066 VENUE
MISS Q’S LONDON EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
Positioned within the orbit of Earls Court Exhibition Centre in west London, Miss Q’s, from the outside at least, presents itself as a sleek but unimposing proposition. Whilst the limited street level fascia can clearly be attributed to Miss Q’s basement location, those in the con- spiracy market could conclude that its subtle presence is a facet of the venue’s ‘don’t noise up the neighbours’ policy. In some areas of the UK’s capital, local governance and resident-power can combine to make trading conditions in built up areas tricky to say the least. Substantiating Miss Q’s neighbourly outlook, whilst helping its owners create a sassy entertainment-orientated environment, was technology installation company, Viba Sound. The venue is the latest venture from Nick Valentine - Molten House and Cuckoo Club - and the first venture for Eddie Bloom, son of Jamie Bloom, former owner of the legendary Rainbow Theatre in north London, which is credited as the first place to bear witness to Jimi Hendrix’s guitar burning tricks. They enlisted the well-respected design team at Paul Daly Design Studio, who directed the concept, interior and branding of the venue, and hired Martin Gilbert as man- ager, who was previously in charge of KOKO in Camden. Taking influence from retro Americana, the 420-capacity venue’s aesthetic is defined by its rock ‘n’ roll interior and heady mix of live music, pool, classic American dinner-style food and hard liquor. It’s sound is shaped by Viba Sound’s Nexo-rich configuration, designed by Peter Kellet. “We’ve zoned the AV systems by input as well as output, so that the three discrete areas of the club can feature any combination of recorded music, live band or DJ set; music video, sporting broad- cast or movies,” said Peter. “The playback system is super-flexible,
www.mondodr.com
and throughout the club, there are 14 Nexo PS8 super-compact full-range loudspeakers. Wherever you go in Miss Q’s you’re not that far from a speaker, so we can keep SPLs low and satisfy both the guests and the neighbours. Even the live stage measures at 98dB, although bookings tend to be well-behaved acoustic acts rather than rock bands.”
On the illuminated dancefloor, several Nexo LS400 subs up the ante, but here the use of an Allen & Heath iDR-4 sound processor keeps impulsive DJs under control. “The flats are directly above the venue so we have to deploy limiters to keep a lid on sound levels,” explained Peter, who, together with Martin Gilbert and acoustic consultant Richard Vivian, made a point of visiting the residents and checking out the soundproofing between floors. Amplification for the main system comes from six QSC RMX 2450’s.
The dancefloor itself measures 3 x 3 metres and is made up of glass tiles, which are backlit with colour changing RGB LEDs and programmed using a DMX controller.
Additions to the audio spec which cater for the live element of the venue include a Soundcraft FX16 mixing console, four FBT Verve 12MA monitor speakers and six Shure SM58 microphones. DJs work on Pioneer CDJ-1000 Mk3 CD decks, Technics SL 1210 Mk3 vinyl turntables, an Allen & Heath Xone DJ mixer and FBT monitors. The merging nature of the space from pool hall, to bar and diner, to live music and club environment means that the lighting and visual elements are concentrated on particular areas and paralleled with that areas function. Around the stage area, eight Showtec Par36 spots provide illumination for performers. These are controlled by a Showtec Lite-4 desk and an Anytronics DP405F dimmer / switcher pack. Elsewhere, four Robe Scan 250 XT fixtures, guided by a Martin Professional DMX playback controller, add dynamic colour to the dancefloor area, and five Panasonic plasma TVs provide the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116