THE NEED to control the band’s volumes, combined with coverage of the highly-reflective surfaces of one of the venues, London’s 10,300-capacity Alexandra Palace, were key factors in choosing the PA for Idles, says front-of-house (FOH) engineer Chris Fullard.
His experience with Martin Audio’s MLA system at festivals, convinced him this was the best system for the artistes’ tour and he asked Capital Sound to provide one.
The band’s system tech Ben Turnbull explains, “It’s all about having the right boxes to keep the energy exactly where the audience is going to be at Alexandra Palace. Any spill on to the walls and roof and even empty audience areas can add-up to some horrible sounding reflections.”
For Alexandra Palace Fullard deployed a full-size MLA, with 10 MLA enclosures and two MLD Downfill elements per side. Left/right delays comprised eight MLA Compact, while a further 12 Compact provided front fill. Sub frequency reinforcement was created by 18 MLX in a cardioid (heart-shaped) array across the front of the stage.
The band also played Glasgow’s Barrowland (1,900) with a smaller system.