Andre Serafini, technical production manager for the event, explained: "This was very much eleventh hour. As soon as we saw the renderings of their huge triangular set, a mass of Pixel Line, Versa Tubes and video wall we knew there was no way we could put other acts on in front of them without revealing the magic."
Promoters, Haddad Productions, also saw the dilemma and without hesitation ordered in another 60 x 40 outdoor stage. "We also had to pull in another PA system," continued Serafini. "My company, Beach Sound Incorporated, already had the other four stages covered, but we were max'ed out equipment wise with some simultaneous corporate events elsewhere in the States taking the last of our inventory.
"I'd recently purchased a d&b audiotechnik Q-Series line array through Chris Carlton at Carlton Audio Services. It was for a specific installation, somewhere demanding a small, lightweight system."
The experience was enough to tempt Serafini out to LDI in Las Vegas where d&b audiotechnik had a stage in the ET Live area and were demonstrating their latest product, the J-Series, a full size line array. "It was astonishing," said Serafini, "I didn't think a midsize line source box could exceed a large frame system's output and performance. Very fat and rich sounding."
The J-Series rig being demonstrated belonged to Spectrum Sound out of Nashville: "They'd obviously done a good job there" he continued, "so I had no hesitation in contracting them there and then to cover the Daft Punk extra stage for Bang! Music."
The festival was hugely successful. "For me it was exceptional," said Serafini, "and I have to say a lot of that is thanks to the support I've received from Chris Carlton at Carlton Audio, and also Rusty King from Spectrum."
(Jim Evans)
