Preparing for their debut US tour, British breakout band Bastille faced tight load-in/loadout times and a varied list of venues – from sports arenas to intimate theatres – with a mix of gear rigging restrictions and different acousrics. The band’s production team liaised with Thunder Audio, who specified a portion of a newly acquired L-Acoustics K1 system, including 24 K1 and 30 Kara enclosures, plus a dozen SB28 subs.
‘As soon as the band was at the point to start carrying our own gear, we called Thunder,’ says FOH Engineer Paul Cooper, who has been with Bastille for more than two years. ‘They were strongly recommended by our gear contacts in the UK, and as soon as we met with them we knew we’d all get on well.’
Systems engineer Jonny Winkler believes the element that makes Thunder Audio the band’s ideal touring partner to be a commitment by company principals Tony Villarreal and Paul Owen to technology: ‘They are audio engineers, and that’s so key for us,’ he says. ‘They are completely committed to keeping up with the constantly changing technology, and the L-Acoustics K System is a great example of the best technology available to live sound engineers right now.’ Winkler notes that the system helps him to build a level of trust with the FOH engineers by allowing him to deliver consistent sound each night.
The remainder of Thunder’s K1 inventory is out on Slipknot’s current tour, which falls on the heels of San Bernardino’s recent Knotfest, also featuring Danzig, Anthrax, Five Finger Death Punch and other hard rock and metal heavyweights.
‘Slipknot’s touring system is identical to the one we used for Knotfest, with 24 K1 and 24 K2 enclosures plus 16 K1-SB and 28 SB28 subs,’ Winkler says. ‘The amazing thing is that we didn’t have to add to the touring system for Knotfest – the same set-up that is currently touring arenas around North America is the same one we used for an outdoor festival attended by 30,000 people, and it never broke a sweat. It is such a versatile rig – proved by the fact that we now have our entire inventory simultaneously touring on two completely disparate acts.’
