Mitchell handles touring sales at Florida-based LMG, a company with a long and highly reputable history in the corporate market, but relatively less well known in touring circles. For Pixies production manager Simon Foster the one stop shop logic was sound, but it's not just equipment that determines these things.
"I wasn't familiar with LMG before the last Pixies US tour," said the band's long time house engineer Ray Furze. "When Simon mentioned they had a d&b J-Series system and were interested in doing the whole package, I had to do a lot of asking around. Specifically I made many calls to Craig to check they could supply all our specification, and if they had crew who were experienced and competent at rigging and tech'ing the system."
Mitchell had listened hard to Furze's questions, "he obviously knew the J-Series inside out and was very clear in describing his goals. Ray was taking the band into small and large theatres, and small arenas; whatever the venue he wanted to achieve that intimate Pixies sound." Furze didn't need to worry. "The gear and cabling supplied was immaculate and the two LMG Touring techs Andy Vickery and Dave Kuhn, were well on the ball and were used to working with the J-Series."
"The Pixies have a very dynamic alternative rock sound," said Furze."What I am aiming for is a great club gig sound in venues that range from larger clubs holding one to two thousand people through theatres, arenas, even festivals for seventy thousand: quite a big variation in acoustics.The d&b J system although capable of producing a very hi-fi sound,has been my system of choice with all types of act since it came out and I have had excellent and consistently great results in a huge variety of venues around the world."
(Jim Evans)
