As cover bands go, The Australian Pink Floyd Show stands apart on many counts. Having sold more than four million tickets to concerts in 35 countries certainly distinguishes them from run-of-the-mill cover acts. But perhaps their boldest boast is that David Gilmour – yes, that David Gilmour – had them perform at his 50th birthday celebration. It’s a testament to their success in getting the sound, the feel and the experience right. And AKG gear plays a key role in that success.
Formed in 1988 in Adelaide by a group of Pink Floyd-obsessed musicians, the band honed its act until they not only had the songs down perfectly, but could also replicate Pink Floyd’s unique sound. They performed throughout Australia garnering positive reaction, but hungered for a bigger, broader audience. Their big break came when band member Steve Mac, while on a trip to the UK, got in touch with the publishers of “Brain Damage” magazine, the biggest Pink Floyd fanzine at the time. As it happened, magazine owner Glenn Povey was planning a Pink Floyd fan convention at Wembley in August 1993, and he booked Think Floyd, as TAPFS was then known. Their three-hour extravaganza, under their new name, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, was a huge hit and led to Povey booking the band at shows throughout the UK.
It was during this time that David Gilmour visited the band backstage after a show in Croydon, a visit that eventually led to the band performing at an event marking Gilmour’s 50th birthday. What more could they hope for? How about Pink Floyd band members in attendance coming up on stage and performing with the band?
Since then, it’s been nothing but more blockbuster performances and accolades for TPFS as they’ve toured the world, periodically updating the act, keeping it fresh. All the while, the band has relied on an array of AKG microphones. For vocals, TAPFS opted for D7’s after experiencing problems with condenser mics that picked up too much of the drums in the background.“The D7 has great isolation, which not only keeps our monitor mixes tidy, but preserves our voices,” said the band’s Steve Mac.
AKG C414, C518 and D40 microphones are used for the drums. “We use the AKG C414 microphones on the overhead and ride cymbal, because they just sound so natural. For the toms and roto toms, we use the AKG C518 microphones, because their small stature and stunning sound allows for more accurate positioning in tight spaces. We use the AKG D40 on the lower floor tom and also on the gong to capture the rich bass,” Mac said.
Mac uses AKG C451/CK1 microphones on his Fender Twin Reverb amps, which “really bring out the detail of the top end and capture the glassy bite of a Twin,” he said. “Also, they have a large diaphragm and they really capture the low end naturally and add ‘size’ to the guitar sounds.”
AKG C518 microphones with AKG radio packs are used for the tenor, alto and soprano saxophones. The Baritone saxophone is captured by an AKG D40 large diaphragm “to bring out the warmth in the sound without the risk of feedback,” according to Mac.
Besides sounding just the way vocalists want them to, AKG microphones are designed to stay consistent and endure severe punishment across all stages of a tour, so bands can focus on the show. “The consistency is extremely important, because the audience is familiar with the sounds of original Pink Floyd songs,” said Mac. “These microphones allow us to accurately maintain the amazing sounds of Pink Floyd’s albums, regardless of the venue and environment. That is why we have been using AKG microphones for 31 years in both studio recording and live music production.”
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