Taking in arenas across the UK and Europe, Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds The Spirit of Man tour was on a scale rarely seen in live music. Now entering its third decade of, the show continues to push technical boundaries – blending live orchestra and rock band with 3D holography, pyrotechnics, a towering Martian Fighting Machine, and some of the most recognisable music and narration in British theatrical history.
RG Jones Sound Engineering, the UK’s longest-established A/V company, has been part of this journey since 2009, supplying the full audio system for every UK arena tour since.
‘This job demands meticulous planning and precision deployment across a wide variety of venues and technical challenges,’ says RG Jones Senior Project Manager, Jack Bowcher. ‘I know the audiences attending Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds are made up of people who really do know every note; this music is as iconic as Tubular Bells or Dark Side of the Moon. From a Project Manager perspective, adding the Newton to a job of this scale and complexity is a game changer, and as always, it integrated seamlessly into our workflow.’
RG’s System Engineer Rylan Machin was responsible for managing an intricate sound design that reflected the scale and theatrical ambition of the production. The system featured multiple flown main hangs, in fill, front fill, delays, subwoofers and surround arrays, each demanding precise control and alignment across a variety of large-scale venues – a role filled by Outline’s Newton processor.
‘The Newton was a vital component in managing an exceptionally complex audio system,’ explains Machin. ‘Every venue presented different acoustic challenges, and the show’s design required consistent and precise balancing of numerous system elements.’
At the heart of the set-up, the Newton processor enabled fast, flexible configuration thanks to its powerful matrix routing capabilities. It allowed the team to adapt quickly to the technical demands of each venue, ensuring efficiency without compromising quality. ‘The Newton’s built-in EQ, delay, and filtering tools made system tuning straightforward and consistent across all environments,’ Machin says. ‘Its intuitive interface meant I could make quick adjustments during setup, which is essential on a fast-paced tour like this.’
Having worked with Newton on previous projects, Machin was confident in its ability to handle a production of this scale. ‘I had full confidence in deploying it,’ he says. ‘Overall, the Newton was more than just a processor – it was a problem solver that made my job considerably easier on this tour.’
The Spirit of Man showcased not only the enduring appeal of Jeff Wayne’s musical but also the collaborative expertise behind the scenes. With RG Jones Sound Engineering’s deep touring experience and Outline’s Newton processor delivering versatile, high-performance system control, the team had the tools and knowledge to meet the demands of one of the most ambitious musical theatre productions touring today.
More: www.rgjones.co.uk