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Adlib supplies technical production elements for Janelle Monáe UK shows

Janelle Monáe was recently back in the UK and Europe for a short leg of her “Dirty Computer” world tour, and once again Adlib - who first supplied audio kit for the American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress in 2008 - was involved in supplying the technical production elements - sound, lighting and video - to her production team led by tour manager Reneeka Rae and production manager Jeff Cochran.

The FOH creative team was all female with sound engineer Amanda Davies, video director Erica Hayes and lighting designer Lauren Sego leading the way. The equipment package was a dry hire, however Adlib sent engineers to ensure that everything was set up and ran smoothly at the first show in Paris and supplied additional tech support for the UK shows at the Roundhouse and Manchester Academy.

The audio system comprised DiGiCo SD12 consoles at FOH and monitors, L-Acoustics sidefills and a custom microphone and stage package that made cable management and setup as quick and easy as possible. Everything was spec’d by Amanda Davies (FOH) and monitor engineer Anthony Cavasin, and Adlib audio account manager Leah Coyle worked closely with both.

For the stage mix, Adlib supplied 10-ways of Sennheiser 2000 series IEMs - inclusive of band and technical mixes, together with 8 channels of Shure UHF-R for instrument RF (guitars & horns), while Monáe’s RF system comprised a Sennheiser SKM52000 handheld fitted with a 5235 capsule. Hassane Es Siahi, one of Adlib’s most experienced engineers, was deployed on the first show in Paris to assist Amanda Davies and Anthony Cavasin in getting the control package up and running.

Adlib supplied a complete LED wall system with technicians for the Manchester Academy and London shows. This was complemented by a dry-hired camera package looked after directly by video director Erica Hayes. The system for the two UK shows was supplied based on the largest version of Monáe’s three-screen video design, using 50 square metres of Adlib’s new Unilumin UpadIII H5 5 mm indoor/outdoor product running with the new 4K NovaStar LED processing racks.

A centre screen was flanked by two slightly angled outer screens, and this format was utilised for London. For the cosier stage space at Manchester Academy, it was modified into a single screen upstage. The Unilumin was built into adaptable touring frames developed for quick assembly, and the side screens flew up in 20 minutes once the points were in place.

Monáe’s production brought their own media servers running Resolume, and Adlib augmented the system with a Barco S3 processor for screen management. When running the three-screen design, IMAG footage appeared on the two sides surfaces with a camera mix cut by Erica Hayes, which contrasted with playback and effects going onto the centre screen.

Tom Webber travelled to the first show in Paris for Adlib to ensure everything was in order, after which LD Lauren Sego tech’d everything herself. Sego already had a floor package design which Adlib had quoted and supplied, making it as compact and straightforward to rig as possible. The ArtNet and fibre network systems were all established in advance so everything could be rolled out of the truck and be ready to go.

They toured risers and a set which included a three tier pyramid in the centre. It was a big back and side lighting rig consisting of six Claypaky Mythos, three GLP Impression X4 Bar 20s, 16 x Martin Mac Aura XB LED washes together with two ZR 44 smoke machines and two hazers, all controlled via a GrandMA2 light console, complete with all the necessary cables, data and power distribution. Two follow spots were added for the London shows, taking advantage of an extras truck already destined for the gig from the Adlib warehouse in Liverpool.

(Photos: Steve Sroka)

www.adlib.co.uk

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