Adlib on the road with Nashville in Concert
- Details
The Liverpool based production specialist was asked to provide full production - lighting, audio and video.
Adlib this year provided the key disciplines of lighting and sound plus the IMAG video package.
The format was as before, a tight house band supporting a selection of cast from the series including Jonathan Jackson, Chris Carmack, Clare Bowen, Charles Esten and Sam Palladio.
Adlib’s Dave Eldridge co-ordinated all the lighting and video elements. This year, Adlib was also asked to create a production lighting design after receiving a brief from the production team led by Betsega and Mike.
They wanted something that was fresh and different from last year, but that also related to the overall Nashville concept, so Dave and Adlib LD Tom Webber, who programmed lights and operated the show on the road – used the striking Nashville in Concert backdrop as a starting point.
The structural aesthetics were based on three straight trusses overhead and a classic combination of spot and wash moving lights, for which Martin MAC Viper Washes and Profiles were selected, with 18 and 21 respectively of each type on the flown rig.
On the floor were six more Viper Profiles on raised podiums to elevate them slightly above the backline for impact and to blast through for eye-catching silhouette effects. These were joined by eight MAC Quantum LED washes on the deck dotted in between the backline kit.
Eight Robe picklePATTs on stands were positioned behind the Viper Profiles on the podiums adding a dynamic aspect to the overall look which also tied in well with the backdrop, bringing a nice tungsten-style effect to the stage. A splash of retro in a contemporary setting as well as looking fantastic in the ‘back-of-camera’ shots.
A combination of 2-lite Elation CuePIX WW blinders and Chauvet STRIKE 4 LED blinders were dotted around the rig.
The backdrop itself was up and down-lit with a total of 18 x Chauvet COLORado Batten 72s which gave it definition overlooking the whole stage.
Tom chose a grandMA2 light console on which to programme and run lighting.
The IMAG video package comprised four Sony HXC-100 cameras. The camera feeds were sent to one of Adlib’s Blackmagic 2ME vision mixers being operated by Iain Christie.
Adlib’s crew chief Kevin Byatt tied all the production elements together, taking an overview of the lighting and video systems. Charlie Rushton, Ash Dawson, Mark Taylor & Rob Bickerstaff were all the lighting / video technicians for the tour.
Adlib again supplied an L-Acoustics system, which in a typical format comprised 16 x K2 loudspeakers with 15 x KARA for the side hangs, supplied with all necessary rigging.
These were complimented by 16 x ground stacked KS28 subs, eight a side running in cardioid mode, plus some KARA and ARCS for infill and lip-fills.
Processing utilised a standard Adlib Lake rack loaded with two LM 44s, two LM 26s in conjunction with the L-Acoustics Network Manager which controlled the LA12X amps.
George Puttock was the Adlib systems engineer, working alongside Hassane Es Siahi and Mike Thorpe, and together they looked after Nashville’s own engineers Jayme Braun (FOH) and Josh White (monitors) and ensured that all of their sonic requirements were met.
For the six musicians in the band, the five backing vocalists and the cast / soloists, they used a mix of Shure PSM1000 IEMs and 10 x D&B M2 wedges for monitors. Adlib also supplied a full complement of mics.
The Nashville engineers both specified Avid Venue consoles, and George ran the whole system via AES with full redundancy.
(Jim Evans)
