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November 2011 entertainment, presentation, installation www.lsionline.co.uk

Also Inside:

Adele on Tour Stripped back production Bush Theatre Olympics 2012 Sustainability is key LSi visits the London theatre’s new home

PLUS! Melbourne’s Gang Show • The GDS ARC System Asia Report: Malaysia’s Suresh Entertainment • Classic Gear: BlackWrap Technical Focus The PLASA Rigging Conference • Audio File: Diminishing Returns GLP’s Impression Spot One Tech Focus: Occupy Technology • LD Tim Routledge interviewed . . . and more!

Download our FREE iPhone & iPad app now at www.lsionline.co.uk/digital OT_Adele_v2:On tour.qxd 09/11/2011 13:54 Page 40 TAeev:ntu.x 91/011:4Pg 41 Page 13:54 09/11/2011 tour.qxd OT_Adele_v2:On t-shirts and jeanswould have been. acoustic setthan a bunchofroadiesinassorted was brieflyre-arranged forthemoreintimate the widercontext less ofadistractionwhenthestage curtain up;forallitseye-grabbinghumour itwasin certainly diddowaswittilysetthescene priorto Ronnie Barker(oneIthinkherather enjoyed).Whatit but itcertainlylentSinclairtheairof abearded show. Whetherthisaffectstheirattitude Iknownot, Car worksUnionShopStewardcirca 1975)forthe brown cottonworkcoatsandclothcaps(thinkRover humorous conceitsistohaveallcrewmembersdon lyrics, compelyoutodootherwise.OneofZop’s holding backwhenthemusic,emotion, television musicshow. Thatrequiresalotofrestraint, like amoderntakeonanearly1960sblackandwhite distraction fromtheartist.Inshort,thisshowappears back, simplisticpresentationthatallowedleast lack ofvideoandthedesiretoimposeastripped- visit, itwasinnouncertaintermsherevealedthe Sinclair. WhenIcalledhimintheUStoarrangethis we willseebelowfromthediscussionwithLDRob manager, Zop,isinfluentialtothepresentation,as Just afewbriefnotesonproduction:Adele’stour Production planted onthegroundshe’stakenroot. on oftheHouseLords.Herfeetaresofirmly interest inillegaldrugsasshedoesthegoings she alsopresentsashavingaboutmuch voice strainshenolongerdrinksalcoholontour; brush withontourbronchitisandtherigoursof nay garrulousAdelerevealedthatsinceherearlier needed tightening.Laterthateveningaconvivial, run thebandthroughtheirchopsononesongthat two orthreebarswithminimumfuss,managingto business-like, shedispatchedmultiplesongsin characteristics thatwillseehertalentendure: this afternoonanddisplayedjustthe girl isagenius.AdelewalkedintotheUsherHall is typical.Personally, Ican’tcontradictthem-the become cliché;‘ImagineArethachannellingDusty’ The comparativesintheMusicPresshavealready Live atUsherHall,Edinburgh:24Sept2011 Words &picturesbySteveMoles the roomsoundspookartist. demands acautiousapproachatsound-checklest people standingdownstairstakescareofthat,butit void abovethetwobalconies.Thankfully, athousand wall, reflectingsoundenergyupintothecavernous a gentlyrisingscallopshapetotheauditoriumrear centre mic;moretothepoint,stallsflooris gives themonitormansomeaddedinputat least. Theroomisaparabolafacingstagewhich is thesoundofHall:empty, it’slivelytosaythe got anyeasier. Whatremainsmostfirmlyinmymind the labyrinthineexcursiontostallstoiletshasn’t a massiveimprovementonwhatIremember, though The publicareasoutsidetheauditoriumare last timeIvisited. was apreviousrefurb’:Idon’trecallbeingabletofly to havedoneanythingthestage.”Maybethere swivel chairsintheBoxOffice,buttheydon’tappear as Sinclairrevealed,“they’veevengotsomenice of paintandtheauditoriumlookssplendid,though recognisable. Ithasrecentlybeengivenanewcoat been therein30yearsormore,butitwasinstantly Entering theUsherHallwasoddforme:Ihadn’t running on TV. Nikoncameraad’currently than theRobbieWilliams did inthevertical confines oftheRAH-bettereven same timeandit just lookedamazing,”asindeedit asks thecrowdtoholduptheirmobile phonesatthe mirror-ball momentattheRAH:“Look,”hesaid,“she whipped outhisiPhoneforavideo clipduringthe Adele’s soundengineerDaveMcDonald had is theembodimentofthisshow. As is happened, diameter) reflectstherestraintmentioned earlierthat than normalandamuchbiggermirror-ball (1.8m Some subtleaudiencelighting,alittlemoreconfetti something togetherthatworkedreallywell,”hesaid. Mahal, thelightingcameraman,andweput easily stressedbysuchthings.“IspoketoGirdip be honest,Igettheimpressionhe’snotamanwho’s designer RobSinclairwasvisiblyrelaxed,thoughto Royal AlbertHall(RAH)foraliveDVD, lighting Having justcompleteda17-camerashootatthe Lighting L & S - i November 2011

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Adele deli . . . tour • Rob Sinclair has short,

on mini-skirt borders for all four of his trusses. All in yellow keyed to the back drop, they match the soft borders on the riser fronts to maintain the look. The front truss also sports four-cell Molephay for audience lighting; communication visual and verbal is embedded in the Adele show.

• The front truss also has four large plastic buckets hung beneath it, “with swirl fans run off a dimmer on each. It’s a more gentle and controlled dispenser of confetti, so much nicer than two kilos of confetti being hoofed out with a bang from a canon device. I first saw them with Sigur Ros, then I tried them for a snow effect on some Christmas shows I did for the Pet Shop Boys a couple of years ago. It’s a more measured effect.” He’s not wrong. I was also interested to learn that Sinclair will a ‘blue note jazz club’. My brief was to be really Despite Zop’s rejection of shortly be off to South America with Peter classic, but at all costs to avoid making her look video, there are two Barco Gabriel and as such, some re-scheduled like Barbara Dickson; to be redolent of the ’50s projectors from XL Video ‘bronchitis’ Adele shows in November will see and ’60s yet not showy: to just present her.” And parked behind the FOH my old friend John Barker at the lighting what did the artist think about this idea? “She enclosure. A white cloth controls. Readers might recall Barker is LD for was very receptive to not using coloured lights, screen masks the stage for Scouting for Girls and has also been working in fact no moving lights and no flash. I’ve kind of the two opening acts; both with Noah & the Whale more recently. “He took stuck to it since then.” acoustic, they play in front over while I was doing shows with Pulp in the and have their logos summer and does an excellent job,” says Sinclair admitted there are one or two movers projected upon it. More Sinclair. Rose Bruford College can give (he’s got some Robe 2500 Spots up in the significantly, before Adele themselves a pat on the back for nurturing truss), but a sweep in onto the band and star as appears the screen hosts Barker’s particular talent. the kabuki drops at the opening of the show is topical images of band and barely gratuitous. The lights didn’t visibly move crew from the tour, Sinclair was first called to design for Adele back (not lit, that is) for the next 60 minutes. interspersed with snaps of in November 2010. “I’d worked with Zop on fans taken locally. Quite an Goldfrapp previously and he asked if I could fill “She showed me a video of the Oscars and said expensive indulgence in in some stuff for another act he had. It sounded she wanted lampshades,” Sinclair continued. equipment for something like it was going to be a bus and trailer tour back Lampshades is a look in danger of becoming that doesn’t contribute then; little did we know she was about to sell ten seriously over-played - Lily Allen, Florence & the directly to the performance, million records.” If ever there was a compelling Machine - they’re everywhere, though Sinclair’s but it does inject a certain argument for taking a chance on working up look is decidedly John Lewis high street. “Lotus chummy atmosphere. a design for little money on a relatively unknown Lampshades did a fabulous job; the shades are act, this is it. 80% polyester and 20% something else that • A Soundcraft Vi1 sits makes them incredibly durable, as well as alongside McDonald’s A&H “The first show I actually did with her was the fire-proof. We do have to give the crew white desk: it’s there for the BRITs in the new year. We’d already decided on gloves each night to pack them away, but support acts, but with just the simplicity guidelines. Of course, for the otherwise they’re no trouble.” There are 96 six inputs from two opening BRITs they wanted to apply the typical TV shades in total, rigged vertically in columns of acts, and three of those production - lots of dry ice, for example - but we eight each with a 40W GLS bulb. “Specialz are voices, it would be fair quickly binned that. It was then we thought of dipped the bulbs for us, so there’s no danger of to say the desk is ticking the monochrome look and it worked amazingly.” broken glass all over the place. Neg Earth, who over; tour system tech And became one of the most watched clips on provided all the lighting and crew, devised Chris Courtney un-mutes, YouTube for weeks on end . . . simple IWBs that clip together to support them, pushes up the faders, and and more importantly, keep each one perfectly

www.lsionline.co.uk then keeps a watchful ear “When Zop and I discussed this we had vertical. When I first showed them to Julian on proceedings. decided the whole thing is to be in the mood of Lavender at Neg Earth he jokingly said,

42 L&Si - November 2011 TAeev:ntu.x 91/011:5Pg 43 Page 13:55 09/11/2011 tour.qxd OT_Adele_v2:On three Robes inCTOprovide focussedbacklight toAdeleand twokey stripe thestagevertically throughsmokefromabove andbehind; the thirdsongintonight’s set‘Don’tyouremember’: 12kWofPARs scene changesare infrequent,they’reallcarefullyconsidered. Take principal; Iwatchedhisshowclosely andit’sfarfromit.Evenifthe Sinclair makesitsoundliketheguiding maximoftheleasteffort that’s quiteunusual.” CTB saysallyouneedtosay;onthis scalewiththissortofmusic I thoughttomyself, ‘we’vesucceeded’.EvenasnapfromCTOto and saidthingslike,‘thisisallaboutherwithoutafancylightshow’, shades andbackdrop.“Whenthenewspapersreviewedshow the shades,andonfloorsomeMartinMAC700stouplight time buthealsohasfourbarsofPARs onthetrussjustdownstageof and usethecolourcorrectionshades.”Hedidn’tmentionitat lights areRobe2500Spots.Idosomepastelshadeswiththem, ETC SourceFour profilesforkeylight,withaStrawgel.Themoving Sinclair’s rigismodestbutdarewesayit,wellchosen.“I’musing bulb typesbecomesreallyimportant;thegoldbackdropflattersthat.” a monochromelookthecontrastinqualityoflightbetweendifferent I wantedtoavoidtheclichéofredvelvet,moreimportantlywith Sinclair continues:“We havegolddrapesbehindtheshades; I want.Ifthedeskcouldthinkitwouldlikedo.” lights onthetouchscreen,thenjustselectanddowiththemwhat thinking, “Idon’tlikenumbers,soIcreateasimplegraphicofmy fabulous, itworksjustthewayIthink.”askedhimtoexplainhis I havebuskedshowsonitandit’sentirelypossible.Theirsoftwareis the M1isgreatforplaybackandS1abitofprogramming. these aroundtheworld.Yes, someLDslookatmeasifI’mmad,but they’re compactandcheaptofreight-no-onecouldrefusefly smallest desks,twoM1andoneS1:“It’sacombinationIreallylike, Something elseyoudon’toftenseeishiscollectionofJands’ backstage.” Notsomethingyouseemuchofontourthesedays. of course’.BetweenthemandthePARs we’vegottwo72ETC racks ‘I supposeyouwanttheseindividuallydimmed?’,towhichIsaid‘yes, content hadmefullyengaged. reassuring feelofpaper-verytextural, verysatisfying,andthe Watching Sinclair’sshowwaslikereadingagoodbook:ithadthat demonstrates Sinclair’sobjectivity to hisart. changed fromshowtoshow.” Aninterestingobservationthat what youdidforthatactbefore;andincontrastthethings for bandstherearetwothingstoconsider;rulesthatdevelopedfrom we arenow. Whenyouareluckyenoughtobeaskedbackdesign on howwedealwithitatthetimeandkeepwhat’sgoodaboutwhere her. “Yes wewillhavetostepupabit;forme,thatdecisioniscentred happens andAdele’sstratosphericriseforcesanarenatourupon This leavesSinclairwithaslightlythornyquestionwhentheinevitable but therearealsoquitealotofonecuesongs.” course thereissomere-focussingwhileblackedoutbetweensongs; with whatIhave.Yes, Idomovethelightsinlastsong,andof ‘monochrome’ one,“thepointis,Icangetoverallneedtoconvey samey attimes,butrulesaretheretobebroken,”evenhisown Sinclair says:“It’sbeenreallyinterestingtodevelop;yes,itcanlook backdrop, andwhentheygooutanillusoryhintofpinkappears. cold blue/whiteprojectedintheverticalspacedownstageof when youlookawayseeit’schimerainyellow;ergo, nothing morethanthatretinadelayeffect:lookatabrightsourceand between lightsourcesappearsevenmorecoloured.Oftenit’s floor up-lightingthebackdroporairinfrontofit,contrast evening progressesandthroughthecarefuluseofMartinson eye appearsfarmorecolouredthanyoumightimagine.Asthe this nuancedchangeisgreaterthanitsoundsonpaper, andtothe look’ andabundantcolourtowhichwe’veallbecomeaccustomed, a dynamicchangeinthesong’semphasis.Inabsenceof‘big musicians, changinglatertoCTBwhichprovidesasubtlelift mimic those ofLDRobSinclair: botharecommitted toletting the In manywaysthe effortsofDaveMcDonaldmixingfront-of-house Sound L & S - i November 2011

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artist shine with minimal intervention by covering the sides: when I listened to the K1 themselves. I commented to McDonald how on its own in the afternoon I started to fill up.” powerfully Adele projects her voice, even during sound-check. “Yes, it makes such How refreshing to encounter an engineer who a nice change after working with vocalists is unafraid to express an emotional response who don’t know how to,” he said. McDonald to a PA: I’d say that’s one characteristic that had the PA turned well down at this time, but makes him eminently qualified to mix Adele. there was more than enough to hear not only “Of course, K1 does need a building to suit, it the power but also the character; Adele varies is a Howitzer of a PA,” he adds. I’m not sure her style according to the emotion she wishes how Dr Heil would respond to that to convey; sometimes her voice is quite description, but we’re sure it was well nasal, sometimes coloured by a slight honk intended. “In the US we have been using from the back of the throat; the rasp of her pick-up PAs local to each venue; that has larynx is a frequent effect when she moves it meant quite a lot of [JBL] Vertech of various deeper, and the transitions between them sizes. While I can’t say I’ve had a lot of good appear effortless. The hairs on the back of my things to say about that system in the past, neck stood to attention. What a lucky chap they do now, at least, seem to have got it McDonald is - he smiled the widest of grins. sorted out and I was able to get some excellent results.” A quick look reveals that sound company SSE has supplied him with an Allen & Heath Chris Courtney from SSE is system tech. iLive 112 and an L-Acoustics Kara PA. “She McDonald admitted: “I barely knew him takes an interest in all the technology out here before the tour - we’d briefly worked together and learns all the time,” he began, “you can’t on a couple of Mark Ronson shows, but get away with anything. Not only does she I knew enough to see we both worked from know what’s possible, she also knows what’s pretty much the same page. With Kara, too expensive to be a reasonable cost on the I found there were a couple of things to tour.” This time we both smiled. McDonald adjust, nothing significant. This is a small box has been out front for Adele essentially from system in quite large venues; the super highs the beginning of her career. “I’ve done the and high-mids are great, the low-mids suffer opening act mixes in shit-holes; even then a bit. I’m really missing the fifteens so he’s there was no doubt in my mind she’d be boosted that.” The muscle in the low end successful: she could magnetise a room comes from SB218s, so no lack of cone size easily, it was just a matter of when.” there, and Courtney has flown a pair of Kara SB18 Subs at the top of the line array, “but I asked about the Kara: this would be my first you do have to use two bumpers to do it,” he time to hear L-Acoustics’ little baby since informed, “you can’t just hang the Kara boxes I attended the UK launch event at SEE straight off the Subs. That said, it’s small and months earlier. “I’ve always been an it’s light - I think each box weighs just 27kg - L-Acoustics fan,” says McDonald. “This so at 15 cabinets a side in here with two flown From top: system wasn’t actually presented to me as subs we are hanging just 450kg a point. That Chris Courtney at the Soundcraft desk. ideal for the venue size we’d be visiting, I’d and the new system manager software make just heard that it was very good for vocal this a nice easy package.” Dave McDonald at the Allen & Heath iLive console. sound and to me the size/weight factor made it a natural choice. In fact, I didn’t hear it till To capture that lovely voice, McDonald has www.lsionline.co.uk Joe Campbell, monitors the first venue. It was the same with K1, which selected a Sennheiser 965 on an SKM200, Lighting designer Rob Sinclair. SSE put in for the Albert Hall show, with Kara “a glorious mic for anyone, just so well

44 L&Si - November 2011 TAeev:ntu.x 91/011:6Pg 45 Page 13:56 09/11/2011 tour.qxd OT_Adele_v2:On compressor doesalltherestanditsoundsgreat.” touch ofEMTplatereverb,anicemonodelay, theEQand on hervocalisminimal;thecompressorat2:1ratio.Iusealittle and compressorsarespot-on, and thedeskisreallyreliable.TheEQ adding: “TheeffectsanddynamicsarethebestI’vetried;gates down andkeepsthesoundtogether.” Hereinforcedthattonight, powerful; theiLive’scompressorsareofaqualitythatholdsthings keeping Adele’svoiceundercontrolbecauseit’ssobigand I’d seenMcDonaldquotedassaying,“thebiggestchallengeis a fewminutesthey’reoffandrunning.” a littlebitofaudioengineeringcanapproachthisdeskandwithin then AirandnowAdele;it’sjusteasytouse.Anyonewhoknows “The A&HI’vebeenusingforthreeyearsnow, IhaditforFlorence, imagine eventheygettooloud. problem, evenwithallthewedgesupthere.”Thoughit’shardto excellent, everyoneverycontrolled,sostagelevelsarenotabig piano, weneededthatmoreauthentichissandspit.Thebandare which certainlysoundthepart,“butwestillhavearealWurlitzer instruments. “Thepianoisamock-up; insidearetwoYamaha Motifs, banjo andevenaMelodica,besidestheirmoreconventional The five-piecebandplayvariouslyalapsteelguitar, RepublicDobro, instruments, whichsoundstunning.” I’m usingonstageisacoupleofAvalon DIsfortheacoustic the oddNeumannhereandthere.Probablymostinterestingthing the BVs; infact,we’veSennheiser micsoneverything-well,maybe behaved, andthepureNickelbodylookspart.I’musing935sfor there forweight,”beganmonitormanJoeCampbell.“It’snotloud and aSennheiserG3Earsystem.“Someofthewedgesarejust On stagesoundisamixofin-earsandwedges:d&bM4wedges Monitors with thismicandhervoiceitcouldn’tbesimpler.” processing atall,justahighpassfilterandverygentlecompressor; the show, shegetslouder. For hermixesIusenoEQand output thatjustdoesn’thappen.Whatwefindis,evenatthetopof bound topickupthestageatsomepoint;sheprovidessomuch excellent. Aswithallcondensersifyouhavetoomuchgainyou’re Adele: “Nicepatterncontrolandhertechniquearoundthemicis Campbell isinfullagreementwithMcDonaldonthemic’choicefor them, justideal.” all verywellandtheacousticinstrumentssoundbeautifulthrough very quietnumbersandsomerealthumpers,thed&bM4handlesit huddle, hehassixmixestohimself. It’saverydynamicset,some keyboard position,hiswedges,andradioearsforthecentral intimate centrestageposition;betweenhishard-wiredEarsatthe facing completelytheoppositewaywhenheshiftstomore builds fromtheacousticslot-keyboardplayer, forexample,sits Ears are.Ialsohaveabumperinthedrumkit.Themixnumber “I’m making24mixes,someofthewedgesarestereo,andall seem shortofeditingtimeeither. sound great.TheA&Hhasitsreallygoodpoints.”Andhedidn’t effects arebrilliant.I’musingeightdifferentreverbsandtheyall a matteroffindingthetimethen?“Yes, anditstillsoundsgreat,the between scenes,soI’mhavingtoediteachonemanually.” Just position onstage,toomanytomanagemanually, andthere’snolink changes, panreversalforstereomixeswhenmusiciansshift there’s alotofchangesgoingonuphere;lotsmutesandlevel drawback, “there’snolinkbetweenthescenesinSceneManager; use itandthewayit’ssetoutissosimple.”Hedidseeone and she’sanewartistforme,butittookme10minutestolearn wouldn’t havebeenmyfirstchoicebecauseI’veneveruseditbefore Campbell alsousesaniLive112:“It’smyfirsttourwiththedesk,it on stageatall,althoughherethere’sloadsbackfromtheroom.” L & S - i November 2011

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