UK - The Road to the Isles tour of the UK and Europe saw Fish bid farewell to the live arena. After a 45-year career during which he enjoyed a meteoric rise with prog-rock favourites Marillion, before an action-packed life as a solo artist, the fan-favourite hung up his microphone to retire to a croft in the Outer Hebrides. More than 30 shows in Europe late last year preceded this year’s 14-date UK tour which concluded with two sold-out shows in Glasgow.
Audio for The Road to the Isles was supplied by IPB Audio, with experienced engineer Ian Bond responsible for delivering the front-of-house and monitor sound for the eclectic and often intricate compositions performed by Fish and his band of seasoned professionals. From modest beginnings on small theatre tours in the 1990s, Bond has built a respected, in-demand rental company, servicing a wide variety of clients. Highly regarded for his work with bands such as Porcupine Tree, The Sisters of Mercy, Dream Theatre, King Crimson, and many more, his association with Fish began some years ago when taking care of monitors at a festival, but this was his first tour with the iconic singer.
Bond recently invested in a Midas HD96 console which he took on The Road to the Isles. “I’ve been a Midas user for as long as I can remember,” he says. “First with the XL Series and Heritage analogue, and then into digital with the CL8 and Pro series.
“We’d borrowed a demo HD96 console from Nick Bellis at Polar (Midas UK distributor) for a couple of festival shows in 2023 and after that experience, we knew it would be a good investment. The many features that come as standard, plus the overall audio quality were the main reasons, but when we considered the price, added in the channel, Aux, Matrix and FX slot count, it was a simple decision. Given that we already have six Pro Series desks, the HD96 also fits in with our stagebox and infrastructure inventory.”
Having used the HD96 on a number of festivals in 2024, it was Bond’s go-to for the Fish Tour. He was happy with its performance:
“We love it! It has all the facilities you need, without any external processing, and it sounds great. We’ve got another summer of festivals around the corner and we’re planning on adding a second HD96 to our inventory, so we have one at either end of the multi. A mention must also go to Nick and the team at Polar for their after-sales support – they are always extremely helpful.”
Nick Bellis, business development manager at Polar adds: “Since its launch, the Midas HD96 has proven to be a hugely popular choice for touring, festivals, and installations.
“As well as Ian’s tour with Fish, we recently saw Gun out on the road with Kira Mac supporting, where both bands’ engineers were using HD96s. Some significant venues have also recently installed the console, including The Fleece in Bristol and SWG3 in Glasgow, each of whom have invested in two consoles, an indication of how the HD96 provides an exceptional solution in terms of audio quality, usability, and value for money.”
