50 l June 2014
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livereport
Cupid’s foot, as used by Monty Python: coming to an arena near you
or sometimes LC – and Meyer or Martin delays and sidefill hangs with Martin front fills and subs.”
The microphone comes down to artist preference, he says. Many comedians have moved to headsets but others prefer the old-school approach of a handheld mic, having the stand nearby to lean on. “Some prefer head mics and for those I like to use the DPA 4088,” Tame comments. “Others want a handheld radio – Shure with a 58 head usually. Lee prefers a wired 58, partly
because he uses the cable in some of the gags. Al Murray had a tie-clip mic, [which] was impressive for an omni, although his delivery certainly helped!” As Tame concludes, big-venue comedy is now more common today, possibly because a greater number of people feel in need of a laugh. There is an artistic debate to be had about whether performing in a massive barn diminishes the humour and communication with the audience, but that doesn’t seem to be affecting ticket sales right now.
Anyway... did you hear the one about the pro audio magazine editor, the gorilla and the vat of yoghurt?
A FUNNY(ISH) THING HAPPENED AT THE ARENA
Arenas always seemed a step too far for comedy, until Rob Newman and David Baddiel became the first comedians to play Wembley Arena in north London on 10 December 1993. Newman and Baddiel – who were never a double act in the old sense, but a duo who performed routines and characterisations separately and only occasionally came together for sketches – were part of the post- alternative, comedian-as-rock star phenomenon of the early ‘90s in Britain, so selling out a venue best known for staging rock concerts and sports events wasn’t that much of a stretch.
The Wembley show was the culmination of their nationwide Live and in Pieces tour of colleges and theatres. Equipment for previous dates had been provided by hire
supply Audio Lease, but another rental firm, Dimension Audio, was brought in to provide the London rig. A 40ft circular truss was installed above the stage in the round; this comprised 24 Turbosound TMS3s in 12 equidistant drops to ensure the entire audience could hear a punchline at the same time. To be absolutely certain of this, delays were also used, with an Electro-Voice DeltaMax system at the back of the venue, Community RS20s on the sides and Martin Audio LE400s for front fills.
The control front end used for the rest of the tour, supplied by Audio Lease, was brought in, consisting of a 24-channel DDA console and eight-way stretch, outboard processors and a DAT machine for play-in. A total of 30
“The only difference between full-band touring and [arena] comedy is the absence of backline on the stage”
audio channels were used for the show, with doubling up of wireless microphones in case of failure. This still didn’t guard against a wireless transmitter failing when Newman performed his louche Jarvis Montgomery character, although a sound tech coming on stage to change packs gave him plenty of opportunity for more innuendo. To show that things have not changed too much in 21 years, Newman and Baddiel wore head mics, albeit ones that looked decidedly chunkier than those in use today. While the production was deemed a technical success, it was panned by critics. The pair were always rumoured to have a difficult relationship and, whether Wembley was the catalyst, went their separate ways soon after.
www.adlib.co.uk Phil Tame, FOH engineer for Lee Evans
www.capital-sound.co.uk www.operatoraudio.com www.philtame-sound.com www.sonalyst.co.uk
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