Staged at Clifton Down in August, Massive Attack’s Act 1.5 Climate Action Accelerator performance set a new benchmark for the event industry by being the lowest carbon gig of its size ever staged.

Playing their hometown of Bristol, the focus of the one-off gig was firmly on event sustainability. For this show – which marked a quarter-century of climate activism for the band and set a new standard for touring and live event sustainability – they chose a sound system from long-term partner and sustainability advocate d&b audiotechnik.

Everything was considered: plant-based food, compostable loos, promotion of public transport, recyclable serving items and a site powered entirely by renewable electricity. As Massive Attack themselves put it, the event was to ‘trial new standards for the decarbonisation of live music’. It’s a cause close to the band’s heart, and to the heart of d&b: the company is committed to the improvement of sustainability practices throughout live event production.

To fulfil their ambitions, Massive Attack approached d&b audiotechnik supplier Southby Productions. The solution would embrace the event’s sustainability ethos, while providing the long throw necessary to cover the large audience area with high-quality sound. In response, Southby’s Henry Cook specified a system of elements from d&b’s SL-Series (including GSL, KSL and XSL). These were chosen for their full-bandwidth directivity control and cardioid performance, which helps keep sound energy where it is wanted. In addition, the GSL and KSL delivered the required level over distance, while the use of d&b ArrayProcessing ensured optimum clarity and control.

The production also demonstrated commitment to environmental protection by using d&b NoizCalc software. This tool not only accurately predicts but also minimises the impact of noise emissions, ensuring the protection of both local residents and the environment. This reinforces a responsible and sustainable approach to event management.

‘The site suffers from very close proximity to residential housing, so deploying d&b SL Series with the many control and prediction tools available to us was the most obvious choice for all involved,’ Cook says.

‘d&b’s assistance with NoizCalc enabled us to provide Aria Acoustics – responsible for off-site noise monitoring – with accurate predictions of levels both on-site and off, which meant there were no surprises for us once on site,’ says Southby’s system tech, Dan Leaver. ‘The system and the show were a great success, exceeding the expectations of all the stakeholders.’

The chosen system used two main hangs of GSL (each 12 GSL8 and four GSL12), with 20 SL-Subs (in ten double-stacks) and V10P loudspeakers as front fill. The KSL was used for the left delay hang, while XSL boxes formed the out-hangs, as well as the centre and right delay hangs. The system was powered by d&b’s energy-efficient D80 and D40 amplifiers, with DS10 audio network bridges interfacing the d&b amplifiers with the Dante network. This set-up enabled high sound pressure levels while maintaining low power consumption, delivering both powerful performance and energy efficiency.

The power also broke new ground. ‘This was the first major event running a large d&b system from a battery, instead of the conventional fossil fuel generator,’ says Leaver. ‘This proved to be a great success, with no effect on power draw and still allowing the system to run without any issues.’

Mixing at FOH was Robb Allan, Massive Attack’s long-serving sound engineer and Principal Product Manager for Soundscape at d&b audiotechnik.

‘There’s only one system that delivers the power, dynamic range and detail I need for Massive Attack and that’s GSL,’ he says. ‘I need to feel the kick drum in my chest, but have enough musicality and separation in the low end to hear every note of the bass naturally, without gaps or modulation. There are nine different vocalists in the show, from whispery rapping to full-voiced soul. I love that I can hear every syllable of each. I don’t know how the SL range does it, but nothing else lets you feel that the vocalist is performing right next to you, even when there are 40,000 people in a field. I’m proud to be part of an event that demonstrates the way our industry can be more sustainable and kinder to the environment.’