Bic Runga celebrates Drive anniversary with JBL
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Released in August 1997, Bic Runga’s debut release Drive is regarded as one of the most successful albums in New Zealand music history. In addition to winning Album Of The Year at the 1998 New Zealand Music Awards, Drive sold more than 70,000 copies and catapulted Bic Runga to international success.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album’s release, Bic Runga recently embarked on a series of concerts in which she performed Drive in its entirety, along with a selection of greatest hits from her subsequent multi-platinum albums.
Jands NZ provided FOH engineer Kevin Bennett with a complete JBL by Harman VTX A12 sound reinforcement system for the Auckland stop of the tour at the Civic Performance Art Theatre.
“When I was given the opportunity to mix with the VTX A12, it was a no-brainer,” said Bennett. “I’ve never received as many compliments from an audience as I did after this performance. Sonically, the A12 is incredibly smooth and provides excellent coverage, both on- and off-axis. The A12 sounds so great right out of the box, it didn’t require much tweaking to optimize the system’s performance in the theatre.”
“The audience’s response to this show was even greater than I expected,” said Bic Runga. “Kevin Bennett’s experienced mixing combined with the sound system to give the show an extra clarity and presence that translated to a special listening experience for the audience. A lot of fans commented that they were particularly moved by the excellent sound quality of the music.”
The array comprised of four ground-stacked VTX A12 speakers per side to cover the floor area, six flown A12 speakers per side to cover the balcony, and four VTX G28 dual 18-inch subwoofers deployed on the ground to supply deep and punchy bottom end. VTX-M Series monitors provided clear and accurate monitoring for the musicians onstage, and Bennett relied on a Soundcraft Vi2000 digital console for mixing.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to help Bic Runga bring her classic album to life with a world-class JBL VTX sound system,” said Tim Robertson, tour sound manager, Jands NZ. “We’ve seen a tremendous amount of interest in the VTX A12 since the concert, and our goal is to have it requested on more technical riders in the New Zealand market.”
(Jim Evans)
