James Breward - Brew's Blog

New Blog now on line

2009-05-17T15:44:00.002+01:00

After much tweaking and fettling on my part my new and improved blog is now online at www.brewpse.co.uk/blog This now means all of my sight is now hosted in one location and I now have greater control of the look and feel of the way it behaves. I hope you will continue to follow my activities at my new home.

450miles, 90 minutes of recording and a trip to the Pallace

2009-05-15T20:17:00.002+01:00

Now I could happily do days like this all the time, the original plan was Tim of coastalaudio.co.uk and my self would mooch on up to Manchester catch We Will Rock You before he had to go do a little recording at the Lower Theatre Manchester for a Creative Culture and Education seminar while I walked some of the Third Year Sound Technology and Theatre Performance Technology students from LIPA. Before we headed back down the M6 for home, however Tim got called to a meeting so I got to do the whole thing on my own. Like I said i could happily do this all the time, nice little recording, and walking around talking about my work. What more could you ask for?

Blogger Exported to WordPress

2009-05-14T17:01:00.002+01:00

So I've been meaning to play with it for some time but during that little Internet job at Old BillingsGate I eventually got round to installing WordPress on my server. After quite a bit of twaking and fettling I sorted out my template but could I work out how to port all my posts from Blogger where this is across to word press. It seems there used to be a really easy way that stopped working a month or so ago where from your Wordpress dashboard you can select the link to import from blogger your taken over to google world to log in and all should then be good however I got a authorisation error every time. Much searching and the trying of different things lead me to this post over at the wordpress.com forums which worked for me and you can now view the results at www.brewpse.co.uk/blog/ a few little things yet to sort out but hopefully soon it should be all up and running.

So in short I backuped/exported my blog from blogger to a xml file on my machine

then I used http://blogger2wordpress.appspot.com/ to convert that xml file into a wordpress wxr file.

I then imported that file into my wordpress dashboard and all is buenos!

FIPP London 2009

2009-05-06T14:17:00.003+01:00

Well it has been another great day on behalf of Surfhire for White Space Productions" Down at the FIPP International Federation of the Periodical Press World Congress at Old Billingsgate my self and Will Jones have mainly spent the day surfing the internet as everything is working perfectly. Every one seems nice and happy, just how we like it. Though I do wonder if reading online is possible inapropiate behaviour given this is all about the printed press. Hopefully it shouldn't take Will and I too long to pull it all out this evening!

Back to work, providing the internet

2009-05-02T20:17:00.003+01:00

I've been having such a lovely time at home, I've been having great fun with Fe and Hannah, I've made good progress with my DIY tasks, mainly the fence and the loft. I've also caught up with some of the family and firnds. However I am now back at work and am set to be for the duration of what prommises to be a great bank holiday weekend. Though it's not all bad, my task for the next few days is to provide internet access to the deligates and staff at the FIPP World Magasine Congress here at Old Billings Gate. So it should be a failry stress free slide back into the work a day world. Now where did I put my twitter book mark?

We Will Rock You - Manchester Press Night

2009-03-28T14:59:00.002Z

I was called back for one more apearance the press night where Roger Taylor and Brian May were to play the encore with the cast. I was back to help with the setting of Roger's Drum kit, a failry quick turn around as it was set on a riser that could only be put in place after one of the automation trucks had been struck. It added to the rock and roll feel.

So that's it my time on the gig is done it's been great experience I got a big kick out of PE'ing the prep and assisting Toby in Manchester. I think we worked out aside from some questionable case lables my only major error was the ommision of some 30 meter socas and allowing some 4mm to slip in. Which in my defence didn't think was too bad seen as it was my first big outing and I didn't have a lot of time to do it in.

I'm now at home getting ready for a brief trip to Belfast for Evita then I am looking forward to some quality time at home.

We Will Rock You - Manchester Opening Night.

2009-03-22T21:41:00.002Z

What a week! I did arrive a little late to the party, Day 3. The team had had a fairly rough time of it. Unaided by a raft of things that simply did not go acording to plan and not having a lot of time to get it all together there were early starts and late finishes. By the time I arrived they had not long finished getting the PA up there was still a fair sea of flight cases in every available and unavaialble space. Though just so I didn't feel too left out there was a over head camer to be rigged which invilved me climbing along one of the LX trusses and nearly getting flown out with the LX ladders. All very amusing for all involved. The was some PA tweaking a little comms fettling and labeling to keep me busy until the tech started.

Mind you anything we did have to do took twice as long as we had to fish our cases out of the dock to get at anyting. But thankfully there was nothing major to change.

Opening night from where I was sat was pretty dam good, especially considering all that had gone on during this week. Good Times!

Ryanair are Rubbish - Discuss!

2009-03-18T10:05:00.002Z

Now I understand that 50 meters visability isn't ideal for stack them high sell them cheap Ryanair pilots but surely if they have a scheduled departure of 09:55 and 13:15 and the 09:55 does not arrive so can't depart that is cancled. You can't delay somthing that isn't going to happen as the 13:15 is different flight surely? They are Rubbish. Oh and Rob who chose to stay in bed for an extra three hours and fly straight back to London is nearly back in the west end already.

Evita Lononderry - Good times

2009-03-18T07:46:00.004Z

Oh yes this weekend I was back with my old buddy Andy Waddell, this time we were moving his show Evita from Llandudno to Londonderry. After my five and a half hour train journey from Suffolk we met up for fish and chips followed by ice cream on the sea front Happy Days! The team on the show Andy, John and Rob have made a real improvement on how the kit tours, they have taken a good chunck of time off the out and made it a lot more pleasent.

Due to the distances involved this weekend and playing into the hands of ferrys and so on it was decided to change it to a Tuesday open giving us a travel day on the Sunday. All very civil and grown up given what has been exspected before. This all left us with a lazy afternoon exploring the city, Good Times. On returning to my hotel room I was met with the towel elephant, I like it a real personal touch.

Monday morning came and we set about throwing it all into the Melinium Forum, a really nice building an intresting auditorium lay out but quite nice and very close sounding. We were amazed at how many loud speakers there are in the room I think they must do a lot of cinema stuff in there too. What was quite dissapointing was the delay in the circle were all a bit odd, two were louder than the rest and they all sounded different, quite an achievement seen as they were all off two channels of amp. So it was a delve into the deads waggon for our E0's. But I was really pleased with what we did in there and how it sounded. Oh and did you know they can level out the stalls so you have a flat push from stage level to the rear of the stalls. then once you've dropped the front two rows you can then take the rest down to a 4 degree rake. Now that's really impressive, though I would have loved to be in that design decision meeting. "how much is that going to cost and what will it give us?" ....."Oh ok then sure"

So I am now in Belfast City Airport having got the 0530 bus from Derry awaiting my flight to Liverpool so I can finish of We Will Rock You in Manchester, which news on the grape vine is they have not been having anywhere near as much fun as I've had.

I've also just witnessed a woman pay £300 to check in an extra 25kg onto a Ryanair flight. Now who said all these budget airlines were a good idea?

Good Bye Mary - Final Mary Poppins Fitup Cardiff WMC

2009-03-11T07:17:00.003Z

Well it's a sad day, Mary Poppins has arrived at her last venue of the tour the Wales Millennium Centre. One of my favourite theatres in the UK I think it is a really easy venue to work in most things have been well thought out, and I think it looks really good. The crew are pleasant and efficient, what more could you ask for. So with all this on our side we set about fitting up the show in a day less than we had done previously. It was a team of usual suspects on our part Tim and the helm, Jim, Andy Dave and Myself. Joined for one night only Shoddy and Jeff who having done the out came down to fleece the delays and surrounds. We were along side the dedicated show crew of Dave, Gippo and Alex.

We made good headway on the Sunday getting the racks in and running in allot of the infrastructure it made a nice change our truck been less than two hours later than advertised, what a joy. As I mentioned the cable routes were fairly painless and with one of the widest stages I've toured into and loads of space sub stage the pressure for flight case tetris. The rest of the fit up followed on in this fairly painless theme. There was a semi late night rigging the up and down LX ladders and space rigging the prosc was a bit tight with the wall, lights and the speakers, but there is a fair amount of stuff to get in a not overly large space, but that is how it always is.

So It is with a glint of sadness that I write this from the tran home, it has been a real pleaure working on this show. It's been great working back along so many old friends it does make it a lot easier when everyone gets along. So until the next time, good bye Mary Poppins, and Hello Freddie!

We Will Rock You Day one in Production Rehearsals

2009-03-04T07:47:00.002Z

Oh My, what a day! We did indeed manage to get almost everything out of the door in time there are are only a few things on back order. However the most exciting/dissapointing thing about our first day in rehearsals was the fact that the show deck had been set 2 meters from the wall on it's down stage edge. What's wrong with that you ask, well where do we put our prosc speakers? And where do we put front of house. Oh and when all the creatives want to walk back and fourth across the front of the stage where will they go? But I was sure people much higher up the food chain had maid that decision and I just set about making it happen within those conditions. We also found I had got my male and female the wrong way round one one of my looms, also one of the looms had been made not to my paperwork, so I think I make that a no socore draw. Other than that all went well, we unpacked our full trailer and packed most of it straight back up in the corner.

As the day went on it became evident there were going to be quite a few problems with the show deck being where it was. At 4 o'clock we were asked to go for coffee while they worked it out, only to return to discover we needed to pack up Front of House, and pull back all our cables as the chips were going to turn the set through 90 degrees. I guess that's not really what they wanted to hear after two days of work. So I'm not entireley sure what we'll find thismorning.

We Will Rock You UK Tour 09 Prep

2009-02-26T07:12:00.003Z

My my, how busy has this been then? O can't work out if it is because this is my first time out as PE, the fact that this is quite a big gig or its so last minute. It's all becoming a bit of a whirlwind and I'm worried somthing is going to fall by the way side.

That said we've flashed through all the loudspeakers lots of things are now bing cased up and tipped, Front of house is best part of the way there, the Amps are all good. There is just a fiar amount of triping to be done when the cable eventally arrives.

Oh What Fun, living my dream!

We Will Rock You - UK Tour 09

2009-02-15T19:46:00.002Z

Yes it is finaly confimred that I am along side Mr Toby Chester Pe'ing the We Will Rock You Tour opening in Manchester on the 21st March. And yes that is only a few weeks away and we have two weeks of Production rehearsals even before we get to manchester. So i've got two weeks to get it out the door, it would normally be done in three. First time as a Autograph PE and already against the clock, no pressure there then. So I better go. But it is rather exciting don't you think.

IronClad Framer Gloves now available

2009-02-08T13:44:00.003Z

Hi there I have now added the IronClad Framer gloves, fingerless on your thumb, first and second finger, to the established line up of General Utility and Gripworx gloves available on my website www.brewpse.co.uk/gloves.html

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 12

2009-01-31T08:47:00.005Z

Well it's all been happening over the last couple of days, my apologies for not keeping you all informed it has been made more difficult by no longer having internet access at my apartment.

So we left off with PJ's Birthday. The local boys sorted him out a cake and everthing it was quite nice. However that was also the same day that even when armed with the patch list and all the information they took all morning to plug in the LX op, spot caller and spot comms.

We have also been plagued by some spurious RF troubles, it appears this is quite a fickle building, so after best part of a day playing with locations and frequency sets we have managed to get a good solid system.

Included in this post are some pictures from out and about in Madrid and the unique way of focusing the Circle Front. Check out the Ninja Saturday Night Fever Traffic Warden.

The Unique way of delivering your sofa if you live in a first floor apartment.

So Wednesday night after another 12 hour day a beer and tapas we arrived back at our apartment building to discover a group of reseidents stoood out the front in some sort oc comotion. Us not understanding a word that was being sed decided to ventuure in to discover the block at the front of our building was without power. But our rooms were ok, I sat down to do some emails and alike to witness the lamps in my celing then the modem, standard lamp and at about the same time the fridge and a large bang from my distbord and darkness. Great! So after a quick shower by head torch in anticipation of there being no hot water the following morning, i turned in to read my book with my trusty Petzl.

The following morning the power was back on, however my mocrowave didn't look oor smell too good, there is a good chared vibe coming from my dist board, dissapointingly I can't breathe any life into my modem, and out of my 6 lounge lights only 1 is still working.

We walked out to the street to see our main incomming suply disconnected and cables draped throught the air vent above our front door, and festooned up the street 4 doors and tailed into their supply. Comedy!

On Returning to my apartment yesterday there was no change the things that didn't work still don't and most dissapointingly of all I am with out internet access.

On the gig front all is going well we are tidging things in ready ness for the bun fight that will be the pit cabeling tomorrow and then band seating on Monday.

Is it time for me to go home yet?

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 8

2009-01-27T07:55:00.004Z

Some funny pictures of the things that i've seen.

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 7

2009-01-26T07:23:00.002Z

While everyone else enjoyed a day off we were in the theatre making the most of the quiet time. Today was the day when Mick and Paul, the Sound Designer and Associate EQ and time the system. PJ and myself were on hand for any requests but we also set about getting all the stage foldback in and cabled and tidiying our cases and working out what can already go back. It was a nice easy day, I am really impressed with the M'elody and the rest of the Mayer kit we have, I do think it's going to be a good gig.

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 6

2009-01-25T07:39:00.002Z

Well what a busy day, so busy in fact I've not taken any pictures. We got the Prosc Right M'elodys up, I finished off the Delay Subs in the Gallery, they boys got the front fills and the stalls subs in. The day seemed to race away from us, we where aiming for a full system check before the close of play so Sunday would be a nice easy EQ day for Mick and Paul. And it was late afternoon when we started Phase Checking everthing and I am pleased to say we had everthing comeing out the right speakers aside from some intresting pannel layout decisions by the local contractors who put the wireing in for the surround. We then hung around for a few hours waiting for electics to let us take the trusses out to trim. Live the Dream!

But it was with a good sense of achievement that we set off in search of Food and Refreshment knowing that it was all in and working! Oh YEAH!

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 5

2009-01-24T07:18:00.003Z

Ok so it might not be the order thing are done normally but hey we had to wait for the towers to be built, but we have at the close of play on day 5 got the PA Left all up and running, everything in the right order and worked first time OH YEAH! We had a little wobble with the RMS being Y-Split off to the other prosc and with no speakers on the end of it it wasn't too happy. Now I thought you could do that kind of thing with the RMS so there will be a bit more investigation in to that. I've also got one more UMS sub frame to get fixed to the wall, and I think that might just be the last box for the auditorium. We are all looking good for a full listening day tomorrow.

Another reslut for the books is last night we went to a restraunt that was no smoking! Everywhere in this city stinks and I mean stinks of fags, it's propper grim. But I'm not very tollerant of smoking any way.

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 4

2009-01-23T07:34:00.003Z

Well then it turned out that my fixings for the Circle Sub did indeed need looking at, the wall up there was just one big cavity. We managed to get some Fisher baskets, they look like lobster pots you poke it in the hole, fill it full of chem fix then the stud slowly pushes it out the side like a tea bag. And thankfully has held enough to hold the sub up. Our big exciting thing today was trying to tale into the house transformer check the picture out, comedy, comedy. We've also rigged our main truss, so that's pretty much all speakers up in the auditorium aside from the main prosc M'elody. So we are moving on well.

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 3

2009-01-22T07:00:00.004Z

The Surround and Delays quest goes on, our local team have had a lot of fun trying to get fixings through accousticly treated walls, big cavitys and all that kind of fun. I've had the pleasure of trying to get the Mayer UMS delay subs on the wall, not to bad you think but seen as the bulding is made out of what are basically air bricks stacked up with the holes running up and down. Meaning you are basically drilling from cavity to cavity. Not entirely sure what the aproved method should be but I've managed to get three of the six to stick with fisher chem fix. Unfortunatly it's best part of a tube per sub and fustratingly the last one to go up two of the fixing didn't bite so that's where the fun starts today.

Deano - the only thing we forgot so far were M10 joining bolts.

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 2

2009-01-20T23:31:00.002Z

Today I'm afraid there is nothing much to report nor is there any intresting pictures. My achievements for the day have consisted of finishing off the plugging up of Front of house, patching up the racks, not really amp racks as there is so many active speakers I've also busied my self with numourous other menial tasks. Our local team of Spaniards have been Buenos and have made really good head way into the delays and surround. At the moment we're looking like we may pull it out of the bag :-)

Saturday Night Fever, Madrid - Day 1

2009-01-19T07:20:00.004Z

Well, it was with trepidation that we all arrived in good time for our Ryian Air Flight out of Stanstead on Sunday. We were anticipating a chocka flight and not being treated overly well. But thanks to Autograph sorting out our Priority Boarding we were 2nd on the plane, and yes it was cramped and yes there is the endless sales pitch but hey you know what you are signing up to. On arrival in Madrid we jumped into a Taxi to bring us in to town, now I think this chap must have thought himself a bit of a rally driver as did the entire journey at 130kph+ He found Will's hotel opposite the gig no problem but it took a few trips up and down and round back streets before we thought the bloke stood on the street with an envelope was something to do with us. All very shadey, but int was us and it appears I have the best apartment even got tinternet. Even if the bed was made up with the duvet the wrong way round so I awoke in the early hours wrestling with the opening.

So Achievements for day one are we arrived to find all our cases correctly in the building, we've tipped all front of house and the racks are cabled. We've got all the amp racks into the substage and they are cabled. The multi's between radio world, amps and FoH are in so hopefully a little bit of plugging this morning and we should have the front end up and running.

Aside from distributing loud speakers around the room the only thing we have rigged to date is the comedy advance bar, while I do admire the ladder bar on a single point, maybe it's the UK health and safety bothers that have got to me, but I wonder who did sign off on this.

What do you think to my rope light?

Now off in search of breakfast.

So what do you think we have forgotton?

2009-01-16T22:11:00.002Z

We've closed all the boxes and loaded it all onto a Mathiews trailer, it wasn't a tight pack. So what do you think we have forgotten? PJ and I went through everything and we recon we've got all that's on the speck and the diagrams. But there is bound to be something, I'll let you know.

Fireworks Pt2 to Christmas Partys

2008-12-18T19:35:00.007Z

Well that just goes to show quite how busy the latter half of November and December have been, it's not that I've being doing nothing at home.

Fireworks Pt2

My second Fireworks outing was again with Coastal Audio at Clivedon House Hotel near Maidenhead, Thankfully the weather was much better and we were not allowed to drive on the grass. This was a private display for a small group of people about 30, we had the same EV X Array and Funktion One sub system we used in Norwich in the summer and with no Noise Police for miles we were able to wind it all the way up. The music started and the first shell went off and we hit 6 car alarms with in the first minute. Brilliant! Only trouble was the wind was blowing on to the hotel so Shell Shock stopped the show and walked the audience round to the other end of the drive, Tim and my self spun the X Array round and turned everything up a few more clicks and we were off again. The display was awesome, I dread to think how much money was spent.

Waitrose Exhibition Trailers

Just when you thought it was safe, Fozzie and I found our selves crawling round another exhibition stand this time it was in a 40 foot trailer with all the sides folded out. We were fitting plasma screens and small pa systems in to the new additions to the Waitrose Events Arsenal.

Delta, European Events Marquee Christmas Party's

A couple of days prep over at Delta then the winter marquee fun started, it was cold and a little damp but thankfully not overly long days. What with it getting dark at about 4 and the lights not being wired up. You can only fumble around for so long with your head torch before it all becomes just a bit too much. I'm afraid to say the events that I have done have been very 'corporate' but I guess what do you expect. The most exciting thing has been the poor power provision, nothing like both generators failing an hour before doors to get people excited.

Puss in Boots at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds

Not quite at the 11th hour but certainly not with much time to spare, Mr Speight and my self got involved as the sound design team for Bury's Panto. It was great to be back in a Suffolk theatre again, unfortunately all I was able to do was help Tim with the quick fitup then leave him to it as I was off to other things. But all reports of our work have been complimentary and hopefully we will be back again.

Machester's Peter Pan Panto at the Opera House

So after a short break at home to remind me who my wife and doughtier were and fit a dishwasher I was off on my way to Manchester, for my first big commercial panto experience. I was working for Orbital my truck turned up at 2pm I had been in the building expecting it from 9am, not really ideal shall we say baring in mind that was a quarter of my fitup time. But the best of it was the crew had to finish flying out the portals before I was allowed to bring any boxes into the building this cost me another two and half hours. Hilarious! Though it was great to catch up with Ben Payne the Lighting Designer who I had not seen since I was at the Wolsey. It was quite a busy week and I feel in order to protect those involved I shouldn't say too much more. But to say there was a fair amount more sweat and stress than originally billed.

Ahh Miss Poppins

It was almost refreshing to find myself on a train to Edinburgh having agreed to do the Edinburgh out and the Manchester in, at least I had fabricated my self a night off in Edinburgh first. I caught up with Mr Bryson and some other friends from the show I think Edinburgh must be my favourite city in the UK. It is worrying how quickly and easy it is to forget just how much kit is on Poppins, I guess it's not surprising that's the biggest touring piece of theatre in the UK at the moment. So I think we completed the get out in record time we we're ready to load about 6am. Even though it was only LX and Sound going out over Saturday night we still managed to get stitched as the LX ladder truck took much longer than anticipated and that ontop of starting late. So it was 9.15 when the shutters opened on the truck lift to expose our trailer. Mr Andy Meadows was on the trailer and I was firring stuff at him and if there is one thing we learnt how to do together during our time on Miss Saigon and that was how to load Autograph boxes on a Mathiews trailer, twenty minutes we were loaded and that's floor to ceiling best part of the way back. I was quite pleased with my self.

So throwing it all in to Manchester seemed to go really well, I did spend most of my time in my harness on the prosc or focusing safety cameras. Ahh the life of a world class sound engineer.

Last Gig till New Year

So I am sat here in my last gig of the year a Christmas Party at Corums Field for Delta and European Events, and it has been a great year, I've managed to step from big gig to big gig and keep my self nice and busy, which in this present climate is only a good thing as far as I can see. I have had the please of working with many good friends and I have met some new additions along the way. Next year is already looking good, what with Saturday Night Fever in Spain kicking it off the Evita Tour and then The War of the Worlds all before the summer.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Fireworks pt1 Norwich Sparks in the Park

2008-11-04T12:05:00.004Z

Now I was really excitited about doing the Norwich City Council Sparks in Earlham Park. Rob at Synergy had recently aquired 16 elements of Mayer Mica Middle scale line array, I had 12 elements and 6 funktion one subs, it was going to be awesome! That said having to get the lorry towed onto site was a sure sign of things to come. With the aid of our telli handler we managed to get the mica up in the air in no time at all. We managed to get it all up and running just before the drzzle started, the weather basically went down hill from there on in. Drizzle turned to rain, rain turned to a full on down pore. I did feel for the fireworks boys, I was ok in my lorry but they were out in the grass with a pourus pop up tent. By the time we finished the first display I was in full gortex head to toe, I wasn't going to get wet and cold. A nice festie burger later and it was time for the big show. Now I do think organised displays are the way forward, the stuff they shot in the air was just fantastic. Very very cool. So gig over and the fun started on trying to manovour the telli handler to the back of the lorry we nearly got it stuck in the mud and it was sliding all over the place. Hmm so what do you do.... A quick rethink and we set off to land the Mica in the car park onto it's dollys and then come back and try and drag the lorry out. Oh then come back and drag the van out. It just turned into a nightmare. So the gig was down by 9:30pm and it was 2am that we eventually managed to leave the sight, considerably muddier and disheartend than we started. But hey I guess that's what you get for trying to do a gig in a field in november. One thing for sure is next year we'll get the agricultural tires on our telli not the grass ones.

Six months in Evita Sheffield to Stoke, Much Fun!

2008-10-30T08:37:00.003Z

So finally what must be at least six months of the show being out on tour I finally got to catch up with my mate Andy Weddell. His show Evita was to move from Sheffield to Stoke on Trent, and the talk towards the beginning of the tour was leading to me being lead PSE but none the less better late than never. And that was the theme for the weekend. Arriving in Sheffield I met up with the team, all started well. The get out went swimmingly, we matched Alex's time from Milton Keynes, which was best part two hours off that the rest of the tour has been. This is also the best get out weekend of the year as the clocks went back giving us another hour in bed! Awesome! So we were on the bus for 1am GMT quite a result. We surfaced about 9am in Stoke-on-Trent, now I've been to Stoke before and it's not the most cosmopolitan place in the world so I had done my research and found somewhere to get breakfast. Fed and watered we returned to the Regent Theatre only to discover that our truck was to be 20 minutes late as there had been an accident. No major dramas, Andy and I did a walk round and worked out how everything was to be. 10:30 came and went so it was off to the sound department catering van to Brew up. No more news on our truck much suggestion that he was just coming round the corner now oh he can see you... Yeah right. In lieu of anything productive to do we set about keeping our selves amused. First on the list was Andy's Sinclare folding bike, much fun would have been improved if the tyres had been inflated correctly. Next on the list was a little Traffic cone loud haler action, only to be replaced by some set dolly racing. All much fun! Anyway our truck turned up two hours late, that's eleven hours after we closed the doors on it in Sheffield, and yes that's the Sheffield about an hour away. Anybody recommend a trucking company?

We made up time well on Sunday and got our selves in good shape, well done team! It was half nine when we left on the Sunday, which I think was not bad going. Monday also went well, I was really pleased with how it sounded and it was great to be back with Andy. That team has had a fairly rough ride on this tour and I think they have got their gig in really good order considering.

Hopefully everyone is as impressed with our work as I was and I'll be back!

New Design and Search

2008-10-17T16:34:00.001+01:00

So dear readership what do you think on the new intergration design?

How Does the search work for you?

Comments below please or Contact Me

Keeping a busy boy in the Corporate world

2008-10-17T15:38:00.002+01:00

This week I've been busy with Metro at Shell again at the beginning of the week in their lovely sports hall. Not overly interesting or exciting I'm afraid, just mortgage paying.

At the end of the week though i was off to a hotel just outside Windsor for a Diageo event with Metro. Rather a small little meeting room for what turned out to be quite an intresting conference. All very pleasant though and the food was superb. Also the guys doing the energisers and team building exercises were very good. Unfortunately I was on my way home before the Guinness and Whiskey started flowing.

HSBC @ Leivester Square and NBA with Adidas Basketball Court at Lartkhall Park

2008-10-15T10:15:00.002+01:00

What with all the theatre work going quite quiet of late I have been busying my self with work in the corporate sector. In the past week or so I was involved with the HSBC event at Leicester Square's Odeon, it was the Chairman's World Road Show. I got to look after all the Motorola radios being used by the event managers and the Gallowglass crew that were in smart trousers and ties. Now that was a first for me as normally I used to seeing these chaps in their shorts and steelies.

Later that week I was involved with the opening of a outdoor basket ball court at Lartkhall Park near Stockwell. The court had been paid for by the NBA and Adidas, now that was quite good of them I thought. Apparently they provide quite a number of courts around the world, an investment in the sport. This time round I was mixing my lectern kit and a hand full of hand held radios. Another nice little gig thanks to Delta Sound. Luckily the wind and the rain held of and it all turned out well.

Katie Bishop.co.uk - Slow Cooking

2008-10-05T21:26:00.003+01:00

So this had been my little project over the past couple of weeks to coincide with launch of her new book Slow Cooking. It is much pinker than anything I have worked on before.
Katie is a good friend of mine who I met thhrough my work with Gofer and Waitrose. We have got a few ideas to add and improve so keep your eye on it over the next few weeks. The book is great I've read through it and it looks great, I will be certainly be dusting my Slow cooker this winter.

Mary Poppins, Edinburgh Playhouse - What a Squeeze

2008-10-03T11:49:00.003+01:00

We always knew it was going to be tight, The Mary Poppins Tour is a big production and Edinburgh Playhouse is the smallest Venue the tour goes to. We didn't get off to the best start when the sound truck turned up at 8pm having being expected at 1pm, we knew it was unlikley to be on time but a 7 hour delay is taking the mick really. So having waited arround all day on Sunday all we really achieved was to tip our truck. We were good value for money that day! But it wasn't just us the sound department that was behind now the whole fitup was a good seven to eight hours behind time and that's a fair proportion of time. Although we were some what removed from the carnage on stage as all the amps are substage and we ran alot of the infrastructure in before the large set pieces arrived. It was still a bun fight trying to achieve anything on stage. We ended up doing a late evening on Tuesday to get the up and down stage ladders in and up as it meant we didn't hold the set boys up too much. So after a fairly full on couple of days and me spending a lot of time in my harnes mainly focusing cameras the show went up, after a clean dress and first preview I think is a really good achievement. I think it does show the skill of all those involved in what is at pressent the biggest touring theatre show in the UK. Thanks team, till Manchester.

Health and Safety turned all the way up to 11 for Shell

2008-09-28T09:11:00.002+01:00

I know we now live in a litigation culture where large, and for that matter increasingly the smaller, companies are writing health and safety policies to ensure they are not left liable for some one who does not have any common sense. Now I have come to find these policies quite amusing and providing there is enough time and people provided to follow these approved practices its fine by me.

So this week I was called to do a little job for Metro at the Shell Centre, Waterloo. Originally it was supposed to be a 7am call. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your take of things as I had not yet watched the approved Shell Sub Contractor Health and Safety video my call was changed to 10am at Metro to watch the above video. Couldn't have been that urgent at 7 then hey?

Now isn't it a bit wrong to be preaching health and safety over a video of people not following the practices being talked about. Maybe that's just me. Any how on arrival at shell in my steel boots, hi vis and gloves I walked down the stairs ensuring to hold on to the hand rail. Pushing the boxes into the building with spotters, think of them as traffic police for flight cases, positioned up and down the corridors to stop any un-suspecting passer by of being crushed to death by a flight case. In the sports hall we donned our hard hats to put our Q7's on the speaker stands and lacing the multicore over the door ways. I think the only thing that didn't happen was panel the walls and floor with soft rubberised shag pile just in case you bump our self. All highly amusing, and all for a 45 minute presentation. But we weren't under time pressure, and there was enough people around to make it happen. Health and Safety is your friend. Know your emergency procedure and turn the lights off when you leave! DON'T PANIC!

Whirl Wind catch up

2008-09-08T13:54:00.002+01:00

It's been a busy week or so. Having left RainMan after a very sucessfull first preview, I was off to the final get out marking the end of the present Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tour. It will be a shame to see that fairly good earner go, we have had a lot of fun on that tour over the last two and a bit years. From there I helped the Happy Dave Lee and top Andy Jackson put Dorian Gray into Sadlers Wells. The highlight of that fit-up aside from some mild confusion about hotel rooms was rigging UPA's on budgy bars between the LX bridges, watch out for those particle beam detectors! Now I am sat in the tech rehersals of Six Actors in search of an Author covering as Associate Sound Designer for Adam Cork. All seems to be going well... for the moment.

Rain Man at the Apollo - Tech Rehersals over.

2008-08-27T17:50:00.003+01:00

We're in the last session of tech here at the Apollo and I've been quite busy today, mainly with bits of video as it happens. I've been fitting a RF modulator to an old TV inorder for it to become a practicle in the show. All else seems to be going to plan. I have managed to stay away from the plumbing of the working sink. Tomorrow's dissapointing task is to re arrange the control box. That includes moving the SFX PC's and all that gubbins, it's going to be helarious.

Grand Opening of the Norwich Big Screen and Olympic Handover

2008-08-25T11:57:00.002+01:00

Imagine my joy to read on the BBC weather page that after a damp start Sunday should be dry from 10 and improve all day. So just how disappointed do you think I was having driven through bit of drizzle and arrived at the Chapel Fields centre to be welcomed by pouring rain. What a great start! So it through it down while Ollie and my self unloaded the van, but thankfully by 11 it all started to dry out and warm up. The BBC Norfolk presenters did well to keep the audience informed of the activities of the day, Sing the Nation sung and the afternoon entertainers were interesting.
Though I think a special round of applause should go to my Elgato TV tuner which was the only way I was able to receive the accompanying audio for the picture on the Big Screen. You do have to ask your self or more to the point to the people who install these things, does it really cost so much to have local connections to the content? All in all another fun day in mainly sun in Norwich with the Events Team.

2nd outing as PE this year for Rain Man at the Apollo Theatre

2008-08-18T22:19:00.002+01:00

Yes indeedie tomorrow is the start of my second theatre fitup as the Head Production Sound Engineer. On the back of the sucess of That Face I am back working with Stage Sound Servicesand Cue One and for the first time Sound Designer Fergus Ohare.

Well we've done the planning, and all the kit has been loaded on to the vehicles, so hopefully it will all go in without too much drama.

Providing the interet, what a cool job

2008-07-25T12:38:00.002+01:00

Another marquee, thankfully another sunny day and this time round I think I have got the best gig yet. I am working for SurfHire.net to provide Internet access for the Press that are attending the UK Athletics London Grandprix. It's a bit different from climbing up trusses or through voids, some would say not a whole lot different to configuring modern digital mixing desks. Though you will be pleased to know that I have not managed to escape getting involved with some sort of plumbing. I've been trying to bung the drain holes on the air conditioning units, so they don't leak all over the floor. I think the phrase is Living That Dream.

A secret festival in East Anglia

2008-07-24T22:03:00.001+01:00

Another M7CL another tent and me, this time at the side of stage doing monitors. But that's all I'm allowd to say. Shhh!

Norwich Lords Mayors Day Musical Festival CFG

2008-07-06T23:16:00.003+01:00

Some pictures from this years' Lord Mayor's Day Music Festival in Chapel Field Gardens Norwich. It was a Coastal Audio gig for Norwich City Council. The PA came from Synergy Audio. We had a Yamaha M7CL out front, Yamaha LS932 on stage 48 ways of passive split, TurboSound TQ315 Wedges, EV X-Array 1152i and Funktion 1 218 Main System. I think the EV system worked better in this application than the Proel Line array we used last summer, though it didn't seem to through quite as afar up the Gardens, but that's not so much a bad thing.

It turned out to be a really good weekend, with a good mix of bands, a real good showcase for what is emerging and a top evenings entertainment.

2008-07-04T10:43:00.000+01:00

Well after moving it round the country and with a little trip to Singapore the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tour will soon be drawing to a close. What better venue to finish in though, The Welsh Millennium Centre Cardiff, it has got to be one of my favourite theatres in the country. It is such a nice building, even if it's cable routes and front of house position are a little obscure. The fitup was nice and easy mainly as there was so much space so we were all able to spread out and do our own thing.

It will be sad to see Chitty go, it's been a really nice job for a freelancer it is quite nice to regularly do a job with the same bunch of people. Everyone knows their own responsibilities and gets on with it. There are also not that many two week fitup tours kicking around at the moment.

Well now that's that I'm about to start on this years festival season, I'm off to pack my things for Norwich Lord Mayors day celebrations.

Kew Gardens, Temperet House - For Barclays

2008-06-15T22:07:00.002+01:00

I think it was a first for me, a gig in a green house, that is and not just any green house but the biggest glass house in the world. A bit of a odd day with a pre-rig at 6am cleared away by 9:30am for the doors to open for the public at 10. Then we were back in at 5 to sound check at 6, Quite a nice gig I do quite like these types of corporate event. Sort and sharp. We had the singing waiters as after dinner entertainment, they were good, they planted some of their number in the audience as guests and as the waiters. So when they began to sing they really were the waiters that had been serving you all evening. All in all anouther pleasureable gig with Delta and White Light Events.

Who says the national rail network is in disorder?

2008-06-04T12:07:00.002+01:00

So I’m on the train from Manchester with changes in Peterborough and Bury St Edmunds ending up at home in Elmswell. It’s a fairly unpleasant cross country journey, all be it quite picturesque through the Peak District. So all was average until the train from Peterbourgh was late arriving so late departing and before you know it it’s running twenty minutes behind time, this was all making my Bury St Edmunds change looking tighter and tighter, and then just before arriving in Bury we were held while the train i wanted to catch passed in front. Hmmm now it looks like I need to make my way back from Bury on my own, not the end of the world a fairly easy taxi ride. But Bury St Edmunds is no metropolitan centre and the the only thing that is 24 hours is Tesco’s. So what to do.. It’s the train operator who I believe are now National Express East Anglia whose problem it is surely? So off I go to speak to the nice pleasant conductor and explain the problem. One phone call later to his fat controller and we’re now making a special stop in Elmswell just for me! How cool is that, I Brew the soundie have the power to stop trains!

Sinatra Poole to Manchester

2008-06-04T12:06:00.002+01:00

It took 15 weeks and it toured the whole country but I eventually caught up with it in Poole.
You may be aware that I have come quite close to getting involved in the Sinatra tour on a number of occasions from a number of different angles, some may even say I have become too involved when it wasn’t my gig. But it was some form of destiny or fait that I would properly get my fingers on the gig before it finished. So ok it was only the penultimate move before the tour ended and I was down to other people not being available. Though never mind it was Pool Lighthouse Centre, yes Poole does have a light house not only that it is big enough to house a concert hall capable of receiving the National Sinatra Tour. Not that you would think so when you get off the train. After a nice short out and a fairly pleasant tour bus experience to Manchester a leisurely start on Monday had us ready for the Tuesday afternoon sound check, an me on a train home.

Fozzie and Brew in the Gaitor

2008-05-24T12:06:00.001+01:00

Waitrose Spring Food Festival at Leckford

2008-05-24T11:51:00.003+01:00

Festival Day 2 and the sun is shinning, well as you can see we started with an empty field and now it's got lots of tents full of wonderfull food and drink. There are loads of people here.

Fozzie and I have been here for a week now and we've been pulling in cable, parking generators, running out water, oh and putting up speakers, lights and cameras. As we're now up and running I'm looking after the demonstrations in the main tent and Foz is off trying to get a skip lorry out of a tree as he had a bit of moment this morning.

Mary Poppins - Plymouth Theatre Royal Fitup Week 2

2008-05-15T15:41:00.002+01:00

The pace has slowed right down now here in Plymouth we’re now half way into week two and we’re on to dry teching. Last week was a fairly full on as this is quite a big show and there was quite a fair amount to achieve. For a start we have a AB vocal system which means anywhere there would normally be one speaker there are two. Oh and it is a separate band system, which means there is also a band speaker so on the prosc there are three Meyer MSL2’s for the band and six Meyer UPA-1P’s per side. The double UPA pair and their rigging weigh in at 90Kgs it’s a real four man operation to get it all up there. I’m quite glad to be the one up the truss on the receiving end.
The front of house desk setup is fairly substantial I think at the last count there were ten LCD’s and that’s not including the five built into the consoles. But there is an awful lot of clever things out there. The amp racks are fairly compact but there are a lot of active speakers we’re also using the XTA 428’s, which are a bit more space effect than the 226.
As I said we’re now into dry techs which means we are spending mornings and meal breaks ticking off the small jobs list, which mainly involves repositioning and focusing cameras that have been hit by automation or other pieces of set. Most of the talk though is about how exactly it’s all going to fit into Edinburgh Playhouse.

That Face at the Duke of York's Theatre FIrst Preview

2008-05-02T15:38:00.001+01:00

The First Preview went extremely well, after a fairly busy day and only one dress rehearsal the cast took to the stage to in what was a really great performance. Everything went ok no problems. We had a audible glitch from the SFX machine but we believe that to be a clocking error and has now been rectified. I must say that I am very impressed with the kit we have had from CueOne and Stage Sound Services. I have really enjoyed using the DME all be it with it’s imperfect interface. As a system it worked really well. I went this morning to check through some sound effects and put tape over the air holes in the E3’s as their bolts were missing and the movement of air was very pronounced. But That Face a great little play I recommend you go and see it. But for now I’m glad to be on the train home with the aid of my 3G mobile broadband.

That Face at the Duke of York's Theatre

2008-04-30T21:25:00.002+01:00

Day two of tech and one more day to go before preview and I'm not convinced we'll get a Dress Rehearsal in. The Duke of York's is quite a nice little theatre, the substage is fairly spacious and clean, that's where we've got all the amps and the SFX PC. The Prosc system consists of UPA's E3's and E18's, On stage we've got E9's and some little FX stuff. We're running the SFX into a DME24N and it all seems to be working really well. It's my first time with SFX and DME and I'm quite impressed.
SFX seems to have it's limitations but what sound effects system doesn't. The DME sounds quite good and is quite flexible. The interface isn't really designed to be operated from a tablet or laptop. Yes you could build control pages but that takes a long time. Meybe they could allow the user to switch in to "keyboard and mouse control" and "I'm using a stilus so can you please look like a Dolby Lake?"
It's is also my first job as Head Production Sound Engineer, ok so it's not the biggest job and I am now a Production team of one, but there was a maximum of three at one point. Anyway it's going really well I'm really enjoying it. Em Laxton the sound designer is great and we've got a good thing going on this.

From Flying Cars to Flying Nannies

2008-04-23T17:50:00.000+01:00

So to keen readers it would appear that I have not been up to much recently. Well that is kind of true, I have just spent a long weekend at home but prior to that I was in Sunderland with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There isn’t really a lot to say about it really as Sunderland is such a dull place. The show went back in with out any major dramas, it all fitted, as that’s where the tour started years ago now. We are all looking forward to moving it to Cardiff in a month or so ass it is a much nicer place and there is so much more to do and see.
So the future looks bright for Brew the sound engineer, today I am busy at Old Billings Gate Fish Market on a job for Metro Broadcast. At the end of this week I start my first Production Sound Engineer job for a Show at the Duke of York’s Theatre London called That Face. It doesn’t look like it is going to be overly complicated but it is quite exciting. From there it’s of to Plymouth for the first part of the Mary Poppins fit up. To finish my four week whirlwind I’m of to Leckford Waitrose’s own farm for their festival, and I hope the weather is better than last year…Must remember my sunny!

Ironclad General Utility Gloves - Online

2008-04-23T17:48:00.002+01:00

Yes I am now fully under way as IronClad Glove dealer to the world. The online shop is now fully operational at http://www.jamesbreward.co.uk/ thanks to the powers of PayPal.

Ironclad General Utility Gloves - Online

2008-04-23T17:48:00.000+01:00

Yes I am now fully under way as IronClad Glove dealer to the world. The online shop is now fully operational at http://www.jamesbreward.co.uk/ thanks to the powers of PayPal.

Ironclad General Utility Gloves £16 inc p&p

2008-03-15T13:09:00.006Z

Yes indeedie after much hype it's now here the Ironclad General Utility Glove is available in Small, Medium and Large all for only £16 including first class postage and packaging. The Online shop is on it's way so in the mean time please simply drop me a email to web@jamesbreward.co.uk with quantities and sizes and I'll get back to you with the rest.

Back in the Pool

2008-03-12T21:39:00.002Z

It's become a bit of a anual event, Chritsmas comes and goes then Chris Layton, head of Live Sound at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) drops me a line asking if I can come up and speak to the third year Sound Tech and Theatre Performace Technology students about advanced live sound things. So this year discussions included, Digital Audio Networking, Ethersound, Cobranet and so fourth. My old favourirte, mixing the top of Miss Saigon to the recording. A whole morning talking about comms and cue lights and power not very soundie I know but ecencial all the same. Finally a look at providing sound effects for theatre. All in all quite a pleaseant and intresting couple of days, and a good bunch of students. Though can you believe there are now sound engineers who havent heard of Revox machines or have never used MiniDisks?

Hitachi Digital Life

2008-02-21T10:15:00.004Z

So here I am in the Queen Elizabeth 2 center in Westminster, I'm here with Delta. Hitachi have built a large walk through experience with six or seven or so spaces we've got surround sound systems in most spaces and actors in radio mic's in a few of them. I'm mixing the radio mic's for the actors. The whole system is being controlled by a 32way sound web system. It's quite a smart gig really it's all about Hitachi improving your future digital life.

THe War of the Worlds UK Tour - Sickness report

2007-12-19T21:57:00.000Z

I don't think anyone has escaped the illness this time around. We've all been ill some of us still hav it but with only two more shows to go and no more overnights on our not very pleasant tour busses I think we have seen the back of it. Though it is some what dissapointing to hear that they are flooding the O2 in order to get the ice ready for the shows after Christmas. And there was me thinking that we'd done the last of the cold ice areans for this tour.

Hopefully I'll be up to full match fitness for tomorrow and I'll get some pics of the the set in good light.

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds - Manchester Evening News Arena

2007-12-11T20:21:00.000Z

Here are some Pictures from Manchester Evening News Arena two days ago. The show that ended with the fighting machine listing in a some what not indented manor. The out out from Manchester wen really well. We were finding our Paul Mathiews trailer quite difficult to pack properly with out the use of load bars. Thankfully now we've got a proper rock and roll trailer and the process is much easier and takes half the time.

Right now you find me half way though Act 1 at Cardiff International Arena, after a nice restful day off we tipped the PA truck at 9am and the whole day has been much more pleasant because of it. Baring in mind we only tipped at 11 in Manchester and the whole day we we were right up against it. So today everything went really well. The show however has been another story, already we've had the bar beat counter stop on me, one of the backing keyboard tracks go one sided. Who says live entertainment isn't live or exciting?

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds - Glasgow SECC

2007-12-05T19:56:00.000Z

Day three on the uk tour and we're half way through the Artillery Man, today has been our first back to back show, having left Aberdeen on the tour buss last night at something like 3am we the sound team we're up not long after 8 for breakfast. By 9 we were tipping the PA then Backline trucks. Although my responisbility is for keyboards and playback I help the dedicated sound team rig the PA as the set and LX boys are still busy on stage. Though I must have damaged my toe kicking a case into place last night as it has been hurting some what.

The Photo's I've got for you show Chris Marsh head of sound looking cool in Belfast, Belfast Odersy, the compact Aberdeen and Glasgow. I've get any of Ricnot managed to any of Richard and his new SD7 but the novelty is starting to ebb slightly.

I'm looking forward to our day off tomorrow in Birmingham I'm going to catch up with Fe, Hannah and my mum and dad.

Hopefully Alex and I can make a better job of packing the truck tonight as it was a bit of a squeeze towards the back.

Travel Day to Belfast

2007-12-01T22:14:00.000Z

Last night we packed up and left production rehearsals in Bray, it seem to take longer than we would have liked but in actual fact it wasn't slow and one would hope we will improve as we do it a few more times. It did only take two hours for us to get all the Backline and sound kit on the truck with doors closed. These pictures are of Richard packing up the madi rack for his Digico 7SD. Don't worry the folk flight case is only to see us to Belfast there is a proper one waiting at the venue.

Then there is the post-war look of studio 1 after we had left it. Our ferry journey across and finally having a small beverage in the Christmas market out side the city hall.

Off to bed now as tomorrow is going to be a big day.

Production Rehearsals Day 2

2007-11-29T15:53:00.000Z

Day 2 of 3 here at Bray Film Studios we are currently in act two of our second full run with Guest Artists, Strings and Band. Currently we're having a little trouble with some noise bugs on the strings. But that aside the Martian is flying correctly today and all other things so far are so good. I'm afraid I've not taken any more pictures of the back of the keyboard players or the play back as I am mildly bored of the view already. Something that will be of interest to all the sound engineers reading this is that we have the new Digico SD7 out front being used across the strings and vocals. Pictures and thoughts to follow.

The Martinans Rise Again

2007-11-27T13:05:00.000Z

So here we are again Band Rehearsals for Jeff Waynes Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, at Hendon Film Studios London. My facard as backline keyboard tech has been maintained and they have asked me back. All is going well, we've had some troubles with the Muse Research Receptors, failing to load all the patches correctly but, today all seems reliable. Currently we are rehearsing Ian as the Dep Conductor, he would normally be playing keys 3. After lunch the guest artists will be joining us to run through their numbers before we pack up and move on to Bray Studios where bu now the stage will be fully laid out and the flying machine all ready. Hopefully more stories and pictures to follow. We open in Belfast on Sunday.

When Rehersal Production Sound Engineers go a Wandering

2007-10-31T16:01:00.001Z

So we're now in to Rehearsals with the cast on stage here at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. So as we are good efficient Sound Engineers we are able to wander round the building checking out the cool things it has like all the powered flying and stage lifts and really high stages. Check out the pictures from the link http://gallery.mac.com/james.breward/100168/

Singapore on a Sunday

2007-10-30T15:35:00.001Z

It would be easy to believe that this trip to Singapore is a bit of a jolly holiday, the hard work and professional job it has been. But here are some pictures and a short description of what we got up to on our day that we were not required to be in the theatre.
The day started quite early for me, I decided to head off to the Botanical Gardens and the Orchid Gardens. My intension s of a pre 8am departure was enough to put the rest of the team off. So I got to wander round the gardens and take it all in on my own aside from the couple of hundred people practicing there tai chi. It does look very peaceful and the group practicing with the umbrellas look like they could cause some real damage if they were not concentrating. The gardens are really pretty there is a really diverse range of plants there is such a vast range of aromas and colours.
Following my guidebook I decided to take in the Orchid Garden, now I don’t know anything really about plants but these ones were really nice too, and it was interesting to read how about the different growing characteristics.
So that was enough sight seeing for one day and the time was fast approaching 11:30 witch was the more respectable time I was supposed to be meeting the team before we headed off to Sentosa. We’d decided we’d catch the cable car across to the island. However in my best brummy accent I think I didn’t articulate which end of the cable car our taxi driver took us. So after arriving at the mid way point and having to explain we wanted to be at the top of the hill not the bottom, the day didn’t appear to be off to the best start. Any way after getting to the top of the hill and boarding our cable car it was a really good vantage point to see the container port and harbour as we swung our way from the Mount Faber to Sentosa, the cable car runs for over a mile don’t you know. On arrival at the island we were faced with a number of transport options in order to reach the beaches on the far side. We rejected the bus or walking options and took the Luge. I’m only disappointed it was so quick I couldn’t take any pictures. We were now on the hunt for the advertised water slides, having walked from the middle to one edge and not discovered any we decided it was time for some lunch and liquid refreshment. It turns out that the water slides were removed years ago it’s just the bits of marketing advertising them still exist. So all we could do is lie on the beach or swim in the sea. Now you certainly can’t do that and live in Sunderland can you?
Having watched the thunderstorm from the beach we headed back to our hotel for showers before heading out to Little India for tea. Now if you come to Singapore the one thing I recommend you do is go and walk around this amazing part of the city. We found a little restaurant serving Indian food, now this stuff is just great so tasty. It being Sunday there was also a lot of people in this area making the most of their day off. Check out the picture of the square we happened across and discovered full of people.
So we’re back at work now, putting the finishing touches to things before the fun and frolics that will ensue when the cast arrive on stage.

Day 3 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Singapore Esplanade Theatre by the Bay

2007-10-24T17:27:00.000+01:00

Today mainly consisted of pulling in more cable, putting the Digico Front of house desk together and ended up with me making some video cables up. There are a few more pictures on my gallery and included here is Tim checking the comms out at the Lx production desk. The sparks are the Chitty arm being modified to fit.

Day 2 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Singapore Esplanade Theatre by the Bay

2007-10-23T16:50:00.001+01:00

Not really that exciting happened today, we just carried on with the fit-up which meant me running cables round the place PJ labelling things and Mike and Tim playing with the delays. All was well until at nearly leaving time PJ decided it would be a good plan to pull in the Front of house multicore and optical fibres. Now for such a new venue with that is so well equipped the fact that there is simply no established cable route from stage to the rear of the stalls is disappointing. So the cable route was akin to a dusty old West End Theatre. Ah well that's the highlights for today I've put a few more pictures up this one is of the lifts for the stage. It's all really cool.

2007-10-22T16:29:00.000+01:00

So after day 1 we have sucseffully tipped our container which had all of our equipment in as it had left Southampton if a little heat and salt exposed. All was there and dry. I imagine the silicone gel bags were damp from the condensation more than salt water exposure. But as I say all was present and correct. Today mainly consisted of setting the amps out, working out how we would configure the cable runs for the speaker placements and working out if and how the front of house position would be big enough for the desk and all it's bits. Check out the pictures for more of an insight. http://gallery.mac.com/james.breward/100168/

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Singapore

2007-10-21T16:30:00.001+01:00

End of full day one in on the Chity Chity Bang Bang "It's not a Holiday" trip to Singapore. After a quick shower on arrival PJ and I met up for our customary Singapore Sling at Raffles. After which we we're joined by Tim who insisted we went on a long old walk in search of beer. After a brief encounter with what felt like the Bangkok scene from Miss Saigon we came a cross a little cafe down a back street which was much more pleasant. Tim and PJ content at least for a while I suggested we head off to little India to find a curry. What hoot that turned out to be. The Indian quarter is all decked out for Diwali and was just immense. We came across a tiny little restaurant that was really busy and had Biryani's which were served off a banana leaf and with out any cutlery. Truly Scrumptious.

Today after a trip round the Museum of Singapore Life we headed off to wards the small island of Pulau Ubin which took a MTR train, a buss and a Bum-Boat ride to reach. Here we rented some bikes and took a trip round the wetland park. Where I think we saw more aeroplanes and litter than wildlife. But it was high tide so allot of it was too far under water. But the scenery was amazing and smell and fell of the place was just top. Good Call Tim. We returned and ate dinner disappointingly in the tourist part of town, I don't think we will be doing that again. Any how, better get some sleep as I think we might have to do some work tomorrow.

Check out the pictures so far. http://gallery.mac.com/james.breward#100168&bgcolor=black

Brew does Satellites

2007-10-21T16:19:00.000+01:00

So there I was in Southampton Odeon Studio 9 on a HSBC conference with delta and I got to go and listen to tone and send it how cool am I?

Pictures of Hannah Clare Breward

2007-09-21T12:53:00.001+01:00

Ok here you go http://www.feandbrew.co.uk/hannah/

It's a Girl

2007-09-16T07:38:00.000+01:00

Hannah Clare Breward, born 11am 15th September 2007!

Snape Maltings Proms

2007-09-01T21:12:00.000+01:00

What a nice way to end the summer, I've been covering Rob from Synergy Audio over at the Snape Maltings Summer Proms. We've been there for all the 'Amplified' acts, we've had Alex Wilson, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and a hand full of other acts It's a really nice space, not an easy one to mix for with it's nice high shiny pitched celling and large brick walls. But it is one of those spaces where when it does come together it really is a beautiful thing. Well now I am sitting back and waiting for our first child, eta 4 days so I'm now going to be taking some time off, just getting the last few things sorted round the house.

Face Book I'm not convinced

2007-08-22T12:53:00.000+01:00

So here I am finally having finally after must be near on 6 weeks writing to let all you lovely people know what I have been up to in my rock and roll world. And the reason for this extended absence from writing, well aside from moving house and expecting a baby I think it is facebook. I think it must be great for people who have plenty of time to spare or can get away with wasting away the afternoon at work just surfing the web. But for a busy boy like me I find my self always rejecting invitations to let a zombie walk all over my page, or poke people. Oh how I long for the days when people used to send out those dull long group emails telling everyone what they had been up to.

2007-07-27T11:24:00.000+01:00

It wasn’t a pretty sight when we eventually arrived on site, there was a lot of mud and the eon tent down the way looked like it was just floating. Thankfully not a lot of our installation goes on out side the tent and it was only light showers so Andy and I managed to crack out all the kit in good time. Emeli was still stuck in Worcester and had resided her self that she wasn’t going to make it across on that Saturday. Needless to say everything was ready for the show, though it turned out to be a really wet week, there was just mud everywhere. Thankfully we our accommodation was in the same lovely cottages we stayed in last year. Though I had a stoke of creativity one evening and decided I had a better idea for the journey home. Though with out the aid of the map I did much making it up. Kirsty and Emeli didn’t really enjoy the experience, but at least it took their minds of the much Fozzie had manage to spray all up the side of the car :-). The rest of the week managed to pass with out major incident. Though when the DeWallt boys next door were packing up they made a right old mess of the ground so it took three tractors chained nose to tail in order to pull their big lorry off. Leaving me two nice wide ruts for me to try and get across in my transit van. Luckily there was three tractors hanging around in order to pull me out.

So what’s my abiding memory of this years agricultural shows, Wet Wet and WET with Mud, deep Mud and Wet MUD. But hey they are a good bunch to work with the Waitrose team, lots of fun, and it sure beats pulling cables through dusty voids in the West End.

Journey to The Royal Welsh Show

2007-07-21T22:21:00.000+01:00

21st July So Andy and I left sleepy Suffolk early on Saturday morning it was raining a fair bit still. I’d checked the traffic reports on line and it looked like our journey across to Builth Wells was going to be slower than normal but still ok. It wasn’t until we were past Cambridge that I heard the travel report on the radio saying that the M5 was closed and Worcestershire, Herefordshire and that corner of the Midlands was a no go zone. I phoned Emeli the Waitrose Event manager who lived in Worcester to see how she was doing. “Worcester is a island, we’re flooded in” she said. Now Andy was following me in the Ford Ranger 4x4 but me in my transit van didn’t fancy my chances of making it through the floods. So a quick stop with Andy, oh how I wish for national Wi-fi coverage. Sat in the lay-by trying to get uptodate travel reports through your mobile is frankly quite dull. But any road much punching in of information into TomTom and looking at the road atlas we were off again, but heading via Shrewsbury. Not the most direct route I know but it only cost us an hour so I don’t think it was too bad. And to the residents of Clun who live by the bridge I’m sorry if us driving through the pictured flood caused any damage. And to the pedestrians who I ferried to through the previous flood your welcome.

Norwich Chapelfield Gardens Music Festival

2007-07-16T10:50:00.000+01:00

Thursday I was with Lee Denison for Delta rigging the tent for Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey's annual charity fund raising summer ball. In amongst the the flight cases were lots of brand new mini's due to be auctioned off as part of the evening

Thought he big gig this weekend was Norwich Chapelfield Gardens Music Festival with Coastal audio and equipment from Synergy. I was out front behind a Yamaha M7CL, again we had the Proel Axiom Line array with extra 21" subs. Toby was onstage with a Yamaha LS9-32 and 8 ways of Turbo Sound TQ wedges. The weekend went really well, the quality of the new music was great a real mix of stuff, it was a great opportunity for new bands as well as old established acts. My favourite was Social Group. You have to see the funny side of it being a dry weekend aside from Cut a Shine a line dancing band something that doesn't really work with audience cowering under the trees. All good fun though.

Last day of Royal Show Cancelled and Genesis Turn it on Again at Old Trafford

2007-07-11T12:07:00.000+01:00

It doesn't look too muddy does it. Well unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the car park for the previous two days you were been flagged down on arrival and told that there was the facility to be towed off so not to worry about getting stuck. It was a big quagmire the show ground wasn't too bad as there are hard roads and wood chip and straw had been put down where people were walking across grass. Though it didn't half rain, the education trailer sank about 100mm in the grass hense it was quite an involved process in Martin getting the tractor unit back underneath. Thanks to the Stonleigh team for helping us out.

Genesis at Old Trafford was superb thanks to my mate John Gaskell who sorted the tickets out, we were sat in the 8th Row hey played a blinder some of the stuff I was a little too young to appreciate but the sound, set, lights, and pyro's were brilliant. It didn't mean allot to me but John was quite made up about being on the pitch, it's just a bit of grass is it not? My only gripe is at a Barenaked Ladies gig you can walk away with the bootleg on a flash drive or down load it when you get home, so how come it takes three weeks for Genesis to send out a CD?

Off to Guildford now for a summer ball with Delta.

Diana Concert

2007-07-01T22:21:00.000+01:00

So I've not seen all of it, but top gig!

Now there was me thinking iit wouldn't be too bad

2007-07-01T22:07:00.000+01:00

So we've had a bit of rain over the past week or so, but I really wasn't expecting the National Agricultural Showground at Stonleigh to be quite as bad as it has been. The grass is getting on for bog, I'm here with Waitrose and we have our normal marquee, so cableing that up with a little bit of mud and rain wasn't too bad. Though when the 40' Events Education trailer turned up it really did look like it was going to be fun and games to get it all on sight. After much discussions and measuring it took about 15 blokes 3 pallets of 8'x4' matting to get the unit onto the grass/bog.
The picture is of Gary Grace the Special Project Coordinator trying to fix a minor plumbing problem with Egg the cow. So all is good dispite the mini tornado here Camp Waitrose.

Back on the Waitrose Fun Bus

2007-06-26T08:31:00.000+01:00

Yep all that good eating has started again as we complete the the Royal Highland Show the first of this years agricultural shows. I don't remember it being quite as wet as this last year. I don't think we has a complete dry day. Though it was never raining on the inside. The presentation is revised from last year and we are only doing 4 demos per day rather than the epic 11. Which feels a lot better as i don't remember stopping last year.
Disappointingly we still had the same power troubles, though thankfully due to Fozzie and myself prep work they were not of our doing. The first night we lost power do to Lidl next door, their power installation is not overly water proof and seen as it was as damp and foggy as it gets the RCD on the common generator decided enough was enough. So that was quite dull but nothing a little modification with a terminal screwdriver wouldn't fix. Though the secon night the power went off at 10pm and unfortunately there was some confusion and the right electrician never got called. I arrived on sight at 6am to find the 125a 3phase and 63a phase lying in the grass. Now I wouldn't expect the over night security to know what to do with these but it was a bit obvious. Anyway some herrice fencing arrived for the final night and suppose surprise all is now good.

So we shall see what happens this weekend in Coventry.

It's great to be back with the team, Emeli the newbe is running with the gig and it's all coming together. Caroline well what can i say it started off with her being cold then it was a bet to see how long she would keep it on for. Needless to say it did cause quite a stir in the hotel bar.

Living the First Class Dream - GNER

2007-06-18T20:35:00.001+01:00

Now you do have to think the nearly broadband on a moving train is a clever thing. If you don't know how it works it's clever and if you do it's really quick and clever.

So I am sitting here on the train to Edinburgh to the Royal Highland Show for Waitrose and I'm checking out the myspace pages for the bands playing at this years Norwich Lord Meyors Celebrations at Chapel Field Gardens. No that's not a bad way to spend a 4 hour journey is it?

Last week I did the first week of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang move from Bristol to Southampton, we were walking back to the hotel at 7ish which I think was quite a result as we were expecting that to be one of the worst outs to date. All went well going into Southampton PJ and Steve put unique ID numbers on all the boxes for the Carnet. So now it's just a case of waiting to see if it all works when we ship it off. Now you have to see the funny side that Southampton is the first venue we have visited that has a dock at trailer height. So the lorrys can back straight up and open the doors and load straigt off with out needing ramps. And this is the venue which we will load out on to containers. I've never loaded a container but I imagine they ain't going to be as straigt forward as loading onto a 40' trailer.

Sunday and this morning saw me with my Gofer shirt on at the Hellenic Centre Marlybone, a nice little gallery type space launching the new layour for their re-vamped store on Marlybone high street store. As with all the things I see by Waitrose I was impressed, their whole ethos and aproach i just think is very good.

Don't think the bandwidth is too good for blogging, myspaceing and email. so one is going to have is going to have to go now.

Update - What I've been upto while off line

2007-06-07T10:10:00.000+01:00

Yes I am now finally back on line. Though Blogger has beaten me and I have had to upload all of these pictures rather than just the cool little flash movie I made. Ah Well
So since my last post in March I have been busy in our new house tiling the bathroom and getting our new drive done. Whilst moving and working on the bathroom I have also been involved with Drowsy Chaperone, I did a lot of the prep work and spent about four weeks down at the Novelo putting it all together. It seems like quite a nice little show.
At the end of April I was looking after front of house for the Guineas Ball at Newmarket Race Course with Gofer. Quite a nice little gig (Black tent picture) We had two bands and a mock SAS team storming the tent, all in the theme of James Bond.
It wasn’t the Cow racing festival but Waitrose’s Leckford Festival at the end of May that I took that picture of Fozzie. A May bank holiday weekend that started so dry and sunny, but ended so wet and muddy. Fozzie and I were doing the things we do for Waitrose, plumbing, emptying bins, pumping diesel. Oh and looking after the power and AV presentations for the demos (white tent picture). In a couple of weeks we’ll be up in Edinburgh at the Royal Highland Show doing it all again.
At the moment though I am sat in Fe’s parent’s place near Gueret in France catching up on things. I’ve also been doing a spot of good old fashioned hard labour, Buddy and I dug that big pile of dead roots out of the vineyard Mike and Alice have become involved with. What you can’t tell from that picture is the big crack in the Hoe Buddy achieved all the fact that it lashed it down with rain all morning.
It’s a bit disjointed but I think we should all be up to date now. Standby for a more frequently updated summer.

Back on Line Finally

2007-06-03T22:11:00.000+01:00

Well when you move house make sure your sellers sort out a stop on their broadband and get a Migration code not just move out leaving you to pick up all the pieces. So yes my apologies for my prolonged absense, I am now back on line, very busy but as I am on holiday with the inlaws I'll hope fully get time to let you know what I have been up to over the next couple of days.

Isn't life dull with out acess to the internet

2007-05-03T20:19:00.000+01:00

So i've moved house and am waiting for BT to throw the old broaband supplier off the line so I can sort mine out. So the posts on here have been a little sparce of late, so my apologies.

I've got a whole bunch of pictures to upload showing all the cool stuff I've been up to so hopefully if progress continues like this on Drowsy Chaperone I should get it done next week.

Chemical Brothers DJ at Theatre Royal Durey Lane?

2007-03-22T07:24:00.000Z

Well that's how the gig was sold to me "Can you baby sit a DJ system, the chemical brothers are playing" Well the Gig actually turned out to be Andrew Lloyd Webbers' sons wedding reception and it was a big fancy affair in the foyer of Durey Lane. The DJ's I am fairly sure were not the Chemical Brothers, however they may have been brothers and done chemicals if you know what I mean. A nice little over night gig.

How many students does it take to mix a show?

2007-03-14T13:02:00.000Z

You've got to be pleased with this haven't you. After having to explain why you mixed musica theatre line for line instead of just gateing the inputs. The Theatre Performance Technology students really got into it.

Steve fitting the band into Southampton

2007-03-07T19:00:00.000Z

Steve working out how the Band will fit into the much smaller pit in Southampton. Meanwhile PJ and I are still going crazy with the carnet spread sheet.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Bristol

2007-03-06T13:39:00.000Z

Busy busy in Bristol, all is going well.

Radio Frequency Sell Off

2007-02-22T15:20:00.000Z

The government is planning to sell off all of the radio frequencies
('spectrum') that we currently use for radio mics & communications, when
they switch off the present analogue TV channels. The process to due to
be completed by 2012, but will be starting much sooner than that.

There is at present NO sensible allowance planned for radio microphone
use within the UK, and this will affect all broadcast and recorded TV,
theatre, schools, other live entertainment & corporate events - indeed
anywhere that currently uses a radio microphone.

The government's action is, of course, motivated entirely by raising
money, and the result will be a damage to people's livelihoods as well
as their enjoyment of pretty well all forms of entertainment.

Please take a moment to contribute by clicking on the following link,
and please pass this on to as many people as you can. It's maybe true
that two millions signatures won't sway the government on road pricing,
but don't let that dissuade you - we must try!

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/PMSEspectrum/

If you want to know more, check out http://www.beirg.org.uk/

Tim's Barcelona pictures

2007-02-20T13:33:00.000Z

Click the link to check out Tim Speight's pictures from our antics in Barcelona

Barcelona 3GSM

2007-02-15T09:45:00.000Z

It's the final day of the show today so here are some of the pictures I have taken over the last few days. My Flickr Today I am waiting for all the seminars to finish so we can begin pulling it all apart.

Pictures from Barcelona

2007-02-13T18:10:00.000Z

hi all here are some pictures of us here at the Pallace in Fira Barcelona 3GSM awards.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17588181@N00/389300853/

3GSM Barcelona Summit

2007-02-12T09:46:00.000Z

Session one down ok now mid Session two talking about putting a credit card chip in the back of your mobile so you simply hold it next to a Electronic point of Sale and enter your pin number in. Quite clever really seen as it can also be your Oyster card too. So you will now be absolutely stuffed with out your mobile.

Day to 3GSM Barcelona

2007-02-10T23:05:00.000Z

Best part of today was spent finishing of Lecture rooms A, B & C in Hall 2 and 5, quite hot work but I think all is well and they are good to begin rehearsals tomorrow. This afternoon the rest of the Summit and Awwards team arrived to begin work up at the Palace. The picture is what all the trusses look like. We spent a few hours running in the Socaplex for all the speaker hangs and also flew 6 hangs of d&b Q-series on the centre round truss. Tommorow we'll be hanging the J-Series main PA and pluging the rest of it together.

Barcelona 3GSM World Congress Sound Build Day 1

2007-02-09T23:11:00.000Z

I know it's not really exciting really but this is were we got to in track B one of the main lecture theaters. The rest of the team also made good headway in track C which is another conference space in Hall 2 a Fira Barcelona. More pictures and witty comments to follow, it's been a long day.

A Week in Brew's Life, Chiago, d&b J-series prep Barcelona and the Science Museum pt2

2007-02-08T15:56:00.000Z

On Sunday morning I was on my way down to Dobsons, some where I'd not been before, to help Chubby & Wills finish of prepping the kit for Barcelona, 2 Digico D1's one D5 and a Heratage 1000 loads of d&b Q and J series the whole gig is decidedly bigger than last year and the kit list has gone up a notch. The plans for the Summit and Awards look really special. Hopefully I should get some good pictures. Well after loading the truck the sun was out and so Chubbs in his Missus hair dressers car decided to take the top of and enjoy it.

Wednesday night was another little quick gig at the Science Museum with White Light, a nice easy gig so easy it was me back in the mixing position which was quite nice. It was nice and relaxed so much so we had a mini e-Pong championship Ali won with 180 something.

A Week in Brew's Life, Chiago, d&b J-series prep Barcelona and the Science Museum pt1

2007-02-08T15:29:00.000Z

As I have been a bit lax and not maintained my blog over the last week as I have been a bit busy I'm going to try and explain the events of the last week with some pictures. Beginning with The Launch of One Piccadilly. This is the site of a old Madam Tussauds exhibit, now it is been converted to a event space and this was the launch party. in the 20 minute show case there were Tap Dogs, Hula Girl, Opera Singers and Songs from Chiago. Looks like it is going to become a nice space. I was running radio's for all the performers.

Scrooge the last leg

2007-01-30T13:07:00.000Z

So Scrooge opened for the final week of the tour last night in Edinburgh, at the Festival Theatre, with no major dramas. Which is what you would expect after it's fifth move. Some minor desk issues but I think that is part of the deal with any digital desk. It was the first time I had been to the Festival Theatre and I was impressed it's quite a nice venue, spacious on stage and easy to work in. And a trip to Edinburgh wouldn't bee complete with out 4 pints in a really good pub we ended up in the Royal Oak just of the south bridge and it was great there was a bloke playing guitar in there both nights a superb little folk place. Highly recommend it.

Barrymore as Scrooge the end is near

2007-01-18T14:49:00.000Z

This weekend saw me on the team taking scrooge out of the Sunderland Empire. The equipment on the show should have made it come out really quickly if they had a Pit Lift, as it was it took us until 4ish. Can't complain though as it took more time to drive to and from Sunderland than the out. This week Scrooge should be in Oxford but due to poor ticket sales that had been pulled. So we pick the batton up in Liverpool Empire next Sunday.

Work to a-Void The Producers Out of Drury Lane

2007-01-18T13:43:00.000Z

So who says being a sound engineer is a glamorous job? I mean the get out is probably the least ingesting, but hey it's got to be done you don't have to bust your guts and you get to play with your mates. But taking down speakers with a good thick layer of dust on them and crawling round in void spaces with a good many number of years grime and dust pulling out all that copper cable, it really is living the sound engineer's dream. But it was a credit to the guys who put it in it all came out nice and easily. A pleasure boys as always.

Our Wedding Pictures

2007-01-08T21:38:00.000Z

Ok so it only took me four months but finally they are here our wedding pictures.