OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – When a band tours with a stage show that routinely features confetti cannons, dozens of people dressed as furry animals, a man-sized plastic bubble and other giant props, it should come as no surprise that some of its audio equipment is a little out of the ordinary.
For the band's latest tour, psychedelic rock band the Flaming Lips requested a monitor speaker system that included 10 EAW MicroWedge Series MW15 Stage Monitors and two MicroSub Stage Monitors custom-finished in bright orange, allowing them to fit in perfectly with the onstage mayhem.
Of course, the Flaming Lips, who formed in Oklahoma in 1983, were looking for more than just cosmetics. EAW's compact, low-profile MicroWedges have become a popular choice among top touring artists for a variety of reasons, including sound quality, power handling, gain before feedback, portability and durability. The MicroWedge was co-developed by EAW and Dave Rat, owner of Rat Sound.
According to the band's monitor engineer, Sam Cole, "I couldn't be happier about mixing on the MicroWedges; they're loud, punchy and crisp and don't require a ton of EQ to get that way. Plus, they don't break my back when I try and carry two of them across a festival stage."
The band played festival shows in the U.S. and Europe throughout the summer, including Bonnaroo in Tennessee and Bestival in Spain, and in November they are performing in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
The latest releases from the Flaming Lips include Embryonic, released in October 2009, and a full-album reinterpretation of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, released in December 2009.
For more information, please visit www.eaw.com.
