Florence + The Machine

PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: Caption.

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

Much to the pleasure of their loyal fans, the eclectic indie powerhouse returned to UK arenas for a seven-date stint which manifested as one of the most sophisticated and elegant productions of 2018. TPi’s Stew Hume met the innovative crew behind the enchanting High As Hope tour…

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

It’s nearing the end of the show and the band launch into Delilah off the album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. With a spotlight silhouette on Florence Welch, the formidable frontwoman builds excitement within the crowd with but a few arm gestures. One swift motion later and the singer is running down the barriers which surround the floor of Manchester Arena and, before we know it, stands on the FOH barricade in a long flowing Gucci dress supported by the outstretched hands of her fans. The moment represents trust and seemingly disregards any notion that a stage could separate them.

Since forming in 2007, Florence + the Machine have become one of the UK’s most successful exports; yes, even in America. Their latest campaign - supporting the release High as Hope - maintains the crafted reputation. By the time TPi met up with her road team, Florence + the Machine and their extended touring family had already completed a run in the US before returning for a selection of UK dates. Revealing that her two-year-old niece was in the audience and furthermore, that she is indeed half Mancunian set Florence’s Northern conglomerate into further approval. This, it seems, is a charmed evening.

The tour also acted as a bit of a reunion for TPi, as many of the main players on the roster split their time with a little band called the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Catching up with Production Manager Narci Martinez on the show floor, the stunning stage set was an ideal backdrop. “My relationship with Florence + the Machine began on their last album cycle,” began Martinez. “They have the same agent as the Chili Peppers so when they needed someone to fill the PM role midway through the last tour, I got the call. Clearly they like how I work as I’ve been able to stick around!” he joked. This time, he’s been involved from the tour’s inception, and therefore entrenched himself in the decisions during the creative process. “The profitability of the tour is something I’m very interested in,” he explained.

“It’s something I pride myself on as a production manager; I don’t want to speak to management and just give them a price because I really look at all aspects to ensure the artist is getting the best value for money rather than simply throwing a load of cash at the production.”

Alongside Martinez, a lot of familiar faces joined the Florence + the Machine crew list. The PM brought many of his loyal Red Hot Chili Peppers team to join the ranks. “There’s a lot of familiar characters - from Philip ‘Big Daddy’ Dannemann my Stage Manager, to my Head Rigger, Gabriel Wood.” The PM also signed on many of his previous RHCP trusted suppliers including Premier Global Production for lighting, Upstage Video, Beat The Street, Sarah’s Kitchen (crew), Rockpool Tour Catering (band), Five Points Productions, The Power Shop and Xpeditions Unlimited. New to the camp were Clair Global, BPM SFX, TRUCKINGBY Brian Yeardley, ShowFX and Wickley World Wide (draping).

Before diving into the intricate details of the High as Hope tour, TPi reminded Martinez how he’d described touring in the past “as a mixture of joining the marines and running away with the circus.” He laughed: “I stand by that! This tour is a very different vibe but it’s still the same principles and as PM, my main prerogative is to keep my crew happy. It’s simple, but a happy crew is an efficient crew.”

HIGH AS HOPE Those who have witnessed the band live will know how mesmerising Florence Welch is as a performer. Between each song she spoke to the crowd in her dulcet tones, but upon singing, takes on a different persona with non-stop energy and a voice the operatic Gods wouldn’t reckon with. The creative team made it clear that the inspiration for this tour design came from the singer herself - where else? Leading the design was Creative Director Willo Perron. His initial idea was to create a stage which “mimics Florence’s organic performance by using natural scenic elements and

48

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

materials.”

The set, created by ShowFX, was an asymmetrical wooden topographical stage which would’ve looked more at home in high-end theatre than a world tour. David Mendoza, Founder and CEO of ShowFX spoke of the company’s involvement with the tour. “Willo and his team were very specific on the woodgrain finish, tone and sheen of the set and asserted that they really wanted the end grain to be prominent,” he began. “The wood surfaces needed to be as realistic as possible. But after exploring a few ideas, in the end it made more sense to use real wood with stain and protective coating.” The risers were an aluminium framed structure with wood cladding attached, and the edges of the risers were designed to look like three-inch laminated plywood. As this would have been tricky to tour, ShowFX created a front lip of laminated plywood that was only two-inch in depth. The lip was laminated to the riser decks of three quarter-inch ACX plywood, integrated with the aluminium structure.

The entire set was built with casters to roll in larger sections for quick deployment and storage during festival performances. “I ensured all the set elements could be broken apart and scaled down so we would be able to roll into festivals during summer,” said Martinez, as we walked on the wooden boards which the band would occupy just hours later, overseen by Head Carpenter Raymond Hardy. Each day Hardy and his team of two had the imposing task of slotting all the pieces of this beautifully crafted jigsaw together. “It’s a challenging set to build,” he admitted. “The main thing we have working against us is the wood, which can be affected by both humidity and dryness. Some days it fits together perfectly but others it’s a bit of a fight.” Despite the challenge Hardy expressed his enjoyment. “My touring life before this gig was actually as a backline tech, most notably for Dolly Parton,” stated Hardy, who has worked for the country legend since 2005. “This is a different animal altogether! Prior to my life on the road, I was a carpenter by trade, so I’ve been able to use those skills on this project

and, as Dolly was taking a break from touring, this worked out perfectly.”

As the stage was such a peculiar shape, conventional barriers were never going to suffice, Martinez recalled: “I brought in Guardian Barrier Services to ensure I had a safe barricade which suited our needs.”

Beneath the set, Brilliant Stages supplied extra risers. “We have a longstanding relationship with the Florence crew and Production Manager,” stated Brilliant Stages’ Adam ‘Bullet’ Bettley, who was contacted by Martinez earlier this year to help out with staging for a couple of warm-up shows in the UK and Europe. Bettley continued: “Upon their arrival back to the UK, for the arena tour, Narci got in touch with us to supply a 5ft high rolling house stage - 60ft wide x 28ft deep - that they could sit the current touring stage on and attach their thrust. It was only a short, two-week run but we were more than happy to help.”

Turning our attention to the roof, the PM pointed out elements of the rigging, the domain of a mainstay within his crew, Head Rigger Gabriel Wood, who worked alongside rigging supplier Five Points Production Services. As well as the notable array of lighting fixtures in the rig, there was one element fairly new to the world of live touring - 12 automated fabric roll drops placed in three rows. Part way through the show, the drops would descend from the roof creating a ‘sail’ effect. “We had meetings with several of the world’s major staging companies asking who might be able to create this design put forward by Willo,” stated Martinez. “But, conscious of the budget, I wanted to see if anyone already had the roll drops in stock.” Thankfully, after some searching, the PM came across Texas-based Wickley Worldwide.

“Delivering a ‘wow factor’ while staying within a reasonable budget is always a challenge, but it’s a niche we fit into well,” commented Wickley Worldwide’s Melinda Wickley. “We developed a great relationship with Florence’s team which allowed us to participate in the brainstorming phase of this project. We love the opportunity to innovate and create one of a

50

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

kind elements in our fabrication workshop - truly more of a creative lab that includes a metal forge, 3D printer, screen printer, among other things, than a workshop” The company also produced the animation elements to align with the energy and flow of the performance. “We were able to work through several rehearsals and performances, and it was really rewarding to see it all come together,” commented Wickley. “We believe the stage should merely align with the energy and flow of Florence’s performance, and create a beautiful and memorable engagement.”

Finally, to round off TPi’s tour of the physical staging elements Martinez gave a nod to his loyal power supply company, The Power Shop, which was once again onsite to oversee the electrical needs from day to day.

(LIGHTING) SPECTRUM Tim Routledge, the tour’s LD, was sold as soon as he saw the initial plans, as he told TPi. “Recently, I have worked on a lot of shows which have been very LED panel focussed and this production was a real palate cleanser.”

The theatrical tour allowed Routledge to stretch his creative muscles

and design subtlety to compliment the artist. “This tour does not have a massive light show,” asserted the LD. “The entire look, down to the colour pallet, was very much based on Florence. If you look at her wardrobe for example, you can see the design is an extension of her and the inspiration for the tungsten, peach and pale rose tones.”

The show was split into four acts: the first showcased the wooden stage; act two introduced the sails which billowed overhead; act three saw the laser drape boasting over 44 Robe BMFLs shooting through miniscule holes in the backdrop to create a starfield effect; and act four brought all the elements together with a confetti shot which gradually descends in the crowd for 15 minutes, courtesy of BPM SFX, and fired in lighting world. Collectively, the special effects supplier provided six XL Confetti blowers which dropped 200lb of confetti over the audience below each night.

“A large portion of the lighting budget went on the upstage BMFLs,” continued Routledge. The notion of putting the better part of your lighting fixtures behind a drape might seem odd but, according to the LD, it created the standout moment in the show. “The drape has a total of 1,600 2mm

52

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

holes. When we shoot the BMFLs through the drape it creates an effect that appears to come from nowhere. Since the tour has been out on the road, many LDs have contacted us asking how we achieved the look.” It is, in a word, stunning.

Elsewhere on the rig, above the musicians, was a selection of Martin by Harman MAC Vipers Profiles along with TMB Solaris Flares and Martin by Harman Viper Performances for side lighting. Also present were SGM P10s, which were deployed throughout the wooden set. On the floor, surrounding the various musicians, lay Robert Juliat Dalis 862s. “The Dalis 862s along with the P10s were integral in building the intensity of the show,” stated Routledge. “Although neither of them are moving lights in the traditional sense, when they ‘arc and vibrate’ as the tracks build, it creates both subtle and extreme energy without relying on simply strobing or blinding the audience. I’ve use Dalis in three of my designs this year and are simply one of the most useful products around at the moment.”

Keeping a performer as energetic as Welch in the spotlight presented a challenge. Routledge used the Robe RoboSpot with three controls communicating with one rear BMFL and two front facing spots to keep her illuminated. “Florence has never really toured with a back spot but it’s one look I was keen to capture,” stated Routledge. “The image of her silhouetted is used several times at the start and end of songs, bookending the tracks perfectly.” Routledge joked how the spot operators certainly had their hands full following the singer as she travelled between every nook and cranny of the stage.

During the creation of the show, Routledge again called upon programmer James Scott and current LD of the Year (TPi Awards 2018), Sam O’Riordan took on Lighting Director duties and operated for Routledge on the road. “Tim and I had previously collaborated on the design of the last Royal Blood tour,” recalled O’Riordan, as we enjoyed the comfort of a Beat The Street tour bus. “Once it came across his desk, he asked if I’d be interested in overseeing the tour. I must say, both Willo and Tim have created a really beautiful show and certainly one of the best I have ever had the privilege of working on.”

In speaking to O’Riordan about his responsibilities, it became clear that they went further than your standard touring LD; from his MA Lighting grandMA2, he was charged with of all the show’s automation and special effects elements, as well as overseeing all the lighting cues. This included the automated roll drops, the DMX fans which ensured they continued to billow, and the confetti gag during the band’s encore. “There is certainly a lot to think about compared to your standard touring LD role,” stated O’Riordan. “Although we can treat the automotive elements as a lighting fixture - in that it’s another DMX element - the main difference is the physical moving part which has dire consequences if it goes wrong.” To ensure the set is safe, O’Riordan also calibrated the moving parts each day and guaranteed the elements were at safeguarded heights.

them up and get an answer.” For her set-up, the engineer was overseeing 80 inputs utilising two racks.

Excluding the guitar and bass amps, the rest of the Florence + the Machine stage was silent, with the entire band and crew opting for Sennheiser in-ears along with Ultimate Ears UE-18 moulds. The audio department brought in the Sennheiser SKM 6000 for microphones. “With the reduction of the RF spectrum available, we, as an industry, need to be moving over to digital. For us, the 6000 has been a Godsend!” she enthused. The capsule used for Welch’s voice was the MD 9235 which is a progression from the MD 5235 previously used. “While I was at Coachella with Marina and the Diamonds in 2015, I heard Florence on the microphone and immediately wanted to know what it was. I put Marina on that capsule

+44 (0)7740 099127 SARAHSKITCHEN@ME.COM SARAHSKITCHENTOURING.COM

NEVER LET ME GO Dubbed as ‘the brain’ by many of his fellow crew members, Toby O’Pray took on the title of Playback Technician. Along overseeing various playback elements, O’Pray was responsible for distributing the timecode to all the other departments. “Essentially, if the band misses a cue or decides to play for a few extra bars, Toby can manipulate the playback and timecode which in turn interacts with my lighting cues keeping the whole design in sync,” explained O’Riordan.

“Each song is launched from the drummer,” began O’Pray while explaining his playback and timecode setup. The Playback Tech’s rig consisted of two Apple MacBooks, both running Ableton Live, which gave him the flexibility to manipulate the playback in real time. “That’s the true beauty of Ableton,” he commented. “It was developed for electronic musicians to manipulate tracks in real time to give some feel and expression, which is why it’s perfect for my rig as a playback tech.”

O’Pray also utilised a new piece of kit, iConectivity’s PlayAudio12, a dual-USB audio and MIDI Interface for the live environment. “One of its key features is its redundancy. Instead of having an audio interface and a switching DI, I am able to plug both laptops in the PlayAudio12 and switch from one to the another. So if one laptop crashes I can simply move to the b-system.”

SKY FULL OF SONG Situated next to O’Pray on stage left was Monitor Engineer Annette Guilfoyle, who has made a name for herself handling monitor duties for other female fronted indie bands such as Goldfrapp and Marina and the Diamonds.

Guilfoyle opted for her console brand of choice – DiGiCo. “For this tour I’ve chosen an SD5, I’ve been using DiGiCo’s for awhile now and the company’s support is incredible. If I ever have a problem I know I can ring

53

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

Stage Manager, Philip ‘Big Daddy’ Dannemann, Production Manager Narci Martinez, Head Rigger, Gabriel Wood and Production Coordinator Luke Bell; Touring Lighting Director, Sam O’Riordan; Playback Technician, Toby O’Pray; Monitor Engineer, Annette Guilfoyle.

as soon as possible as she has a similarly strong voice which the model replicates perfectly.”

The use of RF was also necessary thanks to Welch’s animated stage performance. “Admittedly, I didn’t realise quite how much she gets into the audience,” laughed Guilfoyle. “I was prepared for her to run around and jump up on the barrier but she also gets right into the crowd. I spoke to Clair Global about what they could do to provide me with the most coverage. The antenna system they have has given us given us ensures incredible range and next to no dropouts for both in-ears and handheld.”

Brad Madix, of Diablo Digital, handled the FOH mix. The engineer first crossed paths with Martinez while covering the FOH seat for a Weezer gig. When it came to building the team, Madix was on the top of the PM’s list. “The man’s a legend!” enthused Martinez. “He’s a GRAMMY-nominated sound engineer, and a cool guy to boot.”

Clair Global, the tour’s audio vendor and its Cohesion CO-12 PA, were already in place before the engineer joined the tour, but, according to Madix, it was a good decision. He’d already used the Cohesion several times prior - including the very last Linkin Park tour - although he admitted this was the longest time he had spent on the road with the system. “There are plenty of great PAs out there all with their own qualities,” he stated. “The CO-12, for example, has a really natural sound to it with nothing exaggerated or over-hyped in either the low or high end.” He said these characteristics made it perfect for Florence + the Machine. “It’s really hard to pigeonhole this band in terms of musical genre, but one common trend through their music is that they are fairly organic and natural-sounding. Throughout the show they go from stripped back acoustic tracks to full-on rock songs, but the CO-12 handles all aspects really well. The system also works with her voice - which obviously was of paramount importance.”

Although the audio crew carried a delay system on the road, for their Manchester date they opted to simply use the L-R system consisting of 16 boxes deep of CO-12 per side, with a side hang of 16 CO-10. Due to additional seating which surround the stage, Madix and the team deployed a further rear hang of 6 CO-12 in Manchester. “Florence + the Machine are

not a sub-heavy band,” continued the FOH Engineer. “As such, we have only needed 3 CP-218s either side on the rig. We did toy with the idea of placing subs on the floor but due to the asymmetrical shape of the stage it didn’t make sense.” In fact, there were no speakers at all on the stage save a small CP-6 for those few barrier dwellers.

The Avid VENUE S6L was Madix’s desk of choice. “I’ve been a long time Profile user and the S6L was the next logical step. Personally, I always want to keep everything right in front of me at my fingertips. Avid’s platform is very programmable, easy to use and easy to get around.”

In terms of effects, Madix explained he likes to keep everything “on board”. He elaborated: “During the Linkin Park run, I began to move away from plug-ins and external effects, opting to use all the desk’s onboard effects. One of my favoured plug-ins on the Avid is their Pro Compressor. I use it more and more. It’s incredibly versatile and I currently have it on all the guitars and BV with two on Florence’s channel.”

Similar to the lighting department, Madix was also taking a timecode feed which had become integral to his workflow. “I haven’t counted but there must be close to 150 snapshots per show. Some of the songs are relatively simple, but others have several playback elements integrated along with several instrument changes where various lines have to be muted at specific points. Essentially, I use timecode to switch through the snapshots, which gives me the ability to have my hands on the faders and stay on top of the overall mix, with the peace of mind that everything else is managed.

TPi asked the engineer what it was like to mix a singer who wasn’t necessarily going to stay on the stage for her performance. In response, Madix pulled out his phone and showed a photo of Welch standing on the barrier inches from his console from the London show the night before, laughing: “With many singers, running in front of the PA could present a whole host of issues. Thankfully, Florence has a very strong voice so I’m not having to gain her up too much to begin with, putting me in a safer position during those moments and meaning we are less susceptible to issues such as feedback.”

54

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

System Technician, Elad Kleiner with FOH Engineer, Brad Madix; Video Director Corby Anderson; The hard-working team from Sarah’s Kitchen.

Not just a well-respected FOH Engineer, Madix is also known in the industry for being one half of Diablo Digital. Partnering with Greg Price back in 2013, the duo has been developing their range of high-quality easy-toimplement touring multi-track recorders. As you might expect Madix made some space on the rack for one of his Diablo systems. “Personally, I think it’s invaluable to have a digital multitrack of the band you’re working with. Honestly, I’m not sure why every crew doesn’t do it. As great as it is to blast a rock song out of a PA during setup, nothing compares to a real recording of your band while tuning the PA. It also gives you the option to not need a sound check, allowing the musicians more time to prepare for the show with the assurance when they get on stage the system will sound its best.”

BREAKING DOWN (THE VIDEO RIG) Overseeing the IMAG screens which flanked the stage was Colorado native and Video Director, Corby Anderson - a role TPi soon discovered to be his dream job. “I’ve been working as a director for several years, mainly in the corporate and sporting word. For example, due to where I’m from [the capital of extreme sports] the X Games has been a regular project for me over the years… but working in live music has always been my passion!” Anderson’s entry into the world of live music came thanks to Mark Haney, Vice President of Upstage Video. “The short version of the story is that Pearl Jam were making a rare appearance in Colorado. I wasn’t even working the event on the video team but I knew instinctively I needed to be there. After getting myself in as regular crew, I managed to introduce myself to Mark and we hit it off. Sometime later, this tour came across Upstage Video’s desk and Mark put me in the chair - I’ve been pinching myself everyday since.”

The conceptual look of the IMAG treatment came from Haney and original engineer, Daniel Scalzo. “The brief I was given was one of a very cinematic feel,” explained Anderson. “They didn’t want LED screens, instead opting for projection which presented a more ‘earthly’ and less crisp image which mirrored the overall look of the stage and lighting.”

The projectors chosen for the job were Panasonic 31K laser projectors. Panasonic was also the brand of choice of Anderson’s switcher – an AV-HS6000. The camera package consisted of two FOH long lenses with two hand held pit cameras operated by Upstage Video operators. Also at Anderson’s disposal was a robo camera and two POV units for the drummer and the violinist.

“My primary directive is to cover Florence throughout the night,” stated Anderson, joking, “we very much go with the, ahem, Flo.” With so many dynamic moments in tow, the Video Director wanted to make sure his cuts kept pace with the singer. “Over the months, we have been able to create some beautiful moments where we are able to cut to a drum fill or music section in-between one of Florence’s dynamic runs or spins as she resets for either a vocal line or her next movement. She is pretty well choreographed so at this stage, we have an idea of what looks we want to get each night.

“It’s been a delight to work with Upstage Video,” concluded Anderson. “On this tour, I’ve got to work with some real industry pros such as James ‘Coach’ Malone, our Video Crew Chief; he’s worked with everyone from AC/ DC to Metallica. Honestly, it’s just amazing to be surrounded by such people and I hope for it to continue!”

HUNGER (AND TRAVEL) The conjoined forces of Beat The Street and TRUCKINGBY Brian Yeardley ensured the crew and stage got to each venue. In total, the tour had five tour busses and 14 trucks. “I first came across the team from TRUCKINGBY when we built the first Florence show in 2014,” recalled Martinez. “I was very impressed with their work ethic and attention to detail.”

The PM extended the same compliment to his regular freighting supplier, Xpeditious Unlimited. “Paul Stacey [owner] is my go-to guy for all international travel,” smiled Martinez. “Not only is his attention to detail incredible, he is a very fair business man. I think it’s fair to say that international freighting can sometimes be somewhat of a mystery in terms

56

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

of why you are charged certain rates. With Paul, it’s all very black and white and above board and he gives me lots of options to get the fairest price.”

“The Florence + the Machine project was a fun one,” commented Stacey. “We moved the entire show from Newark, New Jersey to the UK and then back to the USA. From there we are moving it to Austrailia with a back-toback move from New York to San Jose via LAX,” he stated. “Maybe then I’ll finally see some daylight.” With freighting handled, RIMA Travel was also on-hand, providing all the logistics for the touring A and B parties which included both Welch and the rest of the band.

Finally, nourishment throughout the tour was split between Rockpool Tour Catering, providing for the band, and Sarah’s Kitchen taking care of the hungry crew. Sarah Nicholas, owner of Sarah’s Kitchen was onsite with her four staff. She commented: “This is the second time we have toured with Narci, having also worked on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ The Getaway tour,” she began, sitting on one of her famed blue flight cases. “Each night we are feeding about 80 people, but there really hasn’t been too many special dietary requirements. This camp really love their food which makes our job more enjoyable.” In fact, the band’s touring schedule had the crew working throughout Thanksgiving and - much to the delight of the Americans on the tour - the catering crew rustled-up a full roast dinner. We’re sure those

heralding from the UK didn’t mind either…

With only a few dates left on the crew’s 2018 touring calendar, a selection of the team headed west, back the US for a few smaller radio and TV promo appearances. In 2019, the touring family will be back in action bringing High as Hope to Austrailian fans. TPi Photos: Luke Dyson and TPi www.florenceandthemachine.net www.willoperron.com www.timroutledge.co.uk www.premierglobalproduction.com www.fivepointsproductionservices.com www.clairglobal.com www.upstagevideo.com www.bpm-sfx.com www.beatthestreet.net www.brianyeardley.com www.xpeditiousunlimited.com www.rockpooltourcatering.com www.thepowershop.eu

57