The Boy Who Played the Harp Tour features several striking production design elements and cameos which not only do their job in eliciting a reaction but deliver fleeting, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that require months of planning, collaboration and rehearsals to realise. Yet, as has become a hallmark of DAVE’s output, nothing is predictable. Setlists, guest artists and backstage cues change. This not only keeps the crew – an award-winning team whose stories TPi have charted over several years – on their toes, but in an era of artifice, provides an organic experience.
Production Manager, Paddy Hocken, was enlisted to orchestrate the tour. With global touring on the agenda, a fresh set of creatives – Creative and Video Director, Matt Askem; Production Designer, Tim Routledge; and Lighting Director and Programmer, Morgan Evans of Tim Routledge Design – alongside Stufish’s Ray Winkler and Faz Barber, delivered the production design in collaboration with DAVE and his support team.
To meet the brief, Hocken brought in experts in their field, including Beat The Street (crew travel), Skan PA Hire – a Clair Global company (audio), Dutch Barrier Services (barriers), ER Productions and FABER Engineering (lasers and special effects), Freight Minds (freighting), HZ Audio (audio control), Lovely Things (furniture), Luke Halls Studio (visual content), Neg Earth Lights (automation, lighting and rigging), Popcorn Catering, Production Park (production rehearsals), Stage Miracles (local crew), Stufish Entertainment Architects (co-production design), TAG (travel agents), TAIT (staging and lifts), Tim Routledge Design (co-production design), Transam Trucking (logistics), Universal Pixels (video), and others.
“On paper it’s quite a light schedule, with no back-to-backs across 16 shows. However, there are rarely any days we are not at venues, be it for a mark out, pre-rig or unloading trucks,” Hocken explained, speaking to TPi ahead of the final show of the European tour at Manchester’s Co-op Live. “Equally, we have delivered it all within a single day several times.”
The video tracking element of the show was the most significant challenge the production faced during the build. Hocken elaborated: “We are installing nearly 100m of track, circa 50m a side, which is quite a big ‘gig blocker’ first thing in the day, and it’s a time-consuming element to assemble. It’s not just the track for the screen – there are several tracks that run parallel to the main tracks with all the cable management, so getting all those elements in place is challenging.”
Between those elements sits an automated moving lighting grid, a drone grid, and ‘sniffers’, which vacuum up drapes following a kabuki drop during the intro. The whole centre of the room is effectively a mass of machinery in two tiers: the grid and track, with another set of trusses suspended below. “Managing all of that has been challenging; however, the first time you notice the tracking screens moving towards you is a special experience,” he said. “It’s a show that can take on a life of its own, with a revolving door of guest artists, and a journey through his musical career.”
Hocken was supported in the production office by Advance Production, Amanda Davies; Production Coordinator, Kai Roberts; Backstage Coordinator, Amber Cox; and others. “We keep an ‘open door’ policy and do what we can to look after the crew. Usually that means good food and quality hotels with early check-ins,” he added. “Bringing young talent through the industry is something close to my heart. I was given the opportunity by others to get on a tour at a very young age. We have had several interns and warehouse staff from Clair Global and Neg Earth Lights, who come to load-ins and load-outs so they can become more familiar with the industry.”
Head Caterer Stu Jackson and Caterers Jake Ireland, Andrew Webster, Liz Boyle, Kimmy Moody and Sam Tomblin of TPi Award-winning Popcorn Catering fed the 120-strong touring party. “We have years of experience, which pays off when touring Europe, where logistics can be tricky,” Popcorn Catering’s James Maggiore said. “There were busy and long days, but that’s where experience comes in handy.”
To transport the production crew across Europe, Beat The Street provided four double-deck Setra 16-berth buses, with Lead Bus Driver, Scott Pickering, and Bus Drivers Julian Bergmüller, Markis Heitzinger and Per Baumgartner ensuring the crew were transported from A to B safely and seamlessly. “We have worked with Paddy on several tours over the years, and it’s always a pleasure to work with him and his team,” Beat The Street’s Garry Lewis stated.
Read the full TPi Magazine cover story below…
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Timmsy
