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June 2010 entertainment, presentation, communication www.lsionline.co.uk

Franz Ferdinand L&SI reports from Murcia, Spain . . .

Hairspray On Tour Radio Star XL Video at 10 TF: Tiger Touch Re-lighting the hit show L&SI meets LumenRadio The UK office a decade on Avo’s latest in review

PLUS: ABTT Preview • Australian Pink Floyd • Turkish Club Installs • Theatres Trust Conference Julie Andrews at the O2 • Video Content • Crew Cuts • Rigging Call • Audio File & more . . .

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Dare to be different Franz Ferdinand live at the SOS 4.8 Festival, Murcia, Spain

It’s the convention to catch a tour for review when it first They are a great live band and they’ve been on this tour for over begins, but Franz Ferdinand have been out for over 18 18 months now, yet they can still turn it on. All their crew told how their energy is undiminished: don’t miss them next time. months. In fact, after this show - at the SOS 4.8 Festival in the city of Murcia, Spain - they have just two more gigs As this is a festival show it’s as well to describe the stage set first. before the recording studio beckons. Tired? Worn out? Lighting is set as per LD Cormac Jackson’s prescription - two Far from it, the band was peaking. trusses well upstage (7m and 9m respectively) with a dozen moving heads on each. Backstage, a single band backdrop, Production kabuki rigged, will after just one song reveal Franz’s talismanic I’d never really confronted the music of Franz Ferdinand before; scenic element, something they refer to as a ‘Projection Surface’ a couple of albums nestle on my CD rack but haven’t received the (more on this later). Floor lights comprise just seven, vertically attention they deserve. At 2.00am Saturday morning as the band stood Kino Flo with, in this instance, a Vari*Lite VLX beneath each left the stage I knew this situation would change. In the great one. That’s almost it really. The band play huddled centrally, as if British rock tradition, Franz defy the pigeonhole, while their music

online.co.uk in a club; modest drum riser central, low (1ft / 30cm) risers is popular and entertaining, it is unconventional. Lyrics swoop in support the backline amps either side. Here’s one of the band’s confusion around choppy, edgy guitars; these are no simple love charming conceits, the backline is concealed behind dummy songs to adolescent hearts but thoughtful and provoking cabinets - oversize by maybe 50%, at first humorous they do in www.lsi questions on life itself. And the music can switch from gravity fact produce a style that makes Franz’s penchant for the huddled defying luminescence, to aggressive, rhythmic pumping energy. look work on massive festival stages.

48 Lighting&Sound - June 2010 OT_Franz_Fer a problem forus,especially fromaproduction perspective.Tell the bandpaidfor it, there’snothingelselikeit.Butit didpresent come upwithissomething verydifferent.For whatitisand what projection surface fromageneralideaoftheband’s; whathe’s elements ofshowisinformative.“Cormac developedthe thanks. Hisperspectiveontheunderpinning ofthevisual responsible forinvitingL&SIoutto Spain, forwhichmany Bob O’Brienistheband’sproduction manager, and theman down thebeams. This isabeast,andindust-filled airyou can practicallywalk lantern IwaspresentedwithatPLASAonitslaunchlastyear. show environ-isfarbrighterthanthedimunimpressive of theVLXonstage-andrememberthiswasanoutdoor, big I retractthatcommentwholeheartedly, theproductionversion deathblow totheVari*Lite VLXbecauseoftheiroutput. enough recentlytocitetheselightsasdeliveringthe Impressions forhisfloorkitbeneaththeKinoFlos.Iwasrash While I’monthesubject,CormacnormallygetsGLP words andphotographybySteveMoles di nan d O tour.qx :On 30/0014 03/06/2010 d : 06 Page 49 Lighting & Sound - June 2010 ontour

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me answering ‘Before doors open tonight!’ He has just been superb.”

Gratuitous praise over, and just to bring tour things back down to earth, I interviewed Alex Kapranos, the band’s recognised

on leader (though they’re more democratic than that), later on and asked him about the set builders. He was stumped: “I can’t remember their name, but they always manage to give us just what we want.” Seems like a fair endorsement. (“Patrick who?” Mick Jagger.)

O’Brien did confirm that the EL tape is relatively fragile and a dozen panels worth has been replaced, but then the tour has been out over 18 months. “And it’s almost as quick to rig as it is to take down,” he concluded. “It takes about 40 minutes, and that’s including testing the panels as it goes people you’ve got a projection screen and “The great thing for us,” said O’Brien, taking up. The great thing about the screen is it’s they imagine a large stretch to fit film of up the thread, “is that we can easily vary funky, people are amazed at how effective it polythene skin on a frame; or the promoters width and height to suit any venue just by is.” I think the photos confirm that, it is very thought it might be a video wall. Either way, dropping columns of panels, or rows. The different. it frightened them for some of the gigs screen breaks at six and four panels we’ve been playing. In the end I had to send horizontally for packaging purposes, but of “For festival production we carry the Kino them photos with an explanation of how it course you can just leave unused lower Flos and a kabuki device from PRG, who worked; many were concerned it wouldn’t fit panels folded at the bottom, so it’s infinitely supply our full system for Europe [Upstaging the stages they wanted us to play on. More variable at 600mm intervals. We’ve done in the USA]. They also provided High End to the point, the great thing is it takes no small clubs to Fuji Rocks and never not DL3s for projection onto our screen, which space at all, and no time to put up and rigged it, and at maximum size it weighs Cormac controls from his Hog IPC. The down. So for festivals we can take it down less than 800kg, including inverters.” dummy backline was very much Alex’s idea; during change-over, it’s that quick - and that Nick McCarthy, the drummer, drew up the was one of the promoter’s major concerns.” Inverters? “Yes that was Cormac’s brilliant design. They wanted something over-stated, idea. Each panel is bordered by a strip of retro and with the band logo on it. They The screen was built by Specialz, electro-luminescent (EL) tape [this from asked for the large red neons and Specialz a company with a long relationship with Light Tape - www.lighttape.co.uk]; that’s the added the outsize VU meters with little audio Franz. The band are all former Art School really standout signature look that makes sensors to trigger them. The band always students and it seems the artistic this as much Franz Ferdinand as the liked to clamber on their backline so these inclinations sit easily with this most Can-Can girls did last time. And that’s all dummies had to be strong and stable. They enigmatic of set build and scenic providers. thanks to Mr Dave Smith. Specialz have didn’t appear until the band played the “Having a band that can express their ideas always done projects for us at short notice - second stage at Glastonbury last year, we in a meaningful way is great,” said Dave sourcing, fitting, and devising a wiring didn’t even have chance to test them, it was Smith, Specialz MD, when I called him at system for the EL tape that was fast and just on and go. I did wonder if we’d have O’Brien’s behest. “That and the fact that easy was no exception - and have always a Spinal Tap moment, but truth is I had they make the time to talk to everyone been amazing and able to deliver. A typical enough experience of Specialz to have faith involved - production manager, their own conversation with Dave might end with him in them. The band knew they were in good manager, their crew and us as set builders. asking, ‘When do you want them for?’ and hands and went for it.” It avoids those ‘Oh no, this isn’t what we had in mind at all’ moments completely.”

Famously, Specialz built a set of dancing mannequins for an earlier tour that achieved a certain notoriety in the business. “We built the Can-Can girls with Vari*Lite VL5s for heads a few years ago,” said Smith. “But the projection surface is something quite different. Essentially it’s 600mm square panels of a hard-foam centred aluminium foil sandwich. The panels are joined vertically with flip-flop hinges that allow the screen to fold on itself when lowering the truss to strike. We tried it out and found a full 48ft wide by 20ft tall screen could be online.co.uk de-rigged and packed away in 21 minutes.” Screen tech Nic Ayres told me the Dutch stage crew at an earlier show got this down

www.lsi to 12 minutes.

50 Lighting&Sound - June 2010 OT_Franz_Fer twenty-five thousandpeople toseethem comfortable, butalso allowforthe something where thebandare “Well, youhave to findahappymedium, But whataboutthebacklightemphasis? for themtoseetheirwaybackonstage.” some point,soIliketohavesomething band -theyusuallyendupinthepit at lose theirminds?Hesmiled,“No,for the safety light.”For whenthemovingheads downstage wash;they’realsoabitof out instead,andIaskforsixPars fora Source Four profilesformetopickthem not practical.Sothefronttrusshas positioning forthemandaspottrussis mainly becauseIcan’tgetconsistent we don’tusefollowspots-butthat’s don’t likeanover-amount offrontlight- so muchemphasisupstage?“Theyjust first aboutthedeploymentofrig:why featured inthesepagesbefore.Iasked before theybrokebigtime,andhas Jackson hasbeenwiththebandsince Spanish lampie. I neverhadthechancetomeetasingle worked atnightforobviousreasonsand time totime.TheMurcialightingcrewall toward theaudiencewhichusedfrom number of4-and8-liteMolesfacing great advantage.Therewasalsoalarge here, oratthesides,whichhedidto not aversetousingtheextramovers band fromthestagewash.Andhewas profiles onthefronttrusstoteaseout but hehadaddedETC SourceFour these werenotpartofJackson’sdesign, each side,andonthefronttruss,though sloped trussesrunningup/downstage elsewhere inthisfestivalrig,onthetwo moving headswerealsofound unused). Thetwoprincipaltypesof and Pixelline(thelatterJacksonleft were alsodottedwithAtomicstrobes, Paky AlphaWash 1200s;thetrusses each ofVari*Lite VL3000SpotsandClay The twoupstagetrusseshadadozen Lights di nan d O tour.qx :On 30/0014 03/06/2010 d the projection doesn’tlose out.”Jackson as well,soyouneed tobecarefulthat projection work.I’ve gothazersonstage need tocutback and lettheonstage that’s builtaroundtheprojection,you do “So mybasicrigis12spots,wash, a greatlittlelight,smoothandquick.” Alpha 300Beamindoorsandthey’re occasion recentlytousetheClayPaky better Ithink,butthey’refine.havehad prefer aMAC2kWash, thebeamcuts Spot andAlpha1200Wash; Iwould “As forthemainrig,I’vegotVL3000 their huddlecentrestage. Jackson hadhislittlebandtranscend were butonestrongwayinwhich acclaimed poweroftheFlowers,these a coupleoftimes.”Notwithstandingthe Flowers onthefloor, abigeffectIuse enough. “We alsohaveacoupleofNova Entirely illusory, theeffectwasreal something morelikeaVersaTube.” VLX] changestheKinotoresemble uplight fromtheLEDbeneath[GLPor visually interestinganddramatic,the Kinos stoodverticallybehindthebandis something differentasaspecial,the given meVari*Lite VLXs.Iliketohave beneath eachone,thoughtodaythey’ve normally IhaveaGLPImpression seven banksofKinoFlosfromPRG,and “We docarryasmallfloorpackage, Well doneJackson,Isay. was compelledtowatchthestage. light, thatI,inthepositionofapunter, show outofwhatlookedtobeverylittle produce suchaspectacularlarge-scale ambience, butintruthhemanagedto stylistically itaddstothegeneral Jackson drewattentiontoit,andyes, I didwatchtheIMAGalittlebecause black andwhiteverycontrasty.” We alwaysgettheIMAGrendered in and enoughlevelfortheIMAGtoread. : 07 Page 51 3 3URXGO\VXSSRUWHGE\ 2IÀFLDOVSRQVRU 2UJDQL]HGE\ 12 Hotel IBIS EarlsCourt London, Lighting Designers...” to professional exclusively dedicated “...The only Awards awards Knight illumination STLD th September 2010 RD

International Lighting of of

www.knight-of-illumination.com & Sound - June 2010 ontour

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From left to right: Lighting designer Cormac Jackson; FOH sound engineer Michael Parker; monitor engineer Tilde Bruynooghe; production manager Bob O’Brien. Crew Credits:

Tour Manager: Steven Chapman is very particular about this, it’s a subject he the screen architectural inasmuch as it Production Manager: Bob O’Brien references frequently as he talks about his becomes a feature, not merely an object. show. Production/Band Assistant: In the show, Jackson took greater advantage Julie Bernouis “The screen takes projection well. On of the rest of the moving lights rigged in the Lighting Designer: Cormac Jackson recommendation from Dave Smith we had roof than I had expected; even so, he used the panels painted BBC grey, which takes something in the region of two dozen spots FOH Engineer: Michael Parker colour well and reduces flare.” and a similar number of washes, so not Monitor Engineer: Tilde Bruynooghe many, but with some well-chosen extravagant “The main point of the design was to be focuses out into the night sky or across the Drum/Bass technician: Allen Johnston modular, to be able to scale up or down. It’s audience he certainly exploited them to Guitar Technician: Adey Wilson not a big deal to squeeze this up. Even if scale-up his show. When he did rein them in the projectors aren’t there the screen gives for projection the change in level made the Keys Technician: Hugh Cowie a recognisable show. We tour with DL3s,” projected impact all the greater, but in truth ‘B Rig’ Backline Roadie: here they had promoter-supplied Christie the two Christie’s weren’t really up to the David ‘Slouch’ Vaughan Roadsters - a 20k and 12k. “The DL3 is task, which is why I’ve hardly touched on it fantastic indoors but they do need a lot of here. However, it should be noted that being Systems Techs: Paul MaCauley, love. We carry the Axon media server, accustomed as we are to high impact LED Austen ‘Oz’ Bagnell, Rob Priddle basically the server that’s in the DL3. All run video presence, it was apparent that this was Screen Technican: Nic Ayres off my own Hog IPC, in fact the whole never the target here, the imagery is softer, control package is mine. We take some subtler; as Kapranos says elsewhere in this Video/Projection Tech: Seb Williams MIDI triggers from stage for one or two article, in tune with the music. Stage Manager: Tyrone Brunton songs, passed by Isadora, which runs on Lighting/Dimmer technician: my Mac Book into the server. I do make After 18 months, and with all the permutations Simon Carus-Wilson bright intense lighting looks, but they tend Jackson has put this system concept to be stabs, punctuation, again to protect through, would he change anything? “I’d take Equipment Relocation Technicians: the projection. In terms of lighting nothing is more projectors, double, and some pre- Chris Overton, Ray Bridgeman, out; the band don’t specify palette or production time would help. But otherwise it’s John Gordon anything on that side.” Jackson chose - been good, and it’s worked everywhere.” Caterers: Helen Cooper, David Pascoe and I know this sounds a contradiction in terms - largely saturated pastels, with heavy It was notable throughout the crew, from PM Merchandiser: Leanne Berry hazing making that impression more Bob O’Brien down, there was no sign of profound. exhaustion or fatigue, and none of the Supplier Credits: sniping impatience of a tour that’s run too The video content actually runs for long and worn away the boundaries of “I would like to highlight the quality approximately 50% of the songs, so personal space. “I’m lucky, because the support and back-up that our Jackson is not as restricted in his lighting band wanted to invest in set. It’s not cheap longstanding suppliers have given,” output as he makes it sound. “Jaygo Bloom to do it, but it looks special to them,” - Production manager Bob O’Brien. provides the more abstract video stuff,” said concluded Jackson - something Kapranos Jackson. “Will & Dillon’s work is more addressed directly, and in charming fashion. Audio: Wigwam (Geoff Muir) cinematic. There are nine layers within the Axon so I can do pretty much what I want Sound Lighting: PRG (Scottie Sanderson) with content. It’s especially effective for Michael Parker, known to band and crew Projection/Video: XL Video (Jo Beirne) dealing with keystoning. The screen is alike as simply Parker (something to do with Screen & Set Design: important, it’s not just a grey wall; it looks a penchant for blondes in pink Rolls Specialz (Dave Smith) like part of something that’s supposed to be Royces, I suspect) has been working for there. It’s architectural, rather than just a them since 2003. “I’d been doing other Trucking: Fly By Nite (Dave Coumbes) screen.” bands for Domino Records when they got online.co.uk Bussing: Beat The Street (Jorg Albert) signed. They broke in 2004 and I’ve been That sounds a touch vulnerable to ridicule, with them pretty much non-stop since then.” Catering: Popcorn until you actually see the show. It is a fact He has done other work, notably MGMT and www.lsi Freight: Rock It Cargo (Matt Wright) that the EL tape is alien enough to the Hot Chip, who, by coincidence, followed familiar image of a screen, that it renders Franz on stage at 2.00am this very night.

52 Lighting&Sound - June 2010 OT_Franz_Fer environment.” not halfadaygettingdrumsound,soIpreferthelive engineering workinAlex’sstudio.Idolikethestudiowork,but “Since IstartedwithFranz I’vedonealltheirtoursandabitof as theclichégoes,ishistory. getting pickedupbyapassingFranz Ferdinand -andtherest, had beenimplemented.”ItwasashortstepfromtheScalato Much tomysatisfaction,whenIwentbacktherelaterideas to investinflyingthesystem;Isubmittedseveralproposals. system. Ispentmostofmytimetheretryingtopersuadethem ceiling andlotsofflatglass.We had aground-stackedTurbo’ incredibly reverberant,shinywalls,flatwoodenfloor, high tweaking. ThroughhimIgotajobattheScala-toughroom, obsessed withEQandwouldspendhourslistening feeding backterriblyandleaveustofindoutwhy. Hewas he waskeenongettingusmixing,thenhe’dfrythingssoit wasn’t conventional,hedidn’tspendtoomuchtimeontheory, Lookingbackitwasquiterelevant,George back ofNME. An SAEcourseorsomesuch?“No,somethingIfoundatthe a chapcalledGeorgeGregori.” Eventually IsignedupforalivesoundcourseinLondonrunby rig Ithink,andlistenedtowhatcameoutthroughitalot. spent afairbitoftimeatTheJunction-theyhadTurbosound then aswitchtoArchaeology. IcamefromCambridgeand mixing bandsatUni’whileIstudiedfirstComputerSciences, Parker hasaninterestingmixinghistory. “Istartedin‘99,Iwas least 170showsayear.” shows inayear, it’sbeenclosetothatintensityeversince,at “When theykickedoffin2004itwasprettyfrenetic,wedid210 Rental Dexterity versatile andhard-workingsoundreinforcementsystemsinthebusiness. NXAMP PoweredControllerpresetshelpmakeNEXOPS-R2oneofthemost di nan d O tour.qx :On 30/0014 03/06/2010 d : 07 Page 53 Find outmore atwww.nexo.fr Lighting & Sound - June 2010 ontour

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Franz Ferdinotes

• Bob O’Brien: “Seb Williams, our tour video/projection tech, was invaluable to us. He joined us for a three week period and stayed for 18 months . . . on and had to deal with every sort of problem on an almost daily basis to make the projection work. Basically, when we were outdoors and not able to use DL3s,he had to deal with local projectors each and every day.

• Festival Site: Side-fills were Meyer MTS4a, also supplied by Fluge, with Meyer CQ1 front-fills. The gig has a typical Stageco-style roof with goalpost wings for the PA, then projection screens and off-axis out- fills. The PA was Meyer M3D with a small number (4 cabs) of Milo to the Although today is a Meyer M3D PA, His desk is a Digidesign Profile, direct from side, and 700-HP Subs across front a system Parker is entirely comfortable with, Wigwam, with FOH rack. “I have Venue stage. PA looked a little care-worn, when his band is topping the bill he’s not Pack 3 and the seemingly limitless but it sounds good. At FOH Fluge averse to making the PA crew drop and dynamics on the board is great; the plug-ins provided a pair of DiGiCo D5s, and re-hang systems if he believes it’s needed. even better. I do try to steer away from a pair of Hog IIs. “Seems like we did it almost every day in anything too boutique. I use a DJ Bass South America recently, one gig we had to plug-in in preference to the on-board EQ - • One of the sadder aspects of make them do it five times till they a Rane Serato parametric which is very Franz’s hard work ethic is the loss of understood and actually made the changes musical and accurate. I use it for my master its lighting designer Cormac Jackson we asked for.” EQ on the mains, and individually on the to the rest of the touring world. He’s band and vocals. It has 10 filters and uses a very good operator - consider how His preference is either L’Acoustic V-DOSC hardly any processing power. There’s also much of a busk such shows such as or d&b audiotechnik J Series. “V-DOSC is an Echo Farm (vintage echo effects) and Murcia festival are, even for the a little old now though I do prefer its warmth Mooga Fooga; you can now tap tempo at headline act? The Franz screen is in the low mids, but overall the J is nicer. last, I have two foot switches down there. a masterful resolution of the A lot smaller and nicer, you can fly a lot I use Drawmer Tour Bus gates and comps - conflicting imperatives of impact and more of it because it’s relatively light so you oh, and a Crane Song tape saturation understatement. The same can be always get a decent banana; a proper hang. thing.” said of Michael Parker; he’s been out We’ve done a great variety of gigs and that with Franz virtually non-stop since he flexibility is important.” Is this a hairy band to assemble your mix in hitched his soul to their rising star in those first few minutes of festival mayhem? 2003. On the evidence of this show The tour uses Wigwam for the European “There are four in the band, I get 42 inputs. he knows his chops and knows them market, Eighth Day Sound (EDS) in the US. The vocals are all Sennheiser e838: well. “Both looked after us very well. At relatively inexpensive, they sound good for • The drum tech Allen Johnston uses Bonnaroo, a major US festival, I even these guys and you can get them a Drum Dial: apparently these have handed over FOH to Owen Orzack [EDS anywhere.” Are they prone to failure? “No, been around a while but this was my client handler] when I had to run to stage but the odd one or two have disappeared first sight of a simple and easy tuning and sort a problem with an antiquated off stage when they leap into the audience. device: tune the drum to your Russian synthesiser that no-one else knew They also look good, the band like that, and satisfaction and record the skin how to fix.” Unconventional at best, Parker the cost means that whatever the abuse tension it measures. has since persuaded the band that there they receive, it’s not like replacing some are other, more reliable synthesisers. expensive Neumann.” online.co.uk www.lsi

54 Lighting&Sound - June 2010 OT_Franz_Fer heard thePA fromeveryvantagepoint.For aflataudience the mixtowerfromleft,rear, andrightbeforegainingaccess,so a 30-minutebattletogetfromcamerapitFOHandapproached parity withthevocals;allbetterforthatonedBlower. Ihad I especiallylikedthefacthedidn’tfeelobligedtoputguitarson For thisshowParker producedabright,wellarticulated mix. Does thatreallystillhappen?ItobviouslyhastoParker. Then thenoisemeasurementpeoplecomeandsetupinthere.” enclosed intheultrareflectivetarpaulinontopanddownside. very frustrating;mixplatformatleastfourfeetabovetheground, can seeenoughofthestagefromthere.TheUKespeciallyIfind desk offthetoweranddownontofloor;I’mreasonablytall broader coveragearea.IftheweatherlooksOKIwilloftentake alley. You enduphavingtomixincrediblybrightsatisfythe would putthemixtowertoonesidesoyou’renotstuckinpower And whatprovesmostchallengingatafestivalsite?“Iwishthey alongside. a strongbaritonethatpermitscymbalsplashtositcomfortably He isblessedwithpowerfulvocalists:Kapranosinparticularhas I justusethebleed,SteveAlbinistyle,ratherthanfightagainstit.” thetwofrontvocalmicsclosetokit since ditchedthem.With Most ofthebanddidtryin-earsforsecondalbumtour, buthave for arelativelysmallman,themostpowerfuldrummerinworld. “It isloudonstage,noin-ears,asmallbutpowerfulbackline,and Better thantheoldRussianstuffthatbrokeatBonnaroo.” balance. Hugh[Cowie]thekeyboardtech’looksafteritallforme. putting alltherecordedsoundsinthere-timewellspenttermsof are nowmainlyMoogVoyager andasampler:Ispentweek e906 offaxissoIcanmixbetweenbrightnessandwarmth.Thekeys “For GuitarsIusethelargediaphragmAKG414withaSennheiser di nan d O tour.qx :On 30/0014 03/06/2010 d : 08 Page 55 Top, AlexKapranos.Above,SennheisereW300IEMG2transmitters. Lighting & Sound - June 2010 ontour

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“The two elements -

tour music and visual -

on have to be symbiotic . . . I don’t like those shows - and I’ve seen a few, naming no names - when you feel you’re just watching the show, not listening to it.”

Alex Kapranos, Franz Ferdinand

disposition Fluge (Sonido Professional) the snare and cymbals in the vocals but that’s personally,” said Kapranos. “It’s the best Spanish PA company, had rigged the Meyer one of the reasons they prefer wedges, way to have a decent show. For us it’s about M3D banana rather flat, as if expecting to rather than have that in their ears; being able to appreciate we have a creative have to project much further than what penetration is important. Each band crew. For example, before we start the I paced earlier in the day as 200m to the member has an individual mix, and I use the touring season, Cormac and I will email back bar area. side-fills mainly as near-fill when they ideas back and forth; then the crew and wander around. I mix from a Yamaha PM5D band will get involved. We often start by Monitors simply for the fact you can expect to find reference to the latest album; we’ll come up Tilde Bruynooghe is a Belgian (Flemish) by one anywhere in the world; and of course, with a set of aesthetics derived from that. birth, but moved to Amsterdam aged 18, it’s now very familiar to me so I’m not always If I were a member of the audience I’d want already bitten by the audio bug. “I did the looking down. And it’s robust.” those aesthetics to be seen and continued SAE audio recording course there, but on stage. That can be at a very simple level, I really wanted to do live and got a job at “I’ve used the Digidesign Venue at the O2 like the backdrop with the band logo, or the Paradiso as house monitor engineer. Academy and it’s better, especially the communicated in a subtle way with a detail Franz came through and liked what I did for guitar sound I was able to get, and I really in the video.” them. I received a call from their tour want to get my hands on a Vi6; I’ve heard manager two days later and here I am five really good things about them.” Soundcraft, “One of the most striking ideas came from years on. I’ve worked for other bands - KT if you’re reading this, Tilde is going out on a poster we put together for a gig at The Tunstall, Jarvis Cocker, and Wolfmother the KT Tunstall soon. “We also supported Green Macbeth in Hoxton. It was just a simple Aussie band. I’ve done front-of-house at the Day in the US and they use a Studer Vista, cut-and-paste of the band, but I knew it had Paradiso, but never toured in that position: which they let me use - sounded amazing, passed the ‘Graphics test for bands’ when I enjoy the immediacy of monitors.” but way too expensive!” the bootleggers put it on the tee-shirts.” A worthy observation on how close to their Tilde now lives in Sheffield with a British “The music is very dynamic so I do have to fan base this band chose to fly. musician; hence the Cocker connection, mix a lot; I don’t wait for them to ask for and as you’ll have gathered is not just things, I do what I think they will expect. How does the video content evolve? a fluent English speaker, but speaks Alex’s vocal output is very steady, but he “Cormac was involved, but the two main idiomatically with all the colourful flair of the does like to cup the mic, which is a pain. contributors were Will & Dillon - it was them steel town where she now lives. Paul [Thomson] on drums and Nick that made the video for Ulysses - and then [McCarthy] on guitar both have pretty full there’s Jaygo [Bloom] who we’ve known for “We use no radio mics on stage and only mix; Alex is vocal only.” years. We used to stage illegal parties at the Bob [Hardy] on Bass and the backline crew Chateau in Glasgow (a warehouse) and he use IEM, the Sennheiser G2 system. Alex Kapranos produced the visuals. It’s all a collaborative We carry a set of 12 d&b M2 wedges I began the interview by saying how many of process.” As Jackson and O’Brien everywhere, except South America where the crew had commented on the level of previously confirmed. online.co.uk the routing proved prohibitive, but we still communication between band and crew, squeezed in a pair for Alex with the band’s especially in terms of their stage set And the screen? “The screen was backline. The band loves them; Alex needs concepts. It’s not something I’m determined by what was physically www.lsi a lot of vocal and they’re one of the best accustomed to hearing. “We’re lucky to possible; but when people are at a show wedges around. Yes, we do get a lot of have a really great crew who we get on with they want to see what’s not seen before,

56 Lighting&Sound - June 2010 OT_Franz_Fer shy awayfromthat asaband.” they’re beforeaspectacle, youmustnot your tryingtomake theaudiencethink the samesense,whenyou’reonstage the individual,makespersonsmall. In imposing; likeacathedralitdiminishes plant, wherethearchitectureishuge and something likeanEastGermanpower before. We tooktheindustrialaestheticof something new. It’saworldnotseen we’ve takenfromthatandproduced “I lovetheoldSelmerSnakeSkincombo, reasons. tough aswellbethereforaesthetic many timesthattheseneededtobe we’ve kickedourownbacklineoverso clutter. Asabandwe’requitephysical, minimal butbold.We don’tliketoomuch the drama;weliketokeepstage “The ampcovers(dummies)arepartof Good man. watching theshow, notlisteningtoit.” names -whenyoufeelyou’rejust shows -andI’veseenafew, namingno tune witheachother. Idon’tlikethose visual -havetobesymbiotic:in songs. Thetwoelements-musicand will tellyouwhenintroducenew they hearhastobefamiliar, asanyband audiences seehastobefresh,butwhat well, it’sasurprise.Ironically, what that’s whyCormac’sELTape worksso Above: Yamaha PM5Ddesksonmonitorduty. di nan d O tour.qx :On 30/0014 03/06/2010 d that’s the difference. three albumsand sevenyears-and broken through.That’s amazingafter something new;likeabandthathad just was thesensethatyouwerewatching was mostnoticeableaboutthisshow 18-month triparoundtheglobe.What and vitalitythatenduredthroughout an both musicalandvisual;astamina So thereitis,abandbrimmingwithideas the pick-ups.” the tapeproducedtoomuchnoiseon see wastheguitars.We trieditbutfound play indarknessandallpeoplewould outline theguitarssowecouldsuddenly do withtheinstruments,Iwanteditto idea wasfromsomethingI’dwantedto what themusicandbandare.Thetape something yournot;ithastobetied fill thespacebutnotbypuffingup bombastic, notarrogant.It’simportantto big enoughtodothejob,butit’snot conscious ofit?“Itfillstwoextremes;it’s And thescreen,doyoulookatit,are hillside. Wonderful, inspiring.” them Icouldseethecampfiresupon twinkling inthedarkness,andbeyond of audiencewiththeircamera-phones I thought.Theviewwasfantastic,asea the firsttime-‘f**kme,it’sreallyhigh’, surely? “Irememberjumpingontopfor them atGlastonbury-aleapoffaith, And whataboutthatfirsttimeyougot : 09 Page 57 Lighting & Sound - June 2010 ontour

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