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2023-07-21
Solotech’s Dan Bennett has looked after the band’s audio requirements for over fifteen years: “We’ve worked with the band throughout their career, supplying audio packages for all the key moments along the way, from a Nexo Alpha system in support of their first album, through early arena and stadia tours, Glastonbury performances right through to the current day.
“Solotech has been working on this latest project pretty much solidly with the bands production team for over fourteen months now. We built the control package back in May 2022 and we’ve had it back in the shop just once for an upgrade. During that time it’s been right round the world including North and South America, the Far East and Australia.”
Matt Kettle, the band’s mix engineer since 2008 opted for a DiGiCo Quantum 5 at FOH with Waves integration and Waves SoundGrid Server Extreme. When the package first went out, monitor engineer Will Doyle was also sat behind a Quantum 5 but this has now been swapped over to one of Solotech’s new DiGiCo Quantum 338s.
For the European dates Solotech added PA to the control package, with Dan Bennett and K-Series Systems Engineer (KSE) Mark Pantlin designing a scalable L-Acoustics system for the twelve arena shows. Main and side hangs comprised K1 with K2 with delays of K2 and KARA deployed to ensure coverage to the back of the upper tiers. KARA was also deployed as infill across the front of the stage, with ARCS WIFO used as outfill.
The touring system returned to Solotech’s Blythe Valley HQ in early May 2023 to be repackaged for the larger stadium dates. This took place just five days after the move of Live Productions to the new UK HQ and was the first major tour to load out of Blythe Valley – a remarkable achievement given the size and complexity of the Arctic Monkeys stadium package.
Dan Bennett explained the challenge of a stadium tour, “With no two stadiums the same our system tech and K-Series System Engineer Mark Pantlin had to come up with a unique design for each one. For example the first date was at Ashton Gate in Bristol, a fairly traditional football ground. Then there were two nights at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, a much larger flat field with lower stands around the pitch. The London dates took place at the Emirates Stadium, one of the biggest in the UK. We had to ship in additional ring delays for this to provide coverage up to the rear seating, flown from the stadium roof.”
Solotech’s Director of Technical and R&D Nick Lythgoe added, “We ran the L-Acoustics system on an AVB protocol. The drive system and network infrastructure from the arena shows was retained as the core of the stadium package. The scalability of this system allowed us to accommodate the larger stadium dates with their additional loudspeaker arrays and amplification and kept the deployment as efficient as possible for the crew on site.”
Dan Bennett was delighted with how the project has progressed. “To have worked with the Arctic Monkeys from the beginning and supplied them with audio for all the key milestones in their career has been an absolute pleasure. Returning to Old Trafford cricket ground sixteen years on from when they first performed there, as well as their homecoming shows at Hillsborough Park in Sheffield are personal highlights of this latest run.
We’ve had a great team out on this tour including Mark Pantlin and Dave Courtney, who make up the core global crew and Richie Gough who has been crew chief for the European and UK dates. Special thanks should go to Mark for his system design work on this project.”
“It’s always great to work with Tour Manager Steve Chapman, Production Manager Chip Calder and the whole Arctic Monkeys production team. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming months and years.”
Next up for the Arctic Monkeys is their largest North America tour to date. Solotech Uk will be shipping out the control package while Solotech’s transatlantic operation has been appointed PA and video supplier for this leg.
AM Audio Crew L-R Alessandro Cestaro, Jack Hubball, Mark Cleator, Mat Fell, Dom Green, Richie Gough (centre crew chief), Stuart Greenlees, Mark Pantlin, Matthew Kettle (AM FOH), Dave Courtney, Will Doyle (AM Mons)
