WEST LONDON, U.K. — Entec, based here, continued its 20 year working relationship with British band Blur, supplying sound equipment for the band’s 30-plus performances in 2013. The shows have included dates across Asia, Europe, South America, as well as a headline slot at Coachella; the photo is of the band performing in Hyde Park after the London 2012 Olympics.
More details from Entec (www.entec-soundandlight.com):
As one of the most influential and creative bands of the last 20 years, Blur have received numerous awards including Grammys, Brits, Ivor Novellos and NMEs, while their live career has spanned clubs, parks, dog-tracks, theatres, museums and arenas and embraced many truly memorable festival performances worldwide — including a historic Sunday night appearance at Glastonbury in 2009.
Following their ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’ Brit Award of 2012, the band debuted two new songs at their sold-out and critically acclaimed show in Hyde Park which helped close the London Olympics, and went on to receive ‘Best Live Act’ at the 2012 Q Awards.
For this year’s tour dates, Entec’s Sound department is supplying a monitor and control system for the band’s summer shows, working with Blur’s engineers Matt Butcher (FOH) and Dave Guerin (monitors).
A Midas PRO9 FOH console was specified by Butcher and also at FOH Entec supplied a Midas DN9650 network bridge that allows him to do a multi-record on his laptop via MADI interface.
Butcher is adding some of his own effects to the package including EL8 distressors and his infamous bespoke self designed & manufactured Ladyboy unit.
A Yamaha PM5D-RH console from Entec is used by Guerin to mix monitors which are 20 x d&b M2 wedges, purchased new by Entec for this Blur summer season, all powered by new d&b D12 amps. The side fills are two d&b V-SUBS and two V8 tops per side, together with a further two V-Subs and a pair of M2s for the drum fill.
An Entec Veam 64way line system deals with the monitor split to the Midas DL351 stage box feeding the PRO9, and this also feeds into the various festival audio systems when they are playing in that scenario.
The band purchased their own mics package at the start of the tour.
Entec’s own Ed Hammond and former Entec employee Shabby (Adam Draper) are the current systems techs. Liam Halpin worked on the start of the tour but left for a while to fulfill other commitments in June and July.
