CONCERTS AND TOURING
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People typically don’t
‘just do audio’ now, they need to know how the equipment they are deploying really works the FOH engineer, then hand over the system. For the rest of the day, I’m on hand for maintenance until the load out. SCALING THE SHOW Phil Mercer: Show components must be able to scale while maintaining the same ratio and spacing as the original A show design. There are still stadiums with very restricted access and/or impossibly low rigging weight capacity. This means designing equipment that can still fit through single doors, be pushed up ramps and lifted in and out of dollies, so even the C or D version of a show looks as close as possible to the A version. Tom Tunney: Audio needs similar venue- to-venue compromises. Departments tend to come to a solution that provides everyone (audio, video, lighting, etc) with a comfortable working environment. IDENTIFYING THE TRENDS Phil Mercer: Live colour grading is one of the most exciting developments in live video, particularly as stadium LED screens and lighting are becoming more incorporated into the overall show.
Niall Horan performing in Belfast (this image), Robbie Williams in London (above)
a single point of failure and don’t know how to fix it, that could be disastrous. THE PEOPLE FACTOR Tom Tunney: Even the best tech won’t run itself. Good catering is essential to productive touring crews. Camaraderie, shared problem-solving and trust in the team are as vital as the gear. Phil Mercer: Our biggest challenge is delivering consistency – which only happens with a crew as committed to the fans’ experience as the artists. Mercer and Tunney agree: tours are a balancing act between art, engineering, vision and compromise. Every decision helps thousands of people experience something unforgettable.
Then there’s hardware evolution. The latest wind bracing systems enable LED screens to be assembled and removed in high-wind conditions. AI facial recognition has been exciting, allowing us to follow performers on stage and keep them centrally framed. There are also intelligent diagnostic tools that use a fraction of the energy, plus finally being able to put LED in front of the PA and have a show look exactly like designers’ renders enables different shapes and far bigger screens. Tom Tunney: For me, it’s the rise of further trust of converged networks (ie, departments sharing data networks). People typically don’t ‘just do audio’ now, they need to know how the equipment they are deploying really works. If you get
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