Hot on the heels of their second album, Where’s My Utopia, and a triumphant UK tour, punk-funk rockers Yard Act returned to their hometown of Leeds on 3 August to partake in a victory lap after their UK and Europe tour in the spring. Named the most booked band of 2022, and much like their live scope, the band have also increased from a four- to a seven-piece with a core crew of six following them along the way.
Taking place on a sunny Saturday in Leeds, Jacob Price, Tour Manager and Production Manager, alongside Dean Cross, Monitor Engineer, met TPi at the makeshift gates to the venue, welcoming us to the calm before the storm of the biggest show of the band’s career.
“I’ve been working with Yard Act for nearly two years,” Price began. “It has been exciting. We’ve gone from using house rigs to bringing our own kit on the road; it’s been great to see how much it has grown.”
Price employed help from Southby Productions for audio hire, and Siyan for lighting, while 3D Productions provided the house lighting rig at Millenium Square as well as the PA and custom riser packages. Special effects and pyrotechnics were provided by Leeds-based Axiom Events.
“My job has completely changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, I face challenges such as Brexit and carnets, but the suppliers have really helped with that,” Price explained. “They have had the kit ready to go, which has saved us so much time before the tour. We were able to take a day’s worth of work out of our schedule.”
While advancing the shows, Price discusses production ideas with the team: “We’re on the phone quite often,” Price laughed. “We have a long relationship with Dean Cross, so when he came to us with the Yard Act project, we knew immediately that we wanted to be involved,” commented Henry Cook, Senior Project Manager at Southby Productions.
“When we heard they were lining up the Leeds hometown headline show, we wanted to do something a little special for them. The guys have been touring a very compact package by design this summer, but with such a momentous occasion in the middle of the run, we knew we needed to provide a little more of a luxurious setup to take this show to the next level,” Cook said.
“It’s been fantastic to be able to support such quality homegrown talent. We’ve seen the sizes of their shows grow exponentially since we began our relationship, and they deserve all the plaudits they are receiving.
“It’s been amazing working with engineers and Jacob on a dynamic package providing what’s required in the most efficient and compact method possible,” he added. “We were able to call upon our vast inventory of custom, modular panel work and bespoke hire equipment to help to support the show in what has been an exceptionally busy period for us.”
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Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Anthony Harrison and Sam Hopkins
