Accomplished monitor engineer Chris Lee – who’s mixed shows for some of the biggest acts on the planet – discusses what it’s like to be back touring with the likes of J.Lo, why he can’t be without his JH Audio IEMs on the job, and offers his thoughts on the state of the live music industry in the US.
The last time Headliner spoke to Lee was in November 2020; we discussed his origins in mixing live sound, his use of DiGiCo desks and his creative approach for mixing a Kendrick Lamar show, but a lot has happened since then…
As was the case the previous year, the in-demand Lee remained as busy as ever in 2021, ringing in the new year with J.Lo in Times Square (he’s been mixing her shows for four years now).
“That was an amazing experience, and it was a little sombre to be there,” he recalls. “Despite bringing in the new year with a party and watching the ball drop, Times Square was practically empty. And then shortly after that we did the inauguration for newly elected President Biden. Then we built a new stadium here in Los Angeles for our two football teams – the Rams and the Chargers – and held one of the first full live events with I think around 50,000 people, and that was in April.