ADLIB Audio and Lighting supplied full production and crew for Sharleen Spiteri's first solo UK tour, proving once again that providing a combination of both technical disciplines enabled the Liverpool-based company to offer a highly efficient package.

"Everyone's examining costs at the moment," comments ADLIB's Andy Dockerty, also the tour's FOH engineer, "Providing both PA and lights we can be competitive without compromising the quality or service".

Audio
Dockerty and monitor engineer Marc Peers have both worked with Spiteri and Texas for some years, with Dockerty reckoning he's mixed all her live shows since 1993. They were delighted when asked to go out on this in January, a showcase for her latest new project, complete with a new band.

“It's a different style to Texas, a lot more soulful, utilising the really fine dynamics of Sharleen’s excellent vocal range. She sings several songs in a low register and getting this vocal out on top of the mix is very different to any of the challenges presented by a Texas show,” said Dockerty. The band comprises of a brass section, 2 guitars, bass, drums and keys.

The loud and powerful sound coming offstage was further challenged by the fact that they all used wedges (18 in total ) often in very tight spaces.

ADLIB’s "Analog Dad" in fact went digital with a Soundcraft Vi6 console at FOH (“cos it’s the only one I can use”) and a big JBL VerTec rig, chosen for its "Flexibility across the variety of venues” they played. They toured 20 VT4889 elements in total, along with 12 VT4880A subs.

System processing was via Lake DLPs.

Onstage, Marc Peers did his mix using a Digidesign Profile, his desk of choice for some time now, due to its "fantastic sound, tiny footprint and the fact that it’s a 2 person lift - how cool's that?" He customized his own stand to hold the monitor screen slightly off the desk and therefore leaving clear sightlines, and also made a specially adapted foot pedal for scene changes. He took full advantage of all the onboard facilities like gates and comps.

Peers ran a network of the new Labgruppen PLM 10000Q amps with inbuilt Lake software which he controlled using a wireless tablet remote. "It's an absolute result," he declares. "It makes such a massive difference to stand in situ and EQ the system rather than having to guess!"

Spiteri's mic was a Shure KSM9 radio, ideal for her strong and distinctive voice. ADLIB also supplied a selection of Shure and AKGs.

Monitors were 18 MP3 low profile wedges, with a Shure E5 IEM mix for the drummer who also had his own small mixer. The side fills consisted of two L-Acoustics ARCS boxes a side each stack with a SB28 sub.

With the boisterous volumes onstage, acquiring separation was a galvanizing task!

ADLIB's audio crew was completed with system engineer Richie Gibson and Kenny Perrin on monitors.

Lighting
Lighting designer Brian Livingston was working with Spiteri for the first time. His aim was to design a rig that was practical to break down into different options for smaller venues, whilst retaining its basic look and feel.

He went for a simple classical 2 truss format with a quirky twist added by having the rear truss moving lights (8 Martin Professional MAC 700 Profiles and 8 MAC 700 Washes) rigged off a series of different length drop bars.

Other back truss fixtures were 4 bars of ACLs and sixteen 2-lite moles.

The front truss provided wash and key lighting via 36 PARs and 8 ETC Source Four 19s, with some 4-lite Moles for audience lighting.

Any gaps in the backline or on the stage were filled with floor lights - 6 bars of ACLs, 6 MAC 700 Profiles, 8 2-way Moles and 7 PixelPAR 90s with the new 30 degree diffusion lenses. Another 7 PixelPARs up-lit the gathered theatre-style voile drapes at the back of stage.

Livingston operated the show using an Avolites Diamond 4 Elite console, and ADLIB supplied 2 Avo ART dimmer/distro racks to the tour.

ADLIB Lighting’s crew were Andy Rowe and Tim Spilman, who worked alongside Livingston, a working LD who always gets very hands-on with the rigging of his shows! It was the first time he's worked with ADLIB and comments that it's been a "Fantastic" experience.

Date of issue : 28th February 2009.

For more press info. on ADLIB, please contact Louise Stickland on  01865 202679  or  07831 329888 , or Email louise@loosplat.com, Contact ADLIB direct on  0151 486 2214  or check www.adlibaudio.co.uk