Walk this way

Granted, a one-off performance by 50-something rockers who have been in the business half a lifetime and whose continuing relevance remains questionable would struggle to make headlines elsewhere, but for Dubai this was one of the events of the year, a fact perfectly illustrated by the near-capacity crowd of 16,000 and the massive media onslaught prior to the show.

The scale of the production itself did justice to the media hype, and was only shadowed in size by Shakira’s tumultuous performance at the Dubai Autodrome circuit earlier this year.

While the Colombian hip-shaker’s showcase gig was afflicted by scheduling issues and later, condemned by post-show traffic management problems, meticulous planning and the benefit of hindsight ensured the organisation of the Aerosmith show was comparatively trouble-free.

Thomas Ovesen, the general manager of Mirage Promotions, which was responsible for bringing both Shakira and Aerosmith to Dubai, confirms that the latter concert was also originally scheduled to take place at the Autodrome, a venue he describes as presenting “a logistical nightmare” to major events organisers.

“After the problems we had with Shakira, we decided to look elsewhere, but there remains a distinct lack of venues that are capable of accommodating more than 10,000 punters,” he says.

“Luckily, we managed to secure a deal with the Dubai Exiles Rugby Club to stage the show on the same ground as that which hosts the annual Rugby Sevens tournament, which regularly attracts 32,000 spectators to the final day of competition.

“Each year, Rugby Sevens’ organisers implement a sophisticated traffic management plan for the event in conjunction with the Roads & Traffic Authority and the Dubai Police. Concerts rarely garner the same level of support as sporting events do, but after consulting with each party, we managed to secure their agreement to take the same approach for the Aerosmith gig. Luckily, the lieutenant in charge is also a huge Aerosmith fan, so he thought it was a fantastic idea.”

Still, Ovesen conceded in the weeks prior to the show to feeling some trepidation about staging such a major production at a previously untested venue such as Exiles. “The venue’s never been used for a concert before; we have to bring in the entire infrastructure,” he told S&S.

“When you stage a massive show like this, you have to scrutinise every aspect of the production and the logistics of operating in the venue itself.

“Whereas in the US or Europe, a touring rock band mostly relies on ‘plug-and-play’ technology, in untested markets such as the UAE, you have to customise certain aspects of the production and you also have to ensure you can source equipment locally, because it’s prohibitively expensive for most bands to fly in all their touring gear.”

Ovesen later explains that Aerosmith also had a number of specific demands in terms of the production set-up, which Mirage were obliged to meet.

“They’re very specific in terms of their staging requirements,” he says. “We had to construct a t-shaped stage, which is an Aerosmith live production trademark.

However, it’s a stage configuration that has never been used for a concert before in the Middle East. We also received very specific requests relating to video projection. Aerosmith arena shows traditionally feature an AD wall to the rear of the stage, which is accompanied by projection screens to the left and right. The band was committed to providing punters in Dubai with the same experience.”

Mirage contracted Dubai-based production specialist and equipment rental company Production Technology (better known as Protec) to supply the vast array of production equipment required for the show. Protec operations director Rick Wade says he was somewhat bemused when he first received Aerosmith’s equipment rider for the concert.

“We were concerned because the consensus was there was no way we could do this show here – it was larger than any thing any of us had ever worked on,” he says. “But then they called to apologise saying they had mistakenly faxed through the rider for their US shows!”

Despite the initial confusion, Wade says that while the band’s production demands were extensive compared to typical shows staged in Dubai, it was nothing Protec couldn’t handle.

“The equipment rider list was fairly typical of an arena-style rock show, which is nothing unusual in Europe or the US, but is still considered a fairly unique event in the Middle East,” he says.

“For example, they specifically requested a covered stage incorporating rigging to hang the lights. We’re the only staging rental company in the region that can provide a covered stage customised to suit specific requirements.”

However, Wade says while Protec designed the stage as per the band’s request, at just 18m x 16m with 11m x 16m wings, it wasn’t “stadium sized”.

“It was actually built to the same dimensions as the stage they use for their European stadium shows,” he explains. “Obviously, the Exiles venue isn’t as large as a stadium, so the stage itself was pretty impressive given the show could best be classified as a large arena gig.”

In terms of audio equipment, the main sound system utilised a combination of JBL Vertec, Nexo and Turbosound speakers; Canco Vortex amps; XTA, BSS and Nexo control systems; and Turbosound speakers, MC2 amps and XTA control systems for out-fills and in-fills.

The lighting rider included ETC source fours and ACL bars, Clay Paky Alpha washes, Diversatronic 3k strobes, Strong Super Trouper and Gladiator follow spots, and Grand MA full-size consoles.

The show utilised an extensive array of video production equipment, including Sony cameras, monitors, mixers and switchers. Protec also supplied two Christie Roadster 20k and four Barco ELM G10 projectors and associated screens.

According to Mirage Promotions production manager Andy Jackson, who was responsible for coordinating the technical aspects of the show and liaising with Aerosmith’s production crew, the extensive use of video equipment guaranteed maximum visual impact and lent weight to the production’s stadium rock ambitions.
“It’s a rock ‘n roll show first and foremost, so the main emphasis will always be on the performance itself,” he told S&S during pre-production. “However, we’ve got pretty high expectations for it.”

Jackson, who was a permanent fixture at the Exiles Club in the week leading up to the show and was on-hand during the performance itself, described the gig as a “substantial production”.

“The Aerosmith crew brought over around 50 tonnes of equipment, which we encouraged them to load-in at night, to avoid the intense heat during the day,” he explains later. “The Protec crew also worked at night for the same reason. The Exiles ground boasts floodlights onsite, which helped our task considerably.”

Wade says Protec employed a team of 16 to work each night during the early stages of pre-production, with that number effectively doubling for the final two nights prior to the show.

“It was simply too hot to work during the day,” he says. “With the floodlights, working at night didn’t pose any major issues. Loading in the Aerosmith gear at night also meant we could test the lights and other visual effects as soon as they were installed.”

In terms of the venue configuration, Jackson says Exiles proved an ideal location for staging a major rock concert.

“The venue is perfectly suited to that kind of performance. Even towards the rear of the seating block, the audience had a great view of the stage,” he says. “Combined with the side stages and central t-bar runway, punters were well catered for on the night.”

Audience members were segregated into various areas within the venue according to ticket prices. The seating block, which was supplied under contract by local scaffolding company, Al-Laith, provided a capacity of 4,000, while the middle standing rows boasted a combined capacity of 12,000.

Around 1,000 premium front-of-stage tickets were also available.

Al-Laith was also responsible for constructing follow-spot towers and supplying mojo barriers, while Dubai-based contractor Byrne Rental supplied 12 diesel-powered generators, green room units, toilet cubicles, and fencing.

Jackson says the Byrne generators were responsible for supplying the production’s total power requirements, with each generator being backed up by another.

“In the event of a power supply failure, the system’s design meant that a technician would have to physically switch the power source, because the smaller generators don’t have the capability to load-share,” he explains.

“As is the case at most outdoor concerts, we didn’t have access to sufficient on-site power to make any significant contribution to the show.”

The greenfield nature of the site also called for the construction of a production village backstage for the exclusive use of Mr Tyler and Co. The site included catering facilities, furnished dressing rooms and a demountable office.

“The band also requested a high level of communications technology, which is pretty common among most major touring acts these days,” Jackson explains. “They specifically asked to be provided with wireless internet access across the site, so we installed an ADSL connection and a wireless router. Most major acts nowadays take care of ongoing tour commitments while they’re on the road.”

Yet, despite the best efforts of the Dubai-based pre-production team, a series of unforeseen challenges arose on the night of the performance that threatened to derail the show entirely.

When the Aerosmith crew arrived in Dubai in the days prior to the show, they were missing some key personnel, namely the touring front-of-house engineer, Jim Ebdon, as well as the keyboard player, band manager and accountant, whose passports had all been lost in transit during the visa application process. As a result, mixing duties on the night fell to Aerosmith’s systems engineer, while a touring technician took care of the keyboard duties.

For much of the set, the changes in personnel appeared to make little difference to the overall performance. However, things turned awry during the encore, when the audio from a mic equipped with a lipstick camera momentarily failed, leaving many audience members bemused by Tyler’s enthusiastic but muted rendition of Walk This Way.

Speculation suggested the drop-out was due to a mic switching error, which both Wade and Jackson described as simply “one of those things”.
“Dubai was the first show of the tour with a new crew on-board,” says Wade. “In such circumstances, you expect some glitches. But you can rest assured that it’s something that wouldn’t have been forgotten for the next gig.”

Jackson concurs. “Ulitmately, their guys run the show; we just provide the equipment,” he says. “From a production perspective, I thought the show ran very smoothly, even despite the audio drop-out.”

Both Jackson and Wade say they received plaudits from the Aerosmith crew for the quality of the equipment that was supplied and the venue itself.

“I didn’t receive a single complaint about the kit we provided,” claims Wade. “They were extremely happy with the venue, the set-up, and of course the turnout, which was very encouraging.”

“Having worked in the UK and Australia as a production manager I can safely say that many local industry players have the same standards of technical excellence as companies based in these countries,” says Jackson. “Our task now is to alter people’s perceptions internationally, and hopefully the fact that we are successfully staging big shows by acts like Aerosmith will go some way to achieving that.”

Don’t want to miss a thing…

Aerosmith’s extensive equipment rider supplied by Protec consisted of:

AUDIO – main system
• 32 x JBL Vertec 4889 speakers.
• 16 x Nexo CD18 sub-bass speakers.
• 12 x Turbosound 718 sub-bass speakers.
• 24 x Camco Vortex 6 amplifiers.
• 8 x MC2 1250 amplifiers.
• 2 x BSS FDS366T controllers.
• 2 x XTA D6 controllers.
• 8 x BSS 9088 Soundweb (Cat5).
• 2 x Nexo NX241s.

Out-fills
• 16 x Turbosound Floodlight speakers.
• 8 x Turbosound 718 sub-bass speakers.
• 4 x MC2 1250 amplifiers.
• 6 x MC2 750 amplifiers.
• 2 x XTA D6 controllers.

In-fills
• 4 x Turbosound Floodlight speakers.
• 4 x Turbosound 718 Sub Bass speakers.
• MC2 amplifiers.
• XTA D6 controllers.
(Signal management was supported by BSS 9088 Soundweb through a hub via Cat 5).

Staging
• Total Fabrications extra-heavy duty roofing system, measuring 18m x 15m with 11m x 6m wings.
• Total Fabrications Arena Deck rolling stage play area, measuring 18m x 16m with 11m x 16m wings.

Lighting
• 6 x 26 degree ETC source fours.
• 10 x ACL bars.
• 12 x Clay Paky Alpha 1200 HPEs.
• 18 x Clay Paky Alpha 1200 washes.
• 15 x Diversatronic 3k strobes.
• 10 x 8-lite Mole Fays.
• 168 x Par cans.
• 4 x under-hung follow spots.
• 2 x Strong Super Trouper follows spots, front-of-house (FOH).
• 4 x Strong Gladiator follow spots (FOH).
• 2 x Grand MA full-size consoles.
• 6 x DF 50 haze machines.
• 4 x F100 smoke machines.

Video
• 3 x Sony CA-TX7P video camera adaptors (DXC-D30P).
• 1 x Sony D30W camera.
• 2 x Fujinon A36 X 10.5 zoom lenses.
• 2 x Sony D30W EFP kit (complete).
• 3 x Vinten tripod camera stands.
• 4 x Sony camera control units.
• 1 x Sony BKDS2010 video mixer.
• 1 x Sony DVS-2000C video switcher.
• 1 x Sony PFV-D20 video interface.
• 1 x Mentor Trilogy test signal generator.
• 1 x Sony BKM-10R monitor control.
• 2 x Sony DSC-1024G scan converters.
• 1 x Snell & Wilcox Kudos A-D converter (SDI – Analogue).
• 1 x Tektronix 1761 waveform monitor.
• 6 x Sony PVM-9L1 9-inch monitors.
• 2 x Sony BVM-14F1E 14-inch monitors.
• 2 x Sony PVM-4B1E 4-inch monitors.
• 3 x Sony colour balancers.
• 2 x Extron video DA 1-in 6-out systems.
• 5 x Extron RGBHV DA 1-in 6-out systems.
• 1 x Fulsom Image Pro c/w SDI and high definition (HD) card.
• 1 x Kramer 6104 SDI DA.
• 1 x lipstick spy camera.
(Triax cables where necessary)

Projection
• 2 x Christie Roadster S+ 20k projectors.
• 4 x Barco ELM G10 projectors.
• 2 x 1.17 – 2.4 : 4 lenses (Barco ELM G10 projectors).
• 2 x 1.5 – 3.0 : 1 lenses (Barco ELM G10 projectors).
• 2 x 1.2:1 lenses (Christie Roadster S+20k).
• 2 x 7.14m x 4.14m screen for sides (RP) on XO box trusses.
• 1 x front projection screen surface on XO box truss support (11.2m x 5.2m).
A safe bet

As the general manager of one of Dubai’s leading promoters, Thomas Ovesen has an intimate knowledge of the challenges of staging major events in this region. The straight-talking Mirage Promotions GM opens up to S&S.

Having played a key role in bringing such diverse acts as rockers Aerosmith, hip-shaker Shakira and the ever-intense Henry Rollins to Dubai over the past 12 months, Thomas Ovesen is cautiously optimistic about the future of the live events production industry in the Middle East.

Still, the disarmingly frank GM laments the minimal sponsorship support live concerts generally attract from big business in the UAE, not to mention the lack of venues that are available for staging such shows in the booming Gulf country.

“If we ever wanted to stage a show for more than 30,000 people in Dubai or Abu Dhabi we couldn’t do it,” he says. “The venues simply aren’t available.”

“We also have to be fairly middle-of-the-road to be successful in this region. We would love to invest in new music, but the nature of the market makes it commercially unviable to bring a relatively unknown Western artist to the UAE.”

Ovesen says this scenario was perfectly illustrated in 2001, when he was negotiating to bring The White Stripes to Dubai for a one-off show in support of their breakthrough album White Blood Cells.

“I made a US$25,000 offer to bring them here and they really wanted to come, but ultimately it wasn’t financially viable given the cost of flights and equipment hire,” he says. “We also knew we’d probably only get around 300 people to the gig.”

Ovesen says it makes sense commercially to stage shows by ‘safe’ artists with mass appeal, such as Shakira, who boasts a strong fanbase in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

“Our research suggests that in the UAE, across all nationalities, there are probably 300,000 consumers who could willingly afford to attend a major concert by a recognised international artist,” he says. “So, you really limit your options if you put on a show by a group like the Arctic Monkeys, for example, who might only appeal to ex-pats from Commonwealth or other English-speaking countries. You will also struggle to attract sponsors, because they’re generally very conservative in this region.”

Ovesen says the key to success is balancing these various interests, while successfully meeting the demands of the touring artists themselves.

While Mirage recently confirmed a one-off show by US artist Pink at Dubai Media City on September 5, Ovesen says the company is also examining the potential of staging a major music festival in the city this December in conjunction with Emirates Airline and catering contractor MMI.

“However, there are a number of issues we need to consider,” he concedes. “Will it be commercially viable? Is there an existing European festival we could team up with, or is it something we should do alone?

“If we do choose to go ahead with it, I think the best approach would be to have three stages, with one hosting electronic and cutting-edge acts, another for contemporary artists, and a smaller stage for jazz and blues bands. Contemporary acts would attract the greatest sponsorship dollars, which would allow us to offset the costs of including up-and-coming artists on the bill. The nature of festivals means you can experiment with the line-up.”

Ovesen says he also welcomes government initiatives to introduce health and safety guidelines to the live events industry in the UAE.

“The government proposes to regulate the industry in this respect from next year onwards, which is a positive development,” he says.

“We are also hopeful of convincing them to remove the ticket tax from live music events, which is proving a significant burden and is something that doesn’t apply to major sporting events in Dubai.

“I believe that this tax makes it significantly more challenging for us to attract major international artists to the city.”