Video was naturally central to the performance, and was designed, specified and co-ordinated by Sam Collins, who also production managed the tour for Artangel. Associates who had also worked with the UK's leading live music video rental house recommended Collins to XL Video. His account was project managed by XL's Arts and Theatre specialist, Malcolm Mellows.
The movies were stored on Digi Beta format and played via Barco G5 projectors. Collins toured and rigged two identical systems every day - for hot backup. They played a variety of venues - from the new FACT Centre in Liverpool to The Forum in London, and a selection of arts centres and theatres, so they needed to be prepared for all rigging scenarios. XL supplied a 20ft x 15ft Fast Fold screen - upped to 24ft x 18ft for The Forum show - which could either be flown of floor-mounted. At some venues, they used the house screen, and toured six lens options for the Barco projectors.
The Melvins, from Aberdeen in Washington state, home town of Kurt Cobain, are legendary for their influence on many of the seminal Seattle grunge bands of the 1990s, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden - and this was a rare chance to hear them perform live. The band played the show in complete darkness - the only light source being the Barco projector. The production also toured the rear two stacks of PA (supplied by Matt Snowball Music) for the quad sound mixed by Kurt Schlegal, hooking into the venue's FOH left and right to make up the other two stacks.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
