April 2009 entertainment, presentation, communication www.lsionline.co.uk The Public The West Bromwich venue that’s divided opinion On Tour: Metallica L&SI with World Magnetic Mary Poppins L&SI visits the UK tour PLUS: All set for PLASA Focus, Leeds; ISCEx 2009 in Review Lost & Found Orchestra; Clay Paky’s Spectacular Classic Technical Focus Studio Festi at Galeries Lafayette; Audio File; Wilkes Iris City Theatrical’s SHoW DMX L&SI has gone digital! Register online FREE at www.lsionline.co.uk/digital Metallica v1:On tour.qxd 30/03/2009 16:13 Page 48 tour on online.co.uk www.lsi 48 Lighting&Sound - April 2009 Metallica v1:On tour.qxd 31/03/2009 08:37 Page 49 tour Metallica are on the road again, with their World Magnetic Tour selling on out across Europe. L&SI caught up with the production team at Sheffield Arena - and with LD John Broderick post-show . words & pictures by Steve Moles I was touring Europe at the time the news came in: I don’t Sound recall the band I was with, but I do remember the shock we all Bearing all that in mind, we can immediately visualise the enormous burden of responsibility that fell upon the shoulders of Bob Cowan felt to learn of the bus crash up in Scandinavia in which when he slid into Owens’ seat. “And of course, I knew of Mick’s Metallica’s bassist Cliff Burton was killed. Apart from drowning reputation as well,” said Cowan. “I’d been hearing about him for in their own drug soiled puke, rock stars didn’t die, they were years and always wanted to work with him, but . .” The two men immortal. For Metallica to lose one of their number at such an exchanged glances. But the relationship between house and early age must have been truly devastating. monitors is a further burden? I proffered. “I felt for him,” said Hughes with a smile. Put the jolly Hagrid image out of your mind for In less traumatic fashion, the band suffered another loss this a moment, Hughes is a consummate professional; he didn’t get January. If you subscribe to the view that all performers have one 2007’s Led Zep’ gig for nothing. He isn’t just a fine engineer; he major crutch when up on the concert stage, and that crutch is the considers every aspect of the job, not least the big shoes Cowan monitor man, then you’ll understand. Their anchor in stormy seas, had to fill. their life raft of continuity: good monitor men are hard to find for such is the mysterious argot of the rock star that only a very few can Cowan had been personally selected for the monitor role by Owen, fully interpret those strange signals and fleeting looks of panic in the no surprise there, “but until this tour we’d never worked together.” eyes of the performer, and translate them into positive and proper Cowan was not without pedigree, having baled out failing monitor adjustments to their audio world. men on tours by Springsteen and Megadeth - though the less said about the latter the better. “But this was way different, I was not So to part company with Paul Owen, monitor man for the past 22 jumping into a fire as such, but it was intimidating. After 22 years years, some might call careless. “It’s a very human story,” explained Paul had the entire repertoire in his head.” Mick Hughes, who has sat at the house desk for this band for even longer, some 25 years, so he’s well placed to observe the impact. Cowan, in fairness, had been an ardent teenage fan of the band “We came across Thunder Audio in Detroit I don’t know, some few (see his High School graduation photo), so in that respect he was years ago. There was something about them, something that got intimate with much of the material. “I had to get in unnoticed and Paul’s attention, and it wasn’t long before he was fully engaged and until I get the confidence of the band I have to do what Paul did.” became part of the company. His attention to detail is acute, that’s what’s made Thunder an even better company, but inevitably his Every monitor man has their own chops: has Cowan had to adjust in responsibilities there grew to the point where neither he, nor the any profound way to someone else’s methods? “Only on the little company, could afford for him to be away on the road for months at things, Paul would do Right before Left, I always do the opposite, a time. He did a final show for Metallica in Detroit just recently, and it that doesn’t really change anything but, for example, if I want to do was very emotional. Then band pulled him up on stage and thanked something for Kirk I have to think which knob I’m grabbing.” For a him in front of 30,00 people. We all had a tear in our eyes.” Hughes monitor man that ‘grab’ is instinctive, so it must be tough for Cowan voice cracks slightly at the recollection. The wound is still fresh two to kick the habit. months later, sat chatting in a bus backstage at Sheffield Arena. “When you have a relationship which lasts that long it takes time to Hardware-wise, Cowan has taken over what at first glance looks adjust.” fairly straightforward: “Midas XL4 with a bunch of KT DN370 graphic online.co.uk www.lsi Lighting&Sound - April 2009 49 Metallica v1:On tour.qxd 30/03/2009 16:14 Page 50 Below: Coffins in the lighting rig. tour “It’s all shipped over from Thunder Audio,” began Hughes when we sojourned from the bus to the FOH position. This is the first time on I’ve heard Hughes at the helm of a Meyer system: why the switch from Nexo? “I tried it for the first time maybe a couple of years ago now, we were in Reykjavik and took a locally supplied PA. I suppose I like the fact it’s 12”s more than anything, for the guitars and vocals. It just makes perfect sense for me. And this system has a very smooth high end. Every time we put one of these shows together we talk to Meyer and they give us massive support.” I had been tipped off that Thomas Mundorf EQs. There’s no effects in the monitors at board. Mix outs 22 in total, 16 stereo; I’ve from Meyer had come up with a neat Subs all. Sennheiser 3000 for in-ear system. For got two spare in the matrix but when we get solution for Metallica. “We just got sick and limiters I have Aphex Dominators in front. to stadiums and fly side-fills it’ll all be full.” tired of lobe’ing so we asked them to have a The band use Westone UE7 ear moulds, look at it afresh for this tour. We’d looked at except Hetfield who prefers UE5s. Then And how have the band been in these first placing them under the stage but it’s too there are 24 Meyer MJF 212 (2 x 12”) two months? “They’ve been really receptive much energy for the band so we knew the wedges all round the stage perimeter.” to me, James has been especially nice. We only place was overhead. Thomas talk and right now it’s just been things like developed the idea of four hangs on centre, The stage is a big rectangle in the middle of tightening up a really close cue.” The sort of tightly back to back, ten cabinets deep. With the arena and there’s a lot of territory to thing that you’d expect? “Yeah, and not too delay adjustments the sound can be neatly cover, but Cowan is fortunate in that the many of them. I graduated High School in steered to just clip the edge of stage, giving band love their audience, want the contact, ’88 and I still hear most of those songs in the audience the best of it without disturbing and limit the stage height to just three feet, my head so it’s really just the newer the musicians.” so from his perch at one of the narrow ends, material.” no band member is ever out of eye shot, The subs are the 700-HP units, at 259lb except very briefly behind the drummer Out in the house, Hughes is presented with apiece (including rigging) that’s a fair bit of centre stage. “There are things that are an altogether different dilemma, though for weight to concentrate right on centre above active all the time, vocals and bass him at least it’s a familiar one. “This band a large in-the-round light rig. Fortunately, especially; there are also some very specific play in the round more than most. I’ve lost there’s no LED video, so generally they get cues I bring in. Thing is, it’s never really the count of the number of tours we’ve done in away with it, “though not here.” same twice: James kinda goes to the same this format.” The large rectangle of stage is places, Kirk and Rob just run up to the mic surrounded by hangs of Meyer Milo. Keith Jex is Hughes’ system tech. He did a that’s the nearest at the time.” Looking from a narrow end there’s a single good job here at Sheffield, even if the Subs line array on centre, with another on each weren’t where they wanted.