One-offs are always an adventure. A Mariah Carey one-off in Lagos, Nigeria turned out to be an ongoing series of adventures. The first arena of activity was the establishment of basic technical communication. Our production manager opened the dialog among all of us on the crew and our contacts in Africa about a month and a half before this event was to occur. We communicated our equipment preferences and awaited a reply from the vendors in Lagos. It took a while to hear back from the production company that was overseeing the event and information was delivered in frustratingly small packets, but what I eventually learned about the FOH audio situation was definitely encouraging.
It turned out that the Eko Hotel special events center in Lagos actually owned an Avid VENUE Profile console and a d&b J-Series P.A. system. Both would be available and in place for our show. Greatly encouraged, I immediately emailed a Mariah Carey show file and an input list (see attached) for the event to our production manager. He then forwarded the information to the vendors in Lagos. Eventually, a response came from the supplier of the stage gear that listed the available microphones. It contained some entertaining misspellings and creative model names. However, I planned on being very flexible with the microphone substitutions, and we were soon able to agree on a simplified, all-Shure input list specification.
Because Avid VENUE consoles possess two-way compatibility when reading and loading show files, I wasn’t overly concerned about the software version I would encounter while using the Profile in Lagos. An operating system older than the 3.1 version I had used to create my files might sacrifice some functionality, but the show would still run with no problems. This particular show is small enough to fit into one 48-input stage rack. I informed the vendor that I would supply the installers and licenses for the specific plug-ins I would require.
The Lagos show was going to be my first experience mixing FOH for Mariah Carey. I was a bit trepidatious about circumstances out of my control spoiling this debut, but I did have the luxury of attending two days of band rehearsals at CenterStaging in Burbank, CA. While there, I was able to learn a bit about the arrangements and get a head start on the band inputs. However, neither Ms. Carey nor the three singers were present at these sessions, so my education was rather limited. Armed with newly updated show and console files, we prepared to fly to Lagos the next day.
A Little Travel Fun
Our fight plan was somewhat elongated. We would fly for 17 hours to the east from Los Angeles to Dubai on Emirates Airlines. After an 11-hour layover, we would then fly eight hours back to the west from Dubai to Lagos, Nigeria. It then took nearly three hours to get through immigration, customs and baggage claim at the airport in Lagos. The ride from the airport to the hotel required traveling on the lone road that led to the city. It was completely choked with traffic and the air and water outside our bus were horribly polluted.
It seemed as though we were on that bus for a lifetime. We saw people living, working and interacting in environments that were eye opening, to say the very least. The sights we observed along the way made us all intensely grateful for the quality of life we are privileged to enjoy here in the U.S.A. Once we arrived at the hotel, we discovered that the evening load-in we had expected to attend had been canceled. I passed on dinner and collapsed into my bed.
Communication Breakdown
The following morning I loaded up on breakfast and reported to the venue in the Eko Hotel at 9 a.m. I guess the house guys didn’t get the memo, because no one showed up to power up the FOH console and the P.A. until 10:30 a.m. During that first hour and a half, I tried to ascertain who would be providing the mics, stands and cabling for the stage. It turned out to be the same guy who was supplying the locally rented band gear. He had his hands full with the backline guys because it turned out that much of what had been promised was not exactly what was delivered. I went to look for coffee instead.
Looking at the stage and its relationship to the audience area, it was immediately apparent that the main P.A. arrays were hung quite a bit upstage. What initially caused me some concern became a major source of distress when the local crew then added another six meters to the downstage performance area. That put the P.A. about 25 to 30 feet upstage of Ms. Carey’s performance position. This was now a serious problem. It was going to take a good chunk of time to ring out the P.A. to ensure that the KSM9 capsule on Mariah’s handheld wireless would be “safe” for the evening’s show.
I was already feeling rather unsettled when the house P.A. guys finally showed up. That feeling grew stronger when it was explained to me that all four of the USB ports on the control surface were non-functional. It was further explained that one of the computer power supplies was also broken — so much for redundancy. Although I customarily require having two iLoks and a USB data stick plugged into the console system, I was informed that I would have access to only one open USB port. The only other functioning USB port was being used to power the wireless mouse.
It usually takes me about 20 minutes to load all of the necessary data files and plug-ins onto a VENUE console. On this day it was going to take far longer. I would have to load files in small batches and then repeatedly restart the desk in the proper sequences so that the show file and plug-in rack would eventually load completely. My frustration and anxiety levels were definitely starting to rise.
Some of that tension was relieved when I actually heard the d&b J-Series P.A. It sounded great, and distribution in the room was excellent. However, I was not given access to a system control tablet or laptop computer. I was told that I would have to use the graphics on the Profile and plug-in parametrics for system equalization. That is not an optimum situation, because making changes during a show using only those devices is cumbersome and interrupts the flow of mixing. I wasn’t happy, but I felt I could cope.
By now it was past noon, and I turned my attention to the stage. I was somewhat surprised to see that no band gear had yet been assembled on any of the risers. It turned out that the supplier had brought the incompatible hardware for the drum set, the wrong keyboards and the wrong keyboard stands. Everything was on hold until the correct equipment was located and delivered. Sound check was originally scheduled for 4 p.m., and it was increasingly apparent that was not going to happen.
Further delaying our efforts was the fact that only half of the wireless ear monitor system and none of the hardwire ear monitor systems that had been specified had actually shown up onsite. We also had no idea where the receivers and handheld transmitters for the requested wireless mics were located.
When enough band gear showed up to assemble a cut-down drum kit, I then asked where the mic box was located. I was delivered a crate containing mics in what looked like their original retail packaging. Unpacking these units would require a fair amount of busy work, but I felt confident that the new mics would operate well. I unboxed a Shure SM81 and opened the plastic box holding the microphone. I discovered a mic that was completely soiled by the disintegrated foam that lined the inside of the box. It had permeated every switch and opening on the microphone. This was the case with every single mic that was stored in its cardboard box — Beta 91s, Beta 98s, SM81s and Beta 52s. All had to be individually cleaned and checked. “Heat” was the one word explanation I was given.
At this point, I asked for the necessary mic stands and cables to mike the drum kit. I was met with a blank stare from the equipment provider. I was taken aside by one of the local production coordinators and it was explained to me that the client had chosen to use an outside contractor for equipment that was customarily supplied by the hotel. This particular vendor was obviously in way over his head and had not fulfilled his contractual obligation. It was now necessary to negotiate with a very hostile hotel audio staff to acquire the equipment necessary to complete the load-in. This was going to be a very, very long day. More next month.
