Asked to supply the sound for the Ronnie Scott’s Street Party in London’s Soho, audio production specialist Panache Audio deployed a KV2 Audio system comprising ES1.0 boxes and ES2.6 subs as main PA, and two EX26 loudspeakers for front fill.
‘We specialise in small-to-medium outdoor events, providing stages, sound, lighting, power generators and engineering crew,’ says Panache Audio sound engineer and consultant, Dave Ong. ‘For the past four years we’ve supplied the Watford Jazz Junction with a single ES system from KV2, DiGiCo mixers and monitors for a full stage package.’
It was here that Panache Audio first encountered Ronnie Scott’s Technical Manager Miles Ashton, who often attended the festival as an engineer for the performing bands. ‘This meant Ronnie Scott’s already had familiarity and confidence in our work so, when the street party returned, the General Manager approached us to provide the same package for them,’ Ong says.
Staged in conjunction with the Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation, the event shone a light on work supporting jazz and music education for young people. The day featured DJ sets, family-friendly activities, outdoor bars, street food vendors and cross-generation performances from some of the UK’s finest jazzers.
‘The footprint needed to be small but still offer full, dynamic sound with enough headroom to handle full ensembles,’ Ong continues. ‘We flew the ES1.0 from bars off the left and right of the stage system, increasing throw. The subs were stacked upright on top of each other to pack some extra punch.’
As the stage was a modeat 6m by 4m, it was crucial to use the space available for optimum sound quality and impact. ‘The high buildings on each side of the stage helped the sound travel along the street to reach audiences at the back, rather than dispersing out to the side,’ Ong observes.
The day of the party was a resounding success. Thousands of jazz fans filled Frith Street to soak up performances from Jazz Jamaica, Theon Cross, Cosmic Fusion, Tomorrow’s Warriors and many others. From 11am until 5pm, the street became a hub of live music and community spirit, with KV2 Audio achieving power and coverage throughout the space.
‘All the sound engineers had a great time using KV2 and said it gave them the results they were hoping for,’ Ong reports. ‘Miles Ashton admitted that the KV2 sound travelled much better than the set-up used at their last street party.’
With its mix of world-class performances and high-quality production, this iteration of the Ronnie Scott’s Street Party illustrated why it has become a highlight of London’s cultural calendar. This year’s event not only celebrated jazz in all its forms, but also showcased the technical delivery from Panache Audio and KV2, elevating the live music experience for both performers and audiences.