Britannia Row system tech Johnny Keirle counts work with Adele and David Gilmour among an enviable list of credentials, and can now add Royal Blood to the list.
As part of their current world tour, the band took in London’s Alexandra Palace. ‘In what seems like an age, long enough that, this is the first time I’ve ever been in here with an L-Acoustics K1 system,’ Keirle says.
‘This room has a reputation but it’s more than just dealing with the acoustic shortcomings of a Victorian glass box,’ he continues. ‘What we have to do is keep the sound of the system consistent from show to show, so Phil Jones’ front of house has a firm platform for the band.’
Since the band kicked off the current European leg of the tour in late October, they have skittered through 12 gigs on the continent including two festivals and another 11 venues in the British Isles, all in just 30 days. Their first opportunity to draw breath, three sold-out nights at Alexandra Palace, gives an indication of just how well their latest album has proved successful for them.
‘Yes, the Palace is a big old room,’ Keirle says. ‘That’s why you need K1 – for the throw. But I keep that energy focused on the first half of the room and then halfway down I have delays of K2 which I use principally for getting the hi-mid and HF to the back.’
The other primary consideration of power in the low end. A two-piece band comprising bass guitar and drums has, whatever the wizardry of guitarist Mike Kerr, a finite depth to their sound. ‘With long lines of K1 above there’s already plenty of LF in the air,’ Keirle says. ‘To balance that to the floor I put a long sub-array of KS28s across the front of stage. Eventually resolved at 35m across, it allowed me to model for very precise even coverage with more impact concentrated across the whole of the audience area without exciting the walls. Phil, who has mixed their sound forever, said he was really pleased after the first show.’
