ShowSupport Create A 'Storm' For Arctic Monkeys

Show Support supplied full video production and crew for the two Arctic Monkeys gigs at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester.
Over two nights, 110,000 people enjoyed one the UK's hottest, most talented and successful young bands plus their special guests in a rare window of good UK summer weather. These are the largest shows that the Mercury Prize winning Arctic Monkeys have organised and headlined to date.
The event was project managed for ShowSupport by Andy Mayneord, who led a team of 12 for the get in on the Thursday to be ready for a Saturday early afternoon start.
Two landscape format 4:3 ratio Lighthouse R16 I/O side screens were installed, and a four camera PPU. The cameras were positioned at FOH, two each side of the pit and a hand-held onstage.
Live video director Jim Bennett's fast cut mix matched the jittery energy of the music perfectly, adding an additional edgy layer to the show's visuality for the set – much of which was in daylight.
Working closely with lighting op Rob Gawler, the ShowSupport team also supplied a Coolux Pandora's Box media server, which was run through the WholeHog 3 lighting console. The aim was to produce a projected lighting effect. In the third song of the set - 'Brianstorm' - one of ShowSupport's Christie 20K truss mounted projectors was lowered in at the front of the stage on a Kinesys automation system. The truss was heavily disguised in the same crushed silver fabric that made up the backdrop/projection surface.
With images and graphics from the album artwork loaded into the Pandora's Box, Gawler was able to pulse and strobe these onto the backdrop in time to the music. The Pandora's Box was used to split, tile and produce assorted variations of the images
Warp Films will be using the ISO records of ShowSupport’s four cameras in a DVD Rocumentary being made about the band's performances at Old Trafford and T In The Park.
ShowSupport's racks engineer was Adrian Moore. Rupert Barnes looked after recording and projection, and other crew members were Nigel French, Matt Gathercole, Damian Watson, Dan Shaw and Toby Evans, plus LED tech's Paul Barry and Gareth Manicom.
The event was production managed by Scottie Sanderson. PRG supplied the lights and SSE the audio.
www.showsupport.co.uk
(DS/SP)