Downtown Shakedown festival was presented to a sold-out crowd, in Waitangi Park, Wellington, New Zealand, on Dec 5, 2020. The line-up included many of New Zealand’s most popular bands: Fat Freddy’s Drop, BENEE, L.A.B, BROODS, Ladi6, Sola Rosa and Sunshine Soundsystem.
The festival was organised by Precision Live, as a precursor to their hugely popular annual “Homegrown” New Zealand music festival, which was cancelled earlier this year, due to NZ’s COVID19 lockdown.
The event was only achievable in New Zealand, due to the countries early hard level response to the COVID-19 threat, involving high levels of compliance by its population. This was the largest music festival occurring in the world, during the month of December 2020.
Western Audio handled the full audio requirements for the festival including the main PA comprising of 16 x d&b KSL cabinets, powered by D80 amplifiers. Under the stage were 6 x d&b SL-Subs, and 8 x d&b J-Subs. A delay hang of 8 x V8 cabinets was also flown just behind FOH.
The control consisted of Lake LM44 processing, with FOH consoles being seamlessly switched over, via the new XTA MX36 DSP console switcher.
Western Audio also provided complete console and stage solutions for all acts, with DiGiCo SD5s at FOH and Midas Pro X at monitors. A Midas Pro2 was there specifically for Ladi6 at their request.
A separate package of DiGiCo SD10s was provided at FOH and monitors for BENEE, a fast emerging new powerhouse, in global pop music.
Monitors were d&b M4s and M2s powered by D80 amps, with 16 channels are Shure PSM1000 in-ear monitors also on hand.
Western Audio assembled a very experienced team, to ensure seamless audio, some of whom had recently returned from the USA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
FOH systems engineer, Bjarne Hemmingsen, commented that the KSL was an ideal solution to obtain high levels of SPL and intelligibility in front of the PA, whilst minimising rear marquee reflections. Although Western Audio has a large inventory of d&b’s GSL PA, the KSL was chosen due to weight restrictions dictated by mother-grid capabilities. However, the KSL proved that such limitations no longer meant, that quality and intelligibility needed to be compromised, with a smooth, even and musical vibe being achieved across the whole performance space.
Western Audios team comprised of:
FOH Systems Engineer: Bjarne Hemmingsen
FOH Engineer: Fat Freddys Drop: Richard McMenamin
Monitor Systems Tech: Seb Hesp
Patch co-ordinator: Gil Eva Craig (Gilli)
Stage: Nils Melchert, Tim Seconi
Trucking: Andy Craig
All Wellington-based providers rounded out production with Grouse Lighting providing the lighting, Streamliner Productions providing the vision, Metro Productions providing the stage and Ritesh and Steve from Parbs Percussion providing the backline. Dexter and Catriona managed the stage.
Photos: Lucy Hammond
