultimately manufactured several elements for the tour, especially the magnificent custom flying video pyramid. We manufactured the entire LED package, which includes a total of 4,000sq ft of LED.” The eventual package was made of lightweight aluminium so that the touring crew could pack them, roll them onto a truck, and make load-ins a breeze. “We were honoured to have partnered with Fireplay, and the entire Killers team,” concluded Cass. “When you get the right group together and grooving on an idea, anything is possible. The tour was phenomenal and worked seamlessly.” OVERHEAD Handling the 50+ tonne rig was Head Rigger Rob Gardiner and Rigging Assistant, James Wright. “We went with Neg Earth as our rigging supplier for this tour with all local riggers being supplied by Knight Rigging Services,” began Gardiner. “The load itself is fairly standard for an arena show this size with about 101 points. Our biggest challenge came from the weight up stage due to the video walls. Throughout the tour we had to pay special attention to certain venue’s roof capacities but thankfully we have not had to remove any staging elements - although it has lead to some longer days in planning rigging plots,” he laughed. For the automation of the flying-v, Neg provided the production with a Kinesys Liftket motor, which was operated by Neg Earth’s Steve Kellaway. “For the tour we have also been using Kinesys LibraCELLs which we have placed on the back of the flying-v,” stated Gardiner. “Our justification came from the movements and the nature of the object we are dealing with, as sometimes our sight is obscured. The LibraCELLs just gives us the real time information without needing a visual cue to make sure everything is safe.”

STAGING Adding to the visual elements of the tour was Perry Scenic Creative, which produced a large 3D water tower and a pair 3D arrow stage props. Jon Perry from Perry Scenic, discussed the company’s involvement with the project. “We have worked with The Killers for several years at this point, in particular with Michael Oberg, Production Manager and Steven Douglas, Lighting and Production Designer. They are fabulous people to work with.” Perry outlined some of the issues facing the design team for the tour. “The main challenge was to produce something that met their aesthetic and technical requirements that was also ‘tourable’. The pieces were being air freighted all over the world and so needed to be durable.” On top of the impressive stage pieces, the company also fabricated lettering that would be stuck to the water tower to spell out the name of the night’s host city. This included a specially designed Manchester sign featuring a heart to pay homage to the terror attack earlier this year. For the rolling stage and set construction, the production used All Access alongside ACCASS-SYSTEMS, which created the custom video triangles. “The production team knew what they wanted aesthetically,”

PYROTECHNICS Pyrotek Special Effects completed the show’s visual feast. Special Effects Operator, Keith Maxwell, was overseeing 2 main effects - a pyro waterfall and 2 confetti blasts. Maxwell, who is also the man behind Iron Maiden’s special effects department, discussed the products used for the Wonderful Wonderful tour. “For the waterfall, we use over 201 Gerbs which are being launched by a Pyrodigital controller. It’s set off during the band’s song When You Were Young.” Maxwell continuedA to discuss his confetti set up, which included 20 MagicFX Stadiums shots and over 100 tonnes of tissue paper each night. “It’s certainly not light on confetti,” laughed Maxwell. “We have 2 main blasts during each show for the songs The Man and All These Things That I’ve Done. We had to advance the huge shipment prior to the tour and have all the confetti shipped to the UK.” He went on to explain his relationship with Pyrotek Special Effects. “I have been freelancing with them for over 16 years at this point, they are a really energetic and helpful organisation. If you ever have an issue, or 26

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THE KILLERS

Capital Sound supplied the production with a complete Martin Audio MLA PA package; Monitor Engineer, Marty Beath; FOH Engineer, Kenny Kaiser.

question, there‘s always some on the other end of the phone, which is very important when you’re on tour.” Pyrotek Special Effects’ Nigel Deslippe looked after Maxwell throughout the tour and gave his thoughts on Wonderful Wonderful: “Although the show only had a couple of cues they are really big looks. The 201 waterfall effect, for example, spans the entire stage and wings, which looks really impressive.” Deslippe also commented on some of the small details in the pyro package, such as the second confetti blast’s colours being based on the country’s flag the band played to each evening, a little nod to the eagle eyed in the audience.

NME Tour when they supplied a Martin W8LC ground stacked PA system. “The Killers are a great band who provide great entertainment in their shows and that’s key for our industry and selling tickets,” commented Operations and Development Director, Paul Timmins. “Since the NME tour we have supplied the band’s audio in Europe, building a strong relationship with the crew. High points along the way have included their Wembley Stadium show in the summer of 2013 and the more recent BST Hyde Park show in 2017.” Throughout this working relationship, the PA of choice has always been Martin Audio. “The systems suit the band for sure,” commented Timmins. “The Wonderful Wonderful tour has seen the band hit another level in terms of their production values. They’re loyal and expect the best service. They work on the basis that we get on with the job, making decisions and designing the best package that sounds awesome - while going in and out of venues safely and swiftly.” The FOH Engineer went on to discuss the collaboration with Capital Sound. “This is another long-term relationship that has existed since I started working with the band,” recalled Kaiser. “All the guys have been fantastic but I have to give special mention to my FOH Tech Toby Donovan. He is one of the best system engineers I have ever worked with!” For control, Kaiser again opted for Solid State Logic’s SSL500 console, having used the desk “since day one.” The Engineer added: “I really enjoy the workflow and it’s been really easy to wrap my head around. I feel like a lot of people in recent years have been caught in a ‘videogame’ mind set and surround themselves in multiple screens. Personally, I like to push a fader up and see it do what I need it to do.” On top of using the SSL’s on board effects, Kaiser uses several outboard effects including 2 M7 Baricasti (one for Brandon’s vocals, the other for the snare) along with an Empirical Labs FATSO.

FOH AUDIO It is very fitting that a band who have always worn their UK influence on their sleeve have once again chosen a British PA and sound console for this latest tour. FOH Engineer, Kenny Kaiser, has been responsible for bringing the band’s album sound into the live forum for half a decade. “I first started with the band on their Battle Born cycle in 2012,” began Kaiser. “After a few changes to the crew line-up, I was given the chance to take the hot seat, having been working for their US sound vendor. I clearly did something right!” In recent years, The Killers have developed a more mature, genrespanning sound but as Kaiser enthused, “It is still, and always will be, a rock show.” Capital Sound supplied the complete Martin Audio PA package. The main hang consisted of 17 boxes of MLA, with 2 MLD’s for down fill (per side). For the side hangs, there are a further 12 MLA plus an MLD for down fill (per side). For flown subs, there are 5 MLX per side, flown at a 45° angle between the main and side hangs, with 21 MLX ground subs placed in a configuration of 7 x 3 array stacks in the pit, with the bottom enclosure reversed. Finally, for fills there were 6 DD12 cabinets. “I’m a massive fan of the Martin Audio PA,” Kaiser declared. “We have used it ever since I’ve been with the band and it’s been solid throughout. It’s a great box to replicate what you’re trying to achieve, especially with its punchy low end.” He continued: “For the O2 shows, we have added a few more boxes for coverage. This is the biggest show we have done for the UK tour, so we’ve added a secondary side hang to give even coverage to the seats which are closer to the stage.” The second side hang consisted of 10 MLA Compact elements per side. Capital Sound’s history with the band started back in 2004 during the

MONITORING Following Kaiser’s lead, the band’s Monitor Engineer, Marty Beath, also opted for an SSL L500 to mix on. Beath originally worked as Monitor Tech on the Battle Born tour, while also taking sole responsibility of the band’s broadcast mix, explaining: “Whether it’s for TV or radio it’s impossible for a crew unfamiliar with the band to get the best mix from the guys.” Back when he was handling broadcast responsibilities, Beath mixed on a different desk, however, making the jump to Monitor Engineer, both he and Kaiser decided to shift to the SSL. “It all came down to minimising our overall footprint especially when we were rolling into festival season. Both 28

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of us now share stage rack which has dramatically reduced the size of audio world,” said Beath. Although originally unfamiliar with SSL, Beath explained how he found his feet with the system. “Firstly, the SSL is a great-sounding console. I’ll admit I had a bit of a learning curve in the beginning, but thankfully we had time in rehearsals when I could get to grips with it and I now have a workflow that I’m very comfortable with.” For the musicians on stage, the audio team provided two options. The core band used JH Audio Roxanne moulds with Shure PSM1000’s for transmission. Meanwhile Brandon Flowers opted to work off stage wedges and side fills. “Every wedge on stage is for Brandon,” said Beath. “He really likes to have a loud stage so I’ve given him 6 wedges in the central performance area, with 2 behind on 4 upfront. Then when he goes to either side of the stage I can take care of him with the sidefills.” This massive on-stage sound also created an interesting challenge out front for Kaiser. “My biggest challenge is stage volume,” commented the FOH Engineer. “Along with Brandon’s microphone, there are 7 other vocal mics around the stage. I had to be quite creative so the mics didn’t pick up a lot of the stage sound without simply gating them. I’m not a fan of gating as you always end up missing certain nuances and you get a compressed sound. I’ve made use of SSL’s Automixer which I use on Brandon’s voice and also for the backing singers. It has been incredibly useful.” A Shure Beta 58A was used for Flowers’ lead vocals, a microphone that has also been used on each of the band’s records. “What you are hearing is Brandon through that mic. Through the years it’s what he’s been comfortable with on stage,” stated Kaiser. “It might not be everyone’s first choice in an arena setting, but the way I look at it, you wouldn’t give a guitarist who uses a Les Paul a Fender Stratocaster and expect them to play the same.”

Above: Head Rigger Rob Gardiner; Special Effects Operator, Keith Maxwell.

TRANSPORT & TEA BREAKS Getting the band, crew and production itself from A to B through the European run were Fly By Nite and Phoenix Bussing. “In total, Fly By Nite provided us with 18 trucks and our Account Manager Dave Coumbe took great care of us,” commented Oberg. Phoenix Bussing provided 3 band busses and 4 crew. “We have been working with The Killers since 2005 during the Hot Fuss tour,” commented Phoenix’s Andy Gray. “2 out of the 3 band busses had our custom star rooms with a double bed at the back of the bus for extra comfort for the musicians. This tour was an easy one to plan as it

THE KILLERS

was all for UK arenas, which we know inside out. It was great to be working with The Killers gang again, and really nice to see so many familiar faces still involved with their production and management teams. It makes tours a lot easier to deal with when they come back around.” All freighting was handled by Sound Moves. Last but not least, the production brought in Bittersweet Catering. Managing Director, Paul Hastings, discussed the company’s involvement. “We have worked with the band for almost 5 years - and even on Brandon’s solo tour. We had 4 people on the road for the UK shows: our Lead Chef Mark Wilkinson was assisted by Jerome Virton, Lulu Foster-Young and Joe Sroczynski. It was a very busy tour for them, probably the largest we have ever worked on, with many of the gigs being back-to-back shows with early load-ins and a week of production days at Fly By Nite and Birmingham’s Genting Arena ahead of the show days, where we were catering for over 100 people each day. We love these guys so it is a genuine honour and pleasure to have been working with them again.” With yet another successful UK invasion, both band and crew flew back state side to prepare for the American leg of the Wonderful Wonderful tour, due to take them through the first part of 2018. TPi Photos: Ralph Larmann www.thekillersmusic.com www.fireplay.com www.capital-sound.co.uk www.bigpicture.com www.negearth.com www.perryscenic.com www.lasershows.net www.allaccessinc.com www.acass-systems.com www.pyrotekfx.com www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.flybynite.co.uk www.bittersweetcatering.co.uk www.soundmoves.com 30

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES TPi dives into the loud and sweaty world of home-grown UK punk with the crew behind Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes’ Modern Ruin tour to unearth the work ethic - and artist-led production values - behind mid-size venue touring. Kel Murray spoke to the men on the ground, and flying through the air…

PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: Caption.

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

Frontman Frank Carter on his FOH B-Stage; Drummer Gareth Glover; Guitartist Dean Richardson; Tour Manager, Elliot Taylor.

Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes are a perfect example of on and off stage worlds colliding. With a touring team bound by friendships, evolving skillsets and intertwining job roles, all of which border creativity and technical expertise - this mid-level production has transcended in a full speed explosion, primarily driven by mutual respect. Spitting out adrenaline at every twist and turn - from FOH to the pit - it’s clear that this tour is a close-knit one. “My older brother let me cramp his style, and tag along to shows as a young teen,” commented Tour Manager Elliot Taylor upon explaining how he got his start in touring; an interest turned profession which has led him to be the man looking after one of the most outspoken, forward thinking live carnage creators in UK music. As he speaks, it’s obvious that his attitude has taken him this far. “The shows were very small but I took it upon myself to help the artists, often lending a hand with the load-in / out or selling merchandise. My thinking was that the artists’ had just performed, and deserved to unwind. My brother joined While She Sleeps [vocalist since 2006, Lawrence Taylor] and would again let me tag along tour. As the band grew, I slowly found myself out on the road more often than not professionally with a variety of different artists. I met Frank Carter in the latter days of Gallows and worked on merchandise for his next band, Pure Love before I began to tour manage The Rattlesnakes.” Besides frontman Frank Carter, the band is completed by guitarist Dean Richardson, bassist Tom ‘Tank’ Barclay, drummer Gareth Grover and guitarist / keys, Thomas Mitchener. Having had the local scene connection as a youth, Taylor’s ability to tour manage a band of this ilk is evident. He’s as professional as he is unassuming, with the knack for putting everyone at

ease while asserting authority. With sell out shows including Brixton’s 5,000 capacity Academy, it was inevitable that Taylor would also become familiar with the production aspects. He continued: “Myself and Tom Campbell, our Lighting Designer, work as a team with Frank and Dean [Richardson, guitarist and song writer] to create, enhance and exaggerate the unusual qualities of Frank & the band’s performances. We have been focusing on the underground punk and spontaneous actions of Frank, and transitioning these elements into larger theatres, creating a platform, which allows larger audiences to still feel an intimate connection with the band. My duties as a TM are slightly different to the usual; working with such a high-energy artist such as this, I also look after a lot of the security and crowd control parts of their live performance. There is obviously a large amount of security and pit staff that are trained on how to manage crowds and crowd surfers, but at the same time, I think there is a high amount that aren’t capable of managing such high energy shows in the way that’s often needed. I believe like there needs to be a more in-depth security course on how to manage crowds like ours; this is something I will personally be looking into in 2018.” Incidentally, during the Manchester show, frontman Frank Carter himself stopped the show. The crowds parted and security and medics intervened to get the fan to safety. During the show, Taylor’s role was more eyes on the action rather than any kind of production office paper work. Elsewhere, he leaves production suppliers down to the choice of each department. He continued: “It’s important to grow with companies and let crewmembers carry on existing relationships. When it comes to audio, I leave this with Mike [Woodhouse, FOH] and Will [Taylor, Monitors]. They 34

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

have a long-term relationship with the mighty SSE Audio. Miles Hillyard and his team do everything they can to make sure we’re happy - and we couldn’t be happier! “Lighting wise, Tom Campbell has great relationships with both HSL and Siyan. Each company is highly professional and has been crucial to our stepping into larger venues. On the logistical side of things, I have companies that I have stuck with over the years and have used again for Modern Ruin. I prefer to house my artists in Starsleeper busses; they’ve been a key part of keeping Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes relaxed. Derek [Crosbie, owner] and his team always do everything they can to make sure we are as safe and comfortable every time we hit the road.” For trucking, Fly By Nite provided a single truck for production transportation. He concluded: “My priorities when putting a budget together is making sure the artist and the crew are as comfortable as possible. I think it is important to not cut corners when it comes down to comfort. If spending a little extra on hotel rooms or a more luxurious bus can help with the touring parties moral whilst on the road for long periods of time then I think the added extras can positively affect their wellbeing and overall performance.”

nice place to be as they are both extremely visually driven, they’re creative genius’ in everything they do. Frank is a tattoo artist off stage, and Dean is a brilliant content creator. [More on this later!] To me, The Rattlesnakes are one of the most exciting bands to come out of the UK - who wouldn’t want to work with them? I feel very proud to be involved with this tour.” Campbell recently joined lighting design collective MIRRAD, and although this was the 1st tour he’s undertaken since, the design was already in place. He continued: “I had been designing solo for 10 years up to the point of joining MIRRAD, and their collaborative nature is something I’m really enjoying and already benefiting from.” The brief for Modern Ruin - as given by Frank - has echoes of religious imagery. “Frank gave me one of my favourite briefs I think I’ve ever had: ‘Tom, I think we need something that almost looks architectural… Like a cathedral made out of light when it’s static, and World War III when it’s active.’ “This gave me a lot of space to be creative; we went through a lot of different concepts to find the direction we wanted to go in, with both Frank and Dean being very involved throughout the entire process. “For the 2nd album tour cycle we have visually split the 2 albums up; the artwork for the second record Modern Ruin had an RGB theme running throughout. This followed into the show allowing me to play with subtle RGB effects, which is something I’ve personally stayed clear of in the past. The first record Blossom I left lacking in colour, playing with whites through CTOs and CTBs, bringing the feel of a stripped back punk show full of PARCANs and ACLs to the forefront. For the first 3.5 songs we cut the stage in half, hanging the first Rattlesnakes backdrop [which has been affectionately nicknamed the ‘Blood Wall’] midstage. The drums were on a rolling riser [supplied by Music Man] and moved from a mid-stage centre

SPRAY PAINT LOVE Show and Production Designer, Tom Campbell, began working with Frank in 2013 on a Pure Love campaign. He told TPi: “I got involved with The Rattlesnakes pretty early on, maybe on their show 3rd or 4th show. Thanks to mutual friends and a mutual respect for each other’s work, I never actually had to pitch for this job...” he smiled. “Over the last few years, I’ve had a bigger scope to be creative and enable a few of the wilder ideas come to life. At this point, I feel like I have Frank and Dean’s - who I met at a similar time - complete trust when it comes to the look of the production. It’s a

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FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

Shaping sound. dbaudio.com/moreart-lessnoise

position to upstage right.” Manchester, which Frank described as a “second home” for the band, was the first date at which all 23 songs in The Rattlesnakes’ back catalogue were played to a live audience. Campbell continued: “The bulk of songs had been programmed and had structures that worked from earlier tours, however at least 7 songs had completely programmed from scratch during soundcheck throughout the tour. This is something that I tend to do anyway; my programming is constantly evolving and being reworked throughout any tour.” For Modern Ruin Campbell used his personal Avolites Quartz, specifically for its tiny footprint at FOH, as he explained: “We were putting in a ‘B-Stage’ stage into the FOH area for Frank, sometimes into a very small space. This is something I’ve not seen go into clubs before, but all of the venues were surprisingly accommodating! I was running 11 universes of ArtNet; 8 in the floor pack and 3 overhead. You’d expect a small console to struggle with a large number of universes, but the Quartz didn’t skip a beat. On another show last year, I actually had 64 without any issue! It’s a fantastic bit of control equipment that you can easily take on a plane, and run anywhere in the world.” Back to the aforementioned 23-song set, not necessarily in the same order, the Avolites setlist feature was also a valuable tool. “It allowed me to change the order in the console quickly and seamlessly, switching between song pages during the show, again extremely useful when a large majority of the songs run straight into the next one with very little time between.” Lighting supplier HSL looked after the Modern Ruin campaign and provided Campbell’s fixture rider, which was GLP dominated. It comprised 18 GLP impression X4 Bar 20’s and 9 GLP X4 Bar 10’s. “As I’m a one-person department loading the show in the show myself, these were pre-rigged in PODs of 90ft HUD truss to allow for the bulk of the floor pack to be rolled off our truck and straight into venues.” Additionally, in the PODs were 6 36

GLP JDC-1 strobes along with 12 2-cell generic molefays. A further 6 JDC-1’s were placed along the downstage edge of the stage and another 8 GLP products, this time the GT-1 Hybrid spots, provided L-R side light on the far edge of the stage. In Brixton, the tour’s biggest gig, an overhead rig was added to the show design. “Myself and Elliot chose to use Siyan to provide the overhead rig for the Brixton Academy show as I have a good history with them. It was great to have them on board, they’ve been amazing in their attention to detail on this one-off show.” Siyan provided 40 Robe 100 LED Beams hung in 2 rows of 20, which essentially acted in a similar fashion to the big GLP Bar 20’s; emulating the effects but on a far bigger scale. Brixton also benefitted from 12 Philips Nitro 510c Strobes and 20 2-cell molefays. Campbell continued: “A fixture that really stood out was the GLP GT-1, a truly hybrid fixture that allowed me to seamlessly jump from the fixtures washing the stage during a verse to being a fantastic beam in the chorus. The build quality is fantastic too, not a single fixture was swapped out during the run. And the JDC-1 is genuinely the best LED strobe I’ve ever used, allowing me to wash the stage with vibrant stark colours and then cut through with subtle effects from the white strobe. I found being able to tilt the fixture to be very useful as it allowed me to hide any reflections from the lens when the strobes weren’t being used.” At Brixton, an extra dazzle of pyrotechnics was added with a single spark drop from AC Lasers, and Campbell’s final thoughts on the tour’s success were evident. “Brixton was truly a landmark show for a band who have only been together for 3 years! This is a glimpse of things to come... Long live The Rattlesnakes!” Guitarist Dean Richardson also spoke to TPi about the visual side of the tour. At their Glastonbury performance, the video content played a huge part in the overall aesthetics of the show. “I’ve worked as a creative since I left school, initially freelancing as a graphic designer, but in recent years I find myself working more and more with motion and video projects,” he explained

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

Shaping experience. dbaudio.com/moreart-lessnoise

Allen & Heath’s new dLive S5000 console; Monitor Engineer Will Taylor with Mike Woodhouse, FOH Engineer.

about his pursuits when not wielding six-strings. “Earlier this year I setup a studio called Yuck. We work mostly within the music world, but take on all sorts of creative projects,” said the musician, who is entirely self-taught when it comes to content creation. “When I started making music and playing in bands, there was never any budget to hire anyone for anything, so it was a case of if I didn’t make it then no-one would. After a few years, and when budgets did appear, I realised that one of the things I loved about making music is all of the other creative outlets connected to it. So, with The Rattlesnakes, it’s a case of me still choosing to do a lot of the visual work - it helps to keep a consistent and controlled aesthetic, but it’s also way too much fun to hand over to someone else!” The Glastonbury visuals were based on the album artwork Richardson produced for Modern Ruin. “We took images shot on our iPhones, converted them into text, wrote secret messages inside them and then converted them back… the results were these wild and beautiful images. The conversion messed with the colours massively, so I took this a step further and experimented

with moving the separate colour channels to add the movement to the live visuals. Over a summer festival run, we jumped in and out of using the visuals depending on if the festival had video screens. Glastonbury was our biggest festival moment. “I think being an artist is always changing, and part of that means putting yourself at the centre of it all. Obviously, there will always be a place for multiple voices or hired hands, but I think the most exciting artists are in the thick of it; they’re immersed in everything from marketing to the production itself, so for me, being able to be part of the technical aspect is really valuable. I know how our songs feel on stage, which can be really different to how they sound on record, and I love being able to play a part in getting that across within the live production elements.” THUNDER Sound Engineer Mike Woodhouse has been running FOH duties for the band for the past 18 months. “I got know Matt Greer, Frank’s Manager through various parties. He asked if I would jump 37

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

The band with Tour Manager Elliot Taylor; Band Manager Matt Greer with Richardson; Monitor Engineer Will Taylor; Backline Tech Bob Munro; Production Deisgner, Tom Campbell.

on board, as long as I’d meet with Frank prior to get the sign off. After a cup of tea, and a good chat about music, it was clear we’d get on in a touring environment!” The 1st major show TPi saw the band at was Glastonbury’s John Peel stage. A feat that was undoubtedly a highlight of the weekend [did you see a bigger circle pit? Thought not!], for a FOH Engineer, the festival / headline tour mix must differ wildly with a band like this. “Running FOH with Frank is always a tricky one at festivals, their music is meant to be presented loud and proud in order to match the same effect of shock and awe that Frank’s performances bring to every show. Because of this, I’ll almost always be starting on the back foot at FOH as the noise police will have certainly been briefed prior to us arriving that Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes is a loud band!” Woodhouse, who comes primarily from a rock, pop and drum & bass background, is also revelling in mixing a band of a somewhat heavier nature. “I really enjoy mixing heavier bands as it’s allowed me get into guitar tones so much more; I’ve been researching and experimenting various different microphone techniques for guitars and ways of making drums sound tighter in the mix to compliment them. I’m pretty happy with what was achieved out front on this tour,” he added. “With Frank I like to create a mix that places the guitars and vocals right in front of you face whilst the drums and bass are just as prominent but ‘massaging’ everywhere else within your personal space. It’s meant to be overwhelming yet defined

enough so you can pick out every detail of the performance.” A lot has changed on stage since their Glastonbury set, Woodhouse now uses D-Drum XLR triggers on all the drum shell head, but not conventionally. “We don’t use samples, so instead I sidechain the triggers impulse to activate the gate on each corresponding drum microphone. In the past, loud cymbals have opened up the tom gates causing unwanted cymbal bleed to be heard out front, and in turn un-polishing the overall drum sound. These triggers have essentially cut out all potential unwanted noise from the drums as the trigger only responds to the impulse of drum head movement and I can now get a super tight drum mix. “For bass I used to use the traditional bass DI / bass microphone combination. I’ve since cut out using a bass microphone altogether and replaced that with taking a Post DI signal from bassist Tank’s pedal board. For guitars, Dean and myself have been trying out various different signalto-amp combinations to get guitar tones sounding as heavy yet defined as possible at FOH. At Glastonbury, we had just started bi-amping his Marshall Bluesbreakers so we could split his signal for added weight in choruses / middle eights. For this headline tour, Dean and I have had a whole summer of dialling it in, swapping out pedals that didn’t quite work, changing the microphone to better suite his tone. For now, I double-mic both amps using a combination of a dynamic [Shure SM57’s] and ribbon [SE Electronics VR1] microphones that complement each other when dialled in and even replicate Dean’s sound out front the way we want it. For his second amp, he 38

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

engages a RAT and POG.” With his tonal preferences and amp combos in place, Woodhouse decided to try out Allen & Heath’s new dLive S5000 console for his mix. He explained the decision: “A couple of engineers I know and trust over the past few months have told me how good these consoles are, so I wanted to try one out for myself to see if A&H had really created something unique. I was instantly blown away. The desk reacted to the band in a way I hadn’t heard with any other desk before. The high end was all there - albeit not too prominent - and the pre-amps were night and day compared to a good few other consoles I’d used. The on-board plug-ins were what really gave this desk the ‘wow’ factor for me. I’m a big fan of the DBX16T compressor and to find out you could have this on every channel (if you wanted to) was a bonus. As for outboard, I didn’t feel the need to take much out, but Frank enquired about adding drive to his voice for certain elements in the set [a Megaphone type effect] so the fine people up at SSE sent down a 2U rack case with an SPX1000 to take care of Frank’s driven effect, as well as an Empirical Labs Distressor which I used to add a bit of ‘dirt’ to the snare drum.” For Frank’s vocal duties, a Shure SM58 microphone is the chosen one. And, seen as he’s had the model tattooed onto his leg, surely it will remain high up on his list of favourite microphones. Unlike the rest of the tour, Brixton required the addition of a rented PA system. Woodhouse elaborated: “I wanted something that would be loud, have the SPL throw for the top of Brixton’s balcony and something I was familiar with mixing on. With those points in mind, I chose a d&b audiotechnik J-Series. I asked Miles Hillyard from SSE to supply us with as much J-Series as he could throw at our budget. We agreed on 24 J8 tops, 4 J12’s for fills and 16 J-Subs. Coupled together with 29 d&b D80 4-channel amplifiers to ensure there was enough power to fill the room with SPL. We also had Wigwam [part of

SSE Audio Group] help out with the original rigging plot calculations and on the day of the show. Some of the Wigwam crew came down and built, time aligned and tuned the system for me. What lovely guys!” Over in monitor world, Will Taylor is a new addition to the camp, which had previously used in-house engineers and floor wedges. “Over the summer the band stepped up to using IEMs and ran a X32 rack system, however, without having someone dedicated to changing the band mixes, if they needed amendments on the fly, it wasn’t possible,” he noted. Not ideal for a rawkus bunch of punks. Taylor continued: “The decision to bring on a full time monitor engineer was put forward, and having known Elliot, Mike and Tom for a few years, when they asked me to come on board for this project I was very confident in the team that I’d be working with.” Monitor world is a relatively small set up: “I also have an Allen & Heath d-Live S5000 desk, with 6 ways of Shure PSM1000 IEM racks and 2 ways of Shure Wireless microphones with SM58 capsules. We don’t use any floor wedges but we do still use sidefills to help the band out with a certain feel onstage [Brixton’s show utilised 4 C7 Subs and 2 C4 Tops per side]. I was keen to build a rig, which could be brought in to various size venues without taking up a large footprint on the stage itself. “When Mike and I spoke about what we wanted to take out for this tour he suggested the d-Live series and we ended on the d-Live S5000 at both ends. I have been very impressed with the route Allen & Heath have gone with this desk; I had previously used the other models and if I’m honest, I didn’t feel that they were right for me. The S5000 has changed the game though, the workflow is extremely flexible and non restrictive to DSP when it come to Multiband Compressors on any channel, not to mention the classic emulation comps (16T) and the effects sound great. I’ve personally found that the IEM Glue plugin multiband works really nicely across our mixes so that we can reduce some of those ‘fatiguing’ frequency areas 40

After its successful launch in 2017, Daytime TPi returns with a new home at the Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel. This is an exclusive event for all attendees of the TPi Awards 2018 dinner. The panellists will discuss current issues affecting the live event and touring industry, with encouraged audience participation, followed by an afternoon of networking. 2018 Programme: 11am - Registration and coffee 11.30am - The PSA AGM 12.30pm - Networking lunch 2pm - In Discussion: Crew Welfare and Mental Health 3pm - In Discussion: Training, Education and Career Development Demo Rooms courtesy of Sennheiser and HD Pro.

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

without getting rid of them completely. “The main thing with The Rattlesnakes is that they want to be engaged with the crowd. Their audiences are really energetic so this in turn makes the band play harder, meaning things have to change and move with that respectively; as stated moving onto in ears was a big step for them, so having as much ambience and as little isolation as possible became incredibly important. Frank’s style of singing also has the potential to put strain on the vocal cords if he can’t hear himself properly, so moving to IEMs has opened up a new level performance stamina. Everyone in The Rattlesnakes camp is trying to push their shows to be the best they can be, so being apart of that is exciting, we want the production to reflect the shows that are happening. We have tried to specify everything that makes our lives easier from venue to venue and working with companies like SSE which has really helped us build systems that can stand up to the level we want to push them to, has been brilliant,” he concluded. Completing the audio lineup is Backline Tech Bob Munro - who coincidentally has just been shortlisted in the TPi Awards’ first ever Backline Tech of the Year category. He told TPi: “This is actually my first run with the band, though I had worked with Elliot and Mike previously. I started out working with bands from Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow (which I did for many years) before getting offered the role of Guitar Tech with Blossoms at The Great Escape last year. I look after everything on my own: guitar, bass, keys and drums - in fact this is the first tour I’ve done looking after drums, so it’s been really fun. The first thing I do each day is set up the practice kit for Gareth [Glover] backstage before moving onto the on-stage backline. I then check each rig for any faults after the amps have spent a night being rattled about in the back of the truck! “Dean and Tank [guitar and bass guitar, respectively] use wireless packs, so I check that they’re in working order and re-tune them if needs

be. The Rattlesnakes are such a departure from the bands I’ve worked with previously - their performances are so much more erratic and the atmosphere is so intense! I think I’ve adapted to it very quickly and it’s been a really enjoyable learning curve.” The last word goes to Tour Manager Elliot Taylor, who stated that his experience on this tour has only cemented the fact that Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are not only respected throughout the live punk scene, but have shown they have the capability to succeed in the long term with this crew involved. “I think it’s easy to treat them as a ‘festival band’ because of the energy and the appeal they bring to festival line-ups, but seeing them write incredible songs and dominate larger venues has taught me that The Rattlesnakes are here to stay - and they’re not slowing down any time soon. “Brixton was an incredible show to end the tour with, by far the best show we have ever done. It’s a great gift to be able to go to work and constantly be overwhelmed with happiness!” If that’s not a perfect note to start 2018 on, we’re not sure what is. To echo Mr. Campbell’s sentiment, Long Live The Rattlesnakes! TPi Photos: Ed Mason www.edmasonphoto.com www.andtherattlesnakes.com www.tclightingdesign.co.uk www.mirrad.com www.hslgroup.com www.siyan.co.uk www.sseaudiogroup.com www.aclasers.co.uk www.flybynite.co.uk www.starsleeper.co.uk 42

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RAG’N’BONE MAN Having achieved both critical and commercial success during 2017, the soulful singer set out on an intense European tour to precede a triumphant festive promo run. TPi’s Ste Durham visited Manchester Apollo to meet the new-look crew behind this rapidly rising star.

PRODUCTION PROFILE

After a gruellingly consistent 3.5-week stint on the continent, playing venues of all shapes and sizes, Rag’n’Bone Man and his crew returned to the UK and Ireland for a final run of shows before Christmas. This tour, much like the festival run that preceded it, was masterminded by an allnew production team; handpicked in order to take the artist [also known as Rory Charles Graham] and his live show to the next level, in line with his meteoric rise. Tour Manager, Tobias Iddison, was brought into the fold at the end of January 2017, just as things were ramping up. He began: “I spent the last 6.5 years flip-flopping between Disclosure and Ben Howard on their last 2 album campaigns. The Disclosure boys have been touring solidly, as well as doing DJ sets and organising their festival, so when they decided they were having time off I was free for the first time in years. “My brother works in A&R and he mentioned that Rory was the next hot thing. I loved his music; there’s a real honesty to his songs and for me it’s really important that I like and understand the artist I’m touring with. We can all go out and tour, but this is such an intense job that I think you have to be excited about what you are doing. I reached out to his management and they just so happened to be looking for someone.” While Iddison is no different to many of his contemporaries in that he was keen to honour long-held relationships, the PM also saw his latest venture as a good opportunity to make new connections in the industry. He said: “Neg Earth were already supporting the project and I think that it’s important to reciprocate any backing that companies show to an act early on in their career. They’re investing in Rory as much as we are and have been fantastic throughout, particularly our account handler, Damien Jackson. “This run has been busy, with lots of different scaled touring and promo activity, so to have a lighting supplier we can trust has been invaluable. Rory is so popular that it’s quite reactive; some of the TV stuff in particular is really short notice and Damien has been all over it.” Supplying audio kit and crew for the tour was Nitelites, a company with which Iddison had become well acquainted through his time with Ben Howard. He continued: “This was a relationship that I felt I needed to carry on. Jamie is excellent and they all bend over backwards for me. Our Audio Crew Chief, Tim Wann, has come from Nitelites as well, which has made the

whole process easier.” Iddison contacted Brilliant to supply staging for the band, which was based around minimal, low profile infrastructure that allowed lighting to be shone through underneath. Brilliant supplied custom-built, low profile staging with a gloss black marley top, a matt grey framework and black legs and braces. Much like Rag’n’Bone Man’s first tour, the current European run saw the artist playing a variety of different sized venues, which made balancing the budget with production value an on-going challenge. Iddison commented: “You want to represent the artist well, particularly when there is as much of a buzz around them as there is with Rory, while also keeping an eye on money. That said, Fly By Nite are industry standard and have been my trucking supplier since day dot, so I had to go with them again. “We’ve ended up with 2 very full trucks,” he laughed. “It’s hilarious; front-to-back, floor-to-ceiling packed, but our drivers Chubby and Terry are brilliant. We’ve had a lot of drivers over the years, and a lot would moan about the pack on the truck, but they just get it done.” Iddison also chose his go-to trucking company, Four Seasons, to supply the requisite band and crew busses. For catering, Iddison called in a familiar face in Dagmar Hewell to ensure that his crew remained well nourished, both physically and emotionally. He explained: “Dags has worked on the road for years and she is one of my best mates outside of all this. She’s done all of my projects through Popcorn Catering and now she’s gone out on her own with a new business. This is the first tour she’s done on her own but I needed to have her out here with us. She’s the happiest, loveliest person you could ever want to meet. You could have the worst day and she’ll just give you a cuddle and it makes everything alright!” After Iddison had selected the main technical suppliers, Production Manager Philip ‘Murph’ Murphy was brought in to prepare the crew for the road. He said: “I would have worked with Toby regardless of the tour to be honest but I settled in quite quickly and it’s quite an easy production to manage. It lends itself to any size, and we can adapt it into an A, B or C show. It looks a lot bigger than it is and is versatile day-to-day. “The custom risers from Brilliant can also be adapted, which makes them really easy to set up every day. We’ve changed the rigging plot a few times, this is version 3 I think, but they were only small adjustments and the 45

RAG’N’BONE MAN

Above: LD Nikita Jakolev and FOH Engineer Rob Sadler.

set itself is really simple with no gags or changes throughout.”

line and depth. This is where it should be for this, so naturally your eye will always come across the stage through the band and onto Rory and the band. It’s the hidden details that do this - the lighting structure from the MagicDots on the uprights, for example. Even the eyes of the people in the backdrop and the staging points towards him too.” Despite starting out with quite technically demanding ideas, Potts was soon ushered back to the drawing board by budgetary constraints, which ultimately benefitted the design. He said: “As the quotes came in, and the cuts were made, we finally had to strip it right back to 2 lighting techs and 1 truck. It was pretty much back to the drawing board. Everything went into pre-rig, and the heights and proportions had to change. Everything is linked through the geometry, so if you change the height of an upright then the riser angle has to change. We’ve been touring a 26ft front truss so that all the pre-rig fits in the truck efficiently. “The backdrop became even more important with the cuts and I came up with the concept of having a crowd of Rory’s friends, family, the band, and some of his musical heroes as an audience watching him sing. Everyone really liked the idea and I starting working with Stuart, one of Rory’s Rum Committee members, who creates these really dark kind of caricatures. We got it looking really good together.” Entrusted with taking Potts’ design out on the road was the always affable Nikita Jakolev. Potts explained: “It’s first time I’ve used an operator, well, a friend, in Nikita from the start. It’s a much more creative way of working. I went on tour for a week or two after rehearsals and made changes as the band and I settled into the show and I got everyone happy with the creative. Working this way has also given me time to be involved across all other live performances including loads of broadcast and promo work too. Being involved in the promo has given the campaign some visual consistency and kept everything genuine to Rory and his personality and style, which has been really important.”

SHOW DESIGN Another of Iddision’s long working relationships to make its way onto the Rag’n’Bone Man tour was with Show Designer, Lighting & Show Design Ltd’s Will Potts. “We’ve worked together for a long time on Disclosure,” he explained. “We went through a few different stages in the design side of things, although there was never really a concrete plan. The thing with Rory is that he has strong ideas of his music and how he wants it to come across to the audience. We wanted to encapsulate him and personalise him on stage, rather than making it about a big, flashy production.” The centrepiece of the design was a large, white backdrop that was populated by caricatures of the artist’s friends, family, band members and musical influences. Iddison continued: “It’s a great band and his voice is phenomenal so you don’t want to overproduce it. We decided to just create a rock ‘n’ roll show and let the music do talking. “A lot of acts go big on production because there isn’t an amazing body of work to draw from but this guy has been making music for a long time and has a great back catalogue.” Potts picked up the story: “I’d seen the show a couple of times already and it was great - especially the Brighton homecoming show that I saw - but I actively changed the visual direction for the live campaign.” The abundance of religious and spiritual references in the artist’s lyrics and the gospel references in his sound were hard for Potts to ignore, which led the Show Designer to delve deeper. He explained: “Rory revealed a fascination he has with the afterlife, death and of the soul. I had to find a way of reinforcing this but doing it subliminally, so the structure and proportions of the design are based around sacred geometry - the octagon in particular, which symbolises regeneration, eternal life and totality. “I’ve really kept the focus on Rory and the band with simple converging 46

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RAG’N’BONE MAN

Above: Monitor Engineer, Jamie Tinsley; Production Manager, Philip ‘Murph’ Murphy; Systems Tech, Tim Wann; Tour Manager, Tobias Iddison; Lighting Crew Chief, Martin Garnish.

Jakolev talked through the lighting rig: “We have 5 small trusses with 5 different drapes that are decorated with cartoons of different band members, as well as Rory’s family, friends and musical inspirations. Each truss has 3 SGM Q-7 flares, a Claypaky Scenius Unico and 2 Martin by Harman MAC Vipers. It’s very modular, in that you can drop and move trusses or even just line them up like when you have smaller venues with no rigging points. This makes it easier than having a few bulky trusses. It also works the other way, so we can give all of the trusses a bit of space in Brixton and use wider angles.” Jakolev explained that around 70% of the potential set ran to SMPTE timecode from Ableton, leaving him to operate the song transitions and a couple of tracks manually from his MA Lighting grandMA2 Lite. “It’s a clean and well-timed show,” he continued. “Of course it’s restrained when it needs to be, but it goes big enough in the climactic moments to support the band, as they are the focus. He is lit with 2 MAC Vipers from front truss and some MAC Auras on the side, but he doesn’t really enjoy the spotlight as it makes it difficult for him to see the audience. “He likes that interaction. Originally we had some extra moles and audience light but the rig has been streamlined since. When he wants to see them I just grab a bunch of lights from the rig and put them out into the audience in the transitions. Sometimes I’ll just chuck the house lights up every little helps to bring the brightness up.” As well as the Scenius Unicos, Viper Profiles and Performances, and Q-8 flares, the rig was completed by Chroma-Q Color Forces to light the drapes and floor, Ayrton MagicDots and a number of generic 2-lites filling in the gaps.

In addition to its 2-truck footprint, the minimal nature of Potts’ design also meant that Jakolev did not have to fight with any LED panels during the show. He commented: “You don’t have to stick everything at 100%, which means you can play with intensities a bit more and light the show without having to shout at people. World On Fire, for example, is a very subtle song with only a few lights, and I’d never win that battle with a big wall of LED behind him.” Another late addition to the tour was Lighting Crew Chief, Martin Garnish, who joined in October 2017. He detailed some of the intricacies of the lighting rig: “The 5 small trusses are arranged in an arc that matches up with the risers below and towers in between. Rehearsals in Millennium Studios were a bit of a squeeze so we shuffled and got to a place where it is usable, but the venues still change as well. For example, the Sala Apollo in Barcelona was so small that we had to forgo the flown rig altogether. “That said, everything is pre-rigged so it’s just a case of getting it jigged about or cut down. Will and Nikita are both aware of the challenges we face and they’ve been very understanding of Bianca Mastroianni and I and what we have to do.” “We had a minor issue with one of the fixtures today but that’s the first time in 3 or 4 weeks. Considering the mileage we’ve done, I think we’ve been quite lucky. Plus I know that Neg are a phone call away and will always be there to support.” Show Designer Potts echoed support for the lighting supplier, and Jackson in particular. He said: “It’s my first show with Neg Earth and I am really impressed with the set up there and the service there. Damo has been great support, however last-minute the request, and there was never 48

RAG’N’BONE MAN

any real problems. He continued: “Bullet at Brilliant has done an excellent job on my custom risers as well. It’s been really good to be part of the touring team while musical and stage direction changes could still be made. The whole touring team are a really lovely group of people, which is important for me.” GOSPEL SOUNDS FOH Engineer Rob Sadler was brought on board by Iddison at the start of festival season, “It was a bit of a whirlwind with a lot of throw-and-go, so pre-production really helped to ensure it was as it should be from day one,” he began. Nitelites provided an L-Acoustics K2 system for the main hangs, with KS28 subs, and boxes of ARCs and KARA for lip fills. The company also provided a DiGiCo SD7 at FOH with TC Electronic M4000 reverbs, an Empirical Labs Distressor and a BSS by Harman DPR-901. Sadler commented: “It’s nothing too fancy, but the backline gear is brilliant and the band are great, so it’s sounding good before it even comes to the console. It’s a joy to mix them.” As well as the traditional drums, bass, and guitar, the other risers were occupied by a respectably stocked keyboard world, a brass section made up of trumpet and trombone, and a backing vocalist. The band visited Cato Music to rehearse prior to the tour, before going into full production rehearsals at Millennium Studios. Sadler explained: “The band make the songs sound so different to how they do on the album but I love it. I’ve just been trying to mix responsibly, for both the audience and myself, usually sitting somewhere between 90 and 102 dBA. A lot of the dynamics, again, is coming from them on stage, so I’m not riding a whole lot. “Tim [Wann, Systems Tech] gives me a great platform to mix on every day by spending ages tuning the system. It’s tempting to mix too loud with a big PA but I don’t want to ruin anything. The set is very dynamic so it naturally gives the audience a break from the loud points.” Wann, who joined the crew in May 2017, added: “With the trucks packed as tight as they are, the K2 is a good system to have. It’s easily deployable, quick to rig and doesn’t take up to much space. It’s kind of that point in between that gives you the option of adding other enclosures to complement it. I can deploy the KS28’s left and right, depending on venue, 50

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RAG’N’BONE MAN

Above: The backdrop features caricatures of the artist’s friends, family, band members and musical heroes.

but most of the time I like to do a broadside or at least have something in the middle to disperse that alley that you get. “You also have the availability within LA12Xs to utilise LA Network Manager for array morphing, and FIR filters and Lake processors over the top for quick and easy EQing and balancing of the system on a little tablet. Overall the system has been performing well and Rob’s really happy.”

He explained: “The mic we were using was fine but I was constantly looking for something that had a really good low end, smooth top, and was just tighter overall. Shure sent over the KSM9HS, which has a really tight pickup pattern, and as soon as we tried it both Rory and myself fell in love with it.” As well as finding the right bit of kit and coaching the artist on his mic etiquette whenever possible, Tinsley had another trick up his sleeve though some of the other crew weren’t necessarily with him on the ground floor. “I kind of get the piss taken out of me for it but I’ve wanted drum screens with every artist I’ve worked with,” he smiled. “It’s a godsend and turns any stage into close-to-studio-quality mixes. Everything tightens up, and you can still add your own reverbs afterwards to create the space and depth. “I’ve wanted it all year and, although everyone said it would look stupid, a couple of weeks ago Toby turned round and said: ‘Do you know what Jamie, we might try a drum screen tomorrow’. “I was over the fucking moon, I lost my shit!” He laughed. “We also added a guitar screen to account for the fact that the cabs are higher and facing in at Rory from the risers. As soon as the screens went in Rory’s eyes lit up and he was really pleased, as was everyone else. I finally got my screens!” Despite having only specified a DiGiCo SD10 for the tour, Tinsley was presented with the company’s flagship console, the SD7, for the European run. He said: “It was daunting at first, particularly lugging it around, but after a couple of weeks I started to love it. The workflow is just so fast; I can see and do so much at the same time. Even the meters across the top have become something I want to have all the time going forward. I think I’d even struggle to use an SD5 now!”

VOCAL PERFORMANCE When it came to dealing with the artist’s gargantuan vocals, Sadler and Monitor Engineer Jamie Tinsley worked together to ensure that the sound remained consistent no matter what size the venue was. Sadler said: “We had all of the festivals and pre-production to listen to the content so now it’s just a case of maintaining that stability. In any gig like this, the vocal should be the priority. No one is going to complain if the second snare drum sounds off but the vocals have to be there from the first word.” The engineer continued: “Rory’s mic technique has improved massively and he trusts us. He works really well with Jamie, who tries to give him plenty of advice. Working with him is great. He’s a brilliant monitor engineer, which makes the band play great, and means I get to mix a great band.” Tinsley gave his thoughts: “Rory is absolutely amazing. He is so down to earth and just… himself. He’s easy to mix for - in fact whole band is - and they all get on very well. It’s a massive playground!” Everyone on stage made use of Shure PSM1000 IEM, with the addition of a ‘butt-kicker’ for drums, a shaker plate for the bass player, and SB28 subwoofers at the side of stage. Tinsley continued: “They are all pretty conventional mixes. Rory’s is basically a FOH mix, sometimes with less of a particular instrument if it’s playing a different rhythm and could throw him off. Other than that he just has the vocal way up on top with loads of reverb; he loves reverb! The keys player, who is also our MD, likes everything loud and loads of brass on top. He has the brass even louder than his own keys!” The one problem that Tinsley faced since his introduction was the excessive bleed that came from the drum kit, which at this point was situated slightly off centre.

THE LAST WORD As promised, the show was polished, intimate and genuine to the core. Potts’ minimalist show design in particular established a mood quickly, before ebbing and flowing with the man mountain’s soulful performance and allowing the band’s effortless class to take centre stage. PM Murph summed it up best: “I think this tour has been a breath of fresh air to fans and crew alike. I think people appreciate coming to a show 52

RAG’N’BONE MAN

of this level and being able to just listen to a great band and a great singer - that’s it. I’ve done lots of stuff with video but I’m waiting for someone to use video in a different way, rather than just pretty colours and shapes on a screen.” As well as being a pleasant change for Murph, the glowing review of the show - in his eyes - came from elsewhere. “I’ve been married of 27 years and my wife has seen pretty much everything I’ve done,” he explained. “She came to the show last night and completely flipped. She said it was one of the best things she’s ever seen and, to me, that says it all.” Given Rag’n’Bone Man’s seemingly relentless ascent to the heights pop stardom, the next challenge for the crew must surely be figuring out how to preserve the artist’s humility and raw talent in the country’s largest venues. Murph reassured TPi that it wasn’t a matter of how, but when: “He is great and has a good way with the crowd, so it’s just a case of making that jump. At the end of the day he’s a nice guy - a normal guy - but he’s just got this fucking incredible voice!” He added: “Part of my thought process was that this job certainly had legs. We’re doing 2 and 3 nights in these places on this tour, so he’s touching on arenas already. “This time out we’ve had a good, solid show and a great crew. Will has done an amazing job because this is only 2 trucks and looks like it’s way more. That’s quite a clever thing to do, and it demonstrates that a show can be more than just the sum of its parts.” TPi Photos: Luke Dyson, Shirlaine Forrest and TPi www.ragnbonemanmusic.com www.l-s-d.design www.negearth.com www.nitelites.co.uk www.brilliantstages.com www.flybynite.co.uk www.fourseasonstravel.co.uk

Above: Show Designer Will Potts.

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

ORBITAL A pair of special shows in the UK marked the end of a successful year for the acid house pioneers, and laid the foundations for an even busier one to follow. TPi’s Ste Durham paid the crew a visit on site in Manchester.

The electronic dance duo, otherwise known as brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll, followed a successful run of summer shows with 2 exclusive performances at Manchester’s O2 Apollo on London’s Eventim Apollo on 1 and 2 December 2017, respectively, following a limited festival run. This resurgence comes after a 5-year hiatus, and has laid promising foundations for a more substantial tour in the near future. As the band was preparing to return to the stage, one of their first ports of call was long-time LD Jonny Gaskell. He began: “I recommended Jamie [Young, Tour & Production Manager] and I always work with Haydn Cruickshank at Colour Sound Experiment – they’ve provided lights, video and lasers. I like to surround myself with people I have worked with for years - we’re a small team but we’re tight and we work well together.” Young picked up the story: “I’ve been working with Groove Armada for 20 years and have crossed paths quite a few times with a lot of these guys. We’ve done 9 or 10 festivals over the summer and then after these 2 UK shows the guys are back in the studio. The plan is to go back out in the summer with a similar production rider to what we have here, perhaps adapted for festival situations. He went on to discuss the tour’s suppliers: “I’ve worked with Colour Sound during my time with Groove Armada and Jonny has such a good rapport with them already. “Hammersmith has an in-house audio system from SSE so we’re taking the control package from them for that show. For Manchester we are using Stage Audio Services, Kevin Mobers has got his crew in for the full system and control and it has worked really well on both shows. For the risers we got Rob Stanley from ZEROdB in to build a system for the new look we

have. In London we brought in our old friends Trigger & Jeff Singh from TJ Production services to supply the stage hands. “On the transport side, I have worked with Robert Hewett & Will Johns at Stage Truck ever since I’ve been doing this; I even drove for them briefly back in the day. They’re great guys. Also Paul Hattin at Phoenix Bussing I have a long history with as well. Normally we’d use Mary Shelley-Smith at Eat To The Beat for all our catering requirements but due to the nature of these shows we have Eat To The Beat in London and Bittersweet Catering here in Manchester, as well as Dominic Crux from bmerch supplying the merchandise on both dates as well. He concluded: “The plan is to keep the crew together moving forward but that’s always been my vibe anyway. With Groove Armada, the crew and band was one unit that stayed solid over the years and that’s what I want here with Orbital. Personally I wouldn’t have it any other way.” PRODUCTION DESIGN According to LD Gaskell, the approach for this pair of performances was to design an immersive lighting and video environment for the band to perform in, positioning them within the video content, “thus creating a perceived 3D space around them”. He continued: “The idea was to situate them in the visual world, creating depth with them sat up in the content. We used to have projection but the LED we have now can also serve as a light source; though I’ve kept away from the more modern graphic looks that everyone else has. The old content we have reused works, looking a bit grainy rather than everything being super sharp. 55

ORBITAL

“It maintains the retro style and more importantly fits with them as a band. We’re just using the best stuff with the odd new thing added for a shot in the arm as it were. A lot of the content is film footage that has grain to it anyway, and the content immediately has that look to it that screams Orbital. “I’m very much of the view that projection doesn’t cut it once the lights are going on. You end up scaling back everything to suit the video, but you can always turn the brightness down on the LED. I feel like you get more out of it in the show and it just seems like a no-brainer now it has come down in price so much.” Gaskell’s rather restrained lighting rig was used to augment the colours of the video content and project them out into the audience. He commented: “It’s one of the smallest lighting rigs I’ve had to be honest, but I don’t really need to keep throwing stuff at it. The festival shows have given me the ability to hone down what I really need and it’s quite considered in that respect. I’ve also added 4 RTI NEO SIX RGB laser bars, which are DMX controlled and come up on the desk like a moving light. I only use them on 3 or 4 songs but they are a great addition.” The rig consisted of 26 Robe Pointes, 24 Claypaky B-EYE K20’s, 23 Stormy CC strobes, and 24 2-lite molefays, as well as 2 smoke machines, 2 hazers and 8 mirror balls. The LD made use of his own Chamsys setup with 2 extra wings for show control. Flown above the band were 2 screens that measured 2.88m wide x 1.73m high and another that was 5.76m wide x 1.73m high, both of which consisted of 6mm LED panels. Three back screens measuring 5m wide x 4m high, this time made up of 7mm LED product, supplemented the video ‘ceiling’, while a pair of 2.88m wide x 1.73m high 6mm LED screens and another standing 5.76m wide x 1.73m high, also 6mm, were deployed as floor screens in front of the band riser. This riser stood 16m wide x 12m deep x 1.75m high and was situated midstage centre. Gaskell explained: “The lighting is flown following the curves of the overhead video screens to accentuate their shape, combined with a floor lighting package, which achieves the same contours. We were going to have a load of LED strips as trim around all of the video but it would have made the rigging process a lot more complicated than it needed to be. We simply used two rows of the pixels to frame the screens instead.” “Next year we might plumb the video into timecode but that might mean new content getting made. Tom [Harding, Video Director] is doing a good job running live at the moment and I quite like that ability to grab anything and react to the audience, rather than it just being what it is night after night. I’ve never believed that one show fits all. Timecoding the video might be good to absolutely nail certain parts, but I think that it may be a case of picking our battles.”

VIDEO It was at an Orbital show in 2002 that Harding was afforded a glimpse of what he originally thought was the unattainable zenith of his chosen profession. He said: “I was VJing then anyway, and I remember thinking that is what I want to be doing, but it’s so far out of my league. In that time I’ve worked with lots of bands and become well known on the festival scene, which has eventually led me here.” In fact it was touring with another electronic duo - Germany’s Booka Shade - that saw Harding recommended for this new venture. “I was over the moon and it’s great working with people you’ve grown up listening to. They’re one of my favourite acts of all time and the crew have been amazing as well. “It’s certainly surreal to be mixing shows with similar content to the shows that I was admiring as a fan, decades ago,” he smiled. “I’ve approached the show from a very ‘VJ’ point of view, only having begun work with them this year. “Coming completely fresh they’ve really welcomed me in and it’s been such a nice experience, particularly given that I can actually VJ rather than just setting up screens and watching them go. The band and crew have allowed me to put my work into the show each night and that has made a real difference.”

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ORBITAL

Above: FOH Engineer, Noel ‘Rickey’ Ricketts.

He continued: “We’ve been running the shows all summer on a Green Hippo V4 Hippotizer. We needed a system that could be very flexible with whatever screen setup we encountered, and the V4 makes this very simple. I control the Hippo with a Novation Launch Control XL, and this gives me access to everything I need to keep the visuals looking great throughout the set.” Despite the fact that video technology has come on leaps and bounds since Orbital’s humble beginnings, visual content has always been a significant aspect of their live offering. Harding went on to point out that a great deal of the content used over the two shows in December would even be recognisable to those in attendance at the duo’s seminal Glastonbury set in 1994. “The backbone of the show has morphed slowly and organically from ‘94 into the show we have now. I provided some content for the new songs that have never been performed live before, Phuk and Tiny Foldable Cities, and some tracks have no visuals at all. This allows the lights take over and almost cleanse the palate for some of the more content-heavy songs like Satan. Overall I think it’s a nice mix.”

Although Harding was more than familiar with the duo’s music and visual content when he took the job, he remained wary of trying to produce work that was a carbon copy of the visual output of his predecessor. He said: “I’ve been trying to stick to old school vibe but it has certainly been modernised. LED screens are everywhere now but in the old days it would have been far too expensive to do a show of this size. The guys are very passionate about content and the look of each track.” He continued: “We certainly didn’t want to end up with any overly crisp visuals, which was the reason we didn’t use the video I created for Copenhagen; it would have disrupted the overall aesthetic.” Although making the new content work convincingly with the old content wasn’t easy, Harding ensured that as much legwork as possible was done in preparation for the brace of shows. He commented: “While the setup we have here is full HD, 1920 x 1088 pixels [and even that has been scaled down from the original spec], the content is still low resolution. Mainly we are very happy with it and pre-production has looked really good.” With one eye on the potential tour to follow in 2018, Harding admitted

ORBITAL

Above: Backline Tech, Alex Bailey; LD, Jonny Gaskell; Tour & Production Manager, Jamie Young; Video Director, Tom Young.

that he and the team had already begun toying with the idea of adding live cameras to supplement the existing video content. He explained: “One of the reasons we’ve mentioned cameras is that the band use so much gear on stage and we want to show the audience that they are not DJing. They’ve already adopted A-frames for their kit on stage, which is a start at revealing a bit more of what’s going on up there. Software like Notch that works well to process live video footage could be something else we’ll look at. It’s just about trying to do something that complements the show, rather than just adding cheap tricks for the sake of it.” ACID AUDIO When veteran FOH Engineer Noel ‘Rickey’ Ricketts was asked to join the crew in May 2017, his first impulse was to find a way of mixing the show with analogue gear. He said: “All the festival slots we had were as headliners and it was fairly easy to get all the kit I needed so Jamie asked all of the local production for each event to supply a Midas H3000, 6 DBX 160’s, 2 Summit Audio DCL200’s, a TC Electronic M3000, and a TC D2. I don’t use much in the way of effects out front as the boys do most of that from stage. “I mainly use the M3000 reverb for the Roland 303 when the boys are firing the acid sounds. I put the D2 on Phil’s vocal when he introduces them on stage, using a Shure SM58. They used to have a mixing console on stage with them but now they have 3 Novation Launch Control XLs, which gives them 24 faders to play with for sending effects and level changes. “It makes me mix like an old school engineer, pushing and ducking the way you’re supposed to on an analogue desk. I loved doing that when I started many years ago so it feels great to do it again now. I’ve done so many bands where you put your key in your digital desk and everything is set up to go with scene changes and so on; it’s a bit soul destroying.” He continued: “I know it’s an old saying but analogue desks really do sound warmer, particularly given that Orbital have a lot of analogue kit on stage. Even the companies who’ve been supplying the desks have said it’s reminded them how good they sound! I think we’ve become a bit desensitised to the clarity of digital, but that’s not the way it should sound.” 59

ORBITAL

Backline Tech, Alex Bailey, originally worked with Paul Hartnoll on his solo project and, given the fact that he and Hartnoll made up the entire crew, had to devise a system that was as versatile as it was portable. He explained: “The setup we have on stage here is basically an augmented version of the system that Paul and I originally devised. We’re using Lemur on iPads to provide quantised launches of clips and scenes, and to mute and unmute things, thus creating a live and dynamic arrangement on the fly. We are also using Albleton 9 - around a couple of thousand tracks in total - and there’s often 500 different directions that the session could go at any one point in time. He continued: “A lot of stuff can be used between tracks as well. For example, we sampled Paul’s actual 909, which he is quite particular about, instead of carrying it. We were able to slim down a lot by using that methodology. “Everything that comes out of Ableton is split into 32 channels that geos to FOH, which Rickey uses to mix the show. Their stage mix is just one stereo mix but they are in full control of the IEMs and wedges.” Having separate audio suppliers for each of the 2 shows also meant that Rickey had a different system to play with each night; an L-Acoustics V-DOSC setup in Manchester and K2 in London. Each show maintained the same setup when it came to subwoofers and fills; with L-Acoustics subs left, right and on the stage lip, with some additional boxes flown underneath the main PA. Prior to the festival run, Rickey spent a few days in the studio listening

to and EQ’ing each of the tracks in Ableton so he could pick out certain nuances in the songs and make sure his life was as easy as possible when he arrived on site. He said: “Now I know I can focus on gains and faders because all of my EQs are essentially flat. I’ve known them long enough to know what they’re pushing on stage and compensate accordingly. It gives them an amount of control, which I like, and still allows me to be reactive. “It’s quite consistent in terms of dynamics, basically because it’s dance music, but the show definitely has that impact, particularly in the drums and bass.” TPi Photos: Shirlaine Forrest and TPi www.orbitalofficial.com www.pinnacleproductions.co.uk www.backroomproductions.co.uk www.coloursound.com www.jolt-media.co.uk www.sseaudiogroup.com www.stageaudioservices.com www.zerodblive.com www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.stagetruck.com www.bittersweetcatering.co.uk www.globalinfusiongroup.com/gig-eat-to-the-beat 60

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IN PROFILE

ALLEN & HEATH:

50 YEARS OF PRO AUDIO EXPERTISE TPi’s Kel Murray ventures to the edge of England to find out how this mixing console manufacturer has become a unique British R&D hub, taken up residency in the international touring market with its flagship dLive, and become part of the prestigious Audiotonix family, as explained by MD Rob Clark and Live & Touring specialist, Léon Phillips.

It’s been a mere couple of weeks since Allen & Heath’s Rob Clark began his new position as MD at the company he’s worked for since 1993. Over the past 25 years, it seems his dedication has only grown stronger, a theme we’d see repeatedly during our time in the rural seaside town of Penryn, Cornwall. He began: “I was researching DSP (Digital Signal Processing) as a postgrad student and began working at Allen & Heath. The primary task was to work out how we could make a cost-effective digital mixer. Allen & Heath was quick to grasp the potential for digital mixers, and we’d been watching closely as companies like Neve released very expensive digital consoles for a small clientele, so we embarked on a long-term mission to develop

the team and technologies to bring the benefits of digital mixing to our customers. “Back then, we were part of Harman so it was really helpful to have such vast audio knowledge at our fingertips. While I was a research engineer, I was able to visit other Harman companies and learn from the likes of Lexicon, Soundcraft and dbx for example. Once that research had come to an end, I stayed at Allen & Heath because I loved working here.” The company embarked on designing digital mixers and Clark became a Design Engineer within its R&D department. Over the years, he worked on various product ranges as part of a close-knit team, reinforcing the notion that Allen & Heath tends to see career-spanning longevity from its staff. In 62

ALLEN & HEATH

Opposite & below: The dLive S7000. Below: MD Rob Clark; Leon Phillips, Live Sound & Touring; Some of the younger team members from the diverse R&D Dept.

2008, Clark became the manufacturer’s R&D Director during a time when the company was truly accelerating into the realms of digital mixing. “At that point we had just launched iLive, which was a key milestone on the long journey into mainstream digital mixing. It’s easy to forget how disruptive iLive was when it first appeared on the scene. To use an over-used phrase, having a fully featured digital mixer at its price was a real game-changer. Taking what we learned from iLive, we went on to launch the more compact GLD and Qu series, each time finding the right way to reach a wider audience.” Clark led the development of Allen & Heath’s current flagship dLive series, building on everything the company had learned from its previous digital mixers. He said: “dLive was the next big technology leap for us. We took the decision to make the step up from DSP to a much more powerful, configurable FPGA platform, based around our XCVI core. This allows us to increase the sample rate to 96kHz, and double the number of channels and mixes. The way we implemented DSP in FPGA was through discrete mini-processor blocks - this lets us do cool things like embedding accurate compressor and equaliser models directly within the channels. We have also pushed ahead with the user interface and workflows, taking a fresh look at the interaction between the user, the physical controls and the

screens. We have a shared fascination with watching and listening to how audio engineers use the technology, and we’re very proud of the frequent feedback we get on how easy and enjoyable our mixers are to use. If the engineer can’t quickly and calmly grab the control they need, then you’ve missed the mark. “We recently revealed our latest digital series, SQ. I guess the ambition with SQ follows a familiar theme. How do we take some of the advances we’ve made with dLive and make them accessible to the wider market of small and medium AV and PA rentals, houses of worship and venues? The challenge is always to maintain the quality and the user experience. So far, the feedback suggests we got the balance right with SQ.” Clark’s new title was previously held by Glenn Rogers, who led the company for over 30 years. It was in fact his encouragement and passion that enabled Allen & Heath to become a global player in touring consoles, but also his historical mentoring of Clark, which has allowed the company to be in the position it’s in today. He continued: “When I first met Glenn, he was the Head of R&D, and in a way, he never really left R&D; he’s so passionate about it. He was always driving conceptual designs and getting very involved in the technologies being developed. I’ve tried to follow in his footsteps, and I think that R&D focus is an important part of who we are as a company and as a brand.” 63

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Phillips and the SXSW crew; Allen & Heath descend on Austin’s inner city music festival once a year where the crew offer tech support to new bands and visiting engineers as a part of its commitment to international support. Opposite: The SQ-5, a new generation in Allen & Heath mixing desks.

Walking around the new HQ building, which was redeveloped in 2017 Clark added: “You’ve got to provide engineers with the right career to provide a more spacious, creative environment for the team, there path and have people at every level, creating a wide spectrum. I’m very are rooms upon rooms of R&D engineers working on various projects, fortunate that we have the right group of people, with the right skill base to with specific skillsets behind each door. Mazes of coding, renders and carry us into the future.” prototypes lurk around every corner. The age ranges of the team vary A recent chapter for the company as a whole was its move into the wildly, as do their accents, and it seems as though Allen & Heath attracts Audiotonix fold, a group of mixing console manufacturers that also people from all over the UK, if not further afield, to live in this quiet, includes DiGiCo, Calrec and newest addition, Solid State Logic. “It’s worked seagull-laden town. really well,” he stated. “We’ve worked closely with Neil Hooper, who is our Assuming it’s not the Cornish pasty van Group Technology Officer across all Audiotonix currently pulled up in the car park that’s keeping companies. Neil visits regularly and gets to know the team here, there must be a secret to why so all the engineers and their skills, which allows many have decided to commit to maintaining all the companies to benefit from the broader the company’s legacy. “I’m really proud that group’s technical knowledge and resources you’ve noticed that,” smiled Clark. “This when needed. The result is a very creative and genuinely is a hub for people who are passionate supportive environment that adds increased about audio and who are driven by technology. value to all our developments, whilst allowing Being in Cornwall and enjoying a great quality each company to still retain their own very of life helps. We’re at the centre of a vibrant distinct brand and product identities. Having global industry, but once we leave work we can this support and input from Neil and also James be on the beach in 15 minutes, not stuck in the Gordon (Audiotonix CEO), ensures we keep a “dLive has an amazing feature rush hour. You don’t hear people complaining keen focus on creating the best solutions for our about their awful commute or boring job. It’s an core product markets and clients”. set and performance for its inspiring place to be, and I think that spirit and Léon Phillips, Live Sound & Touring specialist, price. We really listened to many passion translates into the products we make was a Product Manager at Allen & Heath from and the way we interact with our customers.” 2001-2014, covering the life cycle of its live and helpful people after iLive and With such an impressive history of product install mixing products, and, as is the norm with built on what was already a lines, Allen & Heath has clearly benefitted from its multi-talented staff, he was involved in the some great minds over the years, and what’s design, roll-out, training, sales and customer great sounding product.” been evident is the importance of building an support in all territories. In short, he got to Léon Phillips, R&D team that lends itself to a wide spectrum of know the products and their users very well. “I Live Sound & Touring Specialist people and talent. took a very hands-on approach to getting the 64

ALLEN & HEATH

consoles accepted in the marketplace by working with early adopters, providing worldwide training, product support and tour support,” he said. “As Allen & Heath expanded its Product Marketing department, in 2014 I moved into a new external relations role, specialising in the Live Sound Touring sector. I now focus chiefly on the dLive series and the larger format systems.” This remit allows Phillips to make sure engineers get a good opportunity to try the console in real-world situations, wherever they are based. “As dLive gathers momentum, I am speaking to a lot of engineers who are looking at speccing the system for upcoming tours. Sometimes it’s a case of understanding exactly what they’re looking to do and suggesting a system that fits their needs, other times it’s a question of making connections with rental partners across the globe. Communication is key for manufacturers; taking an interest in how it’s going on tours and trying to visit production rehearsals or a show day, or at least arrange for our specialised distribution partners worldwide to do that, is vital. We take engineer feedback and suggestions and use this to help shape future firmware / product releases. We also have an open-door policy at Allen & Heath HQ, which is always a good opportunity for a pasty and a pint, [we may have even tried a pasty at this point!] and I simply keep listening to what people want and what they need.” “dLive has an amazing feature set and performance for its price. We really listened to many helpful people after iLive and built on what was already a great sounding product, to make a console that can handle world touring, and any size of production from rack-only systems, compact flypacks, interconnected surfaces, and expandable I/O and remote controls. In many cases, there is no need to look to external processing as dLive is stuffed with world-class emulations of classic processing without any latency penalties,” he concluded. Allen & Heath has indeed gained momentous traction with live sound engineers over the past few years, particularly since the arrival of the dLive desks. Clark elaborated: “We tend to think in terms of systems rather than mixers, so the control surface is just one part of a much wider family of apps, software, expanders, audio networking options, remote controllers

and so on. As engineers get deeper into dLive, it has been exciting to see how they have embraced the possibilities to do things like setting the band up with our ME personal mixers, or building a fly-in system around our little IP remotes. And it doesn’t stop here. We’re opening another R&D room to keep developing the system and keep on delivering the exciting new features that our community is asking for.” And with 50 years of success in tow, it seems the Allen & Heath customer community knows best. Find Allen & Heath at The NAMM Show in Anaheim, 25-28 January. TPi www.allen-heath.com

ALLEN & HEATH

WHAT THE END USERS SAY... BEN HAMMOND – FOH ENGINEER – DON BROCO & AT THE DRIVE IN “I might be a little bit biased as I was involved with dLive from very early on, and actually got to mix the first ever show on a very early beta version. Yet I think the reason I got on with it so well from the start is how incredibly user friendly it is, while not compromising its musicality or sound quality. For me, it’s by far the most flexible surface on the market, whether it’s the completely customisable fader layers, the tonnes of short keys, or assignable widgets on the screen - you can make this desk do exactly what you need it to do. Muscle memory mixing is so important to me; I want to be look at the show, not a screen. I want the right things under the right fingers. The on-board effects are utterly stunning too, as

are the wealth of comps, pre-amps, EQs; this desk does it all. Even with the tiny footprint, there is still a physical control for everything. “I have always preferred the Allen & Heath sound for the kind of bands I mix, which tends to be heavier rock. You can hit it hard and really push the desk like an old analogue console, but with all the benefits of digital one. I want to create an all-encompassing experience that the audience feels involved in. The effects, along with the incredible headroom and imaging that the dLive gives an engineer, is the key to achieving this - I never want to mix a show on any other console.”

MIKE WOODHOUSE – FOH ENGINEER – FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES “Allen & Heath have outdone themselves with the new dLive series. I’ve been searching for a desk that has that extra layer of intuition to it so I can spend far less time trying to figure out how to set up and navigate around the desk, more time having fun mixing! The preamps are quite simply, fantastic. I A/B’d a dLive S5000 with another respectable desk manufacturer using a multitrack I had, and soloed the bass track with no processing on either desk to hear the pre-amp straight from the source. The result was astonishing. “The extra sonic fundamentals I could hear within the dLive system when compared, was ridiculous. It was from that moment I knew this desk was operating on a different level of pro audio. Touring the desk with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes only confirmed this further. The depth and clarity I was getting from my mix never failed to surprise me at every

show. Combined with the on-board effects, my mix was sounding exactly how I intended it to sound. The plug-in features within the console are also excellent reducing that inherent lust for outboard. “Allen & Heath have released the DBX16T compressor plug-in, which when pushed, sounds just how you’d expect an original DBX160 unit to sound. There’s also a multiband EQ / compressor on every channel, should you want it. Not to mention the Roland RE201 Allen & Heath have modelled… With the touch and turn feature on that plug-in catching those dub style delay throws are a lot of fun. I think with the abundance of features this console has to offer and how straightforward it is to use, it means this desk is quickly becoming one that every live engineer wants to road test - just to see what the fuss about!”

GARETH OWEN – THEATRE SOUND SYSTEM DESIGNER “Individual foldback mixers for musicians have been an industry standard in musical theatre going back over 20 years. When I first started out we used to use Formula Sound products, later followed by OtzTronics, and more recently Aviom; indeed, Aviom A-16’s have been - and continue to be - a staple of theatre orchestra pits for years. Having used the same Aviom A-16 mixers on my shows for well over a decade, my team and I set out to find a newer, more modern solution. “We looked at multiple products from multiple vendors and eventually happened across the Allen & Heath ME-1 system. This turned out to be streets ahead of any other products we had played with, not just in terms of features but with regard to sound quality. We quickly adopted

these, driving them from the Avid Venue mixing consoles as we had previously. “More recently, we looked at what to do with regards to the monitor desks we use to drive the headphone mixers, and, having had such great results with the ME-1’s, we again looked at other Allen & Heath products to drive them. It turned out that the DM64 offered the perfect coupling to our FOH desk of choice (the Avid S6L) and our existing ME-1 units. The combination of flexibility and power in a single rack mount box was exactly what we needed and allowed us to do away with the control surface.” 66

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CMY

19/12/2017

09:24

IN PROFILE

PHOENIX BUSSING

Opposite: Phoenix Bussing’s Sean Gerrard, Andy Gray and Stewart Scott.

PHOENIX BUSSING CELEBRATES 30 YEARS ON THE ROAD

Romsey, UK, is home to Phoenix Bussing, a leader in European tour bus services for the entertainment industry. With 30 years on the tarmac under its belt, TPi’s Stew Hume paid the company a visit on this landmark anniversary.

It’s safe to assume most of you reading this article will be more than familiar with the signature green tour busses of the Phoenix fleet. Whether you’ve seen them parked outside a venue - or even called one home away from home - Phoenix Bussing has been an integral part of the live events industry for the last 3 decades. From humble beginnings in a tiny garage in the New Forest circa 1988, the founding members grew the business to its current fleet of 31 top-of-the-line doubledecker vehicles. Ultra-high standards have seen these homes on wheels chauffeur the likes of Lady Gaga, Muse and Madonna to name but a few. With an impressive list of clients in tow, the company is looking towards a new era, as long-serving Operations Manager, Paul Hattin, reaches his retirement. In his absence, Andy Gray, Sean Gerrard and Stewart Scott will take Phoenix into its next chapter. Phoenix prides itself on keeping up with new developments in automotive technology while continuing to invest in innovations that make life on the road as comfortable as possible. This has been at the forefront of the company ethos since the early days, as Hattin explained. “Our first few vehicles were actually built by the drivers as there was a real decline in quality busses.” From there, Phoenix continued to grow. Bands and crew who rode on a Phoenix bus in the ‘80s would be dumfounded at the luxury experienced in 2018. Some of the most recent additions include a new cinema and music streaming system, allowing passengers to stream movies to their iOS and Android devices anywhere in the vehicle, and to wirelessly push music to the sound systems in the lounge areas. Hattin continued: “Our current fleet includes 31 Setra S431 DT double-deckers but we are introducing the new Model 5 next year.” There will be 20 of the new buses on order in 2018 [to be shared between Phoenix and Beat the Street,

which acquired Phoenix in August 2011]. Reflecting on his own time in the industry, Hattin recalled his highlights during the company’s 30-year history. “It’s a cliché but there really are too many to mention!” he said. “Taking buses into Russia in 1989 for Paul Simon’s Graceland tour sticks out, as it was during the Perestroika and Glasnost era. It certainly led to some interesting challenges. We’ve also been lucky enough to work with artists such as Lady Gaga, who started with 1 bus on a support tour, and grew into a 14-bus stadium production.” Hattin also placed winning a 2014 TPi Award for industry-voted favourite transportation company - which stands pride of place in the company’s leisure room - among his career-defining moments. As of this year, Hattin is set to hand over the torch. “Andy and Sean have been with the company for years, both starting as drivers in 2007,” he commented. “Andy started in the office in 2010 with Sean joining us just over 2 years ago. Stewart is our newest addition and has been with us for 18 months, yet has several years’ experience within the industry and has done a great job so far.” Taking the conversational baton, Gray discussed plans for 2018. “Paul has been such a fixture at the company and will be sorely missed both in the office and by our clients. For the last year we have been working towards this transition with the 3 of us disseminating Paul’s clients. He is no longer quoting on shows, and is free to enjoy his retirement! All 3 of us in the office will share the work equally, quoting tours and looking after our individual clients with everything from route planning and ferry bookings. With this new setup, Gray will also take on the role of Office Manger.” Looking to the future, Gray unveiled some of Phoenix’s initiatives, which go beyond new fleet additions: “We are also looking at bringing in new 69

PHOENIX BUSSING

Below: Phoenix Bussing carpentry team responsible for the fleets interior; The in-house mechanics; The office team hard at work preparing for the new year.

drivers.” He continued: “There’s a saying in the industry - even if you have process remained an in-house task wherever possible. This includes a crappy bus, a driver can really make a tour. Now, I would say our vehicles a dedicated team of mechanics, carpenters, electricians and even an are top-of-the-line but that’s no reason why we shouldn’t also have the best upholstery department. “Tastes are always changing and it’s important quality drivers.” Ensuring those new to the company are staying on course for us to stay ahead of the curve in the look of our buses,” mused Gray. The has always been an interesting dilemma for the Phoenix team. “Last year we company’s modern look is down to designer-extraordinaire Rob Meek. trialled a new scheme to train prospective drivers,” stated Gray, explaining “We usually throw a few ideas around the office in terms of designs and ask the brainchild of Sean Gerrard. A group of 8 prospective drivers were taken clients who use the vehicles throughout the year for feedback. Rob then on a 2-week tour of Europe to get a feel for the vehicles, visit certain venues starts designing the bus aesthetics on CAD drawings using the internal and complete travel challenges. “During the early days as a Phoenix driver, dimensions which are then passed onto our expert carpenters.” Gray we usually have them filling in for one-off drives, further explained that it is vital to keep up with so the skills to navigate public transport systems trends: “Back in the ‘90s people really like sparkly in Europe are essential,” commented Gray. Gerrard surfaces on counters which would look a bit added: “It was a great way to give the drivers a dated these days!” he laughed. “At the moment, “There’s a saying in the taste of the job as well as ascertain whether they a popular look is curved wood throughout, so were the right fit for the company.” The Phoenix we have invested in new equipment for our industry - even if you have a team were also keen to point out the importance carpenters to be able to create these furnishings crappy bus, a driver can really of synergy between staff members, as well as the here.” constant safety of clients. “We’ve always been A quick glance at the company’s 2018 schedule make a tour. Now, I would say focussed on driver and passenger safety. Digital shows it will be another busy year. “It really is an our vehicles are top-of-the-line exciting time for the company,” enthused Gray. driver cards have helped an awful lot; similar to a chip and pin machine for your bankcard, these “Stewart, Sean and I are really excited for the but that’s no reason why we cards go in the tacho heads and store your last 30 challenges ahead,” he added, with a promise to shouldn’t also have the best days of work. We look at our travel schedules and keep delivering the luxury service the Phoenix work out if it’s a 1 or 2 driver job in order to comply Bussing customers have come to expect. quality drivers.” with the regulations on drivers hours.” TPi Phoenix Bussing’s Office Manger Gray gave TPi a guided tour of the Phoenix Photos: Phoenix Bussing and TPi. Andy Gray. HQ, where it became clear that the vehicle build www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk 70

what you see

what you get

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27.10.2017 15:26:05

At this year’s Production Futures, Pearce Hire welcomed 18-year-old Zack Batchelor as the newest addition to its warehouse team. TPi sat down with him and General Manager Jim Brown, to discuss his first few months on the job…

Batchelor told TPi: “It led up to the biggest production our school had ever seen for an end of year talent show.” Far from a run-of-the-mill school production, Batchelor and his class mates worked on the show for 6 months, bringing in 40 lighting fixtures and a custom projection screen. They even experimented with projection mapping. Inspired, Batchelor joined the Young Technicians Scheme, which gives 11 to 19-year-olds the chance to experience technical production, teaching sound, lighting, rigging, video and mixing. Batchelor started off as a student, but later went on to tutor in the scheme. With formal education behind him, Batchelor left sixth form to fully immerse himself in freelance work. Fast-forward to Production Futures in October 2017, and Batchelor made the trip to Wakefield’s Production Park. Some traffic trouble, a little networking and 1 job contract later, 2 months down the line, the Pearce Hire office still think it’s hilarious they “travelled 150 miles only to employ someone who lived down the road from our offices,” according to Brown. He summarised why he likes paticipating in Production Futures, saying: “You are not there to sell anything. You can just have a chat with the youngsters and discover what their challenges are. It’s a great atmosphere, a chance to celebrate the industry and give some advice for those following in your footsteps. It really reminded me of why I got into this line of work.” “This was my first year at Production Futures but I was really impressed,” Batchelor chimed in, echoing: “All the exhibitors were interested in what you had to say. There was a massive diversity of companies and they all had a great attitude, especially to someone like myself who was quite new to the industry. You get a feel for what it’s like to work in the environment and see yourself as part of it.” Pearce Hire has already put Batchelor on several training courses and he has been out on a few corporate jobs over the festive period. “I’m learning the whole time,” enthused Batchelor. “Just rigging up a job I get to do something I have never done before and it’s really interesting.” Brown jokingly warned: “He’s going to be very busy especially after the new year as our calendar is already filling up quite nicely. He will soon enough get to discover the ‘joys’ of festival sites and other perks of the job. It’s going to be a busy 2018 for him.” To close, Batchelor shared some advice with those hoping to follow in his footsteps: “Grab every opportunity and don’t be afraid to talk to people further on in their careers! They can give you good advice and, who knows…sometimes a job.” TPi www.productionfutures.co.uk www.pearcehire.co.uk

Production Futures has a mission; to give students and young freelancers the chance to network with established industry professionals and get their foot in the door. One of this year’s success stories came from Peterborough’s lighting, audio, rigging and power specialist, Pearce Hire. During the event, Managing Director Shaun Pearce and General Manager Jim Brown found the fresh talent they were looking for in fellow attendee, Zack Batchelor, who was given a contract within days of the event. “We went to Production Futures this year with the knowledge that we wanted to employ someone,” explained Brown. “We met a lot of interesting people but the stand out by far was Zack. After he left our stand, Shaun and I both agreed that he was the guy we were looking for. Within 2 or 3 days we got the contract sorted and he’s been in the warehouse ever since!” Currently, Batchelor is working as lighting and rigging trainee for Pearce Hire, learning the process from when a job leaves the warehouse to when it comes back through the door. At Pearce Hire, all trainees start in the warehouse, preparing the jobs to go out. From there, Brown added, they progress to more complex jobs with more responsibility and eventually become fully fledged technicians. Brown recalled how Zack had driven an extra 2 hours to get to the event, after the A1 was closed due to an accident, saying it was “just one example of his dedication.” Brown added: “He presented himself very well and showed an awareness of not just what he already knew, but what he was keen to learn.” Batchelor’s interest in live events was sparked at secondary school - just down the road from his future employer’s HQ, coincidentally. He was involved initially in school productions, relishing the teamwork, and “seeing how all the pieces came together.”

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06/06/2017 07:40

INTERVIEW

RAMCO’S ANNUAL STAGE & LIGHT AUCTION Ramco is once again hosting a huge sale of second hand equipment, mined from all corners of the live events world. TPi spoke to Ramco’s Matt Carpenter and consultant for the auction, Steve Sunderland, to find out more.

Last year, ELP (Elstree Light and Power) teamed up with auctioneer Ramco to sell some of the company’s excess kit. The inaugural event, which took place in February 2017, saw over 4,000 lots up for grabs in an online auction. Thanks to the undeniable success of the sale, Ramco has decided to organise another event, only this time the doors are open to other TV production and event hire businesses looking to shift excess stock. TPi sat down with Ramco’s Matt Carpenter and Steve Sunderland to hear how the concept has expanded.

“We were all blown away by the response from the sale last year,” began Sunderland, reflecting on the 2017 auction. “What started as a conversation between ELP Director Ronan Willson and I quickly snowballed into the massive sale of second hand equipment that turned the heads of many in the industry.” Almost 90% of the 4,000 lots catalogued were actually sold on the day. People were submitting bids from mainland Europe and even a few from the UAE. Before live bidding began, ELP displayed all the equipment at its Cardington Studios facility, a disused RAF hanger that has 74

RAMCO AUCTION

Opposite: Steve Sunderland and Ramco’s Matt Carpenter.

hosted a number of film shoots including the entire Dark Knight trilogy. Although no caped crusaders were present in February 2017, there was an incredible range of equipment that spanned the decades. “As well as relatively new lighting fixtures, we also sold much older pieces of gear including a selection of Wang office trailers,” recalled Sunderland. Ramco became involved after Sunderland made contact with the company. Taking on the project is Matt Carpenter: “Ramco, for those who are unaware, has been selling genuine government surplus equipment since 1997. We are now the UK’s largest outlet for the MoD’s miscellaneous and government surplus equipment.” Carpenter explained how, over the years, Ramco has dealt with audio and lighting equipment from the live events industry but nothing quite on this scale. Now, with the next auction fast approaching, both Sunderland and Carpenter are still seeking more equipment from other companies further afield. “I have already been in touch with most of the major rental houses in the UK,” confirmed Sunderland. Colour Sound Experiment, GLS, Star Events and, of course, ELP are already on the books. “We have got a large array of equipment ready to sell including a DiGiCo SD7,” Sunderland said, adding: “We also have a few more peculiar entries including a stadium seating setup that can accommodate 2,000 people. There is something for everyone.” The cut-off date to enter any equipment into the sale will be 23 February. In a repeat of last year, there will also be a number of viewing days taking place between 15-17 March at Cardington Studios. Online bidding will close on 20 March.

The virtual auction will work in a similar way to other online bidding sites such as eBay, but with a slight twist. To prevent what is known as ‘sniping’ - when a bidder puts in a last-minute offer to win an item - the organisers have initiated a safety mechanism. If a bid is made within 10 minutes of a lot ending, the sale will continue for a further 10 minutes to give everyone a fair chance. “It’s effectively like have an auctioneer and his gavel there in the room continuing the sale until all bidding is completed,” reassured Carpenter. Looking to the future, Carpenter and Sunderland expressed hopes that the auctions will become a biannual event. “There are millions of pounds worth of equipment out there in the industry with a massive turnover each year,” stated Sunderland, comparing the live events industry to the art market. “I think, over time, this incentive could really set the benchmark for the value of older equipment. In a similar way to fine art, the value of a piece is always calculated by how much the last artist’s work made at an auction. With the vast array of stock that we could help sell on, there will be a large amount of valuation data available.” One day, Sunderland hopes the auction partnership with Ramco “could really help rental houses get accurate estimates for the value of their warehouse stock”, making a huge impact, industry-wide. Sign up to the Ramco newsletter for detailed information regarding the March auction lots. TPi www.ramco.co.uk

Entries Invited

Ramco’s Annual Stage & Lighting Auction… on behalf of various TV production & event hire companies. Held at the massive Cardington hangar by kind permission of Elstree Light & Power. Entries close date 23rd Feb 2018 | Sale date 20th March 2018

Matt Carpenter: mattcarpenter@ramco.co.uk | 01754882206 / 07483016871 Steve Sunderland: stevesunderland@ramco.co.uk | 01440783557 / 07836661980 www.ramco.co.uk 75

GEAR HEADS

PORTMAN’S P3 PIX3L Polish lighting designer, Portman, has produced its third in a series of retro style fixtures, the P3 PIX3L, after the successful release of the P1 Retro Lamp and the P2 Hexaline. TPi spoke to CEO Dominik Zimakowski about the latest offering.

Despite only being established 15 months ago, Polish lighting manufacturer Portman has already made a name for itself with its stylish fixtures that harken back to old-school aesthetics. The company has now unveiled a new addition to its range - off the back of requests from end-users - for a single-pixel unit within its P range. As with Portman’s previous releases, this fixture is modelled on a retro style lighting unit; the result of considerable toil from the R&D department. Within the P3 there is 3 sources of light, which can be controlled separately. Each source comes from a 230W halogen lamp giving the P3 a 690W maximum output. The fixture also has a 5-pin XLR connector, PowerCon TRUE-1 included and built in RDM the option of W-DMX by request. The P3, similar to the previous models, boasts a built-in dimmer display to control various parameters.

Portman’s CEO Dominik Zimakowski talked TPi through the initial design brief: “For the entire P family, we have centred each design around the beautiful hexagonal honeycomb shapes,” he began. “By adding the tungsten and the warm halogen light, we have produced a range which has been really popular for both their output and overall aesthetic. We have kept a very similar look for the P3 as can be seen in the fixture’s hexagonal housing. There were dozens of ideas and concepts put forward by LDs, and believe it or not, this makes it more difficult to run with one solid idea. However, I believe the resulting P3 is now a fantastic addition to our range.” Portman’s product designers took almost 10 months to bring the P3 from inception to completion. “We looked at all the various other options out there for LDs to ensure our product provided both new and existing customers with something completely unique and competitive,” 76

PORTMAN P3 PIX3L

Opposite: Portman’s third offering to the live events industy, the P3 PIX3L. Below: The P3 is a single-pixel unit company’s previous P1 and P2 releases; Portman’s CEO Dominik Zimakowski.

he continued. “For us at Portman, it’s important to find the right balance one show. Each lamp has 230W - 690W throughout the whole fixture - that between new technological ideas and creating equates to a lot of power, meaning it could also beautiful designs in a retro style.” be used as an effective blinder.” The P3 has 3 separate lighting sources An early prototype made it to the in one housing, each with its own DMX and Poland’s Got Talent TV final. “We recieved dimmer channel, separating it from the other comments from several people involved in “We looked at all the various fixtures in the range. “The P3, as with all the show, including its LD, main director and other options out there for LDs Portman fixtures, is very easy to assemble and stenographer, who expressed how much they disassemble,” commented Zimakowski. “You liked the fixture - even the presenters passed to ensure our product provided don’t need an external dimmer or electronic on their compliments, which was a nice both new and existing customers box, you just need to connect to your power surprise!” source and DMX signal.” The P3 PIX3L will be on show at CUE in with something completely As an added bonus, Portman has also built Rotterdam this January for those keen to see unique and competitive. For us the P3 to give set designers the opportunity to the new release up close. The Portman team is customise how the fixture can be put together. now hard at work on its next release, promising at Portman, it’s important to find “Using Portman’s customised rigging system, ‘a completely new family of fixtures’, which the the right balance between new LDs have complete control over how the CEO hopes will further accommodate market fixtures can be displayed,” assured Zimakowski. demands. technological ideas and creating “Additionally, each lamp can be controlled from TPi beautiful designs in a retro style.” a console separately, so you can get infinite Photo courtesy of Portman. Portman’s CEO Dominik Zimakowski. design options using the same structure during http://portmanlights.com/ 77

ROAD DIARIES

JOSHUA PERRÉE Carpenter & LED Engineer

party, and the carnage spilled out into the streets; car horns beeped all night and the celebrations were taken full advantage of; we felt the pain the following morning and thanked our lucky stars we had another day off. Fast-forward to 2 days later, and the end of our load-out after some incredible shows. We were on a high, when suddenly the building staff were informed that a bomb threat had been detected at the front of the venue. According to our security team, a man in a car at the front passed a note to a passing police officer, claiming a rucksack on his rear seat contained explosives, and that there were more hidden inside the building. Naturally, the police were extremely fast to respond and shut down the surrounding 5 blocks, meaning no press or news stations could get close. It could have had a negative impact for the remainder of our tour. No one was allowed to leave the complex [except for the band] until the police had investigated. After 2 hours, our superb tour security guard, Joe Burke, was informed that the building was declared safe. We were watching in disbelief on CCTV as police officers, bomb squads, and SWAT teams descended on the venue. It turned out to be a hoax. We had to remain in our positions until the bag had been destroyed. For those who have never encountered this procedure, the item is placed inside a giant steel bin and blow up. There was no warning that this was happening, and as we waited by our tour bus, we jumped out of our skin when we heard a loud bang and a flash of white light occur. This day in the life of a roadie happened in February 2017, months before the spate of tragedies seen across Europe and in Manchester, UK. What I took away from my own experience with potential explosives is that it can happen on any show, or in any town, anywhere in the world. Without the amazing efforts of our tour security and of course, the emergency services, we wouldn’t have felt comforted - however small it seemed at the time - during the scare. As an avid traveler, it made me start taking more time to learn my surroundings at each and every venue I enter. I’ll never be complacent about security searches again after that experience. It’s so sad to think of all the awful things the world and our industry had to cope with in reality last year. Here’s wishing a very safe a happy 2018 to the touring community and beyond.

When my tour arrived in Boston, MA from Toronto for a 2-day break and 2 show days at the TD Garden venue, the Head Carpenter and I decided a tour of the Samuel Adams Brewery was in order. When the rest of the English crewmembers joined us for dinner that night, we were swiftly reminded that the it was the night of the NFL Super Bowl, which the New England Patriots - Boston’s team - were playing in and, subsequently, won. As you can imagine, the pub we were in began to

Joshua Perrée

PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE

A GREENER FUTURE? At the recent Association of Festival Organisers Conference, a group gathered to discuss advances in energy supply for festivals. Safe to say, advances in technology, thinking and operation have delivered both savings and, perhaps, a little confusion. Time then to ask someone who knows to get us up to speed, so we’re handing over the reins to SMART Power Founder, Tim Benson, who is also the Energy & Environmental Consultant for Zap Concepts.

Over the last 10 or so years, we have seen a proliferation in alternatives to diesel generator power in the event marketplace. From biofuels to renewables, hybrid to people power, low impact solutions seem to be lurking around every corner. So why does the uptake on these greener, cleaner technologies remain shrouded in inertia - has too much choice muddied the waters, is it a lack of understanding or purely down to cost? Or perhaps is it simply too much of a leap of faith to expect organisers to believe all the hype without some kind of independent validation and practical support? Before we can get close to answering these kinds of questions, we must thoroughly explore the solutions on offer…

The use of biofuels seems to be making headlines again, particularly following the well-documented introduction of glycerine into the Formula E world racing series. A range of alternative biofuel and renewable diesel products are now available, including waste vegetable oil (WVO/biodiesel), hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO), Green D+ (HVO with a cerium oxide nano-technology performance additive), Shell’s gas to liquid (GTL) and glycerine (G50). WVO or biodiesel purports to significantly reduce CO2e emissions compared to diesel. It is part of the FAME family of biofuels (fatty acid methyl-esthers), that is those fuels produced by reacting the base product 80

PRO

ÂŽ GAFF

On Tour for 40 Years! Contact: Dennis Mirabella Market Manager, A&E Div. 1-800-345-0234 ext. 115 Direct Line: 732-743-4165 Email: dennism@protapes.com

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PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE

(typically plant oils or recycled vegetable oil products) with methanol. HVO, on the other hand sees the base product reacted with hydrogen, the net result of which is a cleaner combustion process, ensuring a reduction in NOx emissions, less deposit formation, improved storage stability and better cold start properties. However, both these fuels require engine modifications, meaning that the availability of power plant running on these kinds of fuels is limited. In addition, WVO is now considered virtually obsolete as a generator fuel, principally because it is deemed detrimental to engine performance. Biodiesel produced by reacting fatty acids with methyl-esters is incredibly viscous and can cause fuel pumps to fail. The fatty acid particles often separate out from the fuel too, causing blockages in fuel lines and heavy deposits in fuel filters. It is for these very reasons that many engine manufacturers will no longer uphold engine warranties where it is proven that generators have been running on WVO. It is these very limitations that have ushered in a new portfolio of socalled drop in biofuels, for example Green D+ and GTL. The manufacturers of Green D+ have gone to great lengths to publicise the fact that most engine manufacturers validate its use and, at a meeting only last week, they even ventured that it was suitable for all site plant, including forks and telehandlers. These fuels can be used as a direct replacement for diesel without the need for engine modifications, which increases the hybrids first broke the events market, diesel was still relatively expensive. opportunities for more generator hire companies to enter what was once a To achieve buy in from organisers was relatively simple back then niche market. provided you could prove that the weekly hire cost was mitigated by the The manufacturers of these renewable diesels clearly recognise the monetised fuel savings they were happy to integrate battery systems into value of making their fuels compatible with existing generator fleets; the energy mix. However, as diesel prices fell the payback period increased essentially they want to gain traction in the event market space and and it soon became apparent that this product was more suited to longexpand their reach to include general plant hire companies. However, term projects like construction. despite this kind of future proofing, the integration of their biofuels remains The industry think-do-tank Powerful Thinking has made some restricted to those events where sustainability is high on the agenda for significant in roads in educating organisers in the dark arts of temporary all stakeholders. The emissions busting properties alone of their biofuels power provision. Their fact sheets, case studies and industry reports have are not enough to convince organisers to pay a minimum premium of 20% gone a long way towards helping debunk popular myths and translate per litre against diesel (more typically +40%), particularly while questions annoying acronyms, presenting readily intelligible comparisons between over provenance remain. Palm oil, which often sees mass-deforestation different power solutions and advising on which suppliers can practically as part of its cultivation process, is cited as a constituent in some biofuels, deliver these. making a mockery of their environmental benefits. Furthermore, assertions However, for those beginning their foray into renewable power, further made about their emissions reductions are often only substantiated by the expert advice is sometimes needed. I have spoken personally to a number manufacturers’ themselves, rather than independent studies. of organisers whose appetites have been wetted by industry initiatives So what of renewables, how have they faired in the seemingly like Powerful Thinking, but who need practical hands on support in whimsical world of events? Well, despite the best efforts of festivals like formulating energy action plans. Expectations need to be managed and Green Gathering (UK) and Solar Weekend (NL), which have bee able to realistic targets set. Cue the likes of energy and environmental consultancy demonstrate the efficacy of renewables in reliably powering festivals, Zap Concepts, whose representatives have firsthand experience of working the majority of events do not share their with these technologies and who will offer appetite for such rigorous policing of on impartial advice on the suitability of the site energy consumption. This requires plethora of power solutions promoted by utter commitment on behalf of both the industry groups and suppliers alike. Zap production team and on site suppliers, which Concepts’ first port of call is to analyse your is sometimes just too great an ask for many event’s peak load demand and full load highly commercial and sponsor-led events. profile based on actual energy consumption Furthermore, among certain teams of event rather than connection sizes. They will professionals, there is a sense that creative then draft a bespoke smart power plan for values should never be compromised. your event, identifying which technologies With the advent of battery storage will support you in achieving your fuel and systems and hybrid power generators, emissions reduction aims, all in an impartial championed by the likes of Firefly and and readily understandable fashion. OffGrid, there was a real opportunity By way of a conclusion, it is clear that the for event organisers to significantly cut technology exists for live event organisers generator run times, therefore reducing to reduce the impact of their on site power fuel usage and associated CO2 emissions. provision. Never have they had such an The initial uptake was slow, but with the array of strategies and technologies at likes of Shambala and Secret Garden their disposal but are we missing the point “The industry think-do-tank Powerful Party festivals publishing case studies here, should we not be focusing on energy Thinking has made some significant demonstrating 40-50% fuel savings through efficiency and reducing the basic principles the use of hybrids, momentum soon of demand if we are serious about climate in roads in educating organisers in increased. However, as sadly seems to change? the dark arts of temporary power be the case with many new technologies, TPi the hire costs proved prohibitive. When www.psa.org.uk provision.” 82

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Airstar, the world leader in lighting balloon technology, has appointed Thierry Beynet as the new CEO of Airstar European Network. This strategic hire is a major step in Airstar’s plan to strengthen its presence in the European market, as part of the overall business strategy instigated by the company in 2016. Airstar European Network (AEN), a commercial subsidiary of Airstar, represents 30% of the company’s turnover in lighting balloon solutions. Beynet recently took on the role, managing and extending the 9 subsidiaries that form the European network. AEN is responsible for marketing the entire range of Airstar lighting balloons in this region. Beynet’s outlined his vision for the brand: “The reputation of our brand and the quality of our lighting solutions means that we receive a lot of enquiries. My responsibility is to further grow these opportunities and convert them into business with the help of a strong sales strategy, an acute knowledge of our expertise and the markets we cater for. We can’t let the markets decide our future, and my goal is to instil a conquering spirit.” Beynet believes AEN in the next 5 years will have exceeded the €10 million milestone and will be actively developing new and existing territories, including regions in Germany, Spain and Portugal. “The brand’s potential is huge, and the demand for reliable, efficient and high quality lighting solutions is ever increasing.” Audiotonix has announce the acquisition of Solid State Logic (SSL) as part of its expanding group that already includes leading audio brands DiGiCo, DiGiGrid, Calrec and Allen & Heath. The deal brings together the top flight of the world’s mixing consoles companies. James Gordon, CEO of Audiotonix, commented: “We are growing the Audiotonix Group with professional audio brands that have exceptional technology, committed people and a real passion for what they do. With their incredible history and reputation, their enthusiasm and loyal customer base, SSL is ideally placed to be the next partner in the group. The whole group will benefit by having SSL as an integral part of the team going forward. Having their help to further expand our international reach, technology and customer base will be a lot of fun.” Antony David, MD of Solid State Logic, added: “I am very proud of the achievements our team have made to date with the expansion of SSL. To reach our full potential we need the support and resources of a larger group to help us achieve our aspirations. In Audiotonix we have found a partner that is as fiercely obsessed about audio, products and customer

service as we are. Audiotonix’ success in investing in and nurturing similar audio focused businesses was crucial to us. Once we got talking, we quickly discovered that this was something we both wanted to happen.” Peter Gabriel, the majority shareholder in Solid State Logic, becomes an investor in Audiotonix as part of the transaction. He added: “My relationship with SSL began as a user, a customer and then as part owner. SSL has always made wonderful innovative equipment that encourages creativity and I got involved because I never wanted to imagine a world without SSL. It’s obvious with this sale that there are many in this growing Audiotonix group that are as nuts about new tech and good audio as we are. Each manufacturer has their own particular markets, strengths and idiosyncrasies but through collaboration, there will be a lot of opportunities to spread knowledge and skills to benefit the group as a whole. I am also excited by what could be created by all these new potential synergies so I have chosen to use a chunk of the sale money to invest in this newly expanded version of Audiotonix. I wish Audiotonix and all who now sail in her, every success.” DPA Microphones has announced the acquisition of Sound Network, the UK pro audio distributor with which it has had a close relationship for more than 20 years. Sound Network is highly regarded for its exceptional audio expertise, committed staff and dedicated technical support. The distributor has been key to DPA’s success in the UK, particularly in the broadcast, live sound and theatre markets where DPA’s high quality microphone solutions are regularly used. “Sound Network has been a marvellous ambassador for DPA for many years and has invested heavily in the brand,” said DPA’s CEO Kalle Hvidt Nielsen. “By acquiring the business, we can maintain our close cooperation with the company and build on the strong relationships Sound Network already has with our all-important UK dealers and customers. Sound Network has a large range of prestigious customers, including most of the West End theatres that are influential beyond the borders of the UK. We will now be much closer to these important customers and that will give us even more insight into the environment in which our microphones are being used.” Adam Pierce, Sound Network’s Sales and Marketing Director who will now head up the company and report directly to DPA’s EVP of Sales Nikolaj Forsberg, said: “Sound Network has aligned itself with DPA’s philosophy since its inception, so this is the next logical step for both companies to 84

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We are seeking an enthusiastic team player to join our international company. Based in our Woking Warehouse you should be an energetic person with a keen interest in the entertainment industry. Speciﬁc knowledge in staging or set building would be an asset. You should have some experience within the industry either through working or with formal qualiﬁcations. The successful candidate will quickly build up a knowledge of Versa Stage equipment working within the operational team. Working towards understanding the requirements in preparing and setting up equipment on site with a view to working onsite on events. Applicants should include a cover letter and a copy of their current CV to leighg@allaccessinc.com. www.tpimagazine.com/category/industry-jobs

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Opposite: New CEO of Airstar European Network, Thierry Beynet; GLP’s CEO Udo Künzler and Product and Portfolio Manager, Michael Feldmann. Below: K-array’s Global Business Deveopment Manager, Russell ‘ Rusty’ Waite; Protec’s Founder and CEO Stephen Lakin and Aventeq’s Chris Bramwell; Maestra’s 4 new team members.

continue their growth and ambitions in the UK market. Sound Network’s reputation for high level service and expertise will only be strengthened by a closer partnership with DPA Microphones and while it is ‘business as usual’, our customers and our other manufacture partners will definitely benefit from this move. DPA have always inspired us as a brand, through its incredible product portfolio and its people, so we are delighted to become part of the family.” “Our opportunity to get closer to Sound Network will benefit everyone in the DPA sales channel, even outside the UK,” Kalle Hvidt Nielsen said. “DPA is growing at a rapid pace and is committed to developing new products that accurately reflect the needs of our customers.” Michael Feldmann has re-joined GLP as a Product and Portfolio Manager. “After a good 12 years, I am now very happy to be back at GLP,” commented Feldmann. “Of course, over the years I have never lost sight of the company and have always been able to follow how GLP has developed into an internationally renowned manufacturer in our industry. I have watched in admiration as the GLP brand established itself in the professional sector, and today their products are indispensable in almost all segments of the industry.” GLP founder and CEO, Udo Künzler, was also delighted with Feldmann’s return “Over the past 12 years, we at GLP and Michael have often been in direct competition with each other - always fair and somehow always with a certain sense of interconnectedness. We are incredibly proud that Michael finally chose us and not one of the many other offers he had.” Künzler went on further to state: “We are now an international company and I firmly believe that one of our success factors is our excellent manufacturercustomer relationship of trust. It’s this, in combination with flexibility and reliability, and of course suitable products that are the key to our success in the future. And Michael, as product and portfolio manager, will certainly have a great role to play in that.” Michael Feldmann started working at GLP on 1 January 2018. “I take on the job with a great sense of anticipation, and as a contact for GLP products, market feedback, optimisation and future product alignment, do everything possible to bring quality requirements and required feature packages for the best user satisfaction to the maximum.” K-array has appointment Russell ‘Rusty’ Waite as Global Business Development Manager. With previous roles at Euphonix, Stage Tec and, most recently, EAW, Waite has over 25 years of experience providing sales and marketing, commercial growth and technical services to the broadcast, production, theatrical and corporate A/V market as well as sound designing/mixing and audio production. At K-array, Waite will support sales initiatives across all channels and lead business development worldwide. “My role as VP of Sales at EAW is what made my transition to K-array a natural one and my experiences as a sound designer, freelance audio broadcast A2 and recording engineer definitely help me to understand the challenges that our customers face. I look forward to contributing to the future growth of K-array and taking it to a level that it really deserves. There is a great team based in Italy and very strong established partners around the world!” Fast growing London and Dubai based event technical design and production specialist Maestra, have announced 4 new team members in London. Lizzie Bishop joins as Senior Project Manager, Alice Dapling

comes on board as a Senior Production Designer; Sirajuddin Mohammed is focussed on the financials and accounts, while Jenny Bumanglag strengthens the operations division. Justin Hammond, Managing Director of Maestra London, commented: “We are delighted to welcome everyone on board, and have been really impressed with the calibre of people interested in making a commitment to working with Maestra at this very exciting time in our development.” Protec has begun operations in Birmingham following the acquisition of Acenteq and setting up Protec European Events. With this agreement, Aventeq - which takes on Protec’s brand identity will now be known as Protec European Events and will have access to a much larger palette of event production resources, including state of the art technology, equipment and highly skilled staff. It will be in a stronger position to extend its services to a larger client base and offer a more comprehensive and creative approach to its technical productions. The joining of these 2 companies delivers on Protec’s vision of inspiring the entire events industry with extraordinary and impactful experiences through its technical expertise and deliveries. Established in 2008 by an industry experienced team led by Chris Bramwell, Aventeq has prided itself in delivering quality projects all across the UK and Europe. Commenting on this announcement, was Stephen Lakin, Protec’s Founder and CEO said: “I have a lot of time for Chris Bramwell and the team. They have built up a strong business and I’m thrilled to welcome them into the Protec family. I am looking forward to the opportunity to introduce their customers to a wider global reach and more exciting tools and technology to create unique and memorable event experiences.” Bramwell will continue to lead the company to execute on its growth plans but with the backing of the vast resources of Protec. Bramwell commented: “We are very excited to be a part of one of the world’s most respected industry leaders and now be able to offer our clients a more creative and technological palette with a wider market reach.” Sound Technology has been acquired by Midwich Group. Sound Technology will continue to operate as an independent company, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Midwich. Sound Technology will continue to operate as an independent company, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Midwich. Since its foundation in 1979, Sound Technology has grown to become one of the largest and most successful distributors of MI, professional audio and, recently, through distribution of Martin by Harman, professional lighting equipment in the UK. The board of Sound Technology will remain with David Marshall as Managing Director, Judi Kingston as Finance Director, Greg Niven as Sales Director and Ian Cullen as Marketing Director.   Sound Technology will continue to operate from its Letchworth Garden City offices, with no changes to its workforce or market approach.  Robert Wilson will continue as Chairman. He commented: “After close to 40 years, Sound Technology has grown into a company operating on a large-scale in multiple market sectors. We continue to see exciting growth opportunities within all these markets, and the time is right for the company to enter its next phase in order to facilitate further expansion and success.”  TPi www.tpimagazine.com/category/industry-jobs/ 86

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BACK CHAT

WILL HOULT Senior Product Manager, Focusrite

As a Senior Product Manager, can you explain what the key aspects of your job entails with the end user? It’s highly important that my operational and workflow knowledge is always up to date. The only way to truly ensure that remains the case is to engage with end users on a regular basis. I do this in a number of ways: email or telephone correspondence, visits to their facility or performance and, of course, trade shows. It’s important to maintain good relationships with our clients to ensure that their voice is heard, and that they feel they have someone to reach out to either with a new idea, or perhaps with a challenge they are facing.

When Focusrite is developing a new product, how do you personally engage with end user engineers? The discussions with engineers are always ongoing, so there isn’t a specific point during the development of a new product that we would start to engage with them. I am always interested in hearing about the pain points that engineers are currently experiencing, both with our products, or with products we don’t (yet) make. Sometimes new product ideas are cooperatively evolved on the spot, other times I will approach engineers with a concept. That concept might start as a sketch, but soon evolve into a physical model or even a mock up user interface in software. Those same engineers will then review beta versions of hardware and software as the project progresses.

Why did you initially enter into a career in pro audio? Growing up playing in various bands, I was always ‘that guy’ who recorded the group as well as provided the PA system for rehearsals and a lot of our shows. So over time I built up a large collection of recording and reinforcement kit. Initially as a means of funding more equipment, I would hire out my PA system with me as engineer, as well as record a lot of local bands in my parents’ living room. It turns out that I really enjoyed it - often more than performing. I went to the University of Surrey and studied Music and Sound Recording, which gave me a great grounding in music theory as well as the art and science of audio. I also got exposure to a number of opportunities in pro audio, outside of engineering.

How important is The NAMM Show as a launch platform for your customers? NAMM is probably still the largest music products tradeshow in the world, so it represents a great opportunity for customers to get a 360 degree view of what’s new. As a result, it generates a lot of visits from customers in all aspects of music production: recording studios, mastering studios, live performance. This makes it ideal for reaching a large number of varied audio professionals.

How did your journey with Focusrite begin? I joined Focusrite in 2010 as Media Coordinator for the UK and Germany. I would manage reviews and advertising with the press as well as represent the company at tradeshows such as Musikmesse. Before long I moved into the Brand Manager role, focusing on outbound messaging and marketing campaigns. In 2012 I joined the Product Management team where I immediately took on RedNet and the ISA series.

What trends are you predicting for 2018? Well that would perhaps be giving away too many secrets! However, I would say the continuation of Audio-over-IP adoption across all aspects of the audio industry would be right up there. The growth we’ve seen in that area over the past couple of years has been fantastic, and it shows no signs of abating. 90

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