ADLIB Audio supplied Californian hard rockers AFI (A Fire Inside) with a JBL VerTec PA to match their intoxicating, hard driven energy
Liverpool-based ADLIB, also worked with AFI’s FOH engineer Pete Keppler on David Bowie’s 2003 “Reality” tour, and Keppler was pleased to be re-acquainted with the wit, humour and audio skills of the team once again, commenting, “ADLIB are always my first choice for Europe ? they are great people, the kit’s excellent and the service is always attentive and efficient”.
AFI has just stormed the UK on one of the many legs of their ongoing Decemberunderground tour, featuring their highly visual punkish stage presence streaked with lethally-charged raw, screeching rock ‘n’ roll and rasping vocals.
With the itinerary covering a host of gigs from Nottingham Rock City to Brixton Academy, the ADLIB crew - Hassane Essiahi and Richie Nicholson - knew to be prepared for all eventualities and for the wide discrepancy in venue sizes. Once again the VerTec proved its worth on stages large and small, demonstrating its very flexible and workable floor stacking options on some of the smaller shows.
VerTec is one of the first choices of PA on any spec Keppler puts together. For Brixton, they utilised 10 flown VT 4889 elements per side, together with eight floor-stacked JBL VerTec 4880 subs - for those sheer physical tummy-crunching moments. These were run in conjunction with two of ADLIB’s own FD full range cabinets per side for infills, plus a pair of the smaller AA 122s along the front of stage.
All system processing was via 8 modules of ADLIB’s new Lake Dolby units plus some Lake Contours, the signal routed to the Camco amplifiers via ADLIB’s custom zone switching returns system. All the EQ’ing was achieved using a wireless graphic tablet, which proved invaluable for dealing with the nuances of the Academy’s domed roof void.
The FOH desk was a Digidesign Venue which is Keppler’s desk of choice and travels with the band. As a regular studio engineer too, he likes its Pro Tools plug in facilities, and is using a variety of other plug ins, primarily for reverb and delay, plus some multi-band compression and tape emulation effects.
AFI supplied their own complete monitor system, featuring Digico D5 console, a set of Sennheiser IM300 G2 IEMs for the entire band and a wide selection of mics. The net result is that for an immensely loud band, there is a real clean sound coming offstage which is a massive aid to the FOH mix. Monitor world is minded by Michael “Pork Chop” Souder .. who is actually a vegan, along with 6 others in the AFI party ? a fact not necessarily alluded to by their enigmatic, moody stage personalities!
ADLIB provided a complete monitor system for the two support bands ? Dispute and Explosion. This consisted of ADLIB wedges, Crown Pulse amplifiers a variety of Shure and Sennheiser mics and dbx 480n processors. Both bands were mixed onstage by Nicholson through the D5 console, with Essiahi doing the FOH mix for both, using the Venue.
The AFI tour is production managed by Narci Martinez, who comments, “Adlib is a great audio vender. They have been totally attentive to the needs of our engineers and my budget and have provided knowledgeable and hardworking touring support staff. Phil Kielty and Dave Jones have been on top of the case right from the bidding process through to on the road. Great gear, great staff, great prices. “
Ends.
Date of issue : 19th October 2006.
For more press info. on ADLIB Audio, 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.