It is the sixth JB tour in which Adlib has been involved. The first one was in 2008, and once again, the Liverpool based company won the business because they could offer all the resources and flexibility of a single source technical solution, making the package cost-effective as well as efficient to their client.
A Coda ViRAY system was chosen by FOH engineer Walter Jaquiss. He was one of the first engineers to take its predecessor LA12 out on the previous two JB tours and wanted a similar sound but in a smaller more contemporary package, so ViRAY was the answer. It was particularly important to have a compact sized system as weight loading and physical size / sight lines were issues in several places.
Adlib's Alan Harrison, PA systems tech and the person fine tuning the system each day, commented: "The ViRAY gave us maximum control and SPL everywhere it was needed - it really is a hugely dynamic system."
A typical set up would be 16 x ViRAY elements per side with six SCP subs set up where possible in a left-centre-right configuration on the floor.
For lip-fills and in / out-fills as needed, they used the TiRAY - Coda's smallest line array speaker - which, for their miniscule dimensions, emit a huge amount of power and definition.
For processing and EQ, they used one of Adlib's standard Lake racks with two LM44s and a pair of LM26s and he used a combination of AFMG SysTune and Rational Acoustics' Smaart to get the balance just right every day.
Having mixed John Barrowman's tours for over six years, Walter was asked back to mix FOH on his recent UK tour, again with Adlib being the preferred audio supplier. This time he chose a Soundcraft Vi3000.
The monitor set up continued on an expedient theme with another Soundcraft Vi3000. The band were all on Shure hard wired IEMs, with wireless Sennheiser G3 IEMs for JB and MD Matt Brind. A pair of Adlib MP2 wedges were provided as stage-fills for the four dancers.
Adlib also supplied lighting to the last tour, but this year their own award winning LD and visual designer Ian Tomlinson created the lighting scheme, the principal criteria being that it needed to fit into the available truck space and offer all the diversity and scope needed for a JB live show embracing multiple performance styles.
The lighting rig needed to be simple yet have great creative reach. It consisted of two trusses, with six Martin MAC Viper Washes on the front and five MAC Viper Spots on the back together with four MAC Quantum Washes. These 15 overhead moving lights, programmed with great diligence, provided the majority of the general lighting and effects.
A set of white gauze legs masked the back truss and also framed the projection screen, and these were up-lit by Chauvet LED battens.
On the floor were four MAC Viper Spots, four MAC Aura LED wash lights and six boom poles - three per side - to give side lighting positions. Each of the booms was rigged with two ETC Source Four Jr zoom profiles, the positioning bringing a touch of theatrical ambience to the stage.
Ryan Hopkins was on-board to direct the lighting and he used a Hog 4 Full Boar console with a Hog 4 PC as tracking backup, and although the song lighting was all set up on Cue-stacks, he ran the show completely 'live' to deal with the ad libbing in between, and other improvisational moments which could be sprung on him at any time.
Ryan also ran the video cues from his console - the video signal was run over one of Adlib's fibre signal distribution systems, so their Catalyst media server - storing all the playback material - remai
