TPi July 2017 - #215

RAMMSTEIN LIVE AT HORSENS STATE PRISON

ONE LOVE MANCHESTER • SHAWN MENDES • HARRY POTTER IN CONCERT • TIDE CONFERENCE • FESTIVAL FOCUS • KRAFTWERK • NITELITES PROFILE • DIAMANDA GALÁS FROM FOH • ANASTACIA

JULY 2017 #215

EDITOR’S LETTER

VARIO-LIFT

I’m typing this from the glamour of an easyJet flight to Geneva (or Jee-nee-voh as my ever so local cabin crew say) en route to Switzerland’s annual Montruex Jazz Festival (MJF). This is off the back of Glastonbury (shout out to Music Bank’s Jimmy Mac, pictured for being a backstage guide and probably the most rock ’n’ roll chauffeur I’ll ever have!) in-between what seems like a busier summer gig season than usual. We’re spoilt for choice, pressed for time, and hoping everyone’s getting enough rest as we get into the thick of international festival fun.

MJF is not a typical ‘festival’ by any means, and that’s what makes it interesting. There are no fields to be seen, merely the oil painting-worthy views of Lake Geneva. It’s a haven of technical support, brand ambassadors and the creme de la creme of touring sound engineers, rolling through at all levels. It really stands out as an event at which engineers and manufacturers truly bond.

I suppose the topic of support has been on my mind a lot lately. Whether its a new transAtlanic union (see the tireless efforts the audio crew from One Love Manchester put into making that phenomenal show happen on Pg. 08), the support seen from manufacturers to road crew (Anastacia, Pg. 48), or the support shown from artist to techs, it all makes a big difference to our daily lives. Support is important in my office, it’s surely important in yours. The Nitelites family (Pg. 66) continue to embody this. And if you don’t have an office per se, no doubt the need for it is even more pressing.

Working at TPi has shown me the support available as part of a wider community, and if for any reason you don’t feel the same, I’d like to help change that. This month’s PSA column, Stage Hand (Pg. 88), is proof that further help is on the way, and will be worth the wait.

Now, if you’d like to start this month’s issue with a slightly more energetic read, turn your attention to Pg. 22 for Ste’s brilliant cover story on Rammstein. I’m left wondering about the realities of naked pyro, but perhaps your imagination will take a different route…

Kelly Murray Editor

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

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ITINERARY

EVENT FOCUS

22

08 One Love Manchester

A benefit concert unlike any other. TPi

speaks to those who made it possible.

14 Kraftwerk

Blackout adds another dimension to the band’s 3D tour.

16 Depeche Mode

Stageco supports the band’s latest tour,

Global Spirit.

18 Martin Garrix

Production Designer, Gabe Fraboni,

relies on Robe for the DJ’s latest outing.

PRODUCTION PROFILE 22 Rammstein

The Teutonic lords of fire make their TPi

cover debut.

34

34

Shawn Mendes Stew Hume travels to Germany to witness the singer’s Illuminate spectacular.

44

Harry Potter The popular film franchise gets a live revamp with a touring orchestra.

48 Anastacia

Kelly Murray meets the devoted crew

who support the American vocalist.

56

Simple Minds The Glaswegian rockers showed defiance in the face of terror, playing a show 24 hours after the Manchester tragedy.

INTERVIEW

48

60

Ste Durham sits down with Audio Engineer, Daniel Neumann, to discuss life on the road with Diamanda Galás.

GEAR HEADS 64

Richard Fleming, XTA / MC2 Sales Application & Support Manager, discusses the XTA APA and the MC2 Delta.

COMPANY PROFILE 66

Nitelites opens its doors to TPi as it prepares for another summer season.

EXPO

56

72

InfoComm launches the TIDE Conference, a new arena to spark creative thought.

FESTIVAL FOCUS 74

TPi’s festival coverage returns for 2017.

Our first instalment includes coverage of Download and Rock im Park.

PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE 88

Andy Lenthall discuses mental health and the help the PSA can offer.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS 90

74

The latest movers and shakers.

BACK CHAT 94

Gil Tee, Director of Hire Services at entertee takes the hot seat.

EVENT FOCUS

ONE LOVE MANCHESTER As a direct response to a disaster, One Love Manchester was bought to you by singer – and now honorary Mancunian – Ariana Grande and her management team. The goal was clear: put on a benefit concert less than two weeks after the Manchester Arena bombing, and embody the reality that the love of live music cannot and will not be stopped. TPi spoke to some of the sound crew who brought the live and broadcast concert to a worldwide audience estimated to be over a billion.

From its inception, One Love Manchester was a team effort; as Clair Global’s Account Executive Toby Francis explained: “Ariana’s management created the event, and Clair Global / Brit Row became an extension of the touring production team, helping to arrange whatever was needed audio-wise for rehearsals, as well as for the show. The tour’s FOH Engineer, Simon Thomas, and Monitor Engineer Vish Wadi took on huge roles, assisted by the Clair UK & Brit Row local crew. [TPi Awardwinning] Colin Pink did an amazing job of organising all input and gear needs for the guest acts, while Lez Dwight oversaw the gig for the Brit Row team.

“Toby Alington did the sound mix for BBC TV, and he and his team could not have done a better job. Between Lez and Andy Walker at Clair UK, Ariana’s touring sound crew, the engineering department at Clair’s HQ

in Lititz and the support of DiGiCo Sennheiser and Shure, we were able to cover everything that was needed.”

As well as a professional and humanitarian interest in the show, Francis also had a personal one; having worked previously with Grande, whom he mixed for three years as she matured as an artist. He’s also worked closely with several of the concert’s guest acts including Justin Beiber, Miley Cyrus, and his current day job, mixing FOH for Katy Perry. Although he has since vacated the mixing console seat to make room for Thomas, Francis was keen to highlight the capability of his successor on the night: “Simon is incredible. He replaced me after three years and he does a fantastic job. There was a very consistent sound from beginning to end and it was very rewarding to watch this show; I’ve mixed over 5,000 shows in the last 40 years of my career and I hand-picked Simon to take over. I’ve heard 08

ONE LOVE MANCHESTER

enhancements with his mix that I’d never heard before! I know for a fact that I picked the right guy. One Love was such an emotional experience for everybody who worked on it.”

Thomas gave an insight into the technical side of his duties: “What began as a benefit gig using our production and house band expanded rapidly, into duplicate DiGiCo SD7’s and additional amounts of Clair’s CO-12 PA for delays and side hangs. The principle remained the same and that was to use Ariana’s band and crew for the majority of acts; other than the speeches, Marcus Mumford, Little Mix, Robbie Williams and Coldplay, who had their own control set up and also accommodated Liam Gallagher’s requests. Initially, we thought that the best way forward was for me to mix all artists performing with Ariana’s band.

“However, since we had a specific control set up for the band, we decided we needed an additional FOH control, which was operated by Colin Pink. He dealt with the overflow of artists not using Ariana’s band, which fed additional vocals / instruments to my console for the visiting artists.”

Pink was approached on the Wednesday before the show - which took place on Sunday - to oversee and coordinate the guest artists and show integration with the broadcast. His experience of designing shows like The BRITs and the EMAs meant that, as well as having a good knowledge of how this type of hybrid show works, he had also worked with most of the artists and their engineers before. These prior relationships made planning much faster and helped the team get a head start on putting the system together. He explained: “It was still very much Ariana’s show and her band acted as the house band. Her team and engineers did an amazing job, and I felt privileged to be able to work with them, and take the pressure off by dealing with the guests and broadcast needs, which allowed them to concentrate on their normal setup during such an emotional time.

“From a broadcast point of view we treated it in exactly the same way we do other large scale shows. It was great to have familiar faces mixing the

show and we have all worked together extensively before. This familiarity means we have a ‘shorthand’ that was essential for us to be able to get the show together in three days.”

As if the tight deadline was not strenuous enough, One Love Manchester came at an extremely busy time of the season for the production industry as festival season was about to take off, meaning that sourcing crew and equipment was a real challenge. Brit Row’s Lez Dwight commented: “As the week went by we devised a plan. We had duplicate SD7’s at both ends of the snake, much like the model we use for shows like The BRITs and EMAs; we also increased the SD Racks to up the channel count from 56 to 112.

“The house band rehearsed until Saturday night while we arranged extra Clair Cohesion CO-12 PA to be added to the PA. On the Saturday morning, we loaded in our control followed by tests and checks on site.

Sunday morning started with an early planning meeting then it was artist rehearsals right up to the point when doors opened. In fact, we still rehearsed the Black Eyed Peas after the doors opened! If you think that was tight, Liam Gallagher’s band played with no rehearsal at all. They just turned up and played, much like one of those ‘throw and go’ appearances at a festival. Fortunately, they shared the self-contained Coldplay control and monitor rig which made it a little less nerve wracking!”

Dwight added: “The show called on all our experience with multi-band shows, but even so it was tough. We scheduled in key people like Colin who had a couple of days off in the middle of Hans Zimmer’s world tour.

Everyone stepped up and got stuck in. [For tech support] DiGiCo sent Mark Saunders and Dave Bigg while Sennheiser sent Jonas Næsby to the site.

I even got my hands dirty! The industry rose to the occasion and it was a really great team effort from everyone involved; Clair even flew over Jim Bowersox, a member of the Clair CO-12 design and engineering team, to help tune the Manchester system; that’s classy.”

Thomas discussed how the system performed: “When you have a stage thrust involved there are always potential issues with feedback. Luckily, 09

ONE LOVE MANCHESTER

the Clair CO-12 system we used is great for reducing this, and the system design by Jim Bowersox proved to be both amazing and accurate. Systems Engineer, Jerrell Evans, also had a big part in this, as well as the rest of the touring audio crew and the additional Brit Row crew. With all this in mind, it meant we kept a clean sounding stage, which no doubt helped Toby Alington in our broadcast dept achieve what was a great-sounding show.”

If you watched the show, which no doubt many of you did, you’ll know that Alington’s experience was worth its weight in gold, having worked in live music broadcast for 25 years and spending much of his time looking after many of the large multi-artist shows such as The BRITs, the EMAs and AMAs, the BBC Music Awards, and Children in Need Rocks. One Love Manchester was certainly in good hands.

He commented: “These shows have their own peculiarities and pressures, with fast turnarounds between artists and all the thrills and spills of live television. I generally work in a music mobile, mixing all the live music, adding audience and mastering the output for whichever medium we’re broadcasting to. I am very dependent on the PA company for what is supplied to us by way of stage feeds, and most of the time we work alongside Brit Row, who are wonderfully sympathetic at understanding how important our wider audience is.

“As with any show, the first thing was to understand exactly what would be required for the broadcast and then to choose the kit and crew accordingly. This information comes from the production company, the PA company and the artists’ own engineers, and we try and piece together the true picture from these various sources.”

He continued: “I got the call on Bank Holiday Monday, just six days before the event, asking if I’d be available for the show the following Sunday, and whether I could put together a broadcast audio solution. Thankfully, the Floating Earth mobile, my first choice for multi-artist shows in the UK, along with my A-team crew of ‘the Mikes’ - Mike Hatch, Michael Gerrard and Mike Cox - were all available. When I discovered that Brit Row, with Lez Dwight and Colin Pink would be overseeing the PA side of things, I knew it was going to be great!”

A rapid sequence of phone calls gave Alington the information he needed: it would be 96 lines for Ariana’s band and guests, plus 48 channels from Coldplay. With a few extra feeds of audience and extras, the broadcast crew were using around 156 inputs to mix the live broadcast.

Alington continued: “The main issue, flagged quite early on, was that we would have very limited soundcheck and rehearsal time. Where we’d hoped to have some soundchecks on the Saturday before the Sunday show - in fact we only got going around 11am on Sunday morning and it was clear we weren’t going to hear every artist before we were live to air. This meant setting some of the snapshots by the numbers, and I’m glad to say my guesswork did work out on the whole!”

The Floating Earth mobile had an SSL C200 console on board, which Alington chose due to its ease of use on fast-moving, high-pressure gigs such as this. He said: “With limited rehearsal time on most shows, and indeed no rehearsals for some of the artists on this one at all, the SSL’s full

channel strips rather than just a central section, are a huge bonus. You can crawl around the C200 and work faster than any other desk I know, while it is a fully digital work-surface allowing essential snapshots and recall capability. I also had my favourite outboard toys on board: TC System 6000, Lexicon reverbs, EL8 compressors and dbx902 de-essers for vocals, and a handful of other bits and pieces.”

Alington concluded: “The reaction and praise from around the world was very lovely, not just for the amazing concert and artists, but for what we achieved with the sound. We were possibly helped by expectations, with the audience knowing how last-minute the preparations had been, but the end result seemed to hit the right spot for the listeners around the world.

“I can’t remember five hours of live broadcast passing quite so quickly before. Suddenly we were off air, with a realisation that nothing had gone wrong, we hadn’t had any output issues, and that actually it had sounded pretty good. Meeting up with Simon Thomas, Colin Pink, Lez Dwight and the Brit Row / Clair teams, the Coldplay crew and so on, we all felt very pleased that such a monumental effort from everyone had delivered what turned out to be such an amazing show.”

Guy Freeman, Editor Special Events for the BBC, said post show: “As I reflect on the week, I am quite overwhelmed by the way in which every single person approached, changed plans and dropped what they were doing - in half-term week - to muck in and do whatever was required to get the programme on air. On top of that, what was really striking was the degree to which seemingly insurmountable problems were quickly solved through determination, patience, goodwill and phenomenal collaboration between ourselves and partners. I can’t think of any other combination of broadcaster and production unit that could have come close to achieving what [they] all did.”

As much as many of the hardened roadies involved in this show would insist that this was just another gig, it was undeniably an emotional time for all involved, particularly the original touring crew who had, like many others, endured the shock and pain of what happened.

“It has been a whirlwind of emotions since the tragic events in Manchester and it has had a lasting effect on all of us,” said Thomas.

“Situations like this certainly make you think of the people around you more than ever and we have bonded even stronger as a team. I think we are building lifelong friendships as a result. Not getting back to work never seemed like an option, and as a crew we didn’t really have time to think too much. We were straight back into the ‘work mode’ of preparing a gig - One Love Manchester was no different - and we were determined to do the best job possible. I also have to extend special thanks to Toby Francis, he’s an amazing person and has shown huge faith in me throughout this time.”

In fact, it wasn’t until the fans were in and the music could be heard that the enormity of the event became apparent to the crew. “But, it was show time and all we could do was get on with our jobs. It was our way of honouring the victims and the whole city of Manchester. Our strength and determination came from a desire to prove both the force, and the importance live music will always have.”

10

ONE LOVE MANCHESTER CLAIr global & Britannia Row

BETTER TOGETHER

ONE LOVE MANCHESTER

Thomas again underlined the importance of Monitor Engineer Vish Wadi, as well as his Tech, Matt Patterson, and the rest of Grande’s crew under the leadership of Production Manager Omar Abderrahman. Francis, whom TPi spoke to last month, initially after the attack, also gave his appraisal of the incredible results of the One Love Manchester show: “There was total elation and yet there was a total sense of reality, that this concert, this huge, globally watched, star-studded concert was in response to such a horrific disaster. This show was all we could do. It was incredibly trying; as the guys on the road, we were physically and emotionally exhausted, but both Sennheiser and DiGiCo helped us out immensely; they bent over backwards with whatever we needed and they couldn’t have done any more to ensure we got the sound right. Of course, this was also the first project that Clair and Brit Row had done together since the two companies merged. So what better way to show the power of what they can do, than to help pull off something like this?

“Like everything else that has come out of this tragic time, we’re pushing

forward and coming out as a stronger force than ever before. Myself and Lez will be close friends forever because of this show. I’d met him a few times during the merger but I hadn’t had the pleasure of working with him before but in just a week, it felt like I’d known him for 10 years. Everybody who participated in One Love Manchester will have a bond for a very long time.”

TPi Photos: Kevin Mazur (Getty Images) & DiGiCo www.arianagrande.com www.tobyalington.com www.colinpink.co www.clairglobal.com www.solidstatelogic.com www.britanniarow.com www.shure.co.uk www.digico.biz en-us.sennheiser.com

On behalf of everybody at TPi, thank you to every company, crewmember, organiser and security personnel who made One Love Manchester such an incredible success.

Your dedication to our incredible industry helped give the smiles and the swagger back to gig-goers of all ages; thanks to you, live music will continue to incite joy, not fear.

12

D I G I C O

A U D I O

A R T I S T

Becky Pell

“I love the intuitive feel and versatility of DiGiCo desks, and their instinctive workflow means that I can keep my eyes on the stage and respond quickly to requests. The warm, clear DiGiCo sound helps me to deliver a great mix to my artist every time.”

Becky Pell Monitor Engineer - Anastacia, Shane Filan, Running monitors on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury

Exceelxlpeonsecde

Becky Pell

Monitor Engineer - Anastacia

You’re probably aware that our SD series of stunning mixing consoles feature the DiGiCo hallmarks of Stealth Digital Processing, floating-point Super FPGA technology and a whole lot more. But when combined with the sound engineering excellence of Becky Pell, who’s mixing it up with panache for Anastacia, Shane Filan and others, the result is truly exceptional.

Discover more at digico.biz/excellenceexposed DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL. Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600 Directory of Women in Professional Audio and Production. SoundGirls.org aims to provide a listing of women in disciplines industry-wide for networking and hiring.

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29/03/2017 08:35

EVENT FOCUS

KRAFTWERK IN 3D Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout added a British touch to Kraftwerk’s European run, as the only non-German company working on the band’s 3D Tour.

The legendary German electronic group, who have been releasing material since the 1970s, embarked on their first full UK tour for 13 years at the Waterfront in Belfast on 4 June before playing dates across Scotland and England. Blackout was the only non-German company asked to support the highly-anticipated live shows.

The climax to the UK section of the tour came with three sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall on 21, 22 and 23 June. Given the musical heritage of the band, who have been sampled by the likes of Madonna and New Order and been credited as the ‘Godfathers’ of electronic music, tickets for their biggest UK tour for 25 years were highly sought after.

Audiences were asked to wear 3D glasses for the shows, which were backed with stunning digital graphics on a giant screen; offering a snapshot of a band whose use of technology has always stood them apart from their peers.

With band members wearing futuristic body suits and each playing their own ‘console’, each song was backed with its own set of unique graphics, with visual elements tailored to each venue. For example at Bristol’s Colston Hall the audience watched a short film of a flying saucer landing on the main road past the venue, a visual hook that was repeated at each venue.

Each night featured two hours of one of the most extensive back catalogues in modern music, with much of the material enhanced over the years to create a real audio and visual digital spectacle. One critic, writing for The Guardian, defined it as “as close to perfect as live music can get.”

Blackout was entrusted with supplying all the rigging for the tour, which earned rave reviews for its use of props and graphics. All the trusses, hoists, motorised track and drapes were delivered for the tour and two Blackout representatives, Sam Colclough and Andi Spowart, accompanied the tour across the country.

The Blackout equipment included Prolyte H40v and James Thomas Engineering Superlite truss, with the hoists consisting of 1tonne and 0.25t CM and 0.5t Liftkets. This was used to hang lighting, speakers, video screens and track trusses.

Because of a scene change during the show, during which band members Ralf Hutter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert and Falk Grieffenhagen swapped costumes and the red-suited Robots took their place for the song of the same name, Blackout manufactured 15m-drop grey wool serge drapes which moved along a curved motorised track, masking the entire stage allowing the changes to happen.

14

KRAFTWERK

Opposite and Below: For Kraftwerk’s latest European run the band had their audience wear 3D glasses for the stunning digital graphics on a giant screen. Blackout was entrusted with supplying all the rigging for a tour.

Additional black drapes were also taken on the tour for stage backdrops and utilised at venues with lower ceiling height measurements.

It isn’t the first time Blackout has worked with Kraftwerk. In 2013, when the band played eight shows at the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, Blackout supplied all the rigging and drapes. The venue required an extensive transformation to turn it from a large exhibition space into an entertainment venue able to accommodate Kraftwerk’s unique show set. This involved using drapes to block out all external light and provide acoustic sound dampening.

Blackout’s involvement with the 2017 3D tour began not on UK soil but in Antwerp, where the crew worked on two shows a night for four nights. The tour then moved to Dublin for two nights at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre before going to Belfast.

Tim Searle, Blackout’s project manager, said: “I was contacted by Production Manager Winfried Blank back in January. He shared some plans with me regarding venues and dates at that stage, and we were really pleased to be asked to work with the band again.

“We were asked to supply the tour equipment, crew and general support. We then liaised with the various venues regarding their individual layouts and how the set would fit into them.

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but depending on their size and available rigging we had to make some adjustments.

“It’s always a pleasure to be involved in a tour that goes to the Royal Albert Hall. It’s a really good place to work with a very helpful in-house team and a large number of house points.

“Overall, we’re proud to have been the only non-German supplier for this iconic tour. The German crew have been great and welcomed us in from day one which has been brilliant and made for a fantastic and collaborative working environment.”

Other venues in the UK Kraftwerk played on the 3D Tour included the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool, Symphony Hall in Birmingham, The Sage in Gateshead, City Hall in Sheffield, Bristol’s Colston Hall, the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, Oxford’s New Theatre, The Brighton Centre and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

The tour continues across Europe, heading to Dusseldorf, the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia before the band play eight shows featuring their entire back catalogue at the Officine Grandi Riparazioni in Turin, Italy.

TPi Photos: Chris Cooper/ShotAway www.kraftwerk.com www.blackout.co.uk

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EVENT FOCUS

DEPECHE MODE Stageco supports the electro pioneers’ latest European tour.

In the wake of one of the most stripped down and directly political album releases of their 37-year recording career, Depeche Mode have returned to the road with the Global Spirit tour and this summer’s European leg alone will see them play to audiences totalling more than 1.5 million in 32 cities. Throughout a large portion of this itinerary, in Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic and the UK, Stageco will be leapfrogging three steel systems and helping the band to share staging resources with Guns N’Roses.

Emerging from Basildon, Essex as pioneers of the early ’80s electronic pop movement, Depeche Mode matured as a darker, more experimental act by the end of their first decade, with the album Violator propelling them into the premier division of international touring stars. With longtime collaborator Anton Corbijn at the helm of visual content, Global Spirit reinstates Depeche Mode’s reputation as a live act with the highest production values.

Rehearsals initially began at LS-Live in Wakefield’s Production Park before continuing for four days at Stockholm’s Friends Arena, where the tour began on 5 May. Stageco Project Managers Michael Herbst and Tom Bilsen organised an average of 12 trailers for each system in Europe, liaising with Live Nation site co-ordinator Steve McCalmont.

On Saturday 3 June, the band - Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher and touring musicians Peter Gordeno and Christian Eigner - made their debut at London Stadium, and it was also the first time at the former Olympic venue for Stageco crew chief Kevin De Meyer. He said: “My crew colleagues and I arrived here on the previous Monday, and I was immediately impressed with the stadium. Our plan was to start building the next morning, however, one of the trucks containing tools and other crucial equipment for the base out was held up at the Port of Calais and arrived late.

“One of the most positive qualities of Stageco is that over the years we have learned to deal with pretty much every type of problem imaginable, and we always find a way to improvise around it. While we were waiting for

the missing kit, I had some hammers in my car and one of our team was able to buy a new measuring laser so we could at least do some levelling and scaffolding. The driver eventually arrived at 3pm on our first build day and day three we had made up so much time that we had completed the job an hour ahead of schedule.”

During the build - which also included construction of the spot / delay towers, two FOH risers and VIP platforms - Stageco’s 11-person team was assisted by local crew and it was reduced to six for the show day. Developed

by Bart Dekelver from Stageco’s R&D department, the stage itself was a four-tower format construction measuring 26m wide and 22m high with a 16.5m deep playing area. To the sides of the stage, Stageco built canopy roofs for the PA and video wings, bringing the total width to 54m.

As soon as the build commenced, everything went to plan although the venue’s architecture forced a minor change, as De Meyer explained: “Due to the extended junctions in the stadium roof, we needed to move the stage forward by two metres compared to the original drawing in order to avoid hitting our crane.”

After the show, the crew dismantled and loaded out all of Stageco’s pitch structures, leaving the stage in place to be reassembled and rebranded for the Guns N’ Roses concerts at London Stadium on 16 and 17 June. The same approach also followed in Munich and Paris.

“Having Stageco on the tour gives us confidence,” commented Tony Gittins, the Production Manager who has now been involved with Depeche Mode for 12 years. “We have a few shows in the itinerary that are less predictable, but it’s always smooth when Stageco is on board. Everything is in great shape and on time. It’s a great company and I couldn’t ask for more.”

Stageco’s summer 2017 tours also include U2, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Robbie Williams, Vasco Rossi and Coldplay, as well as festivals such as PinkPop, Rock Werchter, Hellfest, Electric Daisy Carnival and Download Paris.

TPi Photo: Amanda Rose www.stageco.com 16

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EVENT FOCUS

MARTIN GARRIX Three high-energy sold out shows at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium launched the DJ and producer’s latest tour, which is due to draw thousands as it makes its way around the globe for the rest of the year.

To reinforce Martin Garrix’s globally appealling sound, the artist ensured he was armed with a lighting and visuals show to match, created by Production Designer Gabe Fraboni and featuring 138 Robe moving lights - 90 Spikies, 20 Pointes and 28 BMFL Spots.

The main goal of this design is to take Garrix out of the straight-up EDM aesthetic and take a more rock / pop show approach.

Fans at this year’s Coachella festival received a sneak preview of what was to come with the plus-shaped video screen and surrounding grid of 90 Spikies tight at the heart of the performance environment. Now the power and impact of this and the new production design has been unleashed to the delight of his fans.

Fraboni had used Robe Pointes and BMFLs very successfully on the last Martin Garrix tour, so when it came to the new design he wanted to add a

dynamic “trick fixture” for this one and chose to do it with Spikies.

The fixtures were rigged onto an elegant industrial trussing structure, which is built upstage of the DJ booth and frames a large plus-shaped LED screen in the centre that is also attached to the truss uprights.

The Spikies are placed exactly 2ft, 9in apart on the horizontal and vertical plane and are the main focus of the show lighting.

Fraboni commented: “Spikies were the perfect fit. The continuous panand-tilt, flower effect and the prism give the exact ‘trick’ elements I need to keep up with the frenetic pace of Martin’s set.”

The Pointes and BMFL Blades are hung on three straight trusses above the stage and add a complimentary architecture to the space, together with texture and depth. In the full production version of the design there is also a large 9mm LED screen upstage as a backdrop.

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MARTIN GARRIX

Opposite & below: Martin Garrix’s Production Designer, Gabe Fraboni, selected 138 Robe moving lights for the DJ’s latest stage show.

The BMFLs and Pointes also become prominent at certain points, video and in others it will be lasers that define the visuals for that piece of providing a classic show lighting element, creating structures with beam music. work and layering this with gobos and colour on top.

Having all this information mapped into the cue sheets allowed Fraboni The setup was completed by strobes and 4-lite blinders, making the rig to establish a narrative with Garrix - who takes a keen interest with his stage relatively sparse for a full-on EDM show. presentation - for the show, which has a clear visual and scenic flow.

Previously Fraboni used Spikies on the North The light show was programmed by Fraboni American leg of the Pretty Lights tour working as and Ben Dalgliesh and run by Fraboni for the assistant designer and programmer for LD Greg three San Francisco gigs together with lasers, Ellis. “They absolutely blew both Greg and me calling all the other elements via comms. away,” he enthused, adding that he now specifies Dalgliesh will be taking the show on the road them whenever an opportunity arises. globally, with video being run by Lorenzo de The most important consideration on this Pascalis. show is ensuring the entire rig was never used For these three launch performances lighting all at once and layering all the different visual and video equipment was supplied by VER and elements to ensure a diverse and interesting lasers and other special effects by Pyrotecnico.

“Spikies were the perfect fit. show to help fans through the pumping musical Internationally, the production will be adventure. supplied to Fraboni’s spec by the local promoter The continuous pan-and-tilt, The lighting and visuals are designed to and the fact that Robe is now widely available flower effect and the prism give flow harmoniously on this show. The new video on all continents has also given the Production content package was also debuted at Coachella the exact ‘trick’ elements I need Designer confidence that the integrity of the after being in development for the six months design will be maintained the world over. to keep up with the frenetic leading up to the tour.

TPi Each song in the set has its dedicated video www.martingarrix.com pace of Martin’s set.” clip and is paired with a lighting look that it www.robe.cz Gabe Fraboni, either compliments or contrasts. In some songs, www.ver.com Production Designer lighting will feature heavily, in others it will be www.pyrotecnico.com 20

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: Caption.

RAMMSTEIN TPi was on site at Horsens State Prison in Denmark to marvel at the theatrical madness that came courtesy of the seasoned showmen and their tight-knit touring family.

RAMMSTEIN

According to Lighting Designer LeRoy Bennett, the whole look of the show is based around the custom built stage, which now features a great deal of automation.

Much is made about the alchemy of pairing an artist with their perfect venue; whether that is David Gilmour in a Roman amphitheatre or Queen at Buckingham Palace. While industrial metal titans Rammstein’s search is not necessarily over, their appearance at the imposing Horsens State Prison in Denmark certainly conjured up a good degree of excitement for the band’s ardent fanbase.

Horsens has long stood as a fairly run of the mill seaside town, verging on the precipice of eternal mediocrity, until 2001 when local businessman, Frank Panduro, said: “Give me a bag of money and I will make Horsens the metropolis of rock ‘n’ roll in Denmark.” Since then, the area has become a lodestone for some of the biggest acts on the planet, including Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and return visitors Metallica.

scenes; well drilled in taming the fiery beast that is Rammstein’s stage show and precise to a fault. While all departments of this crack team are being challenged on a daily basis, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Rammstein’s pyrotechnics crew must be among the most tested of their ilk the world over.

Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the band, saying they use a lot of pyrotechnics is missing the point entirely. With Rammstein, the special effects are as much a part of the show as any other aspect of live production; they wear guitars, but they also wear head-mounted flame units. Lindemann in particular is well trained in the use of pyrotechnics, donning flaming angel wings for one song and wielding a spark-shooting bow for another.

When Production Manager Nicolai Sabottka was hired by the band in 1997, the already considerable pyrotechnics were handled by the band and crewmembers in a rather unorthodox way to say the least. He explained: “As we grew larger I faced a lot of pushback from venues and authorities due to shows the band had played there in the past. Even though they were very spectacular, no one wanted to have us back using self-made pyrotechnics and flame throwers!”

In order to placate these venues, the band started using more legitimate pyro companies that carried the appropriate licences, which allowed the band to increase their level of international touring. Sabottka continued: “I got sucked into the world of pyro so I could handle permitting and product distribution around the globe, finding local suppliers in each

FEUER FREI! Perhaps surprisingly in the cut and thrust of today’s music industry, Rammstein’s lineup has remained unchanged since its inception in 1994.

From then on, singer Till Lindemann, guitarists Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers, bassist Oliver ‘Ollie’ Riedel, drummer Christoph ‘Doom’ Schneider and keyboardist Christian ‘Flake’ Lorenz have collectively been at the helm of some of the most explosive and dangerous live performances ever seen from a solely musical act. Since the beginning, the band’s attitude has been to push the envelope at all times, courting critical acclaim and controversy in almost equal measure along the way.

This journey has led to the creation of a tight family unit behind the 24

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RAMMSTEIN

Above: As well as being a formidable frontman, singer Till Lindemann is experienced in the use of pyrotechnics.

and every market we were due to visit.

“To be honest, I wanted to be a pyro tech ever since I was a boy and played with matches all the time, but it got lost over the years and I only rediscovered it since I began working with these strange musicians!”

Sabottka eventually resolved to become a qualified pyro tech and purchased his own equipment. He said: “I offered to take over special effects for the band since most of the work ended up on my desk anyway while taking care of the production advance. Alongside some of our very talented pyro techs and the band’s lead singer we started developing and enhancing our own flame systems and the arsenal grew larger with every tour. It doesn’t feel like double duty as I would probably be bored to death if I only handled the standard production tasks!”

As Rammstein continued to amass international touring experience, the special effects, much like the rest of the production, became more complex and spectacular. Sabottka explained: “As technology developed and we gained the ability to have custom pyrotechnics manufactured through Evolution in Montana - combined with the band’s unquenchable thirst for new effects - we were able to come to a level I would call unique in concert touring.”

All of the special effects on stage at Horsens were shot manually using a Galaxis system for the pyrotechnics and an MA Lighting dot2 XL-F for the flame effects and Co2, with backups everything also supplied by ffp.

The crew all had in-ears monitors, headset radios and a ProTools feed to keep track of every aspect of the show and ensure that everything was happening with safety at the forefront. ffp’s Pyrotechnics / Special Effects Crew Chief, Nick Thompsett, explained: “Our shooter, Oliver Jost, will arm whatever unit or units are up next, radio that he’s ready and whoever is standing by those units will clear him to fire. Nicolai calls the shots and if there’s even a fraction of a problem then we won’t shoot.

“If you rely on timecode for something like this you can become complacent, which isn’t an option for us. Sometimes we need to use it when we physically can’t do some of the faster or more complex moves, but

we try and keep it to a minimum. For example, the opening sequence is preprogrammed, as is the beginning of Ich Tu Dir Weh. We obviously have a stop procedure but we haven’t had to use it yet.”

Given Lindemann’s experience and the rest of the band’s comfort in operating their own personal pyrotechnics, many of the weird and wonderful ideas for an upcoming tour start with them. Thompsett continued: “On the first tour there might have been six or seven songs without pyro, now there are two. Even though the pyro is so heavy, it always tells a story. It’s more like a musical in that way and there’s a meaning for each gag. Nicolai and band talk creatively, he brings them products some times, and we do our best to implement it and make sure it works in the real world.”

He continued: “We rehearse a lot and we’ve had some of these elements for 10 years or more, like the pyro headmasks the band wear for Feuer Frei! or the milk canister sparks that Till appears to pour over Flake on Ich Tu Dir Weh. In that case, Till sees if Flake is safe and then tips it forward - if he doesn’t tip, then Oliver doesn’t initiate the gag. Everyone knows the score by now and it’s as safe as can be.”

As well as refining old gags and adding new ones, the crew “beefed up” some of the effects with this run of outdoor venues in mind. “The best, and probably most dangerous, effect is on Sonne,” the Crew Chief said. “It’s only a flame cue but we basically shoot 14m fireballs across from both sides of the stage to meet in the middle with the band still there. You feel it at FOH so I’m sure the band and audience can feel it too! We’re really proud of that one.”

Although Thompsett was keen to praise the structured load in called by Stage Manager Björn Harder, the show at Horsens didn’t leave much time for testing the gear in anger before going on stage. He said: “Any strong wind could affect the flames but we can always get to them and vary the angles half a degree or so to account for it. We look at the units again during the changeover and blast Co2, which always gets the crowd going even though it will be another 20 mins before showtime! The kabuki drop at the start also gives us a good indication of the wind.”

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RAMMSTEIN

Prior to Bennett’s involvement, Rammstein were unashamedly against the use of moving lights; a prejudice Bennett has worked tirelessly to overturn since he began designing for the band.

He concluded: “I think I have the best pyro crew on the planet, and they certainly put in the hours. I’ve toured with a few bands and it’s always a close environment but this crew really is like a family. Everyone helps each other and wants to put on the best possible show. When you can do that with a nice band and a great crew you really are living the dream.”

design, according to Bennett. He said: “Paul is very creative and has big ideas; I understand by now where he’s coming from. I have done a lot in my time but I never claim to know it all, so I’m always open to suggestions and can generally filter them into a more workable reality.

“As a designer it’s your duty to have an open mind. If not you can become stagnant and will always struggle to grow and improve. I don’t like feeling comfortable and if I’m not struggling for a concept or design then I don’t really feel like I’m doing my job!”

The LD continued: “As a rule, but particularly with Rammstein, I don’t like it to be too busy on stage. I want certain textures but everything has to be clean and precise. I try to keep it to one, two, or three colours at most, and mostly rely on reds, ambers, greens, blues and variations of white.

Basically anything that’s slightly murky!”

Bennett’s design consisted of 39 GLP impression X4 Bar 20’s and 81 Bar 10’s on the cross-pod truss, with another 24 Bar 10’s flown. The GLP GT-1’s were arranged in 7 pods of 10, while more Bar 20’s, 20 SGM Q-7’s, 11 A&O Technology FALCON Beam 3ks and 12 7ks were arranged on the stage floor.

The riser and side light decks and the downstage edge were lined with more Bar 20’s, and 18 more Q-7’s were used as backlighting for the band.

The rig was completed by Vari-Lite VL3000 spots, SGM P-5 washes, Martin

By Harman MAC 2000 Wash XBs, and MAC 101 moving head washes.

Bennett gave the reasoning behind this intricate setup: “It looks complicated on paper but it doesn’t appear that way on stage. It’s all about committing to a certain level of limitation and finding variety in that situation. The movement of the trusses adds a layer of versatility and I love that there’s no video in this show. A lot of my other shows have it because that is what the artists want but I’m trying to convince some of them away from it! They get nervous about letting go of it but Rammstein have always been.”

UK-based manufacturer Perry Scenic created a number of pieces for Bennett’s production design, as the company’s Managing Director, Jonathan Perry explained: “Alongside a very labour-intensive 60ft wide 3D backdrop, we also manufactured the bespoke lighting pods, which were packed with different lighting fixtures and finished in Rammstein’s signature industrial distressed riveted cladding. An A and B set design were

HIER KOMMT DIE SONNE Renowned Lighting Designer LeRoy Bennett has worked with Rammstein for 16 years, originally coming on board to oversee the visual aspects of the Mutter tour. Since then, while the band’s stage show has generally remained true to its Neue Deutsche Härte aesthetic, Bennett has developed and refined the look over the course of subsequent tours.

He explained: “The whole look is very much based around the custom built stage, which now features a great deal of automation, as well as pyro and lights embedded in the floor and set pieces. There really is nothing like it out there; it’s probably one of the most entertaining shows you can see, regardless of what kind of music you are into.”

Prior to Bennett’s involvement, Rammstein were unashamedly against the use of moving lights; a prejudice Bennett has worked tirelessly to overturn since he began designing for the band all those years ago.

He said: “We’ve retained some aspects from back then like the Falcon spotlights and PARcans but we’ve added a few different kinds of moving lights as well. For example, we have pods made up of the new GLP GT-1’s.

It’s an amazing lighting instrument and the way we have them packed sideby-side in 8ft trusses like little soldiers creates a really solid look. The whole stage is very linear and there’s not a lot of ballyhooing in the rig. A lot of the fixtures change angle by truss movement rather than on their yoke. We have also had a lot of GLP impression X4 Bars that are built into the truss to create an updated version of the band’s cross logo.”

Overall Bennett’s design made use of some 372 GLP fixtures. He continued: “The fixtures themselves are so distinctive and are great for Rammstein. I really enjoy using them to create sheets of light, which fits in so well with the band’s industrial, linear aesthetic.”

While the whole band has an interest in the stage show, stage left guitarist Paul Landers is the most involved when it comes to lighting 28

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RAMMSTEIN

Above: The pyrotechnics crew; (L-R) FOH Olsen Involtini, and Lighting Operators Bertil Mark and Faren Matern; Cyberhoist operator, Martin Hoop; Production Coordinator Dea Porter; Head Rigger, Martin Gehring.

created to meet their demanding tour schedule.

“We’ve been involved in making sets and props for Rammstein tours since 1999, building LeRoy Bennett’s imaginative and often challenging production design visions. They are one of the craziest bands in the business and also one of the most professional to work with, and we have a great relationship with Nicolai Sabottka.”

With the design in place, Bennett left the show in the capable hands of Lighting Operators Bertil Mark and Faren Matern, the latter of whom has been with the band since the genesis of their now world-famous stage show.

He commented: “LeRoy’s design is fantastic and the way he has coupled some of the fixtures together creates maximum impact. In a sense, he’s building big lights out of smaller fixtures.”

As is to be expected with such an established look, it was initially a challenge to integrate new fixtures into the rig, as Matern explained: “The main difficulty lies in the fact that even the smallest fixtures can affect the look and feel of the stage. We are still adding new fixtures now, despite the potential difficulties, and that is always an exciting process.”

Mark went on to discuss the surprising subtlety with which the band’s incendiary performance is lit on a nightly basis. He explained: “Working with light also means working with shadow, and sometimes when we shut the rig down it is just as effective as turning it up to 100%. For instance, when the pyro is bright and outstanding, it makes no sense to fight against it. In this case we can focus on accenting it or just creating an atmosphere.

We light very theatrically in that way.

“The pyro can also act as an overdrive to the rig - when we max out, it can push the brightness that little further. This combination makes the whole look so timeless and iconic. With the updated technology we are able to do even more. I personally think it would be easy to tour this for two years and it still hold its own.”

The entire system at the State Prison ran on an MA Lighting network, clocking in at around 65 universes, of which all NPUs and nodes were MA. The operators had two MA Lighting grandMA2 Full Size consoles at FOH. While the show is timecode-based, a number of the lighting changes were operated manually. Matern said: “Like everything in the show, the band and lighting have to be completely in sync in certain places. We have to adapt each day to small changes depending on the mood of the guys, but I’ve been with them since 1993 so I have a pretty good idea of it by now.”

The crew also had 4 TimeCores from Visual Productions as a backup

solution for their main timecode setup. In this context, these boxes essentially refresh the timecode signal and send it to specified locations where they are needed, such as FOH, dimmer city, the pyro technicians, and the CyberHoist technicians. Given free rein, it can generate, follow, convert, trigger and analyse timecode signals, even potentially handling a number of non-timecode protocols.

Visual Productions’ Zoë Castle commented: “The operators are very positive about the stability of the TimeCore and see it to be a reliable product, doing exactly the job that it should. Later in the tour their intention is to swap out the main timecode setup so that it is all run with TimeCores.”

ES IST MEIN TEIL Martin Gehring of Dortmund-based Dart Rigging + Projekt, who served as Head Rigger on site at Horsens, explained the logistics of flying the fearsome lighting, audio and automation package: “This is not a normal outdoor or arena tour. In essence we are adapting a festival package alongside what can be supplied locally, which takes a lot of planning and drawing.

Everything has been calculated with load cells and I double-check the loads once all of the trusses and motors are in the air. If our documentation is right, which it usually is, then we can generally rig the whole set up in six hours.”

The stage, trusses and PA system in place at Horsens were already rigged by the local supplier, Nordic Rentals, as were the side IMAG screens.

Gehring continued: “It’s a 22-truck arena show we have but we can do this with nine thanks to the support from Nordic. We still have to be spot on in terms of the stage and planning really is everything. Whether we are in South America, Russia or Germany we have to deliver the same standard of show, and that means the locals have to give us the same conditions every time.”

Ampco Flashlight has provided motion control for Rammstein for several years, with the inventory in Horsens consisting of 67 CyberMotion CyberHoists, controlled by a MotionCue3D console and operated by Martin Hoop, Frederik ‘Frits’ Ton and Michael Jahns. Ampco Flashlight’s Rudolph Nagtzaam said: “The CyberHoists ensured the crew could smoothly and safely move several objects scenic and lighting pieces above the stage, which greatly contributed to the dynamics of the Rammstein show.”

Hoop gave an insight into his duties on the show: “The motors in the roof weigh 10 tonnes, with 12 tonnes underneath them. It’s the biggest 30

RAMMSTEIN

Above: Horsens State Prison looms ominously over the outdoor venue.

system I have run, touring wise, though we have had much larger one-offs in Europe. We are essentially the only department that has no time off during the whole six-hour load in period. The heaviest thing we have is the pyro truss, which weighs 1,200kg in total, but we have 6 motors for it so the weight distribution is good.

He continued: “We use the CyberHoist and CyberHoist II systems - the II in particular is incredibly safe so we can lift pieces above people and even lift the band members themselves with absolute confidence.”

As well as moving band members up and down for various gags during the show, Hoop was also in control of the truss movement that created the versatility previously lauded by Bennett. “Take the song Mein Herz Brennt, for example,” said Hoop. “LDs usually want everything symmetrical but I was given the freedom to design all of the settings for each lighting part. We made it totally asymmetrical and have it line up for the climax of the song, which is one of the best moves in the show for me. Although we read the

timecode clock to make sure these changes are at the right time, we still have to visually confirm there is no danger before we trigger them manually.

Artists can be late or accidents can happen at any time so we can’t risk the timecode being in control of these big moments.”

He concluded: “I’ve worked for Rammstein for 13 years now and I’ll continue to do so because it’s one big family - the band, crew, and management all come together to make this a really special family. Every tour cycle we think of something new and crazy that has never been done before. They are such a pioneering group of people in the way they accomplish these things, whether that is using the latest technology to its fullest or using older gear in ways that have been forgotten.”

ZERSTÖREN The man in charge of ensuring that Rammstein’s aural assault matched up to the visual madness on stage was FOH Engineer Olsen Involtini. Due to

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RAMMSTEIN

the brief nature of this pre-festival run, the crew made use of local suppliers to provide the bulk of the audio gear necessary to translate the band’s colossal industrial thud to open air audiences.

The main system, provided by Nordic Rental, consisted of 20 boxes per side of L-Acoustics K1, which was reinforced by flown SB28 subwoofers. A further 12 K1 per side were used as downfill, with hangs of K2 serving as nearfill and outfill. The Horsens show also required delays, which were made up of more K1 and SB28 subs.

Black Box Music provided the 7 L-Acoustics LA8 amplifiers necessary to drive the system, as well as the LA-RAK amp racks to house them. The FOH Engineer used L-Acoustics’ Soundvision software to map the area in front of and around the stage and identify the possible impact it would have on the surrounding properties.

He explained: “As soon as we arrived we were quite shocked to see how close some of the houses were. The band creates a very powerful and punchy sound, so we used the software to make sure we achieve the right levels without fuelling any complaints. The L-Acoustics system has a really controllable output and the simulation software is very useful in these situations.”

Black Box Music also provided an Avid Venue Profile complete with select outboard gear for FOH, a DiGiCo SD7 for monitors and a selection of Shure, beryerdynamic and Audix microphones, as well as a Sennheiser IEM system.

Involtini, who has a long history with Rammstein both live and in the studio, opted for an older desk for this run: “The Avid Profile desk we have here is an old analogue version that we carry everywhere with us. It’s what we’re used to and it allows us to keep things simple when it comes to potential complications with plugins and so on.”

Monitor Engineer Alex Becker, System Tech Andreas Vater, Jonas Fengler and Manu Schröder completed the audio crew on site at the State Prison.

I have a dedicated line with our travel agent that allows us to be in constant communication to adjust air and ground transportation.

“We deal with flight delays, cancellations, and airline / ground crew strikes almost every travel day. Additionally, we work together to monitor possible strikes or terror alerts and come up with all of the transportation back up plans, as our tight schedule does not allow for any delays.”

EFM was trusted to handle freighting requirements for the run of shows, which began with 15ft x 40ft ocean containers being transported from Berlin to Reykjavik, Iceland for a show at the Korinn Auditorium on 20 May. Five of the containers returned to Berlin but the bulk of the equipment, some 89,000kg, was flown by Boeing 747F charter to Billund, Denmark for the show in Horsens.

Two of EFM’s most experienced crew, John McCafferty and Paul Jones, travelled to Iceland to oversee the operation and continued on board the charter to Denmark. On 17 June, McCafferty and Jones were joined by Alex Jonas from EFM Germany to load the equipment onto the second charter this year, which departed from Frankfurt into New York.

While in North America and Canada, EFM provided eight 53ft semis to transport the equipment, with the final show in Las Vegas on 2 July. On 3 July the final charter departed from Los Angeles, managed by Steve Botting of EFM USA into Vitoria, Spain.

HAB’ KEINE LUST MICH NACKT ZU SEHEN The last word went to PM Sabottka, who was initially taken aback by TPi’s final (somewhat rhetorical) question, before giving a surprising response: “Could we ever do a stripped back tour? It’s possible; we have certainly thought about a version of the show that does not contain any special effects and only very minimal production - Rammstein naked, if you will. Who knows what the future will bring, but the main production will probably always carry some kind of effects and we have several things in mind to top what we are currently doing out on festivals. There is never a dull moment!”

TPi Photos: Allan Toft www.rammstein.de www.ffp-fx.net www.black-box-music.de www.nordic.dk www.ampco-flashlight.com www.perryscenic.com www.rigging.de www.efm-worldwide.com www.visualproductions.nl

OHNE DICH As well as working together as a single unit, the Rammstein crew also have to move around the globe together - and on time. One of the principal crew members in charge of this is Production Coordinator Dea Porter. She explained: “I usually run ffp’s office in Los Angeles but I change hats when going out on tour with Rammstein. My main duties here are to coordinate the crew travel and accommodation, local transport, catering, runners, and run the production office.

“We have 50 core crew plus another 10 -15 that travel to selected shows, plus 16 team drivers in North America and 9 Truck Drivers in Europe. At the start of the tour we send out over 850 flight confirmations, as we are ‘all-fly’.

32

SHAWN MENDES After rocketing into the charts with Stitches in 2015, the fresh-faced Canadian has proven himself a force to be reckoned with following the release of his second album Illuminate. Despite his tender years, Shawn Mendes is making waves in the industry with his album-supporting world tour and, as TPi’s Stew Hume found out, is giving younger crewmembers a platform to showcase their talents...

In just 2.5 years, 18-year-old Shawn Mendes has certainly been busy with 2 full-length albums and 5 Top 20 songs on the Billboard chart.

After officially launching his second album, Illuminate, with a sold out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG), the musician and his collection of loyal crewmembers hit the road, much to the delight of his devotees. TPi met up with the team a month into the cycle at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg.

24/7 Productions’ Andrew Thornton took up the mantel of Production Manager for Mendes’ latest outing. Watching from the first tier of the arena bowl as the crew worked below, the PM recounted 24/7’s history with Mendes. “We first took Shawn on as a client in January of last year, handling several major TV appearances. His management then requested we took on his touring production,” Thornton began. A subsequent small-scale show was arranged, but, as Thornton explained, the crew were having to

play catch-up to Mendes’ surging popularity: “That first tour we worked on included a small European run with two busses and a trailer, but that soon expanded to include having two trucks, as we began to play arenas rather than theatres.”

Riding the wave of success, 24/7 turned its attention to the impending Illuminate tour. It is the singer’s most ambitious show to date, according to Thornton: “The design is very similar to the MSG show. Paul Caslin, who has worked alongside 24/7 from the start, collaborated with Okulus to design the show. After the success of the launch we looked to replicate that MSG performance as a tourable package.”

VER delivered lighting and video for the tour, Eighth Day Sound provided audio and TAIT supplied staging. “The suppliers selected represent a mixture of old and new relationships,” explained the PM. “I have used Eighth Day several times in the US but this is the first time in Europe, as they 34

PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: Fresh from the release of his second album, Illuminate, Mendes and his crew set out on an extensive global tour. .

are one of the few suppliers able to provide an Adamson rig globally; it’s our FOH engineer’s preferred choice. VER on the other hand is completely new for 24/7, but their ability to come through with carbon copy lighting and video rigs on both sides of the Atlantic made them a no brainer. They have been fantastic throughout this tour!”

Thornton conveyed the significance of having an artist of Mendes’ calibre and popularity on 24/7 Productions’ client roster: “The relationship with Shawn really came out of the creation of our new LA office, a major step in 24/7’s expansion plan. This show really demonstrates how far the company has come; from a UK-based outfit, to a worldwide production company. Myself and John Pryer, who owns the business, have taken on some other US clients in recent months and hope to expand on this in the coming year.”

Duncan Ladkin, Stage Manager, aided Thornton with the day-to-day logistics. After reminiscing about his days touring the UK hardcore scene, Ladkin outlined his daily routine on the Illuminate tour: “I have worked with Andrew on and off for several years, cutting my teeth with the Sugababes.

He runs a really great tour and it’s certainly got that ‘family’ vibe. You could say my main role is to try and keep several steps in front of each department and predict what they may need before they request it. I oversee the load in and out daily before handing it over to our Show Stage Manager, Anthony Levato, who handles show calls and backline.” Ladkin also gets stuck into the show by helping with show calls and switch overs.

“That is where I come from, working backline and helping switch overs,” he explained. “It’s always good to keep your head in the game. In many ways I see my role during the day as foreplay, so I always want to stay involved rather than just coming back later to clean up!”

With such a heavily timecoded tour, show calling was of the utmost importance. TPi spoke to Levato from his control centre. “Every single department can hear me throughout the performance as I am calling pretty much every cue from song changes, countdowns and instrument switches.”

Levato said, moments before he divulged one particularly hairy moment of the performance, giving just a little insight into the challenges of timecode.

He recalled: “Shawn at the halfway mark of the show goes out to the b-stage to perform. During the start of the tour we had him using the back corridors but just last night we had to send him through the audience. I give him the cue to go and then with the aid of both personal and venue security he has make it in a few minutes before the timecode kicks in for the next part of the performance and the piano rises from the stage. But credit due, he has always made it!”

ILLUMINATE Okulus partners, Louis Oliver and James Scott, talked TPi through the creative process for the latest outing. “We were first approached by Shawn’s Creative Director Paul Caslin for his previous run but timing regrettably didn’t work out,” began Oliver. “Paul then got in contact in July last year to work on what would become the Illuminate tour. Funnily enough, it fell when James and I were going to take some down time. That soon went out the window after we got the call!”

Scott picked up the conversation, discussing the original concept of the look of the show. “During the very early stages Paul had an eureka moment and decided there would be a glowing orb above the audience to tie in with the album name,” said Scott. This was the first solid launch pad the two designers had to work from. The glowing orb itself during the tour hung 35

SHAWN MENDES

Supplying both lighting and video for the tour was VER with TAIT Towers handling automation and staging.

above the b-stage where Mendes played several solo numbers during the performance. “It was interesting to work with because the focus in most shows is the stage,” mused Scott. But it had its pitfalls, he explained: “It created a logistical challenge to not effect the sightlines of those sitting on tiered seating.” The solution was to give the orb two positions and only descend for the b-stage so as not to affect the view. The product chosen for the orb was an Airstar Pendulair. “Paul had seen the Solar Equation project which Airstar had been involved in and we contacted them directly,” commented Thornton, who praised the craftsmanship: “It is very much the centre piece of the show and acts as a main source of light for the audience as the walk into the venue. The build quality and reliability made it perfect for touring.”

For the inner lighting of the structure, Okulus opted for 12 TMB Solaris Flares. The production also used four Panasonic PT-DZ21K2 projectors to video map the structure. It was calibrated on a daily basis by Clarke Anderson who utilised the ‘wrap’ function on a Green Hippo Hippotizer Boreal media server. “This show went on sale before the design was completed,” stated Anderson as he talked through his process, adding: “There is always an optimum position for projection but the differing venue layouts and our reluctance to cut into sold seats meant we had to be pretty flexible. It’s head scratching stuff but I‘ve got into the groove of the tour now and am able to set it up in a few hours.”

The Okulus team described the stage design. “There were a few elements that we inherited from Shawn’s previous tour including the large upstage LED wall which we worked into the design,” stated Scott. “One of the new elements was an automated truss ring which the creative team dubbed it ‘the halo’. On the structure we mounted 28 TMB Solaris Flares and 16 Robe Spikies.” As for the rest of the staging, the main workhorse fixture that Okulus deployed was the Martin by Harman MAC Viper with almost 70 laid out among the rig.

Also on the lighting rider was 69 Martin by Harman Viper Profile, 69

Ayrton Intelipix Rs, 22 Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 Strobes, 40 Ayrton Magic Blade Rs, 4 Philips Vari-Lite 3015 Spots, 40 Ayrton Magic Blade-Rs, 24 GLP impression X4 Xls, 22 Martin Rush Par 2, 12 Claypaky Sharpy Wash 330’s and 47 Molefays.

“The goal from the beginning was very much to keep everything looking sleek which I believe we have achieved,” commented Oliver.

Ryan Nixon, the touring LD, oversaw Okulus’ design. Using an MA Lighting grandMA2 console, Nixon launched all lighting video and projection cues through the evening. He explained how Shawn’s audience engagement influences the aesthetic. He stated: “This show’s fairly heavily timecoded with cues. We spent a great deal of time programming most of the show in a CAST WYSIWYG before heading into production rehearsals in the Fly By Nite Rehearsal Studios. During the show itself, as well as ensuring all the song cues are working correctly, I also have some busking moments for audience lighting as Shawn really likes to see the crowd during the performance.”

VER’s Project Manager, Luke Pritchard, discussed some of the custom elements the company provided for the tour. “VER specialise in challenges,” Pritchard began. “For Shawn’s show on stage left and right wings for the grid of Ayrton MagicBlades we had to build a custom square pipe rigging solution to make sure all the fixtures are facing straight out into the auditorium each day. The fixtures travel on the pipe in dollies making it a quick and easy job every day. It’s very satisfying for us to come up with solutions that make our clients’ jobs easier.”

VIDEO WinVision Air 9mm was selected for the main LED screen. “I have worked with the product several time,” commented Nixon. “It’s ideal for touring as it is so light weight. We are able to set this one up in less than an hour, which is really quite incredible.”

Wannes Vandendriessche, Video Director told TPi about his control 36

TPI_E-Series_QU03.indd 1

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SHAWN MENDES

Okulus’ Louis Oliver and James Scott collaborated with Mendes’ Creative Director Paul Caslin to design the look for the Illuminate tour.

centre. “We have a total of four inputs for this show with one FOH camera with three robo cams on the stage,” began Vandendriessche. “As Shawn is the main man in this performance, I keep all my focus on him. We try to alternate between using IMAG and the LED stage wall for live content to give a mixture of looks as well as combining some prepared content. Through one of the robo cams which is situated upstage I have also managed to produce some great shots looking out at the orb.”

To deliver the screen content, the production again deployed Green Hippo using the Hippotizer Taiga server. “Paul suggested in the design period that we made use of Notch to produce real time effects on the screen,” commented Scott. “With the content that was produced by Treatment Studio we used a Microsoft Xbox Kinect camera and have a 3D model of Shawn’s outline live streamed onto the LED screen.” The team also used this set up to manipulate IMAG feeds to create unique content which was all fed by the Taiga to side projectors. “We really love how Hippotizer integrates with Notch. It’s simple with our normal programming style and, once you couple with the built-in Hippotizer FX, you can generate really unique looks,” said Scott.

Treatment Studios was challenged by Creative Director Paul Caslin to create and imaginative and complementary visual design to impress Mendes’ audience. Describing Treatment’s approach was Animation Director, Simon Russell. “In many ways it’s been very technical, combining 3D, LIDAR, particles, Kinect data, real-time effects and so on,” explained Caslin. “It has been a really fun, creative project to work on. It’s great to be so closely involved in the creation of the show. For me it’s been great to work not only on pre-baked animated sequences but also on the real-time elements of the show. Using Notch to create 3D and particle-based effects in real time which respond to the performance has been new to me and really stimulating.”

STAGING TAIT Towers provided the staging and automation for both the halo and the orb. Thornton reported: “As far as the reasoning behind going with TAIT, for us, they are fairly unbeatable in terms of the service they offer. They have provided a slick package that has worked really well.”

Todd Vernon, Project Manager at TAIT, discussed the company’s involvement with the tour. “The MSG show was the first major project which we worked on with Shawn. The goal then for the tour was to replicate the staging and automation elements into a realistic touring package. In doing this, the goal operationally was to reduce the amount of time and labour required to build the show.” Collectively TAIT produced a 60ft wide x 40ft deep rolling stage with an integrated pantographing staircase. The design allowing allowed Mendes to appear from the centre of the stage through a hole that appeared to the inevitable screams of his fans. TAIT also supplied a 16ft diameter circular b-stage area for the piano lift.

For automation, 3 of TAIT’s Nav Hoists were used for the halo giving it the ability to pitch and roll with another hoist being used for orb.

Vernon concluded: “It was a great experience to work with Andrew and the show designers to help them realise their design within the requisite timeline.”

John Purciful, Automation Rigger, commanded all points of motion during the show who worked closly with Production Rigger Colin Raby.

“It’s a fairly standard rig with between 97 and 100 motors, weighing in at 38 tonnes,” stated Raby. VER brought in Actus Industries to supply rigging for the show while Eighth Day providing the PA rigging.

AUDIO The mainstream press can’t seem to get enough of Mendes; one popular conversation has centred around the singer’s age. It has been two years 38

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The production used a Microsoft Xbox Kinect camera and have a 3D model of Mendes’ outline live streamed onto the LED screen, managed through a Green Hippo Hippotizer Taiga media server and a Notch plugin; FOH Engineer, Tom Wood; Touring LD Ryan Nixon and Video Director, Wannes Vandendriessche; Production Manager, Andrew Thornton, Show Stage Manager Anthony Levato and Production Stage Manager, Duncan Ladkin.

since his hit single Stiches was released, yet, it is still incredible that an 18-year-old is selling out arenas world wide. Better still, Mendes is not the only youth success story on the Illuminate with the FOH team only in their early 20s. FOH Engineer, Tom Wood (24), talked about his history with the singer. “I first started working with Shawn 3 years ago and have been with him ever since,” began Wood. “In the early days I was helping out with his first support shows and have just been able to hang onto the role despite his rapid success. I think it’s quite unique for a FOH Engineer to hang onto an artist who has experienced such a spike in popularity; not that I’m complaining! Although it’s been quick, the vibe on tour has always remained the same. I still ride in a bus with Shawn and we talk about the show at the end of the night and constantly try and progress. It’s been one hell of a journey.”

Hailing from Britain, Wood made the trip over to Canada six years ago.

He met Mendes’ Tour Manager and has since really made his mark. “While we were on tour with Taylor Swift, Tom had a chance to use her Adamson system and really liked it,” explained Thornton. “He was such a fan of it he insisted we put it on the rider for Shawn’s previous US run and then again for this world tour. The decision to use Adamson also became the deciding factor to bring on Eighth Day Sound as our audio supplier due to their heavy investment in the system and their ability to provide us with a service world wide.”

Wood put forward his justification for going with Adamson: “First off, it’s always great to keep it Canadian!” he joked. “The reason Adamson stood out to me compared to other PAs on the market, were its punch and the liveliness. From my position at FOH it makes me feel part of the show. I can push it without it biting back. Not only that but it’s incredibly quick to rig;

the best on the market right now without a doubt!”

The rig itself consisted of 15 Adamson E15’s per side and 3 E12’s with a side hand configuration of 12 E15’s and 3 E12’s. For subs Wood deployed 16 E119’s on the floor with and addition 8 E119 per side in the air. “I would describe Shawn as a bit of a ‘sub monster’,” joked Wood. “Some pop artists start to get uncomfortable when their shows become a bit bassy and want you to push the higher frequencies. Shawn on the other hand loves it, which is a dream for me!” For frontfills 8 Adamson S10 Loudspeakers were used.

An Avid VENUE S6L was used for FOH control. “We were previously using the Avid Profile but made the switch to the S6L at the start of the Illuminate run. I have been using it for about a month and a half at this point. I have been very impressed with the customisation it offers. The Profile, I always found, is a very good ‘point and shoot’ desk whereas the S6L allows you to really dial in the set up you want making it ideal for a long tour like this one.

Sonically, I also find I have used far less plug-ins with the S6L model.

“Another advantage with the new console is the ability to run a single Cat5 cable straight into ProTools rather then having to use a MADI card. You are able to even use a lot of ProTool functionality on the desk surface which has made live recording a lot easier.” As well as using Waves SoundGrid Server One, Wood also had an Avalon VT-737SP Channel Strip.

THE VOICE As with any pop act, there is always one aspect of utmost importance; the artist’s voice. “Although we have a full four piece backing band and Shawn plays guitar and piano during the show, his voice is the money,” explained Wood, laying out his daily priorities. Although it is such an important 40

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SHAWN MENDES

Best seats in the house with the MA Lighting grandMA2 Monitor Engineer, Michael Flaherty and Audio Tech Adam Field; Projection Tech Clarke Anderson ; The Number 3 catering team; Emily Cribley, Amy Moore, Dan Jones, Jacob Bruckner, James Purdew.

asset, the FOH Engineer explained it was actually one of the simplest jobs: “Shawn’s projection is incredible! He’s a very loud vocalist which makes it really easy to ensure he rises above the mix while still having a full sounding show.” This opinion was backed up by Monitor Engineer, Michael Flaherty, who confirmed, “It is mind blowing how well he projects. We are having to attenuating the mics running them at -42Hz because he is coming in really hot on the receiver.”

The microphone chosen to spar with Mendes’ super-hero like projection is a Sennheiser SKM 2000 with EM 2050 receivers. Four are used for the various singing positions on the set. For IEM both Mendes and the band used Sennheiser 2050’s with the collective opting for Jerry Harvey Audio moulds.

Wood explained how he dealt with feedback during Mendes’ b-stage segment of the show: “Prior to this tour our PM Andrew introduced me to the Waves plug-in, X-FDBK. I was slightly reserved about using plug-ins that cut out feedback as I always prefer to use my ears but I have to admit I’ve been converted. The plug-in never effects the tone of the channel and gives that safety net especially when Shawn is in front of the PA.” As well as the standard challenge of dealing with a live microphone in front of a PA, both Wood and Flaherty had an additional challenge; the Mendes fans. “They are certainly loud,” laughed Wood adding, “The real issue comes during the b-stage moment when all the fans gather around the barricade. Each night they easily get up to 110/115 db. At that point in the show I usually mix in headphone to ensure everything is sound great.

Back in monitor world, Flaherty looked through his DiGiCo SD10 control system. “In total I have 64 outputs, but that is always growing. My usual DiGiCo go-to has been the SD7 but for this size of show, the 10 has suited me perfectly. It has given me a really compact footprint which is always a blessing with festival season following on.”

For communication, the production opted to move away from the

traditional talk-back system working through the monitor desk and instead opted to bring out a completely separate comms setup. Walking TPi through the system was Adam Field, Audio Tech. “Essentially what we have created is a comms system that integrates with the Motorola walkie-talkie framework we use throughout the day. Going this route has several advantages. Firstly, the range is incredible so even our PM can keep track of the show from the depth of the production office. We also have it set up so each department has its own separate line of communication, which means a lot of channels, but we are not having it run through Mike’s console, meaning he can focus on his actual job.”

LOGISTICS AND FOOD Phoenix Bussing joined forces with Beat the Street to provided tour with busses. “27/7 Productions has a long history with Phoenix and we have never really used anyone else over the years,” stated Thornton. “We are good friends with all the drivers and have always been very impressed with their service. The Beat the Street addition came from Shawn who had used them on a previous tour and really liked them - but as they are known for collaborating, it was a simple deal to make.”

Sheffield-based Stardes provided trucking. Just like Phoenix, the 24/7 team have used them for several years making it a no-brainer on this run.

Finally, Rock-it Cargo handled logistics. “They are taking care of all sea and air freighting throughout the world tour,” explained Thornton, adding, “We had three containers come over from the States with an additional two going back post-European run. After the US run we then break down to airfreight package for the rest of the year.”

New addition to the catering market, Number 3, provided sustenance for artist and crew members. Owned and operated by Charlie Amos, this new company was conceived out of Ed Sheeran’s touring party but a chance meeting with 24/7’s Andrew Thornton soon brought Number 42

SHAWN MENDES

With Mendes’ European coming to an end, both the singer and crew headed west to continue the American leg of the Illuminate tour.

3 into the Mendes fold. “I met Andrew in 2016 and we collaborated on the last Shawn Mendes run in the US,” commented Amos, “We both love coffee and a G&T…need I say more.” With their mutual shared admiration for beverages, Amos was asked to provide catering for the Illuminate tour. “Charlie has smashed it for this tour,” said Thornton. “He has spared no expense investing in a whole new catering rig that is taylor made for touring. He has even supplied us with a barista style coffee machine!”

Amos elaborated: “I designed the rig from scratch and sourced equipment that would fit into a truck in a way that makes it take up less space and fits together with other department’s gear. I believe a successful tour catering comes down to three points. First is efficiency, catering needs to be up and running as soon as it gets on the road. Second is being modern. I wanted to use up to date techniques on my touring rigs. And lastly, the crew, the Mendes tour has a mix of Canadians, Americans and Europeans so it’s been important to reflect that in what they produce.”

Amos concluded that he was excited to expand the Number 3 client base.

“I’m keen to continue growing at a sensible pace, it’s obviously easier to build more touring rigs once you have a blueprint that works.”

After closing out his European leg both the singer and crew hopped over the Atlantic to continue the Illuminate campaign in North America, leaving a trail of satisfied fans their wake. But with the run of success the Canadian has had over the past two year, it will surely be no time until the European Mendes Army will get to reunite.

TPi Photos: Kris Goodman (The Flying Lampie) www.theflyinglampie.com www.shawnmendesofficial.com wwww.24-7productions.co.uk www.okulus.co.uk www.ver.com www.8thdaysound.com www.airstar-light.com www.taittowers.com www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.beatthestreet.net http://stardes.uk www.rockitcargo.com

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43

CLFLIGHTING

HARRY POTTER IN CONCERT A Harry Potter Concert Series took to the road recently, bringing one of the world’s best-loved bookturned-film franchises to not only the big screen, but the stage. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was shown in UK & Ireland arena venues for the first time, with a live score performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The production, brought to fans by producers CineConcerts and production / promoter Senbla, delivered a first-class audio-visual cinematic experience, and the end product didn’t disappoint, as Kel Murray reports…

They say no two touring jobs are ever the same… and that’s certainly the case for the crew and companies behind this hybrid arena tour. I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve never seen the Harry Potter films. (Well, it turns out I’ve seen bits of the second one, probably on long haul plane journeys as an adult.) What could be so different about watching the film in an arena, instead of a cinema, I thought? Foolishly...

The contrast is stark. Not only is this style of production interactive, but it delivers a sound quality that traditional cinema simply cannot rival. Mid-way through the tour, TPi visited the show and spoke to the team behind the film fun. Harvey Leslie, Technical Production Manager at Senbla works for the promoter in both an advancement role and on-site during the tour. Before curiosity got the better of me, I sat down with him to better understand what I was about to see... “Senbla has worked with CineConcerts, the tour producers, beforehand with a screening of The Godfather, so we knew roughly what we needed to achieve for a full tour. In terms of my suppliers and crew, I wanted to use people either myself, or my Stage Manager [DNG’s Martin Barraclough] had existing relationships with.

DNG have a lot of experience in these UK venues, so Martin’s knowledge

was invaluable. My audio vendor, Adlib, brought the right equipment together for this cinematic experience, and ultimately, my decision to use them came down to a great rapport I developed with Phil Stoker and Phil Keility; they gave me a sound solution which worked really well.

“We use SFL for all of our video projects and I wanted the show to be as impressive as possible, production wise, so I was always going to bring them in. The extra key details such as lighting [from Zig Zag] and rigging [UK Rigging] were also a clear choice for us.” Tour buses are provided by StarSleeper and trucking via ETS. Working very closely with Leslie was Senbla Rep, Kitty StaffordClark: “Kitty and I are both reps in some sense… she’s an asset to the smooth running of the tour, taking care of all things front of house while I concentrate on the needs of the technical production.”

The results certainly seemed to work, and the screening TPi attended was a hit with varied generations of fans. Leslie concluded: “I think both the customers and the technical crew are were happy with this tour. We got just the right set up. Senbla uses various orchestras depending on the type of show we’re running, but we always work with a very high standard, and The 44

PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: The Royal Philarmonic Orchestra; Production Manager, Harvey Leslie.

Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra worked brilliantly here, even more so considering they were on the road and not just popping into a venue for a one-off performance like orchestras typically would have to do.”

COOL CREW Martin Barraclough, part of Manchester-based DNG Production & Event Crew, has worked with Senbla for a couple of years, and as the company has grown, it’s been a natural progression to become more involved in a hands-on role. To help make the magic happen with Harry Potter, he’s been assigned the role of Stage Manager. “I’m here to support Harvey on a daily basis, so we work as a two-man team, I generally lead on logistics, the stage set and facilitating the orchestra. The biggest challenge for me in this show is the amount of musicians I have to get on stage, and, perhaps making them feel comfortable is a less controlled and more unusual environment than they are typically used to.”

Although it may not seem like a drastic change for a stage manager to be working with classical musicians, and the daily routine is very similar for the load in and load out, the actual showtime is a much quieter affair…

“This point in the day is definitely slower than a normal gig, which can either give you a breather, or make you lose your momentum; you have to keep a vital focus.

“The show is made up of 2 DNG touring local crew to do the orchestra portering, 2 projection crew, a lighting technician, 5 audio crew, Harvey, Kitty & myself. The idea of touring 2 crew from DNG is to give some consistency to the detail of an orchestra setup.”

Senbla has moved into a new format of show by scaling up and bringing in a strong, yet small team. “This makes for a really easy job in a very collaborative way, which isn’t always the case. The tour has gone really well as a result, and the audience response seems great - we’re excited to see where it can lead,” he noted.

Additional crew were utilised from UK Rigging, which provided a rigging supervisor and local production rigger to the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Barclaycard Arena Birmingham, Manchester Arena, Echo Arena Liverpool, First Direct Arena Leeds and The SSE Hydro. Leslie commented: “UK Rigging were invaluable, it was Martin’s call to bring them in and it was the perfect way to go about our needs. It saved a lot of time and it worked seamlessly by using them, as they know the venues so well. The rigging teams liaised with Alan Harrison from Adlib and Neil Hunt from Zig Zag to ensure we had exactly what we needed in each venue.”

Apogee Big Ben running 96k throughout.

Microphones on stage comprised 54 DPA 4099’s, 20 Neumann KM184’s, 12 AKG 414’s and various dynamic models. Percussion and keyboard fold back mixes were Adlib’s own MP2 wedges running on Lab.gruppen PLM10,000Q amps.

Adlib Crew Boss / System Tech, Alan Harrison, talked TPi through the set up: “There were several reasons I chose L-Acoustics K1 and K2 for this tour; the main directives of the show were ‘cinematic sound, coupled with preserving sightlines to the screen, whilst reducing spill onto stage’.

I know through working with L-Acoustics that it can definitely deliver on the big, smooth sound associated with a cinema experience. K1 isn’t the smallest cabinet, but It has the ability to deliver a good amount of power and vertical coverage - when used with KARA for downfill - with a smaller than normal box count, to preserve sightlines. As to the onstage spill, these speakers are the most predictable in terms of coverage pattern that I know of, so they presented no issues onstage at all.

“I went with a conventional main L-R with side hangs, and supplemented this with a centre cluster of KARA. This enabled me to push the main L-R offstage more, to help with sightlines to the screen, whilst still maintaining a good coverage in the middle. We found after a while that grilles to the front, connectors to the back was the optimal strategy. The use of K2 on the sides allowed me to utilise the louvres to minimise the amount of unnecessary HF flying around. As we were only doing 1/2 - 3/4 length halls, no delays were necessary.”

The FOH console - which also ran the minimal monitoring for the conductor and pianist - was a Yamaha CL5. Mic lines entered the RIO rack onstage and that system uses Dante to distribute audio. At FOH, in Harrisson’s control rack, he used a Big Ben to clock the CL5 to 96k. This

CINEMATIC SOUND TPi Award winner, Adlib, was called in to deliver a flawless cinematic sound, carefully handling both the impact of the film in an arena, and the needs of the orchestra. The rental house provided main hangs of 12 L-Acoustics K1 and 4 KARA per side, side hangs of 12 K2 (per side), a centre cluster of 6 KARA, 16 KS28’s in a cardioid configuration for subs and fills of ARC II and KARA, running off 40 LA12X amplifiers. Adlib also supplied CM Lodestar 1T motors and Load Guard LG16 and LG10 motors. The show was mixed through a Yamaha CL5 and RIO rack at FOH. PA control was via Lake processing, Dante control over fibre. The entire system was clocked by an

45

HARRY POTTER

Mix engineer David Hoffis with Adlib’s Crew Boss, Alan Harrison; The Adlib Audio team; SFL’s Sam Wheeler and iMusiclmage’s Mike Andreas; Senbla Rep, Kitty Stafford-Clark.

became the master clock for the Dante. “I actually then used AES to feed my LM44’s at FOH, which sent PA returns over a separate Dante network.

Using digital audio with minimal sample rate conversion and minimal ADDA conversion allowed all of those magic little harmonics, details and overtones of a live orchestra to be reproduced as faithfully as possible,” he added.

There were 70 physical inputs on stage. “With so many sources and mics, we needed to minimise extraneous pickup and phase. We went with the directional DPA 4099 microphone for strings, which to be honest, is a ridiculously good microphone for pretty much anything! We also used Neumann KM184’s for wind instruments, which is equally as impressive sounding. A large blend of large diaphragm DPA 414’s and a few dynamics were used for the rest of the band. The DPA 4099’s really excelled, and coupled with amostly digital audio path, we were hearing stuff you very rarely get to hear in a live environment.

“The main challenge of the FOH mix was balancing the dialogue and special effects which came from track, versus achieving the live orchestral feel. So knowing the score was vital; being able to bring in the primary parts around any dialogue at key moments, but letting the orchestra do its thing most of the time is key. The subs were mixed on an auxiliary to enable a varying degree of sub frequencies to be brought to bear at different times, meaning the special effects and weightier passages had more impact on the audience. It was magical to be involved. I think the audience maybe didn’t quite know what to expect, and seeing their faces when the orchestra was at its peak was pretty entertaining!”

The Adlib crew was completed by Laurie Binns, James Coghlan, Antonio Calvi and Adam Bruce. The live mix engineer came courtesy of David Hoffis.

exactly what was required to meet the stringent demands of such a live cinema tour.

“The biggest challenge for the Harry Potter tour was to ensure the sight lines were such that as many seats in the house had a clear view of the screen. Of course, this also meant that the speaker hangs didn’t obscure the image so careful prep and planning was required. In a couple of the venues, this pre-prep paid off as we foresaw situations where the rigging positions weren’t maximising the screen sightlines so we moved the screen further downstage to compensate.

“A live cinema showing is an amazing experience, and the thrill of seeing the orchestra play live to the film is like no other. Harry Potter attracts a younger audience than some of the other live films we’ve worked on, and seeing the eyes of the audience, both young and old, light up was truly worth all the hard work.”

SFL supplied a custom made 20m x 8.5m anamorphic truss surround screen, three Barco 20k HDX projectors & hush kits, HB TLD+ lenses 1.6-2.6:1 / 2.6-4.1:1, a Barco Image Pro 2, a Lightware TPS DVI over Cat6 transmission system for conductor monitor, and a Modex DVI over fibre transmission system for the projector feed.

“We chose to use Barco HDX FLEX projectors as they are best-in-class for brightness and image quality. Their size and weight also makes them easy to tour, even for a two-man team. We knew we couldn’t hide the projectors away in each venue, and often had to rig them in the seating close to the audience. So by fitting the hush kits on each of the three projectors we could drop the fan noise considerably, thus ensuring the audience weren’t distracted from the story unfolding on-screen in front of them.

All-in-all, the tour was a great success and we are looking forward to working on more projects like this in the future,” Lawrence concluded.

VIDEO & PROJECTION SFL has a great working relationship with Senbla, having worked together many times over the last few years, providing both projection and playback solutions for their live shows. “When this tour came up we were the obvious choice,” said SFL’s Craig Lawrence. “In our position as the preferred AV provider for the Royal Albert Hall, we have done a considerable number of live cinema shows (including a couple of world premieres) so we knew

THE LIGHTING TOOLS Leeds-based rental house Zig Zag has worked with orchestras before, but never while touring an arena-sized film screening. “But then, I haven’t heard of it being attempted like this before…” pondered Zig Zag’s MD, Neil Hunt.

“This lighting design was more about meeting the necessary requirements, rather than a classic rock lighting system, as the lighting fixtures are not a 46

HARRY POTTER

Stage Manager, DNG’s Martin Barraclough; ETS’ Alex Webster.

feature, but a tool. The emphasis of the shows was always going to be the giant screen - but as the show’s main unique feature is the live orchestra their presence had to be seen without intruding on the screen. The predominant fixture was therefore a Robe wash unit able to give a full stage wash. Some emphasis on the conductor, Tim Henty, and soloist musicians was also required for which Robe Pointes were used in their softer edged mode.”

The rig consisted of 12 3m sections of pre-rigged moving light trusses that formed 2 18m trusses. In addition, a cable bridge was essential to keep the cables clear of sight lines to the screens. 24 Robe Colorwash2500eATs were used to wash the stage with 8 Robe Robin Pointes for the tighter highlighting needs of the aforementioned conductor and soloists.

On tour, the whole system was rigged and operated by Damian Courage who controlled the lighting effects on an Avolites Pearl console, Courage’s desk of choice.

Hunt concluded: “This was a different experience to our usual rock ‘n’ roll jobs - even our social media was different! I often see my facebook friends getting excited about various acts, but even Zig Zag’s friends in the music industry were getting quite excited about this one. It’s unusual, but technically speaking, there’s not much difference.”

It’s the first time Webster - probably one of the most sociable truck driver you’ll ever meet - has worked with Senbla. He continued: “Harvey and Kitty have been great, as they appreciate your input into any issues that may arise on tour. As we all know, inevitably something always does crop up, but there’s a definite feeling of team work felt with them, and that little sense of appreciation really helps morale.

“I’ve worked with Martin, our stage manager, quite a few times now and have a good working relationship with him; he’s really switched on and never seems to get flustered!”

Webster’s trailer has been designated as the Zig Zag and SFL equipment trailer, both of which were new companies to ETS. Webster continued: “We’ve gelled into a good little team. We’ve got our specific load outs timed perfectly and the Adlib audio crew are on the second trailer that ETS has supplied - their load out team goes like a well-oiled machine!”

Like many of the crew working on this interesting tour, Webster is also new to the notion of touring a cinematic concert: “It’s my first time ever working with an orchestra, which was really amazing to see and hear. I’d say the most challenging part of this tour for me is holding back the tears at the sad bits of the film!”

TPi Photos: Andrew Benge www.cineconcerts.com , http://senbla.com www.zigzaglighting.co.uk www.adlib.co.uk https://ukrigging.net https://dngproductioneventcrew.wordpress.com www.event-trucking.com http://www.sfl.live

NO TEARS TRANSPORT For the tour’s technical transportation, Senbla asked for the services of Event Trucking Services (ETS). The last time TPi met owner Alex Webster, he was using his truck as a rave venue up a mountain in Austria. This time, he described the job as a, “very straightforward, planning wise.” He added: “The loads were complicated however as we’ve had to fit 3 trailers worth of kit into just 2. But by the third show we had this down to a tee!”

Professional Used gear

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

Team work makes the dream work: Anastacia and her crew work in an environment which promotes appreciation and respect.

ANASTACIA With a career spanning well over a decade, and a plethora of hit singles, US singer Anastacia is showing no signs of slowing down. After gracefully flipping the Big C the middle finger, not only did the star become a beacon of hope and a symbol of everyday reality to women globally, she also became a symbol of strength and dignity. Now the artist is back on the road and ensuring her loyal fanbase get to experience a production that serves as a place where they can come together to have fun. Production Manager Keely Myers leads the Ultimate Collection tour’s crew as they travel the UK with an artist they all love working for, as Kel Murray reports.

I’m sure it won’t come as a big surprise to you that I grew up in a mosh pit, and not singing Anastacia on Saturday night Karaoke, so when I arrived at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, primarily because I knew how much the crew on the tour loved their jobs, I didn’t expect to leave as in awe of Anastacia as I did. Sufficed to say that when I turned up for work, I had no idea I’d leave that night after dancing with fierce drag queens to Motown classics.

Production Manager Keely Myers, of her newly launched company, Global Touring Office (GTO), is also the tour’s producer. “I started working with Anastacia a year ago through her manager, Craig Logan, whose other artists I’d worked with before. Anastacia was actually due to tour in 2013, but unfortunately she had to cancel the dates due to a breast cancer diagnosis. She went through her recovery and came back wanting to tour,” began Myers on the delicate challenges of the beginning. “When we knew we were going to be out on another tour together, the challenge was to make a show that was both tourable and sustainable in the very competitive mid size venue marketplace, which plays to around 3,000 per night.

“We’ve managed to come up with a design that retains a very definitive look. We based it around her logo as a sort of statement piece that says: I’m back! Along with Simon Horn, our LD, and her Show Director, Gareth Walker.

The stage set is split in two levels (riser by Pro Productions and detail

by All Access). Total Fabrications manufactured the bespoke metal stage pieces, including the central ‘A’ which packs down into a keyboard case and then can be easily transportable on flights. “This was imperative to the design, we needed to sustain the look everywhere we perform worldwide,” noted Myers.

Picking her crew was another aspect of the role she enjoyed, describing the process as “really exciting.”

“Coming into this, I’d never worked with Simon before, but he’s worked with Anastacia for quite a while. I think it’s really important to maintain those core relationships. Becky Pell, our monitor engineer, I’ve worked with for a long time and she’s also worked with Anastacia on and off for years.

Our FOH engineer, Chris Madden, had worked with Craig Logan too.”

Not one for shying away from hard work, Myers not only PMs this tour, but is also working on Take That at the same time. “George Sinclair is tour managing this for me when I’m out with Take That. It’s been great to have her on board, but I also advanced this tour to the Nth degree! When you’ve toured for years, it becomes like second nature. We have familiarity and flexibility!”

The tour is utilising 2 tour busses from Beat The Street and a truck from Stage Truck, the flown lighting package is from Neg Earth, augmented by LD Simon Horn’s own floor package, audio is via Clair UK. Myers commented: “Where possible, we put our own PA in. Chris will tell you all about his love 49

ANASTACIA

Production Manager, Keely Myers; Monitor Enginner Becky Pell.

for these Clair boxes,” she smiled. “He’s still raving about them!”

The audio equipment also benefits from a Sennheiser endorsement, much to the approval of the engineers. The tour sources one local rigger in each venue, and the troops are fed and watered by TPi-approved The Pantry Maid. Did we even have tastebuds before today?

Back to Myers, and there’s a definite sense of calm and clarity with this production. I get the impression that the crew and artist alike are friends.

“She’s great to work with, she’s such an interactive artist. Even off stage she has such a great energy about her. She’s entertaining all of the time and the Ultimate Collection tour is a great way to remind people that she’s still going and writing new material. The demand is there; we’ve returned to 5 cities on this tour that she sold out last year plus added another 9.”

Even the sadness surrounding the recent terror attack in Manchester didn’t deter her supportive fanbase from coming out to see her play. In fact, they helped her raise money for the victims, as Myers explained: “When the tragedy in Manchester happened, we came into town 2 days later. Her fans helped to get the word out that we were collecting for the appeal. Her fans are an extension of her family. We recorded a live CD in Manchester & we will do the same tonight in London, with the proceeds going to charity. We have a separate recording studio in the back where they record and mix it so it’s available straight after the show. We’ve been selling a lot of them, and like everyone in this industry, we’re pulling together a lot at the moment.”

thankful for. [Anastacia] couldn’t appreciate what I do any more, I’ve never felt so loved and welcomed in any job, the way I do with her,” said Horn.

There’s a lot of elements to this show design, from rock ‘n’ roll to funk & soul, from the feminine & the theatrical to the heavier, moody effects. “It’s very refreshing to be able to have the freedom of creating so many different looks and feels in just one show.”

A big look within the show - her logo - was born from an idea seen on her drum skin, as Horn explained: “It had various incarnations, but the focal point of my design became quite simple: her name. As you’re looking at the set, you’re drawn into the centre point which is her logo. It’s quite impactful while not being intrusive. The set itself is fairly basic, but it works perfectly because it provides different levels for the dancers to work on, and they’re a big part of the art within the show.”

Another key part of the versatile stage looks were the LED ‘lollypops’ that Total Fabrications constructed. The set is finished in LED tape, a product from which Horn is very pleased with. “I told them I wanted a ‘plugin and go’ product, which is exactly what I got. We’re beta testing that on this tour and it’s going really well.”

Horn’s fixture rig comprised 6 Martin by Harman MAC Quantum Washes for front wash, 12 Martin MAC Aura XBs, 4 Martin Atomic 3000 LED strobes, 12 Claypaky Sharpys, 6 Robe Pointes, 12 Showtec Sunstrip Active DMX, 5 4-cell blinders, 4 Chroma-Q Chroma One 100’s (used as truss toners), a Robert Juliat Merlin Followspot and 28m of LED pixel tape from DigitalTape.

For fixtures Horn explained that he needed something that could “do a lot with the space I had”. He opted for Sharpys in the flown rig for the big beam looks, and his own Pointe’s on the floor. “I’m such a big fan of that light!” he smiled.

SHOW DESIGN Lighting and Show Designer, Simon Horn, is a mainstay in camp Anastacia having found his footing in pop concerts with Westlife and Olly Murs. “Steve Levitt from Production North recommended me for this job, which I’m very 50

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09/05/17 11:35

ANASTACIA

Simon Horn created various looks for the Ultimate Collection tour.

Horn was also “blown away” by the MAC Auras. “They’re so little yet powerful,” he noted.

For control, Horn uses ChamSys, and has done since the console’s early days. “I think this must be my 12th year on this desk,” he reminisced.

“I’ve very much been with them since the word go. I do use other consoles, but I find this is the easiest desk for me to get around its functionality is stunning.” Much like his purchase of his Robe Pointes, Horn is a fan-turned owner of his current desk, a Chamsys MQ500. “It’s a brand new console that I bought to have at home. Ergonomically, this new console is much better for me; it has an integrated visualiser, and a big selling point is the ‘Offset Patch feature’, with fixture positioning never quite being the same the MagicQ offers the ability to update the patch offset on pan and tilt by simply moving the position to where it should be and hitting update. This saves having to tweak the tilt for example on every single position palette.”

The powerful 200-universe MQ500 was also chosen for its compact footprint, which is again ideal for both saving on truck space and flying to festivals.

throughout the day, with the crew citing that this is a tour which spends a lot of time laughing together. Madden continued: “It keeps me on my toes to be honest because I never know what she’s going to say or do! It’s good to be challenged I always say!”

At FOH, the mix is rockier than you might imagine having heard the ‘hits’ as it were, on radio. “There’s a lot of guitar in my mix, and I tend to mix what I see; she has rock band on stage made up of some very talented musicians.”

Pell agreed: “She is really funny, and that’s why a lot of her fans love watching her perform, she’s very personable with them. But the quality of her singing doesn’t alter, she’s brilliant at doing it all.”

Pell describes her monitor mix as “her vocal sitting just underneath her with the full band, so it’s pretty straightforward. It’s quite a musical mix and she uses everything I would if I was a vocalist, so she’s very easy to mix as long as she has something to pitch to.”

Pell does some EQing, but other than that, she credits the Sennheiser MD5235 condenser microphone as being a real asset to the singer’s powerful sound. “This mic really suits her voice. I don’t know anyone that this mic doesn’t suit actually! She love this mic too, she knows what she likes and she’s very technically articulate about her needs.”

For in-ears, it’s a Sennheiser G3 affair, with the brand being top of both engineers’ riders. Pell continued: “I always use Sennhesier, and it’s always the top of my spec for the entire mic package. We have them on all of our drums including the 901 / 902 combination for the kick drum. It’s my absolute favourite, with 904’s on the rest of the drums. And, I have to say, their support is brilliant.”

For mixing preferences, the pair laugh they they “took a different fork in the road” as Pell always opts for DiGiCo and Madden is an avid Avid fan!

Pell furthered: “I’m using a DiGiCo SD8 on this tour, which I love. I’ll always

AUDIO Becky Pell, Monitor Engineer and FOH mixer Chris Madden also have a clear admiration for their boss. “She’s a really amazing woman,” stated Pell. “I really respect her as an individual and as an artist. I’m also a big fan of her music, so it’s such a joy to mix this show.” Madden agreed: “I’m loving this job! She’s got a killer band and she’s such a great vocalist. I knew the hits before I came into this tour, but the wonderful thing about Anastacia is that she has got a massive back catalogue of incredible songs. When you leave tonight, you’ll know them all! And,” he smiled,“of course she’s adorable & rather hilarious too.”

The comedic values of the singer are noted by various people 52

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ANASTACIA

Stage Manager Nick Gosling with LD & Show Designer, Simon Horn; FOH Engineer, Chris Madden.

go for the very top of the SD range as I can, with the SD7 being my Rolls Royce of desk choice, but the SD8 has everything I need and it fits into our single truck with ease.” Pell is a big fan on the SD7’s onboard reverbs, citing them as “an excellent feature.”

Over at the Hammersmith Apollo’s theatrical FOH position, Madden too is excitable about his console, an Avid s6L. He said: “I’ve been an Avid beta tester for a long time now, so I’m very, very close to Avid as a manufacturer.

The s6L is a fantastic desk. The software is continually developing and improving significantly but the signal path hasn’t changed, which is brilliant.

A key thing for me as an engineer, isn’t just that I need to love the product, I need to know I have support if and when I need it. I know if I was in Timbuktu, they’d help! It’s very important that they don’t leave us out there on our own.”

Pell echoed the opinion: “Having relationships with companies is a big part of why we use them; it’s not like that with every company, but for me, knowing I can pick up the phone to DiGiCo or Sennheiser and get what I need straight away really impacts how comfortable I am within my work.”

The same can be said for Madden’s enthusiastic choice of PA, the Clair Cohesion 8. “It’s an incredible box, it’s a very, very good design and it’s a remarkable step up for Clair engineering. We used the system last year and I thought it was amazing, so I naturally wanted to use it again.” With just 12 boxes a side and a couple of subs, Madden is confident that for this tour, it’s a case of “Once they’re flown, it’s job done. Andy Walker at Clair UK used to fly the PA stage right for me, once upon a time so I wanted to use their services as I know what they can do. If you haven’t heard this system, you should; it really stands out compared to historical Clair boxes, and its small footprint fits into our truck very nicely!” he concluded.

the truck, and managing a dual role, Gosling was thankful for the crew he’s able to work alongside. “In one truck we’re carrying audio, lighting, backline, set pieces & catering but by show 3 [out of 14] we had the packing down to an art. A lot of this crew were new to me before I began working for Anastacia 18 months ago, but I’ve been very fortunate in that Keely has chosen some great crew, including Carpenter, Dom Dryburgh, Lighting Tech Alessandro Schillaci, Audio Tech Ben Byford, Backline Tech Ben Dawson and Production Assistant Victoria Bunney. There’s a fair bit to juggle, but it’s a really enjoyable tour to work on.

“Tours work from the top down so if you’re treated nicely by the artist, the crew tend to really care about what they do. It all filters down and Anastacia really appreciates us. She makes an effort to talk to us and ask how we are. She’s a lovely person to work for and that means that everyone else is nice to be around!”

Straight after talking to Gosling, there was crew photo call with Anastacia, her band and dancers. As I approached the stage for the photo op, the singer, not one to miss a new face, said hello. I told her I was visiting the crew to see how they’d put her tour together. And she told me, as she stroked my leopard print coat with crazy cat lady fashion approval, “Girl, please do; my crew work so hard, they’re amazing.” So there you have it, straight from the lionesses’ mouth.

TPi Photos: Shirlaine Forrest, Nora Jerker, Andy Teo @ Photocillin Phorograohy, TPi www.anastacia.com www.negearth.com www.clairglobal.com www.beatthestreet.net www.stagetruck.com www.thepantrymaid.com www.trussing.com www.purplelighting.co.uk

A TEAM EFFORT A valuable team member for Myers is Nick Gosling, Stage Manager and Drum Tech. Knowing how tricky it is to fit everything from the stage into 54

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11th October 2017 For more information contact Justin Gawne â&#x20AC;&#x201C; j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk

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SIMPLE MINDS As well as bringing a skilfully refined production to Manchester in May this year, veteran Glaswegian rockers Simple Minds and their crew also created a platform for the people of the city to display their inherent defiance, in the face of abhorrent cowardice. TPi’s Ste Durham spoke with the crew behind the monumental show.

When Simple Minds embarked on the 47-date Acoustic Live 2017 tour of the UK and Europe, they couldn’t have foreseen what was to come the night they arrived in Manchester on 22 May. The very fact that you have this magazine in front of you means it would be a waste of time to explain the significance of this date and location any further.

Sufficed to say, not a soul in the land would have begrudged them the decision to postpone their show at Bridgewater Hall the following evening.

As you may already know, the band and their crew disagreed. The show did indeed go on, and the life-affirming atmosphere created in that building became the perfect antithesis to the mindless hate exhibited across the city only 24 hours before.

FOH Engineer Olivier ‘Gégé’ Gérard started working with Simple Minds in 2008, taking over as primary FOH Engineer in 2012. He said: “Simple Minds are a real live band whose ethos is to give their audiences a great live experience for their money, every time they play. Another thing about Simple Minds is that they have a long history - their music spans more than 40 years and covers everything from post punk to underground new wave and stadium rock. For this acoustic tour, they wanted to experiment with a new way of bringing their songs to their audience; something more intimate.

I tried to capture that feeling by delivering a raw sound that was more natural.

“I put aside the usual Jim Kerr vocal with delays and reverb sound and I went for more authenticity and emotion. That was the starting point, but it developed during the creative process to the point where we were using acoustic guitars and percussion as well.”

Johnny Keirle, System Engineer, talked through the touring system: “We chose an L-Acoustics KARA system, supplemented with ARCS II as ground fills, X8 as lip/balcony fills and SB28 subwoofers. We travelled with

LET THERE BE LOVE The tour itself was made possible by an enviable roll call of technical suppliers, with HSL for lighting and rigging, Britannia Row for audio, Red Burn Transfer for trucking, Phoenix Bussing, Popcorn for catering, and The Appointment Group keeping on top of travel arrangements.

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PRODUCTION PROFILE

42 KARA elements, which were distributed as required on a daily basis.

All system designs were done the morning of the show as we didn’t have exact coverage requirements nor did I have any existing venue drawings.

Systems varied between basic two-hang main hangs, main hangs and side hangs, main hangs and delays, and split main hangs depending on venue requirements.

“My primary goal was to achieve uniform coverage across all audience areas, and paid particular attention to the tonal balance between audience zones. The main challenges we faced were acoustical - concert halls and symphony halls being very reverberant spaces. This made reducing spill and overshoot crucial, and somewhat dictated design approach. In general, I found a higher, flatter PA worked well to cover all audience areas without overshooting into rear walls, ceilings or other reflective surfaces.”

He continued: “The KARA system was fantastic for this tour as it has incredible high frequency throw and substantial lows, particularly when using longer arrays. The lightweight box and rigging flexibility got us out of trouble on many occasions where we faced weight restrictions and where the occasional ground stack was required. The single-point flexibility offered with the KARA’s M-BUMP is particularly useful in these theatre and concert hall situations where we didn’t always have multiple points available per hang.”

Where suitable, a four-hang (mains and sides) system was deployed to achieve uniform coverage to 180°, though in the venues sold to 270°, side hang positioning was adjusted and ARCS II were used to extend coverage.

For concerts sold 360°, such as the one in Manchester, between 4-8 X8 coaxials were attached to the mid stage and upstage lighting / set trusses to cover choir stalls. The system was powered by L-Acoustics LA8 amplifiers with processing taken care of in LA Network Manager.

Keirle continued: “The generic sub design was a physically spaced array centre stage. The default design was 5 stacks of 2 SB28’s, spaced and electronically arced with delay groups in LA Network Manager.

Configuration, physical displacement and electronic delay varied depending on venue restrictions and coverage requirements. This design was chosen in an attempt to achieve uniform sub-bass coverage and minimise power alleys/valleys created by traditional L-R subwoofer configurations. In venues where a spaced array was not achievable, I opted for a more traditional L-R cardioid setup.”

Since 2012, the production has used Britannia Row for all audio requirements. Gégé said: “When you are on tour it is very important that you feel nothing can go wrong, especially on a long tour like this. Having the support of a good PA company is a major part of the tour’s success. When I’m FOH on Simple Minds tours I can always count on really good PA techs such as Adam Smith, Craig Ross, Pawel Zakrzewski and Johnny Keirle. This was Johnny’s second tour with Simple Minds and when you have PA tech that understands what you are doing, and can hear it, you are the king of rock ‘n’ roll!”

He continued: “It is rare to be able to rely 100% on your partner in crime when you are stuck at your desk hoping that the third balcony recognises the song. When the show is taking place, Johnny walks around with his tablet and keeps on tweaking every corner of the room, then he comes back and usually says ‘up there it sounds just great - much better than here’. The amazing results and comments we get for the sound are mostly due to the fantastic job he does.”

The theatre setting also required Gégé to slim down his FOH footprint.

He opted for a Soundcraft Vi3000 running with the UAD RealTime Rack that he knew well from previous tours. He said: “The UAD emulations sound sensational; the Lexicon and plate reverbs are nearly real. As outboard I use an Avalon VT-747SP inserted on the L/R bus. My lead vocal channel is an old DPR 901II and an EL8X Distressor, which makes it nice and tight. I feed the PA controls on AES, left, right and subs via the matrix. We used the Lake to control the system.”

Gégé completely re-worked his live microphone setup to capture the acoustic essence of these concerts. At the heart of the new arrangement is a selection of DPA d:screet Miniature, d:dicate Recording, d:facto Vocal and d:vote Instrument microphones, each chosen for their audio quality and natural, transparent sound. The fact that they also have great resistance to ‘spill’ and translate so well in the final mix is, according to Gégé, a major bonus.

“I’ve been working with Simple Minds since 2012, but this tour is different because the band is playing in an acoustic style,” he explained.

“They have worked with the concept and have delivered new life into the songs included on Acoustic, their most recent album. It’s a new energy and a new experience through songs that were worldwide hits when they were originally released. Therefore, from a live point of view, it is quite a challenge.”

To meet this challenge, Gégé decided to stick with the sound of the album which he describes as “much more roots and raw”. He needed microphones that could capture the detail and nuances of an acoustic performance so he turned to DPA’s Belgium distributor Amptec - a company he holds in high regard thanks to their extensive product knowledge - for help and advice.

“Amptec’s Pro Audio Sales Manager, Dany Meeuwissen, suggested I try DPA microphones some years ago, but I was in the middle of a tour and I didn’t want to change the mics at that stage because it can have an impact on the monitoring - it is very easy to get the routing out of balance just by changing one small thing,” Gégé said. “However, on this occasion I got Dany to look at my patch and he proposed miking the whole percussion set with DPA. I went for it because I know DPA microphones sound great and I was going for inconspicuous microphones to complete the idea of the ‘acoustic’ concept. I also needed superior sound and high SPL handling, which DPA was able to deliver.”

The percussion line up includes five d:vote 4099 Instrument

57

SIMPLE MINDS

Above: Olivier ‘Gégé’ Gérard, FOH Engineer and Johnny Keirle, System Engineer.

Microphones on toms, hi-hat, snare bottom, chimes and bells; a d:screet 4061 Miniature Omnidirectional Microphone on the Cajón; a d:dicate 2011A Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphone on the bass drum and six d:dicate 2011C Compact Cardioid Microphones on the two snares, underheads and gong.

“The first thing that drew my attention was the lack of spill,” Gégé commented. “With other microphones I’ve tried, the more mics you open together the more mid-high harshness you get in the mix. When I opened all the DPA percussion mics together, everything was there - I didn’t have to incorporate any EQ because I could clearly hear the source of the sound.”

Gégé also used 4 d:facto Vocal Microphones - two wireless and two wired - for backing and guest vocalists. These include Sarah Brown, who has previously worked as a backing singer for Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, George Michael and Simply Red. “The d:facto is absolutely great for her because she has very wide range and diversity in her sound,” he explained. “Most microphones would be great when she is giving it, but I would have had to jump on the Highpass when she became smoother and warmer. With the d:facto, the sound stands in the mix as naturally as the rest of the DPAs.” The crew didn’t use a d:facto on lead vocals because singer Jim Kerr has been used a Shure Beta 58A for 40 years and is, quite understandably, reluctant to change. Gégé said: “I tried other mics a couple of times but for him, it is his instrument. It’s not only the sound but also the shape and the weight of it. I also use a pair of Sennhheiser MKH 8060’s as ambiance mics and they are the best. All DI’s are Radials except for the bass that is picked up by the mono valve Manley DI.” Monitor Engineer, Tommy Gorman, used a DiGiCo SD10. Given the fact that the band wanted to use wedges again so that they could play more acoustically, so Gégé chose to use d&b audiotechnik M2’s. Jim Kerr, Sarah Brown and Cherisse Osei opted instead for a Sennheiser 2000 Series IEM system.

1981 and, as a result, is essentially given a budget for the show design and left to his own devices until the band walks into rehearsal. He said: “I love seeing them experience it for the first time and, luckily, they’ve not been disappointed so far! After years of big rock-looking shows it was nice to tap into a different energy this time around and learn new things about ourselves. This job is all about evolution and moving forward and this show in particular has been a really eye-opening experience.”

As well as affecting the PA configuration, the 360° nature of the Manchester show also meant that the lighting department couldn’t use the full might of their touring rig. Pollard explained: “We’d done it earlier on in the tour so it was just a case of rearranging the trusses and stage set. We usually have three panels of white sharkstooth with black gauze in front of it that were inspired by the shape of the railings at Glasgow fruit market. We reconfigured the panels so they sat on the floor, allowing people behind to see properly. We’d been told in advance at a couple of venues but this one was a bit of a surprise! That said, the rig was designed to be flexible so it wasn’t too much of a challenge.”

The adjusted version of the rig used in Manchester was basically the same three-truss system as was used elsewhere. The front truss provided key light for the band and overall wash lighting, while the mid stage truss housed backlighting and some Martin by Harman MAC Axiom Hybrids for floor beams and effects. The upstage truss had a number of Martin

by Harman MAC III Profiles focussed to blast through the set, essentially making them into giant gobos.

The full lighting package, provided by HSL, consisted of 14 Robe Robin 600 Profiles; 13 Robin LED 600 Washes; 18 MAC III Profiles; 6 MAC Axiom Hybrids; 7 Philips Showline SL 350 LED Washes; and 9 Philips Selecon Acclaim 650W fresnels with barndoors, which were rigged onto Avenger lighting stands at various heights. Pollard also specified an MDG haze machine and a Martin by Harman JEM ZR33 smoke machine, both of which were controlled from the lighting desk - in this case an MA Lighting grandMA. Pollard explained his somewhat unconventional choice: “I had four of them on tour, just in case, but I only needed the one. They are getting a little bit long in the tooth but I love the feel of them - I don’t need the latest

SEE THE LIGHTS Lighting Designer Stephen Pollard has worked with Simple Minds since

140 years on the road, 4 generations behind the wheel, 5 times trucking company of the year

The world’s top artists, global brands, gruelling schedules and the most demanding logistics are entrusted to our experience and care because we never miss a beat and no-one knows Europe better than our crew and team.

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UK: 0044 (0)208 804 0027 . chris@redburn.co.uk . www.redburn.co.uk 58

SIMPLE MINDS

LD Stephen Pollard with his MA Lighting grandMA;

and greatest. For me it’s important to be comfortable and, given the fact the band play without timecode, this is essential for me to follow them closely. I set it up like I would a desk from the ‘90s - I don’t use cue stacks - just a scene and page for each song with the looks and a few minor effects all built from scratch. If something pops into my head I want to be able to play along with the band, not to mention the fact that it allows you to adapt better to the wide variety of venues we are playing in on this tour.”

Although Pollard is no stranger to video, the LD opted to focus on lighting in a more theatrical way and using the set to create a 3D environment for the band to inhabit. He said: “I feel light people aren’t combining lights and video very well at the moment, and it wouldn’t really have been right for this show anyway. The directive from Jim [Kerr, singer] at rehearsals was he didn’t want anything to be reduced, despite it being acoustic. The guitarist still has a massive pedalboard and there are no Persian carpets or tea candles in sight!”

SOMEONE SOMEWHERE Redburn Transfer was tasked with transporting the band’s gear around Europe during the tour, which was also not without its challenges. Tour Driver Iain Lewis commented: “All Simple Minds tours are full on and this acoustic tour was no different. ‘Days off’ in the touring schedule only occurred when it was not possible to single drive from one gig to the next. Madrid overnight to Lisbon into a cross load in and Brussels to Dundee with collections and drops in London en route were just some of challenges we faced and executed.

“As with any Simple Minds tour they seem to find some amazing and intimate venues, which also present their own trials. The manoeuvrability of our new DAF CF Euro 6’s was tested fully in the tiny streets of Florence, Bologna, Porto and Baden Baden in particular. Life would become a bit dull if you didn’t face new challenges and take them on!

“This has been the fifth tour I have completed with the band and the assembled tour crew is really first class. There have been very few changes over the last six years and everybody gets stuck in, from the start of load in until the last truck is rolling after the show.”

DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) While the venues were challenging, the travel was relentless and the shows were frequent, the dutiful choice to take the stage a day after the heartbreak at Manchester Arena cannot be ignored. As you would expect, the crew were modest in the face of such praise.

Gégé said: “When you are on tour you are in a bubble, so we didn’t fully realise at first what was going on. We woke up in Manchester as we would in any other town and were very shocked by the news, although for us it was just the next gig. However, we changed the intro of the show to pay tribute to the victims, which was absolutely the right thing to do, but our overall message was clear - we all have to carry on as planned and not resign ourselves to fear. As Jim said that night, it would have been cowardly not to carry on. The decision to do the show was taken by everyone, including the crew, and it was unanimous.”

TPi Photos: Shirlaine Forrest www.simpleminds.org.uk www.hslgroup.com www.britanniarow.com www.amptec.be www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.redburn.co.uk www.popcorncatering.com www.appointmentgroup.com 59

INTERVIEW

DIAMANDA GALÁS FROM FOH

DIAMANDA GALÁS FROM FOH

TPi’s Ste Durham sat down with Audio Engineer Daniel Neumann to talk experimental sound and life on the road with one of music’s most enigmatic and creative figures.

Even after over 40 years of creating some of the most bold and challenging compositions ever committed to tape, avant-garde icon Diamanda Galás continues to push the boundaries of musical expression. In order to give her the perfect platform to do so, the artist needed an engineer that was unafraid to follow her to new and often dark frontiers - enter Daniel Neumann.

He began: “My background is in media art, and at that time I did sound engineering as a job to make money. At some point I feel like these two interests started merging more and more so that the professional sound work entered into the artistic activities and vice versa. To me, that’s the interesting thing - to approach live sound with real artistic sensibilities which also lends itself to working with unconventional and experimental artists like Diamanda.”

The only UK date on Galás’ tour was at London’s Barbican Theatre and given the extremely light way in which Neumann travels with the artist, was largely reliant on equipment sourced in-house.

“Usually I advance the show with the venue and then request certain mics or monitors,” he said. “If the venue doesn’t have what I feel comfortable with then they go to their local supplier and rent it for us. It’s a nice way of doing things because then you can begin a conversation with in-house technicians who know the room and what gear will work best.”

The equipment at the Barbican was based around a Meyer Sound MILO system, with a DiGiCo SD9 at the FOH position and d&b monitor wedges on stage. Neumann commented: “I am happy with the MILO system, which

sounds great in this room, and I really like the sound, EQ and workflow of DiGiCo consoles.

“I also run MainStage alongside it on the laptop for song-specific effects. It’s basically like having a very flexible effects rack that I can carry in a little computer pouch and the latency is decent. I have a good quality RME audio interface and with MainStage I can programme a set list and change the entire architecture of the effects setup with the touch of a button. This is great when the set morphs during a tour or, sometimes, even during the show itself if she spontaneously isn’t feeling two intense vocal songs in a row, for example.”

With what some would consider to be the key elements of a venue’s sound up to scratch, Neumann was allowed to go into more detail with some of the more intricate aspects. He continued: “It depends on each venue but we’ve recently started using two pairs of monitors around her.

She wants the ones on either side of her to be really loud and retain all of the same effects that are coming through the main PA. The second pair are slightly behind her and soaked in reverb in order to give her the room response that she isn’t getting from any particularly dry concert halls. This really helps her with the operatic vocals in particular and saves her from overly exerting her voice.”

Given the naturally occurring acoustics in the Barbican, Neumann was able to get by with only the front pair of monitors, which were in this case d&b audiotechnik MAX2’s.

The engineer’s usual protocol is to use a single vocal microphone, 61

DIAMANDA GALÁS FROM FOH

Above: FOH Engineer Daniel Neumann makes extensive notes during soundcheck to ensure any venue-specific issues are ironed out.

with another five or six on the piano, allowing him to make use of different aspects of the instrument for different songs, or parts of songs.

He said: “I place one of the stereo pairs very close to the hammers of the piano in order to capture the attack and an aggressive, almost percussive, sound. I then place a pair further back above the soundboard for a bigger, more full-bodied piano sound. The fifth mic is actually a pickup that I position even further back, which gives me a lot of signal before feedback and can be used for heavy piano effects. I travel with the pickup as it’s not the kind of thing that is readily available on the road, but most of the gear changes venue to venue.”

At the Barbican, Neumann opted for a pair of DPA d:vote 4099’s at the hammer position and d:dictate 4011As above the soundboard. He continued: “It’s interesting how every piano, even if it’s the same Steinway model, sounds different. I always fiddle around with both mic pairs to see where is best to get the sound that I want.”

Getting this elusive sound is perhaps not as cut and dry as it might be if the engineer was travelling with the same equipment to each venue.

The solution for this is a meticulous process that is developed through the course of a show day.

Neumann explained: “I usually set everything up in the morning before Diamanda arrives at around noon. First she warms up on the piano, which is my chance to really focus on that aspect of the sound. I can go back and forth between sticking my head into the piano and going back out into the house to make sure I have the perfect mic positions. She then goes away for vocal warm up before we do a quick sound check of every song in the set.

“It’s kind of nice for us both to be able to go through and make sure the monitors behave and all of the effects are dialled in correctly. I even take little notes on each of the songs for effects levels that I can use to stay a few steps ahead on the night.”

When the performance itself is underway, Neumann mixes from the ground up - focussing on the fundamentals and allowing the artist and her songs to convey maximum impact. He said: “I want to squeeze an intense and full sound from the piano and voice without running into feedback, and the two places that are the most dangerous for that are the piano in the subwoofers and the vocals with effects in the monitors. Beyond that I just want to make sure the sound comes across in the entire room and each song is articulated specific to its artistic intent.”

Although Galás makes uses of various musical styles and forms to express her creative vision, the subject matter is generally geared towards the macabre, meaning Neumann has to follow her to the dark side when

operating at FOH...

A prime example of this is the epic and disturbing, Die Stunde Kommt [The Hour Comes], which is based on a 19th Century poem by Ferdinand Freiligrath. Neumann explained. “Diamanda composed an 8 - 10 minute song from the poem, and it’s essentially about someone who is standing at the grave of a deceased love that they said something awful to. It’s about this regret and the fact that the hour might come where your love will die and you wont have the chance to reconcile anymore.

“During the chorus she puts in these earthquake-like, low piano notes that can often come at slightly different intervals. I crank the bass to emphasise these low notes but I have to hit them in exactly the right spots or the effect reveals itself. I wait for these notes and engage the effect a split second before she hits it. It’s these kinds of nuances that I am picking out during the whole performance.”

He continued: “She also does these multi-phonic high vocals that I try to emphasise by saturating them towards the point of overdrive in order to pick up the higher overtones. By doing this you add more overtones to the sound and it really helps - you can almost feel her vocal chords vibrating against your head!”

It’s this odd dichotomy of the classic and the experimental that characterises both Galás’ challenging sound and Neumann’s captivating approach to mixing her live show.

He commented: “When I first started with Diamanda I asked her whether she wanted me to push the effects or keep it clean and operatic; and she encouraged me to experiment and push things as much as possible. I think her exact words were, “if you’re not going to push the limits, why bother doing it,” and that, to me, describes really well what it is like to work with her. It’s a real dialogue and she has a very precise artistic vision, but not in a dogmatic way. I can always make suggestions, but she is very vocal on what she feels works or doesn’t work.”

The strength of this working relationship was underlined further by the fact that Galás herself was keen to give TPi her side of the story. She said: “Dan Neumann has phenomenal ideas, endless energy to implement them, and great ears. When I make a suggestion, he exhausts the possibilities and hands me back something I never thought of. Working with him is one of the great joys of my life.”

TPi Photos: Andreas Stavrinides, Awais Butt & TPi www.diamandagalas.com www.danielneumann.org www.barbican.org.uk 62

GEAR HEADS

XTA APA & MC2 Delta www.audiocore.co.uk www.mc2-audio.co.uk

Off the back of this year’s Glastonbury Festival, XTA / MC2 Sales Application & Support Manager, Richard Fleming, discusses the R&D processes behind the APM and Delta amplifiers, telling TPi’s Stew Hume why they were the best choice for the world-famous live music gathering...

What were the main goals in the creation of the Delta and APA range of power amplifiers?

The goal for the APA series was very focussed. To design a range of amplifiers with benchmark long-term power delivery and outstanding audio quality, with advanced network audio capabilities. The Delta amplifiers on the other hand were designed to bring not just audiophile sound quality but a very high level of flexibility to sound system design. For example, the Delta DSP has 4 inputs and 8 outputs. Four outputs drive the local amplifier channels and four are available as auxiliary DSP outputs.

The four XLR line level outputs allow central control for sound systems using active and passive speakers. All the DSP amplifiers in the Delta range contain the world renowned XTA DP448 processing algorithms. Delta builds on this further by offering amplifiers ranging from 1KW to 5KW per channel and all the amplifier models, including the non-DSP, can be Dante enabled.

Combining DSP and non-DSP amplifiers in the Delta range allows designers to focus different amplifiers power / signal processing suitable for their application.

What were the main technical challenges in creating the systems?

We wanted to combine XTA’s vast experience in advanced DSP and MC2’s in-depth knowledge of high power amplifier design. Points that were particularly challenging were the range’s innovative and efficient thermal management and combination power supply / power stage design, while being mindful of the dynamic requirements of delivering good sound.

The APA amplifiers can also pull massive current from the mains supply, essential for delivery of high quality sound at low frequencies in particular.

Another key challenge was presenting a complex processing system in a logical, easy to use manner with a workflow based on feedback we had received from engineers.

What do you see as the key benefits of the system for the end users?

The combination of amplifiers with and without DSP is right at the heart of this system. In terms of budgets, why would you use a 5KW amplifier to drive a 75W compression driver? Delta allows DSP to be used where it is needed and amplifier power selected appropriate to the job in hand.

64

XTA APA & MC2 DELTA

Opposite: The XTA APA and MC2 Delta. Below: Richard Fleming XTA / Mc2 Sales Application & Support Manager; The XTA APA and MC2 Delta in action at the Glade stage at Glastonbury 2017, using the AudioCore software.

This offers flexibility to the designer and brings the user savings without compromises. As part of the APA and Delta development programme, Audiocore has had a major upgrade allowing simple control of systems.

How will users be able to use the tablet app and AudioCore software to control the system?

Yes, users get the benefit from the new grouping functions for EQ, gain, delay and limiting. Inputs and outputs can be a members of up 32 relative groups and 32 absolute groups, allowing fast and simple control of complex systems. For example, in with a Delta system with 6 DSP amplifiers there are 24 input channels and 48 output channels, this can be reduced to a few groups quickly and easily.

The new Delta Direct app and Audiocore work seamlessly together, grouping options are all configurable and controllable from both an iPad or PC. The amplifiers are also ‘group aware’, meaning grouping data is stored locally in the amplifiers and can be retrieved or synced with both the Delta Direct app and Audiocore. Making moving between the two controllers easy.

The product was recently used at Glastonbury Festival. Could you briefly discuss what was provided for the event and why the new range of power amplifiers were the right piece of kit for the job?

The Glade stage main system was powered by MC2 Delta Amplifiers and XTA APA-4E8’s with sub being provided by the active Funktion One F132.

MC2 Delta provided matrixing for the system and XTA APA-4E8 powered 65

the main left and right and 4 surround towers. The surround system was quad-amped and the main system was an asymmetric bass 5-way system.

During the festival, Audiocore provided fast workflow and easy setup and alignment.

The system had 50 amplifier outputs all with DSP, the main input to the system being a 6-channel surround primary input via Dante, with inputs from Cadac and Yamaha desks requested by engineers.

The grouping system within Audiocore made setup very easy. The combination of integrated DSP / amplifiers with Dante brought incredible flexibility in system design and control and provision for redundant signal paths.

Using some of the auxiliary DSP outputs on the Delta amplifiers on the Glade stage we were able to provide recording outputs with dynamics processing for FOH engineers.

Where else can we expect to see the system?

The next time the product will be rolled out will be the BBC Radio 1 event at Cafe Mambo, Ibiza, clubbers can also head to Funkhaus, Berlin, Input, Barcelona, Output, New York and Numero Uno Malta. Our DSP amplifiers are firmware upgradeable over the network, with a number of new DSP updates in the works, including an additional dynamics processing upgrade being made available later this year.

TPi Photos: Courtesy of XTA, TPi www.audiocore.co.uk www.mc2-audio.co.uk

IN PROFILE

NITELITES: THE NEW ALTERNATIVE 33 years on from its inception by Jim Moore, the North East’s premier rock ‘n’ roll rental house, family-run Nitelites, is bigger than ever, and yet, remains as personal as ever. On the cusp of the UK & Europe’s monumentally busy festival season, and just weeks after becoming an L-Acoustics K1 partner, Kel Murray heads (even further) North to meet the Tyne team in demand and discovers the next generation of road crew could learn a career’s worth of education from this bustling and bubbly warehouse...

Before the door’s even closed at Nitelites’ North Shields HQ the words “How are we doing pet?” can be heard from around 10 people at once.

Within minutes there’s a fresh cup of peppermint tea (this is noteworthy because it’s probably the only time I’ve drank tea with Nitelites), and there’s a lot of phones ringing from all different directions. They’re as busy as they are welcoming and they’re as loud as they are genuine.

To the untrained ear, ‘office banter’ with anyone from Nitelites could require subtitles, but to any ear, it’d still be 90% laughter. (Much like this interview was upon transcribing…)

Yet, their entire dynamic couldn’t possibly operate in any other fashion.

Certainly no strangers to TPi, the Nitelites family - I say that both literally and affectionately, as you’ll find out later - has come a long way in the last

few years, having carefully combined the importance of success in business with the success of forging organic relationships with their clients. The results are becoming both a dream and a concern. The concern is that with a growing number of successful artists on its roster, there is a blossoming number of young people interested in the glamour of touring instead of the reality: the graft of touring. A notion that Directors Jamie Moore and Andy Magee certainly didn’t begin their careers with, as you’ll be able to tell if you ever watched children’s TV in the early ‘90s: “One of the first gigs we ever did together was PJ & Duncan,” smiled Moore. “I’m serious!”

Nowadays, Nitelites is a true contender in audio, lighting and rigging for concert touring, as well as being the preferred supplier for all manner of unique and challenging one-off gigs. Magee elaborated: “We’re probably 66

NITELITES

Opposite: The Nitelites team; Catfish And The Bottlemen at Manchester Apollo; The comapny has recently become an L-Acoustics K1 partner.

quite different to a lot of companies in the K1 network. For example, we’ve just put a lot of K1 up and down the River Tyne for the Great North Run. The boxes were everywhere. We also do a lot of smaller, arty stuff so we like to mix it up between local events, and our bigger tours.”

Moore agreed: “People don’t know a lot of what we do, and to be honest, I think we pull off the impossible time and time again… so maybe we don’t shout about it as well as we should do. I think the main thing about us, as a company, is that if you do work with us, you know what we’re about. There’s no getting away from that, because everyone knows us personally.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking, this sounds like a line from a friendly high street bank advert, but I can clarify objectively, that this is a company in direct contact, and often in friendship with, its clientele. I’ve seen it with my own eyes over a glass of err, peppermint tea shall we say. “Every artist we work with can ring us,” Moore continued. “And that is what makes us different. They’ve got our mobile numbers and can relay whatever they

need to us directly. That’s how you build long-term bonds with people.

That’s how they really know they can trust you with their tours. You can see for yourself that we’re incredibly busy at the moment, but we have to make sure, that no matter what happens, we never lose that personal touch... I know we won’t though,” he smiled. “Because that’s just our DNA, we can’t help being involved at that level, regardless of what level we reach oursleves.”

If you were to look closely, you could identify a turning point in the success of Nitelites to about a decade ago, when the Geordie gang first invested in an L-Acoustics system. Magee elaborated: “The company was given a new lease of life when Jamie took over and we purchased KARA. We sort of blind purchased it because we knew everybody wanted it and we knew everyone liked using it. Our customers were suddenly paying more money to use us, and complaining less at the same time!” he reminisced.

The recent K1 investments comes as a second large direction change, following the purchase of RCF’s TT+ system last year, another PA the

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NITELITES

James Bay’s touring production was a big success for the Nitelites family, which counts TPi Award-winning FOH Engineer Rob Sadler & Monitor Engineer Marc Graham (who just helped your Glastonbury experince run smoothly!) among its loyal clients; The RCF TT+ system in use for some of the rental house’s more unusual gigs and local festivals.

company has seen great demand for. “Between who we are and how we work, and of course our top notch equipment, we’re doing really well at the moment but we’re working really hard at it all the time too,” added Moore.

To name but a few, the current roster reads like a pretty substantial festival line up: Rag’n’Bone Man (the latest addition to the camp with TPiAward winning FOH Engineer, Rob Sadler), Catfish & the Bottlemen, Et Al, Nothing But Thieves, and what’s set to be a new TPi story, Linkin Park’s UK / European festival run and headline shows, including a night at London’s O2 Arena.

In fact, when I visit Nitelites HQ, it’s just a couple of days before one of their most high pressure gigs to date: Alt J at the O2 Arena ahead of their Glastonbury appearance. Moore & co deployed a K1 rig, and needless to say, they ‘smashed’ it. Catching the attention of some US rental houses while they were at it...

As I walk downstairs to see what’s happening in the warehouse, there’s a clear generation divide which in reality is working in unison and there’s a sense of respect felt thoughout. People barely out of school are just metres away from ‘Big Jim’ - or Jim Moore to the postman - who is making wooden cases in the back. Still client facing with the company’s older acts, Moore Sr is as straight talking as he is press shy. Old school through and through.

“He’d still be loading boxes out of the trucks at 4am if we let him, which we don’t!” noted Moore.

“It’s true,” agreed Magee. “It’s not hard to find people with passion these days, but it is hard to find people with passion, determination and work ethic. A lot of educational establishments are full of people teaching kids about live music production when they’ve never even mixed gig or been on the road in their lives. I mean, what do they really think they can teach them about the realities of living on a bus? We need to bridge the awful gap between the learning experience and he real life experience.”

Moore, and his brother Shaun Moore [currently Project Manager on

Linkin Park] were born into the heady world of concert touring, but there wasn’t a day that went by when Moore Sr wouldn’t make them graft. In a word, they were gifted absoutely nothing. “The family vibes and the personalities we have in here are what we’re all about, but you have to want this career 24/7, and that means everything that comes with it too.”

Magee is of a similar line of thinking. “We learnt how to do the jobs we needed to do, and then later we worked out the science of why we were doing it. But a lot of that learning is up to the individual.”

As my time at Nitlelites draws to a close, Magee plays a track from a new artist they’ve recently taken on. Going by the name of Sam Fender, Magee gave me some context: “He’s a local (don’t pronounce the c!) lad who has recently signed to the same manager as Ben Howard.” Magee, who mixes Howard’s FOH sound, played the new discovery’s debut single, Play God. My ears pricked. The song remained in my head for the days that followed and it wasn’t until I sat down to write this that I realsied why: the singer’s sound is easy to absorb, but his lyrics made this story even more poignant.

Recorded in his mother’s flat and garden shed, Fender, who works with producer Tom Lewis, sings with meaning: “It’s all the same down in the capital / All the suits and crowded feet / Soon we’ll rattle on the underground / In a race to make ends meet.”

And just like that, there’s a reminder of the northern comfort in what it means to make it elsewhere but remain as grass roots and honest as you know you should. It seems like a perfect fit. So the next time you see a Niteliter, buy him or her a drink; not only will they deserve it, but you’ll probably spend a good amount of time giggling out loud whilst quietly wondering how you become a part of this expanding bloodline...

TPi Photos: TPi, Nitelites & Shirlaine Forrest. www.nitelites.co.uk 68

The Crossroads Where Production Meets Performance

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Start your business year at the show that unites the biggest names in music, sound and event technology. NAMM showcases the latest products with dedicated exhibit halls, education programs curated by industry partners including AES and ESTA, and community events, like the Parnelli Awards and TEC Awards.

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7/3/17 12:15 PM

NITELITES

WHAT THE TEAM SAYS… EMILY TERRY, WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT (18)

“From the age of 16 I knew I wanted to work in live music; I loved going to gigs and started to wonder what the guys behind the desks were doing… I went to college to study lighting but I’ve learnt so much more from being hands-on here. I met Liam Tully [Newcastle local and James Bay’s LD] when he came into my college to do a presentation. Then he introduced me to Rob Sadler, who did James’ FOH sound. He’s currently out with Rag N’ Bone Man. He knew I wanted to get in with a rental company so he passed my details onto Jamie Moore. That was it; I was shadowing anyone and everyone I could for a year while I was still at college before I officially started working here. I love it. I work in the warehouse every day and I’m getting more and more interested in audio. I really enjoy prepping gigs and I want to learn as much as I can.”

VICKI HAY, LIGHTING TECH (24)

“When I started working here at 16, I was the first girl to come into the warehouse. I started, like everyone does, doing work experience, and now I’m full time. It’s been 8 years, and I really love it here. I started out as a student in theatre; I went to university and carried on working here at the same time. Emily started properly in April, but for a long time, it was just 15 lads and me! They’re like my big brothers, and I can’t imagine not working here. It’s in the pipeline that I’ll be going on tour soon, I’d like to be a touring Nitelites Lighting Tech.”

TOM GEOGHEGAN, SYSTEM TECH (24)

“I’d done some work for another rental company and kept meeting people from Nitelites. I eventually sat down with Jamie and we got on so well that he put me on lots of different gigs straight away. He puts a lot of trust in people and pushes me to do things that I didn’t know I could. Because of that, I end up pushing myself. This is definitely a family-led company, so it’s agiven that we all look out for each other. I’m personally doing a lot of oneoff gigs at the moment because Nitelites are getting booked constantly now they have the L-Acoustics system.”

LUKE MAY, FOH ENGINEER (27)

“I’m from the Midlands, but I moved to Newcastle for a university course in music production and event management. I quickly heard about Nitelites being a good local company. Andy Magee was coming into my classrooms a lot at this time, and seeing if there were any potential students who might want to work for them. I thought it was the coolest company anyway, so I grafted and showed them that I could do this. That’s what I’m now trying to teach the younger people coming in. I’ve been here 8 years - and on tour for the last 3 with Sunset Suns –as a FOH Engineer. My main advice is that you have to know the gear, of course, but that’s a base knowledge because technology is always expanding. You don’t have to know absolutely everything, but you do have to learn on the job. A vital part of being touring crew is actually just being a nice person! It’s almost a priority; being friendly, adaptable and being able to talk to people in any situation are key traits.

We’re out there representing Nitelites and this is a family-run business that brings other people into the extended family. That’s something you have to 100% be a part of.”

GARY SURREDGE, WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT (26)

“I was working at Newcastle Academy, on the bar, when I developed an interest in lighting. It was a great place to learn the ropes, but eventually, I realised that I wanted to be part of the team coming into the venue so I joined Nitelites. I like it here because everyone comes from different backgrounds, but all of the people are supportive of each other. We all teach each other on a daily basis, and help each other learn. Eventually I’d like to go on tour, but for now, I really want to stay here and fill my head with as much information as possible…”

MARC GRAHAM - FREELANCE MONITOR ENGINEER / PRODUCTION & STAGE MANAGER

“Nitelites go the extra mile whenever you need it, wherever you need it. Jamie runs the ship because he’s a good leader. And I mean that: he inspires people, especially the younger crowd coming through the doors here. He’s not the kind of person who stands at the back and points his finger, he gets stuck in and gets his hands dirty - and so does his dad. Some people in this industry are a bit long in the tooth, and they tend to forget that younger people need to be around someone who still has that work ethic and enthusiastic attitude about getting the job done right, every day.”

70

Coming soon...

CATEGORIES Best Nightlife Venue Best House of Worship Best Sporting Venue Best Integrated Resort Best Performance Venue Two more categories to be added in 2018

ENTER Look out for the new website coming in Summer 2017 to submit your project for the 2018 Awards www.mondodrawards.com

SPONSORSHIP Want to sponsor the 2018 mondo*dr Awards? drawards@mondiale.co.uk

INFOCOMM’S TIDE CONFERENCE At this year’s InfoComm tradeshow in Orlando, Florida, organisers launched their latest incentive, TIDE. Billed as a new thought-leadership conference, the day event invited experts from the fields of design, architecture, integration and live events to talk about how they have enhanced the ‘story’ in their latest projects. TPi’s Stew Hume was in attendance to see what this new conference had to offer the live events community...

No doubt most readers of TPi have attended a number of tradeshow talks and panels. Although varying in content, it is fair to say that they often follow a very similar format. However, at InfoComm 2017, event organisers opted to turn this staple of the tradeshow week on its head with the TIDE conference. The event offered a fresh format to the usual panel discussions that put the technology to one side to instead look at the art of ‘storytelling’. TPi spoke to Dan Goldstein, Senior Vice President of Marketing for InfoComm International, to discuss the new incentive.

“TIDE is all part of a wider initiative for InfoComm,” began Goldstein. “At this year’s InfoComm the tag line has been ‘what will you create?’ As with all shows, this year there is a lot of new technology on the tradeshow floor, but all of this is meaningless without content. We want people to come into the show itching to create new projects and then finding the tools to make it a reality.”

TIDE was an extension of this thought process. An acronym for Technology, Innovation, Design and Experience, the conference, taking place the day before the official opening of the show, brought a cross section of speakers from various fields. The goal was to provide a forum for conversation, learning and insight. The format was designed to be a cross between TED, SXSW and an Experimental Marketing Summit while still being relatable to the various industries present in the room. The theme of the inaugural event was centred around ‘storytelling’ and how considering the importance of a narrative can seriously improve your end product – whether that be an installation in a shopping centre or at a live rock show.

Hosted by blogger and writer, Luvvie Ajayi, the event saw keynote talks from Pixar’s Matthew Luhn, CEO Emblematic Group and ‘Godmother of Virtual Reality,’ Nonny de la Peña and NASA’s Director of Advanced Exploration Systems, Jason Crusan.

72

EXPO

Opposite: Pixar’s Matthew Luhn delivering the opening keynote speech at this year TIDE conference. Below: Dan Goldstein, Senior Vice President of Marketing for InfoComm International; The conference ran for the whole day prior to the official opening of InfoComm at the Hyatt Regency, Orlando.

“One thing that I said from the beginning of the development of TIDE “In our opinion, a live event or experience has all the fundamental elements was to bring in new faces on the stage,” said Goldstein. “None of the of a narrative. It is designed to evoke certain emotions at certain times from speakers during the day had ever spoken at an InfoComm event. This the participant. There were so many lessons, particularly from education meant we could bring in new personalities and perspectives into the forum. where classroom design has really become a science of nuance, that are As well as those speaking, we were also keen for those attending to come applicable to live events.” from various factions of the market place. These days various industries Looking to the future Goldstein discussed what was next for the TIDE are drawing inspiration from one another. For conference. “From the outset we knew we example, at a previous trade show the leading wanted to bring TIDE to other events around discussion was how people were drawing the world,” he began. “I think there are massive inspiration from the theatre market in unrelated opportunities for it in the Middle East and in industries. With this current trend of crosscertain regions in Asia. For now, its next stop industry inspiration it only makes scene to get will be Amsterdam for the upcoming ISE in everyone under one roof.”

February 2018, as well as next year’s InfoComm As well as talks, panel discussions and open in Las Vegas. It will have a similar set up to the debates, during the day all attendees were Orlando event although we have not settled on divided into splinter groups to have a chance the theme. The immediate plan for now is to look to collaborate in small workshops designed to the feedback and see how we can grow “As with all shows, this year there through make attendees further explore how they could the project. is a lot of new technology on the utilise the importance and power of storytelling

“We are very happy with how our first back in their own industry. attempt has gone. As I discussed with some tradeshow floor, but all of this During the day there were several members of the TIDE organisers when the event came is meaningless without content. of the live events industry including panellist Eric to a close, I believe the European market and Grossman, COO of TAIT Towers: “I thought the west coast of America would embrace the We want people to come into the the day was great. The conference was well curated concept even more so, in many ways, Orlando show itching to create new prowith an amazing list of diverse speakers. This was the toughest choice to launch TIDE. But, if it variety provided an excellent background to can succeed here, it probably means we are on jects and then finding the tools discover the impact of storytelling not just in to something...” to make it a reality.” clearly branded industries like retail, restaurants,

Until then, videos from the conference and advertising but in markets like education as will soon be made available online for those that Dan Goldstein, well.” were unable to attend.

Senior Vice President of Marketing for Grossman went on to describe the benefit TPi the talks could have on the live events industry. www.infocommshow.org InfoComm International 73

FESTIVAL FOCUS

FESTIVAL FOCUS 2017 As is the annual tradition, we at Team TPi have packed our tents and wellies to bring you this year’s Festival Focus. Running every issue form July to October, the TPi editorial family will be speaking to the wonderful men and women who make the European festival season what it is - legendary.

ROCK IM PARK TPi were onsite at Rock im Park at the Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg, Germany, this June, where 80,000 fans enjoyed a stellar rock line-up featuring Rammstein, System of A Down and Die Toten Hosen.

Rock Im Park is promoted by Argo Konzerte, whose Managing Director Peter Pracht has nurtured the event from being first held in Vienna, via Munich and Nuremberg’s main football stadium before settling into its long-term home at the city’s Zeppelinfeld.

He now works in association with Marek Lieberberg and Live Nation Germany, who promote Rock Am Ring to ensure strong artist line-ups, which can be largely shared

festival, where the overriding sentiments are peace and love’.

Pracht is still very hands-on with many elements of the festival. He told TPi: “When it comes to the content of the festival I want to make sure it stays fresh and loyal in its ethos to its core fanbase.

“I wanted to add some decoration to public areas to create a more immersive environment for our audiences this year. I liked the idea of drawing links to the 30’s historic era, so we have introduced scenic elements to recreate the feel of streets from back then on the food and concessions areas, which have been really well-received.

“We were keen to improve our audience experience around the already strong music offering where possible, so we added a big wheel overlooking the main field this year. We have also introduced a luxury camping area.

There are three levels of luxury tents on offer sharing an exclusive bar and outdoor garden area and we’ve sold out all 500 of these tickets available in its first year, which we’re very pleased with. There is definitely a section of our audience that don’t want to go off site to a hotel but are increasingly looking for more comfort than the basic camping experience. So it’s up to us to listen to them and cater for what they want, which is what we’ve done.”

Pracht was also the founder of festival infrastructure provider Bümo

between the two sites.

The event, combined with sister festival Rock Am Ring running simultaneously at the Nurburgring race track, combines to be the biggest music festival in Germany attracting more than 150,000 ticket holders to Nuremberg and Nürburg.

We heard how this picturesque Nürburgring site is steeped in history, the scene of Zeppelin airship flights during the early 20th century, then from 1933 to 1938 also the venue for the infamous Nazi rallies conducted by Adolf Hitler. There is a collective pride by everyone involved in Rock im Park that ‘the evil history has been overcome, now hosting a celebratory music 74

ROCK IM PARK

Opposite: Over 80,000 music fans descended on the Rock im Park festival site. Below: Argo Konzerte Managing Director Peter Pracht, CEO of the EVAGO AG group Goran Marincic; Mojo Barriers were on site to ensure the safety of both artists and festival goers.

during the early 1970’s, he recalled: “Back then there was no company servicing the German market with equipment to meet the requirements of the bands from the UK and US, so we built our own inventory, which other festivals wanted to use - so we had a new business concept and Bümo was born. Bümo is a mixture of the two words Bühne (stage) and mobil (mobile).

He concluded: “Nowadays Bümo with its Head Goran Marincic is a professional partner that drives the positive development of our products.

We appreciate the unique combination of purposeful innovation and the continuity with their understanding of our ethos.”

We fittingly went on to speak with Marincic, CEO of the EVAGO AG, of which Bümo is a member and now one of the largest players in the German live events market. Marincic had his first Rock im Park experience in 2001, supplying VIP Security. The services he offered grew over years to include fencing and barriers, before he bought Bümo in 2015 and began to offer a complete festival infrastructure service.

Bümo has been a primary supplier of a wide range of infrastructure for Rock im Park and Rock Am Ring for several years. Once again a hands-on CEO, we found Marincic in the main Zeppelinfeld arena overseeing the installation of the temporary ground protection.

The idea of one company supplying multiple services to a festival promoter is not a business model seen so often at UK festivals but in Germany it is more commonplace.

Marincic explained: “In Germany promoters want a supplier who can deliver them all the products they need. In this country we have big companies, whereas in the UK there are many small companies who are specialists in flooring or fencing or barriers or furniture. I think in the next few years finance will be increasingly important for promoters. If I can bring one truck with all the products as opposed to two companies bringing two different trucks there are significant savings for the promoters.”

The recent purchase of Mojo Barriers is another key piece of the jigsaw for EVAGO as it builds a reputation as the complete supplier to events.

At the same time as its crews are on site at Rock im Park, Bümo is

also working on European tours for Guns N’ Roses, Depeche Mode, Coldplay and Bruno Mars. With a very visible presence in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and ambitious plans for the UK, the US and Australia, expanding the product range is key for Marincic.

“I work with all kinds of promoters, and I want to bring them solutions - not problems. For me Mojo Barriers offer the best products for crowd management in the world.

“Initially I purchased a large amount of barriers from them, but the more I saw of the people, the ethos and the products in the end I decided to buy the whole company! Now we are looking to develop the company and widen the products we can offer clients globally.

“Once we have the right personnel and infrastructure in place, we will be looking to offer the full-service, as we currently have in Germany. We can use this on indoor or outdoor events, at festivals, single shows and so on, offering all the equipment and material needs.”

This streamlined approach is something Marincic believes benefits promoters, and not just in terms of equipment suppliers. One point of contact means one place to send invoices to, one person’s advice to seek, one person to have site meetings with. This is something that sits well with organisers of Rock im Park, a huge event with many moving parts.

“From Peter’s point of view you’ve got just one project manager so when you have to make a call you’re dealing with just one guy as opposed to ten different guys. And you’re talking about a full service for the site, safety and all the materials you need.

“We are very similar in that we both like to be hands-on, and on site. You won’t often find Peter stuck in an office, which helps make him an excellent promoter connected to all elements of his events, his artists and his audiences,” he said.

Although it’s only the first year Mojo has been part of the EVAGO stable, using its barriers is already having an effect.

“Prior to this year we used entirely steel barriers, not aluminium,” said Marincic. “This makes a big difference in terms of handling and transport.

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ROCK IM PARK

Bümo’s Project Director, Walter ‘Schlanky’ Schilling; Festival Site Coordinator, Sebastian Zimpel.

We can bring 450 pieces of aluminium barrier material in one truck as opposed to 275 of steel.”

Bümo’s Project Director on site is Walter ‘Schlanky’ Schilling, who has been working at Rock im Park since 2004, he told TPi that Bümo’s presence has grown to the point that there are very few corners of the festival where you won’t see their kit.

The list of what EVAGO and Mojo supplied to Rock Im Park this year is staggering. It includes 30,000sqm of floor protection, 27.5km of fencing, 1,400m of pedestrian barriers with 2,500m of mesh fencing, 1,000m of Mojo Barriers, 180-200m of entrance gates, 580m of cable bridges, 47 full fitted out dressing rooms, 290m of Layher scaffolding, 1,200sqm of small tents for the merchandise and food areas and the tents and furniture for the deluxe camping area.

“Even if you went to catering you would see a Bümo freezer, sink, washing machine or even the dishwashers and the kitchen flooring,” Schlanky laughed.

“We are one of those rare companies who can provide a client with the whole package - that starts with the expertise of our people and moves into a vast array of products. We keep it straightforward for the clients, so people can just say to us: “hey, this is my act and this is the area I want to play - how much does it cost?”

To operate in the events industry, where companies come and go and brands change or are absorbed, since 1978 is no mean feat and there is a lot of pride in the Bümo ranks that they have not only survived, but grown.

That’s why, Schlanky said, Mojo Barriers is a good “fit”.

“Looking at Mojo, it is a great company with great products. You can look at any rider in the world and it will request Mojo or ‘Mojo-type’ barriers.

I would say in our business that 99.9% of people know their name – it’s a very, very strong brand. Now it’s time to see what it can do in the future, to put some power behind it.”

Having gained a wide experience of the touring bands and the wider events industry since 1986, Schlanky joined Bümo in 2014, at a time when

the company itself was going through change.

Having heard the company might be up for sale, Marincic phoned Pracht, the then owner and told him, half jokingly, to let him know before he listened to other offers. A couple of days later he got a call back, and soon Bümo was part of EVAGO. Along with his partner Bernd Loy, Marincic saw the potential and, while keeping the name, decided to not only modernise the company but invest in new equipment and grow through acquisition.

As well as the appointment of Schlanky, they also recruited Monica Kashuser who is an expert in artist liaison, and has been head of dressing rooms at Rock Am Ring for the past six years.

“Goran didn’t want Bümo to just be a company inside another company,” said Schlanky. “His approach has always been that if he acquires a new company or product he allows one year to observe it and then he knows what it is capable in the future.”

The first show that the ‘new’ Bümo was involved in was AC/DC on the Zeppelinfeld in May 2015. A week later the company was straight into Rock im Park.

To get an idea of the scale of the festival, you only have to spend a few minutes with the festival site Coordinator Zimpel, who this year also took on the role of Technical / Licensing Director. He is also part of Bümo and another example of how the company is geared up to solve all of its clients’ challenges.

Rock im Park takes place within 11km of fencing and pretty much everything inside that perimeter falls into his lap.

“I have to find a way to make sure everyone is happy,” he said. When ‘everyone’ means the city authorities, suppliers, merchandisers, utility companies, caterers and the police along with the 75,000 on-site campers spread across 90 different camping areas, it’s a lot for one man.

“Up until this year I thought I knew everything about Rock im Park but with the new technical licensing role it means there are a whole lot of new things to check. And double check!”

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ROCK IM PARK

Below: The 1930’s inspired concession area; Bümo’s scaffolding Project Manager Bernard Seitz.

Even the weather comes under Zimpel’s remit - and midsummer European storms are not something to mess with.

“If we get lightning there is plenty to think about. Being in the city centre we are at slightly less risk - we’re in a wide open field and we have a sports stadium and large funfair adjacent to us should we need to evacuate the site,” Zimpel commented.

“Our approach, and it’s something the promoter is also keen on, is not taking action once something is happening but rather planning in case it might happen.

“We have a big security office where the fire service and police are based and that’s where the accurate weather reports come in to. Last year we stopped the show three times, we had problems with hail at one point and also lightning, our procedures worked very well last year, and we will always keep updating them.”

“As an inner-city site, Rock im Park benefits from infrastructure investment into all the elements that any resident might expect. The stages, catering and merchandising areas run without generators from mains electricity, we’ve introduced solar power charging points for the public, we’ve got vacuum flush toilets and there are plentiful water hydrants on site. But being so close to a city of nearly 800,000 people brings another set of challenges.

“We have a good relationship with the police and local authorities. The Chief of Police has made three site visits already this year and it’s often a case of us helping them out and them helping us out,” said Zimpel.

“The site largely dictates what we do. We have to put stages in certain places because of sound considerations with the local residents. We might change things ever so slightly like moving a speaker a few metres or repositioning an emergency exit but there won’t be huge changes.

“When it comes to the local residents, some of them love us and some of them hate us. There are laws in this part of Germany relating to people having access to green space and because this is a park we have to be very careful about that. We have learned not to annoy the dog walkers!”

A significant change this year was driven by the promoter’s desire

to introduce scenic elements to transform the site for the audience, in particular the catering area. Bümo’s scaffolding project manager Bernard Seitz, designed and installed over 150m of Lahyer scaffold walls, adorned with artwork creating movie style catering streets in the theme of the 1930’s Zeppelin era.

He explained: “There is a German folk-law character called Helga, and a popular saying ‘Where’s Helga?’. So in one of the main bars the promoter wanted to create was called Helga’s - a lot of thought went into this new decor and the feedback from the audience has been that they really like the new elements.”

Judging by the hefty files of structural engineering drawings and calculations in Bernard’s on site office there has been a lot of thought from his side too.

“The German regulations for temporary structures and wind loading are high and they are rigorously enforced, so I produced detailed calculations.

Bümo went the extra mile and invested in a TUV certificate, which means that the drawings and the actual build are checked and signed off. That certificate means that I can build the same structure anywhere in Germany - there are no variations with local authorities as with other countries, so that’s a very useful certificate that can save a lot of time on future events.”

Clearly Bümo has very strong relations with festivals like Rock im Park and there are plans for more to come, as Marincic explained: “We have ambitions to reach out globally with brands like Mojo and extend what we can offer across the world. In addition to stage barriers we have more flooring systems on the way. At the moment we have just agreed a rental exclusivity for Terraplas products Supertrak and Terratrak but what I’ve been developing is a system that can offer any promoter a complete flooring solution, which would be the first of its kind.

“Supertrak is a very good system but it’s not suitable for all occasions and the same is true of Terratrak.” www.rock-im-park.com www.mojobarriers.com www.buemo.com 78

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD After last year’s apocalyptic showers, Castle Donington once again lowered its draw-bridge to the global metal and rock community, but this time with serveral measures in place to combat the adverse weather. TPi spoke to Festival Manager John Probyn and some key suppliers to find out more...

As one of the many thousands attending last year’s Download, there is one word that can sum up the weekend; wet. At one point on the Friday of the festival there was 5 inches of rain in just 20 minutes. Such extreme conditions would have been challenging to any event but as preparation for Download 2017 began, Festival Manager John Probyn had one thought; it could always happen again. “In my 25 years of working festivals, I have never seen conditions like that before. It caused a multitude of problems from audience movement to logistical issues such as getting in food and emptying toilets. On top of the weather, the M1 was closed for 27 hours, which had a knock on effect with access to the site.”

The production’s first goal was site drainage. The result was the creation of a whole new system and an installation of over 3,000m of drainage, quadrupling the amount from last year. An additional 1,115m of new ditches were also added to take away ground water on site. “During the rest of the year the site functions as a race track but we have a really good relationship with the management,” explained Probyn. “We made sure all the infrastructure we put in would not affect the site. During the festival build we did have some rain, which gave our new drainage system a test run. I have never been so happy to see rain on site as it proved we had made the right moves.” Thankfully during the weekend mother nature was kind to the punters but as Probyn stated, it’s always better to be overprepared. “This went for our traffic management system this year as well.

We had SEP Events in to provide several action plans in case there was an issue on any of the surrounding roadways.”

Melvin Benn, Director of Festival Republic discussed some of the changes made to this years site: “We’re always looking to improve the experience for our customers - it’s always at the forefront of any planning we do, so the feedback we received on last year’s festival has been

invaluable. We introduced the Dog Blog this year, which has enabled us to really listen to the Download fans and take on board all suggestions, and in turn implement plans that will see this year’s Download be the best yet.”

Probyn also highlighted the importance of the Download family in the organisation of the festival: “The vast majority of our audience take a deep interest in the festival organisation and are incredibly committed to the event. They are also brutally honest and we take their feedback very seriously. It really is a community who all care for one another.”

With recent world events taken into account, security was paramount.

Glasgow’s Specialized Security was brought into the festival for the first time. “The feedback from both the crew and the attendees has been fantastic,” commented Probyn. “It was a tough job for them getting to know the layout of the site but their management team was incredible. Since the winter they have been down on site working out the logistics as well as attending every planning meeting. The Glaswegian humour of their staff was well appreciated by the fans; they nailed the balance of good nature and making people feel safe.”

Another addition this year was the Dog Squad; 400 members of newly appointed volunteers who were onsite from Wednesday to Sunday to aid festival-goers with any onsite issues. “Our security team have so much to deal with in terms of rules and regulations of letting people in and out of the festival as well as crowd management,” said Probyn while explained the initial concept of the Squad. “The idea to bring in volunteers was to provide Download with mobile help points. Each one of the Squad had a book with almost every possible question a festival-goer may have, along with a walkie-talkie to contact their base.” After the success of the incentive, Probyn stated that the Squad would certainly be making a return in 2018.

Photo: Matt Eachus https://downloadfestival.co.uk 80

DOWNLOAD

SSE AUDIO The audio specialist once again supplied the main and second stages for the annual Donington event. SSE Hire Manager Miles Hillyard looked after the project for SSE: “Download 2009 was the first time SSE deployed L-Acoustics K1. As our experience and knowledge of the system has grown, alongside the release of upgrades and new products by L-Acoustics, we have been able to refine the system year after year. Last year we deployed the KS28 sub for the first time, which brought a stepchange in the low end coverage.”

Hillyard went on to describe the set up for this year’s event. “For 2017 we’ve flown the K1SB cabinets as a separate hangs behind the main L-R hangs. For the under hangs we’ve upgraded from KARA to K2 as well as all amplification now coming from the L-Acoustics LA12-X. The cumulative effect of these changes has been a significant increase in the ‘grunt’ of the system. We’ve got significantly more bottom end and it is running with more headroom. The response we’ve had from bands FOH engineers has been one of critical acclaim.”

For FOH control SSE supplied an Avid Profile desk with and Yamaha CL5 for monitors. “Every year we always discuss the possibility of changing the consoles we provide,” commented Hillyard, “But in the end our main job is to make every engineers job easier. From our experience the Profile is the best option for FOH as it’s a common ground for many engineers and almost everyone has a show file for it. The Yamahas were a first for last

year but were a no-brainer to bring back. The’re bulletproof in terms of reliability.”

Like many other departments the audio team had to deal with high winds during the build, however Hillyard sighted his team’s incredible preparation for the reason the show was still a success. “Due to the winds we lost 3/4 of the first day load in. However, the amount of preparation we do prior to the show meant we were ready to go as soon as production gave us the all clear.” www.sseaudiogroup.com

Above: SSE Hire Manager Miles Hillyard

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PRG XL VIDEO For the 15th consecutive year, PRG XL Video supplied a comprehensive lighting and rigging package for the festival as well as video screens for a selection of the touring bands stopping off to play at the UK’s premier heavy rock and metal festival.

Two of the three main stage headliners used touring rigs supplied by PRG XL, including System Of A Down on Friday and Aerosmith on Sunday. System used 9 PRG GroundControl followspots, with the controls stations located under the stage. Other headline lighting products specified by Lighting Designer Rob Sinclair included Martin by Harman MAC AIRFX and PRG Best Boy spot moving lights, as well as Solaris Flare LED effects and strobe lights. System used a PRG XL Video LED video screen, hung in a diamond orientation and made up of ROE 18mm Hybrid LED tiles, powered by a Green Hippo Hippotizer media server.

Aerosmith’s Lighting Designer, Cosmo Wilson selected a plethora of lighting fixtures for Sunday night’s show, including 272 GLP impression X4 LED lights, as well as Robe Pointe and BMFL moving lights, and Martin by Harman Atomic strobes. All of Aerosmith’s lighting was controlled by an MA Lighting grandMA2 lighting console. Aerosmith had a ROE MC-7 upstage video wall, driven by a Catalyst media server package. Elsewhere around the site, PRG XL also supplied the lighting and rigging services for stages two and three, as well as the touring rig for Rob Zombie, who occupied the stage two headline slot on Saturday evening. There was a core lighting rig on the main stage, which was designed to be flexible enough to accommodate the additional kit brought by the headline acts, as well as versatile enough to be used for the band playing throughout the day and early evening.

Overseeing the Main Stage at the festival was PRG XL Video’s Mark Scrimshaw. “This year’s set up was quite interesting as we based our whole rig around Aerosmith’s lighting rig,” commented Scrimshaw. “We then looked at the rest of the headline acts fitting in their bespoke elements on

top of the Aerosmith rig. Other than that other acts throughout the weekend may bring a few bits of floor package but nothing we can’t handle.”

Once again at the main stage FOH PRG XL Video provided a WYSIWYG workstation where LDs could run through their show files before hitting the stage.

PRG XL Account Manager Gordon Torrington oversaw the supply of equipment and crew for Download 2017: “I’ve been involved as the Crew Chief for Download Festival for more than seven years, this year I’ve approached the project from a different angle, as an Account Manager, which brings its own unique challenges, but is just as rewarding and a lot less muddy. I’m really pleased to still be involved once again!” www.prg.com

Above: PRG XL Video’s Mark Scrimshaw

SERIOUS STAGES Providing the 72m wide stage with the eye catching bespoke totem poles was Serious Stages, a very similar to the set up from last year’s event.

Project Director Max Corfield working alongside Simon Fursman in collaboration with the Festival Republic team. Extensive planning during the months in advance of the festival ensured the look and technical requirements of the promoters and this year’s incoming band productions were met. Corfield commented: “It was great

to work with the Festival Republic team returning to Download Festival.

There are a lot of big touring bands across the top two stages with some pretty hefty incoming productions and sets, so it’s important that we are very attentive to their rigging and load in requirements. There was a detailed planning phase to ensure the stage designs met requirements so the production teams could deliver their shows. It was a testament to our hardworking staff and crew delivering the stages for this event given the difficulties with the weather during the build.”

Nathan Kemp, Serious Stage Crew Chief, oversaw a team of 35 on site for three weeks. The whole festival production had to be stopped on the Tuesday just as we were ready to raise scrim, with 25mph winds whipping the site, moving fence panels and blowing portable toilets across the car park. Work was (obviously) halted for a day, so our team had to pull out the stops.

Andy Grey, Main Stage Production Manager stated: “We lost the entire Tuesday to wind, so there was no working at height. On Wednesday everybody on site pulled together and the Serious team were brilliant at playing their part in getting us back on schedule with extra people so we could get back on with the rigging. We opened doors on time – which was a testament to everyone.”

The most visible alteration to this year’s main stage was the 15m long front of stage thrust, requested by Sunday’s headliners Aerosmith and used by bands throughout the weekend. There were also four additional sub platforms on the main stage requested.

Serious Stages also supplied the three other stages at the festival and extra wrestling stage, with FOH positions and assisted viewing platforms, camera and signing platforms across the festival site.

Photo: Graham Brown www.stages.co.uk 82

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STS TOURING STS Touring returned to the festival providing two stages with a set backline for all bands to use along with rider specific retail backline for several performers. This year the company were across all 4 stages during the weekend, looking after bands such as – Five Finger Death Punch, Coheed & Cambria, Devin Townsend Project and Simple Plan to list a few. The company also had a couple of trucks parked on site as a mobile warehouse.

“There seemed to be a move back to the ‘old school’ with us supplying a lot of Marshall and Orange Amplification again this year,” commented General Manager, Richard Knowles. “Quite a few bands early on the bill were after large cab walls to enhance the look of their shows. Some careful management on site was needed as a some of bands started their tours at Download and took the gear on from there, likewise a couple of our bands went straight to The Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and took the hires with them for the show.”

Knowles went on to discuss some of the site changes the festival saw this year, “The facelift and stage shuffle didn’t really have an impact on us directly although there was a lot more room on the pads behind some of the stages which is great for working.”

Photo: Ross Silcocks www.ststouring.co.uk

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MOJO BARRIERS It was a welcome return to Donington Park’s Download weekend for Mojo Barriers.

Heading up the company’s return to the festival was Jim Gaffney, who recently returned to Mojo as a Senior Account Manager.

Gaffney explained: “I have managed the design and installation of the stage barriers at Download Festival since it began in 2003, where Mojo Barriers have always been the

system of choice. I enjoy a great relationship with the Festival Republic team supporting Live Nation, it’s always been a high priority for Melvin Benn and John Probyn to deliver a safe festival. We have a lot of planning discussions to look at the crowd dynamics and create the best barrier design.

“We have developed a very particular barrier configuration for the main stage, accounting in particular for the sloping ground stage right, the very wide sight line, along with the need for the incoming productions to get easy access to the FOH. While very good natured, we also considered this is a very boisterous audience who like to get their mosh pits and circles going, all of which led us to a unique layout. Our primary front of stage curved barrier has a central thrust back to front of house, and two secondary ‘arms’ that allow the security improved access to the audience. The layout also allows the audience a choice of areas and a safe event without being too restrictive.”

This year Mojo also had to accommodate Aerosmith’s 15m thrust coming off the front of the mainstage, which meant looking at the downstage edge curves very carefully to avoid any pinch points. This is where experience became invaluable. The pit for security personnel was also slightly deeper, because of the thrust, but the fact that the festival management had invested in putting down hard standing in front of the stage since the previous year meant Mojo’s load in and out were much easier, with less ground damage from plant to deal with.

Also joining the Mojo Barriers UK team at Download was Costa Chaparov as Crew Chief. Gaffney and Chaparov have worked together for many years and, with Mojo this summer, they have already managed barrier installations at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Hull and the Old Trafford Manchester One Love memorial concert at very short notice.

Over 1,200m of aluminium stage barrier was deployed in unique layouts at all five stages and around front of house towers, camera platforms and assisted viewing platforms. Mojo also supplied over 200m of bar barrier to the various bars and concessions around the whole site giving their staff a secure working environment. www.mojobarriers.com

Above: Mojo Barriers Crew Chief, Costa Chaparov and Senior Account Manager Jim Gaffney.

EAT TO THE BEAT Artist, production and crew catering specialists Eat to the Beat were brought in by Festival Republic to provided food and refreshments for dozens of rock and heavy metal artists at Download Festival 2017.

Eat to the Beat, part of Cheshambased Global Infusion Group, served-up over 4,800 meals to the weekends featured artists from a bespoke dining marquee that was transformed into a rock ‘n’ roll haven. Its temporary kitchen served hundreds of meals, including a full English breakfast and a hot, rolling meal across lunch and dinner, allowing artists to eat at a time that suited them. Dishes across the weekend included sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup, brisket of beef braised in craft ale, chargrilled chicken with vegetable and chorizo gumbo, and an English afternoon tea Inspired cake selection. As well as managing the artist dining, Eat to the Beat also provided bespoke meals for some of the headline acts.

Olivia Morris, Eat to the Beat Account Manager, said: “This was one of ETTB’s many years catering at Download Festival which is one of our favourite events of the season. We’ve previously toured with Aerosmith and Slayer so it was great to cater for them once again! We can’t wait to be back again next year!” www.globalinfusiongroup.com 84

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GREEN PLUGGED FESTIVAL / CREAMFIELDS’ STEEL YARD

NEXO STM SERIES FOR SOUTH KOREA’S GREEN PLUGGED FESTIVAL In South Korea, one of the first big events of the music season is the Green Plugged festival, attended by 45,000 people. Now in its eighth year, Green Plugged features more than 60 Korean bands and singers, including headliners Gukkasten, Dean, Junggigo and Romantic Punch.

Staged in Han River Nanji Park in Seoul, the two-day festival is also a two-stage festival.

In fact, the wide double main stage has become something of a tradition for Green Plugged, and a familiar challenge to regular PA provider Way Audio.

One of the early adopters of NEXO’s flagship modular line array, Way Audio debuted the STM Series on the Green Plugged festival five years ago and has been using it ever since as the primary PA for the main stages, named Moon and Sky. Way Audio’s Audio Chief and System Engineer Jordan Lee exploited the modular design of the STM Series, using a cluster of 6 STM M46 main modules to fill the centre of the extremely wide stage, maintaining a centre audio image and adding coverage for the front centre of the audience.

Bands alternated on the two stages, using a L/R system set up with 9 STM M46+B112 main and bass cabinets and 10 S118 subbass per side. For many of the band engineers, the Green Plugged festival provides a first chance to use the STM system, and to monitor the PA network using NEXO’s proprietary NeMo remote control software, and there were thumbs-up from all the visiting audio crews.

With a plentiful choice of 45° N-12 and PS15 monitor speakers, the stage sound was also an all-NEXO affair. All systems were powered with NUAR racks, featuring NEXO’s proprietary NXAMP4x4 amplification. www.gpsfestival.net www.nexo-sa.com

ER PRODUCTIONS LAUNCHES KINEKT LASER SYSTEM AT CREAMFIELDS’ STEEL YARD The final Bank Holiday in May saw thousands of EDM revellers descend upon London’s Victoria Park to see headliners, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, at Creamfields’ Steel Yard festival.

Laser specialist ER Productions supplied a huge rig for the event unveiling its latest innovation, Kinekt.

The enormous 20m high Steel Yard structure is a lighting designer’s dream, where the crowd is immersed in the audio-visual production. Axwell ^ Ingrosso’s designer, Andy Hurst, took full advantage of the expansive venue creating a supersized, highly sensory scheme of lighting and lasers.

A regular collaborator on Hurst’s diverse projects, ER Productions has created a range of defining laser designs for the Swedish DJ superstars, which have been seen across the world including the duo’s headline set at Miami Ultra.

A consistent visual theme in all Axwell ^ Ingrosso shows is the iconic inverted V logo, which was souped-up for the Steel Yard gig with 104 lasers converging to form the shape’s silhouette behind the DJs. To achieve this show stopping effect, ER Productions used its newly launched Kinekt laser system. As the name would suggest, Kinekt’s highly innovative system design enables any number of units to connect.

“Not to get too technical, but the collective laser beams meet on the X and Y axis to create upscaled array effects, far beyond anything that can be created by a standard moving head light. Kinekt comes with an in-built FB4 control and works with DMX, Beyond and Art-Net, making it extremely user friendly,” said ER Productions’ co-founder, Ryan Hagan.

Another striking signature laser effect that has been used time and again by Hurst in his work for Axwell ^ Ingrosso, is the apparent teleportation of the duo onto the stage. To create the effect at Steel Yard,

nine BB3 lasers were rigged onto Kinesys motors and focussed down onto the stage, with the beams appearing to draw the DJs into their opening positions.

With Axwell ^ Ingrosso closing the three-day festival, ER Production’s skilled four-person crew rigged a total of 138 lasers comprised of over 100 Kinekts, a Phaenon Pro 30000, Laserblades and the BB3s on an overnight changeover. The experienced crew pulled it off, delivering a visually impressive show that went without a hitch.

“The May bank holiday was a phenomenal first outing for Kinekt.

Andy even used an additional 98 units on Sigma’s landmark live show at the Royal Albert Hall on the same weekend. We’ve put a lot of work into developing the system and couldn’t be happier with how it performed,” concluded Hagan. http://creamfields.com/steelyard/ www.er-productions.com 86

MONTEREY INTERNATIONAL POP FESTIVAL

MEYER SOUND FOUNDER RETURNS TO MONTEREY WITH LEO FAMILY FOR ICONIC FESTIVAL’S 50TH CELEBRATION In June of 1967, a young John Meyer travelled from Berkeley to a festival site in Monterey where he supervised set-up of the on-stage amplifier systems he had designed - in a last-minute rush - for a relatively obscure blues-rock guitarist named Steve Miller.

The Monterey International Pop Festival launched 1967’s ‘Summer of Love’, an auspicious time when John Meyer not only met his future wife and business partner, Helen, but also realised that his passion for sound would be channeled into an exploding new market for high-level concert reinforcement.

“At that time it was all brand new, with this whole new style of music just coming out of the woodwork,” Meyer recalled. “I realised that we would have to start building a whole new generation of equipment that could cope with this level of outdoor festival, systems that could be not just loud but also articulate. Monterey really opened things up. It was an important event, and I knew it was not going to fade away.”

This year’s event, officially titled Monterey International Pop Festival Celebrates 50 Years, was jointly produced by Another Planet Entertainment and Goldenvoice in association with the Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation. Meyer Sound was chosen as the official sound partner.

Helen Meyer did not attend the 1967 festival, but she shares in the excitement of the anniversary gathering. “It’s very special,” she said. “It’s almost surreal. It feels great to have the system all Meyer Sound, and to know that what started with one small stage system inspired John to create this amazing array of equipment we have now, and to know all these new bands will be experiencing it.”

Another Planet’s Gregg Perloff stressed that ensuring great sound was a top priority. “Sound is so important in a setting like this, and we wanted to make sure it would be perfect. We are an independent entertainment company based in Berkeley, and fortunately the world’s top sound equipment manufacturer happens to be another Berkeley-based independent company.

Meyer Sound proved to be an ideal partner for this year’s return.”

One important goal for the production team was to revive the spirit - the ‘vibe’ - of the 1967 event while still recognising the music of today’s younger artists. One solution was to keep a unified focus at a single stage.

“At other big festivals you have people running all over to see different acts at different stages,” Perloff noted. “Here, everybody comes together at one stage. It may mean something different to each person, but at least everybody has the opportunity to join together to hear all this fabulous music at the same time.”

Legendary folk-rock impresario Lou Adler, a pivotal figure in the 1967 festival and also involved in this year’s event, is well aware of the changes brought about by that first seminal festival. “I’m proud of the fact that we treated all the artists with great respect, the way they should be treated, both on stage in performance and within the industry. And the fact that we are still talking about Monterey Pop fifty years later, I’m proud of that as well.”

For his part, John Meyer was gratified to find that the way audiences respond to good music as heard through a good sound system has not changed over the last half century. “When these young bands get on stage

and the crowds move forward - a mixture of younger and older fans - you can tell they are really engaged. They are not just observing something from the past. Yes, in some ways it’s a different scene now, but there’s still that same enthusiasm, the same excitement.”

Headline acts for the 2017 festival included Jack Johnson, Leon Bridges, Norah Jones, Father John Misty, Gary Clark Jr. and Regina Spektor. Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas - a group central to the original festival - made a guest appearance with The Head and the Heart. Three billed acts also featured 1967 veterans: Booker T. Jones with his Stax Revue (he backed Otis Redding), Eric Burdon and the (new) Animals, and the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh with his Terrapin Family Band. As an appropriate echo of Steve Miller’s ‘proto-Meyer’ stage system of 1967, Lesh played through a custom amplification rig largely based around Meyer Sound components.

The main PA system at Monterey 2017, supplied by UltraSound, was anchored by main front arrays of 12 each LEOPARD line array loudspeakers with two per side MSL-4 loudspeakers as outfill. Bass was supplied by eight 1100-LFC and four 900-LFC low frequency control elements with six additional LEOPARD as front fill. The artist foldback system comprised 12 MJF-210 stage monitors, five 700-HP subwoofers, four MSL-4 for side fill, and one CQ-2 as drum fill top. The small Garden Stage, active only when the main stage was quiet, deployed a system with four CQ-1 loudspeakers, four 700-HP subwoofers and six UM-1 stage monitors. https://montereyinternationalpopfestival.com https://meyersound.com

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PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE

Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash

STAGEHAND You need to know this: The PSA has a charity arm, it’s called Stagehand. It’s our Welfare and Benevolent Fund. We’ve been a bit guilty of not shouting about it enough, but it’s been there for 20 years, quietly helping out members who, through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times and need a little bit of financial assistance. We’re (I say that as a trustee rather than as a PSA thing) not talking pensions here, we’re talking small grants from a modest fund that help with those expenses that aren’t covered by benefits or any rainy day savings that you might have. We’ve helped a good few people in many different ways but it’s not something to shout about because, well, we don’t shout about other people’s issues, this isn’t Eastenders.

So now you know. It’s a proper registered charity and there’s a board of trustees that convenes to discuss and approve claims as well as ensure we’re sticking to our constitutional aims and objectives. During a meeting we had last year we spotted a trend; the past few claims had one thing in common - they were all related in some way to mental health conditions; we had ourselves a trend. We also have statistics; nearly two-thirds of people (65%) say that they have experienced a mental health problem. This rises to 7 in every 10 women, young adults aged 18-34 and people living alone. The deaths this virus has caused have risen to the point that if you are a man between 20 and 49, you’re more likely to die from it than cancer, road accidents or heart disease. Male, between 20 and 49; like it or not, that’s a big chunk of our

demographic and it’s safe to say that throwing in long hours, lack of job security, static or dwindling day rates and being confined to the bus perhaps tips the stats against us even more.

The Stagehand Trustees decided that it was time to get proactive, to find a way to encourage prevention rather than provide financial assistance while a cure is being sought or, worse still, after the illness has taken someone’s life. We decided on one simple aim; to make it more OK to talk about mental health issues. To achieve that aim, we thought it would be good to find some people who are OK to talk to, or even some people who can spot the signs, talk and encourage. Think back to the tragic accident in Stuttgart earlier this year, Backstage Academy dispatched someone who was seriously OK to talk to, a consultant psychotherapist who they 88

PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE

happen to retain within their student welfare department. Perhaps a little more than we need on a day to day basis but this was an extreme event. No names mentioned here, but there are organisations that were told about that move that felt the need to look at their own duty of care and plan of action in case of traumatic events. Those plans were put into place after the horrendous murders outside Manchester Arena.

We hope we never need to see a consultant psychotherapist in a crew hotel again, it’s tough enough out there. What we can do is populate our industry with Mental Health First Aiders - it’s a thing, it exists and a couple of Stagehand Trustees have been on the course; it’s good. As with ‘physical’ first aid, we’re not aiming to turn out therapists, we’re looking for people who can spot symptoms, talk and, most importantly, listen then encourage people to seek help and find ways to help themselves. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training does that over a 2-day course. For the many that use social media, Facebook in particular, you’ll be familiar with the cut and paste post, the one with a gentle emotional blackmail request to share again, the one that says it’s suicide awareness week and you’re available if needed, all you have to do is call. And that’s fantastic, but what do you say when they do call? What if they don’t call? What if piling their trouble on their mates is the last thing they want? The awareness, knowledge and skills that can develop through MHFA training can raise our game.

The course we attended was a mix of employers and industries, one in particular struck a chord - a large financial institution. An industry that used to be all about manning up or getting out is taking mental wellbeing seriously.

Back in March Steve Banks, the PSA’s chairman, himself an advocate of improving mental wellbeing, had a meeting with PLASA’s MD, Peter Heath.

We were in the process of assessing MHFA training and their meeting led to a commitment to joining forces to promote mental wellbeing. We started at PLASA Focus in Leeds with a panel discussion to gauge interest and shape ideas. I was also invited to speak at PLASA’s recent AGM, now a plan has started to come together. Something really interesting happened after both of those events; people who I’d known or seen around this industry

for years approached me to say what a great initiative this was becoming and that they themselves had suffered from one illness or another in the past. It makes it seem more serious but, more importantly, it really does demonstrate the ease with which you can start the conversation.

To start, we’re looking for commitment; we’re looking for companies to pledge their commitment to getting a member of staff or two trained in Mental Health First Aid. Sometimes that’s not as easy as it seems. At a recent meeting of industry safety advisers, those involved in larger organisations found that mental wellbeing fell in a void between the health and safety department and human resources. This is quite interesting, and perhaps reflects what the Health and Safety Executive have said in their future plans, that we’re pretty well sorted on the safety aspects, that’s across all sectors, but the health thing is where we focus. The cumulative effects that cause illness, whether it’s noise and hearing loss or dust and breathing problems, or fatigue and stress leading to a lack of mental wellbeing, that’s where they’re looking for us to focus.

It’s not all about the training. MHFA England has the resources to help organisations refine and improve their approach to mental wellbeing; we’re not reinventing the wheel, we’re just hoping to improve our industry’s understanding and approach. MHFA England has done all the hard work, we’re just pointing you in the right direction.

We do, however, understand that we’re a special case in one particular area - touring. It’s not really a case of having a couple of people in an organisation that has a fairly fixed set of people under the same roof. That’s where Stagehand and the PSA comes in. We’re looking at ways to support individual members in key positions such as production assistants/ managers, tour managers or crew chiefs, a good handful of pioneers that are keen to raise the bar a little higher. It’s not like you don’t already look after each other.

TPi Photo: Tom Pumford on Unsplash www.psa.org.uk https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/news/8-steps-excellence-mental-health/

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

beyerdynamic has announced Dutchman Edgar van Velzen as the company’s new Managing Director. Together with Wolfgang Luckhardt, he is now at the helm of the German-based audio specialist. “We value the extensive experience that Edgar van Velzen brings to the company and are delighted to have acquired such an accomplished audio industry executive and someone who knows exactly how to handle the challenges of the digital age,” remarked Wolf Michael Nietzer, Chairman of the Administrative Board of beyerdynamic. “Edgar is an expert in developing global distribution strategies and understands the importance of a strong brand.

He is able to harness his knowledge in order to drive the company forward on the international stage with innovative product ideas and advance the business as a whole by means of strategically smart optimisations across the board.” d3 Technologies has announced the expansion of its global sales team with new appointments for the EMEA, APAC and Americas regions. Sarah Cox, who joined d3 Technologies in July 2014, has been promoted to Sales Director of the EMEA region. She will be supported by Eloise Reed who has come on board as Sales Manager EMEA. Reed was formerly Business Development Manager and Project Sales Manager at Martin Professional.

“Eloise brings to d3 a wealth of knowledge on the entertainment, exhibition, artist and architectural design industries, which will undoubtedly benefit our company. We are very excited to welcome Eloise to the team,” noted Cox. d3 has also welcomed Krzysztof Grabowki to support Reed in the region. Fernando Kufer, d3’s General Manager, added: “Krzysztof comes to d3 from our exceptional sales partner Prolight in Poland. He will join the technical sales team as Technical Sales Specialist. In the Americas, Marcus Bengtsson and Anthony McIntyre have come on board the New York sales team as Technical Sales Managers joining Hans Beijer. Last autumn, to meet the growing demand for d3 products and to better serve customers in the APAC region, Stephen Tsui was named Regional Sales Manager and Kevin Li

Technical Sales Manager.

“We are delighted to have the new members on board and to see Sarah become our Sales Director EMEA. Each region has seen strong growth over the past few years, breaking into new countries and verticals. We now have a growing network of over a hundred rental and sales partners, d3 studios and certified solution providers. With the ever growing community, we hope that the bigger teams will help meet the demand of each region.”

J&C Joel has appointed Paul Young as its new ASEAN Sales Manager.

Young has 26 years experience in the industry having previously worked for AED, MA Lighting and Litec. His background includes working in design, sales, project management and operational management. Young said: “I’m really looking forward to working for such a well-respected market leader, being part of a developing market and meeting all the customers.

The products, the reputation and history, and of course the personnel that make it all happen, are second to none.” James Wheelwright, J&C Joel’s CEO, said: “Paul is an extremely welcome addition to the team. He brings a wealth of experience to J&C Joel and his industry knowledge will be a real asset to the business.

“It’s an exciting time for Paul to be joining the company with the opening of our new facility in Vietnam and his impressive and diverse background will complement the Asia sales team. Having him in place will provide our clients with a valuable local connection and ensure we are providing the best customer service across the region.”

NEXO has initiated the STM Partners Network with more than 100 rental houses worldwide now offering the STM Series modular line array.

NEXO is creating a special Partner Network for customers of its flagship sound reinforcement products. Aimed at the touring and rental sector of its business, NEXO’s new Partner Network will bring STM owners and users closer together in a programme for global cooperation. One of the primary reasons for establishing a detailed international database of users is to facilitate crosshire, subhire and collaboration between STM rental 90

www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Opposite: beyerdynamic’s Edgar van Velzen and Wolfgang Luckhardt; J&C Joel’s Paul Young; EM Acoustics’ Ed Kinsella, CS&A’s Rich Trombitas and EM Acoustics North America’s Jim Shearing. Below: PRG’s Michael George and Robert Watson.

houses. The STM Partner Network programme is being overseen by Val Gilbert, NEXO Engineering Support Manager for Touring and Rental. “The modularity that is the hallmark of the STM Series makes it uniquely suitable for collaboration between rental suppliers. It’s easy for smaller companies to pool STM resources and be able to pitch together for larger festival and event contracts.” An exclusive communications channel with NEXO’s Engineering Support team will give the partner community access to the manufacturer’s highest level of technical expertise and back-up.

“There is no minimum entry requirement for our Partner Network, any STM customer is automatically part of the club,” clarified Glibert.

Renkus-Heinz has announced promedias AG as its new exclusive distributor for Switzerland. “We were seeking a distribution partner capable not just of meeting rising demand, but of providing an unequalled customer experience,” explained Renkus-Heinz Technical Sales Manager for Europe, Michal Poplawski. “With strong technical sales abilities, promedias AG will quickly introduce excellent product support and sales into Switzerland. promedias AG has been a leading voice within the Swiss industry for some time now, and the company has rapidly built an impressive portfolio of products.” promedias AG CEO, Chris Steiger added “Renkus-Heinz is the perfect addition to our catalogue, bringing true expertise in beam-steering to our customers. We are planning to promote the Renkus-Heinz product range and technology through all available channels including open days and special presentations of the technology. This agreement is very important to us, now we can offer integral solutions with these very high-quality loudspeakers.”

PRG XL Video has added Robert Watson and Michael George, who have both joined as Account Managers, to its music team. Stefaan Michels, Director of Music, PRG XL Video, commented: “It’s a pleasure to have Michael join the team. He’s great to work with. It is exciting to expand into the live streaming market and with Michael’s expertise and high standard of delivery, it’s sure to be a resounding success.”

Robert Watson brings more than a decade of experience in live production, working as Project Manager and Crew Chief on several highprofile music festivals, designing lighting for theatre and concerts, and most recently working as a Project Manager at Panalux Broadcast & Event.

Yvonne Donnelly Smith, Director of Music, PRG XL Video, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Rob to the team. His in-depth technical knowledge and on-site experience of delivering shows is a great benefit to us.

Additionally, Rob’s personality complements the rest of the team, and he’s already fitted in well!”

On the heels of the announcement of the appointment of Contact Distribution as EM Acoustics’ exclusive Canadian distributor, the British loudspeaker manufacturer continues to strengthen its presence in North America with its first rep firm appointment, Cardone, Solomon & Associates (CS&A), based in New York.

Jim Shearing of EM Acoustics North America is pleased to be working with CS&A. “A year down the line since the launch of EM Acoustics North America, we are now in a position to appoint a well-known rep firm, and we have been very methodical in looking at all the options available to us,” he

explained. “I have known of Cardone, Solomon & Associates for many years.

They are a well-established and highly respected name with a successful track record in professional audio throughout the north-east and midAtlantic regions.”

Shearing continued: “They set the standard for manufacturer representative firms by always being respectful of their clients’ needs and having solid working knowledge of their businesses. They will only recommend equipment which will truly be of value and make good sense for the long-term health of that particular organisation. This consistency and reliability over time has become a core part of their reputation. Each member of the CS&A team brings something unique to the table and it has been a distinct honour to work with all of them to help bring EM Acoustics loudspeakers to their line card.”

Mike Solomon, Founder of CS&A, was equally enthusiastic: “John Cardone, myself and everyone at Cardone, Solomon & Associates is excited about becoming the first US-based, manufacturer’s representatives for EM Acoustics’ incredible sounding and thoughtfully engineered loudspeaker products. As CS&A celebrates our 20th Anniversary, we are so very proud to represent EM Acoustics, a company that is committed to excellence, is responsive in providing applications-oriented loudspeaker systems, inventory, and timely support that meets our customer’s needs.” www.tpimagazine.com/category/industry-jobs/

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Travel M anagem for the Live Mu ent Services sic Indu stry

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To advertise here enquiries should be made to Lauren Dyson or Georgia Guthrie Lauren Dyson - Tel: +44 (0) 161 476 8360 Email: l.dyson@mondiale.co.uk Georgia Guthrie - Tel: +44 (0) 161 476 8399 Email: g.guthrie@mondiale.co.uk JULY 2017 ADVERTISERS Adamson Systems Engineering 37 ADJ 63 Airstar Light 39 Alcons Audio 29 Ampco Flashlight 31 Beat The Street and Phoenix Bussing 41 Bluman Associates 89 ChainMaster 5 Chauvet Professional 7 Clair Global 11 Clay Paky 51 CLF Lighting 43 Coda Audio 33 DiGiCo 13 Digital Projection 77

Duratruss 59 ffp Special Effects 27 Funktion One 17 GearSource Europe 47 GLP 25 GLS Lighting 57 Green Hippo 39 High End Systems 21 John Henry’s 67 Leisuretec Distribution 4 Leisuretec / Pioneer Dj 53 Lift Turn Move 25 Meyer Sound / VER 2 Mojo Barriers 83 MTFX Ltd 15

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Philips Vari - Lite BC Protec 3 Redburn Transfer 58 Robe 19 Rubber Box Co 91 Star Events Group 29 STS Touring Productions 81 The NAMM Show 69 The Showman Show 25 TRUCKINGBY Brian Yeardley 79 TW Audio 6 Zig Zag Lighting 45

BACK CHAT

GILL TEE Director - Hire Services, entertee

How did you initially become involved in the live event production industry? Did you take an academic route or a more practical one?

My route was practical. I had two children and was helping to run a business in the building industry with my husband.

I was working two days a week and a few evenings, while still being a mum to my kids, which was a role I loved then and still do now! The building industry did not excite me particularly, and I decided a change was needed. I managed to secure a part time job as assistant to the General Manager of the Duke of Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre in London, and this changed my life. Unbeknown to me, the theatre was owned by Capital Radio, and very soon after being employed, I was asked to get involved with their projects.

The theatre was sold and I was asked to continue my work with the promoters in Euston Tower, the (then) home of Capital. We were having a hard time at home financially, and this coincided with Capital wanting me to work more days for them. I agreed and built a career at Capital, eventually becoming Head of Entertainment, where I was involved with many live music projects.

trade. 19 years on we have learned how to build temporary worlds and hopefully will still be doing for years to come!

What is the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethos and what have been some standout shows?

Our company ethos is to work with great people who have heart, are hardworking, and who have a capacity for fun. If we are not having a good time doing what we do, how can we expect our audience to feel it. I truly believe that.

There have been many amazing moments in my career, but Party in the Park was a stand out show for me. To play a major part in this successful event was life changing. Standing on a stage watching 100,000 people come through the gates at an event you have been part of is truly mindblowing.

My other stand out moment, was watching Prince perform Purple Rain at the Hop Farm Festival. I was the Festival Director and entertee was the production company for 5 years. We produced shows with incredible artists during that time, but for me, standing at the back of the arena on my own, watching the magic that happened that night was truly incredible. Prince was the best he could be, and was enjoying every minute he was on stage, and that translated to the audience like nothing I personally have seen before. I must admit, I shed a few tears.

What have been some of the milestone events you have been involved in and what role did you play on them? How did they lead to the creation of entertee?

One of the projects I was tasked with putting together whilst at Capital Radio, was a large music event for the radio station. I was to work with the Princeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trust to produce an event where the radio station could show off their brand, and also raise money for the charity.

The programming director had seen this concept work in America and wanted me to bring this idea to life in London.

The event was Party in the Park in Hyde Park. During the period of working on this project, I was fascinated seeing a whole world being built on an empty piece of land, and how everyone who had worked together to make this happen had all been as important as each other in making it a success.

Something in me clicked and I realised that I wanted to leave Capital and become involved in this world. I was not sure why I thought I could, or indeed why I would want to leave the security of a company like Captial Radio, but I did. That was 1998, entertee was created with a great friend of mine from Capital Radio, Deb Shilling, and we set about learning our

Although you have to keep your upcoming project under wraps until October, can you give any hints as to what it might entail?

We are very excited that we have the green light on a project that is very close to our hearts, where we believe we can put into practice all the skills we have acquired over the years. It is a festival on a beautiful site, and is a genre that is growing in the UK. The time has finally come where entertee has ownership of our own project, and that hopefully we will be able to create something that not only gives the ticket buyer a great experience, but also is an opportunity to help others along the way. We have, in the past, had to dance to the tune of other people. We know we are in a high risk business, but we have sound financial backing from people who also bring a huge amount of business experience to the table. They respect what we do, so we believe we have every chance of building something that we can all be proud of.

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SAVE THE DATE

FEBRUARY 26TH 2018 BATTERSEA EVOLUTION, LONDON

Contact Hannah Eakins for more information: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

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