Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Adlib Walks with the Giants for Liverpool's Dream

12/11/2018

Adlib Walks with the Giants for Liverpool's Dream posted: 10/11/2018

The Little Boy at Night.

Adlib was delighted to be the audio supplier for the incredible - and apparently final - Giant Spectacular show staged in Liverpool, produced by the iconic street and outdoor theatre company Royal de Luxe, who are based in Nantes, France.

This involved on-board sound systems mounted to the supporting structures for each of the Giants and a custom Music Truck which featured a live band, as well as providing several reinforcement PA systems, which travelled to the different gathering points along the 20-mile route.

The extravaganza attracted an estimated 1.3 million people to the city centre over the weekend of October 4th - 7th to see this final tale of epic proportions, and the fate of the much-loved oversized marionette puppets unfold.

left to right Royal de Luxe's St phane Brosse with Adlib's audio team of Phil Stoker, Max Taylor, Billy Bryson and Leah Coyle

The giant larger than life characters comprised The Explorer, the Little Boy Giant, his dog Xolo, and a surprise appearance by the Little Girl, who re-entered the story on the Sunday for the finale.

It was the third Liverpool Giant Spectacular, and having delivered the previous events in 2012 and 2014 so successfully, Adlib was commissioned by production manager Stu Stalker of Event Design Co (EDC) and Royal De Luxe's production manager Jeff Havart to provide audio for the city's final Giant Spectacular.

The performance's theme was Liverpool's Dream and it was part of Liverpool 2018, an initiative celebrating 10 amazing years since the city's ground-breaking 12 months as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

The Giants route started at the St George's Hall Plateau for the Little Boy Giant and over in Fort Perch Rock in the Wirral for The Explorer, ending at Canning Dock.

The Little Boy having lunch

The meticulous planning and detail needed to deliver a show of this scale and complexity started back in April, with Adlib's Phil Stoker and Stu Stalker building on their previous experiences and knowledge of what were the best and most efficient working practices to deliver this event.

Adlib's Leah Coyle was the lead project manager / account handler, collaborating closely with EDC and Royal de Luxe's sound designer St phane Brosse to produce a specification suitable for such a dynamic event.

The Little Boy preparing for sleep

St phane had some very particular requirements for the on-board PA systems, each of which featured a standalone audio set up delivering special effects, each with the capability of being linked together to interact with one another if needed.

Each Giant also had its own on-board monitor system which was used to communicate orders to the many people ( Lilliputians') required to operate and drive the massive pullies and rigging systems that enabled the articulated joints and wheel bases to move the marionettes.

The Little Girl

St phane stipulates L-Acoustics systems exclusively for these shows, primarily for the wide range and flexibility of its products, the efficiency of the enclosures plus the fact both companies are French makes L-Acoustics a first choice here. On a more general level, St phane has a historic relationship with the brand's touring support team and of its global availability via the L-Acoustics rental network, which aids continuity between shows around the world.

Each of the Giant's PA's were positioned and secured in place with several bespoke brackets and rigging designed to maximise the impact of the loudspeaker enclosures whilst having the least effect on the aesthetics and appearance of the Giants themselves.

The Explorer's system included KIVA-II and KARA speakers with SB18 subs, the Little Giant's system included KARA, ARCS Wides and SB18 subs all powered by L-Acoustics LA12X amps, with a Midas M32R digital mixer on each of the Giants.

The Explorer on a crane

Much of the event comprised the Giants parading along the streets of Liverpool's city centre, and throughout the journey, they were always accompanied by The Music Truck - a flatbed containing a full live band, complete with a 24 element L-Acoustics KARA system with four L-Acoustics X12s for side fills and four ARCS-II for rear coverage, together with 10 x SB18 subs, all artfully stacked and fitted to ensure the musicians also had plenty of room!

The mixing console on the truck was a DiGiCo SD10, chosen for its power and small size running with a collection of outboard effects including a Lexicon PCM92 reverb / effects processor, a TC M4000 reverb unit, three Empirical Labs EL8-X distressors, an API stereo compressor and a dbx 160SL dual compressor all encapsulated in an Adlib FX rack.

There were areas along the parade route where the Giants would stop and perform large scenes, and typically these locations attracted the biggest audiences, so Adlib provided large hangs of PA to reinforce the mobile systems.

Given the show's fast pace, central location and audience size, Adlib decided to utilise large cranes to fly the audio systems so the appropriate amount of PA could be used for the larger scenes. This was a smart decision that also meant the same PA system could be used more than once in different locations over the course of the event.

During the planning process Leah worked diligently with the teams from STS who provided the backline for the Music Truck, locally based John Such Cranes, to source the requisite plant on site, and with Gary Hodson from Hodson Crane Hire, who provided a number of Hiab loader cranes for the event.

Leah commented, The intricate planning by EDC's production management team helped everyone in making this project flow so smoothly and seamlessly. Many of the technical aspects changed at the
LINK: https://www.live-production.tv/news/shows/adlib-walks-giants-liverpool...
See more stories from liveproduction

Most recent headlines

03/01/2026

Release Rundown: What to Watch in January, From All That's Left of You to OBEX

A still from OBEX by Albert Birney, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance...

02/01/2026

Freezing Florida: NHL's EVP, Entertainment Bob Chesterman on Taking the Winter Classic to Miami

Freezing Florida: NHL's EVP, Entertainment Bob Chesterman on Taking the Wint...

02/01/2026

NHL Winter Classic 2026: TNT Sports Prepares for First NHL Outdoor Game in Sunshine State

NHL Winter Classic 2026: TNT Sports Prepares for First NHL Outdoor Game in Sunsh...

02/01/2026

ATSC To Showcase Latest NextGen TV Developments At CES 2026

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

02/01/2026

Pearl TV To Unveil NextGen TV Converter Box Program At CES 2026

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

02/01/2026

New RT documentary series takes us inside one of Ireland's busiest hospitals

Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...

02/01/2026

All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 January

Friday 2 January 2026 All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...

02/01/2026

Coming Soon to RT this New Year

Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026 New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT ...

01/01/2026

Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship

Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...

01/01/2026

GeForce NOW Rings In 2026 With 14 New Games in January

New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...

31/12/2025

NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-Vikings Becoming the Most-Streamed NFL Game in US History

Back to All News NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...

30/12/2025

As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its MegaCast Multiplatform Playbook

As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...

30/12/2025

SVG's Best of 2025: Original Articles

SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...

30/12/2025

L3Harris Sets Date for Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings Release

MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...

30/12/2025

TV Techs Most Popular Stories of 2025

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

30/12/2025

Ring in the New Year with Patrick Kielty and a sparkling line-up on The Late Late Show New Year's Eve Show

Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...

30/12/2025

Space42 Conducts Europe's First Licensed HAPS Flight

It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace The flight demonstrated HAP...

29/12/2025

San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser Spectacular

San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...

29/12/2025

The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup With FIFA's Oscar Sanchez

The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...

29/12/2025

SVG's Best of 2025: Longform Video

SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...

29/12/2025

25 Ways Spotify Leveled Up Your Listening in 2025

From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...

29/12/2025

TV Tech's Top Regulatory Stories of the Year

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

27/12/2025

TV Tech's Top Data Dumps of 2025

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

26/12/2025

TV Tech's Top Streaming Stories of 2025

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

26/12/2025

TV Tech's Top Data Points of 2025

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

25/12/2025

Make Spirits Bright With Holiday Hits on GeForce NOW

Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break. Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...

24/12/2025

What is AI good for?

What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025 What is AI good for? What is AI good for? It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...

24/12/2025

AI in 2026: More Collaboration, Less Hype

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

Carr Lays Out FCCs 'Key Wins in 2025'

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

CES: Cineverse Unveils New Features for Cinesearch

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

IES, AES Promote Graham Kirk, Brienne Willcock

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

Ad Tech and CTV Experts Forecast 2026's Biggest Trends

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

Shaking up Sunday nights this January Dancing with the Stars unveils the new promo for 2026

RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...

24/12/2025

The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key Art, and Participants' Profiles

Back to All News The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...

24/12/2025

Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2

Back to All News Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2 Entertainment 24 December 2025 GlobalJapan Link copied t...

24/12/2025

December 23, 2025

Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...

23/12/2025

How guilas Cibaeas Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Global Audience

How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...

23/12/2025

CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language Support

CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...

23/12/2025

Analysis: As Sports Media Values Trend Negative, Scarcity and Quality Are King

Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08 Print ...

23/12/2025

ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of Dunk the Halls'

ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...

23/12/2025

End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!

End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm P...

23/12/2025

Find Your Perfect Holiday Romance Listen With These Swoon-Worthy Audiobooks

The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...

23/12/2025

L3Harris Receives Letter of Intent from Kratos Defense for Production of Large Hypersonic Solid Rocket Motors

A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...

23/12/2025

FCC Bans All New Foreign-Made Drones

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

Gray Media Renews Its NBC Affiliation Agreements

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

Lightware to showcase breakthrough Google Meet and TPN MM...

Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...

23/12/2025

Nielsen, Roku Expand Measurement Partnership

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

PwC: Streaming Market Shifting to 'Scale and Sustainability'

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...