Bryan Adams recently visited our shores again and played a series of unplugged concerts throughout the country as part of his Bare Bones World Tour. Of course, along with his long-time FOH engineer Jody Perpick, he also brought his trusty monitor engineer, Rob Nevalainen. Besides handling monitor duties for Mr Adams, Nevalainen is also the owner of Coquitlam, British Columbia-based rental house Gearforce and has a long history spanning 25 years in the audio business. Always interested, Pro Systems caught up with him at Carnival City just prior to Bryan Adams’ gig there.
Tell me a bit about yourself and how you got into audio.
I started in this industry playing drums in a band. A friend of mine owned a sound system and I used to help him set it up for us. When my band broke up, he asked me to fill in for him mixing a different band, and I enjoyed myself so much I continued to pursue that career.
Tell me a bit about your company Gearforce. When was it founded? Why did it come about?
I started Gearforce in 2000. The premise of the company was to provide high-end components that were difficult to find at other audio companies, like wireless, in ear monitor systems and large format consoles. We also had a very large inventory of tube compression and preamps. My idea was that I could fill in all of the high-end holes in other companies’ inventories to provide a great experience for the mixer. The company has really evolved over the past 14 years. We now specialise in digital consoles, deployment of large wireless systems and universal touring kits.
How do you balance touring with running Gearforce?
It’s a difficult balance, but I sent up the company from day one to be paperless, so as technologies have emerged we’ve jumped on them to keep everyone in the loop. We have been cloud based since 2004. We have used various types of instant messaging and VoIP systems to stay in touch immediately, no matter where we are in the world. There are five of us who take care of everything from booking the shows to prepping the gear to maintenance to bookkeeping. We also set up and mix the shows, and have a great stable of touring freelancers. I have included everyone in purchasing decisions, because I believe the people I have around me understand exactly where we are heading as a company. The synergy we have is quite something.
You have been with Bryan Adams for a number of years. How did you get involved with that gig?
I got a call from Jody, the FOH engineer, years ago to fill in for their old guy who went off to mix some American acts. I’ve been there since!
What is most rewarding about working with Bryan Adams?
There are a couple of things. Bryan can be challenging to work with, because he always expects your ’A” game, no matter what situation we are thrown into, and that challenge really helps you grow and stay on top of your craft. As he is popular in over 100 countries we do some really interesting, weird shows that you normally would not do.
Your career spans back 25 years. Do you miss the days of analogue consoles? Has it been easy for you to adapt to emerging technologies?
I can’t say I really miss the days of analogue consoles. I do miss how musical some of them sounded, but most of the manufacturers these days are doing a good job of modelling that sound. It’s definitely different, where before you would choose a console for the colouring it had, now most of them are colourless. That allows you to create in a different way. I have always been an early adopter (of digital), and I’m really not worried about the technologies failing you. I think if you do your research and have a good backup plan you can live on the front edge. These are interesting times!
You are a big Avid console supporter. What is it about Avid that draws you to their company and products?
Avid got in touch with me about a year before they produced their first live console. They really wanted to get it right, and wanted you to think outside the box. Some of the key people have changed from that point but they still believe their console should be about great sound and easy accessibility. I think that’s why a company with no previous experience in live sound has become one of the most rider friendly products in the world. And I really cannot say enough about their product support. Once again, they realise it’s about the people.
Have you ever worked in the studio? If so, do you bring any studio sensibility to your live work?
I had a small studio for a few years early in my career. When I mixed live I always wanted to make sure that the sound ’lived’ as opposed to capturing it perfectly as you would in a studio. The new digital consoles give you many more studio tools to create with, and I’ve been able to experiment more than I would have back in the analogue days.
You also work for Michael Buble. What are the main differences between working for him and Bryan Adams? Do they require totally different approaches?
These days my involvement with Michael is more one offs or TV. The approach with him is actually pretty similar, because he also believes in the spontaneity of a live show. It’s really not contrived, and he believes it’s about the music more so than the production.
Where is your favourite place that you have travelled on your tours and why?
I really love India. I’ve been there four times now and the energy there is incredible. It’s very raw.
What do you do for fun when you’re not working?
I have two active young children, and I am very involved in their lives. Touring with Bryan part time allows me to be at home a lot and I can participate in all of their activities. My wife is very supportive of my career and holds down the fort while I’m gone. It’s an incredible thing to re-experience the world through your children’s eyes.
What is your favourite food and why?
I’ve had the opportunity of visiting many countries with my work, and trying many foods, and I’ve developed a real taste for spicy food. Nothing beats a great curry!
