Sound Company
22Live Ltd.
Venue
St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park Stadium
Manchester, UK
Crew
- Production Manager: Sean Busby-Little
- Tour Manager: Yaron Levy
- FOH Engineer: Russ Tite
- Monitor Engineer: Harry Le Masurier
- Control Tech: Jason McAvoy
- System Techs: Rylan Machin, Ryan Bass
- Techs: Chris Wilcock, Jack Davis
- Crew Boss: Glen Little
- 22 Live Ltd. Director: Paul Timmons
Gear
FOH
- Console: DiGiCo SD12 (FOH), SD11i (Broadcast)
- Speakers: (15) Stacks of Martin Audio WPS & WPS loudspeakers, with Martin Audio SXH218 subs. The speakers and subs, along with Torus T1230 for fills, were deployed around the perimeter of the field covering four sides of the stadium.
MON
- Console: DiGiCo SD12
- Speakers: Martin Audio Torus T1230, SX118
- Wireless: Shure
Event Details
22 Live faced a tall order for a soccer-and-music doubleheader on the day after Easter (April 1) at newly rebranded St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park Stadium in Manchester, UK. Kicking off their new album, UB45, and tour, reggae standouts UB40 performed a free hour-long concert after Birmingham City FC’s victory over Preston North End. 22 Live director Paul Timmons detailed the Martin Audio WP system setup for the crowd, estimated at 25,000. “Over the years I’ve put out many perimeter pitch-side systems, but nothing quite like this,” Timmons said, of the 12-minute transformation of the soccer stadium into a rock concert venue, with DJ Jenny Powell performing as the show’s opener.
Because of distance variations, each of the stadium’s four sides required a unique stacked speaker setup. “The Main Stand is quite shallow and didn’t need as much power as the Kop side, so I chose WPS, four stacks high,” Timmons said. “On the Kop stand I used WPCs, four high because I needed more power. At the Tilton End, I used WPC, three high, because I knew I could get away with less, with just two stacks WPS four high required on the Gil Merrick stage end, because coverage was only required on either side of the large center section.”
Each stack was supported by an SXH218 sub, and Torus T1230 speakers filled dead spots in corners between the Gil Merrick and the Kop stands. Additional T1230s and an SX118 subwoofer provided reference sound at the FOH mix position, which was located underneath the stands. “On top of it all, Birmingham City, after a wretched run of form, won the game, the sun came out for the concert and UB40 played a blinding set,” Timmons concluded. UB40 production manager Sean Busby-Little “was over the moon, and I’m happy for the club because they went out on a limb to do this.”
For more information, go to https://fohonline.com/newsroom/international-news/martin-audio-wp-system-rigged-in-just-12-minutes-for-ub40-show-at-st-andrews-stadium-in-manchester-uk/
