Cold Town, Coldplay, Burnin’ Sound

Ahhhh. Salt Lake in late November. Just cold enough to be miserable but without all that crisp white snow to create a beautiful scene to distract you from the fact that you are freezing your ass off. I’m not a Coldplay fan (are there any young bands out thee who actually write HOOKS anymore?) but there was something going one here that made it worth the eight-hour drive—besides the fact they are my daughter’s favorite band and it was her birthday.

Teaming Up

We all know that big changes are afoot in the live audio biz and the industry we see a year from now may look very different than the one we have become accustomed to over the past few years. There are only a few companies that can really support a big tour, but at the same time more and more acts are touring with minimal production and renting things like racks and stacks at each tour stop. Good news for local and regional companies but it does mean adjusting our thinking.

Ohio-bases Eighth Day Systems and U.K. up-and-comer Wigwam Acoustics made just such an adjustment and turned it into a very successful “co-venture” that sold out at nearly every stop on the tour.

On the surface, it may seem a marriage of convenience, as Wigwam has been the band’s choice in Europe for the last two tours (where Tour Tec was the North American supplier) and Eighth Day is one of the few big companies in the U.S, that can supply a big rig of their system of choice, the d&b J Series. But Eighth Day’s Owen Orzac says it goes a lot deeper than just a great-sounding PA box.

“We worked with Wigwam before we even had d&b kit, they turned us onto it in fact. Chris Hill and his team there share a very similar philosophy to ours when it comes to customer service, and that is far more important than any piece of gear,” he said.

That statement speaks volumes. Companies working together to do a gig bigger than either one can do solo is nothing new. But it presents its own set of challenges. Wigwam crew chief/system designer Tony Smith takes the pragmatic approach, saying “we are all there for the same reason and that’s Coldplay and their fans, to make the best sound possible, for our satisfaction and for the punter. I think the crew we have, has risen to that.” But there are basic issues of trust, both in the technical prowess of your partner and their business ethics—in other words, that they are not going to try to go in and take the entire gig as their own and freeze you out.

Says Orzac, “ Well, trust is the right word. That, plus good communication and attention to detail by both parties. It’s difficult to express, but the Wigwam guys just ‘get it.’”

“It all filters down from the band, and they have surrounded themselves over the years with good people,” Smith adds.

Changing with the Times

While many soundcos in the States are adjusting to changing realities that create new opportunities for some while leaving other wondering how to keep all those hundreds of boxes earning money, for Euro and U.K. based acts and companies touring in the U.S., it’s pretty much business as usual.

“In Europe its cost effective to tour racks and stacks,” Smith notes. “I’ve done one stadium tour with V-DOSC when we carried no PA. We picked up in each city and it worked well. I have never carried PA across the pond. With d&b or L-acoustic, the speakers and amps are all the same, the difference comes with the system tech/designer, that’s where you get the continuity and the difference between a good and a great system. And you get a great wealth of experience working with other techs from other countries.”

Ask just about any sound guy out there and they will tell you that the d7b rig is one of the best out there. But not a lot of companies carry it in sufficient quantity for a show of this size. “The products that d&b audiotechnik make, along with the people and support, are top notch,” says Orzac. “I can’t really speak to the reasoning of other touring vendors—some people like vanilla ice cream, some chocolate… both are delicious.”

Smith notes that Wigwam and Eighth Day saw something in the d&b rig early on. “I guess Wigwam & EDS heard a good system in the making in 2006 and invested heavily into it, and it’s paid off for them. It’s being spec’ed more and more, and I believe its the best system out at the moment.” So why don’t we see it more often? “Wigwam and EDS keep buying more,” says Smith. “So I guess its hard for other companies to be able to get anything off the d&b production line,” he joked.

As good as the d&b rig sounds Orzac notes that it is only a part of the successful formula. “Point of fact, we offer V-Dosc as well, and that rig does really well for us, too. In the end, it is more about the service and meeting your clients’ needs rather than a particular type of kit. They are really just tools in a toolbox.”

Orzac notes that flexibility in gear and approach is key. “To a small degree we do see that trend,” he said referring to the “no racks and stacks” model. “We’re fortunate at EDS in that we can scale well into different ‘levels’ of touring; from bus/trailer up to international stadiums. That flexibility isn’t by accident, either. We don’t make the rules in the touring industry, but we have to respond to them if we want to stay ahead of others in what is an extremely competitive market.”

Coldplay 2008 North American Tour

CREW

Eighth Day Systems:

System techs: Steve Curtin, Carlos Sallaberry, Jim Allen, Bill Collyer.

Wigwam Acoustics:

RF Tech: Stephanie Thomson

Monitor/Stage Tech: “Mystic” Nick Davis

Crew Chief/FOH Tech/System Design: Tony Smith

Band Engineers: Daniel Green (FOH), Chris Woods (MON)

GEAR

EIGHTH DAY SYSTEMS:

Speakers:

Primary Cluster: