From FOH Online: "QUEEN Tour Rocks Arenas Old-Style" So Just How DO We Get That AWESOME Sound Mix From Adam Lambert & QUEEN?
Filed Under () by glitzylady on Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Posted at : Tuesday, August 19, 2014
"QUEEN Tour Rocks Arenas Old-Style" From FOH Online
Interesting article about the "sound" aspects of the 2014 Queen + Adam Lambert Tour: Includes the "Audio Crew", with Adam's personal Sound Technician. Gary Stokes, who Adam has used for his own shows, and who is now in charge of Adam's sound mix, etc.. for the Queen show, discusses the differences in the sound mix between Adam's own stage shows, and the polar opposite Queen shows. He lays out the technical aspects and how Adam is unique in some ways, not only an "amazing singer with an amazing range and pitch" but he also has very sensitive hearing.... And there is also a LOT of interesting information about how everything else works on the Tour from a Sound standpoint..
Some EXCERPTS here, specifically pertaining to Adam Lambert (more within the longer article)..
"Queen is an old school rock band, so you can’t snapshot with a digital console and count on that working every night,” says monitor engineer Gary Stokes. “They don’t play the same every night, so you have to ride those levels.”
"Fronting the band in the tough-to-fill shoes for the late, great Freddie Mercury is 2009 American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, joined by Queen alumni guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, supported bassist Neil Fairclough, keyboardist Spike Edney and Taylor’s son, Rufus Tiger Taylor, on percussion."
"While few who have seen the show would say that Lambert is doing anything less than a stellar job vocally, for the guys twisting the knobs for the audience, it’s a tale of two generations. When Lambert goes out playing his own music, he likes his stage quiet. There are no guitar cabinets, certainly no wedges, and even his drummer’s kit has more padding."
"But with Queen? Let’s get that stage loud. Thus the extra monitor engineer, mixing only for Lambert."
"“It was a good decision to bring Adam’s own guy out,” Coyle says, of Gary Stokes, who handles the task for the frontman. “The two monitor engineers are both fantastic, and they work together really well.”"
"Stokes has a history with Lambert, having been his FOH for the singer/songwriter’s own shows. “He is an amazing singer and has an amazing range and pitch. I work for k.d. lang a lot, and she, too, has an amazing range and pitch. Really good singers have really good hearing!”"
"Another challenge comes from Lambert being such a dynamic performer. “He likes to work the crowd, and get them involved.” Key to creating the excitement level he wants is having an exciting mix in his head, Stokes adds. “He’s rare in monitor world in that he wants the full production in his ear,...." "But “Adam is very sensitive, and he doesn’t want his mix to be too loud..."
The LINK to the complete article: An interesting read...
http://www.fohonline.com/current-issue/21-production-profile/11004-queen-tour-rocks-arenas-old-style.html
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7 comments:
This article was very enlightening and interesting. Thanks for posting it.
Very interesting. Thanks glitzylady, you come up with threads that are informative and entertaining. I particularly enjoy back ( or side) stage info.
I was lucky to attend schools with great drama departments and I always worked backstage.....set design, wardrobe, dresser, props......I loved it all. Only drawback was you had to appear on stage in a roll at least once a semester.
On those occasions I shook with fear and if I had lines to speak, my throat was so tight I sounded like Minnie Mouse. You really couldn't call it stage fright, it was more like stage terror!
I noticed several comments after the article asking about Adam's adjusting his ears all the time. I wish we had gotten an answer.
Very interesting article.
I think we've gotten used to adam fiddling with his earpieces. It may be a combination of never getting them to fit quite right and just habit. The article was very enlightening.
Agreed, very interesting article.
I've often thought about this, having a sensitive hearing, not only Adam but also many (most?) of his fans?!?!? I know I have it. That's what makes listening to Adam such a trip. I want what Adam's havin, "an exciting mix in my head", he hee! :)))
Fabulous find, @glitzylady! Wonderful piece.
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