Spec’ing a Pearl Jam P.A.

London, UK (September 6, 2024)—Pearl Jam is in the midst of its Dark Matter World Tour, which began in May and will see the classic rock band solider on through late November, closing out the trek in Australia. While the band is currently selling out arenas on its second U.S. leg, with audio production provided by longtime audio supplier Rat Sound (Escondido, CA), June and July found the group hitting the United Kingdom and Europe, with P.A. from another longtime sound company, Britannia Row.

While Pearl Jam has toured since the beginning with Rat Sound in the U.S., a decades-old collaboration with Britannia Row comes into play when P.A. is required further afield—like in Europe. FOH mixer Greg Nelson said, “When I started working with the band in 2004, Rat Sound and Britannia Row had already built a relationship, and I’d personally been using Brit Row since the late ’90s with different acts, including Incubus, so I already had a good relationship of my own with them when I came in to mix Pearl Jam. It’s been wonderful ever since.”

For the overseas summer leg, Nelson and systems engineer Andrew Gilchrest requested an L-Acoustics system—and they got it. Supervised by Britannia Row Productions’ Lez Dwight, an L-Acoustics K1/K2 system design was overseen by event support engineer Laurie Fradley and operations manager Tim Mole.

Getting the system in gear went relatively smoothly, according to Gilchrest: “The production for this tour is completely different to anything the band has done before—the addition of a massive projection screen meant the PA configuration had to be altered. It was moved 15 feet further downstage, and Laurie and Tim have been fantastic in helping with adjustments. I just send an L-Acoustics Soundvision file, and they put it together.”

Having the right tools on hand to do the job is only part of the equation, however. Having a set goal on what they want a show to sound like, and then a shared mindset on how to achieve is key. Nelson explained, “Andrew and I have a similar ear; he hears what I hear, and I hear what he hears, so I trust him implicitly to run anywhere around the arena. I don’t have to double check.”

With that in mind, Gilchrest then ensures the results are in line with expectations. “I’ve learned what he’s looking for, what ‘good’ sound is from him,” he said. “As a system engineer, I spend quite a bit of time walking around the venue making sure Greg’s mix is being translated to the rest of the crowd. It can sometimes be difficult, but I love the challenge and the fact that I can help make sure each audience member has an enjoyable listening experience.”

For Nelson, Brit Row’s K1/K2 system was quite specifically what he had in mind for the band’s live sound. “There’s just something about L-Acoustics and how I mix that means I can achieve certain things with Ed’s vocal and the guitars that I can’t recreate with other PAs,” he said. “I try to hit the very front row as best I can and achieve a ‘wall of sound’ with a warm, full range, and a crystal clear vocal on top. Pearl Jam are an amazing band, and their fans are passionate and incredibly loyal, so I want them to have the best experience possible. They’re great musicians, and put so much energy into their shows, that I need to do the best job I can.”