The Song Remains the Same

the song remains the same

A tribute to Ahmet Ertegun is the occasion for the historic reunion of Led Zeppelin

n a year that saw some big events realized by team of top industry pro- who was involved in the initial design Iin the English concert world— fessionals. The process began during for the show; and Zeppelin’s produc- including Live Earth and the Concert the summer, when the event was not tion manager, Steve Iredale, who for Diana—few created as much fully confirmed. “Once we got the go- came onboard fairly early on.” excitement as the return of Led ahead,” says production manager Jim Zeppelin for a concert in memory of Baggott, “we spoke to some key Video Ahmet Ertegun, the late founder of people—such as lighting designer All involved envisioned a big, open Atlantic Records. Dave Hill; live image and video director stage with plenty of imagery. “The The event, a fundraiser for Dick Carruthers; Mark Norton from band was involved, right from the Ertegun’s education fund held at the Thinkfarm, who provided the show’s start, with how their part of the show O2 Arena on December 10, was projection imagery; Peter Bingham, was going to look,” says Baggott. Photos: Ed Robinson@one red eye

March 2008 • Lighting&Sound America “We knew we wanted to steer away able to have a bit more practice.” and Jim Parsons as producer. from the traditional left /right screen “We arrived at the O2 at 8am on The end result was a combination arrangement and use one big screen the 9th December,” adds CT’s busi- of abstract images and soft-edged to back them.” ness development manager, Adrian video, creating a mood and pace It became apparent that a tradi- Offord. “Complete set-up for all the appropriate for each song. “The pace, tional LED screen, creating a solid screens, including cabling and fault- the colorization, and use of imagery wall upstage stage, wouldn’t work for finding, had to be done by 4:30, for a speak volumes,” says Carruthers. the band, so Creative Technology band walk-through at 5. This was one “‘Stairway to Heaven’ had only a brought in a 280-sq-m. Element Labs of the main reasons the Stealth certain amount of impact because it Stealth LED screen, recommended by screen was used.” was a slow, gentle mix. Something Mike Walker from Live & Direct, the The content was a combination like ‘Black Dog’ had a much smaller event’s video consultant. of Thinkfarm’s animated footage, image size, but because of the way it “It gave us a lot more flexibility,” integrated with Carruthers’ live was ‘mashed up’ and negative, with says Baggott. “We wanted a clean camera feeds. “We inhabit a world at black silhouettes and fast cuts, it really stage and the band didn’t want lots Thinkfarm that is not always rock ‘n hit you in the face. of lights around them. This way, we roll and entertainment,” says Mark “I think we got the overall balance could keep the lighting quite high, but Norton. “But I’ve worked in and out right,” adds Carruthers. “The screen could also create some unusual of the music and entertainment was never intrusive; it always felt like effects by shining lights straight world for a long time and was a backdrop and had a good combina- through from the back of the screen, brought in to integrate the video tion of animation and live content and as it has 55% transparency.” element into the set and lighting a variation of shapes and mixes.” In addition to the Stealth, CT sup- design, working very closely with “This is the biggest screen that has plied two standard 6 x 6-panel Barco Dave [Hill] and Dick [Carruthers].” been put into the O2,” says Offord. OLite612 LED screens, positioned Richard Turner programmed the “From CT’s point of view, it was great stage left and right, which were used video with a Vista Systems Spyder to be back there after we had been during the support bands’ sets and to video processor. The multi-layered there with Elton John’s 200-sq.-m. show the video story of Ertegun and Spyder utilized 16 channels to address screen just a month prior. It was an his foundation. This was edited by various areas of the screen individually, honor to be involved in such a high- Carruthers’ firm, Cheese Film & the mixes being taken from Carruthers’ profile project.” Video, and shown before the concert. desk and turned into two separate At the beginning of Led Zeppelin’s blocks of information that the screen Lighting set, the two side screens disappeared processors could understand. Having spent a quarter of a century and a set of curtains opened to reveal As more programming was com- with the Rolling Stones, Hill knows a the Stealth. pleted, the team worked out different thing or two about lighting major Technical rehearsals started at methods of doing things. “There would artists. As show director and lighting Elstree Studios two weeks prior to the be one, two, or even three layers of designer, it was his responsibility to show, moving to Shepperton Studios playback material,” says Carruthers. ensure that the visual elements for the final week. “The original idea “In a song like ‘Kashmir,’ Richard worked seamlessly, without stealing was to do everything at Elstree,” says would take that directly from the two focus from the band. CT’s production manager, Alex six-channel hi-def LSM processors; “It was decided, at the beginning Leinster. “But, because the date of other times, I would be mixing this in of the planning process, that the the show had to be moved when with live shots upstream.” show would feature the large Jimmy Page broke his finger, Elstree The entire system was kept in screen,” Hill says. “So the lighting wasn’t available for the entire period. uncompressed HD, using two six- and video had to be an integrated “In some ways, it worked to our channel EVS devices, as well as mixing design. The band didn’t want any advantage by giving us another on a Snell & Wilcox Kahuna HD/SD structures or set onstage, so I was chance to run through a load-in and production switcher that ran in parallel limited to floor lighting, and every- out. Although it comes in a collapsed to the Calypso situated in the OB thing else being hung 35' above the fan shape and cantilevers out of the truck. As it became obvious that there band. My first priority was to specify flight cases, making it really quick to would be a large number of HD cam- lights with lot of punch.” rig, with only two hours allowed to eras, it made sense to get an HD OB Hill chose a selection of Vari*Lite get the Stealth screen floating off the unit in, so Carruthers requested Mary VL3500 washes and VL3000 Spot deck, it was not a bad thing to be Jefferson as video production manager fixtures for the main overhead rig,

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • March 2008 CONCERTS

with Martin MAC 2000 Washes on the descend over the band. I hinged the and we were very happy with the front, back, and sides of the truss. arms to make it hang over the band result.” The system comprised 72 (Lighting gear was supplied by PRG in a kind of domed roof effect. I think Meyer MILO curvilinear loudspeakers, Europe.) “To really give me the punch it worked well, especially as, at that with a center hang of six MICA boxes, that I needed, I also had 26 point, the video was configured to and eight flown 700-HP subs per side. Syncrolites: Ten B52 5kWs, seven only show an image within the struc- Ground stacks included nine 700-HPs B53 5kWs, four of the new SX3000 ture of the truss. It made for a very per side, and four MICAs per side for 3Ks, and five of the new SX10Ks,” he nice, intimate moment in the middle outfill. In addition, one MICA per side says. “I put the B53s and SX3000s of the show.” along with eight UPA-1Ps were strung onto the overhead rig and the rest were on two horizontal trusses, which I flew on a Kinesys system behind the video wall.” Hill also used Martin Atomic 3000 strobes, plus a 40,000W Lightning Strikes unit beneath Jason Bonham’s drum riser. Given the clear Perspex top on the riser and the fact that the strobe shone through Bonham’s amber Ludwig Vistalite kit, the visual effect was remarkable. “I thought it might be a problem and blind Jason—I’ve done it before,” says Hill. “When we fired it, he said, ‘There is no problem seeing anything—but it is The lighting rig gets loaded in. a little warm!’ With 40,000W of power bouncing around, it’s like having four electric fires beneath you, although Sound across the stage lip for front fills. it’s only for a split-second.” “Led Zeppelin is world-renowned for Three Galileo loudspeaker manage- Hill used the semi-transparent being into their loud music,” says ment systems handled 36 outputs, qualities of the Stealth LED screen to Baggott. “We realized that the band and a SIM 3 audio analyzer was used good effect, adding another visual would have to make the final decision to tune the system. dimension via the moving trusses about who to use for the sound. This was the first show in the O2 behind it. “At different times, the When they had gone into rehearsals for Hughes and only his second using trusses moved to different heights— to see whether they were going to a Midas XL8 console. “It was quite and once they were split on two lev- do this concert, they were using bizarre at first,” he says. “I’ve been els mid-screen to frame the video on Britannia Row for their control, working with Metallica for over 20 that piece; a couple of times, I took monitors, and desks, and it became years, and we have developed their them up as far as I could, which was apparent that they would definitely live sound over that time. Nobody can nearly 65’ above the stage,” he says. be part of the main show. tell me what Metallica should sound Not everything was designed to “We have worked with Brit Row on like live. But, when it came to the make a big look, however. “The band a number of events over the years, so Zeppelin show, it seemed that every- wanted an intimate moment in the that was good for us. Dee Miller was one and their dog had an opinion of middle of the show when they were appointed monitor engineer and ‘Big’ what the band should sound like!” ‘bringing it down’ musically with ‘No Mick Hughes came onboard as front The big question was, should the Quarter’ and ‘Since I’ve Been Loving of house. He was keen to use a Meyer FOH sound replicate Led Zeppelin as it You,’” says Hill. “That was a tough Sound loudspeaker system, which he sounded in the ‘70s, or should it take order when the lights were flown so had used before with Metallica and advantage of three decades of audio high, so I amended the design. The other bands, so he suggested that technology development? After discus- main overhead truss was configured [the sound gear supplier] Major Tom sions with the band, “I took the as a circle, with four arms protruding should be approached to provide modern approach and backdated the from it in an X shape, flown on those particular boxes, which Brit sound a little bit,” says Hughes, another Kinesys system to allow it to Row doesn’t stock. It was a joint effort “although I pulled it back a bit from

March 2008 • Lighting&Sound America The X-shaped truss system designed by Dave Hill gets ready to be flown. recreating the old sound too much. For he says, “so, as well as the close the show was a bit of an unknown example, I went for the ‘airy’ feel, but, mics, I used a pair of Earthworks quantity before we got into to avoid the big, gated drum sound, I SR25s arrayed as X-Y axis mics— rehearsals, and it would have been just had a loose gate on the bass something I’d never done before— hard to plan ahead on an analog drum, but the rest were ungated.” complemented by a further pair of console. For example, planning every Hughes had to choose his mics SR25s deployed as overheads.” last bit of outboard we needed would carefully; with so many specialized Earthworks also manufactures the have been a problem, especially if products now available, the inventive KickPad, a small inline unit that adds we’d had to hire in another effects use of certain mics for their non- pre-emphasis to kick drum mics, unit at the last moment. With the XL8, intended purpose is no longer adding presence and punch to a we were able to dial in the onboard necessary—an innovation that would sound that often needs a little extra effects as required. As it was, we inevitably change the band’s sound. zip to make it stand out in a live mix. ended up with a total of 70 channels, “On the old footage, it’s incredible to A mixture of DIs and Beta 52s including 30 effects returns, the video see what mics were used on what were used on John Paul Jones’s bass playback, house music, and so on. jobs,” says Hughes. “I approached it guitar, bass pedal, and keyboard rig, With an XL4, we’d have been into using similar techniques, but using while Jimmy Page’s guitar cabinets another console.” modern mics and the full bandwidth and Theremin featured Audio- Unusually, the FOH mix was split of the console and PA.” Technica AE 2500s and 4050s. between Hughes mixing the instru- To achieve optimum sound quality, Robert Plant’s lead vocals came ments and Roy Williams, Robert Hughes used an array of Earthworks courtesy of the Shure SM58. Plant’s FOH engineer, who covered Audio high-definition microphones, The total was 32 inputs, including the lead vocal mix. Again, a digital complemented by Audio-Technica a couple of VT playback lines from console was useful. “I had known and Shure products. Jason Bonham’s the video production team. “Although from before the start of rehearsals drums featured a mix of Earthworks I’m mainly an analog guy, and this that two engineers would be doing SR25s, SR30s, and TC30s, with was only my second outing in the the show,” says Williams. “Not the Audio-Technica ATM350s on the digital world, I had used the XL8 on easiest thing to do: Two engineers, toms, a Shure SM57, and a Beta 52. stadium dates with Metallica last year two pairs of ears, and two egos! Mick “I really wanted to recreate that and loved it,” says Hughes. and I have known one another for big, open Led Zeppelin drum sound,” “I did toy with using an XL4, but over 30 years, so that helped a lot.

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • March 2008 CONCERTS

last bay of the console to time difference; we used the delays the B zone and then on the input channels of the XL8 to recall a POP [population] delay the snare mics and make the group containing sound effectively ‘reach’ the different Robert’s vocal and mics at the same time.” effects into the B zone, Hughes had heard very different meant that Roy had his accounts of the O2’s acoustics. “We own section. This got in on the day before for the show, allowed me the remaining and I was concerned about the low two bays and the VCA frequencies,” he says. “I hoped it section to mix the band. would clean up when people came in, The ‘a/b’ headphone but it didn’t change dramatically solo busses were invalu- between empty and full. With able, as I could use one Metallica, I take venue acoustics to while Roy used the other. the limit and it was the same here— And, as before, when I Led Zeppelin was a powerful show.” used the XL8 for Hughes added to the XL8’s Metallica, the pure sound onboard processing a range of out- and stereo image quality board equipment, including a Roland is undeniable.” SDE3000, TC Helicon VoiceWorks and Throughout the six VoiceDoubler for Plant’s lead vocals, weeks of pre-produc- an Eventide H3000SE harmonizer, T.C. tion rehearsals, Hughes Electronic M6000 effects mainframe, also got to use a proto- and Leslie cabinet emulator. The type of Klark Teknik’s onboard effects dominated on “No DN9696 high-resolution Quarter,” with the XL8’s phaser hard disk recorder. “The providing the distinctive effect on the band was playing in an lead vocal. Also, an isolated feed was adjacent room while I provided to the Fleetwood Mobile, was monitoring on a manned by Tim Summerhayes, where pair of Genelecs,” he the show was recorded. says. “The DN9696 Although Dee Miller, the monitor gave me the opportunity engineer, has worked with Robert to record the sessions Plant for years, the Led Zeppelin gig and then, if the band was another experience altogether. weren’t there, to work For Plant, Jones, and general stage on the mix further. As it coverage he specified a system of 11 The sound crew in rehearsal. turned out, the band Turbosound TFM-350 wedges, which came in every day, but incorporated twin 15" LF drivers and The XL8 let me have my own world to they could come in, listen to the a 2" HF compression driver in a 42º work in, with just the vocal mic and recordings and talk about the mix angle enclosure. A pair of TFM-450s, eight effects—leaving Mick to create with me. It meant everything about featuring a custom 15" neodymium his world without either of us getting the sound was open and upfront.” LF driver and a 3" diaphragm in one another’s way.” The recorder also allowed Hughes neodymium HF compression driver “We felt that using the XL8 gave us to examine the different times that on a 40º x 60º horn, was deployed for an unlimited amount of options,” sounds arrived at the various mics Page, another pair of TFM-350s plus Hughes says. “It was a good thing we and adjust the system to suit. “We subs for Bonham, and six Flashlight did, as the input list grew to over 70 identified a phase problem between mid-highs per side for sidefills. channels, and, if we’d gone analog, the microphones on the snare heads “I’ve never had a bad result with we would have been into two desks. and the X-Y mics, because the snare Turbosound wedges,” says Miller. The operation of the console made it sound was reaching them at different “The TFM-350s are amazing, I’ve really easy for Roy and myself to divide times,” he says. “The recorder done a lot of artists with them and the work surface. Being able to set the allowed us to precisely measure the the way Britannia Row integrates the

March 2008 • Lighting&Sound America amplifiers and speakers as a com- Chris Squire (Yes) performing both venues; in the O2, we were using plete system is excellent.” “Fanfare Of The Common Man,” and over 80 channels, because of the When providing monitors for Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, who number of guests,” says Liam Halpin Plant’s solo gigs, Miller concentrates backed further performances by of Britannia Row, “whereas in IndigO2, on the main man; here, he had four Maggie Bell, Alvin Lee (Ten Years with fewer guests, we used 56 inputs.” music legends to keep happy. “They After), Paul Rodgers (Free), and Mick The lack of space meant that any are all very approachable, but they Jones (Foreigner). The Rhythm Kings major outboard provision was out of know what they like and it’s compli- then moved to the adjacent, 2,200- the question, so only a single graphic cated by John Paul Jones playing capacity IndigO2 venue, where they EQ was used in each venue. However, bass, keyboards, and bass pedals,” entertained at the after-show party, “with the number and range of he says. “There were quite a few with guests including Ben E. King, ins/outs, Joffrey was using all six cues, so I was diving all over the Solomon Burke, and Percy Sledge. effects engines in the consoles to their desk. I needed to be quick and The front-of-house space in both full capacity,” says Halpin. “Indeed, that was the biggest challenge of both shows: The sheer number of inputs which had to be to be dealt with in a very limited amount of time.” “Another challenge,” adds Poynter, “was that we didn’t have all the guests together in the same place until the show day. Rehearsals took place over successive days, but we didn’t get a full run-through with everyone. However, the ability to save each line-up as a different scene made it far less of a problem than it might have been.” Halpin also did some rapid coaching of the resident IndigO2 technical team on the D5. “Everything went smoothly,” he says. “The after-show A view of the video system. was an excellent collaboration between Britannia Row, WE Audio, hands-on, which is why the H3000 venues was minimal, so Britannia and the IndigO2 technical team.” was ideal. Robert likes things edgy; Row supplied a DiGiCo D5, chosen Everyone involved was aware of his mix is always a challenge. I have for small size, flexibility, number of the event’s historic nature, and they to keep a hand on the fader and my inputs, and processing power. felt the pressure. “With Metallica, I’ve eye on him at all times. It was seat- “Joffrey [Lane, the Rhythm Kings’ done a show for a million people on of-your-pants stuff!” engineer, who was using the board an airfield in Moscow, but I was more Miller also used a range of out- for the first time] got to grips with it nervous than at any show I’ve done in board, including a T.C. 2290 delay, T.C really well,” says Britannia Row’s many years,” Hughes says. “Of Helicon VoiceDoubler, Eventide Dave Poynter, who was on hand course I wanted it to be fantastic—it’s H3000SE harmonizer, Lexicon PCM70, throughout the process. “He down- been so long since they played live. It and Yamaha SPX2000 multi-effects. loaded the manual, I showed him how was so intense, I only remember the to set a session up, and he just got start and end of it. The feedback I’m Additional acts and the on with it. It’s very quick to learn, getting is that it sounded great. But if after-party because it looks like an analog desk; people are talking about the perform- The other artists on the bill played an you don’t have to scroll through ance and not really talking about the important part in the show, as they all menus to find things.” sound, then we did our jobs.” had a direct link to Ertegun and his It was important that the audio Bryan Grant, of Britannia Row, work. The night kicked off with Keith team didn’t treat these high-profile adds, “This was a seminal event on Emerson (ELP, The Nice), Simon Kirke artists as support acts to Led many levels and we’re all very proud (Bad Company) with Alan White and Zeppelin. “We had identical setups in to have been a part of it.”