Paul Ramsey has been working with Skin since 1996 and the Skunk Anansie days. He's a big d&b fan and says had he been able to take a full box system on this tour, that's what it would have been. However, they used the house stacks and racks at each venue, and took in their own DiGiCo D5 console, mics and cables and a couple of d&b B2 subs to augment the bottom end. This proved a "saving grace" - with the Skin show being sexy and sub heavy.
Ramsey says he "loves" the D5 and has been using one since May, when the tour started. He's maximizing the console's onboard effects, keeping his outboard rack expedient and tidy with a TC 2290 delay, an SPX 990 for distortions and radio vocal effects, and an Avalon 737 valve preamp/compressor/EQ on Skin's vocal.
LD Chris Oldfield first worked with Entec at the Marquee Club, when it moved from Wardour Street to Charing Cross Road, and has used them regularly ever since to supply kit for his various projects. For Skin, he adopted a 'less is more' philosophy, taking his initial concept for the 'blue mood' of the 'blue album' forward to create a reflective show. Keeping the primary looks to a minimum, the show consists of hues and colour temperature variations, collaged into a series of reflective and mood-enhancing moments.
The touring rig supplied by Entec consisted of six Clay Paky Stage Scans and eight Martin MAC 300s, four Source Fours, eight Molefeys and an Avolites Pearl 2004 console - his favourite desk for small shows. These have been fused with the various house systems on the way. ommenting that the house rigs have been consistently good throughout most of Europe, Oldfield thinks the concept of mixing the two has worked well aesthetically. He has bee aided and abetted by crew mate Phydeaux, who has also been operating the house desks.
(Lee Balsdock)
