With a high number of British troops stationed in Basra, the shows tend to be more complex. Here Capital created the staging, barriers and ground support system, supplied the backline kit and sub-contracted the lighting from Brian Leitch's company, Siyan.
Capital's Paul Timmins told us: "I'm always striving to improve on the equipment and I desperately wanted to use the Martin line array system. It's the first time these premium speakers have been in the sand."
An array of eight W8L enclosures and six ground-stacked WSX subs were positioned either side of the stage, supported by a further six Martin Audio W2s for barrier fills. With air support provided by the Royal Air Force, some 24 tons of equipment was flown out from Brize Norton on C17 heavy lift aircraft during the week preceding the show. "The first time we worked in Iraq we suffered from sand being blown into the equipment," continued Timmins. "But now we build walls of ISO containers behind the stage, which serves as a wind and sand barrier."Aided by the ISO wall, the Martin Audio system performed perfectly. "We had an audience of 5,000 standing - and the sound was fantastic," Timmins said.
