The "c/o pop", representing music and poop culture of all kinds with well-known artists, took place in Cologne for the 6th time in 2009, this time in all new locations in the heart of the city. The festival was positioned under the motto "Pop Culture 2.0" with a newly oriented business-area, the convention, as well as an even more comprehensive festival program.
At the Offenbachplatz next to Opera and "Schauspielhaus" the promoters found a highly attractive open air area and with the Opernterrassen a great new party adress with up to three floors was found. Here and in the "Schauspielhaus" the well attended convention events took place, which were equipped by contour with technically most mature equipment capable of withstanding five days of massive music program. Numerous well known locations, including the "Philharmonie" and the "Gloria", were used as concert stages during the festival.
Since the beginning of the c/o pop-history in 2004, contour is the reliable partner for mobile event equipment. Be it temporary constructions like roofs, lighting concepts or sound installations - contour provides know how, experience and ideas for the hottest artists and projects.
A special challenge for contour was yet again the sanction according to the "Freizeitlärmrichtlinie" (a regulation dealing with noise emission in residential areas). Pursuant to the permission, the promoters had to keep a sound level of 65db(A) Leq in as little as 18m distance behind the stage at the residential window next to the stage. An apparently unsolvable task, even if only a decent average concert level of 90db(A) is desired for the audience.
The forecast by Michael Mück, "Cuemix Eventbetreuung" and employed noise referee of "ADU Cologne GmbH", resulted in a maximum noise level of ap 93db(A) in front of the stage and 78db(A) at the FOH. "Insufficient for a contemporary concert" was the decision of the contour audio specialists, and so they planned an exactly positioned Meyer Sound M'elodie system with cardioid subwoofers and phase alignment to the monitor system in cooperation with Mück. Every half db(A) counted. The decay of the M'elodie systems was allow 3db at most in a distance of 30m and the cancellation of the subs to the rear had to be maximized. By means of the approved prediction software MAPP Online, exact positionning and accurate SIM 3 measurement the maximum sound level for the audience could be raised to good 96db(A) Leq in front of the stage - thus well doubled volume compared to the forecast and the fears of the promoter. It still didn't feel like a very loud concert, but the distinguished sound exspecially during the performance of "Whitest Boy Alive" provided a real concert feeling on a very exclusive location in the center of cologne, all with adhered noise protection obligation.
Further information on c/o pop is found at: http://www.c-o-pop.de/c-o-pop.1.en.html
With over 140,000 clicks on YouTube the artist Patrick Wolf, who headlined the show on August 13th playing the last set on the Offenbachplatz, caused a stir by hindsight. The video, recorded by a visitor with a cellphone, shows the displeased Patrick Wolf in confrontation with the very real gig- and festival-terms in Cologne's city center. The artist had exceeded his scheduled performance and overreacted on the production management's strict ending of his appearance by throwing wireless microphones, microphone stands and a bar stool at them. Luckily there was only material damage on the wireless systems, and the artist apologized officially on his website shortly after the festival.
