Green Day’s yearlong tour, which began last spring, needed the right audio system to translate the raw punk virtuosi for stadiumscale venues.
The Saviors Tour is a celebration of classic punk rock coined with high-level production values to which the band’s fans have become accustomed. FOH Engineer Kevin Lemoine has been working with Green Day since 2000, noting how the band’s live evolution has grown bigger while managing to remain intimate in spirit for those die-hard punk fans. “They have evolved a lot. Our first couple of runs were, compared to today, very scaled down. Clubs, theaters, small arenas, and festivals were the norm, but the spirit was the same; a few band guys giving it their all and really living and breathing this– just the same as they do today,” he begins.
A review in Variety echoes Lemoine’s thoughts: “The California natives harnessed their club-rearing early days with ease. As they ran through the entirety of “Dookie” and “American Idiot,” the former released in 1994 and the latter a decade later, they performed with intensity and a pitch perfect allegiance to the original records with a 20-something hunger, as if time itself had been frozen, at least for one night.”
Amplifying the heady days of small venue punk rock with authenticity while mixing their sound for tens of thousands of people at a time is no easy feat, as Lemoine continues: “I don’t distract the fans from what they are familiar with; everyone knows the words, the instrumentation, all the hooks, balances and emphasis. It’s my job to make the whole thing familiar.”
Working with audio rental partner Eighth Day Sound (part of Clair Global), Lemoine can fulfill his every need on the road: “Everything I can possibly think of to make my artist stand out and be presented better has always been met with educated assistance, expert handling, and zero judgment.
“Every crazy idea I’ve had has always been answered with a smile and a ‘Yes, let’s do it!’ Their tech support is unparalleled, and infrastructure it’s smartly approached as a part of a global community.”
Most often, a Rupert Neve Designs 5088 is Lemoine’s console of choice, and if it’s a fly gig, a Trident 88 or an Avid S6L desk steps in. “The Trident is great, it’s a compact 24-channel analog console that we have been using since 2021. Right now, both analog consoles share the same plug-ins and analog vocal rack, and my favorite plug-ins are the Black Salt Audio Silencer and Soothe Live.
“This spec goes back to not wanting to distract the audience from what they know,” Lemoine says. “They are incredibly familiar with Green Day’s material, and I’m hyper-conscious about not dumbing it down. Fans pay a lot of money and take personal time to make Green Day a part of their timeline. That means a lot to me, and I’m going to do everything possible to make sure it translates perfectly, above expectation.”
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Lemoine have concluded that a DPA 2028 capsule is the right fit to project the singer’s unmistakable vocals. “We have found that it works really well for him for a number of reasons, but to me, the biggest thing is tonality. It’s dynamic, present, and smooth.”
Another key piece of equipment for this band’s signature sound is the chosen PA system, a d&b audiotechnik GSL designed to tackle some substantial audiences– up to 90,000 at the Italian shows–as Lemoine furthers: “It keeps so much energy off the stage, which is a huge factor.”
The system deployment is simple: mains, sides, ground subs with fills, and a set of small delays. “We have a set of 270-degree hangs to deploy for certain markets but the goal here is to keep the PA as simple and effective as possible,” says Systems Engineer Clark Thomas. He describes the GSL PA system as “punchy and articulate.” “It’s great for punk rock. The GSL does a very good job at keeping everyone feeling very “near field” to the PA while being at a distance.”
The GSL is driven by DirectOut Prodigy.MP at the front end, using the Globcon software with Smaart V9, d&b R1 and d&b ArrayCalc for precision calculations.
There are 12 mixes for this gig; six musicians on stage, a guest mix, a few tech mixes, and a FOH mix from Monitor Engineer Danny Badorine’s Avid S6L 32D console into Wisycom IEMs.
Although Badorine inherited the Avid S6L, it is also his console preference. “I’ve been using it almost exclusively for six years. The S6L sounds incredibly accurate and has everything I need so I’ve never found a use for third-party plug-ins,” he says. “I’m using less than 10 plug-ins and they’re all native to the console. I have a few reverbs, an extra compressor for the kick drum, a multi-band on the lead vocal, and a bus compressor for the FOH mix. We have a thumper for the drummer that’s driven by a d&b D80 amp, but there’s no speakers on stage.”
Badorine uses Wisycom in-ears and a Smaart rig to test them every day through a MiEMi-m measurement tool. “The MiEMi-m tells me if they have any blown drivers. It’s one of the best tools I’ve acquired in a long time.”
RF Engineer, Rogerio Bammann, has coordinated RF for the entire North American tour line up–a lively mix of punk sub-genres from Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and the Linda Linda’s.
“Our frequencies are clean and away from interference and DTV,” he says. “A major issue that I’ve encountered is how busy the spectrum now is. By having a good scan and being able to spot where DTV is, and scanning constantly, I can see how the spectrum behaves during the day, and therefore make decisions on where the instruments and the ears will land.”
For scanning, Rogerio uses the OWON HSA1016- TG handheld spectrum analyzer, and for coordination, the SoundBase app. “It’s fast and reliable. Having the ability to use the pre-amplifier has helped me to find the dips where the mics, instruments, and IEMs will work better.”
Clair Global also supplied additional services to this tour; 18 Riedel Bolero wireless intercom packs for reliable full-duplex production comms, 120 Motorola two-way radios, and data services in the form of a new Pelican IT package, ideal for dressing rooms, and 3 x Production IT racks.
“The reputation of this tour is that it is done with integrity and respect,” Badorine summed up. “Departments are properly staffed; the crew is treated as they should be – in large part due to our Production Manager Zito–and getting the chance to work with Kevin Lemoine is not something you want to turn down! It has been truly amazing.
“I was set up for success in every way possible. The band’s longtime Monitor Engineer Beau Alexander handed me a perfect file. I watched him mix a couple of shows and all I had to do was replicate it–the hard work was already done.
“Our Eighth Day Sound / Clair Global Account Executives Beau Alexander and Jason Vrobel have assembled the best audio crew I’ve ever seen,” Badorine continues, “and they’ve supported me in countless ways over the last 15 years. Our audio techs –including Dylan Rohrer–are all-stars and have enabled me to continue with this gig. It’s a real privilege to be out here– I’ve never been treated with this much respect from production and an audio crew.”
