Having gained experience on both sides of the Atlantic over the past decade, Glass Animals and their long-standing production team now embark on their biggest and most ambitious touring campaign to date – A Tour of Earth, complete with lasers, a giant inflatable Saturn, and a purpose-built touring space station. If that wasn’t impressive enough, everything on stage is performed completely live, without any track, timecode, or click; the band builds their own backline and programmes their own Ableton sessions, fusing sounds from their self-produced records in the live environment. MIDI is so integrated into this setup that the show is just one button press away from coming to a shuddering halt, as TPi discovers.
From selling 153 tickets in Leeds to packing out arenas with a number one record, Tour Manager, Tom Allen has been involved in the band’s live output for over a decade – initially as a TM/splitter van driver, selling merchandise and setting up instruments. Now in a more organisational role, he shared the ingredients of what makes a Glass Animals show: “There’s always a theme and identity with corresponding colour palettes, this tour’s theme is space. We’ve been able to land on a unique and exciting production,” he stated. “We’ve assembled a pleasant and hardworking team the core of which return every tour. It has grown as the band has developed and progressed.”
The suppliers entrusted to deliver for the tour included 80six (video), All Access Staging (decking), Beat The Street (crew travel), Bite Tour Catering, Cassius Creative (production, set and lighting design), ER Productions (lasers), FRAY Studio (video design), Gravit-8 Travel (travel agent), KB Event (logistics), LED Creative (LED trim), LH2 Studio (production rehearsals), Neg Earth Lights (lighting and rigging), Ox Event House (set pieces), Rock-it Cargo (freighting), and Solotech (audio).
In the US, Concert Stuff Group (CSG) utilised its dynamic range of businesses to provide an end-to-end solution for the tour. CSG provided support through its companies SES, SET, and Musical Coaches. As a longtime vendor for the band, CSG provided audio, video, lighting and rigging gear for the tour along with trucking and buses. In addition, Nashville’s High End TV provided the camera package, PPU and engineering Support. Michael Brammer, CSO of Concert Stuff Group, stated: “The team are a pleasure to work with. They run an incredibly well-oiled machine and consistently create an environment on the road that everyone enjoys being a part of. It was wonderful to work with this imaginative group again.”
With no catering in the US, three members of the Bite Tour Catering team linked up with the crew in Europe, with an extra pair of hands joining in the UK. “The team are a pleasure to work with, super organised and incredibly helpful!” Bite Tour Catering’s Emily Cribley said.
The production was assembled at LH2 Studios, and later rebuilt at SES’ North Carolina shop. The show was scaled down in Europe, with greater production value in the UK. “Freighting and scaling the production for a following tour of Australia will be a challenge, which we got to trial in Milan with a ‘club size’ show, while maintaining the overall design,” Allen acknowledged.
Following the success of the US tour, Production Manager and Monitor Engineer, Simon Lutkin reflected on his decade-long journey with the band: “Each time they hit the road, the production grows and is more ambitious. The band, especially Dave Bayley, are involved in formulating the show,” he said, praising the tour’s suppliers. “You can get gear anywhere but the ethos behind the company makes the difference.”
A new face to the camp, Production Coordinator, Naomi Black dealt with everything backstage, including wardrobe, making the lives of those on the road easier. “I’ve never felt more welcome; I was made to feel like part of the team straight away,” she reported. “We have visited some iconic venues that I’ve never been to before. It’s been a great tour!”
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Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Ed White and Evan Woodrum
