Embarking on a career-defining 20-country campaign, British solo artist Maisie Peters looked to Clair Global’s ability to offer a full-service relationship for her The Good Witch tour. ‘It’s all about a well-maintained inventory of equipment, backed by a team of world-class engineers and warehouse staff who you can trust to deliver an audio package that perfectly fits the brief,’ says Production Manager, Dave Glover. ‘Clair Global consistently delivers on that front.’
Having the right touring crew and vendor in place is something the singer herself appreciates as her live shows go from strength to strength. ‘It’s really important to feel secure in your set-up so that you can do the best performance possible without worrying about technical details.’
Developing the live mix for the tour is FOH engineer Nathan Kennedy: ‘I’ve worked with Clair Global for 11 years now, which speaks volumes about why they are the perfect fit for me as an engineer. The consistent delivery of outstanding and worldwide support, high-quality equipment, and exceptional personnel has been fundamental to my success in countless projects, including this one with Maisie. The design brief for the tour was centered around creating a seamless audio experience. Collaborating with Musical Director Joel Peat and Clair Global’s Andy Walker prior to the tour was key to making this work.’
For the tour’s London show, Kennedy opted to use a Cohesion PA – both a personal preference and one he calls ideal for his mix with Peters.
‘Having worked extensively with the Cohesion system in previous years as both a system engineer and mixing engineer I’d say it’s always my preference with any artist. What makes this PA stand out is its ability to deliver exceptional clarity across the entire sonic spectrum. From the deep, unbelievably musical lows of the CP218s to the delicate nuances of Maisie’s vocals with the CO8s, throughout the product range to the CO12’s, this system consistently delivers. It allows me to dial in a mix that complements Maisie’s style, ensuring every note is heard with precision and impact.’
Clair Global Account Executive Andy Walker also collaborated on the sound design.
‘Andy’s expertise and my input ensured that the Cohesion system surpassed the requirements,’ Kennedy continues. ‘On the ground, this was implemented by Valdrian Sulejmani, an exceptional system engineer whose proficiency with Cohesion and attention to detail were evident from the outset.’
Kennedy selected a DiGiCo Quantum 225 for his mix. ‘Initially, I toured the SD10, but have since moved to the Quantum Series to explore its advanced features such as the Spice Rack and Mustard Processing. The integration of the Chilli 6 has notably elevated Maisie’s vocal in the mix, I’ve found it gives greater clarity and impact. Additionally, the Mustard Compression has proven to be a powerful tool, particularly in shaping the sound of drums. The only outboard I use a Neve 5045 for Maisie’s vocal – everything else is onboard.
‘A key thing I appreciate about DiGiCo is that it’s true to the original input, the console doesn’t color the sound at all. Maisie and her band are exceptional musicians, and we work on the sound at source, which is crucial for any sound engineer. DiGiCo is the perfect choice for getting Maisie’s music – from empowering pop punk to indie rock vibes and slower acoustic numbers – across exactly how she wants it to be heard.’
Monitor engineer Michael Fitzsimons is working with eight IEM mixes split between band and crew, a hard wire, a couple of subs on stage, plus guest mixes as needed.
‘Nathan and I spend a lot of time with our MD getting everything perfect at source and we run snapshots which fire with the time code for each song,’ he says. ‘But there’s still plenty of manual moves to make too.’
Fitzsimons moved from an SD10 to a Quantum 225, initially to facilitate Maisie Peters’ Coldplay support dates. ‘This console bridges the gap between the SD10 and the Quantum 338, which is where I see things going in the future. We use all Sennheiser for RF and IEMs, as well as for instrument RF and Maisie’s handheld microphone.’
He uses a Rupert Neve 5045 Primary Source Enhancer for main vocal, a UA 1176 compressors and a Bricasti M7 Stereo Reverb. ‘We’ve done a great deal of programming, and use a massive amount of Dante,’ he adds.
Fitzsimons has also worked with Clair Global for close to a decade. ‘The growth and expansion of the Group in that time is nothing short of amazing. The way they invest in their people is second to none, and the resources globally are unmatched; we can fly to Australia, Japan, the US and get a mirrored rig put together by world class techs whilst liaising with one centralised account manager in Andy - it’s too easy.’
This kind of service is also acknowledged by Tour Manager Harry Bullas, who concludes: ‘Clair Global stands out as a vendor primarily due to their ability to mirror our control package in global regions. I love the care they have for newer artists too; we’re given the same attention whether hiring a small control package for a couple of days or taking out an arena’s worth of PA and audio crew.’
Clair Global will supply a package for support shows on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres European tour dates.
