main hang and XLD side hang . The riggers were happy and we knew that we would have a show that night .
As the local audio equipment rolled in , I checked through our list of needed gear and pretty soon it was apparent that Madisson and Greg from Sound Art had indeed brought everything we required . I let them get on with flying the speakers while I ran the snakes and set up their Lake LM44 drive rack . I wrote out a drive patch plan and gave it to the PA techs while Meaghan and Sean were busy putting the monitor system and stage audio together . I met with the production manager and we came up with a revised soundcheck schedule so that all three of the bands could check between 4 and 6 p . m .
The local PA consisted of two main hangs of 12 EV XLC speakers , two side hangs of eight EV XLD speakers , 16 EV X-Line subwoofers , and eight EV XLD front fills . The full system was up and running just in time for some quick tuning before the sound checks began . The show didn ’ t sound the same as it did with our tour d & b system , but it did sound good and the audience would never have known that one of our tour trucks was missing that day . The show was a success and we were all very appreciative of both Sound Art and the local arena crew for making the concert happen .
Of course , the tour was still only at the halfway point and there were plenty of logistics to get sorted out to get through the rest of the shows . We were travelling across Canada from west to east , which meant a two-day drive before our next show in Sudbury , ON , which gave us just enough time to come up with a working plan .
After a lot of discussion between the tour management , the trucking company , the insurance company , the audio shop , and myself , we arranged to get a replacement d & b sound system to be delivered to the Sudbury arena . This system had just enough speakers and motors and amps to work for a small arena show , which was all the equipment that was available at the shop on such short notice . We also arranged for the original tour audio system , now in a replacement trailer , to meet us at the Sudbury load-in , and we had permission from all of the parties to unload and use the equipment if it was serviceable .
Any of you who have enjoyed loading a show into the Sudbury arena know that it is a challenging affair where the trucks unload onto a rough gravel parking lot before the equipment gets brought down a steep 30-ft . - long ramp into the venue . The local crew is quite good at this process using a tractor or large forklift to gently back the equipment down the ramp , although it does take some time to get everything inside .
This was the scene where we would unload a total of three trailers containing audio gear : the tour backline / stage audio trailer , the tour audio trailer with the damaged gear , and the replacement PA trailer from the shop . It was the first time that we got a look at the gear that was in the accident and you could tell that it had suffered a very strong impact . Apparently , the force of the crash had sheered every strap from the back to the front of the truck and bent all of the load bars . There was damage to dozens of cases and PA carts , but fortunately , the truck was full enough and the pack was tight enough that most if it looked okay .
Even though the shop had sent a full replacement PA system for the Sudbury show , my preference was to try to use the original electronics and cabling since the replacement system was too small for some of the later venues on the schedule . I had permission to use what we could from the “ damaged ” gear , so we concentrated on loading in the original tour amp racks , drive racks , PA cables , distros , and snakes . Then we loaded in the PA cabinets and motors from the replacement system .
Thankfully , all of the equipment racks had a suspended “ rack inside a rack ” design that must have helped to absorb some of the impact . It was quite a relief when the tour amps and drive were all powered up and were networked together perfectly on the first try . Being able to use the original electronics and cables meant that we were already patched , tested , and ready for a show , and also that we could take this equipment forward for the rest of the tour .
The show following Sudbury was at The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor where we had already planned to use their house JBL system . Then there were two days off
( L-R ) AUDIO CREWMEMBERS JON HALLIWELL , SEAN CURRELL & MEAGHAN MCEACHREN
for us to regroup before our big show in Toronto at the Scotiabank Arena , then a few more Ontario shows , then Moncton , NB , and finally Halifax to end the tour .
After the Sudbury show , both the original tour audio system and replacement system were shipped back to the PRG shop to be checked over . On the day before the Toronto show , I spent the afternoon in the shop re-labelling the PA package and loading the truck so that we could finish out the tour . It was a lot of work , but through the fast actions of PRG ’ s Erik Paquette , Randall Knight , Shawn Loftus , and their audio staff , we were able to get a complete duplicate PA system to match the original tour spec along with the original amps and drive components in time for the next show .
Over the following weeks , the shop crew had a chance to thoroughly go through all of the PA boxes and motors that were in the accident . It turned out that many of the speakers needed repair and of course they all had to go back to d & b to be recertified for rigging . Many of the motor cases needed to be fixed or replaced and the motors also needed recertification . Almost every amp rack required some case repair and a number of the aluminum PA carts needed welding or replacing .
It was a great team effort between all involved to get us through the Winnipeg show and the remainder of the tour ; I guess that you never know what your team is capable of until their limits are pushed by losing an audio truck on tour .
Jon Halliwell is a veteran freelance FOH system engineer , mixer , system designer , and educator with over 25 years of professional live audio experience . www . jonhalliwell . com .
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