Liam Gallagher: As You Were

Following the release of his debut solo album, As You Were, Liam Gallagher began a tour that has now reached the summer festival circuit. With a Production Design by Cassius Creative and technical aid from Really Creative Media, the singer’s show is a visual feast as TPi reports...

Liam Gallagher is bringing new music, a fresh band and some iconic festival sets to the UK this summer. The Mancunian rock ‘n’ roll star is back on the road, including a healthy dose of festival and outdoor shows before heading further afield to play indoors for European and Japanese audiences.

Teaming up to help design and deliver the creative backdrop to Gallagher’s stage presence was Cassius Creative, a production design partnership between Dan Hill and Chris ‘Squib’ Swain. The production designers joined forces with Nick Dew and Jack James of digital experts, Really Creative Media.

Dew outlined the history between the companies: “Having teamed up with Cassius Creative on Dua Lipa’s The Self-Titled tour and Rudimental’s performance at V Festival 2017, we have enjoyed a great working relationship already, and complement each others’ artistic skills.

“The creative process first began a few weeks before Liam’s appearance at BBC Biggest Weekend show in Coventry, with the stage vision brought to life through predominantly live camera and augmented with some textures and using Thundering Jacks software, Video Dust.”

Video Director Phil Woodhead ran the Video Dust through Really Creative Media’s Catalyst V6 media server, which was then controlled via MA Lighting grandMA2 consoles. “This software gave us the opportunity to further manipulate and replicate live camera feeds to create a unique experience for live audiences, utilising the IMAG wing screens either side of the stage to full visual effect,” explained Dew.

He continued: “To complement Liam’s familiar performance style, often standing still and singing up into the microphone, Phil ensured our camera feeds captured close-up footage of Liam, the band and instruments being played to fill the stage’s LED screen backdrop with a variety of layouts. Phil even utilised a microphone camera to give an ‘in your face’ angle of Liam.”

Cameras provided by Really Creative Media included 2 Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast cameras and 1 additional URSA Broadcast RF enabled camera. Lenses from Canon included the new Canon CJ20 UHD lens, 2 Agile Remote Arc360 Lite robotic cameras on stage drivenby the new ARC Maxi Controller and a Marshall CV200-MB HD lipstick camera for Gallagher’s microphone.

Really Creative Media’s Panasonic Touring PPU provided 5 outputs into the Catalyst media servers making use of multiple AUX outputs.

Video Director, Phil Woodhead, added: “It’s been great working with Dan and Squib again; we worked together on a Years & Years project a while ago and that was when Cassius Creative first came across Video Dust. Since then, the software has evolved into what we have today and it adds the right amount of visual effects to shows without overdoing it. It’s intuitive to use and integrates with Catalyst V6 very well.”

It’s been great working with Dan and Squib again; we worked together on a Years & Years project a while ago & that was when Cassius Creative first came across Video Dust. Since then, the software has evolved into what we have today and it adds the right amount of visual effects to shows without overdoing it...

Video Director, Phil Woodhead.

The Director also gave his thoughts on Really Creative Media: “It’s been great working with Nick and Jack as well. Their attention to detail and backup is excellent. Both of them were on site for rehearsals, which shows their commitment to the production. They supplied nicely engineered racks and top personnel, so I am full of praise for them. Top guys!” he smiled.

For Gallagher’s own headline shows, Really Creative Media supplemented camera numbers to replace the kit usually on site for a festival line-up, in order to generate the same level of visual coverage.

A semi-transparent ROE MC-18 LEDscreen was also installed - when possible - to implement on the headline tour dates, with an array of lighting fixtures set behind the screen to complete the full show package. Gallagher’s UK dates include his appearance at London’s Finsbury Park, TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow, RiZE Festival in Chelmsford and a hometown gig at Lancashire County Cricket Club in Manchester. As you were. TPi Photos: Really Creative Media www.liamgallagher.com www.cassiuscreative.co.uk www.reallycreativemedia.co.uk www.thunderingjacks.com