The man responsible for Sir Paul McCartney’s monitor mix since 2007, John ‘Grubby’ Callis is no stranger to working on some of the biggest stages in the world. However, since the late ’00s, Grubby has also been the mastermind of one of the best-kept secrets on the UK live music scene. Since 2012, The Kings Arms pub in Wiltshire has seen the likes of Brian May, Roger Taylor, Jeff Beck, Bob Geldof and Billy Ocean descend on this quaint setting for an annual show that aims to raise money for the NHS and Cancer Research. Despite the size of the…
Author: Jacob Waite
Mitigating the transmission of COVID-19 has become an increasing focus for technical suppliers. A positive test can derail an entire tour. West London-based Entec Sound and Light, has taken measures into its own hands by investing in germicidal disinfection solutions and forming a new division, Entec UVC SafeClean, to promote and deliver them. Entec UVC SafeClean specialises in environmental germicidal disinfection – effective against all COVID-19 variants, as well as all other viruses and bacteria. “We set up this division after a year of research into how we could best play our role in helping the music and cultural sector…
Some 553 days since AO Arena’s last live music performance [James Arthur’s YOU Tour], Stockport’s favourite sons, Blossoms took to Manchester’s biggest stage on 18 September, for the band’s first headline arena show in front of 15,000 live music-deprived Mancunians, backed by their touring team, dubbed provincially as SK2 Crew. Speaking after the trucks rolled back to their warehouses following a successful run of post-lockdown gigs, Tour Manager, Dan Woolfie reflected on the journey. “We were midway through our UK tour when the lockdown hit, so we had a lot of dates that needed to be rescheduled,” he began. “We…
Presenting socially distanced and reduced-audience experiences, livestreamed directly into the comfort of your home, London’s Barbican – considered one of the UK’s go-to live performances spaces – has been able to reach a new global audience during and post-lockdown. At the heart of the sonic delivery of each show is a host of DiGiCo solutions. During the lockdown, Barbican Head of Music, Huw Humphreys, asked Technical Manager, Mark Bloxsidge and Technical Supervisors Jason Kew (Lighting), Martin Shaw (AV) and Tom Shipman (Sound) to design a way of working and a wish list of equipment to fulfil the requirements for livestreamed…
Throughout the lockdown, within a corner of social media populated by industry types, it was hard to miss the various posts from Entourage Pro which, on a daily basis, sent out quotes from both artists and notable industry figures stating the importance of crew and why they needed to be supported. But, the question remained; what is Entourage Pro? Spearheaded by Joel Perry and James Stanbridge, the company’s goal is to create a verified network of production professionals that is fully searchable via role, expertise, previous work with artists or festivals and availability – effectively providing a streamlined and efficient…
Back in early 2021, it seemed unlikely we’d see any outdoor events at all, either in the UK, Europe, or the US. Indeed, many festivals – the UK in particular – began to drop off the calendar due to the ever-moving goalposts of COVID-19 lockdowns. However, with the various test events, from Sefton Park to Download Pilot, the reality of a 2021 season suddenly became plausible. What followed was an incredibly busy and frantic few months as crew and organisers alike attempted to replicate 2019’s level of productivity in a year when suppliers were struggling to amass crew and gear. Having…
Viva La Visa (VLV) is, as the name suggests, a visa specialist company, which serves the entertainment industry, in particular live music, theatre, fashion, film production and exhibition worlds, among many others. “We have been operating for 12 years with 10 members of staff tasked with handling visas and country relation work,” VLV Founder, Andy Corrigan said, speaking from his Stowmarket HQ. Having toured the world as a production and tour manager with The Human League, ABC, Kim Wilde, New Order, Gang of Four, Steel Pulse, Aswad, and PiL, among others, as well as a singer with The Mekons and…
All venues, from grassroots to cultural institutions like Royal Albert Hall, have suffered from the grounding of live events in March 2020. Considered by many as London’s most iconic venue – having been graced by some of the biggest and best names on the touring circuit – the 5,272-capacity space was forced to close its doors for the first time since World War II on the eve of its 150th anniversary. Following the easing of restrictions, TPi checked in with the man responsible for the delivery of the technical requirements of around 500 events scheduled at the Hall every year…
In September, an innovative new pilot programme, NEKO 18, was launched by NEKO Trust to help build a sustainable future for music and live events. The free-to-enrol programme, supported by funders including Arts Council England’s Culture Recovery Fund, was a response to research conducted over the past 18 months into the barriers facing those who wish to progress their career in music and live events. It identified 18 early-career individuals from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of skills and experience to undertake a three-month programme of professional development. Between September and November, the cohort benefited from knowledge sharing with…
It’s been quite a year at the Production Services Association (PSA). Our General Manager of 17 years – a familiar face to TPi readers – Andy Lenthall has moved on to head up the UK Festival Awards. I’d like to thank him for his fantastic work over the years and wish him well with his next project. Stagehand, the PSA’s Benevolent Fund Charity, has continued to award grants to many who have experienced financial hardship throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. I’d like to thank Mike Lowe and the rest of the Stagehand trustees for the amazing work they have…
Since joining LarMac LIVE in June, Finlay Bowrey has been catapulted into the world of live events, embarking on his first festival production post-lockdown, Creamfields. “It was incredible to be part of the event, from pre- to post-production, I have learned so much in a short period of time,” he said, reflecting on his role as Production Assistant. From looking after the stage manager to sorting the stage times and artists’ riders, Bowrey was the primary point of contact in the Creamfields production office, resulting in meeting a who’s who of the sector’s workforce. “By working in the field surrounded…
Since winning Breakthrough Talent Awards Standout Talent at Production Futures, Spiralstagelighting’s Elliot Baines has been involved in lighting numerous live shows, festival slots, installations and livestreams as well as breaking ground as an 18-year-old business owner. Speaking from his Croft Myl headquarters in Halifax, he recaps a busy year. “I have been designing shows and installations across the globe in lockdown, as well as moving into a new office and investing in equipment in lockdown,” he said, giving TPi a tour of his new creative hub. “Having a space like this allows me to design and pre-programme, as well as…
The UK’s live music sector has launched a sweeping industry campaign to deliver climate action, setting out its commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The campaign, fronted by LIVE Green – the sustainability arm of live music umbrella trade body LIVE – builds on significant efforts across the sector to boost sustainability, ranging from the end of single-use plastic at festivals to sector-wide efforts to reduce the environmental impact of touring. The group will identify and signpost how live music businesses can accelerate their transition to a low-carbon future, setting out a roadmap for action in line…
Striving to calculate greener conventions and a direction of responsibility, Tour Production Group (TPG) joined forces with Kilimanjaro Live, AEG Presents, Raw Power Management and United Talent Agency (UTA) to measure the environmental impact of Bring Me The Horizon (BMTH)’s latest UK tour. With promoters, venues, agents and management on board, the collective drew their battle plans to decide how best to calculate and offset the touring production’s footprint, assessing everything from travel production, to catering, water usage, and more. A Greener Festival (AGF) Co-Founder, Claire O’Neill was parachuted in to oversee the implementation of a greener tour. “AGF started…
Following the release of their latest EP, Post Human: Survival Horror, Bring Me The Horizon (BMTH) and their new-look touring team hit the road for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic with a dynamic and sustainable live production. As the dust settled on a successful run of shows in the UK, TPi checked in with core members of the audio crew to reflect on mixing live music with fans in attendance, setting up a sound system ideal for mosh pits and digitising studio-quality outboard gear while on the road. Advancing for a tour post-lockdown brings an additional layer of…
Having scored a hat-trick of UK number one albums, this summer Royal Blood set off on a UK tour of headline and festival shows, before heading to Mexico. FOH Engineer, Phil Jones has discovered that the Yamaha RIVAGE PM5 digital mixing system offers many solutions to difficulties faced by tours in the early 2020s. Many artists would be happy with a UK number one album but achieving the feat with your first three shows that Royal Blood are on to something special, despite the band’s minimalist line up of bass, drums and vocals. Jones has known the band since its…
“What are they actually doing live?” How many times has this question been posed about DJs or electronic artists? Despite having some of the biggest shows in the world, there are still naysayers – often self-appointed ‘musical purists’ – who scoff at big-name DJs, but even they would have a hard time criticising American Producer, Porter Robinson. Since his debut album, Worlds, in 2014, he’s bucked the trend of some of his peers, performing everything from pianos and keyboards to lead vocals on several tracks live on stage. Having garnered critical acclaim with one GRAMMY nomination for his Virtual Self…
Summerfest is the biggest little event you may or may not know about. Certified in 1999 by the Guinness Book of World Records as ‘The World’s Largest Music Festival,’ in 2017 it celebrated its half-century mark and in pre-COVID times routinely attracted over 750,000 concertgoers. They could see and listen to nearly 300 shows as they wandered between 11 stages peppered throughout Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Henry W. Maier Festival Park – 30 hectares on the shores of Lake Michigan 100 miles north of Chicago, which had previously served as the city’s first airport and the site of a Nike missile facility…
