May_Cover:Cover 10/05/2010 09:44 Page 1

May 2010 entertainment, presentation, communication www.lsionline.co.uk Les Mis at 25 Revitalised to mark its first quarter-century, Les Misérables remains theatre at its best

Tangerine Dream ProLight&Sound Profile: Duran Audio PLASA Focus: Leeds Live at the The news from Frankfurt Clean Dutch lines A resounding success

PLUS: In-depth: Robe Robin 300 Plasma • Penton’s Progress • Mary Poppins goes Dutch Women in Lighting get WiSE • Green Room • Audio File • Second Fix & more . . .

View L&SI’s Digital Edition & Archive online - register FREE at www.lsionline.co.uk/digital OT_Tangerine Dream:On tour.qxd 08/05/2010 10:45 Page 38

tour

on AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

words and pictures by Steve Moles

As with last month, my early career also involved with Tangerine Dream. My time at Charisma Records eventually ran into the sand around 1975. I kept a roof over my head taking a job delivering blood to hospitals when suddenly one evening I got a call from : could I fly to Munich the next morning? The pay was $600US per week - a Kings ransom for strike-ridden Britain - so needless to say, I was off.

Tangerine Dream was touring with a big water-cooled laser, a 21W argon. For this era it was a monster and travelled separately in its own three-ton truck, which I would be driving (as well as rigging PA and lights). The laser, travelling on its own ATA Carnet, was valued for transit purposes at $1/4m. Rented from Lasarium in the USA, its operation was overseen by Ron Lazar (how could I not remember that name?). An ex-US Navy man and barely demobbed from duty in Vietnam, Ron was a missile guidance expert. Apparently there was some technology overlap with the controls for all the actuating mirrors that bounced the beams around the concert hall . . .

This was 1976/77 and local authorities knew nothing about lasers, except that they should be afraid. Scrabbling for expertise we were, as we travelled across Europe, visited by a motley band of “experts”; several physicists from local universities, a few bemused fire officers, and one dentist who apparently had once attended a course involving lasers used to harden a new form of dental amalgam. Never having encountered anything quite so powerful, most were fascinated by the technology: they spent scant few minutes checking that Ron and his assistant were aware that neat beams into people’s eyes would render them blind - and then indulged an hour or two while Ron showed off the tricks.

The Tangs, as we called the band, were wonderful to tour with: and his wife Monique particular sweeties. These were the days before tour catering and we’d often eat together at local restaurants, chatting, laughing, drinking wine. The band was good friends with Salvador Dali and we visited him at his home in Cadaqués. Surreal is a good summary of the tour: the audio was primitive, I forget the PA but the desk was a Mackie, with a multicore that was microphonic - tap it and continued on page 40

TANGERINE SEGMENTS

• Gerd Plakovits, FOH sound: • The show opens with Edgar Froese’s daughter playing the grand “I also like Midas and the in a dress laced with LEDs. She plays a pleasant classical piece; her

online.co.uk Soundcraft Series 5 for father emerges stage right, crosses the stage, kisses her on the nape of analogue desks. With the PA, the neck and then stands listening at the far end of the piano. Suddenly for me my preference is Meyer, he erupts and lashes the exposed string board with a leather cat-‘o’-nine- or JBL Vertec if I’m mixing tails. I wonder what Marksons would say if they knew Edgar Froese was www.lsi a rock band.” lashing their grand piano?

38 Lighting&Sound - May 2010 OT_Tanger team attheAlbert Hall.” absolutely great.It’s averysupportive been heresincewe arrivedandbeen Christine Boveniser;they’veboth hasbeengreat,and Simon Willetts RAH housetechnicalsupervisor • CharlieEllery, Capital Sound:“The i eDemO tour.qx Dream:On ne 80/0010 08/05/2010 d Bandit Lites. Steve ‘Stoner’Rusling of quite apleasantday,” said been asniceitcanbe, crew onaone-off?“It’s with anall-Germanband • Anydifficultiesworking : 44 Page 39 take careofproduction.” commitments. Before departingheaskedusto withdraw fromthe tour andtakecareofprior approached usforsound,butthenhe hadto - wehaveagoodrapportwithhim.He originally came aboutbecauseoftourmanager BrianColes • Paul Timmins, productionmanager:“This show Sound &Production: Production manager: SHOW CREWCREDITS: Lighting crewchief: SUPPLIER CREDITS: Local Crew: Stage manager: Audio crewchief: Catering: Dimmer tech: Video tech: Head chef: FOH tech: PA tech: Monitor tech: Lighting: PA tech: Trucking: Eat Your HeartsOut Risers: Capital Productions Production House Lasers: Video: Sean Patterson Mark Cranham Finbar Neenan Charles Ellery Steve Rusling Ant Standring Paul Timmins Tom Crosbie Liam Tucker Rob Wilkins Bandit Lites Music Bank Fly byNite Dan Kent XL Video Discotec Lighting & Sound - May 2010 ontour

39 www.lsionline.co.uk OT_Tangerine Dream:On tour.qxd 08/05/2010 10:46 Page 40 tour on

the PA thumped - and so it had to be very cautiously routed to said Timmins. “In that respect, this is unusual for us,” he continued stage. Besides the laser we had just two 12-lamp PAR 64 Genie as we walked down to the production office. “The band’s German towers, yet this was considered a spectacular show. I arrived at the promoter brought us in to produce the gig but there was a certain Albert Hall on 1 April 2010 expecting no less. lack of information. For example, during the load-in, a German laser company turned up in a small truck. There was nothing in the Production advance spec’ about lasers and sadly the documentation they A quick conversation with Paul Timmins of Capital Sound, production brought with them was all in German. The RAH did try on their manager du jour, elicited the response I’d thought inevitable: “The behalf, but there was never much chance of getting something like band have their own sound engineers, LD and video director. None that approved by Westminster Council on the day. There are proper of them speak good English.” procedures in place and that’s how it should be.”

Timmins had several reasons to think this; the show was a UK one- It’s not outside the realms of ability for any of the establishment off, the end of a five-gig jaunt around Europe. Primarily it seems the sound, lighting or video service providers to production manage general level of communication between artist and service provider a show, sub-contracting in the other technologies, but it’s not prior to arrival had been poor: “The rider they sent was dated 2008,” normal, surely? “Actually, it’s something we’ve been doing at Capital

EQUIPMENT LIST:

LIGHTING SOUND

FRONT: FOH: 4 x Arri 1kW 1 x Yamaha PM5D-RH 3 x 19° ETC Source Four profiles 1 x Meyer Galileo 616 loudspeaker 2 x Martin Professional MAC 2000 Profile management 2 x Martin Professional MAC 2000 Wash 1 x XTA GQ600 Dual 31-band graphic eq 2 x 8-Lites 1 x Denon DN635 Pro CD player 1 x Wi-Fi enabled Tablet Remote Control MID: 4 x Arri 1kW PA SYSTEM: 2 x 19° ETC Source Four profiles 2 x Meyer Milo flying grid 4 x Martin Professional MAC 2000 Profile 24 x Meyer Milo 90 line array loudspeakers 3 x Martin Professional MAC 2000 Wash 4 x Meyer Milo 120 down-fill line array 3 x Martin Professional Atomic 3000 loudspeaker strobes 4 x Meyer Milo 120-I insert baffle

BACK: SIDES: 3 x Martin Professional MAC 2000 Profile 2 x Meyer Mica flying grids 4 x Martin Professional MAC 2000 Wash 24 x Meyer Mica line array loudspeaker 2 x ACL Bar Long Black PAR 64 Ground: RADIO MICS: 6 x GLP Impression 6 x Meyer 700 HP self-powered sub-bass 2 x Shure Beta 58A capsules 2 x Meyer UPQ-1P loudspeaker 2 x Shure U2 - S2 handheld transmitter FLOOR: 4 x Adam Hall Tripod loudspeaker stand 1 x Shure U4D - S2 dual receiver 2 x ACL Bar Long Black PAR 64 4 x Meyer MS UPA-1P loudspeaker RIGGING:

online.co.uk 6 x GLP Impression 6 x Meyer M1D line array loudspeaker 2 x Le Maitre G300 (Haze Mode) Monitor Console: 4 x CM Lodestar 2-tonne 2 x JEM AF-1 DMX Fan 1 x Yamaha M7CL mixing console 10 x 2-tonne point rigging kit 14 x Martin Audio LE1500 wedge 2 x 4-way motor distribution unit www.lsi loudspeaker 2 x 4-way handset motor controller

40 Lighting&Sound - May 2010 OT_Tanger VERSA STAGE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE our stufffortheMinistryofDefence(MoD),soyes,Idotrytoback “We haveotherswhocandothis,notablyCharlieEllerydoesall absence whenproducingshowsproveaprobleminthatrespect? ‘alternative’ lifestyleintheBlackHillsofWales. Doesn’tTimmins’ that IggyPop tour)unwindshimselffromthebusinessandbuildsan my oldfriendandCapital’sfounder, Keith Davis(no,I’llneverforget Timmins prettymuchrunsCapitalSoundonaday-to-day basis,as such showshereattheAlbertHallinApril,includingthisone.” if needed.CapitalProductionsisabusydepartment,wehavefour more thanjustprovideasoundsystem,supplyingengineersaswell one showandcarryingonlybackline,thenitmakessense.We do for somethinglikethis,whereabandiscomingintotheUKjust taking workawayfromalltheexcellentfreelancePMsoutthere-but since 2000.We don’tdoitfortours -itwouldn’tdoforustobe i 12 WOKING BUSINESSPARK eDemO tour.qx Dream:On ne FAX: +44(0)1483763594 PH +44(0)1483765305 ALBERT DRIVE, WOKING 1320 STORM PARKWAY FAX +13105170899 TORRANCE, CA90501 PH +13107842464 SURREY GU215JY LOS ANGELES 80/0010 08/05/2010 d WWW.ALLACCESSINC.COM ® PH +61(0)411656 462 FAX +61(0)75572320 1 NORTHPARK DRIVE 23 DEMANDAVENUE FAX +19735790068 ARUNDEL, QLD4214 PH +19735790067 NEWTON, NJ07860 NEW YORKNEW BRISBANE AUSTRALIA : 47 Page 41 a lotbetter. We alsobroughtinrisersfortheband,hiredfromMusic lunch at1pm,butthetrusseswereflownbynoon,alldone-soitis everything onstageby10,PA upandfinishedby11,lightsbrokefor comfortable andhappy. We startedateightinthemorning,had gruelling forthecrewbuthereweareat5pmandeveryoneis Afghanistan withtheMoDshows.“Thisplacedidusedtobe a measureofjusthowoftenElleryisawayinTheFalklands, Iraqor “It’s actuallythefirsttimeI’vebeeninheresinceliftwasputin,” in/out: “ThebandhastheirownSMforgear,” Ellerybegan. Timmins broughtElleryinforthisshowashisstagemanager the carpets.” Whichdidn’tstophimorganisingcatering. we provideproductionatatechnicallevel-don’tdoflowersand several toursinmyformativeyears.ButIshouldclarifyonething, away, unlessit’sLevel42.”Timmins isbondedtotheband.“Idid Lighting & Sound - May 2010 ontour

41 www.lsionline.co.uk OT_Tangerine Dream:On tour.qxd 08/05/2010 10:47 Page 42

Bank. They’re pretty big, a 4ft high 32ft by prefer to fly the subs. The low end does 10ft back stage platform for percussion sum in the middle a bit but the energy and drums and and keys; levels are generally very low so neither then two 2ft high 10ft by 10ft for the thing is a real problem.” tour keyboard set-ups. The band’s crew turned up at 1:30pm and having told us The Meyer is all a lot newer than V-DOSC,

on previously that they would take care of this is second generation line array since ordering a grand piano, promptly asked Dr Heil started the revolution; so to make us to do it for them. Marksons had fair comparison I asked, had Plakovits a concert grand to us by 3pm - they’re used the K1? “Oh yes, at a festival. It is the RAH’s regular supplier and very good. But I have to say, the responded very quickly.” Stadthalle is one venue I know very well and think is difficult. I heard a Meyer Overlooked lasers and apart, system in there recently - easily the best Timmins had mentioned the language sound I’ve ever heard.” barrier: was this an issue? “Although their command of English is not great, Plakovits is a freelance engineer: “I work the band crew all know what they’re mainly for Backstage Audio in doing, so it might not be great at the and do a lot of local, Austrian schlager detail level, but it’s worked out fine and bands.” I wanted to ask him about the everyone is happy.” desk; it had after all been “We have the on the specification list the Sound band’s German promoter Gerd Plakovits comes from Galileo out had sent through? “Well it Austria, “the band live there would not be my desk of now”, he informed. “Well front. I cruise choice, the PM5D is for me between there and the room during a first generation digital actually; but it’s easier for desk, it sounds a bit them to have an Austrian the show with technical. I prefer the new crew.” He seemed to have Soundcrafts, I’d like a Vi4 mastered the language pretty the Tablet PC to or Vi6 for this show - I think well, I thought, though he trim, but this these are currently the best modestly said “my English is sounding digital consoles, not so good.” set-up has but it’s about budgets.” proved good in As a one-off, this was For the Tangs there’s a pressure day for a sound the past and absolutely nothing wrong engineer to arrive early with the PM5D, even afternoon to an unknown usually requires though the band now has system: I asked Plakovits for little attention” far more analogue a bigger explanation of the instruments in the mix than tour. “With tonight here at the they ever did in my day. Albert Hall we have done just five shows Promenading the RAH, I have to say and this is the last night of the tour. We Plakovits achieved very good results; played Lisbon, Barcelona, Paris, good enough for me to order a new Zoetermeer [Netherlands] and London. album. For a start it was so much better Each place we get local PA, I have had than the blurred output I’d had to endure Meyer, and L-Acoustics. I prefer the Meyer, 30+ years ago, more to the point, the it’s more transparent than the V-DOSC, and floor subs performed exceptionally well I don’t think the V-DOSC projects so far in and low end is a signature element of the the mids.” Tangs’ musical architecture. Here it was, fat and rich, and yet tight in every sense Capital has provided a mixed system of of the word. I suspect Plakovits had it Meyer Mica and Milo line arrays. “We’ve rolled off quite abruptly but it worked, done one of our standard arrays for even up in the Circle just below the here,” said Standring, “Milo for mains left Gallery where the audience was and right, two lines of Mica for side noticeably thin, it sounded great. hangs; fill around the stage and choir stalls is UPAs, M1Ds and 700HP subs.” Lighting & Video Gerd Schneider has only just joined the The flown lines were high and long Tangs camp, this being his fifth show. He From top: enough to cover the gallery, though too hails from Austria. He is a completely Lighting director Gerd Schneider. Standring turned off the top zone when fluent English speaker and as an Mick Freer of Bandit with Gerd Schneider. the Gallery failed to sell. “We have the operator, is completely on top of his Production manager Paul Timmins and stage Galileo out front. I cruise the room during game. “This is a long show, over three online.co.uk manager Charlie Ellery. the show with the Tablet PC to trim, but hours so you have to be careful what you FOH sound engineer Gerd Plakovits. this set-up has proved good in the past do to keep it looking fresh,” he said. and usually requires little attention. The

www.lsi Facing page: first couple of rows in front of the subs do The rig is quite simple: three trusses and Dan Kent (left) and Ant Standring (right). suffer but there’s little choice, normally we some floor lights all supplied by Bandit

42 Lighting&Sound - May 2010 OT_Tanger just thejob. because whatheproducedthisnightwas could dotothisshowwithhisowndesign, It wouldbenicetoseewhatSchnieder the gigs-Iwouldhavedoneitforfree.” be giventhecontactssoIcouldadvance seen it.Thisisnotmydesign.Ididaskto wanted? “Thelightingrider-I’venever I askedifBanditgavehimeverythinghe from apairofBarcoFLMs.Lighting-wise, had riggedalargescreen,withprojection Lites. Acrosstheorganpipes,XLVideo i eDemO tour.qx Dream:On ne Location audioworkstation Hardware solutionsfor post production andbroadcast 80/0010 08/05/2010 d SADiE 6Software and production software Audio recording, editing SADiE HSeries ROBUST, RELIABLELiVE SADiE LRX2 Contact usnow toarrange a demo smoke. Therearenotmanysongsinthree pick-ups onthesolos-oh,andlotsof something moodyandnottoobright,just band givehimanydirection?“Theywanted structure touse,”saidSchneider. Didthe is no4,8,chorus,verse,bridge sense there’snotalottoworkwith,“There simple drummotifsunderneath.Inthat and usuallywithahighlyrepetitive mood music;heavilydrivenbysequencers Tangerine Dreammakespaceysynthesiser If you’renotfamiliarwiththemusic, : 48 RECORDING Page 43 Simple console integration through • Largeinternalstorage forhightrackcount • recordingprovidingasimultaneous Mirrored • • userinterfaceforfast,easysetup Intuitive • SADiE be met. recording solutionsensuresthesedemandscan recording hasincreased. The companies todeliverreliablehightrackcount the demandsplacedupontouringproduction new revenuestreamsfromliveperformance As themusicindustryevolvesandlooksfor USA +1 9739839577 UK +44(0)1353 648888 www.sadie.com [email protected] have doneafunctionupdateformeandit almost feelthatunderstanding.Chamsys apparently -itmakessensetome,youcan desk wasdevelopedbyalightingdesigner, a goodproductthisis;thesoftwarewithin the ChamsysMagicQProandIrealisedwhat when theNineInchNailsguyturnedupwith to lookelsewhere.Iwasworkingafestival getting moreandexpensivesoIstarted IIIs, butthesoftwareversionswerejust out mydesigncareerwithHogIIsandthen How didhecometobeusingit?“Istarted moving lights.” function totransferprogrammingdifferent everywhere, andithasagood‘Morph’ great system.It’ssmall,Icancarryit “It’s aChamsys,Britishproduct,really He hasanunfamiliar-looking deskoutfront: makes iteasy.” re-programming everyday, butthisdesk 2000 soIdohavetosome Vari*Lites, Paris MAC700s;hereit’s hasn’t happened.InBarcelonaIhad have thesamethingeverywhere,which Although thedesignisnotmine,Ididaskto the musicforthreeweeks,alldayeveryday. back. WhenIfirstgotthejoblistenedto make eachdifferent,Ireallyhavetohold hours soitisreallytricky, itisdifficultto Analogue, MADIor AES I/O recording safety copyoftheperformance. artist involvementsavingtimeandmoney SADiE and recording features: Sound Check Assist, removingdirect SADiE Lighting range of & Sound - May 2010 ontour

43 www.lsionline.co.uk OT_Tangerine Dream:On tour.qxd 08/05/2010 10:49 Page 44

was not too expensive. It will run 4 universes, expandable to 16 - well, 32 in fact, but I wouldn’t want to do that. There are lots of different versions; I have a MagicQ Expert with an Extra Wing. The desk is perfect, I’ve been using it for some time now and when you go to tour countries like Bulgaria or Greece where the equipment can be a little strange . . . well, those places would be a nightmare without it.” on I spoke to Mick Freer, Bandit’s client manager for the show: had he seen the desk before? “Jvan Morandi uses one for Placebo and I have encountered other LDs using them. We had a show come over from Mexico last year with a Chamsys on the spec’. They said they were bringing their own, but at the last minute called and asked us to supply. I eventually found one for hire from a firm down in Southampton; they are rare, but I’ve only heard good things about them.” Sounds like time to make a purchase?

The rig is a mix of Martin Professional MAC 2000 Wash and Spot, nine of each, and GLP Impressions. “I like the basic colours of the Impressions, the blue, red and purple. But I’m not a big friend of LED for backlight. When you come away from primary colours I don’t like the fact that you can see all the different LEDs at varying intensities. But it’s good for ambient and front light.” True to his word, Schneider kept largely to the primary palette from behind. “Also, the band asked for not too many colours, they like it mainly monochromatic, or maybe just two colours.”

The stage is dominated by the presence of the XL Video screen centre stage, and the images upon it. Apart from the two musicians on the rear platform who can become quite energetic at times, the Tangs as a rule are a very static band to watch. Thus video is an ideal tool for some visual drama and the band’s music Top: The Chamsys MagicQ Expert is wide open to interpretation.

Is your advertisement attracting enough attention? Click here to find out. www.lsionline.co.uk/digital online.co.uk

LSI Digital: FREE worldwide access, no waiting, searchable archive, PDF downloads, interactive advertising 5,000 new readers : 111 countries www.lsi

44 Lighting&Sound - May 2010 OT_Tanger

;LIVIMR Next Month: room -alwaysagoodployintheAlbert. musicians, anddesiredlevelsmeanthedidn’thavetofightthe Plakovits isluckyinthathehasaverycontrolledandreliablesetof sense; sono,Ididn’tmissthematall.Andthesound?Well, Metallica’s useofthemasaonebighiteffectmakesfarmore coherent whole.Lasersaresouniqueastobeintrusive; video, andmeasuredapplicationoflightingmadeforamore of prettymuchcontinuousnarrativestylecontributionfromthe lost nothingthroughlackofalaser, inmanywaysthecombination As Isaid,goodenoughtoseemepurchaseanalbum.Visually, it This wasaspecialshowformorereasonsthanmyownnostalgia. minutes beforehalf-time marredanotherwiseperfectevening. their inputandcreativemuse;technicalproblemsinthe10 time didnotpermitaninterviewwitheitherprotagonisttoexplore flowed, muchasthemusic,inlengthy, seamlesscadences.Sadly, sympathetic, therewasnothingfrantichere,andtheimages (Froese is66thisyear).To itscredit,thecontentwasvery things tospendtheirmoneyon-pensionplansinparticular but thenthisstuffisnotcheaptoproduceandthebandhasbetter thwarted elsewhere?Thecontentwasattimesalittleobvious, display thiseveningseemedentirelyapt.Perhaps he’dbeen There wasobviousfrustrationhere,thoughIfeltthebalanceon applying tothestagesometimes,”saidSchneider. ‘visuals’. “Unfortunately, theydon’trealisetheambientlevelthey’re Bernhardt runsvideo,withMichaelKoschorreck responsiblefor here,” heopined,“buttheyoperatefromonstage.”Andi than abstracteffectsgeneration.Iwishcouldrunitfromout real, recordedmaterialwithsomeeffectsappliedattimes,rather “There’s videothroughouttheshow,” saidSchneider. “Mostlyit’s

XLI[SVPH# i eDemO tour.qx Dream:On ne Franz Ferdinand ontourinSpain. 80/0010 08/05/2010 d : 49 Page 45 www.theatre-event.com/ London. June 13-15 DUFKLWHFWXUHDQGHQJLQHHULQJ" ODWHVWGHYHORSPHQWVLQWKHDWUH WKHLULGHDVDQGGLVFXVVWKH LQWHUQDWLRQDOH[SHUWVSUHVHQW DQGFRQVXOWDQWVWRKHDU PDQDJHUVDUFKLWHFWV SUDFWLWLRQHUVGHVLJQHUV FDQ,PHHWZLWKRWKHUWKHDWUH Lighting conference & Sound - May 2010

 ontour

45 www.lsionline.co.uk