The lighting designer for the tour is Joe Paradise, who took the bold step of choosing an all-Martin MAC moving light rig - there’s not a generic light in sight! So far, 16 MAC 600s, four 500s, eight 300s, ten 250s and four 2000s have been Paradise’s tools, arranged between two trusses and the floor, operated by Paradise using a WholeHog II console.
In the supply seat are the US and UK operations of Bandit Lites, who are providing lighting for the whole tour, which kicked off on September 14th and also takes in Japan and Australia before returning to play three months’ worth of arenas in the US. Paradise is a hands-on LD and currently it’s just him and Bandit US crew-member Geddy Kordyjaka in the lighting department, although the system was boosted in terms of fixtures and crew for the Wembley show.
FOH sound engineer is Greg Nelson, a man who loves his sub bass, and who has been with Incubus for three years. The sound suppliers in the US are Illinois-based DB Sound, with the UK and European sound rig supplemented by Britannia Row.
Nelson is using the new EV X-Line line array system for the tour. At Wembley, his usual main FOH PA system became the side fills, and the main stacks role was fulfilled by the EV X-Array boxes. The mix is handled on a Midas Heritage 3000 which is Nelson’s desk of choice. "It’s smaller, lighter, purple and looks cool," he comments. He also likes the smoothness, presence and vocal clarity of the X-Array system. The new EV X-Line subs have certainly made their mark on the show and have given Nelson a huge advantage in the low frequency department.
Nelson is using an AL Smart valve compressor on vocalist Brandon Boyd and a bit of EQ, but apart from that, his vocal is completely dry - it has plenty of power and punch and needs nothing else. The band all use Shure 300 in-ear monitors apart from Chris ‘DJ’ Kilmore who is on wedges. The monitor engineer for the tour is Bill Head.
For production manager Eddie Kercher, the most challenging aspect of the tour so far was getting it started! Like other crew and band members, he was sitting on a plane at 9am on September 11th en route to rehearsals in Guildford, Connecticut. They were all grounded. Naturally the tour had to go on, so Kercher rented a car and drove from Florida to Tennessee, met the tourbus in Knoxville and drove with that to Connecticut. By the time everyone managed to get together, the rehearsal period was lost and they had to go straight into the first gig!
