The system comprises six Shure SM58 UHF Premier Series microphones, six Sony Freedom headset systems for the numbers that include a dance routine, and six Shure PSM 700 in-ear monitor systems. The SM58s, apart from being favourites of the engineers, Chris ‘Privet’ Hedge at front-of-house and John ‘Grubby’ Callis on monitors, (who claims he wouldn't leave home without them), were also chosen because the capsules work very well for the band. They decided to go with the Sony headsets because they are both light, compact and comfortable, and the Shure PSM700 in-ear systems have a proven track record on tour. Nick Bruce-Smith of Handheld Audio who continues to look after the radio licensing for all of Westlife's shows also pointed out that the multi-frequency capacity of the PSM700 makes it a far more flexible system when touring abroad, where being restricted to just one frequency could prove extremely limiting.
When asked why the band chose to buy the system outright, Callis’ answer was straightforward: "The boys work constantly all year round,' he said. "Even when they're not out on tour, they're doing promotional work, so we needed a solid, reliable system that we can take anywhere, and it just made sense to buy it rather than continue renting. We have a great relationship with Handheld. I've known Nick for years, and I have 100% faith in their back-up and service, and on the rare occasions we have a problem, it's sorted out straightaway."
(Lee Baldock)
