Maestros Of Metal

Without Motörhead, the history of heavy metal would be incomplete. The band’s influence on the genre and overwhelmingly loud and fast-paced style has blown audiences away throughout the group’s history. As Eddie Rocha, Tour Manager and Production Manager of the band’s tours for the past seven years, pointed out, Motörhead’s successful formula has meant their musical style and the appearance of their live shows has not changed dramatically since they formed in 1975.
    “As you can expect, they like it loud live and it has to be the biggest sound you can get. The wedges we use for Lead Singer Lemmy were purchased because they were the only ones that could get loud enough,” said Rocha, who lives in Brazil and works on tours coming into the country when he is not on the road.
    During the 13 years Rocha spent working with Brazilian band Sepultura he met Motörhead’s previous Manager, Todd Singerman, and Tour Manager, Adam Parsons. “At one point Motörhead and Sepultura had the same management and when Adam decided not to go on the road anymore, I started doing a few shows with the band in South America and I’ve worked with them ever since,” explained Rocha.
    The band’s most recent tour, The World Is Yours, has seen the band and production crew travel the globe before heading out on the road again with Megadeath, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil in 2012. The production planning took place a month before the tour started, but the team only had one day of rehearsals at Millennium Studios in Bedford. Said Rocha: “We do a full production tour at this time of year and then go on to the summer festivals. Unlike the European dates, when the show traveled around the US, we took some extra PA to add to the local system and full monitors.”

NO NEED FOR VIDEO
Video was incorporated into the show on the band’s 2008 European tour. However, according to Rocha, Motörhead’s old school style does not lend itself to this element being introduced into the performance. The look of the show has always been largely the band’s decision and in place of a large video display surface behind the band - a common feature of many other live shows - customised backdrops produced by Hangman were hung on stage to coincide with each country the tour visited.
    “Occasionally we try to bring in new kit such as more moving lights, but Motörhead are different to other bands and people know what to expect. You don’t need any image magnification on side screens because it’s all about the three musicians on the stage. Even the super fans, whose opinions we always listen to, thought the video didn’t work,” said Rocha.
    Other additional features are introduced for some of the band’s performances. To fit in with the hit Bomber, a large aluminium plane has been hung over the stage at previous shows. “We’ve brought it out at some festivals too, but it hasn’t been a part of this tour because it requires another truck and when we are playing some of the smaller venues it just isn’t practical,” explained Rocha.
    “We were able to fit everything in two trucks on this tour - from catering through to production, but every day is still a challenge to see how many points we have and then work out the weight we are able to fly.”
    Although pyrotechnics were not part of productions such as the Düsseldorf show TPi attended, they were planned into the performance when the band played in Sweden. “Fire is incorporated occasionally, but not at this venue. We have pyro in Sweden because drummer Mikkey Dee is from Gothenberg, Stockholm, so we wanted to do something extra there,” added Rocha. 

PUTTING TOGETHER THE A-TEAM
“The secret to a successful tour is an enthusiastic crew,” highlighted Rocha. With members of the team such as reliable Stage Manager, Roger Desouza, on hand to make certain the construction of the show is on track, Rocha is able to focus on other areas of the tour. The team does not carry riggers because this is usually done by one of the hardworking lighting technicians and local riggers, working two up and one down.
    Said Rocha: “We pick who we like to work with and tend to stick with suppliers. Motörhead was pretty much one of the first clients for Transam 35 years ago and they still supply our trucks. It’s the same with Audiolease - we’ve been with them since the company started. Sugar and Spice have been fantastic too - the food is great and they are not like some other catering companies who offer little portions. We are on the road and very hungry so we need proper food.
    “In my opinion, Coach Service has the best busses out there. They are modern looking, comfortable to travel in and offer the separate bedrooms for band members that we need. We don’t require too much lighting kit, but GLS has been great at supplying it for the past six years and have a wonderful crew too. I can’t forget Absolute Audio Visual Solutions either - our storage company. Alex Parne was our drum tech before he launched the company.”
    Safety is important to Rocha, who requires a professional security team that knows how to handle the crowd. Local security crew and in-house barriers are used at each venue, with the number of people needed depends on the length of the stage. At the Mitsubishi Electric Halle eight security staff stood along the front of the stage.

THE SIGNATURE MOTÖRHEAD SOUND
“Make sure it’s loud is the main request the band have in terms of the sound,” explained FOH Engineer Martin ‘Arnie’ Annables, who has been a part of Motörhead’s production crew since he joined the band as PA Systems Tech seven years ago. “With the amount of volume coming off stage, it can be difficult to stay within the db limits of some venues,” he added.
    Joked Production Manager Rocha: “Audio is a challenge because as the years go by, the band members get more deaf so it can reach 130db on the stage. With Motörhead, you can’t make too many changes - their sound is their sound.”
    To guarantee the audience enjoy the mind-blowing aural experience every Motörhead fan expects, Annables, who also acts as Systems Technician alongside Pat Fisher, needed to choose the correct configuration of equipment from Audiolease, who has been providing the band with kit for over three decades.
Audiolease Owner Steve Sunderland has found working with Motörhead both a pleasure and a valuable learning experience. “Known as the loudest band on the planet, they have really pushed the boundaries throughout their career,” he commented.
    The PA system the company supplied mainly comprised d&b audiotechnik products. A total of 24 d&b J8 and four J12 loudspeakers were flown in equal amounts either side of the stage. To produce the sound the band desired, a further eight d&b Q1 line arrays and 18 J-Subs were ground stacked.
    “We chose to go with d&b because I believe it’s one of the best sounding systems for this band. I used them last year on this tour and on lots of festivals and they performed extremely well,” said Annables, whose audio expertise has been put to use on The Prodigy, Art Garfunkel and The Wombats tours and a selection of American punk bands.
    Choice of microphone was just as imperative as the PA system in producing the signature Motörhead sound. A mixture of Sennheiser and Shure models were used for the drum kit, with a pair of Sennheiser e 901 condenser microphones on the kick drums, another pair of e 901’s on the floor toms and three Sennheiser e 604’s for the rack toms.
    Three models of microphone were selected to pick up the noise of the snare drum - a Shure Beta 56A was placed on top, a Shure Beta 57A supercardioid dynamic mic on the bottom and a Sennheiser e 604 inside the drum. A pair of Shure KSM27’s and a trio of Shure SM98’s were chosen as overhead microphones and SM81’s were used for the hi-hat and ride.
    “We have lots of different makes and models of mics on the tour, some I inherited from the previous Sound Engineer when I moved into the role in 2010 and some I’ve changed due to personal preference. The Sennheiser e 604’s are particularly robust and suit the show really well,” explained Annables. “The vocal mic we are using is a slightly altered Electro-Voice PL80, but I can’t say how we’ve modified it though or that would give the game away!”
    As Motörhead require an analogue sound every time they perform, deciding which console to use at FOH was easy. To achieve the old school audio style needed, the Midas XL3 desk was used to mix the 50 inputs Annables was working, with the sound being sent on to a Dolby Lake Processor once it left the desk.
    “The band has been going for 37 years now and it’s not really a digital type of sound - it just wouldn’t have the same effect. This is why the Midas XL3 works so well. When I’m using this desk I don’t work with scenes because what the band plays alters so much each day,” said Annables.
    A variety of outboard effects were utilised at FOH. One of TC Electronic’s products, the D-Two delay unit, was put into practice to produce delay for some of the band’s hits. Roland’s SRE-555 Chorus Echo provided a back-up in case guitarist Phil Campbell’s delay pedal broke and was also used to create a pitch change effect throughout the show.
    “There are three Yamaha SPX990 effects processors producing all sorts of vocal effects and the rack also includes a TC Electronic M2000 to create reverb on the drums, which suits drummer Dee’s preference for the effect,” explained Annables.

POWERFUL ON-STAGE AUDIO
In the same way volume was a key requirement for the audience, the level of sound for the band on-stage also needed to push the limits. “These guys are crazy; they want the impossible and for me to turn it up as much as I can,” smiled Monitor Engineer, Mark Lewis.
    “I don’t use many effects, it’s more about working with the volume on stage. It is all about time alignment and getting every ounce of volume you can on the stage, whilst working with FOH to reduce reflections.”
    Before landing the Motörhead gig four years ago, Lewis worked on the productions of rock and metal acts such as Fear Factory and Papa Roach throughout his 15-year audio engineering career.
    The Yamaha PM 5D desk Lewis chose generated 14 mixes for the band, plus three channels that were used for effects. “This is quite a few more monitor mixes than other artists I’ve worked with, that often haven’t used as much reverb. For Motörhead, I have three sets of reverb for the drums - one just for kick, one for snare and the third for toms. Phil has a lot of mixes - six if you count sidefills - and then there are another three mixes for Lemmy,” explained Lewis.
    On previous tours, an analogue monitor console was used, but for the recent string of shows Lewis tried the PM 5D to make it easier to get in to smaller venues. “I’m trying to get the band used to it because it’s a lot easier than lugging all the analogue gear in. We have used the Yamaha for 12 shows so far and it’s performed well, is light and convenient for us and the band has been happy with it. I like everything being internal and having it all at your fingertips,” said Lewis.
    Instead of in-ear monitors, a mixture of wedges and sidefills were positioned on-stage. The tour began with a kit list featuring 16 wedges, but due to the efficiency of the models chosen, this was reduced to 10 wedges, four Audiolease A2D for drum fills and eight side fills. Added Lewis: “We tried putting Mikkey on in-ears. He said it sounded great but he couldn’t play using them so we went back to wedges.”
    A combination of four d&b M2 wedges powered by four d&b D12 amps were positioned stage left for lead singer Lemmy. To give the on-stage sound added impact, a proprietary system from Audiolease made up of eight BW15 wedges were placed downstage and stage right for guitarist Campbell. For sidefills and vocal coverage, a pair of Audiolease’s A2 subs was married with two flown L-Acoustics ARC sidefills - a recent addition to the band’s winter tour.
    When mixing monitors for artists that produce such a powerful sound, Lewis has been confronted with a challenge at the end of the show when the band play the stripped back track Whorehouse Blues. “Mikkey and Phil play acoustic and Lemmy is in the centre with the harmonica for this song. So far, the whole set has been as loud as can be and then they switch to acoustic so I have to try and isolate elements and turn off a few instruments,” explained Lewis.

REMAINING TRUE TO THE BAND’S STYLE
Stefan Sjoland was first offered the position of Lighting Designer on Motörhead’s live shows after he worked with drummer Dee on a tour in their native Sweden. “When Mikkey asked me if I wanted the job I turned it down because they were one of my favourite bands and I thought I couldn’t tour with Motörhead because, well...they’re Motörhead!” Sjoland enthused. “He offered it to me again and I thought I’d give it a shot and I’ve been doing it for just over eight years now.”
    Sjoland was responsible for lighting Swedish bands before landing his first international act, Motörhead. This led to him working on the productions of artists from around the globe; from Brazialian heavy metal group Sepultura to Canadian rock band Danko Jones.
    “The cool thing about Motörhead is they’ve never compromised and always remained true to themselves. They have always been old school and I try to keep that theme with the lighting used in the show,” explained Sjoland.
    “I have kept it pretty consistent each year. We’ve added slightly more moving lights over the past four years, but it hasn’t changed dramatically. Lemmy hates moving lights and just wants static flashing fixtures, whereas Mikkey wants more of the modern moving lights, so I have tried to compromise between the two.”
    When Sjoland joined the production team he worked with the previous LD’s design before creating a new rig for the second tour he was a part of. “They liked it so much that they have trusted me ever since. The most recent tour features a whole new lighting rig once again,” he explained.
    “I do everything live without cues and use all 10 fingers throughout the gig. If the band plays live, I believe that’s the least I can do. It’s important that you feel the music and give it your own personal touch to highlight what you want throughout the performance and express what it’s making you feel.”
    The rig was designed so it was compact enough to fit into a single truck and made it as easy to get in and out of venues. Even without the help of the rig’s simple design, the Mitusbishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf was singled out by Sjoland as a standout place to perform. This was not only due to its easy load-in and load-out, but its fantastic stage, local crew and house lights.
    All lighting equipment for the tour along with 11 5ft and 11 8ft James Thomas double-hung pre-rig truss was provided by GLS Lighting. A total of 276 standard Par64’s with 30 strings of Par64 ACLs, including some hybrid bars of six, formed the foundations of the lighting set-up. The stage was accentuated further using 15 Martin Professional Atomic 3000 strobes and the equivalent of 19 James Thomas linear 4-lite blinders.
    “You couldn’t do a Motörhead gig without the trustworthy Par Can blinders - they just never break. The Martin Atomics are really reliable too - they’re the best strobe ever, producing 3000W without overheating on you,” said Sjoland.
    Although it was a predominantly Par64 rig featuring a small selection of moving lights, Robe equipment was a valuable part of the lighting effects created. A total of four Robe ColorWash 700E AT and six Robe ColorSpot 250 AT fixtures were put to good use, with the 700’s on the floor being selected for their power and ability to move between narrow and wide effects. Haze and smoke effects were provided by two Robe 500FT Pro Hazers and one Jem ZR33 smoke machine.
    GLS Lighting Technician Karen Brown, who works alongside fellow technician Jamie Catt to ensure all lighting equipment is set-up correctly, agreed the Par64’s were the main feature of the rig. This configuration included two Thomas loadbearing pivot hinges for pre-rig. These are what made the angles in the back truss. Said Brown: “The Par64’s are the backbone of it all and because it’s pre-rig the bars pull up into the truss, so the lights can travel in it to make it relatively quick to set up.”
    Continued Brown: “The large wash lights on the floor play an important role in the first song Bomber, creating a searchlight effect. They are additionally used to create strobing during the drum solo and for producing an overall wash.”
    Brown has been a crucial part of the lighting team for the band’s live shows since she started touring with them in 2005. “We’re now on the third configuration of lighting rig since I joined, but it has always featured pre-rig components such as ACLs in white and Pars in predominantly red, white and blue. Mikkey also likes being lit in yellow, which is why we have the six Robe 250’s in the back and mid truss,” she said.

    The Avolites Pearl lighting console that was chosen for the production has become a familiar and invaluable piece of equipment for Sjoland, who has used it since its release. “I like it because it’s smaller than other desks I’ve used and it’s a great all-rounder that works well with moving lights. It has a fixture library that anyone would be jealous of too,” he explained.

     Before going on the road with Motörhead, Sjoland had seen the band in excess of ten times, their performances having such an effect on him that it still continues to influence the lighting design he creates for their live shows.     Sjoland concluded: “I remember the first time I saw them live, it was so powerful that it felt like I had been run over by a train when I left the venue. You come out feeling overwhelmed and that’s what I want to give the audience now. In the last song, Overkill, for example, all my strobes are going crazy for seven minutes and I hope this helps make the show have a lasting impression on the fans.”

TPi

www.imotorhead.com