Though LD Paul Normandale’s design (based around a couple of 40ft trusses and a 33ft diameter semi-circular Tomcat MD stacking truss) was essentially traditional, the eagle-eyed lamp-spotter would have picked out a quartet of new luminaires in the rig - Normandale was putting the MAC 2000s through their paces for the first time. "This is really an early trial for me," he explained, "and Martin have been very supportive. I never go to tradeshows, and I don’t like trying anything out in the warehouse." Though the 1200W HMI unit is, says Normandale, better suited to arena shows, the more intimate environment of the Keating tour gave him a chance to see more clearly what the MAC 2000 is capable of. "So far, I’m happy - it seems to do everything that other powerful moving heads can do - plus zoom."
The remainder of Normandale’s kit list (sourced from Lite Alternative) included 18 Vari*Lite VL5s, 10 Starlite Mk5s, a dozen or so Par 64s and eight ChromaQ scrollers. A pair of Strong II FOH followspots were augmented by a single rear truss spot. Control (under the direction of Fraser Elisha) was via an Avolites Sapphire 2000 console, with a second unit "to give me something to do during the show," according to Normandale. The set, from Alan Chesters at Hangman and Lite Structures, was largely drape-based, though the addition of plush red velvet riser facings, ramps and steps gave the stage an intimate and opulent boudoir feeling - to the delight, no doubt, of some of Mr. Keating’s female fans.
Paul Normandale had been pushed into the boyband circuit by Steve Levitt, who apparently challenged him to break the routine of lighting acts such as Björk, for whom he has worked for 15 years. "Steve bet me that I couldn’t light a boyband," recalled Normandale, "so I went out to prove him wrong!" He says that there is a simple formula to follow for a breakaway act of this sort. "The audience is here to see him. Ronan is trying to transcend the production style and big effects of a boyband show and is going for more of a ‘man with a band’ look. We spent a lot of time lighting the band and the drapes rather than just chucking in a load of pyro." Though he limits the amount of touring that he does, Normandale was happy to be on the road with a production of this scale. "There is not normally enough budget at this level to pay a designer’s fee and an operator. Now that it’s running, all I really do is turn up and flash some lights each night!"
Ronan Keating’s trademark vocal style is not, claims FOH engineer Steve Levitt, one that lends itself to an easy live mix. "Ronan has an unusual voice - when he sings he loses a lot of mid frequencies, and when he speaks all the top end goes. He’s also trying very hard to break away from the boyband vocal sound." Keating’s vocal mic is a Sennheiser 3000 series - a choice that Levitt had made following several try-outs. "I originally thought that I’d have to put Ronan on a supercardioid to limit the spill - but we have ended up with a cardioid as it allows him a little more movement without thinning his voice too much." Processing is via a TLA valve limiter and BSS DPR-901 dynamic equaliser. Sennheiser systems were also in evidence on backing vocals and as in-ear monitors (also 3000 series) for the principal band members.
The Wigwam-supplied system for the tour was based around D&B C7 and C4 long-throw cabinets - the latter being deployed only for the largest venues on this theatre tour. C4 subs in the air and B2 subs on the floor provided the bottom end, while Levitt had chosen MAX downfill boxes and two pairs of C6 front-fills to maintain imaging for the front rows. The system was powered by D&B P1200 amps fitted with crossover modules, and driven from front-of-house by a rare set of Amek line drivers. These, according to Levitt, have both pr
