LITITZ, PA – Twenty One Pilots’ 2024-2025 Clancy world tour got an audio assist from Clair Global. FOH Engineer Kenny Sellars noted that the Cohesion PA system, which included CO12, CO10, CP218 II+, CF10 and CF28 enclosures, added to the “full-body feeling” of the dynamic show production. “It’s about evoking an experience,” he said.
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In support of their genre-smashing seventh hit album Clancy, Twenty One Pilots launched their most expansive tour yet: a 73-date, four-continent tour that debuted in Denver last August and continued through Oceania and Central and South America, before finishing this spring in Europe. To best support “The Clancy World Tour,” all facets of production, particularly the audio system, needed to align with the artists’ cinematic vision. Cohesion was proud to support Twenty One Pilots as the chosen PA for their ambitious global spectacle.
“The Clancy World Tour” was developed as a wholly new and exciting event for their dedicated fans, many of whom were spotted camping outside venues the night before a show. The tour was designed to electrify the senses by incorporating a massive number of visuals, pyro, cryo, lasers, and a consistent, robust PA in Cohesion that would deliver sonic impact every night.
“It’s about evoking an experience,” said FOH Engineer Kenny Sellars. “Sometimes you feel like your head is pinned back. We have insane sub drops, fire, magic tricks—you name it. Our show is a full-body feeling.”
Clair Global deployed the PA, which featured sixteen to eighteen Cohesion CO12 per side on the main hangs, and sixteen CO12 on each side hang. When a show required 270° hangs, Sellars opted for sixteen Cohesion CO10. “I went with sixteen deep for splay more than power,” he said. “We also use the CO10 as our side hang when we need to cut back on weight for certain buildings.”
Nine Cohesion CP218 II+ per side were flown three feet behind the main hangs. “On a lot of tours, I’d tip them out 30°, but we kept them straight on this one,” said Sellars. “It wound up making more sense with rigging, and since they aren’t in cardioid, I don’t feel like I’m losing much on the sides.”
An additional fourteen CP218 II+ in seven pairs were stacked forward-facing in an arc across the front of the stage. One Cohesion CP118+ was kept at FOH, and another one was placed behind the drum riser. Sellars said he preferred an odd number of subwoofer stacks because it gave him “an extra timing zone to play with, that little extra bit of control.”
Four Cohesion CF10 were used on the stage wings underneath the side hangs (and 270° hangs, when applicable) as out fill. Five Cohesion CF28 provided fill for the first few rows of seating. “I don’t like wrapping the PA straight down; I want to keep the focal point in front of me, not on top of my head,” said Sellars, who also mixed on a Cohesion PA for tours by Kid Laroi and Jojo Siwa. “The outside subs have to be under the stage for the stage design, so we added the CF28 out on the wings.”
The CF28 were strapped to the top of subwoofer stacks not only to keep speakers off the stage but also to make loading in and out more efficient. The slender form factor and powerful output of the CF28 drew rave responses from the audio team—one of the first to take the CF Series out on tour. “I don’t have to push them hard, and they just keep up. It’s a natural fit,” said Sellars. “[Frontman Tyler Joseph] can sing very quietly across the front of the barricade, and I don’t ever have to turn down or EQ the front fills for that moment because of where I’ve placed them. It’s great for feedback.”
Monitors Engineer Cliff Skinner said, “They’ve rapidly become our favorite small speakers. Previously, I used Cohesion CO8 for high-end clarity, but I replaced those with a single CF28 per side and got better coverage. Having the pin switch and being able to run on a single amp channel is so much cleaner. We have four CF28 on one amp compared to one CO8.”
System Engineer and Audio Crew Chief Josh de Jong added, “It’s my first time using them. I’m surprised that something so small can be so powerful.”
“In my role, I had some insight. I chose the CF28 for amplifier economy, but it ended up being the perfect speaker for this show,” said Skinner, who is also an Operations Coordinator for Clair Global. “They are wide, but not tall. Blending in is crucial,” he added.
Consistency and reliability from the audio system were factors in selecting Cohesion for the tour, especially with the musicality of Twenty One Pilots marked as a high priority. “It’s the most uniform PA we’ve ever taken out,” said Sellars. “It’s manageable with no weird notes coming off the back to deal with on stage. We don’t have the subs in cardioid, and the low end is even on stage. The PA is fantastic.”
“The artists are very involved,” noted de Jong, who also worked as SE for Guns ‘N Roses and Fall Out Boy. “They want people to hear exactly what they are playing.”
“[Joseph] is particular about his vocals,” said Sellars. “The cleaner it is, the more room there is for nuance, from in-your-face vocals to wide splashy choruses. To make it precise and consistent is the goal. One thing we do that’s a little old school is having the bottom six to eight boxes angled the same every day: same height, same angles, covering the exact same style of hockey floors with FOH at 110’ every day. I’m having the most consistent shows I’ve ever had.”
Twenty One Pilots did not merely replicate the studio album for “The Clancy World Tour,” instead working on new arrangements and surprises for fans. The results were memorable.
“[Joseph] spent a lot of time in the audience,” de Jong said. “There were two stages out by FOH in the audience. He could have gone anywhere in the arena. It was a bit shocking at first!”
“I mix around 98 for the show, but half a song will be at 103, then the next two songs are at 92. Our show is a rollercoaster,” said Sellars. “There’s a part in ‘Heavydirtysoul’ where I use every last sub in the building for about ten seconds at a time, and it evokes a visceral feeling. Most people are just wowed—they’ve never felt that before.”
In support of their ninth studio album, Breach, Twenty One Pilots will resume their tour this fall with 23 additional dates in the U.S. and Canada. “The Clancy Tour: Breach” begins September 18 in Cincinnati and concludes in October with two dates at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium.
