Adlib first supplied audio kit for enigmatic American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress Janelle Monáe in 2008 – then a hotly tipped future star, flying high on her Grammy-nominated EP Metropolis: The Chase Suite. A decade late , her confidence, sound and message of empowerment is as inspirational as it is entertaining and relatable in a world of social turmoil.

Monáe was recently in the UK and Europe for a short, high-impact leg of her Dirty Computer world tour with Adlib supplying the technical production to her production team led by Tour Manager Reneeka Rae and Production Manager Jeff Cochran. ‘Janelle is one of the most energised and innovative artists of the moment and it was our pleasure to work with her and her crew again,’ says Adlib account handler, Phil Kielty.

In keeping with the spirit of inclusion, the FOH creative team was all female with sound engineer Amanda Davies, video director Erica Hayes and lighting designer Lauren Sego leading a classy presentation embracing the best of pop and theatre. The equipment package was effectively a dry hire, however Adlib sent engineers to ensure that everything was set up and ran smoothly at the first show in Paris and supplied additional tech support for the high-profile UK shows at the Roundhouse and Manchester Academy.

The system comprised DiGiCo SD12 mixing consoles at FOH and monitors, L-Acoustics side fills and a custom microphone and stage package that made cable management and setup as quick and easy as possible. Everything was specified by Amanda (FOH) and monitor engineer Anthony Cavasin, and Adlib audio account manager Leah Coyle worked closely with both to ensure that it was tailored exactly to their needs.

For the stage mix, Adlib supplied Sennheiser 2000 series IEMs, inclusive of band and technical mixes, together with eight channels of Shure UHF-R for instrument RF (guitars and horns), while Janelle’s RF system comprised a Sennheiser SKM52000 handheld fitted with a 5235 capsule. Hassane Es Siahi, one of Adlib’s most experienced engineers, was deployed on the first show in Paris to assist Amanda and Anthony in getting the control package up and running.

Adlib supplied a complete LED wall system with technicians for the Manchester Academy and London shows. This was complemented by a dry-hired camera package looked after directly by video director Hayes. The system for the two UK shows was supplied based on the largest version of Monáe’s three-screen video design, using 50 square metres of Adlib’s new Unilumin UpadIII H5 5mm indoor/outdoor product running with the new 4K NovaStar LED processing racks.

A centre screen was flanked by two slightly angled outer screens, and this format was utilised for London. For the cosier stage space at Manchester Academy, it was modified into a single screen upstage. The Unilumin was built into adaptable touring frames developed for quick assembly, and the side screens flew up in 20 minutes once the points were in place!.

Monáe’s production brought their own media servers running Resolume, and Adlib augmented the system with a Barco S3 processor for screen management. The design was flexible and dynamic, working equally well in the different configurations; the content was excellent in quality and looked fabulous on the screen.

When running the three-screen design, IMAG footage appeared on the two sides surfaces with an action-packed camera mix cut by Erica, which contrasted with playback and effects going onto the centre screen. ‘The whole production team were very enthusiastic and great to work with,’ comments Joe Pointing, Adlib’s video account handler, adding that the UK shows, with the full production package, ‘looked brilliant’.

It was a simple rig, but the show was busy and animated, from the costumes to the colours, with lighting and video helping build an air of visual extravaganza around Monáe’s incredible presence right at the centre of it all.

‘The show was classy with a very stylish presentation, but it had serious attitude as well. It looked incredible and sounded fantastic,’ says Adlib account handler Phil Kielty. ‘We look forward to working with their lovely production team again very soon.’

Jeff Cochran, Production Manager adds ‘Adlib provided excellent service, quality gear, expert technicians and a friendly, interpersonal touch to the experience of hiring audio, lighting and video systems.’

More: www.adlib.co.uk