Florence + The Machine Tours with Gear from Britannia Row

	A new element to this Florence era is the "witch choir." "It adds a lot of choreography, so it's less about standing with a band now, and more about a full visual performance," Brodrick explains. Photo: Madison Julie Creative

Florence + The Machine's Everybody Scream Tour is led by tour director Lucy Graubart, production manager Wob Roberts, and tour manager Emily Holt. "I'm so proud to work with some iconic female artists, and Florence is certainly that," says Holt, who has worked with multiple Clair Global brands over the years; Britannia Row, a Clair Global brand, is the tour's audio gear supplier.

Front-of-house engineer Brad Madix, who began working with front woman Florence Welch in 2017, says, "The sound hasn't changed drastically over the years, but the mood has. It's become darker, more introspective, a little more ominous, and we've started incorporating some unconventional elements, with unusual instruments to add texture and atmosphere."

These include a glass armonica and a waterphone, which is "an eerie, metallic instrument you hear in a lot of sci-fi and horror soundtracks to create shifting, haunting tones," says Madix, adding that it is used to create transitions between songs.

Welch's vocals are heard through a DPA 4018V capsule as it's "smooth, with a nice high-end presence," Madix says. Mixing on his favourite Avid S6L console, bar a couple of plug-ins, he continues, "I try to keep things relatively simple and use what's in my desk. It comes down to familiarity and workflow, and this desk integrates well with Pro Tools. I like how flexible it is. I build layouts for every song, so everything I need is right in front of me, but the goal is to automate as much as possible in the background so I can focus on her vocal. That's always the priority."

Systems engineer Elad Kleiner has worked with Clair Global for a decade. Transferring knowledge for the 2026 incarnation with Britannia Row, he says, "Once you understand what a truly global company means, you realize there's almost no limit to the level of support available. Together, we're able to resolve any issues quickly on the road, and that allows us to stay focused on delivering a great show every night."

Madix adds, "One of Clair's biggest strengths, for all its brands, is global consistency. I know I can take this exact setup anywhere in the world and recreate it. That level of logistical and technical support is hard to match."

Roberts, a longtime client of Britannia Row, says, "It's great being able to work with Britannia Row and Skan PA again. Brad and Elad stated their preference for using a Cohesion PA during the promo shows last year, and hearing it in action now, I can understand why."

The system design comprises Cohesion CO12 for the main and side hangs; rear hangs are CO10s. Low-frequency support is provided by flown CP218 II+ subwoofers arranged in a cardioid configuration, complemented by CP218 ground subs positioned across the front in ULF mode. Front fill is achieved using CP6+ self-powered loudspeakers distributed across the front line, with an additional CP6+ placed at the end of the thrust. Delay systems differ by region, with the EU configuration using CO10s and the current US tour deploying CO12s, both operating at 80° dispersion.

"While achieving even coverage across the floor," Kleiner says, "we minimize the level on the thrust stage as much as possible. This is important not only to reduce feedback from Florence's mic but to lower the noise in her IEMs. We do this while keeping the sonic image aligned with the stage perspective."

Navigating the production design's large video screen and long thrust are among the potential audio challenges. "The video screen changes height regularly; its size and position can shade the acoustic summation points between left and right. This could result in poor frequency response towards the far end of the arena, but to address this, we have implemented a center delay hang to improve consistency for the audience in those seats."

"I really like this system," Madix says. "The high end is noticeably smoother, and we're doing a lot less corrective EQ than we used to. It feels like a real step forward."

At the monitor position, Hannah Brodrick likes to "get into the head" of her subjects, naming intuition as crucial to her mixing duties. "The mark of a good monitor engineer is knowing if there's a problem and fixing it before the artist even realizes," she says. "I always joke that I became a monitor engineer because my dad was an electronics engineer and my mum was a therapist. That combination really helps," she adds, laughing.

"Monitors are about 80% emotional intelligence and 20% technical skill. You need to be able to read people and understand their mood, their confidence, whether they're tired, understanding who needs reassurance, etc., and that side of the job comes quite naturally to me. When people ask me what skills you need to mix monitors, I always say: learn a bit of psychology."

It's not just about the principal artist: "Everyone's mix matters. The crew needs consistency too, because their roles are just as important," she confirms.

A new element to this Florence era is the "witch choir," a group of four backing singers who glide as if summoned moments before the show begins. "It adds a lot of choreography, so it's less about standing with a band now, and more about a full visual performance," Brodrick explains.

Using a DiGiCo Quantum 338 and a Shure PSM/Ultimate Ears combo, she continues: "For plug-ins, I'm using Fourier Audio Transform Engine, and Seventh Heaven by LiquidSonics, which sounds amazing, especially on her vocal. I'm also using KLANG: technologies for the first time. It's such an atmospheric show; it's nice to use that sense of space in the mixes. I'm not going overboard; there's just some subtle touches on BVs and drums." She also employs a Fairchild 670 compressor and a Lexicon 224 digital reverb.

Preparing for the show, with monitor tech Nick Jackson, Brodrick says the support from Britannia Row has been very accommodating. "For example, the warehouse was open on January 2nd when I wanted to prep, which I wasn't expecting. Sam Spice [Britannia Row's head of RF and mics] was a huge help in setting up the RF. This was my first time running IEMs digitally, so I worked closely with him and Shure early on. He even came down to rehearsals to help us run tests, so I feel very well supported."

Jackson adds, "The setup at Britannia Row now is amazing. I started out in their warehouse 11 years ago, and since then, the capabilities have grown massively. If we need extra gear, it's accessible from all over the world. We request it, and it simply gets sourced; that level of support is quite impressive.

"A lot of my job is about optimising the process. There are so many small moving parts; it's all about making things as efficient as possible. Success comes down to good prep and staying aware during the show; you need to be ready if something does go wrong, so I always have a plan."

The Everybody Scream crew hit US shores for prep at Clair Global's HQ in Lititz, Pennsylvania, before the North America tour commenced in Minneapolis this month. "I've been impressed with the whole Clair Global package," Roberts says. "They've covered all our needs, from control and speakers right through to RF co-ordination and licensing, with ease. Thanks to our account executives Chris Fitch and Jonathan Dunlop for making it happen."