The stage was an unusual shape but roughly 40m x 18 m, with three large screens dominating it. A curtain of approximately 700 square meters, consisting of 460 LCD elements, which were used to create different lighting effects in addition to 250 moving and 500 stationary lights, as well as seven XML 25's R18's and R8's.
Sound Designer Jens Elsborg of Nordic Rentals, assisted by the Adamson Shooter software, calculated placement and coverage for the venue. The challenging task was to get even coverage in an area filled with massive LCD screens, cameras, and set pieces without getting reflection from them, or the back-wall. For the main P.A. Elsborg chose to hang 2 Adamson rigs, left and right of stage, each consisting of eight Y18's, with enough horizontal coverage to reach the sides and plenty of throw and power for the back row.
The system had to be flown high to bypass some of the largest set pieces. To compensate for the height, Elsborg added six Adamson SpekTrix and two Adamson SpekTrix Waves to the bottom of each of the arrays. "Three smaller delay arrays were added in the centre of the venue to correct trouble spots caused by the numerous lighting and set pieces that were obstructing the path of the main arrays" commented Elsborg.
All Adamson speakers were powered by Lab.gruppen amplifiers and processed by Lake Contours. Two Yamaha's PM5D consoles were used with the main system.
Congratulations was one of few productions in Europe to use a completely digital sound system," Explained Elsborg. "The sound in the broadcast was provided by DR, the host broadcaster. The mix down, of two sound sets, was done in a sound bus right outside the venue."
• Viewers from all over Europe chose Abba's Waterloo, the winner of the 1974 Eurovision contest held in Brighton, as their all time favourite Eurovision song.
(Jim Evans)
