Liverpool-based dBS Solutions, who recently celebrated 20 years of business, provided sound and lighting for the second edition of We Are Wirral, staged at historic Birkenhead Park and organised by Jazz Events. The festival featured a family-focussed line-up including local headliners, The Coral, as well as Dick & Dom, The Lottery Winners, Greg Wilson, Hard-Fi, Tinie Tempah, Sigala and Chesney Hawkes, among others.
The company has worked with Jazz Events on Camper Calling Festival for the past five years and supported the inaugural We Are Wirral. For dBS Solutions co-Director Chris Bogg, the second edition represented an opportunity to build on the first event – responding to feedback from the site and local community.
“Last year was modelled on the size of the stage we provide at Camper Calling, providing full production and getting it off the ground. We scaled it up slightly this year, learning from the site layout and community feedback after the first year,” Chris explained, speaking to TPi on site. “Jazz Events are great at engaging the locals and getting a local community-based family festival together.”
Planning for the technical delivery began at the start of the year, with six weeks spent advancing the artists and their requirements. “The bill has changed slightly, as have the technical demands from last year,” Chris noted.
The main PA comprised a Martin Audio WPL system, with 12 enclosures per side providing coverage across approximately 90m before controlled attenuation towards the concessions and children’s play area. Additional TORUS outfills covered the side areas and AVP, while a broadside cardioid array of SXH subwoofers helped meet stringent off-site noise requirements through rear rejection.
An Outline Newton handled system processing, with multiple inputs available for different consoles, including AES and analogue connectivity. dBS also prepared guest infrastructure to streamline changeovers and accommodate visiting engineers. “We have got guest multis in the tracks already to make the transition easier for visiting engineers. We didn’t want guests to have to run multis in the morning, so we have some HMA and some CAT five lines for guests,” Chris reported. “Visiting engineers have been really happy with the sound.”
System Engineer Danny Claire managed processing using Martin Audio DISPLAY software, which was also central to the design process. The team imported geodata from SketchUp to model the site and assess coverage and any potential off-site impact. “This is a challenging site, with some houses almost within the park boundary, so we are just about making the 65dBA off-site. It is a constant back and forth with the noise consultant,” Chris explained.
The availability of data from the first edition provided an additional advantage when planning the system for this year’s event. “One of the things I like about the DISPLAY software is its accuracy. It’s a technician’s tool. Over the years, we’ve built faith in the numbers it generates,” Chris said.
dBS Solutions’ relationship with Martin Audio dates to 2010, when the company began looking to replace its ageing W8LM inventory. The rental company subsequently invested in the Wavefront Precision range, starting with WPM in 2019 before adding larger sound systems, including WPL.
“What I like about Martin Audio is that, with my stock of amps and line array boxes, on an event like this where off-site is important but not a real challenge, I can use the box in two-box resolution, which is our standard setup,” Chris stated. “Then when we need some real magic to help reduce off site noise or reflections in a tricky room, we can add more amps to get the system into one box resolution. The scalability of this makes it an ideal rental choice.”
The lighting system comprised Ayrton Rivale spot/washes and CHAUVET Professional Rogue Outcast 2X Wash and Rogue Outcast 1L Beam and Color STRIKE M fixtures, controlled through an in-house system incorporating a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console and an MA Lighting grandMA2 light. Guest lighting engineers were accommodated throughout the festival, with the network configured to allow visiting operators to take control and programme between acts.
“The lighting network is set up to allow them to grab control back and give it back to guest LDs to programme between acts,” said Chris. “The response has been great so far. Adam Nicholls, our lighting designer, has designed a fantastic and flexible rig.”
Show control was provided using Pioneer DJ equipment, enabling FOH personnel to view track waveforms and anticipate musical cues. The system was introduced during the previous year and has since been deployed on other dance-focussed festivals. “We’ve implemented it for the DJs and for our lighting designer to see where things are going to drop and the dynamics of the music, etcetera, in advance. It’s a new thing we piloted last year and have used on dance-led festivals.”
Around 20 dBS Solutions personnel were involved in preparing and delivering the festival package. Chris believes the company’s approach is based as much on preparation and personnel as it is on equipment. “Our mantra of ‘setting hire standards’ comes from the people and the planning.”
For Jazz Events, having one supplier responsible for both audio and lighting also simplifies the production process. “Working with one account handler for lighting and sound works really well,” Chris added.
Jazz Events Managing Director David Arthur says the event remains a long-term investment. Alongside We Are Wirral, the company is behind Camper Calling and Camper Jam. “It’s a beautiful park with a lot of potential and a passionate audience. We are still a long way from breaking even on this event, so it’s a long-term investment for us,” Arthur said, detailing the realities of launching a grassroots festival while maintaining production standards central to development.
“We are not in it for the short haul. There is a decent level of production, and that comes down to the involvement of dBS Solutions, who have done a fantastic job.” We Are Wirral also provided an example of the opportunities that can emerge from local festival production. Through We Are Wirral’s partnership with Future Yard, dBS Solutions offered work-placement opportunities during the first year. One participant, Patrick Bratin, stayed for the full three-day event, working across lighting and cameras. His involvement subsequently led to a paid opportunity as a camera operator at this year’s festival.
For Chris, such opportunities are an important part of the independent festival sector’s wider contribution: “Since emerging from the pandemic, we have seen growth in independent festivals. It’s great to see new grassroots festivals popping up, particularly local ones. There isn’t a lot of this kind of thing for youths to get involved in, around youth music, other than Future Yard in Birkenhead, so it’s nice to see a new, growing festival.”
dBS Solutions and Jazz Events closed out the festival season with Camper Calling Festival, with dBS Solutions also providing production. Chris concluded: “It’s great to work with promoters who share the same ethos to deliver experiences for the local communities.”
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: We Are Wirral and TPi
