UK dates so far have included London's Royal Albert Hall and O2 Arena, three shows at the Liverpool Echo Arena, plus the festival shows at Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight. The 70-date 2011 Brit Floyd tour rolls across Europe this autumn and on into the UK and Ireland next spring.
The sound system fielded by ESS for the majority of venues is based on a 48-box Aspect rig, supplemented on occasions with Flex Array sub-rented in from colleague Turbosound stockist companies.
"Normally we're flying 24 Aspect TA-890H three-way mid/highs on three-wide bars with 19 TA-890L double 15" cabinets, and eight TSW-218 double 18" subs on the floor," says ESS's Phil McDaniel. TQ-445s are brought into use as front-fills and side-hangs where required, depending on the venue.
"We kicked off at the Royal Albert Hall earlier in the year which was an absolutely stunning show," continues McDaniel. "For this show the PA was configured as a mono source with three hangs each of 12 TFA-600H Flex Array mid/highs, and a further hang of 15 Aspect TA-890L double 15" bass in the centre, and eight ground stacked TSW-218 subs in a single block. I don't think I've heard the rig sound so good. Apparently the public thought so too.
ESS is unusually busy with a multitude of other work, including a series of theatre shows with Steve Earle and then Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa, both with a six-a-side Flex Array rig, while the Max Boyce comedy tour benefited from the intimate atmosphere created by the company's TQ-440 theatre rig.
The company also provided production services in the form of an Aspect TA-890 system for the recent Shooting Star Children's Hospice fund-raising ball at London's Dorchester Hotel, where ex-Spandau Ballet frontman and the charity's vice president Tony Hadley and a host of celebrities, including a guest appearance from Joan Collins, entertained the guests.
(Jim Evans)
