Skunk Anansie

It’s been a quarter of a century since Skunk Anansie entered the public consciousness. Now off the back of a brand new live album to mark the band’s 25th anniversary, the outspoken four-piece sets out on an extensive European tour. TPi’s Stew Hume catches the touring crew before their Bristol show to get the latest…

When Skunk Anansie burst onto London’s rock scene, the band was very much labelled as an alternative palate cleanser to the ubiquitous Britpop that ruled the UK zeitgeist at the time. Despite taking a lengthy hiatus in the early 2000s, they have managed to, in their own words, “swerve the nostalgia circuit”, releasing three brand new albums since getting back together in 2008. As well as putting out new material, Skunk has also kept pace with the explosive live shows the band is famous for, and as TPi stood at FOH with the singer mere metres away having crowd-surfed the length of the room, it became clear why the band’s fans have stuck with them for the past 25 years.

Earlier that day, we caught up with the crew who were on the road with the high-energy four-piece. Starting the conversation was Patchwork’s Managing Director, Steve White.

For this latest run, the company provided an audio touring package not to mention overseeing tour management and production responsibilities. The company also subcontracted Colour Sound Experiment, MM Band Services and Fly By Nite to aid the touring effort.

TOUR ORIGINS

“This tour was a change of pace for us,” began White, talking through the company’s current roster of acts – many of whom the Patchwork team has been working with since their first tour. “Scalability is really important to us,” he explained. “We’ll pick up artists that often grow and develop quickly.

For example, we work with The Amazons, who started with our IEM Peli Case that they could throw in the back of a splitter or take on a plane. Now we are out with them with a DiGiCo SD12 and a Shure Axient system. It’s all about being able to grow.”

White commented that it had been a nice change of pace to work with an artist that had so much experience with live touring. “We got put forward for this tour by their accountant, who we’ve also worked with in the past – not your traditional way of being recommended for a job,” he chuckled. “We’ve worked with them for around 18 months now, although this has been our first full tour with them. It’s been great in many respects as the band and some of the core crew have been together for a long time – they know the job inside out and they know what to expect.”

Part of Patchwork’s USP is that it is not simply an audio supplier but a more complete production outfit, encompassing contracting, budgeting, show design and full tour and production requirements.

FOH

To lead the audio-charge, Patchwork brought in FOH Engineer, Ben Hammond and Monitor Engineer, Cliff Brothers, both of whom were newcomers to the Skunk Anansie crew. Starting from his end was Hammond, who had been recommended for the tour by FOH Engineer legend, Jon Burton. “One of the main things that the band were looking for from a FOH Engineer was someone who could deliver a mix with a dominant bottom end,” began Hammond. “They got in touch with Burton due to his long experience with The Prodigy. However, he was unable to make it due to other touring commitments, so he put me forward as an alternative – it was a very kind recommendation.”

Hammond explained how the band’s love for low-end translated into the live environment. “One of the main things you need to know about these guys is that they are very knowledgeable when it comes to audio,” he said. “They all produce other artists and spend a lot of time in the studio. They know what they are looking for and can communicate it effectively. But they also appreciate the ‘artistry’ of FOH and are willing to spend the time to work together on the mix.”

Hammond also chuckled at how his FOH set-up was slightly different from what the band had been used to. “I think they were more used to seeing an analogue desk out front, so when I rocked up with my little digital desk and limited outboard gear, it was certainly a change. But it’s been a wonderful collaboration getting to where we are now.”

Hammond used an Allen & Heath dLive to orchestrate the band’s sound. Also in his package were two Lake Processing LM 44s handling the system out, along with the Engineer’s “secret weapon” – a Cranesong HEDD192 Quantum. “To put it simply, the Cranesong acts as a harmonic enhancer, which audibly fills the gaps in the mix,” he stated.

“The result is that you get a huge amount of perceived volume increase without increasing the dB. This has been practically helpful with the lowend of my mix. As we are using a lot on in-house systems there is a risk I could lose some transient power with the low end, but with the Cranesong I’m able to get much more power out of the system.”

MONITORS

Discussing the band’s on-stage sound was Cliff Brothers. Another newcomer to the touring party, Brothers gave his impressions of the past month of touring. “I do a bit of everything, from tour managing to FOH work; I don’t tend to do monitors for a tour of this size – but I have to say, I’m really enjoying the experience.”

Controlling the band’s stage sound, Brothers opted for a DiGiCo SD12. “Patchwork owns several of these, making it the natural choice for this project,” he explained. “The real benefit I’ve found mixing monitors on them comes down to its output routing – especially the ease at which you can change to spare IEM packs. Its two screens also mean I can monitor inputs and outputs continuously.”

The band opted for a package that incorporated both IEMs and onstage speakers. All the band members were on Shure PSM 1000s apart from drummer, Mark Richardson, who was on a hardwired system with a whole range of Ultimate Ear moulds being used.

“We had two-and-a half weeks of rehearsals and we really dialled in each of the band members’ mixes,” stated Brothers. The band did its first stint of rehearsals at John Henry’s, followed by a time at Millennium Studios. “Each of the band has years of experience in the studio and they are all audio experts in their own right,” commented Brothers. “We spent a great deal of time EQing to match the sound they wanted to hear. Sometimes this involved playing tracks they all knew well and producing an EQ curve they were happy with.”

Along with the IEMs, there was plenty of on-stage sound with side fills and an impressive rear sub set-up behind the kit – not forgetting the stage-filling wall of speakers making up the band’s sizeable backline set-up.

Talking through stage set-up was Audio Tech Arthur Mazzer. “There is certainly a lot more going on than in your standard academy band of this size – we are carrying a small arena level of gear,” he commented, while standing next to the stage looking up at the array of boxes laid across the stage. “The one thing about this tour is that thebackline doesn’t change, no matter where they are playing – especially the guitar set-up.”

Even though all the musicians were on IEMs, the crew was still keen to ensure the band got the live feel. This was created first of all by two L-Acoustics KS28s along with a drum thumper.

Flanking the band on stage were a selection of d&b audiotechnik C7s, which the band has used since “day dot”. Mazzer commented: “They are not quite as shiny as they used to be, but they still work. In many ways they are as much a part of the stage shows as their vintage guitar cabinets.” He continued to explain for the band it was all about “consistency” on stage. “That goes for everything, from on-stage sound to the Marley floor they lay down each day.”

Continuing the theme of consistency, Hammond spoke of the microphone package deployed on the tour. “Right now, we have [lead singer] Skin on a Shure SM58 with a Beta 58 grill,” he explained. “Skin is used to performing with a microphone with the flat head and, for us, her comfort was always of the utmost importance. If she’s comfortable, she’s going to give the best performance.” The engineer explained how it took a while to get the right formula: “The SM58has been able to calm down the mix a bit, which works better on her voice.” For wireless, the crew rolled out an Axient system, which was used by the band’s keyboard player.

Continuing on the topic of mics, Hammond drew TPi’s attention to the drum set-up, which was covered by an array of models from Audio Technica. “As the new guy, I didn’t want to come in and change a lot but, after a chat with Mark the drummer, we decided to go for an Audio Technica option. I find their mics are super honest and don’t produce that heavy scoop that other brands often can.”

LIGHTING

Once again at the helm of the band’s visual shows was Dan Williams. Having been brought on board in 2014, Williams has overseen a selection of campaigns and built a good rapport with the band.

“Last cycle, we were experimenting with some more modern looks utilising a selection of video elements,” reminisced Williams. “On this tour celebrating the 25th anniversary, the band wanted to go for more of an old-school vibe.”

In the build-up to the show, Williams explored a selection of reference photos and worked with Skin, who wanted to incorporate some of her famed costumes for the tour.

“Some of her outfits are incredibly iconic,” stated Williams, looking down at his tour laminate that was adorned with an image of the frontwoman in her famed feather ensemble. “Some of these outfits look so good in silhouette, so I was conscious to capture that in the design,” commented the LD. “Not only that, some of them have foil elements, which reflect light really well and I was keen to utilise this.” Despite more of an old-school vision for the design, Williams asserted that the band was keen to keep the look for this latest outing very much in line with what you might expect in 2019.

“Our rear wall is probably the best example of this,” he stated, explaining his use of a selection of Portman P1s for a modern par can feel. “They are a striking visual element and they look fantastic both live and in photos. I’ve used the P3s with The Vaccines and really enjoyed them.They are really robust, which is a blessing when taking them onto the road. They are great at focusing your attention on the stage.”

The LD explained that one of his missions was to limit the amount of front light used during the show, opting for more side lights. His fixtures of choice were Robe Spiiders in collaboration with Claypaky Stormy Strobes, for big blocks of colour. “I’ve also got some Robe Robin 300s that I’ve used for certain up lighting positions. I’ve also got a few Claypaky Stormys under the ego risers that produce some great effects,” he revealed.

“The band are really good at interacting with the lighting fixtures, ducking their heads in and out of the beam to produce cool shadow effects.” The final element of Williams’ rig was six Robe MegaPointes to produce some beam effects. “I’ve also used some of the Robe CycFX on the floor to light up the wall of backline equipment,” he commented.

“It’s such a feature of the stage, it’s been nice to emphasise the backline from the lighting design. We have some moments during either a bass or guitar solo where I really highlight the cabinets.” A neat touch for the guitar aficionados in the audience.

Patchworks relationship with Colour Sound is almost a decade strong, so since the project had used them for two years prior it made things very smooth. Brought on two years ago, Williams and the company have built up a good working relationship with the Skunk Anansie project. “As a supplier, they really could not be more helpful,” Williams enthused. “They do whatever I need, and the kit is always in fantastic condition.”

Along with equipment, Colour Sound Experiment also drafted in Simon Robertson. “I’ve worked with him before on a few projects and I requested him specifically as I knew the scope we were trying to achieve and knew he would be up to the challenge.”

At the front end of the lighting rig, Williams utilised one of Colour Sound’s latest MA Lighting grandMA3s. “I got to use it during a one-off show at Wembley earlier this year, but this is the first official tour I’ve had the chance to take it out,” commented the LD.

“It’s been interesting to see some of the new design elements, although one or two are sure to become clearer when the new accompanying software comes out. I’ve really liked it on this run – I’ve found the extra windows on the layout incredibly useful.” For data transfer, Colour Sound provided Williams with a Luminex package, which he dubbed, “rock solid”.

With the Bristol contingent of the Skunk Anansie fan club satisfied with an electrifying set, the band set sail to continue juggling the final festival dates of the season along with a selection of other UK dates.

If the band’s Bristol performance is anything to go by, Skunk Anansie’s loyal contingent can expect a joyful celebration of the band’s 25 years old backcatalogue – complete with more than a few stage dives courtesy of the formidable frontwoman.

TPi

Photos: www.indiafleming.com

www.skunkanansie.com www.patchworklondon.co.uk www.coloursound.com www.flybynite.co.uk www.mmbandservices.co.uk