TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

LIVE EVENT DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY • APRIL 2016 • ISSUE 200

ELLIE
GOULDING
Delirium reaches touring reality
200 AND COUNTING

ENTER SHIKARI • THE BRIT AWARDS • RUDIMENTAL • FOOTLOOSE • THE 1975 • FOXES APRIL 2016
#200
ROAD DIARIES • INTERVIEW: SOUND IMAGE’S DAVE SHADOAN • IN PROFILE: BEDFORD GUITARS
 THANK YOU
FOR MAKING US
A DEFINITIVE PART
OF YOUR LIVE
EVENT WORLD
#200
 B T T B

B B
T T

BELIEVE IT
FROM OHIO STADIUM TO JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER TO THE KREMLIN PALACE –
THE TOP VENUES IN THE WORLD ARE PROVING THE POWER OF THE LEO FAMILY.
The LEO Family provides power and clarity for nearly every application, from intimate performance spaces
to the world’s largest outdoor festivals. LEOPARD, the smallest in the family, is gaining a following for being
the most lightweight and versatile line array in its class. It’s no wonder the best venues rely on
the LEO Family for flawless sound.

T T
B B

B T T B

Meyer Sound Laboratories Inc. • 2832 San Pablo Ave. • Berkeley, CA 94702 • 510 486.1166

PUBLISTING Close Date Revision #

TPI 3/31/16
Creative: Believe IT / Venue

Unit: FP4C
PRODUCTION NOTES
Live: 190 mm x 277mm
Keylines do not print
Trim: 210 mm x 297mm
INK: 4/c
Contact: Elania Nanopoulos
Bleed: 216mm x 303mm STOCK: magazine
Phone: 510 486.1166 x115
Gutter: n/a
ROBOTICS
 Distributing the industry’s
finest brands...
it’s in our dna

For 26 years we continue to evolve to

bring you the finest brands of Professional &
Commercial Audio, Lighting, Video and Special Effects.
We are your one true, trade only distributor and our all-round
service means that we deliver for you every time – it’s in our dna.
If you are an Integrator, Installer, Re-seller, Hire or Events Company you
will not find us competing with you. Let us become an asset to your business.
Just think Leisuretec
Wherever Whatever Whenever
Experience • Choice • Value • Service

Leisuretec Distribution Limited • Leighton Buzzard LU7 4UH (UK) • Tel: +44 (0) 1525 850085 • www.leisuretec.co.uk
EDITOR’S LETTER

BGV-D8 BGV-D8Plus BGV-C1

Capacity 250 kg - 12000 kg

#200
We spend a lot of our time talking to creatives about reinvention - be it a totally
new show design or a mini adaptation during a tour run. And, with 200 issues being
somewhat of a landmark, we thought it was time to follow suit. As you’ll no doubt have
noticed from the size of our magazine of late, this year has been monumentally busy,
so what better time to add to the madness than to reinvent the look of TPi! Thanks
to Dan in our production department and his slick ideas, we’re enjoying a brand new
facelift, and we’ve also changed the names of some of our sections. Over the next few
months, we’ll be introducing some new features too. Stay tuned!
It’s also, quite bizarrely, my 5th anniversary at TP HQ this month. I’m unsure
where the time went (ok, lessons in stereo mixes, the environmental importance of
LED manufacturing and festival health & safety conversations could count for some
baptisms of fire) but it seems to have flown by.
Speaking of baptisms, we’re literally pressing print as our taxi to the airport is en
route to begin our trip to the biggest tradeshow in our calendar. See you very soon,
Frankfurt Messe... This time five years ago, I had no idea what a journey this was going
to be. Here’s a toast to where it all began, Germany!
Kelly Murray
Editor • Climbing- or Standard Hoist
• Overload Protection
with Patented Friction Clutch
• Direct Control or
EDITOR
Kelly Murray
GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk
Contactor Control
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Zoe Willcox: z.willcox@mondiale.co.uk • Light And Compact Design
Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689
e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk EDITORIAL INTERN • Precise Chain Guide
Will Kirkman • Textil Chain Bag
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Ste Durham ACCOUNTS • Several Models on Stock
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk
Mobile: +44 (0)7891 679742
e-mail: s.durham@mondiale.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Justin Gawne
STAFF WRITER CHAIN HOISTS • CONTROL SYSTEMS • SOLUTIONS
Stewart Hume MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Damian Walsh
Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344
e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Ellie Goulding by Carli @ Adby Creative
GENERAL MANAGER - TPi MAGAZINE & AWARDS
Hannah Eakins
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 PRINTED BY
Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk
e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk
Annual subscriptions (including P&P):
ADVERTISING SALES £42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW).
Charlotte Goodlass Subscription enquiries to: Subscriptions,
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 9126 Mondiale Publishing Limited, Waterloo Place,
Mobile: +44 (0)788 0208 226 Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, UK.
e-mail: c.goodlass@mondiale.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580
Fax: +44 (0)161 476 0456
EVENT MANAGER - TPi AWARDS e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk
Mo Naeem info@chainmaster.de
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 www.tpimagazine.com • www.tpiawards.com
Mobile: +44 (0)775 9272 313
e-mail: m.naeem@mondiale.co.uk Issue 200 - April 2016
CHAINMASTER BÜHNENTECHNIK GMBH
TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited under licence.
ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2016 Mondiale Publishing Limited. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction Uferstrasse 23, 04838 Eilenburg, Germany
in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy in the
preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Publishing Ltd, nor the Editor, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential loss or damage
Tel.: +49 (0) 3423 - 69 22 0
resulting from information published. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the Fax: +49 (0) 3423 - 69 22 21
return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published
12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited United Kingdom. The 2014 US annual subscription price is 117USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent E-Mail: info@chainmaster.de
named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431.
US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, www.chainmaster.de
New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Publishing Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK.
 ITINERARY

EVENT FOCUS
08 Footloose
NEXO delivers a lightweight PA for
the touring theatre adaptation.

14 Video Games Live

The British Sinfonietta Orchestra
perform gaming soundtracks from
Zelda to Assassin’s Creed.

08
18 Prolyte Group’s Factory Tour
TPi visits the company’s new Romanian
facility.

20 Foxes
Touring LD Jake Vernum discusses
the English singer’s recent show design.

26 Focusrite’s product launch

Introducing the new Red 4Pre.

PRODUCTION PROFILE
30 Ellie Goulding
TPi sees the stunning co-designed
Delirium tour reach arena heights.

30 44


Enter Shikari
Kelly Murray experiences surround
sound with the electro-rock group.

56 The BRIT Awards

We speak to the returning crew
involved in the annual live TV broadcast.

68 Rudimental
Ste Durham heads to London for the
11-piece’s hometown O2 Arena show.

76 The 1975
It’s 100% LED for the young quartet.

56
ROAD DIARIES
82 2016 TPi Award winner, LD Ed Warrren,
let’s us into his world.

IN PROFILE
84 Former Backline Tech, Dean Rowbotham
on his new business, Bedford Guitars.

INTERVIEW
88 Kelly Murray meets Dave Shadoan of
Sound Image to discuss the early days of
life on the road...

84
CLOCKING OFF
92 Jerry Gilbert laces up for the London
Marathon.

GEAR HEADS
94 Adam Hall Group speaks about recent
tech developments from the company.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS
98 The latest movers and shakers.

PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE

100 Andy Lenthall is on the case for
protecting local UK music venues.

106 BACK CHAT

106 Monitor Engineer of the Year, Jac Nott.
EVENT FOCUS

08
 FOOTLOOSE

Opposite: Manchester’s Palace Theatre played host to a Nexo PA package from Orbital Sound, where the sound design gained praise from the show’s producers.

CUTTING LOOSE WITH NEXO

With French loudspeaker manufacturer NEXO leading the way for economically viable
touring theatre productions, TPi’s Kelly Murray speaks to the audio team behind its latest
outing, Footloose, about system preferences for touring sound designs and the skills
required to maintain them on the road.

Produced by award-winning team Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
at Sell A Door Theatre Company, producers of Avenue Q and American
Idiot, Footloose the musical has once again been reinvented for a UK
theatre run. TPi caught the actor / musician show staring Gareth Gates
and Maureen Nolan at Manchester’s Palace Theatre to speak to Sound
Designer Chris Whybrow, rental partner Chris Headlam of Orbital
Sound and Touring Head of Sound, Piers Archer.
Whybrow led proceedings: “I started designing musical theatre
shows nine years ago, and my first design was Thriller Live in London’s
West End. Since then, I have gone onto design many more tours and West
End shows. It’s the main area that I focus on, however I have also been
involved in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, corporate shows,
orchestra performances, music festivals and concerts, so I have a good
knowledge of all kinds of live events.
“I think the skill for theatre is probably is being able to bring
everything together and work closely with the production’s creative
team to fulfill the director’s, musical supervisor’s and producer’s wishes.”
When starting a sound design and choosing a PA system, Whybrow
always looks at the tour’s venues and scheduling before thinking about
the size of system. “Footloose, for example, is doing a huge range of

707
Scan to watch
INGENIOUS SOLUTION No. LIVE EVENTS SHOWREEL the video

AN

+ + + + +
INGENIOUS
=

+ + + + +
WWW.VIMEO.COM/154051251

When it comes to live special effects, tackling tough challenges is what we do best
Welcome to MTFX. The ingenious effects people. 01452 729903 info@mtfx.com www.mtfx.com

09
FOOTLOOSE

Touring Head of Sound, Piers Archer, said he can use the Nexo Geo M6 system in each venue “without compromise.” He mixed the live show from FOH on a DiGiCo SD8.

venues and by specifying a Nexo Geo system, it has enabled me to scale Orbital’s Chris Headlam added: “UK touring musical theatre operates
the rig up and down dependent on the size of the room,” he added. broadly on two scales. Some shows reside in a given theatre for a month
The main objective for this production was to have a system that or so and economically enjoy a load in and fit up period of a week or
the touring crew could load in and fly quickly, ready for the show that more. Others jump from theatre to theatre weekly and as a consequence,
evening. Continued Whybrow: “The great thing about using Nexo is how the load in, fit up and first performance will all take place on a single day.
compact and lightweight it is; it’s very quick, light, “In the latter scenario, the industry requires
and importantly it delivers the coverage and SPL a redefining of the words light, speedy and
that this show needs.” economic because the Nexo Geo M6 is a
Rental company Orbital Sound provided 12 benchmark leader in all of those areas. Specifiers
M620 80° loudspeakers per side covering the “The great thing about using who adhere to the more mature view that the
stalls and circle areas, six Geo M620’s per side on Nexo is how compact and brand name is less important than the end result
the advance truss which covers the gallery, four are migrating toward solutions that facilitate
LS18 sub bass for the stalls, four LS18 sub bass lightweight it is; it’s very simple touring whilst maintaining first-class
for the upstairs seated area and six ID24t for a quick, light, and importantly sound. Nexo holds two of the long-standing
compact front fill. key patents associated with line array theory,
To complete the main package, Whybrow it delivers the coverage and which gives them a significant technological
chose a DiGiCo SD8 console for FOH duties SPL that this show needs.” edge when developing next generation compact
and a DPA / Shure microphone package. He Chris Whybrow, systems. The whole subject of who holds which
elaborated: “These are choices that have carried patent - and how that effects their manufacturing
through my designs over the years. I have refined
Footloose Sound Designer opposition - is often overlooked but presents a
and tested numerous other options but have fascinating subject of its own.
found the combination I love.” The musical was “Musical theatre sound is very complex. The
starring DPA d:fine 4066 omnidirectional headset advances over the last decade in digital consoles,
microphones and IEMs were Shure PSM1000’s. Monitoring is handled computer playback and networking have allowed the designers to take
directly into Aviom mixers by the on-stage musicians and the rest is their creative designs to another level but crafting deeply layered and
mixed from FOH. complex sound creations is not possible with older, analogue solutions.

10
 “I am easily satisfied with
the very best.”
Sir Winston Churchill

DiGiCo renowned quality

at a price you can afford!
Mixing it with the best of British

DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL.
Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600

www.digico.biz

DiGiCo S21 Silhouette Advert Master - TPI.indd 1 22/10/2015 08:40

FOOTLOOSE

In Manchester, six ID24t were placed on the lip of the stage for a compact front fill solution. This speaker allowed for uninterrupted audience sightlines.

The technology has completely re-written the support rules required. Chris Whybrow’s system design gives you the energy in all of the songs,
Orbital Sound has a network of experts and the skill gap between what but also cleverly draws you into the dynamic during the tense acting
the equipment requires for day to day running and what is available scenes, and the system caters for both experiences perfectly. With this
onsite during a tour is ever widening. It’s Orbital’s responsibility to fill set up, I use the front fill for imaging and to pull focus alongside the even
that gap remotely. It’s can be a huge challenge - but one we relish.” coverage across the front.”
Touring and operating the Nexo system - which is transported in Prior to this tour, Archer hadn’t used a Nexo PA for 20 years, but
bespoke Nexo flight cases - is Piers Archer, Footloose’s head of sound. described the experience as eye opening. “I only used one hang either
He commented: “In theatres you have to consider side at our show in Edinburgh and it did the job
weight limitations and sight lines, as well as really well. It was rigged in 45 minutes!”
maintaining the correct coverage and distance With a heavyweight name such as Footloose
throw in the premium seats. Because the Nexo “The industry requires a selling out theatres in various cities, audiences
Geo M6 system is so compact and lightweight, it across the country continue to expect the best
means we can put a full system into every venue
redefining of the words out of a classic. What they won’t realise is there’s
we tour in, without compromise. The producers light, speedy and economic a lightweight star enhancing the experience - no
paid the tour a visit this week, and they were very matter which seat they’re kicking their Sunday
happy. They actually said, ‘how did you make it
because the Nexo Geo M6 is shoes off from.
sound like this in a room this big?’” a benchmark leader in all of TPi
Archer sets up the system with lasers for scale, Photos: Shirlaine Forrest
using Nexo’s NS1 software to map the room. He
those areas.” http://footloose-musical.com
continued: “Footloose historically always been a Chris Headlam, http://nexo-sa.com
loud musical, putting out 96db with crowd noise. Orbital Sound. www.orbitalsound.com

12
 dot2
THE ESSENCE
of MA Lighting

EASY OPERATION | CLEVERNESS | SUITABILITY | MULTILINGUAL | DESIGN | MA DNA

The new Range of Lighting Control Solutions from MA Lighting: www.ma-dot2.com

UK Distribution:
Ambersphere Solutions Ltd · Phone: +44 (0) 208 992 6369
info@ambersphere.co.uk · www.ambersphere.co.uk

dot2_Anzeige_blog_Print_Total_Production_International_210x297.indd 1 25.08.15 14:48

EVENT FOCUS
VIDEO GAMES LIVE
Five years ago it would have been difficult to predict the popularity of video gaming as a live
spectator ticket. Now gamers are on the verge of celebrity status with concerts attracting
audiences in their thousands.
In March 2016, Troxy hosted Video Games Live, a multi-media
immersive concert created by the video gaming industry. Featuring
the British Sinfonietta Orchestra, this record-breaking concert
recreated epic gaming soundtracks from some of the most popular
video games, combined with lighting, video projections of the games,
live action and audience interactivity, making it the first and most
successful video game concert tour in the world.
Troxy hosted two shows, a matinee and evening performance,
the latter of which signified the 357th Video Games Live performance,
which saw the co-creator of the series Tommy Tallarico presented
with two official certificates celebrating his Guinness World Records
achievements – primarily the record broken on the night for the most
videogame concerts performed.
The concert featured musicians and composers from the games
industry David Wise (Donkey Kong Country), Robin Beanland (Rare titles),
14
conductor Eimear Noone (Songs of Zelda) and Flute Link - Laura Intravia.
Music included games scores from Tetris, Mario, Donkey Kong Country,
Skyrim, World of Warcraft as well as the world premiere score to the new
Assassin’s Creed by BAFTA (British Academy Games Award) and Grammy
award-winner Austin Wintory.
Steve Miller, Video Technician of Video Games Live, explained: “Video
games music has come so far in an industry spending a huge amount
of money to produce the games, which are now scored like the movies,
with film composers writing full scores for video games. Just like movie
trailers, they draw you into try their game, so that’s what you’ll be seeing
on the screen.
“We create cinematics, which is a movie trailer equivalent for a video
game, telling both the story of the video game and including actual
game play. One of the interesting things is that in this digital age, the
audience often doesn’t realise that the soundtrack originates from a real
 VIDEO GAMES LIVE

Opposite: Featuring the British Sinfonietta Orchestra, this record-breaking con-

cert recreated epic gaming soundtracks from some of the most popular video
games. Below: The evening featured a number of guest performers.

orchestra. But as soon as they see these live gigs they relate what they
are seeing to the sound and when they see the music actually being
played by musicians on stage, they appreciate the sound more.”
While Miller’s work is not dependant on specific switchers or
cameras, baggage allowances and a busy travel schedule does require
whatever he brings to be lightweight. For the event at London’s Troxy
he used a Roland 1600 HD video switcher. “Even though we use a lot of
mixed material, this one is powerful in being adaptable,” he said. “We
walked in and thought we were going to use the old 4:3 screens. We
couldn’t lower the screen far enough so we changed the format right
away and went to 16:9 - so it’s really flexible and the quality is great; it
has multiple channels so you can show content in the middle and on the
outside.
“It fits the bill on this tour as it caters to many formats of video.
When I’m in the US, I work with similar gear and know roughly what I’ll
be running into, but when I’m travelling overseas, Germany for example
uses a slightly different system to the UK, but the Roland HD system will
take almost anything in and give us everything out. Sometimes quality
plays a big part in kit, but if you look at it, some of the video games we
play are actually very old with lower screen resolution, so quality isn’t
necessarily there.”
Miller also used a lightweight Panasonic SDI camera, a GoPro on
the stage to show the orchestra live, another GoPro mounted on the
conductor, a MOTU audio adaptor and an Apple Mac running QLab
software.
He continued: “Troxy is different to every other venue we’ve been to
and the art deco design creates a unique ambience. We always need an
in-house production team and it’s been very helpful to have access to
the team at Troxy to share skill and knowledge to help us adapt to the
space changes. We’ve all seen the show, we all know the show and what
we want to achieve. People ask if we get bored with the show but my job

15
VIDEO GAMES LIVE
Video Technician Steve Miller; Atif Malik, Event Manager at Troxy; Adlib Video Rental Manager, Dan Brown; The team had three screens to work with at Troxy; The world
premiere of the score to the new Assassin’s Creed conducted by Austin Wintory and performed by Laura Intravia.
is to pay attention to the nuances of the venue and the video.
“We have been limited on time with every orchestra, luckily this is the
third show we have done with them, so we’re used to each other now. To
make the production work, we bring in a click track. As the video rolls,
and the members of the orchestra wear in-ears with a click. One of the
reasons for this is that the conductor will have so many things to do in a
very short amount of time, so having the metronome click means she’ll
have one less thing to think about.”
Another of the adaptations Miller had to make was working with
a different amount of screens in each venue. While the graphics on
the centre screen will always roughly have the same content, any
side screens can show combinations of additional graphics and
stage cameras. He continued: “I have to cut away a lot of the content
beforehand but that’s when it has been approved by the video games
company. You don’t want to do that too much as you’ll cut away from the
content. With the three cameras we have at Troxy, it means we can put
a live camera on one screen, the video game on another and any other
graphics on the third screen.”
Although the team didn’t have a full rock ‘n’ roll touring rider at their
disposal, the in-house Electro-Voice XLC line array system and screens
that they utilised were more than enough to whip the excitable crowd
into a frenzy. Miller commented: “For this show, the visuals are the video
games. Most of the crowd will see one element of this video game and
start roaring. They will know when Assassin’s Creed comes up or within
two beats of a song and they will cheer just because they know it’s that
one! There is a full orchestra on the stage, so they want to hear the
sound and see the visuals.”
As well as adapting logistically to the wide variety of venues that
Video Games Live has played, the crew also had to cater for the age of
the content itself, some of which was decades old. Dan Brown, Video
16
Rental Manager from Adlib Lighting, explained: “A lot of the content is
4:3 and that’s mainly because the video games are dated, but for us 16:9
has now become the standard. We couldn’t bring the middle screen all
the way down without getting in the way of the orchestra, but the middle
screen is 16:9 and the two side screens are 4:3, which are all controlled
by Troxy’s in-house team and the Roland switcher.
“We put in one Sanyo PLC XF47 projector, which is the central
projector, and even though it’s an older model, it meets the spec for the
show. We’ve recently invested in Panasonic quite heavily, so we brought
6.5k laser projectors for the side screens. Panasonic projectors are great
for dealing with haze so sealed optics is the benefit to that.”
Brown continued: “Traditionally a front truss is about the width of the
stage, but our projections are just outside the stage area. Another reason
we used the Panasonic projectors is that they have corner correction
capabilities, which means as long as you get that image over the screen,
you can pull in the corners, rather than dropping the truss and moving it
or taking it out. it works out well especially for Video Games Live and is
brilliant from engineer’s perspective.”
The final word went to Atif Malik, Event Manager at Troxy. He said:
“Video Games Live is a great success for the games industry and we’ve
really enjoyed this opportunity for Troxy to get involved with the evolving
sector and play our part in this record breaking night. Almost 2,000
gamers joined us for both the matinee and evening shows on the London
leg of this tour. Like any traditional classical music and film show, the
audience were fully seated so as to sit back and enjoy the live music,
cinematics, projections and lighting experience.”
TPi
www.videogameslive.com
www.adlib.co.uk
www.troxy.co.uk
 a1TPi_advert final.pdf 1 01/04/2016 11:26

Photo: Adam Kaplan

Vero is a large format sound system,
which has been engineered for new levels of audio
C
Photo: Johannes Krämer

and operational performance. It has been designed,

Y

CM
developed and perfected over the last six years
MY
by some of the most knowledgeable and
CY experienced audio engineers in the world.
CMY

K
Its meticulously crafted proprietary waveguides
and driver technology produce naturally
even frequency response and coverage.

The result is uncompromised

system dynamics, headroom and
coherency combining to present an
incredibly spacious stereo image,
which is why Vero is already
gaining the plaudits of
sound engineers from
around the world.

www.vero-system.com

T H E N E X T L E V E L O F T O U R S O U N D
EVENT FOCUS
PROLYTE GROUP’S NEW ROMANIAN FACTORY
The trussing and staging systems manufacturer proudly announces its new, purpose-built
factory in Piatra Olt, Romania. With its ultra-modern facility, the company reaffirms its
vanguard position.
Last month TPi made the trip out to Piatra Olt, Romania to visit Prolyte
Group’s new factory. Measuring in at 5,000 sq metres (with the possibility
to expand up to 16,000 sq metres) the completion of the facility marks
the end of a long-term plan that began back in 2010. Rather fittingly the
opening of the new facility has coincided with Prolyte’s 25th anniversary.
The new production base has been fitted with brand new automated
production equipment and new welding jigs as part of its state of the
art production line. In addition, the building contains industry-leading
employee welfare and environmental systems, as well as an in-house
training facility for welding personnel.
All equipment, procedures and personnel have obtained an EN1090
certification in the highest execution class III along with being ISO 3834-2
certified by the International Institute of Welding. Prolyte predicts that
its manufacturing capacity will grow by 250%, which is vital for the
continued world wide sales expansion.
The new factory first started production at the beginning of the year,
however, due to the temperamental winter weather conditions Romania
18
experiences, the official opening was put off until the spring.
During an extensive tour of the factory, TPi along with other members
of the industry’s press and representatives from the Prolyte Group were
taken through the whole in-house production process; from the creation
of the truss down to the company’s extensive product testing area.
With safety a main priority, Prolyte have taken measures to ensure the
wellbeing of all of its clients using its products with 90% of all product
testing being conducted by machinery. Such safety measures include
the implementation ultrasonic testing used to perform circumferential
weld inspections on small-diameter pipes.
With the company’s in-house tracking system, Prolyte is able to
monitor each piece of truss produced in the factory in detail - even down
to the name of the welder who worked on it.
After the tour, during a drinks reception, CEO of the Prolyte Group,
Lambert Bouwmeester gave a speech where he talked about the
inception of this new facility: “In 2014 we made the decision to make a lot
of changes in Prolyte, one of which was to invest in what would become
 PROLYTE GROUP

Opposite: Prolyte Group’s new Romanian Facility. Below: Before the tour, Prolyte conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony; During the tour attendees were taken through the
whole production line process.

this Romanian Production Facility.

“We wanted to really focus on what we are, which is safety, quality
and dedication to our customers. Twenty years ago we would have never
thought we would be able to achieve something like this. We hope to
be an example for other companies who are looking to invest and grow
outside their countries. We are paving the path you might say.” Adding
to this, Ralph Stockley, Chief Commercial Officer, commented: “In my
opinion, this facility will give us the ability to provide our distributors
and customers with a top quality product with high levels of safety and,
more importantly, quicker build times to give you the edge on your
competitors.”
Bouwmeester explained: “Prolyte has always been typified as a
market leader in production technology, which underpins our quality
promise. We have pioneered some production firsts, such as automated
jigging and robotised welding. We hope that such innovations will only
continue in our new factory.” Mihai Hlihor, Prolyte Group COO, continued:
“We’re very proud to have achieved this in such a short time span. It’s
very important to us to invest in Europe and to assure our customers
that we have the most efficient production facility, meeting our exacting
standards.”
Prolyte is confident that the new facility will cement its position as
a market leader in terms of volume, quality and global network reach,
as well as giving a solid foundation for its continued international
expansion.
TPi
Photos provided by Prolyte Group
www.prolyte.com

Unrivalled products
since 1991

Ready for the future

WWW.PROLYTE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/PROLYTEGROUP TWITTER.COM/PROLYTE

19
EVENT FOCUS

Foxes performed at the Roundhouse, London in support of her new album, All I Need.

FOXES
In support of her latest album, All I Need, English singer / songwriter Foxes set out on a
nationwide tour. TPi spoke to the singer’s touring LD Jake Vernum to discuss the artist’s
latest visual look.

Singer / songwriter Louisa Rose Allen, better known to the world as
Foxes, has become a mainstay in the world of electro-infused pop
music. In 2013 the singer became known on a global scale after being
invited to provide vocals on Zedd’s single Clarity. That same year Foxes
released her debut album Glorious followed by her latest record, All I
Need.
Foxes’ touring LD Jake Vernum has been with her since 2014.
He was originally picked up by her management while working at
Buckinghamshire New University’s May Ball, which Foxes headlined. “At
the time I was a lighting tech at the union and I got the chance to design,
program and operate a custom design for her show,” explained Vernum.
“After that the band’s tour management approached me to be their
touring LD and operator. I jumped at the chance!”
Vernum has been with Foxes ever since. The LD talked TPi through
the creative process of thing singers latest show design. “Since working
with Foxes I have had the pleasure to work with the award-winning Cate
Carter of Bryte Design who is Foxes Show Designer (and can also be seen
in this month’s Ellie Golding feature). It has been great working with Cate
along with the technical support of Bryte Design. In terms of the process,
Louisa herself is very involved with the creative process. It’s a real
collaboration between artist and the production team.”
For this tour the brief from the artist was to create moody, dramatic,
magical looks that represented a departure from her previous tours,
which had a very definite ‘pop’ feel utilising lots of strobes and lasers.
Following this brief, along with her Bryte Design colleague Mike Smith
(who provided technical support and rendering) and Vernum, Carter
began to develop the concept of a dramatic star cloth and a voile
backdrop providing the foundation of a theatrical set of varying levels
complemented by a carefully plotted floor package to create powerful
looks that came from the backline set up. “We needed to ensure that the
set and lighting design was going to be as flexible as possible to blend
the wish for ‘magical’ and ‘moody’ along with some references to ‘pop’
with some big ‘eye candy’ lighting moments,” commented Vernum.
Once again Pearce Hire supplied the Foxes tour with a complete

20
 ROBE - Inzerce DL7S_210_297_mm.pdf 30.1.2016 14:11:04

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K
FOXES

For Foxes’ UK tour, Show Designer Cate Carter from Bryte Design with touring LD, Jake Vernum created a look that was moody, dramatic and magical; Jake Vernum’s con-
sole of choice was a ChamSys MagicQ MQ80; on this tour the production had around 80 fixtures which was expanded for the Roundhouse gig where the production made
use of the venue’s in-house rig.

lighting package. “Pearce Hire actually supplied the first gig I did for
Foxes back in 2014 and ever since has provided her tours with floor
packages and control desks since I joined the crew,” said Vernum. “This
long-standing relationship means Pearce Hire are familiar with the type
of equipment the artist and the tour management prefer to use, and what
works for their audience. This collaboration between the artist, myself as
the LD and Pearce Hire as the rental company guarantees the equipment
they supply is the very best. As well as supplying a complete lighting
package, Pearce Hire also produced a customised set for the artist’s
set at London’s Roundhouse. Vernum explained: “The Roundhouse was
the largest show of the tour and it was important that we maximised
the space available to us to make the show as big and impressive as
possible as well as do justice to the room, which is such an iconic space
to perform in. Part of the additional kit that we used to achieve this
was some custom-built stage risers to create an enhanced dimension
to the set. Working with Pearce Hire meant that we were able to have
the lighting equipment supply and a bespoke stage build all from the
same supplier - which made a seamless operation, and a far more cost
effective solution than working with two suppliers.”
For this run, Vernum used a ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 compact console
with an extra fader wing that was expanded further for the Roundhouse
date with an extra playback wing. This gave the LD more control over
the stage and ambient room lighting. “ChamSys is my desk of choice
because I’ve trained on it since the beginning of my career. For this
level of tour with 70 or 80 fixtures it is a great-sized board. I needed a
compact lighting control desk which was ideally suited to the smaller
venues but which could step up to provide enough control surface in the
Roundhouse in London and The Ritz in Manchester. It’s quick and easy to
programme too!”
For the tour’s lighting package, Vernum described how they required
a set up that would go into a variety of small and medium sized venues
all with their own in-house rigs complementing the tour package. “We
had to insure that our set up was modular and that we could trim back
on the kit if required but without impacting the show files and the overall
effect Foxes wanted from the lighting programme,” stated Vernum. The
LD went on to explain that the main workhorse fixture of the tour was
the Robe ROBIN LED Wash 1200. Expanding on this he stated: “These
extremely bright LED luminaries were posted behind each of the five
stage risers. This gave me the ability to cast powerful backlight through
the band whilst up-lighting the voile. The intention was to create
suspense without the audience knowing if the band were onstage or not.
Together with the 50ft by 20ft voile and star cloth that formed the back
drop the 1200’s helped capture the dramatic theatrical look the artist
was looking for. They also worked well with the Showtec 4-Cell Blinder
and the Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 Strobes.”
Other Robe fixtures seen on the tour were Robe ROBIN Pointes,

22
FOXES
The tour’s lighting package was supplied by Pearce Hire.
ROBIN 100 LED Beams, Arri 650W Fresnels and Ayrton MagicBlade-Rs.
Vernum stated: “The Robe Pointes were spaced evenly on the back of
the outer risers to provide powerful looks using wide breakup effects
through the band and backline. The Pointe is my number one choice
for a moving head profile on a tour of this scale. The Robe ROBIN 100
LEDBeams were positioned on the edge of the drum riser steps, upstage
from the centre vocal. I personally like using this small and effective
little fixture and it helps me draw the onstage attention right onto Foxes’
central vocal position.” He continued: “The type of features on a number
of these fixtures demonstrates Robe’s commitment to producing exciting
products and how much they listen to the input they receive from LDs.”
He also expressed his admiration for the Ayrton Magicblade-R. “This is
currently my favourite fixture on the market. They offer endless design
possibilities. We mounted eight of the fixtures on four of the vertical
towers. They looked great in the haze and perfectly complemented the
other fixtures on the rig.”
When the tour entered the Roundhouse the production made use of
24
the venue’s in-house rig including 12 Clay Paky Alpha Spot QWO 800’s,
Robe ROBIN 600 LEDWash, DLF Wash and DLX Spots along with extra
Robe ROBIN 100 LEDBeams, complementing the floor kit already out on
tour. Also in the in-house rig were 10 Philips Showline eSTRIPs, which
Vernum used to enhance Roundhouse’s cast iron architecture.
In conclusion, he stated: “I am proud of how successfully we met
the brief given by the artist and her management. The design really did
have an ethereal, magical look, which Foxes was delighted with. I am
really proud of the ongoing relationship with this artist along with Bryte
Design. Being part of the team on a long-term basis means being part of
the evolution of the artist and how they present their tours which really is
rewarding.”
TPi
Photos: Luke Dyson
www.iamfoxes.com
www.pearcehire.co.uk
www.brytedesign.co.uk
TPI_E-Series_QU02.indd 1 31/03/2016 3:37:49 PM
EVENT FOCUS
The brand new Red 4Pre; Focusrite’s Director of Product Strategy, Rob Jenkins; The London launch attracted various sound professionals.
FOCUSRITE
Focusrite released the latest addition to its product line, the Red 4Pre.
TPi’s Stew Hume was at the launch.
Focusrite is proud to announce the launch of Red 4Pre – the pinnacle
of Focusrite’s interface range. The 58 input / 64 output Red 4Pre
combines four of Focusrite’s specially-developed digitally-controlled
mic preamps, plus high-headroom instrument inputs, with dual
Thunderbolt 2, dual Pro Tools HD DigiLink and Dante network
audio connectivity. Featuring Focusrite’s most advanced low-noise
conversion and beautiful yet robust design, the Red 4Pre interface is
the perfect balance of form and function, delivering the sound quality
and versatility engineers and producers around the world expect from
Focusrite.
For the launch Foucusrite a whole host of press and customers to
check out the newest release from the company and London’s TileYard
Studios a few days before the official announcement. Leading the
proceedings was Focusrite’s Director of Product Strategy, Rob Jenkins,
26
who started with the company back in 1989. “Through my years with the
company it has been a great pleasure to steer this great brand through a
lot of changes within the industry. What I have seen over the last quarter
of a century is the changing techniques of the way people are recording
and I believe Focusrite to be an innovator of the industry.” Jenkins
continued to highlight some of the successes that Focusrite has achieved
over the years including the creation of the Rednet range. He stated:
“Rednet is right at the top of the range of Focusrite’s products. It is the
most scalable and flexible audio recording system in the world allowing
an almost infinite number of channels there is the range of recording
possibilities.”
Jenkins also outlined the goals of the new product: “What we hope
is that the new product will fill a gap in the current range. As well as
appealing to the smaller studio market the hope is that the new product
 Harmony needs balance, silence, and quality of light.

SCENIUS
The sound of light

Music spreads into the surrounding silence, and a harmonious

www.claypaky.it

light radiates into the darkness of the scene. In a play on perfect

symmetries, light too varies its tones. Balanced intensities, soft
shades, vivid colours, perfect white, accurate wash, fancy shapes...

Listen: this is the Scenius, the harmonious sound of light.

EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR FOR UK & IRELAND:

AMBERSPHERE SOLUTIONS Ltd.
Where quality products enjoy total support
Phone: +44 (0)20 8992 6369
info@ambersphere.co.uk - www.ambersphere.co.uk

A4_EN_40Y_PLS.indd 1 08/03/16 16:46

 FOCUSRITE RED 4PRE

The new product will allow engineers to create improvised recording

environments.

could be used to convert a space to create a improvised live recording

environment. We wanted to bring something of real value that had
professional recording software.”
Four of Focusrite’s new, specially developed Red Evolution
preamps lie at the heart of the Red 4Pre, featuring clear, honest audio
performance with –129 dB EIN and 63dB of gain with 58 inputs and 64
outputs. Software control allows recall of settings and stereo linking,
plus configuration of HPF, polarity invert and individual phantom power.
The preamps include Focusrite’s unique Air effect, recreating in the
analogue domain the sound of the transformer-based mic preamps in
the classic ISA range. This feature is ideal for bringing out the breathy
quality of a vocal track or adding presence to an acoustic guitar.
Red 4Pre also includes high-headroom instrument inputs, instantly
accessible from the front panel.
One aspect that was key in the designing of the Red 4Pre was
exceptional connectivity. The dual Thunderbolt 2 ports connect to any
DAW while allowing daisy-chaining of drives and displays. Our lowest
round-trip latency permits recording with preferred plug-ins in real-time
and simplifies workflow, while dual DigiLink ports connect the Red 4Pre
directly to any Pro Tools | HD system as standard. In addition, Red 4Pre
features built-in Dante network audio connectivity. With the use of the
dual Ethernet ports to connect any Dante-compatible product such as
units from Focusrite’s own RedNet range, adding up to 64 channels via
ethernet with low latency and lower cost.
The Red 4Pre’s new high-performance conversion system features
‘parallel path summing’, where two matched converters are run in
parallel to increase the signal to noise ratio. They operate at up to 24-bit,
192 kHz sampling - ideal for high-resolution audio - with a dynamic range
of 118dB(A-D)/121dB (D-A). The Red 4Pre delivers ≤0.0009% THD+Noise
and a frequency response flat from 20Hz to 35kHz ±0.25 dB or better.
TPi
https://uk.focusrite.com

28
 䐀攀猀
椀最渀 
昀漀爀
 䰀椀
瘀攀
吀栀攀 
瀀栀攀渀漀洀攀渀愀氀氀
礀 
瀀漀眀攀爀
昀甀氀
 堀䌀嘀䤀 
䌀漀爀攀 瀀甀琀猀 
搀䰀椀瘀攀 
愀琀 
琀栀攀 
栀攀愀爀琀
 漀昀
 琀
漀洀漀爀爀
漀眀ᤠ猀 
猀
漀瀀栀椀猀
琀椀
挀愀琀
攀搀 氀
椀
瘀攀 
愀甀搀椀漀 
猀礀猀
琀攀洀猀Ⰰ 
眀栀椀氀攀 
椀
琀猀 挀氀
愀猀猀ⴀ氀
攀愀搀椀渀最 甀猀
攀爀 
椀渀琀
攀爀昀
愀挀攀 
欀攀攀瀀猀
 琀栀攀 
攀渀最椀
渀攀攀爀
 昀
漀挀甀猀攀搀 漀渀 
洀椀 砀椀
渀最 
椀渀 
琀栀攀 洀漀洀攀渀琀⸀ 

䐀椀猀
琀爀椀
戀甀琀攀搀 猀
礀猀琀攀洀  眀椀琀
栀 猀攀瀀愀爀愀琀攀 
䴀椀 砀刀愀挀欀 愀渀搀 匀甀爀昀
愀挀攀
䐀䔀䔀倀  瀀爀漀挀攀猀 猀
椀渀最 攀洀戀攀搀搀攀搀  瀀氀甀最椀渀猀
刀攀搀甀渀搀愀渀琀 
栀漀琀 猀
眀愀瀀瀀愀戀氀 攀 瀀漀眀攀爀  
猀甀瀀瀀氀礀 猀琀
愀渀搀愀爀搀  愀挀爀
漀猀猀 琀
栀攀 爀
愀渀最攀
刀攀搀甀渀搀愀渀琀  
挀漀渀渀攀挀琀 椀
漀渀猀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀漀甀琀
㠀㄀㐀 猀礀猀
琀攀洀  椀
渀瀀甀琀 猀 
愀渀搀 㠀㈀㐀 漀甀琀瀀甀琀猀 洀愀砀
唀瀀 琀漀 
㔀 愀甀搀椀
漀 渀攀琀眀漀爀欀椀渀最 挀愀爀搀猀 ⴀ
 䐀愀渀琀攀Ⰰ 
圀愀瘀 攀猀 匀䜀Ⰰ 䄀䌀䔀Ⰰ 
䴀䄀䐀䤀

䄀䰀
䰀䔀一☀䠀䔀䄀吀
䠀
䐀䰀䤀
嘀䔀⸀
䄀䰀䰀䔀一ⴀ
䠀䔀䄀吀䠀⸀
䌀伀䴀

Opposite: The tour was co-designed by Bryte Design and Black Skull Creative, and each worked closely with the pop star to complete the final look of the show.
ELLIE GOULDING: DELIRIUM
TPi’s Ste Durham witnessed the collaborative four section visual spectacular.
When Ellie Goulding first appeared on the general public’s radar in
2009, few would have suspected that she would go on to produce
the kind of elaborately scripted stage show that TPi was on hand to
witness at Manchester Arena. The production value was certainly
upped from previous tours, with a huge video and lighting package,
bespoke staging and striking drapes to rival those of mainstream
pop’s biggest names. which allows us to plan ahead, then get into show mode later on.”
Tour Manager Rebecca Travis first joined the Ellie Goulding camp four
years ago, and has overseen performances across the world, in venues of
all shapes and sizes. For the artist’s first full arena run, the team turned
to seasoned Production Manager Bob O’Brien to lend his experience
(and unflappable disposition) to the Delirium tour cycle.
Having arrived in September 2015, during the album’s promo period,
O’Brien had plenty of time to settle into the fold and begin coming up
with ideas for the tour itself. He said: “It was brilliant as it gave us all a
head start. In terms of crew and suppliers, everyone was happy and
everything was working well so I saw no reason to change that. We
certainly upgraded for this level but did so with the same suppliers, as
well as adding them for aspects that Ellie had never needed before, such
as All Access Staging & Productions for the tour’s staging requirements.
This included some custom work, a moving thrust catwalk and a B
stage.”
Having been prepared for the usual maelstrom that is an arena
production on show day, it was quite startling to be greeted by the level
of calm felt at Manchester Arena. O’Brien laughed: “It took a while for us
all to settle it in after the transition but it really is quite chilled out now.
That said, everyone knows what they’re doing and the work is getting
done in double quick time. Promoters and reps always wonder how it’s
31
PRODUCTION PROFILE
so relaxed on site and we take that as a huge compliment!”
According to TM Travis, this philosophy is something that filters down
right from the top. She added: “Ellie doesn’t want any dramas. She wants
everyone to be happy and trusts us enough to leave us to it. I make a
point to go and see them every day because we’re so self-contained. The
people employed to do the day-to-day jobs know what they’re doing,
As well as instilling an ethos of calm within her crew, Goulding has
also (coincidentally or otherwise) assembled a crew reinforced by a
number of strong female characters – something that pleases her no
end, according to Travis. She said: “Ellie is very into having strong women
around her - it just so happens that one of the only female bus drivers in
the industry is on this tour as well!”
SHOW DESIGN
Another of the aforementioned female contingent on the Delirium tour
is Lighting and Co Show Designer Cate Carter of Bryte Design. In close
collaboration with Director of creative production agency Black Skull
Creative, Dan Shipton, she helped develop the show from its embryonic
beginnings to the full stage production in effect at arenas across the UK.
Carter, who has been with Goulding since the end of 2012, explained:
“Basically myself and Dan were introduced to each other and then
immediately started work on the show design from the initial concept.
This was a combination of the ideas that Ellie had put forward, the ideas
behind the new songs and album, and an overview of Ellie’s progression
as an artist. It’s been a really good experience because Black Skull come
from a slightly different background than us. They do a lot of TV and
theatrical things as well as concert touring, so that definitely lead to
ELLIE GOULDING
The Delirium tour had a strong look based on geometric shapes, most notably the shards of video screen.
some interesting ideas during the creative process.”
The pair started work together in the autumn of 2015 with rehearsals
due to begin in January 2016 at Litestructures on Wakefield’s Production
Park. From the first meeting that they had with Goulding and her
management around the artist’s kitchen table, Carter and Shipton were
certain that they had to bring nothing less than their A game.
Shipton said: “Cate’s previous relationship with Ellie has been based
on her live shows and I have focussed on her TV performances. We
wanted to make sure that the tour felt cohesive with everything that has
gone before so there was a creative through line to the whole album
campaign, which climaxes in the tour.”
Carter added: “We had lots of feedback and revisions from Ellie
and her guys during the design process. This meant a relatively
tight rehearsal period, but everyone at Production Park is always so
accommodating. The fact that we could stay on site during the long
hours made a massive difference.”
Carter and Shipton were informed from the off that the Delirium tour
had to a big step up from what had come before. This included a unique
design, a discernible narrative thread and special moments within the
show to mark these transitions. In short, a show some way from the
artist’s understated beginnings - more akin to those of contemporaries
such as Katy Perry or Lady Gaga whose productions aren’t afraid to flirt
with the theatrical.
“We started with the concept of Delirium, the album title, and a way of
using that to show the audience all the different sides of Ellie,” explained
Carter. “She is a girl who can pick up an acoustic guitar and sing a
beautiful, vulnerable love song but also turn on the performance for a
big dance hit. With this fragmented sanity idea we can also introduce
some of the darker material she has done as well.”
32
Shipton continued: “We started by sectioning the show into chapters
that grouped Ellie’s music together. This allowed us to give each chapter
a visual identity that would transcend the costume, choreography,
screen content and magic moments within the show. The chapters begin
to explore versions of Ellie that link to the music. We start with Ethereal
Ellie who is dressed in white and represents Ellie in her purest form. She
invites us into her world that quickly introduces us to Energised Ellie who
is more fun and outgoing.
“Then we move to the darker side and discover Digital Ellie, who has
a sexy, underground club vibe to her. Heart comes next - a chapter that
shows the warmth and emotion in Ellie’s music. A harder, more Rock Star
Ellie is seen for the darkness section before she becomes light again.
Finally, all of the versions of Ellie intertwine and we see them resolve
into the live Ellie who is holding court on stage. It’s as though we are
saying that you can’t have Ellie without all of these facets to make her
complete.”
Lite Alternative provided the lighting rig for the Delirium tour. The
moving head fixtures consisted of 62 Ayrton MagicDot-Rs, 16 Philips Vari-
Lite VL 3500 Wash FXs, 25 Martin by Harman MAC Viper Profiles, 14 MAC
Viper AirFxs, 12 MAC Viper Performances, 44 MAC Aura LED Washes, and
25 Clay Paky Sharpy Spots. These were underpinned by 12 i-Pix BB4’s, 22
Martin by Harman 3000 DMX Strobes and three Robert Juliat Lancelot 4k
followspots, as well as over 50 4-lite and 2-lite molefays.
Carter commented: “When we designed the show I realised that I
wanted to use Ayrton MagicDots because they were small and light but
powerful enough to the fill space and frame the mirrored lighting pods.
They are versatile as well, working hard during the rave portions of the
show and producing beautiful eye candy moments elsewhere.”
Another key design choice for Carter was the addition of MAC Viper
ELLIE GOULDING
Goulding uses a Sennheiser 9245 microphone with an EM 3731-II receiver; Showtex created stunning soft goods for the show.
AirFXs alongside her “workhorse” fixture, the MAC Viper Profiles. “During the
show I have a mixture of jobs and lots of space to fill. I knew that I needed to
shutter things off and keep momentum with the high-energy stuff. And, of
course, lots of Sharpys!”
A separate rig for the B stage section included eight Philips Vari-Lite
VL 3500 Wash FX Luminaires, 20 Clay Paky Sharpy Spots, 12 MAC Viper
Performances, and a Robert Juliat Lancelot 4k Follow Spot. To accentuate
the fragmented theme, Total Solutions Group manufactured four mirrored,
triangular lighting pods that were flown above the video screens. They were
made up of a truss along one edge and ladder frames along the others.
The truss had some of the MAC Vipers hung from the underside, while
the ladders had some of the Ayrton MagicDot-Rs uniformly spaced along
each edge. These were used to reflect the moving lamp beam off the
mirrored surfaces, creating some spectacular effects.
Carter opted for an MA Lighting grandMA2 Full Size console for control,
with one for backup – her go-to desk for a rig of this size.
She said: “I do use other consoles occasionally but for touring I usually
choose the grandMA2. It’s really powerful, versatile, and always reliable.
My colleague Mike Smith has been integral in the design and programming
process as well, and is great at the technical aspects - as is Lighting Tech
Glenn Johnson from Lite Alternative. I’m happy to say to them what I want
and I know that they’ll be able to help me.”
While Bryte Design and Lite Alternative were members of the Ellie
Goulding ‘Class of 2012’, the team added a new supplier in All Access to
introduce staging elements that were previously absent from Goulding’s
bag of tricks.
All Access UK Sales and Marketing Manager Matthew Bull explained: “We
supplied all of the staging elements on the show, based on our new style of
rolling stage with a touring leg system to allow more weight. We have two
star lifts that start below the stage and bring Ellie to stage-level, and an
34
X-lift from the stage-level up into the air that is used during the set.”
The company supplied raised tech wings that housed a cosy monitor
world at stage left and doubled as a riser for Goulding to use during the
show. The package also included all high-shine flooring and a catwalk from
the stage that detached to allow Goulding could glide to the B stage.
While the majority of the staging elements were stock, some custom
work was involved for a raked stage that housed the band, including a
patchwork fascia created by Derby’s Drapemakers. Bull continued: “The
original fascia was going to be hard but Bob required soft ones that would
be easier to transport. I met the Drapemakers guys at a show earlier in the
year and they seemed like a great fit.”
Head Carpenter Paul Stratford was on site in Manchester to oversee the
construction of the stage, along with Carpenter Josh Perree and freelance
Carpenter Nidge Dobson. Bull said: “Bob wanted someone from All Access
on the crew but they were all busy so we asked Nidge. Although he is
technically freelance we’ve worked with him for a while – he’s practically
part of the team!”
Another facet of the show design was the selection of visual draping
elements supplied by ShowTex. The company provided two golden
LurexVoile 100 drapes that were hung in the middle of the stage during the
two opening acts, which were then dropped for the arrival of Goulding by a
ShowTex Kabuki system.
Later on in the set, during the song Explosions, Goulding appeared on
stage in a white dress, dragging two giant elastic wings made of PolyStretch
P8 CS Matt behind her. These were fully stretched out during the song and
later, courtesy of another Kabuki drop system, seemed to vanish into thin
air, as seen on the current cover.
Another of ShowTex’s creative contributions was a number of bespoke
coloured banners made from a mixture of Spinnaker CS and glow in the
dark Phosphor Foil strips for the ultimate psychedelic special effect during
ELLIE GOULDING
Monitor Engineer Mike Flaherty; Monitor world with Flaherty and Audio Crew Chief Marc Peers; Bryte Design’s Cate Carter; Megan Griffiths of Phoenix Bussing, the tour’s
band bus driver; Systems Tech George Puttock and FOH Engineer Joe Harling.
one of the high-energy sections of the evening.
Fabric Designer Carl Robertshaw was behind the design of the
wings, flags, and gold reveal, originally being scouted by Shipton. Carter
remembered: “We had ideas for the different elements and Carl helped
us to make them into something tangible. He specialises in 3D fabric
designs and so was the perfect man for the job.”
The visuals were further accentuated by eight CO2 jets and around
half a tonne of gold confetti, provided by Pyrojunkies and overseen by
Stu Wickens.
VIDEO
Goulding’s Video Director Robin Haddow was originally brought into
the fold to cover Carter on lighting at a time before video was involved
at all. He laughed: “That’s usually the way my career goes! I find it quite
a natural progression and I think the background gives me a great
understanding of the bigger picture. It’s the main reason I’m out front
with Cate when many video directors would be backstage at the racks.
In such a visually rich show it’s useful to see what’s happening with your
own eyes and feed off one another’s energy.”
PRG XL Video provided the kit for Haddow, as well as three LD techs
and an engineer. Video Engineer / Projectionist Ray Gwilliams looked
after the cameras filming IMAG content, which were operated by LED
Tech Tim Bolland, Truck Driver John Burgess, and Head Rigger Amos
Cotter, who operated the camera situated at FOH.
There was seven cameras in total at Manchester Arena: three manned
Sony HXC-100 cameras (two in the pit and one at FOH), two Bradley
robocams on stage and two GNAT minicams - one on the piano stage
right and one on drumkit stage right. Haddow cut between the cameras
36
manually using a Carbonite Production Switcher. He said: “The camera
content is falling into place night after night and the guys know their
shots by now. I’m still better busking from FOH as there’s always the
possibility that Ellie might change where she goes. The band are quite
prominent, particularly when she mentions or interacts with them, but
she is the main focal point.”
The stars of the video design were the triangular ‘shards’ of FX 11
(11mm) LED screen, which stretched across the back of the stage and
was meant to represent the fragmented nature of the show’s concept.
The shards were flanked by three MC7 (7mm) IMAG screens – one on each
side and one flown in the centre. All of the LED surface could be used as
one canvas to show content or split to display a combination of content
and live camera shots.
Haddow also used an MA Lighting grandMA2 onPC command wing
to busk in the camera feeds, which was especially useful between songs
when Goulding spoke to the audience.
Due to the condensed pre-production time, content creation for
Delirium was tackled by a number of different studios, with Bryte
Design’s Paul ‘Pablo’ Beckett collating the material from the different
studios and producing a number of the pieces himself. All of the
transitional films and bespoke footage of Goulding was handled by
NorthHouse Films, while London’s Atticus Finch created a portion of
the animated visuals and Belgium-based studio Fabrique Fantastique
produced another batch of song-specific custom content.
Carter explained: “The studios created 100 minutes of quality content
between them, allowing Dan and myself to spend time pulling the whole
thing together. We worked through set list and script to see who was best
suited to deliver each bit of content. We play to their strengths, as well as
ELLIE GOULDING
The fabric wings in all their glory, designed by Carl Robertshaw and manufactured by ShowTex.
playing to our own.”
Shipton added: “The video content is hugely important part of the
design. The screen content also became hugely important in making
the transitions between the different sections within the show work.
We wanted to take Ellie into the screens and show her morph into the
next version of herself. We spent time shooting the various ‘Ellies’ with
NorthHouse Films, who then did a great job of producing the transition
VTs. One of my favourite parts of the show is the acoustic version of
Devotion where we strip everything back to a single spot on Ellie playing
her guitar with a white outline on the screens before she sinks into the
stage, the track drops and Digital Ellie appears on the screens.”
As the whole show was timecoded, Haddow decided to try switching to
d3 Technologies media servers for the tour, saying that he felt it was the
perfect fit for the job.
Haddow commented: “I’ve been involved with d3 Technologies for
a while, most recently for Massive Attack where we used it for lighting
and video. I’ve always been quite intrigued but never had the chance to
properly use it. This tour was a great opportunity to test it and I’ve had
some time off that allowed me to do some training in Hemel Hempstead,
as well as some time at home as well. By the time rehearsals came I knew
it quite well and I’ve had great support from the staff at d3.”
He went on to speak highly of the “great quality” of the servers’ SDI
input cards, which resulted in a much clearer camera picture than he
was used to, and the efficient way that he added effects using d3. “I use
the onPC command wing to control Notch digital effects in an analogue
way,” he explained.
“Notch is a plugin for d3 that allows camera feeds to be manipulated
and affected in an amazing array of ways, from neon trails to subtle
38
colour shifts. The benefit of this being a plugin within d3 is that it
removes the latency you would get if you were routing the cameras
through an external effects device. I definitely look forward to using the
Notch plugin in future shows as I am only just scratching the surface in
what it can do.”
AUDIO
While Adlib were contracted to supply audio for the tour, FOH Engineer
Joe Harling’s preferred system for Goulding, the d&b audiotechnik
J-Series, had to be sub-hired from Entec Sound & Light. Systems Tech
George Puttock explained: “Audio Tech Lee Fox Furnell is a freelancer
that does quite a lot of stuff with Entec so he knows what he’s doing! We
have 20 J8’s per side with eight J-SUBs flown behind and to the side we
have a 16-deep hang of 12 J8’s and four J12’s. On the deck we’ve got a
line of eight J-INFRA subs and eight J-SUBs, all driven from the new d&b
D80 amplifiers. Harling has chosen a DiGiCo SD5 to mix the show, running
Waves externally on an Apple Mac mini as well as a variety of outboard
effects.
“The light weight of the J-Series lends itself to the variety of arenas
we are playing. We don’t have to carry a big box and a small box because
we’ve got both in one. It also means that we can have the same boxes on
main and side hangs, which you can’t usually do because of truck space.”
As well as the practical bonuses afforded by the J-Series, Harling
favours it because of its ability to compensate for quiet vocalists like
Goulding. “It just allows me to get a bit more control,” he explained.
“The challenge is always getting her vocal on top. To then maintain the
density behind that in a live environment is quite tricky, especially when
she comes out to the B stage in front of the PA.”

The B stage supplied by All Access Staging & Productions.
One of the techniques that Harling utilises to overcome this challenge
is by keeping the show’s overall decibel level a touch lower than your
average pop show. He continued: “There is also lot of processing going
on with vocals, you have to rely on multi-band compression rather than
broadband because, when someone uses their head instead of chest
voice, they’re not really expressing a lot of air, so odd notes will stand
out.
“For instance, a note at 2.5kHz is going to have even less pressure
than a note at 800kHz so the threshold around there needs to be a bit
lower. I also use something called Waves WNS, which is a six-band gate
expander. It helps reduce the ambience and feedback when she’s at
the B stage but not singing. We have to take time to ring out the vocal
microphone and perhaps be more aggressive than you’d normally like
to be. In the middle section I bring the band down about five dB to
compensate.”
As Goulding owns a selection of Sennheiser gear, it made up a
large chunk of the gear on stage, along with a variety of beyerdynamic
and Shure gear for instrument microphones. Her main and spare
Meet the d3 2x2plus – seriously powerful for its size.
d3technologies.com/2x2plus
39
ELLIE GOULDING
microphones were two of the four prototype Sennheiser 9245’s in the UK,
running into an EM 3731-II receiver, while the backing vocalists used e945
wireless microphones.
Harling continued: “There’s a lot of density to the sound and
everything changes song-to-song. For example, the bass player will
switch between a synth bass that has a different tone for every song to
a real bass with loads of effects pedals – we’ll maybe have three or four
different bass sounds in one song. It’s enough just to try and keep on top
of that.”
Although this presented another set of challenges for the audio crew,
at least some of the other instruments were slightly lower maintenance.
“The keyboards don’t actually output any audio. They basically act
as MIDI controllers so the world is their oyster. We spent some time in
rehearsals trying to recreate the sounds on the album, but now they’re
there it’s quite simple.”
Another thing that Harling and Puttock were particularly proud of
was the “vibey as possible” FOH they had created at Manchester Arena,
complete with carpet, rope lights and a vinyl player. The same look had
ELLIE GOULDING
Matthew Bull of All Access Staging & Productions; Video Director Robin Haddow; Goulding in her Ethereal alter ego.
been recreated in monitor world, tucked underneath stage left, where
I was greeted by the amiable pairing of Monitor Engineer Mike Flaherty
and Audio Crew Chief Marc Peers. With sound check approaching,
Flaherty revealed Goulding had only attended two all tour. “She’s really
easy going and polite. If there’s something she needs she’ll just ask but
she tends to just let us get on with it,” he said.
Peers added: “I think it’s a measure of confidence in what Mike is
doing that she doesn’t sound check. If it was a dog’s dinner every night
she’d be in sound check every day!”
Flaherty was also using DiGiCo, this time an SD7, to stay on top of the
12 channels of Sennheiser 2000 Series IEM, as well as additional output
mixes for the dancers. While the majority on stage rely on their Jerry
Harvey Audio JH16 in-ear moulds, the keyboard and bass positions have
an L-Acoustics SB18 each. The drummer has two bi-amp 15-inch wedges
to stay in touch with the bass. All of the on stage subs run using Lab.
gruppen PLM 10,000Qs.
An additional function of the desk that helped Flaherty during the B
stage sections of the gig was suggested by some of the crew from PRG XL
Video. Flaherty explained: “We can’t see Ellie from here when she is on
the B stage so the video lads have run us a direct feed from the cameras
into the back of the board so we can still see how the show is going. It’s
been really helpful.”
Peers said: “Mike knows her better than anyone and can tell just
by looking at her if something is wrong. You can’t stress how much
difference it makes to be able to keep eyes on her during that section,
particularly with how complicated that part is from an audio point of
40
view. The video lads really sorted us out with that one.”
Again this is representative of the chemistry between departments
and suppliers that was evident during almost every conversation I had at
Manchester Arena. Peers put it succinctly: “Rebecca and Bob are really
decent people to work for. We don’t have any shouters on this tour -
everyone is good at their jobs and gets on with it. I’d much rather be part
of a team like this and to top it off the work’s all being done at a good
pace.”
LOGISTICS
Phoenix Bussing is another of the go-to companies for the Ellie Goulding
crew, having provided its services since 2012 when one bus and a trailer
would do. For the UK leg of the Delirium tour, Phoenix supplied three
crew buses and a band bus, with another artist bus being added for
the European run. All were 14 metre double deckers and were laid out
in the various configurations required for each touring party: 16-berth,
14-berth and an artist suite.
Phoenix Bussing’s Andy Gray said: “It was great to be working with
Rebecca again on this tour, and to have Bob joining her as we have
worked with him previously on other tours. Dealing with both of them is
very easy and a real pleasure.
“The tour planning was quite straightforward. There were a few long
drives in Europe that required second drivers and stopovers en route but
nothing too troubling. Also it was very fortunate that the weather was
good for the time of year in Scandinavia and there were no delays on any
of the journeys.”
Reinventing the large sound system

Do things you could never do before

AiRAY achieves an impressive downsizing while providing higher SPL and better directivity control than any
large format system existing before. Groundbreaking innovations including the newest generation DDP drivers,
AiCOUPLER and extremely efficient 12” cone drivers make AiRAY the world’s most advanced high-output sound
reinforcement system.
The result is more than just a new line array. It’s the future of line array.
ELLIE GOULDING

The singer enjoyed a sold out show at Manchester Arena; Rock Star Ellie - one of the four characters in Delerium; The production team led by PM Bob O’Brien (centre).

Taking the wheel as Band Bus Driver was Megan Griffiths, an industry with which both O’Brien and Travis have established relationships. Fly By
veteran who has spent 16 years at Phoenix - currently standing as the Nite’s Operations Manager Paul Walker said: “They are both great people
company’s only female driver. While Griffiths might seem like an obvious and amazing to work with! We provided nine trucks for Ellie’s UK tour. As
addition to Goulding’s team of strong women, her inclusion was a support act John Newman is a regular FBN client so we also provided a
complete coincidence. 26T truck for his equipment.”
“When I started there were very few females in the industry, let alone TPi
bus drivers,” she said. “I’ve just seen it as a job and not really thought www.elliegoulding.com
anything of it. I’ve certainly never encountered any negativity – perhaps www.brytedesign.co.uk
a few surprised looks when the doors open!” www.blackskullcreative.com
Although Griffiths has driven buses for 24 years, it was her sheer www.litestructures.com
tenacity that landed her in the rock ‘n’ roll industry. She continued: “I www.lite-alternative.com
was told that if I wanted to earn a decent living and have more fun than www.allaccessinc.com
driving grannies to Blackpool then I should try and get into the touring www.showtex.com
industry. I mithered Phoenix to death until they hired me and I wouldn’t www.prg.com
change it for the world. This tour in particular has been really great to be www.popcorncatering.com
a part of.” www.northhousefilms.com
PM O’Brien echoed Griffiths’ sentiments: “I think having women on www.fabriquefantastique.be
the road makes everybody tone it down - in a good way. There’s a time www.trussing.com
and a place for laddy behaviour but that certainly gets old as tours draw www.adlib.co.uk
on! Megan is fantastic and the crew love her. Apparently the band bus www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk
has become a lot tidier since she started driving it as the guys made a bit www.flybynite.co.uk
more effort - that has got to be a good thing!” www.pyrojunkies.com
Trucking for the tour was provided courtesy of Fly By Nite - a company www.designservices.co.uk/drapes/

42
 X-LINE ADVANCE
Forward-thinking line-array design starts here.

The result of rigorous R&D, the introduction of the new

X-Line Advance family sees Electro-Voice push the
parameters of line-array performance to the next level.

X-Line Advance utilizes state-of-the-art EV-

engineered components and incorporates a
range of innovative new features, all of which
work together to surpass the capabilities of
other line arrays, and all in a significantly
more compact, flexible, and quicker-
to-set-up package.

KEY FEATURES:
• An unprecedented performance-to-size ratio for installed and concert
sound applications.
• Advanced audio quality and control via a host of new and exclusive EV-
engineered technologies, including next-generation Hydra wave-shaping
devices, high-output transducers, and proprietary FIR-Drive optimization.
• New-look EV industrial design and new Integrated Rigging System
combine streamlined appearance with simplified setup.

The first wave of X-Line Advance products includes two full-range elements
(X1-212/90 & X2-212/90) and the X12-128 — the most powerful subwoofer
EV has ever developed.

Designed, engineered, and tested for ultimate reliability by Electro-Voice in the USA.

Learn more at: www.electrovoice.com/X-LineAdvance

 PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: The tour played a variation of arena capacity venues and smaller, intimate club shows.

ENTER SHIKARI

British alt rock quartet, Enter Shikari, embarked on a UK and European tour in February and
March 2016 in support of their fourth studio album, The Mindsweep. Known for their action-
packed, immersive live shows, the band once again relied on LD Steven Bewley to deliver a
show design worthy of their quadrophonic tour sound. TPi’s Kelly Murray goes spaceside...

Enter Shikari have been touring since 2007, developing a sterling live
reputation with their fans across the world. This is perhaps due in
part to having been surrounded by many of the same people since
their need for road crew arose. Production Manager Graeme Nash,
(previously their Promoter Rep for Live Nation) was brought in by
predecessor Chris Griffiths. He told TPi: “Enter Shikari have got a
really good crew behind them, so that makes my job a lot smoother
than it could be, given that I’m new to the role. Most of our suppliers
have been in place for some time. PRG XL Video are doing lighting and
video on this tour, but they’ve been working with the band in some
capacity since ’07, so that relationship has just grown from strength
to strength. Adlib is a new sound vendor, although they’ve provided
lighting in the past. When the audio contract went out to tender, we
were very excited when Adlib came in because they were very eager to
do the quadrophonic sound we had planned.”
The tour rehearsed at Millennium Studios during pre-production.
Nash went on to explain that with a band like Enter Shikari, the touring
process is very artist led. “The band decides what they want. They put
so much work into it, especially with the visuals, which they even design.
I love the fact that they shun clichés. When you put on a big rock show,
sometimes it can be all about the Co2 and pyrotechnics but they don’t
want to do that. That’s where they bring in the creative ideas such as
quadrophonic sound and their own visual ideas. It’s wonderful to see
a band that you’ve worked with for a long time going from those little
tiny shows to their first arena tour. They’re a challenge from both the
promoter’s and the agent’s point of view because they have to decide
where to put them on. They’re a band people don’t want to sit down and
watch - they want to jump up and down and crowd surf - which makes
it tricky because we’re able to sell arena size shows that need to be
mainly standing tickets. This is a band that wants to interact with their
audience, and they do it very well.”
SPACEAGE CRAFTSMEN
Lighting Designer Steve Bewley has worked with Enter Shikari for almost
a decade, after finding his way out of a corporate event background.
“I was freelance and began working with Adlib Lighting working as a
technician. I met Enter Shikari through Adlib. Back then it was a hell of a
lot smaller and there wasn’t as much equipment so I basically took and
developed the show with the band from a club show with a small floor
package into what we have today but we still need to be creative with the
budget. The band wants a new look to change it up every time they go
out. Being a DIY band, they tour a hell of a lot - even when they’re writing
albums, so sometimes we’ll have two or three different show designs in
a year on the same album cycle!” explained Bewley, who to keep up with
demand, enjoys using new technology wherever possible. “Technology
changes so quickly, but I like that. It’s something new to play with. I think
we were the first tour in the UK to use the Ayrton MagicBlade Rs, and now
everybody is using them!” he laughed. “With the use of quadrophonic
sound, the band has incorporated specific visions during those key
moments. Singer, Roughton ‘Rou’ Reynolds, has designed the visuals
himself which is pretty impressive because they look great and he’d
never done it before!”
PRG XL Video supplied all lighting fixtures and the video screen,
while Bewley, who operates both lighting and video, brought his own
control package on tour. The theme for this outing is space and cosmic
surroundings, with the content being shown on a ROE M18 Hybrid (12
metre by 4.8 metre) screen placed on the back wall of the stage and
curves from left to right. The visuals are powered by Bewley’s Green

45
ENTER SHIKARI
Singer Rou Reynolds utilises the B stage during the show’s moment of calm.
Hippo Hippotizer media server, which is described as an “obvious”
choice for investment. He continued: “The band don’t like to take
themselves too seriously so there’s some cartoons in the visuals too
which were created by Peter MacAdams, an animator for American
cartoon, The Ren and Stimpy Show. He’s done a couple of their music
videos so they chopped some of them up and used them alongside the
space content.”
When it comes to lighting fixtures, Bewley kept the varying size
in mind. “It had to be modular - that was my starting point. We’re not
exactly consistent with venue size so it had to be at the back of my mind.
We didn’t want the usual front truss / mid truss / back truss design, we
wanted a clear centre focus that would work on any stage. We had a
circular truss made to sit above the band on the A stage, and it instantly
gives their set an industrial, spacecraft style framework. The whole tone
of the set comes from that structure so we added the Enter Shikari logo
onto it as a main focal point, along with the looks on the screen.”
Bewley operates on his own MA Lighting grandMA2 Light desk. “I
bought a personal MA because it’s easier for me to do a lot of preliminary
planning and programming pre-tour. I use the MA desk on every tour I do.
It’s perfect for what I need: it’s powerful and small yet you can run a huge
show off it. There are a lot of tricks inbuilt that MA Lighting has come up
with for easy programming. “We have also been using RDM quite heavily
since we first used the MagicBlades back in January 2014, we don’t have
any fixture numbers so we can put them anywhere in the grid and they
can be addressed and controlled remotely via luminex software”
Bewley’s (pre-rigged) lighting spec comprises 30 Martin by Harman
Atomic 3000 Strobes with scrollers, 36 Ayrton MagicBlade Rs, 32 High End
Systems Shapeshifters, 26 PRG Best Boy HPs, 12 generic linear molefay
blinders, 30 PRG Icon beams, six GLP Impression X4S, and 10 Clay Paky
Sharpy Washes. He continued: “There are a lot of lights because the band
46
wanted it to look as full as possible, without taking away from the music.
They’re very mindful of that; even though they want it to look amazing,
they want the music to be paramount.”
In a juxtaposition to the A stage structure, this tour carries a B stage
rig which is home to a minimal floor package. During this section of the
show, Rou plays the piano for some - believe it or not - slower ballad
numbers.
QUADROPHONIC SOUND
In the same vein as Bewley, sound engineer Andy Russell is the band’s
first and only FOH mixer. He explained the origins of their relationship:
“I was working in-house at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut venue in Glasgow
when someone mentioned that Enter Shikari were coming in to play
and suggested that I should watch their show but I wanted to mix them
instead! They seemed happy with what I did and we all got on well... the
next day I got a call asking if I wanted to go on the road, and I’ve been
working with them ever since,” said Russell, 10 years after said encounter.
After so many years with the band, the camp decided to mix it up a bit
and introduce a new sonic force: a quadrophonic touring sound design.
Continued Russell: “It’s something we’ve always wanted to do. The band
push boundaries with their music and they’ve always pushed production
values with whatever budget they’ve had to play with. Adlib have been an
incredible help with their technical staff and the standard of equipment
they’ve provided.”
Russell specified an L-Acoustics V-DOSC PA system which comprised
24 V-DOSC for the main hangs, with 3 dV-disc downfill; 24 SB28 for the
subs; side hangs (when applicable) are eight dV-disc per side and 18
KARA for the rear hangs to achieve the quadrophonic sound source from
behind. KARA and ARCs were chosen for front and lip fill. All speakers
were powered by Lab.gruppen PLM 20,000Q amplifiers and processed
ENTER SHIKARI
Alexandra Palace was an ideal venue for the band, who entertained over 10,000 standing punters.
by three Lake LM44’s at FOH and two LM26’s on stage. Said Russell: “We
chose a V-DOSC system because we’re basically doubling up on the PA
and you get a big bang for your buck. It sounds great and the system
techs from Adlib, led by Sam Proctor have done a fantastic job in setting
it up. Ian Nelson and Dave Jones from Adlib were a great help too, they
gave us a wealth of experience on the systems side of the tour.”
Proctor added: “We chose KARA partly because you can fly it or
ground stack it depending on the room. If you ground stack, it doesn’t
take up a lot of space and if you fly it, it won’t really affect sightlines, so
KARA is perfect for this job.”
Russell and co spent a lot of time programming the quadrophonic
sound on Ableton and the result entailed four lines of audio feeding into
each speaker system, which then goes into the desk. “I have to balance
it all, and then it goes back out of my desk, so I’m muting and un-muting
where needed, swelling the sound around the room. It’s all automated
during pre-production but I have to make sure it’s mixed appropriately.
L-Acoustics has a programme called Sound Vision which calculates
where the sound disperses from each speaker so we’ve been able to
design the system with good coverage no matter how challenging the
room is.”
Proctor agreed: “For the audience in the middle of the room, it’s like
being in a 3D environment, it creates a cinematic effect which is a great
enhancement for the spacey visual effects.”
For control, Russell opts for a Midas PRO2, a desk he’s used for years.
He noted: “It’s my choice because it’s a very reliable desk. I think they’re
easy to use and they have a user-friendly interface. I’ve been mixing on
the PRO Series for years because find I can do so much with it.”
The microphone package is a mixture of Shure, Sennheiser and
Audio-Technica. “The Audio-Technica microphone is for Rou’s vocals,
48
and we’re using the new wireless 10 system. It gives us really good
support for what we need to achieve; they’re very robust and can take a
good beating when it gets crazy, but never fails to give us the sound we
want.”
“The microphones have held up, even when Rou’s crowd surfing back
to the A stage, from the B stage,” added Proctor. “On the B stage, the
band has managed to transition the set really well. They were bought
up the ranks through the club scene, in intimate venues, but they’re still
known for being an intimate band who get the audience involved. On
the B stage, Rou plays the piano but he also stands on top of it to play his
guitar and trumpet. It’s a breakdown from how intense the rest of the set
is but it all works towards engaging the audience.”
MONITORING THE MADNESS
In monitor world, AJ Sutherland is also using a Midas PRO2. He told TPi:
“The Midas PRO2 is fantastic, its features such as the MCA have made
having intricate control a really easy thing. The band are very perceptive,
and often only need changes of 1dB or 2dB. They’ll ask for me to bring
up the level of all the vocals without changing the balance, which is
exactly what the MCA feature is designed for. It’s also useful because Rou
has five different vocal microphones and the band like me to turn all of
them up or down together. The band have both the front and rear stereo
electronics channels in their ears, so the MCA has allowed me to easily
manipulate the surround sound sources in their stereo mixes.”
All of the band and the techs use in-ears alongside a talkback
system to communicate. Continued Sutherland: “It makes the channel
count quite high but the Midas can handle it and it means that we
can communicate in a noisy environment quite effectively. No matter
what I have cued up and I’m listening to, the shout back microphones
ENTER SHIKARI
Clockwise: Adlib’s Sam Proctor with FOH Engineer, Andy Russell; The show design included Aryton MagicBlade Rs in the roof; Monitor Engineer, AJ Sutherland with his
Midas PRO2; LD Steven Bewley operated both lighting and video from his own control systems.
will override that. Effective communication has been key to the tour
running smoothly. The PRO2 handles the numerous vocal and shout out
microphones very well; pop groups are invaluable for organising things like
this. The powerful routing infrastructure allowed me to route my solo bus
through a matrix and combine it with a group of the shout microphones.”
The band - completed by Chris Batten, Rob Rolfe and Rory Clewlow - all
use Sennheiser G3 IEM packs, with Cosmic Ears molds. Said Sutherland:
“The Cosmic Ears CE6P in-ear monitors have been serving us very well.
In the last 12 months the entire band has migrated to them. For the large
arena stages we have side fill subs and sometimes a drum sub, but aside
from that we rely solely on the IEMs. Having the clean stage look has been a
really nice touch.”
Like Russell, he’s also a fan of the Audio-Technica system. “The 10
wireless equipment we use for vocals has helped make my life easier.
They sync so simply and I don’t need to worry about intermodulation,
interference or licences as they operate in the 2.4gHz spectrum. The
wired AE6100 vocal microphones have been as successful as ever, happily
enduring being thrown in the air and crashing around the stage without any
signs of damage!”
Rou’s vocals range from a very quiet, falsetto tone to full-on throat
rattling screaming which had an impact on the microphone choice. “Last
year we spent quite a bit of time trying to get a consistent sound and
ended up using a hard limiter on his vocal channel which is compressing
everything but his soft lines. The combination of the AE6100 and the Midas
PRO2 processing make this sound surprisingly natural, now Rou rarely asks
for level changes.”
A HUMBLE APPROACH
Feeding the clan is long-time road chef specialists, Saucery Catering.
50
Saucery’s Alison Taylor commented: “My crew on this tour - Brendan
Mckenzie, Chloe Whitehead and Henny Collins and I - had a full on few
weeks in the catering department as we had a double bill of support artists
to feed as well as the main band party. Chloe baked a lot of birthday cakes
during this tour!
“It was wonderful to back out with Enter Shikari, as we are now in our
fifth year of working with them. They’re a pleasure to look after. Even as
their audiences have grown bigger, their connection to the crew around
them has not changed one bit. Their needs are very modest and their riders
are reasonable requests! A lovely thing about working with them is their
manners - the thanks we get for making dinner effusive!
“The humble approach to touring is evident throughout their
production. From Keith Reynolds managing all aspects of the tour, to their
fans being invited to watch sound check, they are a family kind of band and
I feel that Saucery is included in that. It’s been lovely for me to watch them
grow, and despite my advancing years, I love their show!”
RUNNING LIKE CLOCKWORK
Crossland has been working with Enter Shikari for approximately six years,
transporting the band and crew all over the UK and Europe. In February
and March 2016, the company supplied two busses and three trucks for the
UK leg, and a single bus and truck for the European run. Malachy McMullan,
Director at Crossland said: “Depending on Keith’s requirements, we supply
any style of bus to suit their needs, however, they tend to prefer our Setra
double decker vehicles.
“Prior to each tour, Keith and his team provide all logistical
requirements to Sharon Tea, when everything is discussed and prepared
for a smooth run. We keep in close contact with the production team and
with our drivers, so that if there are any unexpected changes along the way,
 ATTRACT YOUR AUDIENCE

MAC Axiom Hybrid

All-In-One Product – Packed with Effects
Amazing Intensity – Tight and Narrow Beam
Superior CMY Color Mixing due to MAC Viper Color Palette

Axiom_AD_TPI.indd 1 02/03/16 10.00

ENTER SHIKARI

Bassist Chris Batten amidst the cartoon creations.

we are ready to react and deal with them 24/7. The UK leg was a

Music, Film & TV nice and easy in terms of transport and logistics but the EU leg
involved a bit more planning in terms of driver schedules and
truck permits.
PRODUCTION FACILITIES “Over the years we have developed a great relationship with
the team. On the road, the familiarity our drivers have with the
Lighting Package - Production Office - On Site Catering band and crew and what they require is a benefit to all involved.
Dressing Rooms - 24 Hour Security Everyone knows what everyone else needs and that can only
serve to keep things running like clockwork. It’s a relationship
we hope to continue for many years to come,” he concluded.

CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS
As the extra-terrestrial, cartoon wielding visuals died down,
and the surround sound thud of a band on a mission called
it a night, it was clear that Enter Shikari are a band capable
MILLENNIUM STUDIOS of three traits any live act would be proud of: they put on a
pretty impressive display of energetic musicianship; they have
‘A’ Stage Hire £600 / 10hr weekday • 27.7m x 18m x 10m a connection to their fans that has kept them on the road
for years and years, without even the slightest hint of tiring;
Recent visiting clients include: and without taking themselves too seriously, they do take
Will Young • John Legend • Bastille • Bring Me The Horizon • Fall Out Boy care of their crew and suppliers like you can only hope every
professional touring act does. In his closing comment, Bewley
confirmed this status: “We get on like best friends really, we
always have done. There’s an extended family feel to working
with this band; we see each other outside of work and they’re
always willing to listen and encourage ideas. They don’t have
any attitude at all, even though you could expect that from such
creative individuals. That’s why we’re all here after all these
years.”
TPi
Photos: The Fifth Estate ©thefifthestate.co.uk & Alexey Makhov
www.entershikari.com
www.stevebewleydesign.com
www.prg.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 1234 780100 www.adlib.co.uk
www.saucery.net
www.millenniumstudios.co.uk www.crossland.ie
www.millenniumstudios.co.uk

52
Low Profile, High Impact
AE2300 Dynamic Cardioid Instrument Microphpone
The AE2300 features a rugged, brass metal construction and
low-profile design, along with the ability to handle high SPL’s, allowing
it to be easily placed close to the sound source, with little off-axis
colouration.

The AE2300 also feature a proprietary double-dome diaphragm

construction, giving it high-frequency and transient response that far
exceeds typical dynamic microphones, along with a switchable
low-pass filter, making it ideal for live drums, guitar, brass and
woodwind.

www.audio-technica.com
 PRODUCTION PROFILE

Opposite: The 2016 BRIT Awards once again took place at the O2 Arena with some of the biggest names from the music world getting under one roof to recognise the
achievements of artists throughout the year.

BRIT AWARDS 2016

The annual award ceremony once again made a home at the O2 Arena for a night of musical
celebration, which saw performances from nine acts including Adele, Rihanna and Justin
Bieber. TPi spoke to the longstanding crewmembers and suppliers who once again provided
their services to the BRITs.

The annual BRIT Awards is one of the highlights of the music industry’s
calendar, presenting a chance for the biggest names from Britain
and around the globe to get under one roof and celebrate what the
pop world has to offer. For the sixth year running, the event was
broadcast live from London’s O2 Arena. As always, alongside the
awards ceremony, nine of the world’s most prestigious acts shared
the stage, giving a variety of performances that provided an audio and
visual treat for both those at the venue and the millions watching from
home. This year’s line up included performances from Coldplay, The
Weeknd, Little Mix, Adele, Rihanna, James Bay, Jess Glynne, Justin
Bieber and a tribute to David Bowie performed by Lorde along with
the late singer’s backing band.
Once again many of the same suppliers and crewmembers answered
the call to work on this high-profile event including Britannia Row
Productions, Stageco, Stage Miracles, Outback Rigging Steel Monkey,
Ogle Hog, VER, PRG XL Video, Blackout to name but a few.
Taking up the mantle of Project Director was Kate Wright and Lisa
Shenton of Papilo Production Management. “This was Papilo’s seventh
year with the BRITs,” explained Wright who has personally been involved
in the event for an impressive 22 years. “Our main responsibility lies in
the live side of the event, as opposed to the TV side. I am responsible
for managing the design process, appointing all the key suppliers, site
layout, guest logistics and the additional dinner/ aftershow elements.”
This year saw the BRITs bring in a new TV crew headed up by first time
awards Director, Liz Clare. Talking about the show concept, Wright
stated that this year built upon 2015’s theme of truly “owning” the
space. She discussed the challenges the team faced. “The challenges
in my area are always to do with budget, space and time. This year’s
design was different in that there was not much of a set but the rigging
was incredibly complicated as we had so many moving elements.” She
continued: “I thought this year’s show was great. There was fantastic
energy in the room which was helped with the re-introduction of the
standing audience. It added a good dynamic to the event. The design
worked well for all the artists and gave them scope to try very distinctive
performances.”
STAGING
Staging services were once again supplied by TPi’s Staging Company of
the Year, Stageco, which this year celebrated two decades of working the
BRITs. In fact, the first year Stageco worked on the event was the same
year Geri Halliwell famously wore her now iconic union jack dress (oh
yes, that was 20 years ago!) Stageco reported to Production Manager
Tony Wheeler as well as Papilo. The core Stageco team who working
on the event included Account Manager, Dirk De Decker along with Luc
Dardenne and Stefaan Vandenbosch who managed the project onsite.
Together, the company ensured that the basic staging foundations were
built, along with the FOH control platform, numerous risers, platforms
for spotlights, cameras, jib cranes and monitoring. “Stageco undertook
a little extra work this year,” informed Dardenne. “We built some extra
platforms for spotlights and two for video screens. With the weight
loading in the O2’s roof already being very high, we added a central video
screen truss in our signature black steel to relieve some of that stress.”
He continued: “It’s generally a six to seven-day build for us and this year
we brought six equipment trailers and an eight-man crew who worked

57
BRIT AWARDS 2016
Above: Jack Garratt, 2016 Critics’ Choice Award winner.
with local support. It’s an event we are very proud to be associated with.”
This year’s show was designed by Es Devlin and constructed by
Steel Monkey. All rigging duties came via Outback Rigging Group. Head
Rigger, Conrad Ryan, spoke of the complex arrangement of this year’s
awards. “This year Outback supplied all the production rigging for the
show including truss hoists and automation features. We also provided
general production rigging support for all departments. The main
feature of the show was the LED zoetrope structures. We had a couple
over the auditorium with a 30 metre diameter zoetrope that hung over
the audience.” These various structures came in and out throughout the
evening. Outback also installed an arc that held LED columns that was
situated at the front of the stage that acted as a close down feature.
For automation Outback opted for Kinesys. “Overall we had 80 plus
Kinesys Point Hoists,” stated Ryan. “We ran all automation via two Vector
Systems along side a Kinesys Mentor system which provided us with
additional safety features.” Outback also delivered two automation
operators, Gareth Williams and Lluis Diaz-Guerra Martinez as well as six
spotters with an additional 10 for the show’s opening. Ryan continued:
“This year’s show was certainly an ambitious project. It did throw up a lot
of challenges for both rigging and automation; especially with the vast
amount of weight we were carrying [110 tonnes in total]. We spend a lot
of time with Show Designer Es Devlin along with the other departments
and the venue to try and make it work.”
In conclusion Ryan stated: “We were proud to be involved for what
was Outback’s 14th BRIT Awards. It was an exciting design and it was
great to help bring it to fruition.”
For the main show draping, Blackout were brought into the
production to provide a 70 metre by 24 metre backdrop, drape boarders
for video trusses, FOH control and dressing all the camera platforms
to ensure that the whole focus of the evening stayed with the action
on stage. Chris Brain, Blackout’s Project Manager commented: “We’re
proud to get the opportunity to work on the BRITs as it’s always such a
spectacular show to be part of. We worked closely with the designers
and the production team to help ensure the main stage was dressed
seamlessly to reflect the glamour of the event. As the BRITs is broadcast
live, creating a truly visual experience is paramount to the enjoyment of
the celebrity guests, as well as the viewers watching at home and the
end result looked fantastic.”
Handling the stage management fell into the capable hands of Stage
Miracles and headed up by Stage Manager (and 2016 TPi award winner)
58
Mike Grove. Altogether the company provided 45 crewmembers. Grove
talked TPi through the whole process of putting on an event of this scale.
“I started on the Saturday [five days before the show]. By that point the
basic nuts and bolts and scaffolding were already out of the way so by
the Saturday we are able to start getting the performers creative looks
and set pieces in as well as setting up all the various pieces of backline.
Our next responsibility was to make sure the set looks worked for all the
camera shots. By Monday we were ready for band rehearsals which took
place all the way up until show day on Wednesday.”
With nine acts to coordinate throughout the night, Grove and the
rest of the Stage Miracles team certainly had its work cut out. “For the
show to work, everything needs to be lined up in the correct order. There
is actually a part of the rehearsal period where the team and myself
go through the process of getting sets on and off the stage, for a timed
practice run. The show is very much like a freight train. It comes in on
one side, and off the other. It doesn’t feel like 2.5 hours during the night.
It’s over before it begins! It’s personally one of my favourite shows mainly
due to the fantastic team. The production has reached such a good
standard and they always look for the best people to join the crew, not to
mention, once they have got you they hang on!”
Grove concluded by giving special mention to two of his Stage
Miracles colleagues, System Stage Manager, Bert Harris and Crew Chief,
Frank Moran whom he described as “key” to the whole operation.
SOUND
On the audio front, Britannia Row Productions for another year running
supplied a complete PA and control package. This year was the second
time that Colin Pink was brought into the role as Sound Designer.
Standing on stage with his colourful hi-vis jacket, he talked about his
relationship with the event. “Last year was my first time with the BRITs
after the sad passing of Derrick Zieba who had been doing the awards for
many years. Last year I basically copied the template from the previous
year’s event. It’s an established show with an established crew and
there is no point re-inventing the wheel. There was no need to make
any drastic changes.” He added that: “Working with Brit Row has been
fantastic. In my opinion they are the best in the world at what they do
and I definitely take their advice wherever I can.”
Every year there is always a mixture of acts from full bands and
musicians who perform live vocals to a track. For the 2016 event there
were six full bands and three vocal performances to track. “In an ideal
xy

System enhancer.

The new DS10 Audio network bridge is not just an

ordinary Dante interface: it is the next step in the d&b system
approach. In combination with the d&b amplifiers, the new
DS10 streamlines the complete d&b sound reinforcement
system. One piece of remote control software, one audio
network bridge, one consistent amplifier DSP platform:
an entirety where each fits all. www.dbaudio.com

Welcome to System reality.

BRIT AWARDS 2016
Award winner, James Bay; Justin Bieber had a pyrotechnic-heavy show, supplied by FFP; Björk won the 2016 International Female Solo Artist; The evening payed tribute to
David Bowie with Lorde’s rendition of the late singer’s, Life on Mars?
world I would try and mix up the live acts just to break up the show and
give the crew a bit more preparation time,” explained Pink. “However
what tends to happen is that more live bands play at the latter end of
the night to build up excitement throughout the event. With live TV it is
always high risk and there is a chance that things might go wrong. My
default setting is to always have several plans if things don’t quite work
out. The real trick is for it not to be noticeable on the live broadcast.”
The audio crew (including Pink) was made up of 11 individuals,
including Dee Miller, Britannia Row’s Crew Chief. He talked TPi through
the PA setup for the show. The main hangs and side hangs consisted
of L-Acoustics K1 and K2 elements with L-Acoustics K1SBs as the main
flown sub with the rear hangs made up of L-Acoustics KARA. The ground
stacked subs consisted of L-Acoustics SB28’s with floor fills provided
by L-Acoustics KARA and ARCS Elements. “We have used L-Acoustics
for several years,” explained Miller. “At the end of the day it’s one of the
best sounding PAs in the world. On the audio front, a show like the BRITs
is slightly different from your regular tour. Although the live sound is
important, the main priority is the live broadcast. This means we take
slightly more of a backseat with the PA and we have to compromise with
what we would usually do with an event of this size. For instance, we fly
the whole system higher than we normally would so it doesn’t interfere
with the camera shots.” Miller explained that his main responsibilities for
the event is to liaise with other departments from rigging to lighting and
video to ensure everyone is working together.
For audio control at both FOH and monitors, DiGiCo was at the
forefront with an SD7 used to control the main PA mix for the artists
alongside an SD10 that dealt with all the presenters’ mixes. FOH Engineer
for the live acts was Josh Lloyd while the presenters’, guests’ and
winners’ mixes were managed for Chris Coxhead. In monitor world, two
SD5’s alternated between each performance, operated by Dan Ungaretti
and Steve Donovan. “The great thing about using DiGiCo from my point
of view is that they are extremely flexible, which makes sense when
dealing with nine separate acts,” explained Pink. “The other benefit is
60
the way they work on optical loops meaning you can interface them
together quite nicely.”
For on-stage sound, Pink explained the necessity of still having
wedges as many of the artists had dancers who needed to hear the
mix for timings. “We are using d&b audiotechnik M2 wedges which are
great boxes. We also have L-Acoustics ARCS and SB28’s for side fills but
the interesting thing about working on the TV shows is that the camera
operators are not the biggest fan of them from an aesthetic point of view
so we try to reduce the amount we use as much as possible.”
For IEMs, the majority of the acts were using the Sennheiser 2000
Series apart from Justin Bieber who uses Shure products. Sennheiser
also provided the production with several wireless microphones from
both presenters and performers. The award winners’ acceptance
speeches were delivered via Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 Series wireless
microphone with ME 5004 capsules while the majority of performers
used either Sennheiser 5200’s or 2000’s. Sennheiser not only supplied
microphones for the venue but also for astronaut Tim Peake’s who
announced Adele as this year’s winner of the Global Success Award,
which he declared in a pre-recorded message from the International
Space Station, using a wireless Sennheiser e835.
The abundance of wireless frequencies created an interesting
challenge for Sapnel Patel, RF Supervisor. “She did a sterling job!” stated
Pink, adding: “It’s a big logistical issue on these shows. With nine acts, all
of which want between six to 20 IEMs along with wireless microphones
she has her hand full. There are not enough frequencies to meet the
demand of everyone so there is a lot of clever switching around that goes
on.”
ARTIST RELATIONS
Over the years the BRIT Awards has seen some fairly spectacular
performances and this year was no exception. The person who aids
the procession from inception to performance is Maggie Mouzakitis,
Band Production Manager. In collaboration with Production Manager
BRIT AWARDS 2016
Coldplay enjoyed a colourful performance with their song, Hymn For The Weekend.
Tony Wheeler, Mouzakitis acts as a go-between for the TV department
and the technical live production. “The process can start as early as
December,” explained Mouzakitis. “As soon as we know a couple of the
artists we attempt to start meetings with the musicians management.
This time round we already had initial meetings with four of the acts
before Christmas, discussing design ideas and creative concepts. Usually
each act brings in their own creative team but sometimes it’s a bit of a
collaboration with people from our end as well. Because we are always
looking at each act as part of the wider show, we have to advise creative
teams so as not have performances that are too similar.”
Mouzakitis explained the importance of the team effort seen on the
BRITs. “Every performance is discussed at length with every department,
especially with Mike our stage manager as it’s his job to get everything on
and off the stage. This often means looking at the event script and trying
to get him a few more minutes for the change overs.”
VIDEO AND LIGHTING
Video was the main element of the show design. Specialist video supply
company Ogle Hog, were brought on board again this year. Video Project
Managers for the event were Chris Saunders and Connie Glover. This
will be the fourth year in which Ogle Hog supplied both equipment and
services to the BRITs and Saunders’ 23rd year. Saunders commented:
“This year we worked very closely with the Es Devlin, Liz Clare and Kate
Wright to offer a design that matched the creative aspirations and the
carefully controlled budget. Ogle Hog also worked with Shop, a boutique
motion design studio, for the content that was shown on the screens as
well as the individual creative teams. It’s our job to ensure that all the
graphics delivered work with our system. Between myself and Connie
we split the work, so she overseas the build of the LED screen where as I
personally oversee that the correct content is being sent to the screens
at the right times.”
For media servers, fiber distribution and projection equipment Ogle
Hog brought in QED for the ambitions video design. The media server of
choice was d3 Technologies 4x4pro server supplied by QED (four in total)
along with two d3 Technologies 4U v2.5’s. With the 4x4pro servers, Ogle
Hog made use of the new video format conversion cards - the very first
62
time in Europe that the VFC cards have been used as well as Notch plug-
ins which were used to time-slice live video content onto the various
LED surfaces. Driving the servers was Richard Porter. “An added benefit
to using d3 this year was the opportunity to pre-visualise the video set
pieces prior to the show,” said Saunders. “With on site rehearsal time
being squeezed from all angles this allowed us to arrive on site running.
It also allowed the content creator the opportunity to see their work in
context.”
In total there were 715 sq metres of LED for the performance. Ogle
Hog sourced various brands to complete the look of the show with VER
supplying LED for the main stage, house dressing, Adele’s performance
and the IMAG screens with PRG XL video supplying screens for the B
stage. Speaking to VER’s Project Manager, Alastair MacDiarmid, he
discussed VER’s involvement with the event: “We first became involved in
the BRITs through our relationship with Ogle Hog. This was the first time
Chris had contracted a major component of the video supply to VER.
We supplied screens for the main stage as well as some low resolution
products for dressing the sides along with some high res for Adele’s set
with IMAG screens out in the bleachers.”
The bulk of what VER supplied was Winvision 9mm Air. MacDiarmid
noted: “In addition to being lightweight, the screens look great both on
camera and to the eye. It also has a very low power consumption, not to
mention it’s extreme reliability.” VER also supplied 68 panels of Martin
by Harman LC 40mm and ROE Onyx 3mm. MacDiarmid explained: “162
panels of the ROE Black Onyx 3mm high res screen were set onto nine
rolling towers for Adele’s performance. Each dolly had to be 1.5 metres
wide by three metres high with a two-way mirror attached to the front,
all of which was put together by Steel Monkey. The towers were built up
on stock VER rolling truss bases for quick changes between acts.” For the
B stage PRG XL Video provide ROE MC7’s.
QED’s fiber-optic distribution system provided the backbone for the
show , feeding all the LED, relay screens and stage mapping projectors
with video signals as well as network control. Three km of multichannel
fibber cables were run from the backstage control area to service
multiple destination throughout the arena.
Ogle Hog also brought in eight Christie Boxer 4K30 Projectors, again
BRIT AWARDS 2016
Little Mix performed their hit Black Magic which included a large Sugar Skull set piece along with an elaborate dance routine.
courtesy of QED, for Jess Glynne and Rihanna. “We had to increase the
number of Boxer 4K30’s for Rihanna’s show design. This element came
to the table relatively late. Her design team were after a very specific
look incorporating front projection. This eventfully resulted in setting up
some of the fixtures on the stage edge.” With the new Christie projectors
being smaller, quieter and lighter the other similar products on the
market meant they offered additional installation flexibility making it
simpler for the design team to positioned the with the in O2.
Director of QED, Paul Wigfield gave his thoughts with his companies
involvement with the BRITs: “Ogle Hog where a pleasure to work with,
very professional and exceptionally easy to get on with.” Continuing,
Wigfield gave his thoughts on the Christie Boxer 4K30: “We were
absolutely delighted with the result. The boxers worked fantastically
well. They were so bright that for the first time ever, the brightness of
the LED screens was able to turned up to match the light output of the
projectors.” Adding the this Saunders gave his thought on the projectors:
“The Christie projectors represent a major step forward in projection.”
Ogle Hog also controlled the O2’s in-house video screen system that
runs around the arena as well as bringing in its own camera system
which was used along side Camera and VT feeds from the broadcast
crew to stream nomination and acceptance footage to the screens. Dan
Ormerod handled video directing during the eventing.
Saunders gave some final thoughts on the event: “I think that it’s was
one of the most ambitions video designs I have ever done in the last 20
years of the BRITs. I would be lying if I said it was easy and there definitely
were some challenges. There is always a lot of pressure to get it right as
the screens are always in shot. The added trickiness is when the various
screens are moving all the time which comes with its own problems
and certainly with the zoetropic screen we had this year that went up
and down many times throughout the show. So cable management was
critical.”
The lighting designer, celebrating his 20th year with the BRITs,
was Al Gurdon. With two decades of experience of the show, he spoke
64
about how the concept for lighting takes place each year: “The BRITs
is a television show from the ground up so although the live audience
is catered for, our main point of reference is what do the cameras see.
As with any show of this type, the design has to be largely in place
before a great deal is known about the artists and what their individual
requirements will be. So I design a core rig with a check-list in mind of
what I will need. I need to know all the individual areas are covered,
making sure that I have dedicated groups of lights that I don’t have to
choose between.
“This year we used PRG Icon Beams as pinspots on each of the VIP
tables, Philips Vari-Lite VL3500 Washes and GLP Impression X4’s to light
the audience, PRG Best Boy HP to key light, and Clay Paky Mythos for
air effects. We also used Chroma-Q Colour Block 2’s around the arena
on the balcony levels with Clay Paky Stormy Strobes.” Also used in the
lighting rig were 4K Xenon Gladiator Followspots, TMB Solaris Junior
Flares and custom built Lite Panel fixtures that fit on the front of the
cameras which were controlled wirelessly from the console that emitted
a cold and warm white LED. At the helm of the lighting operations were
LDs Ross Williams and Theo Cox who both used High End Systems Hog 4
consoles.
Supplying all the lighting fixtures and control was PRG XL Video. Rich
Gorrod, Head of Events and Services for PRG XL Video, spoke about
the company’s involvement with the awards. “It’s great to be involved
in such a large scale event. The BRITs is a well-oiled machine now with
the same HODs being involved.” Gorrod talked about the PRG fixtures
incorporated into the show. “The PRG Icon performed very well, lighting
the 140 tables as well as providing some great effects during the musical
numbers. Also used was the upgraded Bad Boy Colourspots which
gives great control for both the operator and the LD. All functions can
be controlled from either the console or the operator. PRG XL Video use
the same lighting crew for all these large scale events and they make
it easy for me. When you have good gear and great crew it’s a win-win
situation.” Gurdon commented: “Rich Gorrod has been my gaffer on the
SHOW LIGHTING’S
MOST COMPLETE TOOLBOX.
MOVING HEADS EFFECT LIGHTS

STAGE LIGHTS PAR/BAR LIGHTS

VIDEO SCREENS CONTROLLERS

Color version
C/100 M/50 Y/50
C/98 M/88 Y/22 K
C/0 M/0 Y/0 K/0

PUSH YOUR VISION TO THE LEADING EDGE.

WORLD HEADQUARTERS (USA) ELATION PROFESSIONAL EUROPE
www.elationlighting.com www.elationlighting.eu
info@elationlighting.com info@elationlighting.eu
+1.323.582.3322 +31 45 546 85 66 Grayscale version
C/50 M/50 Y/50 K/1
C/0 M/0 Y/0 K/0
BRIT AWARDS 2016
Above: Arena Group’s Spaceworks and Well Dressed Tables supplied a total 2,600 covers of crockery, cutlery, glass wear and furniture with in the main arena and the
VIP marquee; Jess Glynne’s performance made use of Christie Boxer 4K30 projectors; The Weeknd made use of the BRITs Sennheiser microphone package; Annie Lennox
gave a tribute to to the late, great, David Bowie.
BRITs for many years. He brings an enormous amount of experience
to the production. He is always proactive and an asset to the whole
production.”
Gurdon went on to discuss how the various looks for each artist came
about. “Many of the acts bring their own LDs and their involvement can
vary but the experienced ones know that the best thing they can do is
be a facilitator between the artist and the award show. They understand
that within the framework of the event, my programmers and I have to
build the looks on our own to our own schedule [which is very tight].
They help the artist to communicate with us, and vice versa. When that
dynamic is understood, the relationship between us and the visiting
LD is positive, productive and helpful. We gain from their insights and
access into that particular artist, and they gain from our ability to make
it work for them in the context of the awards show, as well as from our
own creative input. The awards show should be more than the sum of
its parts, with it’s own creative dynamic and individual style, rather than
simply a showcase for the latest artist promo.” He continued: “The stage
at which I am brought into the creative process really depends on the
artist, their management and label. Sometimes they come with very
specific ideas and sometimes we come to them. We work hard to make
sure that the BRITs, coming just a week or so after the Grammys, is not
simply a rehash of that show. It has its own unique style, and brings as
much to the table as a creative entity, as is brought to it.”
In conclusion Gurdon commented that he was very happy with
how this year’s show went. “I think we achieved a distinct look for each
performance, each different to the last, and that is what keeps the
audience entertained and engaged, and makes the show memorable
after it has been broadcast.”
Finally, on the visual side, providing all special effects needs for the
event was FFP. This was the company’s sixth time working on the BRITs
and this year it provided effects for Coldplay, James Bay, The Weeknd,
Justin Bieber and Little Mix. Most of the effects were custom made
66
for the event which was quite time consuming for the company’s R&D
department.
CREWING
Another veteran company returning to this year’s event was Showstars.
Director of the company, Stuart Milne, talked about the company’s
involvement with the awards. “The BRITs has always been one of my
favorite events. We have supplied crew to the BRITs for over 20 years
and although it has changed over time, it has never lost its appeal. It
has always been a massive challenge and although it is a bit smaller
since it moved to the O2, it is still one of our biggest one-off jobs. In the
early days when we were involved with the BRITs, the driving force was
Production Director Michel Kluczynski. He always had time for everyone
and particularly identified with the crew and regularly said he stayed
loyal to people not companies. That’s why every year when the BRITs
comes along, it feels more like a family reunion. Kate and Lisa have
definitely kept this ethos and it rubs off on everyone.”
Showstars supplied stage builders, steel hands, production hands,
forklifts along with MEWP operators, runners, spotlight operators and
show/party crew. In total 220 individual crew were involved. Milne
commented: It’s always a massive logistical challenge and credit has to
be given to the Showstars office as well as the crew. Both were superb
once again.”
HOLDING BACK THE CROWD
The reintroduction of a standing crowd meant that barriers were
of utmost importance this year. Mojo Barriers provided a variety of
products and configurations including 300 metres of stage barriers as
well as 2,250 metres of heras fencing and crowd control barriers. Eight
members of the Mojo team were on site at the BRITs for the build and
break down. Kevin Thorborn, Mojo Barriers’ UK Manager commented:
“The O2 is one of London’s busiest venues, so a rapid turnaround was
 BRIT AWARDS 2016

CREATIVE.
POWERFUL.
FLEXIBLE.

Adele’s performance incorporated the ROE Onyx 3mm screen.

needed to ensure a safe and efficient egress whilst the ceremony was conducted. One
of our barrier systems’ core features is the it allows a fast and efficient set up.”

DINNER IS SERVED
With everyone at home getting to enjoy both the award ceremony and the live music,
there was one element that was reserved for those in attendance at the O2; the
NEW
PRODUCTS
dinner! Arena Group’s Spaceworks and Well Dressed Tables division supplied a total
2,600 covers of crockery, cutlery, glass wear and furniture with in the main arena and 2016
the VIP marquee. Christopher Piggott, Managing Director of Well Dressed Tables spoke
of some of the challenges during the event. “On the night we had just 30 minutes to
clear the marquee of 1,000 chairs and 100 tables so the after show part could take
place. Then, once the main event had finished, we were tasked with clearing the main
arena of 1,400 chairs and 140 tables. All in all the job went very well. The BRITs is such
a spectacular show to be part of and we’re proud to have been involved once again.”
Another arm of the Arena Group that was involved in the event was Arena
Structures who were called in to supply a variety of temporary structures including EOS
the dining structure which was then transformed into the after party area, catering
area and production offices. Arena Structures installed two five metre by 15 metre
tents and one, three metre by 15 metre tent to create a horseshoe shaped kitchen and
catering space which was positioned outside of the O2’s dome. Two 10 metre by 20
metre tents were also supplied by the company to create the main production office
and the BRITs TV office which included the Ogle Hog live video editing suite. Dan Bluff,
Arena Structures Project Manager, commented: “We work with The O2 on a number of
different events which means we’re familiar with the space available and the working
practices within the venue. This allowed us to successfully construct a number of
temporary structures within the venue. We were delighted to be able to build on our BABYZOOM 4 BABYZOOM 1
longstanding relationship with The BRITs and to once again be involved with this
brilliant event.”

AND THE WINNER IS…

With yet another BRIT Awards done and dusted, the overwhelming response from
all suppliers and crewmembers was that the event was a great success. And, most
importantly, the enjoyment of everyone involved seems to have a great impact on the
BRIT Awards with several parties having been being on deck for upwards of 20 years,
it is certainly an annual gathering of people from all sectors of the industry who are
proud to be involved. Roll on 2017…
TPi SUPERNOVA RGBW
Photos provided by John Marshall and JM Enternational
www.brits.co.uk
www.papilo.net
http://esdevlin.com
www.oglehog.com www.prg.com +49 7248 912 100 | info@ehrgeiz.com | www.EHRGEIZ.com
www.stageco.com www.blackout.co.uk
www.mojobarriers.com www.verrents.com /Ehrgeiz.Light
www.showstars.co.uk www.stagemiracles.com
http://britanniarow.com www.steelmonkey.co.uk
www.arenagroup.com www.welldressedtables.co.uk Picture: Wheel of Vision / Miriam Gludau / Produkt: EHRGEIZ Chroma RGBW

www.qed-productions.com www.outbackrigging.com

67
 RUDIMENTAL AT THE O2
Having toured almost solidly for over three years, London’s Rudimental have learned to
adapt their stage show to suit everything from small clubs to sold out stadiums. TPi’s Ste
Durham made the trip down to the O2 Arena to see the 11-piece’s A-rig in all its glory.

Hometown shows can be hectic at the best of times and Rudimental’s
triumphant London return after months on the road was no exception.
From the first minute I was warmly welcomed by Tour Manager
Andrew ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson, the backstage area was a hive of activity:
staff, crew and band members alike introducing themselves briefly,
before disappearing back into the ether. The team was expecting
a full house that evening as well; with friends, family and industry
colleagues adding to an O2 Arena already packed to the rafters.
The first port of call was Production Manager Matty Roberts. After
beginning his Rudimental life as the band’s drum tech, Roberts quickly
worked his way up the ladder, eventually taking the reins in January
2015.
Although the majority of suppliers were in place when he took the
job, he has built his own relationships with each of them during his
time on the road, and isn’t set on replacing them any time soon. He
said: “The only change for this leg was our audio supplier, but even that
wasn’t out of any bad blood. Dave Shepherd from BCS Audio came in
and became like my mentor, so it’s great to have them on board. Colour
Sound Experiment have provided lighting for the band for years and PRG
XL Video were an obvious choice for video, particularly since I’d worked
with them on the Rita Ora tour three or four years ago. All of our suppliers
have been really good to us and I’ve no intentions of changing.”
The 11-strong group of musicians also added lasers to their arsenal in
2015, which were originally provided by Colour Sound Experiment. As the
size of the shows grew and only the very brightest beams would suffice,
Rudimental brought in ER Productions, as well as hiring Pyrojunkies to
add special effects to the increasingly busy show design.
Roberts continued: “We are kind of lucky because we designed this
arena gig last year. Although we had full production rehearsals, we’ve
only used it a handful of times at festivals and the Alexandra Palace

68

Opposite: LD and Show Designer Jonny Gaskell.
Below: The Eat To The Beat crew; Ricketts’ Soundcraft Vi6 at FOH; Production Manager Matty Roberts; The O2 Arena A-rig.
shows in 2015. The floor package, risers and control system are modular
and can move up and down depending on the size of the room that we’re
in.”
Rudimental’s first visit to London Speaker Hire’s rehearsal space was
in the spring of 2015, which allowed them to make full use of the three
different sized rehearsal spaces (and the ‘50s-style diner and chill out
area).
LSH’s Eddy Northcott commented: “Being one of the few places
on the east side of London, the boys love the fact that LSH have a
fully stocked pro-shop to cover their needs and, with LSH’s close
relationships with mainstream premium brands, it means they can
service endorsements and source kit quickly.
“Having a hectic touring schedule with a large amount of
international travel, LSH will bend over backwards to accommodate the
diverse requirements bands have. The MD even jumped in the LSH Flash
Mob Mini once to drive Beanie, the drummer, down to the nearest kebab
shop when it was pouring down with rain!”
Roberts added: “From the production end I love using LSH because
there is enough space in that big room for me to have both my A and
B-rig systems set up, allowing my boys to prep one while the other is
being played. The added bonus for us is the easy access for our artic
trucks, touring buses and enough free, private, secure parking for
everyone. When we went straight into rehearsals after a long tour, we
were able to use the hot shower and were even provided with towels -
this may not mean a lot to some but, knowing the job like we do, it makes
a difference!”
The band has brought its high-energy show to a variety of venues
during Roberts’ tenure, meaning that the full A-rig is only unleashed
every so often.
“Although we know well in advance what each particular show is
going to warrant, we can still kind of make it up as we go along,” he
laughed. “We have A, B, C and D systems and can experiment and add to
them as we see fit. For example, we introduced the stage thrust during a
69
PRODUCTION PROFILE
European leg in Poland last year that has stuck and remains part of the
A-rig today.“
Additions like the thrust, supplied by True Staging, are usually at the
behest of the four founding members of the band, with keyboard player
Piers Aggett acting as the creative driving force. Roberts added: “They all
make decisions collectively and in a very pleasant and professional way.
It really is a great team to be part of.”
The show that Rudimental brought to the O2 was centred on trying to
create a party atmosphere reminiscent of Notting Hill Carnival, including
a railway bridge fascia, mountains of wooden speaker boxes and visuals
based on the capital’s skyline.
The bridge structure in particular looked more suited to the theatre
than a rock ‘n’ roll show, framing the backdrop, and later the LED
screens, in the same way that a proscenium arch frames a stage set.
Roberts explained that this influence stems from the band’s own creative
vision of what a touring production should look like.
He said: “Theatre is a something that comes up a lot in our
discussions. Some of the guys come from that background having
worked at Hackney Empire at one time or another. As well as this, they
are always keen to incorporate London into the show, being a proud
Hackney band. The bridge fascia is designed around the Hackney Central
overground bridge - except that our version is twice as big as the real
one!”
NOT GIVING IN
The majority of Rudimental’s bespoke speaker boxes were created
by boutique set design and manufacturing company, Get Set. The
company’s co-founder, Jim MacAuley, who originally came on board as
the group’s stage manager, explained: “The speakers placed on stage
have been in use for two years, while the downstage risers came in
about a year ago. They’re manufactured from wood but have aluminium
reinforcement frames so the band can stand on them and not fall
through – which was definitely a concern!”
RUDIMENTAL
PRG XL Video’s domain, backstage at the O2 Arena.
The boxes have also been designed so the can be easily wheeled
around and flat-packed down during transport.
In order to upscale for the London show, the team added even
more of the boxes, this time by refinishing units that Production North
manufactured for a television performance on The X Factor in 2015.
Although they are an emerging company, Get Set has already created
custom staging elements for Hurts, The Stranglers, and Nero, as well
as continuing to find new challenges in the future. MacAuley continued:
“We’re still a boutique company, but we’ve already got some great
projects under our belts. We like to get involved in as much of the design
process as possible, as well as taking care of construction and offering
show design.”
COMMON EMOTION
The physical set was accentuated by a substantial lighting rig, which was
devised and operated by LD and Show Designer, Jonny Gaskell. Having
spent three years on the road with Rudimental, he has become attuned
to the band’s creative vision.
“Lighting-wise they tend to like it pretty ‘ravey’,” he said. “The variety
within the set also allows me to do some subtle static looks and then let
rip when it comes to the bigger rave tracks. There’s all sorts of genres
to play with in Rudimental’s music, which gives me scope to design
different kinds of things for each track. They’re a great band to work for in
that respect.”
Still a relatively fresh-faced act when it comes to their back
catalogue, Rudimental quite often opt to add brand new material to
the set in order to give returning fans their money’s worth. Gaskell
continued: “When I started the band only had the one album, but by now
they definitely have enough to keep me on my toes! They are good guys
and they understand that you are learning the new material just like they
are. It’s all bedded in by now and at least the audience is excited in the
knowledge that they might be getting some new tracks.”
Gaskell pre-programmed the A-rig lighting show during production
rehearsals already done. He chuckled: “We had a great four or five days
of building and programming - then we packed it down and didn’t use it
for three months! The show doesn’t really translate when we scale down
the rig, so I have different show files for the smaller stuff.”
The C-rig of two Fly By Nite trucks expanded to seven for the O2 show,
which also necessitated a bigger crew. Colour Sound’s Joe Beardsmore
– who also did some additional programming with Gaskell - and Simon
Robertson were both on site, while Yose Lawson, Ben Love and Dave
Jolly from Rigging Machine and the additional Colour Sound Experiment
crew of Andy Melleney, Frankie McDade and James Hinde completed the
line up.
A 60ft wide front truss was floated just downstage of the bridge
fascia, which was made up from a trussing goalpost. Just upstage of
70
this was a drape truss with a black cloth that masked the bridge during
the two opening acts. On an electric kabuki, this dropped at the top of
Rudimental’s set to reveal the bridge. Upstage of the bridge goalpost was
the back lighting truss and behind that, the backdrop drape truss (on the
tabs). The rig was also fitted to three circular trusses that were flown in
front of an upstage LED screen.
The moving lights were primarily from Robe and Clay Paky, with 10
Robe MMX Spots as key lights on the front truss, Robe BMFL Spots on the
upstage trusses and floor, and 88 Robe LEDWash 600’s spread out over
the entire rigs as the primary wash fixture. They were complemented by
46 Clay Paky Sharpys positioned on the vertical trusses, the circles, the
bridge and the floor.
For a huge back-light effect in three of the band’s songs, Colour
Sound provided six Novalight Super-Nova big beam effects, four along
the back and another two beneath the side screens, which stretched out
the whole performance area.
Another theatre-esque technique used during the show was the
creation of ‘day and night’ scenes by lighting a back cloth with different
fixtures. Eight Chroma-Q ColorForce 72 LED battens positioned along
the floor skimmed up the cloth during the ‘day’ scenes, while five Studio
Due CityColors illuminated it from the back, bleeding through and
illuminating buildings and windows on the Hackney cityscape for ‘night’
scenes.
The scenic lighting props included six authentic lampposts with
Chauvet Professional mini COLORband PiXs fitted in the heads - two per
light. The six masts were each lit with an i-Pix Satellite LED ‘brick’, and an
SGM XC-5 strobe was concealed in a London phone box.
The crew also made use of four of the O2’s house Gladiator
followspots and Jonny operated the show using his own ChamSys
lighting console. Forty-six 2-lite molefays were also dotted around.
As Roberts discussed previously, the crew needed to stay light on its
feet. This meant cloning house fixtures when there wasn’t room for the
full floor package at academies, or using a scaled down riser package to
make as much room on stage as possible.
These kinds of calls were made show-to-show and, as the O2 was by
far the biggest venue on the run, the crew and band were quite literally
allowed to stretch their legs.
Gaskell continued: “Everybody loves this A-rig set. It’s a bit of a pain
to set up but it looks so unique once it’s done. It certainly makes things
more difficult that we’ve never had a run of setting it up, meaning it’s
almost like you coming to it fresh every time. I was stood out front with
band’s manager and we both said how much of a shame it is that it
looks so good and we’ve only used it a handful of times! It might still
make an appearance because it seems a shame to completely get rid of
something that’s had so much effort go into it. Hopefully stays in some
form or another.”
‘From the production end I love using
LSH Spaces because there is enough
space in that big room for me to have
both my A and B rig systems set up’
-MATTHEW ROBERTS, PRODUCTION MANAGER

SENDING A MASSIVE APPRECIATION TO THE RUDIMENTAL GUYS AND CREW FOR NOT
JUST CHOOSING TO USE OUR SPACE BUT MAKING YOUR TIME WITH US EVENTFUL!

020 3333 4444

ATLAS WHARF
BERKSHIRE ROAD
LONDON, E9 5NB
100M FROM HACKNEY WICK OVERGROUND
...IN THE HEART OF THE EAST END BY THE A12
RUDIMENTAL
Monitor Engineer Stu Mac and FOH Engineer Rickey Ricketts; Fly By Nite and MM Band Services vehicles were at the O2 in force.
Rudimental once again chose PRG XL Video to provide screens,
cameras and control for the show. This included an upstage 12 metre
wide by 4.2 metre high screen, made of ROE MC-7 in XL Touring Frames,
and two six metre wide by 3.6 metre high IMAG screens, made of ROE MC-
12 in XL Touring frames. The company also provided three Sony HXC-100
camera channels, four HDIYE mincams, and a Barco E2 screen switching
package.
PRG XL Video also provided six crewmembers: Director, Phil
Woodhead; Engineer, Andrew Powell; E2 Programmer, Sam Jeffs; LED
Techs and Camera Operators Gareth Manicom and Colin Mudd; and Lead
Camera Operator Lisa Baker.
Phil Mercer, Project Manager at PRG XL Video, commented: “We’ve
been involved with Rudimental since they first introduced video into
their live shows, and have thoroughly enjoyed working with Jonny
Gaskell and Matty Roberts from the outset.”
The video and lighting setup was further accentuated by a laser
package from ER Productions. This consisted of three Excellent 21 RGBB
ops laser units, a Pangolin Beyond control system, a smoke package and
an operator, Laser Technician, Chris Vickers.
Ryan Hagen, Director at ER Productions, explained: “The band
predominantly uses a three laser setup in it’s A-rig – one upstage centre
and two downstage left and right, a decision that comes from LD Jonny
Gaskell.
“As the A-rig shows are only now and again it’s difficult to have
everything pre-programmed. That’s why we use Pangolin Beyond. The
software is quite comprehensive when you want to operate live, and that
is exactly what we need for the Rudimental gigs we have been a part of.”
Pangolin Beyond lets the operator build a bank of presets that can be
added to as time goes on, even updating effects on the day of the show,
time permitting.
FEEL THE LOVE
The tour was only the second time BCS Audio has provided a full PA
system for Rudimental, though it has been supplying the band’s control
package for some time. The O2 Arena show was scaled up to a total of
60 L-Acoustics V-DOSC speakers from the usual 24 used on the rest of
the tour, as well as 40 SB28 subwoofers. The in-house JBL VerTec delay
speakers at the O2 were made use of, though the crew was confident
they weren’t necessary from a volume point of view.
BCS’s Dave Shepherd said: “What they call an arena in the Europe is
so varied that you sometimes have to quite drastically scale up. The O2 is
a perfect example, as it is almost double the size of some of the country’s
other arenas. The V-DOSC still gets to the back of the room but it’s good
that the delays are there to help with definition at those very top seats.
It’s a great sounding box and the newer amplifiers we supplied really got
the most out of them.”
72
The V-DOSC setup was specified by the band’s FOH Engineer Rickey
Ricketts. He laughed: “I chose the V-DOSC because it’s got balls! I prefer
it to the smaller K2 as I’m one of those engineers that likes to move air,
wherever you are in the arena. It wasn’t cost-effective for us to bring in K2
delays for a one-off show so we’re using the in-house ones. You will still
feel it at the back of the room, don’t you worry!”
To control this powerful rig, Ricketts opted for a Soundcraft Vi6. He
continued: “I’ve used so many consoles over the years and to me that’s
the warmest sounding digital desk. It’s on a par with the Midas PRO
Series but I find it easier to set up. The Vi6 has been rock solid for me so
far.”
Following experimentation conducted during the band’s perpetual
tour cycle, the crew settled on Audio-Technica microphones, which have
since become “a big part of the band’s sound”, according to Ricketts.
He chose Audio-Technica AE 6100’s for vocals ATM 350’s for horns, AE
2500’s for the kick drum, AE 3000’s for the snare top and bottom, an ATM
450 for the hi-hat, ATM 350;s for rack and floor toms, an ATM 450 for the
ride and ATM 4050’s for overheads.
Unlike many of their ilk, Rudimental produce almost all of their
sound from live instruments, including a brass section, keyboards,
drums, guitars and bass, and use only three tracks of external audio.
With the exception of the live drum kit and brass, all of the instruments
go through DI boxes into a mixture of Ableton and Apple MainStage
software. Rudimental uses this combination in the studio, allowing
the musicians on stage to match the exact sounds used on the band’s
albums.
Monitor Engineer Stu Mac explained: “It keeps everything true to
the record, which is a big priority for the Rudimental boys. To be fair, it
works really well and there are some nice sounds in there. Everything live
is mic’d with ridiculously nice microphones as well. This keeps the job
relatively easy but it’s still a challenge with 11 of them on stage.”
This allows Ricketts and Mac to run a relatively quiet stage, with the
band almost exclusively relying on Cosmic Ears in-ear monitors, bar the
L-Acoustics subwoofers used as side fill and a d&b audiotechnick sub for
the drummer.
Mac said: “This means that the stage is quite comfortable for the
guys, other than bowel-rattling subs! It’s to help Ricky out as well as the
band, because there’s a lot going on. The cleaner and simpler we can
source sounds, the better.”
The group plays to two click tracks, one for the drummer and one for
the rest, and all have their own individual in-ear mixes. “The majority of
the mixes are quite full and close to the studio tracks with their own parts
a little louder, though the specifics change track by track,” said Mac.
“We have scenes for every track and a couple of scenes within each
one. We have to be this detailed due to level discrepancies that can occur
when using MainStage for guitars and bass in a live setting.“
 Make everyone happy.
Even this guy.

More than just a loudspeaker company, we are in the business of delivering the experience.
So we think about things differently.
We create products that deliver the same pristine impulse response to everyone at the show. These solutions ensure that every seat
sounds as amazing as the mix and minimize the impact of the room.
No matter what.
So for every seat – set the stage, with an ADAPTive™ System.
Find out more about our industry changing ADAPTive Systems at eaw.com/products/adaptive

www.eaw.com

Adaptive_ThisGuy_TPI.indd 1 3/2/16 3:59 PM

RUDIMENTAL
If housing the 11-piece wasn’t enough, the stage also had to provide enough room for wooden speaker stacks, lamp posts and a telephone box.
WAITING ALL NIGHT
Although Pyrojunkies has supplied Rudimental with Magic FX Handheld
Streamers and confetti cannons for some time, the band wanted to
make “a bigger impact” at their O2 Arena show, according to Sales and
Project Manager for Pyrojunkies, James Priddle.
He explained: “After a few calls and emails with Matty Roberts,
we agreed on six Magic FX Superblaster XL Confetti Blowers and four
Magic FX Stadium Shots. The Superblaster XLs were used with 17mm
by 55mm silver metallic confetti and the Stadium Shots were filled
with multi-coloured streamers, again manufactured by Magic FX.” The
pyrotechnics expert on site for the company was Stu Wickens, fresh from
his stint on the Jason Derulo tour (featured in TPi Issue 199).
Another of the suppliers who has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with
the heavy-touring band and its production and management teams is
Rock-It Cargo. Although the company wasn’t heavily involved with the
O2 show in particular, Rock-It’s David Stone was on site to celebrate
Rudimental’s biggest UK show.
He said: “Rudimental are hardworking and, as such, have a full-on
and often challenging schedule. To meet the tight deadlines and
demand for shows we often have more than one rig travelling to different
destinations.”
“Management are well aware of the logistics that need to be
considered, so before committing to shows I’m often thrashing out
budgets and schedules with Wilkie and Matty to come up with the most
economical / workable shipping schedules. This ensures that they can
maximise the number of shows played, without compromising service
levels or taking any unnecessary risks.”
Stone continued: “When freighting large amounts of equipment
around the world for time-specific moves, there’s lots of variables
dependent on the country, flight availability, timelines, and customs, as
well as the authorisations and permissions required. If processes aren’t
followed correctly, without the right planning it could mean a missed
show.”
Fly By Nite first stared working with Rudimental in August 2013, and
provided seven trucks for the band’s London show, comprising two
mega step trailers, four flat floor mega trailers and a mega curtain.
FBN’s Matt Jackson said: “Matty Roberts has done an amazing job since
becoming PM, he is excellent at pre-planning and communicating on
logistics so it makes the task in hand straightforward.”
When it came to transporting crew and the band themselves,
74
Rudimental relied on Hull’s MM Band Services.
Keeping the scaled-up production fed and watered was Eat To The
Beat, with six staff on site including Head Chef, Dan Gamble. Throughout
the day, the amount of mouths to feed rose dramatically, serving 30 for
breakfast, 70 for lunch, and upwards of 80 for dinner, as well as providing
platters and snacks for the dressing rooms after the show.
Gamble said: “Aside from a few vegans and a few gluten free diet
requets we have relative freedom. We’ll always look at the people we’re
feeding and we know in general what different types of crewmembers
like to have. Our chicken parmesan is a popular dish with this group, as
are the pork chops with cider gravy and seafood linguine. It’s a great
crew and everyone seems happy with what they’ve got to choose from.”
Having just made it on site in time for a healthy portion of ETTB’s vegan
cottage pie, I am certainly inclined to agree!
GO FAR
You could be forgiven for thinking that Rudimental would celebrate
their London homecoming, as well as the past few years on the road,
by dusting off their collective slippers and taking a day or two off. That,
however, is not the way this band rolls. Cue an almost breathless touring
schedule that will take Rudimental to perform for their fans across the
US, Dubai, the Far East, Europe (again) and Australia, where the band
enjoys widespread popularity.
With this many shows on the cards and the crew’s itinerary’s
looking relatively full until at least August 2016, it is hard to believe that
Rudimental’s impressive A-rig has had it’s swan song at the O2 Arena.
You never know, Gaskell could get his wish after all!
TPi
Photos: David Morrell
www.rudimental.co.uk
www.bcsaudio.com
www.prg.com
www.coloursound.co.uk
www.er-productions.com
www.truestaging.co.uk
www.pyrojunkies.com
www.rockitcargo.com
www.flybynite.co.uk
www.mmbandservices.co.uk
www.eattothebeat.com
 Desired directivity
and better impulse response

KH3
Measures 10db less noise pollution on stage
Digital acoustic steering
Hyper-cardioid dispersion
Self powered

www.k-array.com

Opposite: Off the back of a busy month of album promotion, The 1975 hit the UK with their visually stimulating live show; FOH Engineer Jay Rigby with the analogue
Midas XL4; Stage Manager Jack Dunnett; Lighting Crew Chief Josh Barnes; Monitor Engineer Francois Paré with Chris Hall, Monitor Technician.
THE 1975
Pushing the boundaries of LED capabilities, Cheshire’s alt-rock success story presented the UK
with a stunning visual tour to match the band’s energetic live show. TPi’s Stew Hume met the
crew behind one of the Britain’s worst kept secrets.
If you have not yet come across The 1975, that is guaranteed to change
over the coming months. Since late last year on the build up to the
release of their second full length album, I Love It When You Sleep,
For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, the UK four-piece have
undertaken a relentless touring schedule that has seen them perform
in venues across the globe. Off the back of various promotional TV
appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, the Cheshire boys headed
back to the UK, playing multiple nights in London, Manchester,
Glasgow, Birmingham and Dublin.
SETTLE DOWN
Heading up The 1975’s tour is Production Manager Dermot Lynch.
Brought in during the latter end of the first album cycle, Lynch began
working with the band as interest in the group sky rocketed. He
explained: “On their first album I think they did something like 200 gigs,
very much on a global scale. The band’s growth and busy schedule
meant that they needed some advice and some more hands on deck.”
The PM’s name was put forward by The 1975’s Show Designer, Tobias
Rylander, who he got to know while working with French rock band,
Phoenix.
After several intense months with the band, Lynch explained that the
current UK tour had been very relaxed. “February was always going to be
album set-up month with lots of promo and we were dragging the crew
back and forth to the US to do TV slots on Saturday Night Live and the
Jimmy Fallon Show. When we came back to London to begin production
rehearsals in Brixton Academy it was fairly busy as we were adding six
backing vocals and a brass section. But by the first show everyone was
really relaxed and the opening night was a blinder. Everyone is happy to
be here and it’s a great crew.”
Apart from touring LD, Darren Purves, Lynch had worked with
everyone in the crew before. He stated: “Everyone has gelled really well.
We were squeezing this large production into smaller areas and there
certainly were challenges. Perhaps it was a ‘war-time mentality’ but
77
PRODUCTION PROFILE
everyone got stuck in and worked really well together.”
He went on to state that the band themselves were very easy to work
with: “You might expect that with a younger band there would be a few
egos but it’s really not like that. It’s not what I was expecting and when I
was with them on the first UK tour it was a nice surprise how well we all
got on.”
For suppliers Lynch went for many companies he had previous
experience with. “We have Fly By Nite for trucking who are a staple for me
as is Eighth Day Sound for audio. As The 1975 are a new client so, their
management obviously wanted to explore different options to see what
else could be brought to the table but, just like every other production
manager, I have my relationships with certain companies and people
that I can trust. With Fly By Nite I know there are people there I can call at
four in the morning and they will be able to sort the problem. The same
with Eighth Day Sound who are providing a global package.” For the tour
Flybynite supplied three Mega artics and a low ride 26 tonne rigid truck.
Another supplier who both the band and Lynch have had prior
experience with is EFM which has supplied the logistical needs for The
1975 since their humble beginnings in 2012. The EFM team witnessed the
steady growth of the group through Europe and beyond, most notably
in the US. The company started assisting with raising ATA Carnets and
advice on the most cost-effective US and international tour routings
which soon developed into the regular freighting of their backline and
production equipment. Most recently EFM used its pioneering in-house
system to raise an ATA carnet for the band with in excess of 4,500
items. Lynch commented: “They are a great team who always give you
confidence that the job will get done. In 12 years of working with them,
they have never failed to deliver, regardless of what I have thrown at
them.”
Despite Lynch’s tendency to veer towards the familiar, this tour
presented the PM with a company he had not worked with before;
lighting and video specialist VER. “VER had serviced the bands account
on the last album cycle so they were already one of the front-runners
THE 1975
With three hanging rectangle structures, four LED columns and a massive LED wall, the band’s Show Designer, Tobias Rylander, was able to create several looks that experi-
mented with the idea of forced perspective.
but the end decision to go with them ultimately came down to two
reasons; firstly, was the product the could provide and secondly was
the competitive deal we struck. The nature of the show design was
very video heavy. There are a number of products on the market but
ultimately the WinVision Air 9mm is really what we wanted and VER is the
biggest supplier of it.” Talking about working with VER for the first time,
Lynch stated: “They have been super helpful. I have a tendency for going
with smaller complains but VER have been great on this run.”
Spending more than one night in each venue created some logistical
issues. Stage Manager, Jake Dunnett, explained: “Due to the fact that
we are spending so much time in each venue we have to send the trucks
away so we have the issue of storage. We are having to use every bit of
space in every venue. Also, with these recent runs there has also been
quite a fluctuation with venue size. But we are on top of it. We always
have a meeting the day before we move into a new venue and discuss if
we can put in the full show (50 ft) or the reduced show (30 ft).”
The current tour taking place in venues for several nights also meant
relying on local accommodation rather than tour busses but Lynch
stated that, once the tour picks up for the mainland European leg, the
bus supplier of choice will be Beat The Street.
Rounding up the production team was Production Coordinator
Elaine Byrne. Along with organising the crew travel, accommodation
and prepping the backs stage areas, Byrne explained some of the other
responsibilities she had for this band who’s popularity continues to rise:
“We have a lot of fans that camp outside before the band arrives so there
is a need for a bit of extra security. We also make sure that anyone that
does camp out gets wristbands to make sure they get in before anyone
else.”
100% LED
For this tour, The 1975 once again employed the services of Tobias
Rylander from Seven Design Works, to create the look for the show.
Speaking from his LA base, Rylander explained how he met the English
quartet. “I first got involved with the band back in 2013,” began Rylander.
“They had never really had any production or even any lighting design
so I had to bring them through that whole process and explained what
could and couldn’t be done. The last design I did for them was quite
daring as it used projection, which meant you needed a lot of smoke.”
78
Rylander explained the creative process behind this current tour. “Matt
[Healy, lead singer] and I had become good friends during the first tour
and he wanted to work with me again. For the last tour we had a very
black and white look so for this one we wanted to do the opposite - using
lots of colour. We noticed that many of the fans, while posting pictures
from the shows on the last tour on social media, were colourising
the images and using filters that often brought out blues and pinks in
photos. So we took these photos as a starting point for graphing a colour
scheme. One other aspect that Matt wanted from the design was for the
set to look like an art instillation, so during the creation of the show we
took inspiration from various artists such as James Turrell.”
The set design incorporated four LED columns as well as a giant 50
sq ft LED back wall along with three hanging rectangular frames. “I knew
that I wanted to work with video again for this tour but I wanted to use
the LED as the main light source for the show.” To achive this effect it
meant pushing the WinVision Air 9mm to the limits. Video Crew Chief, Ed
Lawlor he talked TPi through the LED set up of the show. “We are actually
running the LED at 100%, which is something that rarely happens on
a tour. The WinVision Air has been the perfect choice. Not only is it
incredibly bright it is really light weight. It is something like 10kg per sq
metre.”
The LED towers themselves were built by Brilliant Stages. The role
of setting the towers up fell to Richard ‘Shaggy’ Ehmcke, LED Carpenter.
“The towers are my day and some of my night. The setup we have now
is much easer to the first design we had. The towers split in two. For the
top half the three panels are passed up. To make the towers used to be
a three-man job but now I can run the operation by myself with some
local crew which means the rest of the video crew can focus on their job.”
Lawlor explained that the stage set up had been created with festival
season in mind and the need for a set that could be wheeled out quickly
and efficiently.
While creating the looks for the show, Rylander collaborated with
Content Creators Kerstin Hovland and Emery Martin from Electronic
Conuntermeasures. Hovland stated: “Tobias brought us in to the project
early when he was still sketching the set. He drew it out for us during
the first meeting and we were very excited to work on the project as
we are always seeking to bring video out of the familiar realms. The
LED columns gave the band a real physical way to be inside the video

Frontman, Matt Healy, entertained the crowd with his signature energetic performance; Eighth Day Sound provided audio for the tour including
a d&b audiotechnik J-Series PA system.
elements.” The creation of the set design happened while the band were
finishing recording their second album. Rylander said: “The studio where
the band was recording was only 20 minuets from my house so I could
keep the band updated with ideas as well as popping in to hear some
new music.”
One of the elements throughout the show that Rylander was keen to
explore was the idea of forced perspective and false shadows. “One of
the main inspirations came from Stanley Kubrick and they way he shoots
his films. When video content moves through the various LED surfaces
we play with the perspective by using false shadows on the back wall.”
As effective as some of these looks where, Rylander commented
that using multiple surfaces to produce the video content did cause
some logistical issues. “It was a lot of work to get the show looking right
especially with the looks that focussed on perspective as well as finding
the right LED product that could line up seamlessly at 90 degrees. The
show content also had to be scalable so the set could be reduced to
fit into smaller venues. But I am super happy with it. It’s going to be
interesting to see where it goes when the they move into arenas.”
According to Lynch, the need for the exact placement for all the
various set pieces for the show required the inclusion of someone that
was a stickler for detail. Enter Tour Rigger, Simon Lawerence. “The main
concern for me is the three structures that we have flying overhead.
Once I work out the positions in each venue, I then map the rest of the
set around them. To be honest, on this tour I spend more time on CAD
mapping out the stage then I do actually rigging the show. The show
itself is very light. Including the PA it’s only 10.5 tonnes. For a production
79
THE 1975
that is looking to move into arenas, that is incredibly light these days.”
For the tour Lawrerence used 36 CM Lodestar Motor Hoists. Although VER
were to main supplier, the rigging supplies came from Actus Industries
who have a working relationship with VER.
LIGHTING
With such a LED heavy show, Rylander needed to create a lighting show
that could punch through the content streamed on the various video
surfaces. He explained: “I needed fixtures to be very bright and strong
because nothing really punched through the video screens when it was
running at 100%.”
Josh Barnes, Lighting Crew Chief, talked through the various
elements of the rig. “The lighting is pretty clean cut and the trusses are
not over crowded. Everything has got a purpose and its very specific.
We have 63 Solaris LED Flare full size units, which we are running at
the maximum 12 pixel mode. Thirty of the Flares have been built into
our custom risers and in the back of the four LED towers. We also have
quite a few of the Flares in the rig.” Barnes went on to highlight the other
aspects of the rig which included 28 Impression GLP X4 Bar 20’s, four Clay
Paky Alpha Spot 1500 HPEs, 36 Clay Paky Sharpy Wash 330’s and 16 Clay
Paky Mythos. For a flowspot a PRG BadBoy was deployed.
Launching both video and lighting from FOH was Lighting Director,
Darren Purves. “I have actually known the band for a long time as
friends,” explained Purves. “Once things started happening for them I
got the offer to come and work with the band. I was there during the first
album cycle and then half way through that period, Tobias got brought
THE 1975
LED team, Jack Gambino, Tim Brennan, Richard ‘Shaggy’ Ehmcke and Ed Lawlor; FOH Engineer, Jay Rigby; LD, Darren Purves; Production Manager, Dermot Lynch;
Production Coordinator, Elaine Byrne; Tour Rigger, Simon Lawerence; Sarah’s Kitchen’s Paddy Cullen and Vicky Lee.
in and we started working together. Purves’ control came from an MA
Lighting grandMA full size with a grandMA Light as a back up.
For media servers, the production made use of two Hippotizer V4’s
(one as the main and the other for back up). Purves went on to explain
the importance of time code for this particular show. “Due to the fact
there is a lag on the servers and we are using a lot of the LED surfaces
as fixtures essentially, everything has to line up with hits. The time code
takes the 4/5 frame lag out of the proceedings. There are some rhythm
elements that I control from the MA, and I always have control of the
molefays and followspot, but the majority of the show is time coded.”
The LD also commented on his experience with VER. “When Tobias
first got brought in to work for the band and added in various video
elements, this started the relationship with VER. They have really looked
after us over the years. They have got a massive stock and are able to
virtually supply everything we ask for. You turn up to another continent
and you know everything is going to be right.”
THE SOUND
FOH Engineer Jay Rigby was brought onto the project after being put
forward by the tour’s audio supplier. “Our Monitor Engineer Francois
Paré, our Monitor Tech Chris Hall and I have all worked on various tours
together before, so when Dermot was looking for people for this new
crew we got the call. It’s been great! The band are such nice guys, really
down to earth people. It’s a really family which is important with a
schedule like this one, where we a together for 14 months.”
“We could not have done this tour without the support of Eighth Day.
Especially with their offices in the UK, US and Australia, the gear they
have provided has been perfect.”
For control, Rigby opted to go for an analogue Midas XL4. “For the
last couple of tours I have been mixing on an analogue desk when I can.
Obviously sometimes you can’t always use analogue when you are in
smaller venues or lots of fly days but when we are able to have the space
I always opt for the Midas,” explained Rigby. “It’s the best sounding desk
out there. There are no computer screens and you get to just look up at
the band playing the show.” Rigby discussed what the band need in their
mix. “For their live show they are really looking for it to sound as close to
the album as possible.”
To accomplish this, he uses vocal effects from various pieces of
outboard gear including the Eventide H-8000S Effects Processor for
80
vocal dubbing with the Lexicon by Harman PCM-92 Digital Effects
Processor and two TC Electronics D-Two Digital Delay. “With digital desks
you are able to save all effects as snap shots but with this analogue set
up I change through songs by flicking through the pre-set effects on
the outboard gear. I personally find that with digital consoles you get
buried in the desk. You press next and you’re not completely sure what is
changing. That’s not the case with analogue, as it’s all set out in front of
you.”
One element that Rigby was nervous about losing by making the
switch to analogue from digital was the lack of ability to run ‘digital
sound checks’ with the recording functionality available on most
modern consoles. “Being able to go into a room, set up, and then play
back the show from the day before is a great way to feel the room out
and much more effective than having the backline guys making some
noise. So I brainstormed with the guys from Eighth Day Sound to come
up with a solution and we settled on three Focusrite Rednet 2 Units. With
16 analogue channels in and out, it gives me the a 48 channel use. I then
take all those individual tracks over Dante and record them using Waves
Tracks Live. This is great for the band as well as once in a while they will
try out a new song and want to hear it back so they can all come to FOH
and listen to the recording from the night before and we can work out if
it’s sounding they way they want.”
For PA, the tour was carrying a d&b audiotechnik J-Series, which
consisted of 28 d&b J8’s and eight d&b J12’s that were flown, with
eight d&b Y10Ps for the ground front fills along with a ground sub array
containing 12 d&b B22 subs. Rigby commented: “We have replaced the
older B2 subs with the B22’s. It’s the same design with a single amplifier
channel but it’s a much higher output thanks to the new drivers they
have in there.”
Rigby explained that the crew used d&b audiotechnik array
processing for this tour: “Array Processing looks at the room, works out
how far you need to shoot and any obstacles that may be in the way,
and gives you even coverage and tonality from the front to the back. It
sounds great anywhere in the room, it really takes everything to the next
level.”
At monitor world, TPi met up with Monitor Engineer Francois Paré,
the man who is responsible with handling the large amount of wireless
frequencies on stage. “Virtually everyone has got a wireless pack on
this tour from, band to crew. I have a total of 40 frequencies that I have
 THE 1975

to deal with every day, which includes IEMs, radio microphones and
instruments. I use the Shure Axient system that helps manage and co-
ordinate all various RF.” Paré went on to explain that with such an LED
heavy show, presents some issues in terms of wireless transmission. He
continued: “I have to make sure that all the frequencies are split up. The
low 500 MHz and high 400 MHz is kind of where my problems are with
the LED so I try and make sure I have very few in that range.” In terms of
IEMs the tour opted for the Shure PSM 1000’s. All crew also had talk-back
microphones as well as the drummer, guitarist and bassist and the stage
right session musician. For on-stage monitoring, Paré deployed four d&b
audiotechnik B2 subs with two d&b M2’s at centre stage all of which are
only used for the bottom end. “Everyone is on in-ears so the side fills
are just so the band can feel the mix and the wedges by Matt are there
simply because the side fills can’t reach the centre of the stage.”
For control Paré used a DiGiCo SD5 with a Bricasti M7 Reverb and
a Yamaha SPX-990 Digital Effects Processor for effects. “My DiGiCo is
a great sounding board with all the facilities on it. It sounds nice and
it’s easy to work with for snap shots. The mixing itself is very snap shot
based. There are simply too many people on stage not to rely on that
method. My main focus throughout the show is Matt’s mix. For now I
am sticking with the SD5 as it will be great for festival season unless the
band decides to add more people on stage.”
For vocal microphones the band opt to use the new Shure KSM8
Dualdyne, the worlds first dual diaphragm dynamic handheld mic,
which Paré reported are great to work with. The backing vocalists, which
were a new addition for this tour, used wireless SM58. For audience
microphones Paré deployed two Shure VP89M Shotgun and two KSM
32’s.
CATERING
Keeping the band and crew fed on this run was UK catering company
Sarah’s Kitchen. “Sarah’s Kitchen were new to me for this tour,” stated
Lynch. “I have known Sarah herself for many years and while we were
rehearsing at LS-Live we got to know them as a catering company. They
have been fantastic for this tour.” On the road representing Sarah’s
Kitchen was Chef Paddy Cullen and Vicky Lee who was responsible for
the kitchen’s front of house duties. Cullen, who has been with Sarah’s
Kitchen for over three years, talked TPi through his experience with the
tour: “We are doing the UK dates on this tour which has been slightly
different as we are doing several nights in the same city. I personally
prefer to be on the move although it has been nice to have a bit more
time in the morning!”
As TPi left the show via a backstage door, an audible groan of
disappointment came from the crowds of young fans hoping to catch a
glimpse of the band - a humbling experience if ever there was one! But
while battling through the crowd, the sheer passion that this band’s
fan-base has for the group certainly suggests that The 1975’s recent
success-story is far from over. With their sights firmly set on arenas, it
will be interesting to see where they take their impressive live show once
they hit the bigger stages...
TPi
Photos by Adam Powell
www.the1975.com
www.8thdaysound.com
www.verrents.com
http://sevendesignworks.com
www.ecminteractive.com
www.brilliantstages.com
www.flybynite.co.uk
www.beatthestreet.net
www.sarahskitchentouring.com
www.efm-worldwide.com

Studio grade remote controlled mic pres

Studio Quality, Live. in a modular stage rack, featuring Dante,

MADI, AES3 and Pro Tools|HD connectivity.

Powered by

www.focusrite.com/rednet +44 (0) 1494 462 246

Pro Tools|HD is a trademark or registered trademark of Avid Technology, Inc.
or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries

81
ROAD DIARIES
ED WARREN
Lighting Designer, Mumford & Sons
“I’M AN ALLIGATOR...”
Woken at 5:30am sharp by David Bowie’s Moonage Daydream. He’s the
only man on earth who could startle me at such a hellish hour without
feeling the full brunt of my wrath, hence his home on my alarm. I’m a
good early riser, I have a routine. My bags will have been packed the
night before, clothes laid out, toothpaste on the toothbrush. It pays to
be a little bit obsessive when your brain is still trying to get itself to sleep
following last night’s late loadout.
Touring South America with an internationally successful band
has its ups and downs. On the one hand you get to visit the colourful,
vibrant, electric countries, with their beautifully welcoming and overly
enthusiastic crowds. On the other are the late shows with late finishes,
early flights with early starts, every technical and practical difficulty you
could imagine, and of course Montezuma’s Revenge (aka the sh*ts).
Almost every member of our almost 30-strong crew has been struck
down at least once in the last few months spent in South America and
South Africa. Some more than others. One described his arse as being
“like a defensive squid”. No matter how careful you are - keeping your
mouth closed during a shower, avoiding ice cubes in your drinks, and
using bottled water to brush your teeth - it always finds you in the end.
I’m not complaining, not in the slightest. My insides could be outside
and my brain could be falling out of my feet and I’d still think I’ve got the
82
best job in the world. But touring South America definitely separates the
wheat from the chaff.
We get to the festival after an hour’s drive and are greeted with the
news that the lighting crew won’t be on site for another two hours, as
they had a “difficult night” last night. Cue two more hours of waiting
around with no information, patch sheets, or power for that matter. The
merch guy and I spend much of this time tactically locating the strongest
wifi with which to watch the football later.
By the way, don’t misread this, I’m still not complaining. I love my
job and I’m no cynic, but you really must prepare yourself for the worst
in some cases. Get on with things the best you can, grin and bear it and
store it all deep inside, hoping that one day TPi to ask you to write a
column...
Once the local crew arrives, there’s another 30 minutes or so before
they acknowledge my presence, and I definitely don’t get any kind of
apology. I get hold of the patch sheets, I get my desk plugged in, and I get
control of the rig (or whichever parts of it still work). Some lights broke
last night and won’t be replaced, which is a major MFT (My First Tour)
on their part, so a lot of creative patching, morphing and cloning is the
name of the game.
I check in with my friend who is LD for the headline band on the other
main stage and she’s having an almost identical day, which saddens yet
comforts me. Kinda warms me up. I don’t take any of the crew’s actions
personally, and it almost endears me to them. They’re actually pretty
nice guys, this is just the way they are and the way it will be today.
Having completed my tasks within my designated time despite the
two hour delay, we all get the van back to the hotel. I’ve had a poolside
burger, I’ve FaceTimed the loved ones, I’ve had a power nap and had a
shower. Back on site, refreshed, and the day’s earlier battles have faded
away. Noel Gallagher is on the other stage during our changeover, which
provides a perfect soundtrack amid the changeover chaos.
The show comes and despite a few insignificant (accidental) colour
scrolls on my behalf and the constant re-lamping of lights mid-song, it’s
an absolute wonder-smash of a concert. The band’s first appearance
in this country is met with an overwhelming reaction throughout, and
at one point I’m brought to tears. Although that might be due to almost
crippling tiredness.
When all is wrapped up I find the local guys I’ve been working with
and thank them. They return the gesture and we all leave with smiles
on our faces because, at the end of the day, it’s that 90 minutes, that
performance and that crowd that matters the most. After load out we all
get in the van, buzzing off the band’s response backstage, to be met with
the news that lobby call is in two hours.
Ed Warren
IN PROFILE
 BEDFORD GUITARS

Opposite: Apprentice Luke Tomlinson with Bedford Guitars owner, Dean Rowbotham.

IN PROFILE: BEDFORD GUITARS

When his days as a backline tech were drawing to a close, Dean Rowbotham, owner of
guitar repair and cable manufacturing business Bedford Guitars, had a tough decision to
make. A gap in the market for the niche area he’d become an expert craftsman in eventually
made the decision for him. TPi’s Kelly Murray paid the workshop a visit…

Touring is undoubtedly a lifestyle choice: a living undertaken with
passion and dedication to a life in motion. Although circumstances
may dictate the longevity of time spent living on a bus, it’s rare for
people to leave the industry altogether. Just as one would have
had to adapt to life on the road, when the time comes to hang up
your laminate, one must also readjust to life off the road, and hone
specialist knowledge into a different career path. Around eight
months ago, Dean Rowbotham, head honcho at Sheffield-based
Bedford Guitars, found himself in that very position.
In a quaint mill unit in the centre of the South Yorkshire city stands
a little known workshop where Rowbotham creates customised guitar
cables for touring backline techs, retail outlets and musicians of all
abilities following his own successful career as a backline tech. Having
established the company in 2012 while juggling tour duties, only in the
last few months has the business become his full time concern, offering
debatably unrivalled services to those in the know. On a bitterly cold
morning over a mug of Yorkshire tea (and a TPi brownie!) Rowbotham
explained: “My first guitar teching job was for Bring Me The Horizon
[BMTH] in 2008. They were quite different to every other band in the
city, they were doing everything their own way. They got my attention
immediately because they were incredible guitarists. They used to come
into the old guitar shop I worked in and I’d help them out however I could
with their amps and guitars.
“The guitar shop got bought out by a bigger corporate company who
quickly changed it from a really cool place to hang out, where you could
play and trade guitars, to a catalogue type guitar shop. I got a written
warning once for refusing to up-sell a Chinese guitar to a young kid who
already knew what he wanted to buy. After that I handed in my notice,”
he added.
This experience allowed the six-string enthusiast the freedom to get
out and pursue his curiosity for touring. He set up a splitter van business
after purchasing and renovating his first vehicle and spent two years
driving through Europe with the likes of Neurosis, Mono and Planes
Mistaken For Stars, even forming his own band, The Mirimar Disaster.
“After we disbanded I got an email from Sheep, who was BMTH’s first
Tour Manager. He asked me if I wanted to be a guitar tech. I didn’t know
what a ‘guitar tech’ was at the time so I told him I wasn’t sure if I could
do it! When he explained that I’d be setting up backline and re-stringing
guitars, I thought, “Well, I can do that... and you’re going to pay me?”
Suddenly I was on a six-week tour of America with BMTH. I absolutely
loved touring. I’ve got some amazing memories and met some of my very
best friends through touring, but I found that it was getting harder to get
any better at my job on the road because I was in a different venue every
day and I didn’t have time to stop and think for very long. As a backline
tech, you’re always trying to learn so I started Bedford Guitars just so
that I could have a workshop at home when I wasn’t on the road.”
It was a difficult decision to stop touring. He furthered: “I was getting
the schedule details through for Bring Me The Horizon’s tour [TPi January
2016 cover story] at the same time my fiancé’s visa was being accepted,
and I had to really think about what I wanted out of life. She was moving
over from America - I met her when I was on tour actually. I wouldn’t
change my time touring for anything and if it suits your lifestyle you’ll
have the most incredible time, but I decided that I wanted to be at home
with her and our dog and really make a go of my business.”
There are currently three strings to the Bedford Guitars bow: guitar
repairs, tour consultation, and manufacturing - which includes custom
design. “A lot of bands don’t have the budget for tour managers or
backline techs so I do workshops and show them how to maintain their
gear on the road until they get to the point when they can take someone
out with them. We also recommend techs from our known network to
help to maintain quality.”
The manufacturing side is all done from their cosy workshop, and
the concentration on the company has paid off, enabling an expansion
from pure guitar work, to servicing amps, building custom pedal boards,
playback systems and the trickiest of custom cables.
Said Rowbotham: “We’re aiming to become an internationally
recognised brand which produces reliable and unique products, a brand
that collaborates with creative minds and builds close relationships with
our customers.”
In the name of brand awareness, Bedford Guitars has recently moved
into the trade and retail stockist market. Continued Rowbotham: “We
offer a lifetime warranty, it’s all about offering high quality gear that’s
gonna last a really long time. If one did ever break, we’d give you another
free. That’s always appealing for stockists because they know they can

85
BEDFORD GUITARS
With its craftmanship, the company has established a clientele which includes retail and trade stockists, as well as the ability to build any given cable design for musicians.
put faith in you, even as a small business.”
With its craftmanship, the company has established a clientele
which includes retail and trade stockists, as well as the ability to build
any given cable design for musicians. Rich Tone of Sheffield is a good
example of our venture in retail.” Rich Tone’s David Stockdale explained
the decision to take on the products: “We were excited when Dean
approached us with a view to us selling his cables - not only because of
his vast professional experience with touring bands, but also because
we really saw a place in the market for high quality, locally made cables
at a reasonable price. When we actually got our hands on the cables, we
were astounded by how good they were. From the unique, high quality
packaging, through to the quality of the components and high standard
of workmanship, it was clear that quality and attention to detail were
high on the list of priorities.
“The cables have also created a bit of a stir in-store with our
customers. Not only because they get a chance to test and feel the
quality of the cables, but also with the vast array of configuration
options available, there’s a cable to satisfy just about any need a
customer may have. It’s always good to know that we have a very good
chance of helping a customer out - no matter how bizarre their cable
needs may be!”
Indeed, Bedford Guitars’ interactive cable builder - found on its
website - allows for a trail of unique orders to be handmade in Sheffield
for customers from all over the world.
Rowbotham elaborated: “Most systems, whether a simple
pedalboard or a full system that is split between A and B rigs, takes a
lot of time to plan out. It’s not a case of just throwing a load of money at
it and hoping for the best. It takes time and knowledge to understand
about the voltages and specific needs for the rigours of touring. We build
rigs with that knowledge at the forefront. It’s a very in-depth service that
comes with over 10 years of challenging touring experiences.”
Bedford Guitars has worked with bands as diverse as The Prodigy,
Arctic Monkeys, Alt J, All Time Low and Foals to name but a few. TPi
asked Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis’ Guitar Tech, Jack Hughes, to
explain how the service enhances their tours: “I met Dean several years
back when he was working for BMTH. He helped me out with some
amplifier modifications on my JCM 800. He was so knowledgeable and
his enthusiasm was great so when I was asked to build a new rig for Foals
I went straight to Dean with my ideas. His attention to detail and the
service he offers is second to none - I think the products and service he
offers the bands, crew and musicians on every level is exceptional.”
86
Philippakis added: “Since Dean built my rig, it’s never sounded so good.”
Although clearly attached to all of his creations, a tale that makes
Rowbotham come over somewhat humbled is his experience with the
late Lemmy of Motörhead. He said: “When I was with BMTH, we went
from playing gigs like extreme metal festivals in Finland to getting slots
at Reading and Leeds festivals quite quickly, so I suddenly found myself
working on the same stages as Aerosmith, AC/DC and Motörhead. It
was really exciting for me because I’d get to see the gear everyone was
using! I was taking photos of Lemmy’s bass rig at Sonisphere in Italy
once, and his tech Tim Butcher was wondering what I was doing! Lemmy
famously didn’t use any pedals, he literally just turned it up loud and
played his strings as hard as he could but as he was ageing he needed
a solution to create that signature sound without having to play so
aggressively. I asked if I could make a bespoke pedal for him and they
gave me a shot, so I built a pedal with a friend. I’m told that Lemmy kept
it in his rig until he passed away. He also invited me and my Dad to the
show when they played in Manchester, which will always be one of my
happiest memories.”
As for the growth of the business, Rowbotham is keen to slowly
train up a new generation in backline engineering. This plan came into
fruition when he advertised to take on an apprentice. The results were
both reassuring that there was an interest, and maddening at just how
much backline hopefuls were willing to give. Rowbotham explained:
“People applied for the position from all over the world. I had applicants
from Sydney and Tokyo, people were willing to move to the other side
of the world to sit with me in my workshop in Sheffield and learn more
about guitars. I wasn’t really expecting anyone to apply, so when that
happened it was pretty overwhelming!”
The lucky candidate was from a little closer to home, Yorkshire’s very
own Luke Tomlinson, 22, who has been learning his craft primarily as a
cable maker for the last year. Rowbotham concluded: “I think three years
down the line we’ll have more staff and we’ll be looking at manufacturing
pedal boards and guitars of our own. This is just the beginning.”
No matter how well known the brand goes, there’s no doubt that
Bedford Guitars will remain in Sheffield; a homegrown, organic work
ethic is the essence of its creative force. So like the website encourages,
if you’re in the neighbourhood, pop in with any queries - no doubt a pot
of Yorkshire tea will be brewing.
TPi
Photos: Tom Sykes
www.bedfordguitars.com
Headoffice Austria: joerg@beatthestreet.net | klaus@beatthestreet.net | hannes@beatthestreet.net
Office UK Buses: tim@beatthestreet.net | garry@beatthestreet.net www.beatthestreet.net
Office UK Cars & Vans: ian@beatthestreet.net | mark@beatthestreet.net
INTERVIEW

88
 DAVE SHADOAN, SOUND IMAGE

Opposite: United Audio Companies - the UAC alliance - joined forced for the transatlantic Imagine Dragons outing.

DAVE SHADOAN, SOUND IMAGE

Audio rental and install specialist, Sound Image, was initially founded by Ross Ritto and Joel
Silverman in 1971 under the name Silverfish Audio Associates. A decade later, the company
was renamed Sound Image with new partner Dave Shadoan - now President - and the
company was moulded into a North American market leader.

In a quiet Italian restaurant in the even quieter, picturesque setting of
Del Mar in San Diego county, California, TPi’s Kelly Murray spoke with
Shadoan about his early career, the company’s phenomenal growth
and the transatlantic importance of the newly-formed UAC alliance - a
partnership with UK-based rental house, SSE.
You’re one of the most well known people in the pro audio industry,
where did your story begin?
I left home at 18 and moved to California. Through friends of friends I
ended up meeting someone who would become my business partner,
Ross Ritto, in 1978 and we became very good friends. He already had
some business partners, but we started discussing the possibility of
him and I working together and I had started to invest money into his
sound rental company. His original partner had already been bought out
and together we bought out the other partner. In 1981 we re-named the
company Sound Image. Ross had been mixing big bands since 1971 and
because I wanted to go on the road, he taught me.
When you embarked on a career in live music and concert touring,
who were your main influencers?
In those days it was all analogue, all done by ear so it wasn’t as
complicated as it is now. I was a musician firstly, and I had perfect pitch
according to my music teacher, Mrs. Smith. When I was in junior high
school I was a saxophone player and when we tuned the orchestra I
was the one they always picked because I could tune very easily. When
I was younger I was in a lot of bands. When I started working, Ross had
a big influence right until he sadly passed away in 2009. Then there’s
Mike Adams [tour sound designer] who still works for me today - after 44
years!
What made you want to become a monitor engineer?
I always liked mixing monitors because it kept me very close to the
clients. Sometimes I would get a job with a band that I couldn’t actually
work with because I had my own sound company. It was more important
for us to grow the business, so I’d rather deal the musicians themselves,
directly. I became good friends with many bands over the years because
of how I viewed touring as a business and in over 30 years of mixing
sound I was never fired.
What was your analogue board of choice when you started out?
Most of the desks were home built, because in those days not many
people were making them but Billy Thompson and Dave Malloy, the
founders of Ashly Audio actually made our boards. Suddenly people
were making partnerships and that was the beginning manufacturers
thinking, “there’s this whole other world out here!” Nobody made their
own speakers or took them on tour so we started to make our own

89
DAVE SHADOAN, SOUND IMAGE

Sound Image provided the very first EAW Anya system for Tom Petty’s most recent North American tour.

speakers; we’d buy amplifiers from a manufacturer but they were never At the point when you were experimenting with speakers, providing
up to the rigours of what we had to do on the road. Originally speakers rental equipment and mixing monitors, how many people was Sound
were only designed for use in a living room, so we had to adapt them. Image relying on to operate the business in comparison to the market
We used to call it ‘hot rodding’. That was our nickname for fixing up demands today?
manufacturers’ products to withstand the rigours of riding in a truck and In the very beginning, there was only between six and eight people but
being played loud on stage. It was all a learning curve; I remember one now we employ several hundreds. In order to do as many tours as we do
time in Canada it was -25°C and we pulled up at 8am but nothing would at one time, with a fully supportive, excellent service, it takes hundreds
operate at that cold temperature. I can remember the cables being and hundreds of staff.
frozen like an ice cube. So we had to wait until 11am to pull them off the
trucks! The company started in live sound, at what point did you start doing
installations too?
Were people taking notice of the problems you were coming up Because of the slow season of touring in those days we needed to find
against for the progression of the industry? another way to drive revenue between November - December. So we
Yes, you’ll often hear people say that Sound Image were pioneers. It’s started doing installations. We had done them all along but when we
a relative term. We were creating and learning but what we were really officially said we were going to do it for real and really concentrate on
doing was making mistakes, and then fixing them, it in 1989, we started the integrated systems
figuring out what the next mistake might be and division of Sound Image. To this day, it’s the same.
pre-empting it, until it got to the point where It’s almost a separate company because we
the bigger manufacturers thought we would pay don’t share resources. In other words, our touring
them to do it. I think it was 1982 when we started guys don’t come off the road and do installs, and
buying power amplifiers from QSC. When they
“We would buy amplifiers install guys don’t do live sound roles. They’re
started making amplifier parts and we tried their from a manufacturer but all trained differently. Some of our live sounds
products, it was the first time something had guys have ended up in the install division once
actually worked without us having to do a lot
they were never up to the they’ve quit touring and that’s probably a fairly
of stuff to it. Necessity is the mother of invention. rigours of what we had to do substantial number. It’s a life choice, and some
I think we all learned that phrase because we people get sick of living on a bus in the end, if
made what we could until we realised we had to
on the road.” they want to be at home with their families for
make it better or get someone else to. Dave Shadoan instance.

90

L to R: Mike Sprague, Director of Touring, Sound Image; John Penn, MD SSE; Dave Shadoan, President Sound Image;
Jesse Adamson, Business Development Sound Image; Yan Stile Hire Director SSE; Dan Bennett, Project Manager SSE.
With people wanting to stop touring, do you place a big emphasis on
training to bring the next generation of pro audio talent in?
Certainly, we have interns from universities and they all go through a
process before they go to a show. Some people are amazing and it’ll take
them just six months but on average, it takes students around a year to
learn the ropes. When they come out of school they sometimes think
they know everything but what they couldn’t possibly know is what it’s
like to live on a bus, what it’s like to stand next to all the other people on
a tour and be told, “I don’t like the way you’re doing your job.”
On an average tour there’s 20-30 people travelling but on really big tour
it’s hundreds. It does become a family and there’s no such thing as a
non-dysfunctional family. Many people want to be a part of this industry
but it’s the people who understand the family side of touring and who
don’t burn bridges that are going to have a much longer life span on the
road.
So can part of a roadie’s success be attributed to personality?
I spent many years on the road and I enjoyed it all until the day I didn’t,
and I knew that day. It was 19 September 2001. The tour was supposed
to do shows on 9/11. For whatever reason I got up to get on the flight
and the singer of the band called me at 6am. He said, “Do you have your
TV on? I don’t think we’re going anywhere…” Right when I turned my TV is
when the second plane hit the tower. I stopped and started watching. I
couldn’t believe what was happening.
On 16 September the tour flew into Florida and played the scheduled
shows. When I got home I said I don’t want to do this anymore, be a
sound engineer. I decided to put my focus on the company itself. We had
so many clients that it was an easy decision; the hard bit was so tough
because it was a lifetime of that line of work I had to leave behind. I was
so torn but to this day I don’t have any regrets at all. I got to do the best of
both worlds. I spent almost 30 years touring so I can see both sides of the
91
DAVE SHADOAN, SOUND IMAGE
fence. I had a son when I was very young whose mother unfortunately
passed away. He never saw me much at all because he grew up with me
being gone all the time. I got remarried and had a daughter but I was a
different type of father then; I was at home and my daughter had me all
my time. Funnily enough it does run in the family - my son has worked for
the company for 22 years!
At what point did you become connected with John Penn and SSE in
order to form UAC – United Audio Companies?
Quite recently. We’d tried doing things in the UK several times over the
years - in the past I’ve worked with Bryan Grant of Britannia Row who I
became good friends with, there was Chris Fitch of Skan PA and Dave Kay
at Adlib. I was very fond of Dave. When Jesse [Adamson, Sound Image
Director of Business Development] came to work for me, it opened the
door up. We thought we could be stronger with SSE as a group than
as individual companies. I always used to say you don’t want to turn
over a rock and find someone else under it. Leave it alone. I’d rather
have friends in business and say it was all done in fair play than be the
big winner and have everyone hate me at the end of the day. Life is
somewhat about fairness.
So with fairness in business in mind, what are you hoping to achieve
with this partnership?
We want to be able to provide more service and grow our businesses. It’s
as simple as that. At the end of the day, the UAC will evolve. I’m not quite
sure what the end result is really, because we’re so new, but over 10 tours
later, the clients seems to like it…
TPi
Photos: Tom Martin, Mirza Noormohamed and SSE.
www.sound-image.com
www.uac.global
CLOCKING OFF
Jerry Gilbert
THE LONDON MARATHON
I never knew the meaning of true pain until I started training for my one and only London Marathon.
I either have to admit to being bonkers or simply fess up to the fact
that this was on a Bucket List - that curious modern phenomenon that
does crazy things to people’s judgment and sense of invincibility.
Besides, there was a morbid curiosity in finding out whether the
ravages of my dissolute early rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle - starting when I joined
Melody Maker in 1969 and ending when I joined the local running club in
2014 - had been vanquished by the new world of nutrients, nootropics
and night training that I now populate.
Having missed out in the general ballot, I opted for a charity place.
After churning around inside the ‘Charity Machine’ on a turbo-charged
spin cycle I quickly became disillusioned as mandatory minimum
sponsorship targets seemed to rise to stratospheric proportions. It all
seemed a bit like commercial exploitation on steroids - but perhaps I was
just being naïve.
Anyway, I was all set to throw in the towel (or run for Save The Rhino
in a daft Kigurumi rhino onesie) when I was introduced to a newish and
locally-based charity called Carers Worldwide. These guys strive to
improve support and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of
caring for a family member, but specifically in developing countries like
India and Nepal. I hit it off with them straight away - they weren’t seeking
the earth in sponsorship money and I felt I still had enough mates to get
me over the line (financially speaking anyway).
And so I tripped through the Stargate into a world
of carb packing, electrolyte gels and getting proper
‘porridged up’ before each major run. I pouched a
couple of 10-milers, and fuelled with confidence,
I then went for a 17-mile training trot around the
villages of Hemel Hempstead. This took me so far into DONATE
unchartered waters that all the gels, whey proteins,
energy shakes and Endurox (which sounded like an
upmarket enema) did little to repair the agony of
HERE
www.justgiving.com/
these 67-year-old legs. Jerry-Gilbert/
I have since run two half marathons, the more
scenic, oddly, being in ‘concrete’ Milton Keynes, along
92
leafy trails and Grand Union Canal towpaths I never knew existed. This
should have prepped me nicely for my local half at the weekend, but 48
hours before the event I inexplicably started projectile vomiting with
such ferocity I thought I was waving goodbye to half my small intestine.
Ignoring all sagely advice to scratch I dragged my body to the start line,
virtually foodless for two days, weak as a bled calf and feeble as a fish.
I quickly learnt that a palsied body cannot involuntarily shed half
a stone in body weight, virtually overnight, without payback. For eight
miles I kept up with the two-hour pacer. Then I hit that imaginary
runner’s nightmare known as the wall, and my platoon of jellybabies,
armed or not, were no match. I didn’t just slow down, I pretty much
stopped. I had simply run out of fuel. The ignominy of recording a ‘DNF’
seemed marginally worse than doing the last three mile ‘walk of shame’
to get over the finish line, as droves of weekend joggers wafted past me,
disseminating more sympathy for my evident plight than if I had just
been bereaved. Alan Sillitoe’s iconic book The Loneliness of the Long
Distance Runner came into sharp focus (and I must remember to share
that memory with his daughter Sue when I see her in Frankfurt).
But running is nothing if not a great leveller. Suitably replenished
and able to digest more than chicken soup and dry toast again, I am
now ready for my next challenge. This will be a mighty 20-miler around
Windsor’s Dorney Lake in the company of my old chum, David Atkinson
from Sennheiser. As it’s more or less a home fixture for
him, I’ll probably let him win. I chose Dorney for that
weekend (in preference to the alternatives) because
I’d seen the Olympic Rowing stuff and, being smart, I
figured lakes rarely flow up hills (which seemed like a
good thing).
Then someone described the route as “bleak”, the
perpetual three-mile laps as “boring” and the fact
that it is exposed and “prone to high winds”. Maybe
the hilly Bedford alternative (which I turned down)
wouldn’t have been such a bad alternative after all.
TPi
 CHANGING THE
DYNAMIC
Huge sweet spot
Virtually zero proximity effect

Flat frequency response

Minimal EQ and processing required

Textbook polar pattern

Natural stage bleed and off-axis rejection

KSM8
DUALDYNE™ VOCAL MICROPHONE

Wired and wireless options available, with

choice of black or brushed nickel finish.

Find out how we did it at:

ksm8.shure.eu

#42283 - KSM8 ad - TPI.indd 1 03/03/2016 16:30

GEAR HEADS

The headquarters of the Adam Hall Group, located in close proximity to the German finance centre that is Frankfurt am Main; Adam Hall leadership trio: Alexander
Pietschmann, David Kirby and Markus Jahnel; Alexander Studte, part of the expanding development department.

ADAM HALL GROUP

Adam Hall Group, whose corporate HQ is based in close proximity to the German finance
centre that is Frankfurt am Main, is a global player in the pro audio, light and event industry,
not to mention the specialist music trade. CEO Alexander Pietschmann tells TPi about the
company’s latest offerings, and why Prolight + Sounds is still the perfect entertainment
technology launch pad.

There are a lot of brands within the Adam Hall Group. Where does the
company sit in the industry?
As a leading German manufacturer and distributor, who provides event
technology solutions for business customers, Adam Hall Group has
an excellent reputation worldwide. Target groups include retailers,
live event and rental companies, broadcast studios, AV and system
integrators in both private and public sectors, as well as industrial
manufacturers. Adam Hall Group offers numerous solutions as well as
a wide range of professional audio, lighting, stage and event products
under its own brands LD Systems, Cameo, Gravity, Defender, Palmer,
Adam Hall, Hardware and Adam Hall Stage Equipment Cables. Strong
retail brands complement the extensive portfolio and are equally
involved in the long success story of the ever-growing company.
That’s a huge portfolio. What kind of success did the company see in
2015?
Our success last year was underpinned by, among other factors,
the expansion of the international sales teams, the opening of large
showrooms in Singapore and Barcelona, and of course the many new
products across various brands. And let’s not forget the multi-award

94
 ADAM HALL GROUP

The new Professional Spotlight ZENIT Z 120; The Cameo Auro Matrix 500, a high-power moving spot with 25 powerful 15W LEDs.

winning Array System CURV 500 and the MAUI 5 by LD Systems, or the be controlled. The LEDs of the Aurobeam 150 can also be individually
large number of professional LED lights and lasers by Cameo. controlled via single pixel control.
We also introduced the new Gravity brand of music and microphone The Auro spots operate with ultra-fast three-phase motors for 630°
stands as a particular highlight and a pioneer in its own market segment,panning and 235° tilting (230° tilt for the Auro Spot 400). The differences
which in the fourth quarter of last year went from being released to being
here lie primarily in the LEDs, which range from 60W Auro Spot 100, and
successfully introduced in all relevant markets. 100W Auro Spot 200 to the powerful 180W Auro Spot 400, and achieve
extremely high luminance of up to 190,000 lux. Two gobo wheels, with
What can you detail about the new Cameo products, presented at seven rotating and nine fixed gobos, as well as two colour wheels with
Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt? a total of twelve intense colours, and warm
The passively-cooled Professional Spotlight and cold whites, make the Auro Spot 400 the
ZENIT Z 120 with zoom and IP65 is the first frontrunner of these three new LED moving
product to be released from this new series. “Our success last year was heads.
A unique feature is the use of a durable 120W underpinned by, among Auro Matrix 500 is a high-power LED moving
RGBW COB LED which, in combination with spot with 25 powerful 15W LEDs. Ultra-fast
16-bit technology, creates vivid and extremely
other factors, the expansion three-phase motors make unlimited pan and
homogeneous colour mixing with high resolution of the international sales tilt movements possible. Extremely quiet,
and a wide-ranging dimming response. With teams, the opening of large temperature-controlled fans and a 3,600 Hz
its variable dispersion range of 7° to 55°, the repetition rate are additional features that make
silent zoom motor provides flexible lighting that showrooms in Singapore and the Auro Matrix 500 ideal for use in a filming
extends from sharp, narrowly-focused beams Barcelona, and of course the environment. Auro Bar 100 has the same features,
right up to fully-covered surfaces. Flicker-free but a different housing shape due to the row of
operation by means of a 3600 Hz repetition rate,
many new products across seven powerful 15W LEDs. Both Matrix 500 and
colour temperature correction, variable white various brands.” Bar 100 can be controlled via ArtNet, ensuring
balance and four high-resolution dimmer variable CEO Alexander Pietschmann flexible use in large setups.
responses make ZENIT Z 120 the ideal projector With the Auro Beam 150, Cameo adds a
for TV, film and the theatre. moving head to the range that impresses with its
rich colours and professional features. Two high-
Can you talk us through the stand out features the Auro series offers speed motors move the spotlight quickly on its horizontal and vertical
lighting designers? axes and ensure continuous, endless rotation. Seven powerful 15W
The Cameo Auro series presents its new LED moving heads. Auro Spot quad LEDs, harmonious RGBW colour mixing, and differentiated, natural
100, 200 and 400 make fascinating colour, prism and gobo effects white tones with 16 bit resolution are special equipment features. The
possible. What is particularly impressive with the Auro Matrix 500 and 12° dispersion angle creates a clearly focused beam, and the repetition
Auro Bar 100 are the pixel mapping effects, in which individual LEDs can rate of 3,600 Hz. All Auro series moving heads have RDM functionality,

95
ADAM HALL GROUP

The Professional Spotlight ZENIT Z 120, the first product to be released from the series.

a repetition rate of 3,600 Hz and professional PowerCon, three-pin and
five-pin DMX connections.
What do you think about the changes to Prolight + Sound?
We are very positive about the new developments at Prolight + Sound
2016. The new and compact exhibition centre in Hall 3 is very attractive How do you plan to progress in the future?
for visitors. We view the later start of the music fair and the resultant The markets, our customers and our partners are receptive to an
increase of the overall exhibition period to six
days, as well as the further shrinking number of
exhibitors more critically.
How are current economic developments in the
“We are very positive about
market making themselves noticeable to your the new developments at
business? Prolight + Sound 2016. The
We are on schedule. Critical to the successful
implementation of our 2016 plans are, in new and compact exhibition
addition to our extensive product planning and centre in Hall 3 is very
improving our logistics (including new buildings
to be opened this year), of course, geopolitical
attractive for visitors.”
changes, monetary conditions, and the impact CEO Alexander Pietschmann
of increasing crisis regions, especially in the Near and Middle East. All of
the above makes it hard to predict how things will go, which is why we
are focussing on more ‘technical’ skills and, above all, quick corporate
responsiveness.
imaginative and service-oriented company and
recognise the benefits of strong company and
product policies. In order to strengthen the
perception of Adam Hall Group as an international
key player, which is the company’s main goal, we
will continue to maintain a precautionary and
low-risk growth strategy based on solid financial
footing. In addition, Adam Hall Group wants to
be a more secure and attractive employer - we
currently have more than 190 employees.
TPi
Photos: Adam Hall Group
www.adamhall.com

96
 #004
COMING THIS JUNE
INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS
INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS
Martin Audio has appointed Dom Harter as Managing Director with
immediate effect. His remit will be to build on the success of the Martin
Audio brand and help grow this success across multiple markets
worldwide.
Harter has held multiple pro audio roles including serving as both
Director of R&D and Sales Director with Turbosound before joining
Harman’s Mixer Group with several roles including Global Sales Director /
VP for Harman’s Mixer BU.
“Pro audio has been my entire professional career, having worked
for some of the best known pro audio brands alongside a number of
prestigious installations, one off events and tours,” said Harter.
“It is an honour to lead the Martin Audio team,” he continued. “It
is a brand of tremendous pedigree with truly exciting innovations. I’m
excited by the energy, talent and love of the brand within Martin Audio.
I can’t wait to get going, together I am confident the Martin Audio team
can put the plan and structure together to realise our true potential -
watch out everyone we’re coming!”
Mark Graham, CEO of Loud Technologies, added: “We are thrilled
to have Dom join Martin Audio. The combination of his engineering and
industry background together with his proven business acumen brings a
powerful skill to fulfill the potential of the Martin Audio brand.”
Cato Music is to become part of the Production Park family based
in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The acquisition will pave the way for
Production Park’s popular Backstage Academy and Cato’s specialist
98
Sponsored by
www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002
Roadie School, Cato Academy, to create a Centre of Excellence for
training the next generation of touring and production professionals.
Both academies have been pioneers in the field of vocational and
academic education in the entertainment sector and, together, will
provide a comprehensive training solution to emerging, aspiring and
talented crew.
Commenting on the partnership, Co-Founder of Production Park,
Lee Brooks, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Cato into the
Production Park family. We’ve been hugely impressed by how Cato has
developed over the last 15 years and, from the moment we met, it was
clear that we both shared the same values and vision for supporting
the live music industry. Our academies are at the forefront of training in
touring and production and the synergies are evident.”
Cato Music Chief Executive and Tour Director for Muse, Glen
Rowe, added: “2016 is a huge year for Cato and the collaboration with
Production Park is only just the start.”
Sennheiser has acquired the business of Vienna-based distributor,
Grothusen Audio Video Vertriebs and has founded a new sales
subsidiary, Sennheiser Austria. “We would like to thank Grothusen
CEO Alexander Kränkl for his excellent work, which was instrumental
for Sennheiser’s success in the region, and are grateful for his many
achievements,” said CEO Daniel Sennheiser.
“We are building on a long-standing relationship with one of our
strongest distributors to create even stronger relationships with
www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002 INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Opposite: Dom Harter, Martin Audio’s new Managing Director; Grothusen CEO Alexander Kränkl and Sennheiser CEO Daniel Sennheiser; d3 Technologies Nikita Bazalo,
Marketing Manager and Matthew Drozd, Digital Designer; Christopher Spahr, DPA Microphones’ VP of Sales and Marketing in the US. Below: James Capparelle, DPA Micro-
phones’ Marketing Manager; Gabriel Antonini, DPA Microphones’National Sales Support / Business Development Manager.

our customers. The new operation will be key to even better serve
Austria and the Eastern European region, delivering the value added
services and consulting needed to offer a seamless experience of audio
excellence.”
Commenting on the objectives for Sennheiser Austria, Grefer said:
“Grothusen has worked to develop exceptional expertise working as
a proud partner to Sennheiser, and this next exciting step is a great
reflection of the team’s achievements, as they join the company to play a
key role in taking the Sennheiser story forward in the region.”
d3 Technologies has hired Nikita Bazalo as Marketing Manager and
Matthew Drozd as Digital Designer, who have both come on board at the
company’s London headquarters.
“From traditional advertising campaigns and brand development
to innovative digital media engagement, Nikita’s track record and
experience will continue to enhance d3’s international presence,” said
Fernando Kufer, General Manager at d3 Technologies. “She will ensure
that the brand is communicated clearly and consistently by d3 and our
worldwide partners.
“Likewise, Matthew’s international design experience will be an asset
in the continuing development of our marketing materials, website and
social media presence,” Kufer added.
DPA Microphones has promoted Christopher Spahr to VP of Sales
and Marketing in the US, James Capparelle to Marketing Manager, also
in the US, and Gabriel Antonini to the role of National Sales Support /
Business Development Manager.
“We are delighted to announce these three well-deserved
promotions,” said Niels Jørgen Øhrgaard, EVP of Sales at DPA
Microphones. “Their pride and passion in our products are the driving
force behind everything DPA does. We look forward to their continued
contributions and hard work as DPA continues to build upon its
reputation as the industry’s best.”
Spahr’s new role will include managing the dealer network in the
east of the US and increasing overall sales. He will also be responsible
for overseeing sales across the US and coordinating the eastern, western
and southern regions. Capparelle will be responsible for all of DPA’s
marketing initiatives in the US, including print and online advertising,
and trade shows and events, while Antonini will control the technical
sales support for DPA microphone technology and its applications for
the professional music, broadcast, theatre and audio-visual markets.
A brand new addition to the team is Eric Stahlhammer, Business
Development / National Sales Support. Stahlhammer will be in charge of
support for the sales team with dealer trainings, assisting at tradeshows,
finding new dealer opportunities and coordinating the information with
the regional Sales Manager.
Øhrgaard added: “DPA prides itself on its staff’s dedication to making
the company shine, and we have no doubt that Stahlhammer will get the
job done.”
www.tpimagazine.com/category/industry-jobs/

99
PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE

MUSIC INDUSTRY CAMPAIGN PROMPTS ACTION FROM

GOVERNMENT TO HELP PROTECT UK MUSIC VENUES

The story of Adele’s humble beginnings, singing in the back room of a North London pub,
honing her craft, is oft told in music industry circles as an example of the value of a healthy
grass roots music scene. Small venues and, more importantly, a supportive audience, play
their part as much as access to education and rehearsal and recording facilities.

In the world of live music production, the network of small venues
that support new performers also serve as a proving ground for the
next generation of crew, techs and associated managers. In both live
music and business events, we represent the needs of our members
as well as adding your collective voice to wider campaigns. This alone
has seen us achieve recognition for production as a key part of both
areas of production; we like to think that we can repay this by adding
numbers to the campaigning voices of association groups such as the
Business Visits and Events Partnership an UK Live Music.
Great news for us then, when UK Music, Music Venue Trust and
Musicians’ Union welcome new Government legislation to protect
music venues following a meeting with Ministers at the Department for
Communities and Local Government and Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP.
New regulations, which came into effect on 6 April 2016, mean
developers are now required to seek prior approval on noise impacts
before a change of use from an office to residential building can be
carried out.
Recent permitted development right extensions that have allowed
changes of use to take place have put pressure on music venues making
them prone to noise complaints from residents once they move into the
area. In London alone 35% of grassroots music venues have closed in the
past eight years.
The new regulations will amend the permitted development right.
UK Music’s Bristol live music census published last month by Bucks
New University found that 50% of the city’s music venues were affected
by development, noise or planning issues. These issues pose a direct
threat to the future of Bristol’s vibrant ecosystem which generated £123
million towards the local economy in 2015 and supported 927 (full time
equivalent) jobs. The UK live music sector as a whole contributed almost
a billion pounds in GVA to the UK economy in 2014 and employs over
25,000 people across the country.
Details of the new regulations were revealed in a letter to UK Music
CEO Jo Dipple. Ministers suggest that the new regulations will encourage
local authorities to require applicants under the permitted development
right to put in place noise mitigation measures where appropriate.
The Ministers’ letter outlines steps Government intends to take
including notifying chief planning officers of the change to permitted
development rights and re-emphasising updated planning guidance on
noise that highlights the potential of new residential developments on
live music venues. Whilst these steps do not constitute the introduction
of an Agent of Change principle, the new regulations mark a step-change
in planning law.

100
Sponsored by Sponsored by

SOUND & LIGHTING

www.visitpro.co.uk
DJ & STUDIO

www.visitbpm.co.uk
11-13 SEPT 2016
GENTING ARENA NEC | BIRMINGHAM UK
PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)
(England) (Amendment) Order 2016 was presented to Parliament on 11th
March 2016 and will come into effect from the 6th April 2016. The new
regulations can be found here:
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/332/pdfs/uksi_20160332_en.pdf
Commenting on the amendment, Mark Davyd, CEO, Music Venue Trust
said: “We warmly welcome this breakthrough for the UK’s grassroots
music venues. This common sense move by the government provides an
opportunity for local authorities to use their powers to ensure that live
music continues to play a vital economic, cultural and social role in our
towns and cities. For music venues, this has never been about stopping
development or preventing the creation of much needed new housing;
it’s always been about ensuring that new development recognises the
culture, economy and vibrancy of city centres by building great housing,
enabling existing music venues and new residents to live in harmony.
This is a major victory for the UK’s music venues and music fans. The
MOBILISING CHANGE IN AFRICA’S LIVE EVENT
TECHNICAL & PRODUCTION INDUSTRY
The second annual Live Event Technical and Production conference
takes place the 12 - 14 May 2016 at the Sunnyside Park Hotel in
Parktown, Johannesburg. The conference is a South African Roadies
Association (SARA) initiative and is supported by the Department of
Arts and Culture as anchor sponsor.
The conference aims to:
• Bring transformation to the live events, technical and production
sector
• Focus on the need for a critical upgrade of skills development
• Sector training and skills interventions in the field
• Gather relevant stakeholders, professionals, practitioners, local
and international market industry leaders and the education
sector to discuss the way forward and how to bring about change
in this sector.
Currently the sector’s skill qualification is only at matriculation level and
urgently needs to increase to at least NQF level 5 (National Qualification
Framework) to match international standards. The level descriptors were
developed by SAQA (South African Qualification Authority). They are
primary aimed at qualifications experts, who are involved in developing
and implementing the South African NQF.
The 2015 conference outcomes were clear:
102
fight to protect, secure and improve them goes on.”
Jo Dipple, CEO, UK Music said: “Ministers Ed Vaizey, Brandon Lewis
and James Wharton deserve sincere thanks for taking up our cause and
offering to act on industry concerns. There are times when it seems
Government does not listen. When it does, and when it acts on what
it hears, we should be proud of our political masters. The Music Venue
Trust has done an amazing job to raise awareness and push this issue
to the top of the Governmental ‘in tray’. If these new regulations have
the desired effect, grassroots venues around the UK will have additional
powers to help them survive and prosper.”
Horace Trubridge, Assistant General Secretary, Musicians’ Union said:
“We are delighted to see that the Government has responded to our calls
for action to protect grassroots live music venues. Hopefully, this will
ensure a brighter future for this vital resource”
TPi
www.psa.org.uk
• Work towards an increase in skills qualifications to NQF level 5.
• A forecast of skill requirements within the live technical and
production sector.
• Increase integration and transformation within the live event
technical and production industry.
• Establish a South African Live Events Technical and Production
Backstage Academy.
SARA President Freddie Nyathela shares his objectives for this year’s
conference: “The main aim is for us to move forward on the outlined
LETPC 2015 outcomes, to follow-through with implementation
on the first SA Backstage Academy, focus on increasing the skill
qualification level to NQF5, to set-up the skills need analysis and to bring
transformation to this sector.”
International speaker John Botham OBE, owner of Semperior
shared his view: “I attended and was a speaker at the 2015 conference,
meeting lots of different people and getting their views on Live Events
in South Africa. It was an enormously rewarding experience, it gave
me an insight into the skills needed to improve the life chances of
young South Africans. Many of the people I met are still in contact
and I count them as friends, I am really looking forward to the 2016
conference.”
TPi
www.letpc.co.za
COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE GLOBAL FESTIVAL INDUSTRY

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
FREE NEWSLETTERS FOR
WEEKLY FESTIVAL NEWS,
FEATURES, AND THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP CONTENT

www.festivalinsights.com
 The TPi Production Guide

THE PRODUCTION GUIDE

The TPi Production Guide is kindly sponsored by
PRG XL Video – Tel: + 44 (0)1442 849 400 / +44 (0) 845 470 6400. Web: www.prg.com
2 Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7DU / The Cofton Centre, Groveley
Lane, Longbridge, Birmingham, B31 4PT

Total Production Solutions

Corporate - Live Events
Touring - Broadcast
SOUND LIGHTING
VIDEO RIGGING
NOW AVAILABLE:

01565 652202
rental@vme-uk.com
www.vme-uk.com

Temporary Power Specialists

Power for Events, Festivals & Broadcast

Sync & Twinset Units
Full Site Power Design & Implementation
Nationwide Service
Contact our specialist team today!
North West - 01565 654 004
Wales - 01758 713 100
www.eurogenerators.co.uk
hire@eurogenerators.co.uk

Travel M
anagem CELEBRATING 15 YEARS
for the
Live Mu ent Services
sic Indu
stry

• Saving you time, money, stress and hassle

Meet the d3 2x2plus.
Seriously powerful for its size.
d3technologies.com/2x2plus
• Help with planning, budgeting and routing
• Hotels, flights, ferries and other travel products
• Various budgets and expectations catered for
• Trade only prices with financial protection
• Detailed itineraries provided for all tours
• Free travel advice and 24 hour support
SPECIALISTS IN THE ART OF
E: info@travel4tours.com
TOURING & ENTERTAINMENT
T: +44 (0) 1904 777 217 (UK)
F: +44 (0) 1904 777 172
www.tourtravel.co.uk
W: www.travel4tours.com
T: +44 (0) 20 7434 7408

104
 Gerriets
five star Acoustics!
 Sound Curtains
 High Absorption Fabrics
 Flexible Bass Absorbers
 Retractable Banners
 Acoustic Analysis

Gerriets Great Britain Ltd. +44 20 7639 7704

18 Verney Rd, +44 20 7732 5760
London SE16 3DH info@gerriets.co.uk
UK www.gerriets.co.uk

Engineering for the ears

Equipment we offer:

/ PROJECTION • Cable Ramp - Rental & Sales Customised personal

/ MEDIA SERVERS • ADA Disabled Wheelchair Cable Ramps - Rental
• Event Power Distribution - Rental
hearing solutions
simplified for you
/ CREATIVE VIDEO • Cable - Rental
• Powerlock Cable Systems - Rental info@proguarduk.co.uk www.proguarduk.co.uk
• Lighting & Adaptors - Rental

Tel: 0845 606 6049

TEL: 0845 689 2000 / WWW.CPLAV.COM Email: hire@tempower.co.uk
www.tempower.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE HERE ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE MADE TO HANNAH EAKINS OR CHARLOTTE GOODLASS

HANNAH EAKINS - TEL: +44 (0) 161 476 8363 EMAIL:H.EAKINS@MONDIALE.CO.UK
CHARLOTTE GOODLASS - TEL: +44 (0) 161 476 9126 EMAIL: C.GOODLASS@MONDIALE.CO.UK

APRIL 2016 ADVERTISERS

Adam Hall 6 DWR 83 Meyer Sound IFC
Adamson 25 EAW 73 Millennium Studios 52
ADJ 49 Elation Professional 65 Milos / Area Four Industries 47
All Access Staging & Productions 35 Entec Sound and Light 104 & 105 MTFX 9
Allen & Heath 29 EVI Audio 43 Pearce Hire 24
Amptown Cases 41 Fly By Nite 37 Philips Entertainment BC
Audio-Technica 53 Focusrite 81 Phoenix Bussing 33
B+K Braun 67 Funktion One 17 PRG XL Video 104 & 105
Beat The Street 87 GearSource Europe 79 Production Park 54 & 55
Bob Kelly & Co 104 & 105 Gerriets 104 & 105 Prolyte 19
Central Presentations 104 & 105 Gulf Crewing 104 & 105 Protec 3
ChainMaster 5 Hand Held Audio 96 Rigging Services 97
Chauvet Professional 7 K-array 75 Robe 21
Clay Paky 27 Knight Rigging Services 104 & 105 Rubber Box 97
Coda Audio 41 L-Acoustics IBC Shure 93
d&b audiotechnik 59 Le Maitre 61 Tempower 104 & 105
d3 Technologies 39 Leisuretec 4 The Revolving Stage Company 61
DiGiCo 11 London Speaker Hire 63 & 71 TW Audio 23
Doughty Engineering 28 MA Lighting 13
Duratruss 15 Martin By Harman 51

105
BACK CHAT
JAC NOTT
Monitor Engineer
On getting started in the industry…
“I started playing in a band at school, but could
never hear myself when in shows - so took an
interest in the reinforcement of sound. I mixed my
first gig (under supervision!) aged 14. A few years
later, I talked my way into a local recording studio
for work experience - starting as tea/coffee maker -
moving to tape op then moving up to learning mic
techniques, console mixing, Cubase programming.
A good day was when you didn’t have to get the
soldering iron out to make the pub PA work!”
On her touring origins…
“One of the bands I had
covered monitors for on
a few one offs (Groop
Dogdrill) were supporting to
Motörhead in 1998. I asked
them if I could visit their
first gig and say hi, they
replied only if I mixed their
monitors for the show - first
show would mean PA techs
would have little time spare
for mixing support the acts.
Boom, I was on tour.”
Jac Nott, 2016 TPi Monitor Engineer of the Year.
On touring etiquette…
“You need to be a bit of a chameleon.
It’s no good being the best engineer or
tech in the world if you rile everyone up.
You all have to live in close proximity on
a bus for long periods of time, and some
times show days are really challenging
in so many ways. A happy bus is a
happy tour. You also have to know when
compromises are needed in your world
for the bigger picture or better outcome
of the show as a whole. One of the most
important things is to want to tour!”
On winning (another!) TPi Award…
“Mind boggling! To be nominated is
brilliant - it’s an amazing feeling to realise
people have noticed you, but to win with
all those other great engineers out there
is something else! Immense! I really do
appreciate all those who put my name
forward. I am also really thankful to the
bands I have worked with repeatedly
over the years; fundamentally they have
made me the engineer I am today.”
On passions away from the
console...
“Ocean conservation. I am a
keen diver (in hotter climates!)
and it breaks my heart to see
how much rubbish is in the
water caused by mankind
and how much we are
wrecking the oceans with
unnecessary, non sustainable
antics like shark finning, or
poaching ever dwindling
populations from designated
sanctuaries. These animals
all play a huge part in how
the ecosystem works, and
how oxygen is circulated. The
Ocean is (was) a balanced environment so if we mess up the
consequences will hit us on land. As a result I spend a fair
bit of my spare time supporting and volunteering for Sea
Shepherd UK. Sea Shepherd is a global movement dedicated
to ocean conservation and preservation, entirely made up
of volunteers both on land and at sea all around the world.
Ordinary people like you and I who will take (non-violent)
direct action where necessary to stop the antics of poachers,
illegal whalers, drift net fishing vessels (which was made
illegal years ago!) and a whole host of other illegal ocean
damaging activities. It is amazing how little people know
about ocean damage, and how simple changes we can all
make will help hugely.”
106
 MONITORING ESSENTIALS

X8, LIVE MONITOR - L-ACOUSTICS X SERIES

In creating the X Series, we brought all of the experience gained in designing the K2 to bear on a new series of reference coaxials.
Optimized design, ergonomics, acoustical performance and weight make the X Series the most advanced coaxials on the market.
Four distinct enclosures with format, bandwidth, SPL and coverage angles perfectly adapted to short throw rental or install
applications, the X Series offers studio monitor sound quality, compact design, consistent tonal balance, no minimum listening
distance and exceptional feedback rejection. www.l-acoustics.com

Advertising_X8_210x297_TPI.indd 1 12/10/2015 11:43:13

14919_HYDRUS_AD_LAMB_TPI_OL.indd 1 30/03/2016 14:27