Nothing will test your meddle (and your gear) like a few months on the road with Creed, Staind, Hoobastank, and Saliva. In a production of that magnitude, there’s no room for error. Matt recounts how he and the boys pulled it off.

By Matt (Like A Storm)

THE CALL

Touring arenas and amphitheatres in the US with Creed was mind-blowing. It was an absolute dream come true for us – a band all the way from Auckland, New Zealand.

When we got the call about the tour, we had only two weeks until our first show in Pittsburgh, PA. We had played our fair share of clubs, but this was a whole new level for us – sharing the stage every night with Creed, and also Staind, Hoobastank, and Saliva.

THE TOUR

The scale of production of the tour was incredible – like nothing I had ever seen before. The sheer number of crew members, the precision with which the show had to run, and of course the thousands of fans watching every night meant that our setup had to be as quick and painless as possible.

With this “throw and go” situation in such a high-pressure environment, the reliability and simplicity of our guitar rigs was a major factor.

THE EASE

This is where our Line 6 gear really came to the party. We didn't have time to troubleshoot countless old cables, untangle pedal boards, or any of the usual pre-gig fun you might enjoy at a club. Our Vetta™ II heads and cabs were rolled onstage, our sound guy took the signal from the direct outs, and we were literally ready to rock. No mics, no hassle.

The amps were given a quick line check from our guitar tech, and then left on standby for the first riff of our opening song, “Chemical Infatuation”. We never even set foot onstage until show time.

Plus, the amps delivered the same kickass tones, every single night – no temperamental knobs or vintage wiring to throw you a curveball mid-set in front of thousands of people.

THE TONE

Initially we were drawn to Line 6 amps because of their monstrous tones and incredible effects, little did we know it would become the secret weapon of our arena shows. Every night we walked out onstage confident in our guitar sounds, and able to focus on the main thing – the show.

Our Vetta II heads and cabs were amazing for this simple and reliable setup. And the onboard effects, powered floorboard, built in tuner, and programmable presets allowed us to have a “one stop shop” no bigger than a standard 4x12 speaker cabinet road-case.

THE END

In the electric and high-pressure environment that is an arena tour, we relied on our Vetta II rigs to deliver night after night. Our show was better every night for having gear that not only gave us monstrous tones and a vast array of effects, but was also reliable and quick to setup.

         Powered by Line 6: Matt on stage with Like A Storm.