Shure proudly supplied the new SLX-D wireless system sporting a Beta58 microphone, alongside PSM300 In-Ear monitors and a selection of Beta-series wired microphones for Kings Daughters debut livestreamed gig.
The kit provided helped to ensure the very best production values on the launch of their first live streamed gig to celebrate their second single, ‘Dancing in the Rain’, produced by Brian May, to honour those lost during the UK national lockdown.
The girl band joined the movement, Keep New Bands Alive and Gigging, which supports emerging bands to take the stage and perform gigs, live streamed to the world from new venue, Warehouse V. The aim is to entertain the public at home who are missing out on gigs and to encourage the viewers to donate whatever they can to help new bands on their musical journey.
Kings Daughters, who formed as a band during the UK lockdown, took to the stage on 29 September and performed a live set including their lockdown hit GET UP and new single Dancing in the Rain, both produced by Brian May.
The gig celebrates the release of their second single, Dancing in the Rain, a tribute to those who passed away during lockdown and could not be honoured properly in ceremony due to Covid law. The song was prompted by the passing of the lead singers, Talia Dean’s best friend.
Shure supported Kings Daughters with their SLX-D digital wireless system and PSM 300 monitoring systems. Jack Drury, Market Development – Artist and Entertainment Relations at Shure commented: “We are seeing more and more artists that are just starting out in their careers putting on performances with higher production values, which typically means using more wireless tech to make things look slick on stage,” he explained. “The new SLX-D platform allows us to offer digital UHF wireless modulation at a mid-tier price point, which has significant advantages. The fact the system is UHF and not 2.4ghz increases the numbers of channels that can be used together, whilst the digital modulation itself increases the reliability of those channels being used.”
He added: “The digital nature of the system also means the audio quality is vastly improved over analogue wireless systems of a similar price point. Digital modulation is much closer to having an XLR cable between your transmitter and receiver, meaning that the audio production values can increase along with everything else!”
Vicky O’Neon, Drummer and Backing Vocalist, commented: “This was the first time Kings Daughters were able to perform live together, since the band officially launched during lockdown. Having Shure on board providing us with both microphones and packs made such a huge difference to our whole production both on and off stage. Thanks to Shure and our experienced sound engineers we were able to capture a great sound of our performance.
O’Neon added: “Having wireless monitoring meant we were able to freely roam between the two stages and could truly enjoy our performance with a great sounding mix in our in-ear monitors. We were also able to provide both of our camera men with wireless packs so they could communicate with the director during the live shoot, a big plus for a live stream production. All of the packs and transmitters turned on and worked perfectly right out of the box with no interference, which made things simple during a fast-paced day.”
She continued: “The microphone kit was essential. We were able to fully mic the drum kit with both inside and outside mics on the kick drum, snare, toms, and of course overheads which sounded amazing. The form factor of the small beta snare and tom mics meant that we could do an elaborate close mic set up but still have a really clean look when it came time to film. Our sound engineer was specifically impressed by the tones he could produce out of such small diaphragm microphones. Finally, the lead vocalist used the wireless Beta 58, so she sounded amazing but was still able to move around the stage and interact with the band and main camera freely. ”
Drury concluded: “It has been a pleasure to support Kings Daughters on their debut performance. The live music scene isn’t how it used to be at the moment but it’s important we come together and support new bands and initiatives such as ‘Keep New Bands Alive and Gigging’ to make sure artists like Kings Daughters are still able to connect with their fans and release new music, even in the most unthinkable of circumstances. We also continue to support the “We Make Events” initiatives, raising awareness of the impact of COVID-19 on the live performance sector, and the thousands of staff that make events happen. It’s critical that the industry receives government support soon to ensure that Venues, Engineers, Events Staff and Artists are protected, and able to re-start our world class live music economy as soon as we are able to do so.”