Mumford & Sons: Delta Tour

MUMFORD & SONS: DELTA TOUR

In support of their latest album, Delta, the British four-piece concludes its first ever in-the-round production. TPi’s Stew Hume catches up the band to discover the evolving nature of this live production…

Mumford & Sons burst onto the UK music scene with their fresh take on traditional folk music over a decade ago – ten years since songs such as The Cave and Little Lion Man became certified anthems of our time. Now, four albums deep, it’s clear the quartet won’t be sticking to the same tried and tested formula. Delta, which was released late last year, saw the band expand their musical range and experiment with more electronic elements. While fans eagerly awaited the latest release, Mumford & Sons’ production were busy concocting a new stage show to elevate the band to a new level as a live act. The result was the group’s first venture into the world of 360° touring. On the road since November, the production and crew have risen to the challenge – including stage set alterations – presented in dealing with the rigors of an extensive touring schedule.

Leading the crew was Production Manager Steve Gordon, who has been with the band since 2013. With so many new elements brought into this production, the PM put his faith in several suppliers the band had worked with numerous times, including Britannia Row Productions, Neg Earth, and Quantum SFX. Also welcomed into the fold were Creative Technology, Road Radios and Brilliant Stages. Finally, Fly By Nite provided logistics, while Phoenix Bussing alongside Sound Moves facilitated freighting, while tour catering was handled by Popcorn.

THEN AND NOW

Picking up the conversation about the changing nature of the show was Ric Lipson, of Stufish Entertainment Architects, who led the stage and set design for the tour. Lipson happened to be visiting the crew in Manchester, so sat down with TPi to talk about the two-year visual journey. “This band has always been very in touch with their fans and lighting has always been at the forefront of their shows,” he began. “We were very excited to collaborate with Lighting Designer, Ed Warren who has worked with the band for some time.” Lipson explained an “immersive” concept was always at the heart of this design as the band wanted to give more people the “front row experience” from the beginning of the process. It quickly became clear this would be in-the-round, so Stufish presented the idea of a bridge element which would link the central stage to both sides of the arena so the band could effectively play in surround seating. Although this element has now been lost, Lipson still reflects fondly on the original form. “It really expanded the room and united the crowd. I was there for the second show and it felt like a religious experience – something I don’t say lightly.”

Head Carpenter, Morgan Shevett, who has been with Mumford & Sons for the past two tours, talked TPi through the differences with this third iteration. “I received a preview of the stage plans about a month before heading to Brilliant Stages to do some prep on the tour,” he began. “The original design we had was very different to what we have now with the 90ft spanning stage. Back then there were eight of us on the carpentry team whereas now we are down to four.” Shevett explained one of the main issues with the bigger stage came while touring hockey stadiums in the US. “After a few shows out there, during a break from touring, it was decided we would scale it down to what we have now.” The stage is still made from the same elements as before, only with some of the middle section and wings removed. “When we scaled it down to size the band really liked it so we have kept it this length for the reminder of the tour,” he stated.

“We did a fair amount of re-design work with the production during that time,” commented Brilliant Stages Ben Brooks. “Even through the changes we kept the same non-slip deck finishing with the clean stage edges that we developed at the start of the project.”

Nearing the end of the band’s in-the-round leg, Shevett reflected on the 360° venture. “Some will be happy to see this go but I’m not among them,” he asserted. “It’s been an adventure and certainly a challenge. Usually, a standard stage-end show requires each department to work fairly separately but, with this kind of project, all the departments work together. It’s been very much a team effort.”

LIGHTING

Returning as Mumford & Sons’ Lighting Designer for the 10th year in a row was 2016 TPi Lighting Designer of the Year, Ed Warren. Once again challenged with reinventing the band’s visual show, the LD brought in the aid of frequent collaborator Phil Kaikoura. The duo had worked together on several other shows including The Maccabees and Mogwai although this was the first time collaborating directly with Mumford & Sons. As well as aiding the design process, Kaikoura also oversaw the design on the road.

Away from his console, Kaikoura spoke to TPi about some of the lighting looks within the show. “One element which has remained consistently throughout Mumford’s history is the warm, friendly light,” he commented, adding it’s always been tungsten-heavy. The Delta Tour was no exception. In fact, one of the starting points for the designers was to select a fixture to provide this key role in their design – namely the Portman P2 Hexalines.

Warren was already very familiar with the Polish manufacturer having utilised the fixtures in a rig design at Sziget Festival last year. “We were headlining Sziget way before the campaign had even started, so obviously no design discussions had even begun, as the album was still being worked on,” commented Warren. “I based the design for this show around the Portmans as they’d been brought to my attention recently and seemed to suit our aesthetic perfectly. Every show design is a continuation of the last in subtle ways, and it followed perfectly from our mega par can rig of 2016.”

When TPi visited the crew in Manchester Arena, 56 Portman P2s Hexalines hung in air. “It’s an individual fixture with a friendly look that creates some real eye candy moments,” commented Kaikoura. “There are times when we bring them down over the band to create an almost barnlike look.”

The designers also wished to maintain the depth and drama of previous Mumford & Sons tours - a task which proved difficult due to the in-theround design. “You’re dealing with such steep angles in-the-round, not to mention less haze at your disposal,” commented Kaikoura. “We knew of these limitations and how we would have to combat them early on. One trick most in-the-round shows use is to fill the above stage with video screens. The band were not too keen on having a content-heavy show. This left us filling the above void with lighting.” Alongside the Portman lights in the flown fully-automated rig were 14 lighting pods - seven each side - with two Hexalines, GLP JDCs and Martin by Harman MAC Aura XBs. “The pods were to prevent the rig becoming a static light source. Instead, we created a structure which could be manipulated and constantly changed. Along with the automated pods were six lighting trusses, four also automated, which ran along the length of the stage. These were populated by four Claypaky Scenius Unicos, a Robe MegaPointe, two GLP JDCs, and Source FOUR PARs which ran around the outline of the entire stage, forming the “boxing ring” of truss, according to Kaikoura.

GLP impression X4 Bar 20s housed in a custom trough, designed by Brilliant Stages outlined the stage. “It doesn’t affect any sightlines and keeps a clear stage - yet this staging element still gives me a nice footlight on the band,” stated Kaikoura. At ground level was a selection of Martin by Harman MAC Quantum Washes. Working alongside the visual display, two MDG theONEs exuded haze from underneath grills in the staging floor. “Instead of providing generic atmospheric haze, the MDGs really built drama with a bonfire effect which fit the overall style of the show.”

With an in-the-round configuration, followspots were always bound to cause some near-impossible issues, according to Kaikoura. “Each member of Mumford & Sons is integral so they needed to be lit, but having spots in an arena bowl was never an option, as we could never guarantee we’d get the position.” However, the duo found an elegant solution utilising the automated followspot system, zactrack. “I think we were one of the first major tours to adopt it,” mused Kaikoura. “For at least one song per night, Marcus will run into the crowd and we need a system that could keep up with him. Other systems have to keep in the parameters of the stage but zactracks keeps up with them, no matter where they go.”

Tending the zactrak system each day was Nathan White. “Just like most products, there was an initial learning curve,” admitted White. “We also had to get the entire band wearing the packs, but we found a great compromise by stitching it into their stage clothes.” White joked the system created a few extra jobs for him each day, including measuring each radio anchor as well as each venue. “There’s also the fact your main interface is an app rather than a desk,” demonstrated White. “It’s a very modern way of working but I must admit walking around with an app and implementing your data from stage is infinitely easier.” He admitted he worries one day a backline tech won’t see him use the light metre on the tablet and set it on stage, so he’s constantly listening out for the dreaded crunch. But with his work set out, it’s quickly forgotten. In total, White calibrates 26 Claypaky Scenius Unicos to four positions in a total of 104 focusses daily.

“The whole system has worked really well,” enthused Kaikoura. “The fact I don’t worry about calling spots and just pre-empt the faders is a load off my mind, knowing no matter when any of the four guys are on the stage, they will be lit.”

The LD continued to outline his control surface of choice - an MA Lighting console. “I’ve moved over to the grandMA3 now,” stated Kaikoura. “The hardware is much better and, now I’ve got my head around the button placement, I far prefer the control.” Collectively, the production utilised two desks for the run, supplied by Neg Earth. “Neg have done a fantastic job on this tour,” commented Kaikoura, praising his wider crew which consisted of Rob Edwards, Miec Heggett, Mike Blundell, Tom Comrie, Neil Johnson, and Harry Smith. Also proving invaluable support to the visual team thought the project was Lighting Crew Chief, Adam Taff Morgan along with former Crew Chief, Adam Morris. “Both of them worked extremely hard to bring this project to life,” commented Warren.

AUTOMATION

Always up in the air and impressing throughout the tour, right from initial conception, was the automated roof section. “It was always integral to the design of the show,” Kaikoura said, emphasising its importance. On this iteration an extensive Kinesys automation system provided by Brilliant Stages controlled 14 lighting pods and four lighting trusses. Overseeing the system was Automation Programmer and Operator, Luke Williams. In total, Williams was operating 36 axes - 28 of which controlled the 14 lighting pods with the remaining operating all four automated lighting trusses. “We are using the new Kinesys Apex system which is controlled by Vector,” explained Williams. “This system works very much like the existing elevation 1+ system but has more built in safety features such as safe emergency limits, dual encoder and brake monitoring, and an integrated load cell on each hoist. This gave us a very high level of safety.

“Thanks to the systems ability to hold hoists in position without the use of brakes (essentially hovering) we were able to create the slow and smooth moves that are seen during the show. It’s an impressive setup, for sure!” Commenting on the investment of the Apex System was Brilliant Stages Ben Brooks: “It was clear from the first conversation we had with production, that the automation system had to be the absolute highest safety standards. The only system that was available was the Apex system, which no one at the time stocked.” Making up the rest of the automation team were Sean Desiardins, David ‘Boots’ Callan, Max Pearson and Erin O’Brien.

While on the subject of work overhead, TPi grabbed a moment with Head Rigger, Bjorn Melchert. “This was actually my first in-the-round show,” began Melchert. “It’s a tricky project, especially in the US where stadium score boards don’t allow for much room or extra hanging capacity in the roof.” The Head Rigger explained, as with many shows, weight was always a concern but manageable, as the setup totalled 120. He continued: “One of the biggest changes during the rehearsal stages was our treatment of cabling. We ended up building two cable bridges which could carry everything out to the rig.” Neg Earth also provided all the steel and motors for Melchert and the rest of the rigging department.

PYRO Quantum Special Effects aided in the visual design with a collection of eight Stadium Shots, 121 Red UF (Tracer) Comets, 38 1/2s x 30ft Jets and 15 Cannon Simulators. Leading the department was Rob Edwards.

The SFX Crew Chief explained how it was decided to hang many of the SFX elements in the automated rig rather than in the pit or on the stage. “On the whole we’ve tried to keep as much in the air as possible. The pit itself is quite tight and, as the band are quite intimate with their crowd, we didn’t want to create yet another barrier between them and the fans. The last thing we want is for an audience member to have a confetti barrel in their face.” Moreover, according to Edwards, this flown rig created a spectacular effect. “The roof position of the Stadium Shot means you don’t see the source of the blast which adds a bit of mystery to proceedings.” Edwards fired the show from FOH with his team of two, Rob Sandeman and Erin Bowles, spotting from the side of stage.

VIDEO

Backstage, TPi Award-winning Video Director, Steve Price said working with Mumford & Sons is a dream job for any director. His history with the band goes back to 2015. “In the past, all four of them have stood in a line so cutting cameras between the band members has always been reasonably intuitive.” However, moving into the round produced an interesting challenge for Price. “Now it’s more of a three-dimensional environment so it’s harder to keep track of where everyone is. It took me a while to arrange my multi-viewer so my mind could make sense of the geography of the stage, but my camera operators were very good and between us we managed to crack it quite quickly.”

In total, Price had eight camera operators at his disposal, all using Sony HXC-100 HDs and three Iconix Mini-cams. Standing alongside the show on a Kahuna 360 3 ME Mixer, he explained the aesthetic. “At the start of the show all the IMAG content is in black and white. Throughout the set, we gradually introduce colour over the first few songs until we get to about 60% which gives the screens a proper cinematic feel. It’s not too colourful or bright and really fits the rest of the look. For the encore, we bring it back to black and white until their last song – Delta – where we push it to 100%. Previously starving the audience of colour results in a huge impact.”

Video System Engineer, Harry Watkinson, sat behind Price overseeing the all-important colour balance and exposure. “He’s only 27 and he’s amazing,” Price smiled. “We’ve built a great working relationship. He’s always one step ahead and knows where I’m going next in my cut.” On the subject of the rest of the team, Price spread the praise to the crew and his supplier, Creative Technology, a company with which he has collaborated on numerous occasions.

However, both Price and the team from Stufish struggled with the placement of the screens. “One of the original designs included roll-drops screens which threw up a few challenges because of their portrait aspect ratio. Mumford & Sons simply are not a portrait band. Their performance is all about the connection between musicians which is harder to convey in that orientation.” The resulting set up saw four landscape screens hung diagonally off the four corners of the stage. “The issue with hanging screens over the audience is the band can see themselves which can be distracting. Hanging them like this means they can’t,” reasoned Price. All four gauze screens were projected onto from eight Panasonic RZ31ks.

Elsewhere on the video rider were two disguise gx 2s which, according to Price, were used sparingly. “We have a few Notch effects in use on guitar solos during songs like Tompkins Square Park, but on the whole, the band are not effect or content-heavy.” Handling the disguise media server throughout the performance was Jamie Gadney.

Creative Technology supplied equipment and crew for the European tour, having enjoyed a long history with Price. Project Manager at Creative Technology Jim Liddiard said it’s always a pleasure, elaborating: “He has a long-standing relationship with the band and his exceptional knowledge of what is required to suit the specification of the show guarantees a high-end finish.” CT’s Head of Music and Entertainment, Graham Miller, added: “It’s been great to be involved in this ground-breaking tour. The in-the-round format has brought an amazing show to the audience which pushes the energy levels through the roof.”

AUDIO

Yet again taking his position behind the faders at FOH was Chris Pollard. “I’ve been with Mumford since their first headline tour when we were still in a van smashing out shows,” he joked, from the far more comfortable backstage of Manchester Arena. Just like the band, this was Pollard’s first venture into an in-the-round production. Despite the new environment,

Images show: Lighting Director, Phil Kaikoura; Automation Programmer and Operator, Luke Williams; Greening Representative, Lucy Clumpas; The video team.

the FOH Engineer tried to keep his mixing style similar to the way he would work a traditional stage-end performance. “There are a lot of things you have to watch out for with this setup, such as the venue acoustics and how they react to having a PA in the centre of a room, specifically with the low end.” However, the FOH Engineer was quick to compliment the work of System Designer, Britannia Row’s, Josh Lloyd and his 360° L-Acoustics system. “This tour has been hardcore, especially when we were getting it up and running,” he admitted. “But even during the changes to the set, the audio rig hasn’t really altered. It’s a real testament to the original design.”

“We were first approached to work on the tour during the design phase last year,” commented Lloyd. “We have previously worked with the band, and so have a good relationship with both Chris Pollard (FOH) and Steve Gordon (PM). There was also an understanding of what Chris wanted from this system and a mutual respect when dealing with pushing certain things that couldn’t be compromised.”

The main considerations for Lloyd’s design was to achieve 360° coverage within the arena whilst optimising hang positions to minimise the need for time alignment. “We had to take into account that with a 360° show, you’re putting energy into the whole arena, so minimising the amount of sources and ensuring - as much as possible - the system covers the audience area.” The other huge consideration that Lloyd and the team had was with the cable run, which at its furthest arrays, was 125m from ‘dimmer world’ where all the production cables dropped. “We worked around this by using Britannia Row Productions flying amp carts, with amplifiers and motor control flown in just two positions. This meant the longest cable run from the speakers were 20m. This resulted in a significant sonic improvement. Both the amps and speaker hangs could be dropped in if necessary with the mothergrid at trim, giving as a degree of autonomy from the production. All we needed to run in this system was power and fibre to each amplifier location.”

Collectively, the system consisted of L-Acoustics K2s, K1-SBs, KS28 Subwoofers, KARAs, ARCS IIs and KIVA IIs. “The system ended up comprising six hangs of L-Acoustics K2 which were used for increased vertical and wide horizontal coverage, these had the ability to be adjusted in each venue when necessary,” commented Lloyd. “We also opted to use K1-SB behind arrays to help low-frequency extension and directivity, reducing low energy on stage for the band.”

“We’ve toured with L-Acoustics for some time now,” Pollard said, reflecting on his last few outings with the Britannia Row Productions crew and their well-maintained equipment. “Their wealth of knowledge on how to do these new shows makes you feel incredibly secure.”

Britannia Row Director and Account Manager for this tour, Lez Dwight, stated: “It is always a great pleasure to work with Mumford & Sons. The Delta tour has been a challenging project to put together and I’m very proud of the outstanding effort from all of the audio team.”

MONITORS

Monitor Engineer, Dan Ungaretti discussed the on-stage sound. He joined the crew last July and was relatively new to the Mumford & Sons touring entourage, having previously taken up the Crew Chief title for the Foo Fighters. Excited to be back behind a desk again, Ungaretti also opted for an SSL L500. One of the biggest challenges the Engineer faced was the sheer number of inputs. “We’ve pretty much filled the L500 and are actually due to upgrade to the L550 to give us extra capacity. At our peak, we were dealing with 146!”

“On stage, the band was almost completely on IEM’s barring a selection of d&b audiotechnik M2 wedges built in under the stage. With the exception of Marcus – who used a Wisycom system - the band members used Shure PSM1000s.” The Monitor Engineer gave the frontman as much coverage as possible with the divergent pack because, during at least one song each set, he runs into the crowd and the Wisycom is “incredibly robust” from an RF standpoint.

The four principle band members all used Ultimate Ears UE Lives for moulds with the supporting band utilising UE11s. Meanwhile, vocal mics utilised were Shure Beta 58s with the Axient Digital System. “When I first started they were using KSM8s, however, due to the in-the-round arrangement, we opted to go down the radio microphone route and used the 58s for consistency.”

Shure Beta 58s were also the choice to capture the audience. “I’ve got four wired 58s on each corner of the stage,” commented Ungaretti. “I prefer these for ambience compared to the standard Shotgun setup as I think they blend better in the mix. I just find them softer and more natural sounding than the alternative.”

A BETTER FUTURE

The Delta Tour marked a milestone for the band breaking new ground in live production. However, touring innovation wasn’t just out on the arena floor. Meet Greening Representative, Lucy Clumpas. For those unfamiliar with the title, Clumpas ensured the backstage areas were as environmentally friendly as possible, from proper disposal of recyclable material to liaising with venues to oversee their waste management scheme. But, with the band playing multiple dates across the globe, what

difference does a Greening Rep make to a tour? “Obviously touring, by its very nature, is not environmentally friendly. It’s not about a small number of people doing something perfectly – it’s about a million people doing it imperfectly. In other words, working with venues to educate them and demand they start changing the old habits of their waste disposal methods.”

With the Mumford & Sons 360° tour coming to an end, the quartet and crew look towards a whole host of festival dates before heading back Stateside in August for an autumn tour. This latest leg of the Delta Tour certainly represented a turning point in the band’s live offering - taking their raw energy and creating a live show to match. Guess we have to watch this space to see what its up their sleeve next time. To paraphrase Marcus Mumford - “We will wait”. TPi Photos: Gavin Batty & TPi www.mumfordandsons.com www.stufish.com www.brilliantstages.com www.negearth.com www.nextlevellights.com www.kaikouradesign.com www.britanniarow.com www.q-sfx.com www.ct-group.com www.roadradios.com www.soundmoves.com www.flybynite.co.uk www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.popcorncatering.com